Yan Song piloted the General Affairs Hall's public flying artifact, a gigantic tower ship, and delivered all the examiners and candidates to one of the sect's medicinal herb fields.
This was the examination site for the practical test.
The practical test consisted of three sections: planting, forced maturation, and harvesting.
The first step was planting.
Li Xiuchang and the others each received ten First-grade Spirit Plant seeds. Seven were seeds of common spirit plants, though two of them belonged to the more complicated and difficult-to-grow varieties among First-grade Spirit Plants.
Li Xiuchang had neither seen nor heard of the other three seeds. He was told they were varieties of Southern Spirit Plants.
Immortal Dust Sect was located North of Immortal Shade, and its climate differed greatly from that of the south. Many spirit plants could not adapt to northern climatic conditions and grew only in the south.
These Southern Spirit Plants unique to the south were all a first sight for Li Xiuchang and the other three candidates.
The four of them could not even name these three spirit plants, much less plant them.
For a moment, unease welled in all of them, and the pressure began to mount.
Of the ten seeds, they had to plant seven successfully to pass. Excluding the three obscure seeds, they had to achieve a perfect survival rate with the remaining seven.
At that moment, however, the chief examiner spoke. "There's no need to panic. These three Southern Spirit Plant seeds unique to South of Immortal Shade—I'll teach you how to plant them later."
The other three candidates did not feel much more relaxed after hearing this. Even knowing the planting methods, there was little hope of success on their first attempt.
Only Li Xiuchang felt confident. When he had practiced in his courtyard, he had successfully planted every First-grade Spirit Plant on his first attempt. He believed this time would be no exception.
As soon as the chief examiner finished speaking, Senior Brother Yan Song stepped forward and added, "The sect offers additional rewards to disciples who perform exceptionally well in the examination. Whoever successfully plants all ten seeds will receive a First-grade Spirit Plant Seed Pack containing seeds from more than five thousand First-grade Spirit Plants."
The hearts of all the candidates, including Li Xiuchang, began to beat faster.
Seeds from more than five thousand First-grade Spirit Plants—this nearly encompassed more than half of the First-grade Spirit Plant varieties found North of Immortal Shade!
Although most First-grade Spirit Plant seeds were not worth much, the combined value of more than five thousand seeds was still no small sum.
Besides, some rare varieties could not be bought even with spirit stones.
This Seed Pack was specially brought out by Immortal Dust Sect as a reward for outstanding disciples. That was one of the benefits of being a disciple of a major sect like Immortal Dust Sect.
The examinations for other skills also offered similar rewards.
Of course, obtaining such rewards was extremely difficult for ordinary disciples. They were basically the exclusive preserve of geniuses.
And Li Xiuchang happened to be one of those geniuses—at least when it came to farming.
The other three candidates carefully began planting from the simplest seeds, while Li Xiuchang deliberately chose the toughest bones to chew and immediately started planting the three Southern Spirit Plants.
His actions naturally attracted the attention of most of the examiners.
Senior Brother Yan Song furrowed his brow slightly as he watched Li Xiuchang's movements.
Under the watchful eyes of the examiners, Li Xiuchang moved as smoothly as flowing clouds and running water. Following the planting methods the examiner had just taught them, he successively planted all three Southern Spirit Plants.
All three seeds were coaxed into sprouting tender new shoots, and they looked full of vitality.
Only then did Yan Song's brow finally relax.
The chief examiner was even more astonished. "Have you planted these three spirit plants before?"
"This is my first time coming into contact with these three Southern Spirit Plants," Li Xiuchang answered truthfully.
"Then how..." The chief examiner swallowed the rest of his question halfway through. Since he had set the questions for others to take, could he really forbid someone from passing with full marks?
Don't ask. If you ask, the answer is talent... Feeling the shocked and envious gazes coming from all around him, Li Xiuchang experienced the thrill of being an academic ace.
At that moment, he seemed to have transformed into the class genius from his childhood—the one reputed to never study and only play, yet still ranked first in the class.
Coming first through hard work was satisfying, but it wasn't satisfying enough.
Coming first by lying down and relying on talent—now that was truly satisfying!
The other three candidates, who had been proceeding steadily and cautiously, were thrown into a panic by Li Xiuchang's performance. Their rhythms became somewhat disordered.
Examinations had never tested only knowledge and skill. They also tested one's state of mind.
Li Xiuchang's state of mind was rock-solid. Even under the gaze of so many people, he remained unhurried. His planting examination was not over yet; there were still seven seeds to plant.
But the hardest part had already passed. Planting the remaining seven seeds was as easy as turning over his hand for Li Xiuchang.
Soon, ten neatly arranged seedlings of different First-grade Spirit Plants stood in the medicinal herb field. Every one had been planted by Li Xiuchang and successfully coaxed into sprouting.
The First-grade Seed Pack was his!
The chief examiner praised him. "Immortal Dust Sect has produced another promising talent in the Way of Spirit Plants. How enviable."
That was what he said, but everyone was only mildly surprised. These examiners had seen plenty of geniuses, and Immortal Dust Sect in particular was a place where geniuses gathered in droves.
A genius like Li Xiuchang, capable of obtaining the sect's additional reward, appeared in Immortal Dust Sect only once every dozen years or so on average.
Li Xiuchang's current performance was merely that of one among many geniuses.
After finishing the planting portion, Li Xiuchang still had to wait for the other three candidates.
Sweat beaded on their foreheads one after another. Every movement they made was cautious, and their efficiency was far inferior to Li Xiuchang's.
In the end, only two of the three candidates barely passed. The other had successfully planted only six seeds and was eliminated ahead of time.
The eliminated candidate looked dejected, but fear showed even more strongly than disappointment on his face. He did not dare look at Senior Brother Yan Song beside him.
Failing this time and taking the test again later was not a major issue, but Strict Senior Brother Yan often imposed some punishment on them.
Yan Song said coldly, "Wu Fuhai, reflect properly after you return. You are not allowed to take the examination again for six months."
Upon hearing this, the eliminated Wu Fuhai actually let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he was merely barred from registering for the examination again for six months.
Yan Song said to the three people beside him who had passed the planting examination, "The three of you, keep it up. If any of you can pass every examination with full marks, the sect will additionally grant you a hundred-year usage right to a medicinal herb field."
At the end, his gaze fixed directly on Li Xiuchang. Those words were meant for Li Xiuchang.
Only Li Xiuchang had any chance of clearing the entire examination with full marks.
Having obtained the First-grade Spirit Plant Seed Pack, Li Xiuchang was already a once-in-a-decade genius among the outer sect disciples.
If he could pass every examination with full marks, he would be a genius among geniuses. Even in the outer sect of Immortal Dust Sect, where talent appeared in abundance, he would be a figure seen only once in a century.
Yan Song did not need to say anything more. The moment Li Xiuchang heard the reward for a perfect score in every section, he was already eager to give it a try.
He had just obtained more than five thousand seeds. That small courtyard at Number Eighteen, Eastern Geng District, certainly could not hold enough room to plant them all.
Li Xiuchang had already been envious when he saw the medicinal herb field that Mo Tu and Zhang Wanzhi rented together.
He urgently needed a medicinal herb field of his own.
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