An Unexpected Windfall

While Liu Feng and the others devoted themselves wholeheartedly to Soul Skill Analysis, another remarkable event took place in Liu Family Village.

It was a bright, sunny day, and the village had organized everyone to harvest the herbs from the fields.

The villagers carried Bamboo Baskets as they chatted and laughed on their way to the fields, but when they reached Liu Feng's family's land, they were instantly stunned by the sight before them.

Some of the medicinal materials in Liu Feng's fields looked as though they had been enchanted. The plants were tall and sturdy, their leaves broad and glossy. They swayed gently in the breeze, brimming with vitality and standing in stark contrast to the ordinary herbs beside them.

"How... how did the Liu Family's herbs grow this outrageously?" Wang Er Mazi's eyes widened, his mouth hanging open as the Bamboo Basket in his hand nearly Dropped to the ground. His face was full of disbelief.

"Exactly. I've grown herbs my whole life, but I've never seen such vigorous growth." Grandpa Li also came over, frowning with confusion in his eyes.

He stretched out his rough hand and gently stroked the tall herbs, muttering, "This texture, this color... they're definitely extraordinary."

Everyone gathered around, whispering among themselves and discussing it animatedly.

Someone could not resist plucking a leaf and bringing it to their nose for a light sniff. A rich, distinctive Medicinal Fragrance instantly spread through the air.

"The Medicinal Effect must be far stronger than that of ordinary herbs!" an experienced old herbal farmer declared with certainty, his eyes full of amazement.

Everyone spoke at once, yet no one could figure out the reason behind it.

After asking around, they found Liu Qing, who was busy at home.

"Village Chief, what's going on with the herbs in your family's fields? How did they grow so well?" a young villager asked eagerly.

Seeing everyone's curious expressions, Liu Qing smiled and explained the whole story. "It's all thanks to Liu Feng. He conducted an Herb Networking experiment in the fields before, using Soul Power to link each herb together like a huge net."

"That way, the herbs became like a single whole and could absorb Nutrients more effectively. That's why they grew so well, and why their Medicinal Effect improved too."

The crowd erupted in an uproar after hearing this.

"There's such a method?"

"That kid Liu Feng is incredible!"

Expressions of amazement rose One After Another. The villagers looked at Liu Qing with eyes full of admiration and envy.

Once the harvest began, everyone was shocked speechless once more.

The originally estimated yield seemed insignificant before the lush herbs in front of them. After the final count, the medicinal materials had increased by one-third, while the grain harvest had risen by nearly half.

The number was like a massive bomb, throwing the villagers into an uproar.

"This... this is too outrageous!"

"Liu Feng's single experiment is worth several years of our hard work!"

The villagers looked at one another, their faces full of Shocked excitement. Joyful energy filled the entire Fields.

The news seemed to grow Wings as it swiftly spread throughout Liu Family Village.

That afternoon, the Liu Family's small courtyard was packed so tightly with villagers that not even water could pass through.

Everyone spoke over one another, voicing their requests.

"Village Chief, when we plant next year, could Xiao Feng help us set up Herb Networking too?" an older woman asked.

"Yes, yes! We're willing to give half of the increased harvest as payment. Please help us!" a middle-aged man echoed from the side, his eyes full of earnestness.

Liu Qing looked at the enthusiastic villagers, his face showing some difficulty. "I appreciate everyone's goodwill, but this isn't a small matter. I need to discuss it with Liu Feng first before giving you an answer."

"Of course, of course. Then we'll trouble you, Village Chief," a villager said to Liu Qing.

That night, moonlight flowed like water over the Liu Family's small courtyard.

Liu Qing sat on a Stone Stool in the courtyard, looking at Liu Feng, who was sorting through materials, and said, "Xiao Feng, something major happened in the village today."

Liu Feng raised his head and rubbed his aching temples. These past few days, he had been completely immersed in his research, so busy that his head spun. He had nearly forgotten all about the Herb Networking experiment.

"Dad, what happened?" Liu Qing looked at his father and asked.

Liu Qing then told Liu Feng everything about the day's abundant harvest and the villagers' requests.

Liu Feng was stunned at first, then his eyes lit up. He quickly asked, "Dad, did you record the herbs' growth conditions during the harvest? I need to compare them and see whether anything needs adjustment."

Liu Qing smiled and went inside. Before long, he returned with a thick notebook.

It turned out that he had already anticipated that Liu Feng might need this information, so he had recorded everything in detail during the harvest.

Liu Feng accepted the notebook. Looking at the densely packed data and charts inside, his heart filled with emotion.

He knew that his father had always silently supported every one of his research projects.

Liu Qing looked through the notebook with Liu Feng, carefully recalling the initial planting and growth conditions, the growth during the middle stage, and the specific conditions at the final harvest.

Gradually, Liu Feng discovered a problem.

His Fingers slid lightly over the chart recording the herbs' growth cycle, and his brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

"Dad, look. After Herb Networking in the early stage, the herbs' growth rate really was extremely fast—nearly twice as fast as ordinary herbs."

Liu Feng pointed at the comparison curves for early-stage growth rates on the chart.

"But in the middle stage, the growth rate suddenly slowed down. Although the final harvest still Far Exceeded that of ordinary herbs, this abnormality in the middle-stage growth rate is very strange."

Liu Feng flipped to the page recording the herbs' nutrient absorption and continued his analysis. "According to the nutrient absorption data, during the early stage, the herbs could efficiently draw all kinds of Nutrients from the soil through the network."

"But by the middle stage, nutrient absorption did not increase along with the plants' growing needs. The absorption of certain key Nutrients even Stagnated."

Liu Qing listened attentively from the side and nodded from time to time. "I remember that there were several especially hot and muggy days during the middle stage. Could the weather have affected the herbs' growth?"

Liu Feng shook his head. After thinking for a moment, he said, "The weather may have had some effect, but it shouldn't have been the main reason."

"I think there may have been a problem with this 'network' of Herb Networking during the middle stage."

"Perhaps as the herbs grew, the Soul Power connections originally established could no longer bear the herbs' demand for Nutrients, obstructing the transfer of Nutrients."

To verify his theory, Liu Feng decided to go deep into the Fields again and carefully observe the herbs' Root System and the Soul Power connections between them.

He Squatted Down and carefully brushed aside the soil around an herb, revealing its intricate Root System.

Faint strands of Soul Power could be seen linking these roots together. During the early stage of normal growth, these strands had been bright and tough, but by the middle stage, some had become dim and thin, as though they could snap at any moment.

"So that's it." Liu Feng Stood Up, patted the dirt from his hands, and a determined light flashed in his eyes.

"I need to readjust the Herb Networking method and optimize the Soul Power connections, so they can steadily absorb Nutrients throughout the entire growth cycle. Only then can the herbs grow even better."

After Liu Feng's careful inspection, he found that aside from the network's nodes being Unable to Bear the Load, there was another easily overlooked problem.

He discovered that some herbs had actually yielded less than usual. There were only a few such kinds, but because the other herbs had seen such huge increases in production, these reduced-yield herbs had initially gone unnoticed.

Filled with doubts, Liu Feng hurried home and told his father about it.

Liu Qing took the records from Liu Feng and studied them carefully for quite some time before falling into thought.

After a moment, he slowly said, "Xiao Feng, in my opinion, there may be a mutually exclusive relationship between these plants, while the herbs with increased yields should have complementary relationships."

Liu Feng looked confused and Asked Further, "Dad, what do you mean?"

Liu Qing patiently explained, "For example, when planting crops, people use a method called Intercropping."

"The two or several plants used in Intercropping absorb different nutrients, allowing the Nutrients in the soil to be used more fully. That is what complementarity means."

"Conversely, if two plants compete for the same nutrient, they will compete against each other and ultimately reduce the yield. That is mutual exclusion."

Liu Feng came to a Sudden Realization and nodded repeatedly. "So that's how it is. No wonder there were reduced yields."

Liu Qing continued with a reminder. "When you network the herbs again next year, you must pay attention to the complementarity between different plants. Link the complementary herbs together, but don't connect mutually exclusive plants."

"Also, the herb network must never be connected to the Blue Silver Grass Network. Otherwise, the two may compete for energy and affect their growth."

Liu Feng listened seriously and nodded solemnly. "Dad, I understand. I'll definitely study this carefully and make Herb Networking a success. I won't let everyone down."

With the doubts in his heart resolved, Liu Feng became even more confident in his method for optimizing Herb Networking.

In the days that followed, Liu Feng threw himself into researching herb characteristics and Soul Power connections, determined to find the most perfect networking plan.