"Ten drops of spirit spring water at a time is pretty much my limit right now..."
Lin Mo crouched in the wooden tub, feeling the gradually fading heat of the "fire snakes," and secretly counted himself lucky.
Thankfully, he hadn't poured in too much spirit spring water!
Ever since reaching the Third Layer of Qi Refining, he had drunk no more than ten drops of spirit spring water at a time.
He had used that same amount for his first attempt at bathing in spirit spring water, and the results had indeed matched his expectations.
If he had added a few more drops, his body might not have been able to withstand it. His flesh could have collapsed, sending all his hard work down the drain!
"I can't be so reckless again. I'll add it slowly, one drop at a time..."
As time passed, Lin Mo absorbed all the spiritual essence contained in the spirit spring water. He then jumped out of the wooden tub, dried himself with a towel, and put his clothes back on.
Lin Mo wasn't quite sure exactly how strong his body had become.
What he could say for certain was that it had improved by at least five percent compared with before his bath!
That five percent was not to be underestimated.
Over the past three months, Lin Mo hadn't merely sat in meditation and cultivated. He had been consuming mutated fire spirit fruit and mutated golden coin grass throughout that time, so both his spiritual energy and his physical strength far surpassed those of ordinary disciples at the same cultivation level.
Combined with the effects of golden-light wheat and spirit rice, this meant that although Lin Mo's cultivation level wasn't high, he had no weaknesses. He had even grown a little taller than he had been three months ago!
"Time to see Steward Wang..."
After tidying up his bedroom, Lin Mo wasted no more time and headed out into the front courtyard.
In the courtyard, Liu Xianzong looked as though he were facing a formidable enemy, his expression intensely tense.
Lin Xiaohe gripped a cleaver and watched the courtyard gate like a tiger eyeing its prey, seemingly ready to charge over and hack at someone at the slightest rustle of wind or grass.
Qin Sang Sang's face was filled with terror, and her small hands trembled involuntarily. Even so, she copied Lin Xiaohe and clutched a spatula tightly, slender blue veins bulging on the backs of her hands.
"It's all right now."
Lin Mo spoke casually. Only after watching Liu Xianzong and the others relax did he stride toward the Spirit Plant Courtyard.
The Spirit Plant Courtyard.
While Lin Mo had been bathing in spirit spring water in his bedroom, outer sect disciples and servant disciples had already gone to the Ghost-Crying Field and harvested all the spirit wheat he had grown.
Under normal circumstances, those ten mu of spirit wheat should have yielded around fifty jin.
Yet this crop was clearly anything but ordinary. The number of wheat ears had increased by almost fifty percent, and the harvest weighed an astonishing one hundred and twenty jin!
"Good! Excellent!"
Yuan Jingtu, the chief outer elder, rolled several plump grains of wheat between his fingers, his face full of wonder. "That lad Lin Mo certainly lives up to his special... ahem, certainly has a knack for cultivating spirit plants."
"The haunting of the Ghost-Crying Field has been thoroughly resolved. I'd like to see what that Gou Fengying has left to say!"
Cui Zhong and the hunched Elder Zhu each held a few ears of wheat. They even ate several grains raw, their expressions filled with approval.
These spirit wheat plants had been watered twice with spirit spring water. Although Lin Mo had diluted it both times, their quality and yield still far surpassed those of ordinary spirit wheat.
With such a promising seedling emerging from the Spirit Plant Courtyard, its senior figures shared in the glory.
However, Lin Mo's special constitution was one of the sect's greatest secrets. When they had heard about it from Wang Qiuru, every one of them had been astonished for a long while. Afterward, like Wang Qiuru, they had kept the matter strictly confidential.
"Lin Mo's here?"
Seeing Lin Mo enter, Wang Qiuru was the first to greet him, her face beaming. "Beautifully done. You've finally stopped up that foul mouth of Gou Fengying's."
"Here, take these. A small token from the three elders. Don't think it too little."
As she spoke, she handed Lin Mo a storage bag and a jade bottle over a foot tall.
A wonderful misunderstanding...
Oh, no. Once everything became reality, a misunderstanding was no longer a misunderstanding, but a fact!
Lin Mo accepted the storage bag and jade bottle with a clear conscience.
Rather than inspect the treasures inside in front of everyone, he cupped his hands toward them, his expression humble. "Without the care and support of the elders and Steward Wang, I would likely have struggled to restore the Ghost-Crying Field."
"My greatest fear was bringing shame upon our Spirit Plant Courtyard. Now that the spirit wheat has yielded a bountiful harvest and the resentful energy in the Ghost-Crying Field has dispersed, I have fulfilled my duty. I can finally set down the great stone weighing on my heart."
He claimed no credit for his achievements, knew how to speak pleasantly, and had even reached the Third Layer of Qi Refining...
Yuan Jingtu looked Lin Mo up and down, finding the lad more pleasing the longer he looked.
He slowly rose to his feet and said with a smile, "I once told you that if you accomplished this task, I would give you an opportunity to participate in this year's Spirit Plant Grand Competition."
"Now I'll keep my word. Start preparing once you return. The competition begins in half a month, so you mustn't disappoint us!"
Whew!
Although he had already known the outcome, Lin Mo still couldn't quite contain his delight.
The Spirit Plant Grand Competition was held once every three years. It was a major event not only for the Spirit Plant Courtyard, but for the entire outer sect of the Azure Cloud Sect.
He wasn't eligible to participate in Spirit Beast Peak's Spirit Beast Grand Competition, Meltfire Peak's Artifact Refining Grand Competition, or Cinnabar Cloud Peak's Dao of Alchemy Conference, nor did he excel in those fields.
But when it came to cultivating spirit plants, who in the Azure Cloud Sect could match even a fraction of his ability?
With the Treasure Gourd in hand, winning the championship would be effortless!
"Normally, this place wouldn't have fallen to you yet."
Seeing the delight on Lin Mo's face, Yuan Jingtu offered a gentle warning. "The Spirit Plant Courtyard has many outer sect disciples. Some have even reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining and long since met the requirements for promotion to inner sect disciple."
"They remain in the Spirit Plant Courtyard precisely to study the methods of cultivating spirit plants, pouring countless painstaking efforts into their work."
"Remember, beyond this mountain stands a higher mountain. Never underestimate your opponents. Always keep a sense of reverence in your heart, and strive to improve."
Knowing that Yuan Jingtu meant well, Lin Mo immediately cupped his hands. "Thank you for your guidance, Elder Yuan. I will remember it."
Yuan Jingtu nodded in satisfaction, then casually grabbed a handful of spirit wheat. Stroking his thick beard, he smiled smugly. "Carry on chatting. I'm off to Spirit Beast Peak."
"Once old Gou sees this spirit wheat, I doubt he'll have a pleasant look on his face. I'm very much looking forward to it, hahaha!"
Whoosh!
He was clearly an impatient man. As soon as he finished speaking, his figure blurred, and he darted straight out the door.
A flying sword appeared beneath his feet. He soared into the sky and streaked toward Spirit Beast Peak.
"Elder Yuan... ah!"
Lin Mo hesitated, but by the time he tried to speak, it was already too late.
Watching Yuan Jingtu's retreating figure from afar, he narrowed his eyes slightly, a trace of unease rising in his heart.
The matter of the Ghost-Crying Field was settled, but what came next?
Elder Yuan would certainly give Gou Fengying a resounding slap in the face on this visit. Gou Fengying might have no way to deal with Elder Yuan, but he had better not turn his spear toward me again!
Before you continue