Chapter 17
Adults were indeed less adaptable than children in some respects, but with a little more effort and time, there was no need to worry about failing to learn sword flight.
Shan Heyuan practiced for the entire afternoon. Only when night fell did he pick up his sword and head home with Shen Duheng.
If he got back early tomorrow, he would come over and practice sword flight again!
The next day, Shan Heyuan still hadn't mastered sword flight, so Shen Duheng escorted him to the Supreme Harmony Sect again.
To keep the sick Spirit Plants separate from the healthy ones, the Supreme Harmony Sect had set aside a plot of land for him.
Shan Heyuan no longer went to Thousand Cries Peak. He came to the new Spirit Field every day instead.
Shen Duheng dropped him off outside the Spirit Field. "I'll head back first. Send me a communication talisman if you need anything."
"Okay." Shan Heyuan waved with a smile. "Go on, get back to your work."
Shen Duheng gave a slight nod and, without another word, flew off on his sword.
Qi Yuanbai came out of the Spirit Field to meet Shan Heyuan. He looked up at Shen Duheng's departing figure. "That's fellow Daoist Shen, isn't it?"
Shan Heyuan smiled. "Yes, that's him."
"Fellow Daoist Shen is so handsome." An envious gleam shone in Qi Yuanbai's eyes. As he looked away, he caught sight of Shan Heyuan and added, "You're good-looking too, fellow Daoist Shan."
Shan Heyuan laughed. "Fellow Daoist Qi, your Dao heart isn't very steadfast, is it? Don't they say that a beauty is but a pile of white bones, and that one shouldn't be led astray by external things?"
Qi Yuanbai replied with perfect confidence, "I've only just reached Foundation Establishment. How could my cultivation be that profound?"
Shan Heyuan said, "All right, enough of that. Let's make the most of our time and deal with the Spirit Plants."
The sick Spirit Plants could infect the healthy ones in the Spirit Plant garden, so they had moved them out of Thousand Cries Peak ahead of schedule.
After the Spirit Plants were moved, the soil they had been in was thoroughly disinfected. It had now been turned over and left to bake in the sun.
The spread of the infection among the Spirit Plants had been halted, and both Shan Heyuan and the Supreme Harmony Sect breathed a little easier.
Even if this batch of sick plants couldn't be cured at all, the damage to the Spirit Plant garden on Thousand Cries Peak wouldn't cut to the bone.
This year's returns wouldn't look too dismal.
Even so, they still had to try to save the sick plants.
Over the past two days, Shan Heyuan had prepared rooting solution and used the Spring Transformation Art to bring the Spirit Plants to their best condition. Today, he had to pick out the thickest branches with the most abundant Spiritual Qi from the sick plants, cut them off, and plant them as new cuttings.
The sick branches he had taken home no longer carried the disease after being replanted as cuttings.
These sick plants should be the same.
Having thought it through, Shan Heyuan let out a deep breath and got to work.
He had to use the Spring Transformation Art on the sick plants again, guiding their spiritual power into order and forcing as much of it as possible into the parts he was going to cut off.
That would give them the best chance of survival.
Qi Yuanbai didn't know the Spring Transformation Art, so he assisted Shan Heyuan, promptly placing the branches he cut off into the rooting solution and gathering up the discarded sick branches.
Shan Heyuan knew his cultivation was low and his spiritual power insufficient, so he didn't dare let himself be distracted. He guided the spiritual power in each Spirit Plant into order as quickly as he could, then relied on instinct and experience to cut off the parts with the most spiritual power.
He was utterly focused.
Gradually, he became completely absorbed in the Spirit Plants before him, oblivious to everything around him.
He had entered a state of forgetting both self and surroundings.
He didn't feel tired at all as he used the Spring Transformation Art. The more he worked, the more fulfilled and excited he felt.
Shan Heyuan was the quiet sort.
Qi Yuanbai had rarely spoken with him while working together these past few days, so at first he didn't notice anything unusual about his state.
Only when Shan Heyuan's presence began to rise bit by bit and the Spiritual Qi circling around him formed a vortex did Qi Yuanbai realize what was happening.
This plant cultivator, who was only at the Qi Refining Fifth Stage, had actually entered a state of forgetting both self and surroundings!
Qi Yuanbai's mouth fell open, disbelief written all over his face.
He had already reached Foundation Establishment, yet he had never entered that state.
None of his fellow disciples around him had ever entered it either!
Just what kind of genius was this?
To have such comprehension at such a young age!
Hadn't the news from the disciple center said that fellow Daoist Shan's Spirit Root was of exceptionally poor quality, and that it was a chaos Spirit Root at that?
Qi Yuanbai stared at Shan Heyuan, unsure whether he should follow him.
Now that fellow Daoist Shan had entered a state of forgetting both self and surroundings, was he not supposed to get close to him?
But if he didn't get close, should he pick up the branches Shan Heyuan dropped without delay?
Just as Qi Yuanbai hesitated over whether to move, a hand from behind settled firmly on his shoulder.
He jumped in fright and opened his mouth to cry out, but a ball of air blocked his throat, leaving him unable to speak.
Qi Yuanbai turned his head in alarm and saw that his senior brother had appeared at his side at some unknown time.
Jiu Mingyue said quietly, "It's not easy to enter a state of forgetting both self and surroundings. Don't disturb him."
Only after the ball of air in Qi Yuanbai's mouth dispersed could he speak. "Senior brother, what brought you here? Fellow Daoist Shan is amazing."
Jiu Mingyue said, "I saw that you were starting the cuttings today, so I came to see if there was anything I could help with. How did fellow Daoist Shan enter that state?"
Qi Yuanbai shook his head. "I don't know either. He was working away, and suddenly he was like this."
Shan Heyuan heard none of the conversation behind him.
He reached out and dealt with one Spirit Plant after another, until he reached out once more and suddenly grasped at empty air. Only then did he abruptly come to his senses.
He had actually finished dealing with that whole pile of Spirit Plants?!
He seemed to have been more than three times as fast as before.
Shan Heyuan blinked, looking utterly bewildered.
Before he could look around, a voice came from behind him. "Congratulations, fellow Daoist Shan. You've reached the Qi Refining Eighth Stage."
As if waking from a dream, Shan Heyuan turned to look at Jiu Mingyue. "Fellow Daoist Jiu?"
Jiu Mingyue smiled. "Fellow Daoist Shan, you've advanced."
Shan Heyuan murmured, repeating his words, "I've advanced?"
Qi Yuanbai couldn't hold back. "Fellow Daoist Shan, you just entered a state of forgetting both self and surroundings. You absorbed Spiritual Qi like crazy and broke through three stages in a row. Didn't you feel it?"
Shan Heyuan shook his head.
Qi Yuanbai was full of envy. "It's a pity you ran out of Spirit Plants and it interrupted your state. Otherwise, I reckon you could have broken straight through to Foundation Establishment."
Shan Heyuan could feel the abundant spiritual power in his body, but he had no recollection of advancing at all. It was as if he had advanced in a dream.
Advancing had been so easy this time that he was still a little dazed.
Jiu Mingyue looked at Shan Heyuan and smiled as he extended an invitation. "Fellow Daoist Shan, would you like to take the examination for our Supreme Harmony Sect's inner sect?"
Chapter 17
The Supreme Harmony Sect governed one city and fourteen towns. Becoming a disciple of the sect was much like becoming a civil servant on Earth; for the people of Jingzhishan Town, it was a remarkable achievement.
Ma Rupei's wish was to take the examination for the Supreme Harmony Sect's inner sect after reaching Foundation Establishment.
Shan Heyuan hadn't expected Jiu Mingyue to invite him before Ma Rupei had even taken the examination.
He looked at Jiu Mingyue. "Fellow Daoist Jiu, don't you have to be at the Foundation Establishment Realm or above to qualify for the Supreme Harmony Sect's inner sect examination?"
Jiu Mingyue said gently, "Those are the rules for the usual method of entry. For a genius like you, fellow Daoist Shan, we would naturally make an exception."
Shan Heyuan hadn't expected such high praise from Jiu Mingyue and was stunned for a moment.
Qi Yuanbai, however, thought highly of him and chimed in from the side. "That's right. Martial uncle, the sect leader, said just two days ago that fellow Daoist Shan had done a good job with the Spirit Plant garden, and he could put his mind at ease for the time being."
Jiu Mingyue said, "Our Supreme Harmony Sect ranks among the best of the many second-tier sects under the Sword Reverence Sect, and relations among our people are uncomplicated. If you want to take a sect examination, fellow Daoist Shan, we're definitely a good choice."
Qi Yuanbai nodded repeatedly beside him.
Jiu Mingyue went on, "If you wish to take it, fellow Daoist Shan, we can arrange a separate examination for you. The Supreme Harmony Sect hasn't recruited a Spirit Plant cultivator in many years. As long as you're willing to take the examination, you'll pass. What do you say?"
Jiu Mingyue was gentle by nature and spoke plainly.
Even though Shan Heyuan hadn't considered joining a sect before, Jiu Mingyue's words stirred something in his heart.
That afternoon, Shan Heyuan soaked all the Spirit Plant branches he had taken in the rooting solution and waited for Shen Duheng to come and pick him up.