Chapter 17 (continued)

Shen Duheng was a little late today, so Shan Heyuan sat outside the Spirit Plant garden waiting for him.

Qi Yuanbai had wanted to keep him company, but he politely declined.

He wanted some quiet time alone.

As soon as Shen Duheng arrived, he saw Shan Heyuan sitting outside the Spirit Plant garden. The setting sun stretched his shadow long, fine strands of hair brushed his porcelain-smooth face, and there was a touch of uncertainty in his eyes.

Shen Duheng looked at him, his gaze suddenly sharpening. He walked over. "Advanced again?"

Shan Heyuan's backside had grown cold from sitting. He looked up and said, "It was an accident. I entered a state where I forgot both myself and everything around me while using the Spring Transformation Art to guide the Spirit Plants' spiritual power, and I gained quite a bit of it from them."

Shen Duheng reached out and pulled him to his feet. "No wonder. But disciples of major sects rarely lack Spirit Plants, and they still don't advance as quickly as you."

Shan Heyuan nodded.

Seeing that something was off with him, Shen Duheng asked, "Is something else going on?"

Shan Heyuan said, "Fellow Daoist Jiu invited me to take the examination for the Supreme Harmony Sect's inner sect today. He said if I was willing to take it, they'd let me in."

Shen Duheng said, "He certainly thinks highly of you. What do you think?"

Shan Heyuan looked at Shen Duheng. "I'm still thinking about it. The Supreme Harmony Sect seems quite good, and its principles are upright. But I'm bound to the broken sword, which means I'm bound to you. We're in this together, so I need to hear what you think."

They were still in the Supreme Harmony Sect, and even with no one around, some things were difficult to say.

Shen Duheng said, "Let's go back and discuss it."

Shen Duheng took Shan Heyuan home on his flying sword.

The weather was cold now, and it got dark early. By the time they arrived home, the sky was already dark.

Shan Heyuan didn't feel like cooking today, so he poured out two Grain Avoidance Pills, one for Shen Duheng and one for himself, and left it at that.

The two sat down to talk.

Shen Duheng asked, "Leaving me out of it, do you want to join the Supreme Harmony Sect's inner sect?"

Shan Heyuan said, "I've never thought about these things. In our world, people look for jobs when they become adults, and generally don't stay in one place until they're old."

The biggest difference between a sect and a company was loyalty.

At a company, people worked for money, and neither side had any further responsibilities or obligations to the other.

Sects were different. A sect was more like a family. Once someone joined, they couldn't simply leave on a whim. Wanting to leave was essentially the same as betraying one's master and ancestors, a serious moral stain.

But sects also treated their disciples well, providing all kinds of resources and essentially raising them as their own children.

Shan Heyuan explained his thoughts to Shen Duheng.

Shen Duheng said, "The Supreme Harmony Sect has taken a liking to your planting skills. Right now, they're the ones asking you to join."

Shan Heyuan thought it over and nodded. "More or less."

Shen Duheng said, "They recognize your ability. Even if you don't join now, if you want to join later, they'll most likely still accept you."

That made sense. Shan Heyuan said, "It doesn't seem like much of a problem."

Shen Duheng asked, "Do you think you can reach Foundation Establishment?"

Shan Heyuan had just advanced three stages in a row today and was brimming with confidence. At the question, he immediately said, "Yes!"

Shen Duheng said, "Once you reach Foundation Establishment, you can take the examination for the Supreme Harmony Sect's inner sect. Since you're confident you can reach Foundation Establishment, you might as well set this aside for now. Even if you don't take the Supreme Harmony Sect's examination later, it won't be hard to get into a comparable sect."

Shan Heyuan thought that made perfect sense.

After their discussion, Shan Heyuan politely declined the Supreme Harmony Sect's invitation.

Jiu Mingyue was disappointed, but he was not a narrow-minded cultivator, and their cooperation remained pleasant.

Shan Heyuan had intended to use this batch of the Supreme Harmony Sect's sick plants to hone his skills, so he cared for them with great attention.

Whether because his cultivation had improved or his skills had advanced, nearly all the cuttings he treated grew roots.

He took only one cutting from each of most of the sick plants, though from some in better condition, he took two or three.

After all the cuttings sprouted and were transplanted, there were more Spirit Plants than before.

He had planted an entirely new Spirit Plant garden for the Supreme Harmony Sect.

That day, Wen Chengyi, Jiu Mingyue, and several others accompanied a cultivator who looked like an old man toward the garden Shan Heyuan had newly planted.

When the old man reached the garden, he didn't go in right away. Instead, he stood on tiptoe and looked at the newly sprouted cuttings filling the garden. "They really were brought back to life?" he exclaimed. "I thought these Spirit Plants were beyond saving!"

Wen Chengyi said, "It was all thanks to a young fellow Daoist's clever idea."

With his hands behind his back, the old man offered his assessment. "That's no ordinary clever idea. Without a certain level of skill, he wouldn't have dared try it. We planters really should broaden our thinking."

Wen Chengyi led him into the Spirit Plant garden. "Young friend Shan really has the skill to match his boldness. Before he did it, I heard the plan from the Supreme Harmony Sect's sect master, and I didn't agree with it at the time. I was afraid it would go wrong."

The old man turned to look at him. "Old Wen, are you carrying that young fellow Daoist's sedan chair for him?"

Wen Chengyi laughed. "Young friend Shan's Root Bone may be ordinary, but his comprehension is excellent. He even taught himself the Spring Transformation Art. He doesn't need me to carry his sedan chair."

The old man said, "That's impressive."

After a few more words of idle chatter, the old man returned to the subject. "What's the success rate when you plant them this way?"

Jiu Mingyue said from beside him, "One hundred and twenty percent."

The old man burst out laughing. "How can it reach one hundred and twenty percent?"

Jiu Mingyue said, "Fellow Daoist Shan divided some of the sick plants into two or three plants each. After they were planted, there were more Spirit Plants than before, so it's one hundred and twenty percent."

The old man asked, "How much spiritual power do the new plants have stored?"

Wen Chengyi was familiar with this, so he answered, "About thirty to fifty percent. That's no fault of young friend Shan's technique. The Spirit Plants really were too sick before, and their spiritual power was nearly exhausted."

"That's remarkable." The old man's eyes shone. "Old Wen, now that you know how to deal with these sick plants, how confident would you be if another batch like them were handed to you?"

Wen Chengyi said, "I wouldn't even be fifty percent confident, and I wouldn't take on a job like this. At our age, our experience and skills have grown, but we can't necessarily do the work as well as the youngsters. Just look at his work-how meticulous it is."

The old man scoffed. "You don't want to get your feathers wet either, do you?"

Wen Chengyi said, "Of course not. I've spent more than half my life building my reputation. As for me, I'm old, and there's little hope of a breakthrough in my cultivation, so I don't plan to take it any further."

As they were talking, Shan Heyuan came flying over unsteadily on his sword.

His body was so tense that anyone could tell from a distance that he was a beginner. Jiu Mingyue and the others recognized him at once.

Shan Heyuan landed in the Spirit Plant garden. Seeing the visitors, he came forward and greeted them, then asked, "Senior Wen, this is-"

Wen Chengyi said, "Let me introduce you. This is Tong Liangji, a teacher at Sword Reverence Academy's planting school and a second-rank planter."

Shan Heyuan hurriedly bowed. Tong Liangji looked him up and down, his eyes full of interest. "Young friend Shan really is extraordinary. How old are you?"

Since coming to this world, this was the first time anyone had asked his age as soon as they met. Shan Heyuan was momentarily taken aback before he answered, "Twenty-four."

Tong Liangji looked at the little shoots and tender leaves just emerging from the soil all over the garden, then at Shan Heyuan standing before him. A smile touched his lips. "Twenty-four and at Qi Refining Eighth Stage—not bad at all. I heard you crossed over from another world and have only recently begun cultivating?"

It was no secret, so Shan Heyuan nodded.

Tong Liangji's smile grew. "Young friend, would you be interested in taking the entrance examination for our Sword Reverence Academy?"

No one had expected Tong Liangji to extend an invitation, and everyone present looked taken aback.

Qi Yuanbai, the youngest of them, even turned green. He stared wide-eyed at Tong Liangji. How could Senior poach him right in front of me?!

Shan Heyuan was stunned too.

Sword Reverence Academy belonged to the Sword Reverence Sect and was one of the finest academies in the seven continents and four seas. Everyone admitted possessed extraordinary talent.

He had even seen people buy image stones produced by Sword Reverence Academy to watch. Each one cost at least a thousand spirit pearls.

A teacher from such a great academy had actually invited him?!

Shan Heyuan quickly recovered and said earnestly to Tong Liangji, "Once my cultivation is higher, I'll go and have a look. Thank you, Senior Tong."

Tong Liangji smiled. "If you have time, it would be best to take the planter rank examination first. Read more planter texts as well."