Chapter 30

Wen Chengyi has cultivated for most of his life, and is now only at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

Shan Heyuan said vaguely, "I encountered a bit of fortuitous opportunity while I was out there."

Wen Chengyi sighed deeply and said, "We are all cultivators. Who hasn't encountered some fortuitous opportunity in their cultivation journey?"

Shan Heyuan looked at him with a smile.

Wen Chengyi, supporting himself on the chair, slowly recovered. "Fortuitous opportunity are one thing, they depend on fate. But the third-grade planter exam can't be based on fortuitous opportunity. Are you confident you can pass the third-grade exam? Do you know what the third-grade planter exam is about? It doesn't have much to do with cultivation level."

Shan Heyuan: "When I bought the materials for fourth-grade planters, I noticed that one of the options in the third-grade planter exam was to cultivate new Spirit Plant of Foundation Establishment grade or higher?"

Wen Chengyi: "That's right, natural Spirit Plant can't be used. The main test for a third-grade planter is their planting ability. If they can't cultivate new Spirit Plant, they can at Core Formation Formation-grade Spirit Plant until it flowers and bears fruit."

Shan Heyuan laughed, "That's perfect. I happened to cultivate the Qi Refining grade Drunken Ox Grass into the Foundation Establishment grade while I was outside."

Seeing the doubtful look on Wen Chengyi's face, Shan Heyuan took out three Foundation Establishment grade Drunken Ox Grass seeds from his storage ring and showed them to him. "Senior Wen, you'll see when you take a look. There's my Spiritual Power imprint inside the Drunken Ox Grass seeds."

These Foundation Establishment grade Drunken Ox Grass were all cultivated by Shan Heyuan. From the Qi Refining Fifth Stage seed to the Foundation Establishment grade, they have gone through countless generations of updates, with his Spiritual Power integrated into each generation.

These deep and consistent marks could not be hidden from the eyes of professional growers.

Wen Chengyi could tell at a glance that the Drunken Ox Grass seeds cultivated by Shan Heyuan were good enough to pass the Level 3 Planter exam, and not only pass, but also get excellent results.

Wen Chengyi looked at it again and again, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

After a long silence, he sighed, "There are always mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people; the ancients were right."

Wen Chengyi: "When does Fellow Daoist Shan wish to take the Rank 3 exam? Very few people take the Rank 3 Planting Master exam. Fellow Daoist Cui, who has the qualification to preside over the exam in Jingzhishan Town, has also gone on a journey. If you want to take the exam, you will have to invite a presiding examiner from outside, or go directly to a major city outside to take the exam."

Shan Heyuan: "I'm almost ready to take the exam anytime. I'll probably go to the Supreme Harmony Sect tomorrow and register in town on my way."

Wen Chengyi: "In that case, I'll write to my old friends and ask them to help with the preparations. Otherwise, they might send you to a big city outside the city to take the exam."

Shan Heyuan accepted the favor. "Thank you for your Senior Wen. I really didn't want to make a special trip just for this exam."

Wen Chengyi: "No trouble at all. We haven't seen such a young cultivator taking the third-grade plantation master exam in a long time. It's a good opportunity for everyone to broaden their horizons. Really, he hasn't even obtained the fourth-grade plantation master jade token yet, and he's already taking the third-grade exam. I wouldn't be surprised if I heard one day that he's taking the second-grade exam."

Shan Heyuan laughed, "No, that's impossible. The second-grade planter exam tests the path that planters have forged themselves. I haven't even finished following the path of those who came before me, so I'm still a long way from forging my own path."

Wen Chengyi shook his head. "You never know. Maybe in eight or ten years, you'll suddenly tell me that you've successfully Core Formation, found your path, and are about to take the exam. You genius cultivators, anything is possible."

Chapter 30

After Shan Heyuan reached the Foundation Establishment, the power of his techniques became much greater than before.

With a single move, "Spring Breeze Turns to Rain," the entire Spirit Plant Garden was enveloped in a misty drizzle, as if returning from autumn to spring.

Qi Yuanbai followed behind Shan Heyuan, taking a deep breath of the damp mist. "You'll have to take care of the Spirit Plant. When others manage it, something always seems to be missing."

Shan Heyuan chuckled at his rambling, "What's missing? A feeling?"

Qi Yuanbai: "I don't know, but others obviously don't manage it as well as you. Senior Sister Mingqing has changed seven planters in the past six months, and she's not satisfied with any of them."

Shan Heyuan: "Maybe I'm not as familiar with the others as I am?"

Qi Yuanbai: "It's hard to say, but the quality of the Spirit Plant has visibly dropped a bit. Senior Brother Shan, when are you going to burn Fertilizer Pill? Shouldn't we replenish these Spirit Plant?"

Shan Heyuan looked up at the Spirit Plant: "About half a month more. I can't spare the time right now, and I haven't gathered all the raw materials."

Qi Yuanbai immediately said, "Don't bother collecting the materials yourself. Just tell your senior brother and ask him to prepare them for you. It's a waste to collect them yourself..."

Before Qi Yuanbai could finish speaking, there was a knock on the wooden fence of Spirit Plant Garden.

The two turned to look and saw Jiu Mingyue standing outside the wooden fence. "Junior Brother Qi, what did you say about me?"

"Senior Brother!" Qi Yuanbai waved happily, "I was just telling Senior Brother Shan that if the Spirit Plant Garden needs anything, we can just ask you directly, no need to be polite."

Jiu Mingyue pushed open the wooden door and walked into the Spirit Plant garden. "That's right. Junior Brother Shan, just tell me what you need and I'll bring it to you."

Jiu Mingyue looked at Shan Heyuan and asked, "Junior Brother Shan, your cultivation has improved again? You're now in the Foundation Establishment Middle Tier?"

Shan Heyuan nodded.

Qi Yuanbai: "I was just saying that Senior Brother Shan's cultivation has improved really fast, he's even caught up with me."

Shan Heyuan: "It was pure luck, but this trip was quite fruitful."

Shan Heyuan took out a wooden box from his storage ring and handed it to Jiu Mingyue: "Senior Brother Jiu, I brought you a small gift from this trip. Please keep it."

Jiu Mingyue looked surprised and opened the box. "A Spirit Plant?"

Shan Heyuan: "Didn't we go into the mountains? There's nothing else in the mountains, so I just brought some spiritual herbs for everyone. I've written their names and uses on the cards below."

Qi Yuanbai leaned closer. "Senior brother, what did Senior Brother Shan give you? He gave me Dust-Flushing Grass '."

Jiu Mingyue flipped the card over. "Kuliang Grass, it seems that Junior Brother Shan gave everyone a unique gift."

Shan Heyuan nodded. "I picked a few."

Seeing that they were chatting enthusiastically, Qi Yuanbai interjected, "Senior brother, what brings you here to see Senior Brother Shan?"

Jiu Mingyue raised her hand and tapped Qi Yuanbai on the forehead. "Can't I come and chat with Junior Brother Shan if there's nothing wrong?"

Qi Yuanbai snorted twice, clearly not believing it.

Seeing this, Jiu Mingyue tried to tap him again, but he nimbly dodged it.

Jiu Mingyue then ignored him and turned to Shan Heyuan: "It's been a long time since I've seen you. I wanted to see how you're doing. What are your plans for the future?"

Shan Heyuan: "I don't have any special plans. I'll focus on planting the Spirit Plant first, and then take the planter level exam when I have some free time."

Jiu Mingyue asked in surprise, "Didn't you finish the exam before you left? What, you didn't pass?"

Shan Heyuan explained, "Back then, the exam was for a fourth-rank plantation technician; now it's for a third-rank one."

Jiu Mingyue's expression changed slightly, and she became serious. "So fast?! Are you confident?"

Shan Heyuan: "There's a bit of a chance, but it's hard to say. Don't tell anyone else about this yet, it would be embarrassing if we didn't pass the exam."

Jiu Mingyue: "Don't worry, we'll keep it a secret. Perfect timing, I have something to tell you after your exam."

Shan Heyuan was completely baffled. "Can't we say it now?"

Jiu Mingyue: "Let's wait until you finish your exam. Don't worry, it's good news."

Shan Heyuan couldn't guess what Jiu Mingyue wanted to talk to him about, so he stopped guessing.

He chatted with the two of them, and after dealing with the matters of the Spirit Plant garden at Thousand Cries Peak and his cheap master's private garden, he bid farewell and went home.

When he got home, before he could even have a sip of water, he received a call from Wen Chengyi.

Wen Chengyi told him that his appointment as a third-grade plantation master had been finalized. A team of examiners had been dispatched, and the chief examiner was Tong Liangji, whom he had met before. He told him to just prepare well for the exam, as the examiners were fair and impartial, and the result would be exactly what was expected.

Shan Heyuan relaxed as he thought of that enthusiastic second-grade planter.

With that person leading the team, there shouldn't be any problems.

The exam is scheduled for July 16th.

Wen Chengyi said that no one in Jingzhishan Town had taken the exam for the third-level agricultural plantation technician for many years, and this exam venue was specially opened for him.