Chapter 6

Shen Duheng did not answer. He simply strode forward.

Still caught up in the excitement of having chosen a Cultivation Method, Shan Heyuan followed him straight to the checkout counter.

The cultivator behind the counter examined the item and gave them a price. "The Spring Transformation Art comes to twelve thousand spirit pearls."

Shan Heyuan's eyes went wide, and his voice tightened. "How much?!!"

The cultivator looked at him, repeated the price, and asked, "Will you pay in Spirit Stones or spirit pearls, fellow cultivator?"

Shan Heyuan felt the pouch at his waist, his face twitching. He wanted to put the wooden talisman back on the counter, but could not bear to part with it. He stood there stiffly and muttered, "Why is it so expensive?"

The cultivator was just about to say something.

Shen Duheng took a bag of spirit pearls from inside his robes and handed it to him. "Count them."

The cultivator swept the bag with his Divine Sense and nodded, confirming the amount was correct. "Shall I wrap it up for you?"

Shen Duheng said, "No need. We'll carry it out."

With that, Shen Duheng turned to Shan Heyuan at his side and signaled for him to leave.

Clutching the newly purchased Spring Transformation Art tightly in both hands, Shan Heyuan sniffled and followed Shen Duheng. "Why is this Cultivation Method so expensive?" he asked quietly.

Shen Duheng said, "Now you know why it was gathering dust?"

Shan Heyuan nodded with a pang. The basic planter's Cultivation Method he had borrowed from the village chief was worth only a little over four hundred spirit pearls, while this Spring Transformation Art cost a full twelve thousand!

No wonder it had been gathering dust!

Shan Heyuan said to Shen Duheng, "Thank you, Brother Shen! I'll pay you back for this too."

He did not ask where Shen Duheng had gotten the spirit pearls. He knew what this sword spirit was capable of.

Shen Duheng showed little reaction. "Cultivate diligently and get the broken sword out as soon as possible."

Shan Heyuan nodded. "I will!"

The two rode a Brine Worm back.

Having just spent that enormous sum, they were both flat broke.

Yet as they rode the Brine Worm, Shan Heyuan was so happy he was practically bubbling over. He could not help glancing at Shen Duheng again and again along the way.

Shen Duheng could not take it anymore. When Shan Heyuan looked over yet again, he held his head in place to stop him moving. "What have you been looking at all this way?"

"You!" Shan Heyuan said happily. "Brother Shen, you're such a good person!"

The corner of Shen Duheng's mouth twitched.

Shan Heyuan looked at his speechless expression and laughed. "Brother Shen, we're friends now, right?"

Shen Duheng could not be bothered to respond.

Shan Heyuan did not mind his new friend's cold exterior and warm heart in the least. He cherished the wooden talisman in his hand, stroking it as he decided to cultivate diligently when he got back and repay Shen Duheng as soon as he could.

A planter's cultivation might not reach great heights, but planters never lacked money!

Chapter 6

For the past few days, Shan Heyuan had been trying out the Spring Transformation Art's fired composting method.

The spiritual fertilizer sold outside was too expensive. He had a full four fields of Earth Spirit Ginseng, and using only store-bought spiritual fertilizer would cost him more than a thousand spirit pearls. He might as well try making it himself.

If it did not work well, there would still be time to buy some spiritual fertilizer and apply a second round.

Fired composting was a method of refining fertilizer much like refining pills. Various materials were placed in a container in fixed proportions and a particular order, then a special technique was used to guide Spiritual Qi through them before they were refined with fire, producing a basic fertilizer suitable for Spirit Plants.

Once the fertilizer had fermented and the heat had dissipated, it was ready to use.

He had fired several batches and ruined more than half of them, but the two remaining vats of fertilizer seemed about right.

Judging by the time that had passed, the heat in the fertilizer should have dissipated today.

Shan Heyuan held back his excitement as he walked to the large vats beneath the eaves and held his breath, ready to open one.

He removed the stones, grass mat, wooden board, and tattered cloth covering one of the large jars, then peered inside. A whole vat of dark, fluffy fertilizer met his eyes.

The fertilizer not only looked usable, but also very rich.

Shan Heyuan reached in, grabbed a handful, and rubbed it between his fingers. The fertilizer was dry and loose, carrying a trace of Spiritual Qi and the distinctive smell of plant ash.

It did not stink at all.

Delight shone in Shan Heyuan's eyes.

He just did not know what the fertilizer underneath was like.

He picked up a hoe from the side, plunged it into the vat, and stirred, bringing the fertilizer from the bottom to the surface for inspection.

Since this was his first time using the fired composting method, he was worried the fertilizer might not have fermented evenly.

If he applied improperly fermented fertilizer to spiritual herbs, it could easily burn their roots, and the losses would be substantial.

Just as Shan Heyuan was carefully examining the fertilizer, Shen Duheng's voice came from behind him. "Has it finished fermenting?"

Shan Heyuan turned around. "Yes. Want to take a look?"

Shen Duheng lifted his chin, signaling him to move aside.

Shan Heyuan stepped a little to the side. "This fertilizer should be ready. It looks a lot like what's described in the Spring Transformation Art. What do you think?"

Shen Duheng paused. "It looks very rich."

Shan Heyuan said, "Then I'll try burying some around the Earth Spirit Ginseng today."

Shen Duheng asked, "Aren't you going to wait a while longer?"

Shan Heyuan shook his head. "No. The Earth Spirit Ginseng has been growing for so long that the fertilizer can barely keep up anymore. This is just made from some soil, branches and leaves, and kitchen scraps. Even if it doesn't work well, it shouldn't do any harm. At worst, I'll bury it a little farther from the roots."

Shen Duheng did not try to dissuade him any further. "Go and come back early."

Shan Heyuan glanced at the sky. "It's a little late already. I probably won't be back early, so eat lunch on your own. Don't wait for me."

Shan Heyuan fetched two more buckets and used a dipper to scoop the fertilizer into them.

The particles of fertilizer were extremely fine, with plenty of air between them, making it very light. Even after he packed it down, the two buckets were not heavy, and he easily hoisted them onto his carrying pole.

It might also have been because his strength had increased greatly after he began cultivating, so this much weight was naturally nothing to him.

His home was not far from the spirit fields, and before long, Shan Heyuan arrived at the spirit medicine field.

He had not visited for several days, but the Earth Spirit Ginseng was growing well, each plant strong and upright. The small Spirit Gathering Formations in the field were still working too, giving off a faint glow.

Most of the Spirit Gathering Formations were fine and did not need any special attention. He could patch them up as he buried the fertilizer.

Shan Heyuan decided to get straight to it.

He set his load down on the ridge, picked up the small hoe beside the buckets, and carried one bucket of fertilizer slowly into the field. He dug into the soil around the Earth Spirit Ginseng roots and buried the fertilizer a fist's width from each rootstock.

As he buried the fertilizer, he also had to patch up the Spirit Gathering Formations and pull out the weeds.

Otherwise, the weeds would compete with the Earth Spirit Ginseng for fertilizer and Spiritual Qi.

Attending to several things at once, Shan Heyuan tended the Earth Spirit Ginseng bit by bit.

The sun gradually rose higher, and its bright light shone over the land, illuminating everything.

After working for a long time, Shan Heyuan's movements grew somewhat mechanical, and his mind began to wander.

Just as he casually pulled up another weed, he suddenly stopped. "Huh?"

Something was wrong with the weed in his hand!

He straightened up and examined the weed in the sunlight.

It had a long, fleshy stem with pairs of round, thick leaves growing opposite each other. Its veins were a faint purplish red. It looked unremarkable, and he did not recognize it, but he could sense a trace of Spiritual Qi inside it.

That Spiritual Qi was no weaker than the Spiritual Qi in the Earth Spirit Ginseng.

After practicing the Spring Transformation Art, he had become extremely sensitive to the Spiritual Qi inside plants. There was no way he was mistaken.

So-

Was this a spiritual herb?

It seemed possible. Birds, insects, and beasts came to the spirit medicine field to ravage the Earth Spirit Ginseng, and they might have left droppings here too. It would not be strange for a new spiritual herb to sprout.

He just did not know what kind of spiritual herb it was.

Shan Heyuan bent down, gathered a clump of soil, and wrapped it around the spiritual herb's roots before placing it on the field ridge.

Since he did not know what kind of spiritual herb it was, he would take it home and have a look.

After finding the first spiritual herb among the weeds, Shan Heyuan went on to find three other spiritual herbs among them. They were all seedlings, and he did not recognize any of them.