The Immortal Herb Purveyor

Chapter 6: Harvest and Preparation

Returning to his dwelling, Shi Yue couldn't wait. He retrieved the Blue Pearl, channeled his Magical Power into it, and stepped once more into the Mysterious Space.

Compared to yesterday, the Spirit Rice seedlings in the Spirit Field had shot up visibly. Their leaves had thickened noticeably. Shi Yue grinned; his prediction was confirmed – time flowed ten times faster here.

He circled the one-acre plot of Spirit Rice excitedly, carefully inspecting each seedling. Finding them all thriving, he turned his attention to the two empty acres of Spirit Field.

Low-grade Spirit Rice didn't demand much Spiritual Energy; it matured after a set growth period. Spirit Herbs were different. They required absorbing a fixed amount of Spiritual Energy to even sprout, let alone mature. A hundred-year herb referred to one that had taken a century to absorb its necessary energy in a diluted environment. If that same herb grew in a place rich with Spiritual Energy, like this space, it could absorb the same amount far quicker, drastically shortening its Medicinal Age.

The dense ambient Spiritual Energy here meant Spirit Herbs could mature significantly faster. Shi Yue drew the Silver Hoe, raised it high, and brought it down forcefully into the earth.

This mid-grade artifact was designed solely for tilling Spirit Fields. Its enchantment shattered compacted clumps of earth, dispersing the trapped Spiritual Energy evenly through the soil, making it readily accessible for roots. For most cultivators, a hoe artifact was useless clutter. But for a Spirit Farmer cultivating valuable herbs, a good hoe was indispensable. Good harvests demand a sturdy hoe– a saying widely circulated among their kind.

Gripping the Silver Hoe firmly with both hands, Shi Yue broke apart large clods and turned the deeper soil upwards. Half a day later, he had tilled both acres thoroughly. The freshly worked earth was loose and soft, ideal for herb growth. Wiping sweat from his brow, he stored the hoe and pulled out two leather pouches. From one, he carefully extracted a single crimson seed and gently buried it in the prepared soil.

Blazing Sun Grass needed ample sunlight. Therefore, the seeds needed generous spacing to ensure each plant received enough light. Condensing Mist Grass, conversely, thrived with less direct sun and regular watering, allowing for closer planting. Shi Yue meticulously measured, planting each Blazing Sun Grass seed over one chi apart.

After burying the last Blazing Sun seed, Shi Yue murmured an incantation. Azure light coalesced around him. Moments later, his chanting ceased, and he pointed towards the sky above the designated acre.

The azure light surged upwards, swirling into a dense white cloud that blanketed the plot reserved for Blazing Sun Grass. "Fall," Shi Yue commanded softly. Fat raindrops began pelting down from the cloud onto the soil. Almost immediately, tiny golden sprouts pushed through the earth, rapidly growing to a chi in height before stopping. Blazing Sun Grass didn't require much water. Barely half a quarter-hour later, Shi Yue stilled his hand seal, and the white cloud dissipated.

Next, he turned to the remaining acre, burying the Condensing Mist Grass seeds much closer together, less than half a chi apart. For these, he summoned a much heavier downpour. Finally, his tasks complete within the space, Shi Yue withdrew back to the outer world.

Exhausted from hours of labor, Shi Yue didn't seek the comfort of sleep. He sat cross-legged on his stone bed, silently reciting the second layer of the Ethereal Art cultivation mantra, drawing in ambient Spiritual Energy. For cultivators, meditation served as rest, though far less comfortable than true sleep. Comfort wasn't Shi Yue's priority; discipline was. He pushed through the weariness.

His earlier experiment held true: time accelerated tenfold inside the Mysterious Space. Ten days of cultivation there cost him ten days of lifespan, while only one day passed outside. Cultivating inside was inefficient, reserved only for times of abundant resources or critical breakthroughs. He stuck to the outside world for his regular training.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight touched the courtyard, Shi Yue emerged from his dwelling, a faint smile on his lips. Today was harvest day for the Spirit Rice – the happiest day of his year.

Nearly one acre of Spirit Field promised roughly seventy to eighty jin of Spirit Rice. Shi Yue walked to the edge of the field, drew a pair of golden shears, and carefully snipped off a fist-sized cluster of rice grains, placing it gently on the ground. Then the next cluster… and the next.

Over two hours later, the harvest was complete. Plump clusters of rice grains lay piled high like a miniature golden mountain. Shi Yue surveyed the fruits of his labor, fatigue momentarily forgotten beneath a wave of satisfaction. He took out a Storage Pouch from his robe, tossed it into the air, and sent a pulse of Magical Power into it.

The pouch's opening yawned wide, emitting a multicolored radiance that enveloped the entire pile of rice. The grains visibly shrank and then streamed one after another into the pouch's dimensional space. With a gesture, Shi Yue recalled the now-filled Storage Pouch to his hand.

He murmured another brief incantation. Pinpoints of crimson light appeared before him, swirling rapidly into a fist-sized, searing ball of fire. "Go," he directed it towards the harvested rice stalks remaining in the field. The fireball struck the dry stubble. Fwoosh!Flames erupted instantly, consuming the stalks with a fierce heat that forced Shi Yue to retreat inside his stone dwelling.

Soon, the fire burned itself out, leaving only a thick layer of ash on the field. Shi Yue stepped out again and cast a simple rainfall spell. Large raindrops pattered down onto the ash-covered field, cooling it and nourishing the earth. After a quarter-hour, he ceased the spell.

Leaving his courtyard, Shi Yue summoned his flying artifact. Mounting it, he soared through the air towards the Ethereal Valley. The Ethereal Marketplace, established by the Ethereal Sect, lay nestled in a valley three hundred li northeast of the sect proper. The presence of a Golden Core elder permanently stationed there underscored its importance to the sect.

The Ethereal Marketplace was renowned, bustling far more than the marketplaces run by other sects. Ethereal Sect's territory in Yuezhou bordered the Northern Yan Kingdom. Relations between the Celestial Evolution Empire's cultivation world and Northern Yan's were relatively cordial, leading to a steady trickle of Northern Yan cultivators trading in the Ethereal Marketplace. They sometimes brought rare items unseen in the Celestial Evolution Empire, drawing curious crowds and adding to the marketplace's vibrant energy.

The flight took only the time needed to drink a cup of tea. Shi Yue landed in a small grove just outside the marketplace perimeter. He changed into plain, unremarkable traveling robes, transforming himself into an anonymous, ordinary cultivator. Only then did he set off on foot towards the marketplace entrance. Standard cultivation world etiquette forbade flying within five li of any major marketplace.

As he walked, he passed numerous other cultivators, many appearing equally focused or in a hurry. Among them were a few figures dressed in distinctly foreign styles – likely cultivators from Northern Yan, adding an exotic flair to the path leading to the thriving Ethereal Marketplace.