The Immortal Herb Purveyor

Chapter 9:​The Planter's Ambition

Shi Yue meticulously surveyed the spirit plants filling the courtyard. Over a hundred distinct species thrived across the fields, their total count numbering in the thousands. Most were seventy to eighty years old, with merely a century-old specimens scattered among them. By his estimate, selling this entire ten-acre harvest would yield tens of thousands of Spirit Stones.

"If only all these were mine," Shi Yue murmured, envy tightening his chest as he gazed at the lush expanse. Shaking off the thought, he turned toward the underground chamber.

Within the dim basement, wooden shelves groaned under the weight of cultivation texts: jade slips, leather-bound volumes, and bamboo scrolls. Titles like Purple Silk Grass Cultivation, Spirit Plant Manual, Spiritual Planter's Essentials, and Spirit Plant Yield Increase Outlinelined the racks. He pulled Crimson Cloud Flower Guidelines—a cloud-shaped scarlet bloom maturing every two decades. Flowers older than ten years became premium talisman paper material, demanding fire-attuned soil and precise spacing over one chi apart. Monthly watering shifted to biweekly near harvest, always cautious of oversaturation. Next, Condensing Mist Grass Methodsdetailed the low-maintenance white herb’s five-year cycle. As a common alchemy supplement, it required only three-monthly watering and minimal spacing. Spirit Plant Growth Outlineemphasized fundamentals: seed depth, species-specific spacing, regulated rainfall, timely fertilizing, pest control, pollination for fruit trees, and gentle harvesting.

Each text offered exhaustive details—growth conditions, uses, and cultivation techniques. Since attending Martial Uncle Yan Ge’s lecture, Shi Yue’s ambition had crystallized: leverage the Mysterious Space’s time-accelerating power to farm Spirit Stones. These manuals ignited new possibilities. Raw spirit plants held fixed value, but processed goods could double or triple profits. Consider:

　　1．Ten-year Crimson Cloud Flowers: 20 Spirit Stones per pound. Processed into talisman paper? One stack sold for 1 Stone.

　　2．Twenty-year Verdant Silk Fruit: 30 Stones per pound. Fermented into Verdant Silk Wine? 50 Stones per pound.

　　3．Thirty-year Yellow Silkwood: 10 Stones per pound. Charred into Spirit Charcoal? 30 Stones.

　　4．Thirty-year Five-Leaf Grass: 20 Stones per pound. Refined into Qi Nourishing Pills? 5 Stones per pellet.

The Mysterious Space’s tenfold time flow meant a one-year spirit rice crop ripened in just over a month. Yet flooding the market invited suspicion—and risked exposing the Blue Pearl’s secret. Alchemy became the solution: processing harvests discreetly while maximizing returns.

With his current crops still growing, Shi Yue focused on honing his planting skills. By day, he devoured agricultural texts in the basement; by night, he meditated to thicken his Qi reserves. Every two days, he channeled rain onto the Water Moon Flowers for over fifteen minutes. Daily, he inspected the Space’s spirit rice and herbs, vigilant for disease. Under his care, the plants surged skyward—their progress visible hourly. He waited patiently for maturity.

Midway, he visited the Mission Hall for additional spirit rice seeds, sowing them in his courtyard and maintaining their watering schedule.

A month blurred past. His Magical Power had deepened noticeably, but the true triumph lay in the Space: the spirit rice had ripened! The grains hung plump and radiant, far surpassing their outdoor counterparts—a testament to the Space’s superior environment. Shi Yue drew scissors, clipping fist-sized rice clusters into his storage pouch.

Over an hour later, he sheared the final stalk, satisfaction warming his face. After checking the Blazing Sun Grass and Condensing Mist Grass—watering both—he exited the Space.

Outside, he summoned his artifact and soared toward the Scripture Repository.

The thirty-zhang pagoda thrummed with cultivators flowing in and out. Inside, a cavernous hall greeted him, its rosewood counter manned by a gaunt, gray-robed elder replicating jade slips. Behind him, a stone staircase led upward—accessible only to Foundation Establishment cultivators. Seven towering shelves dominated the center, labeled: Talismans, Artifacts, Pills, Formations, Planting, Miscellany, Cultivation Arts. Shi Yue strode straight to Pills.

The shelves overflowed with pill recipes and alchemy journals. Within minutes, his target appeared: the Fasting Pill formula. These pills—sustaining Qi Refining cultivators for three days—were in perpetual demand across the sect’s thousand-plus disciples. As the beginner’s choice for aspiring alchemists, they were Shi Yue’s logical first step.

The recipe required three ingredients: spirit rice (which he possessed), Blood Qi Fruit, and Purple Silk Apricot—all annual crops.

"Martial Uncle Qian," Shi Yue placed the jade slip on the counter. "I’d like a copy."

"Ten Spirit Stones," the elder stated flatly.

Shi Yue paid, accepted the duplicate, and flew straight to the Mission Hall.

At the third-floor counter, he inquired: "Prices for one-year Blood Qi Fruit and Purple Silk Apricot?"

"Blood Qi Fruit: three Stones per pound. Purple Silk Apricot: five Stones," the attendant replied.

"Five pounds of fruit, three of apricot," Shi Yue decided.

After paying, he raced toward Danxia Mountain—a smoldering volcano six hundred zhang high. Sulfur stung the air as flames and magma belched from its peak. This was the sect’s sole source of Earthfire, where Qi Refining disciples practiced alchemy. Shi Yue would forge his path there, one pill at a time.