Chapter 2: Spirit Plant Master

"Chen'er, at your age, you don't need to worry about spirit stones. You should spend more time playing with the other kids in the clan or practicing basic elemental spells," Bai Jiuan said.

Bai Jiuan noticed that his nephew was indeed a bit too mature for his age. When he was this age, he was still playing in the mud and fighting over toys with the neighbor's dog. Even after being tested for spirit roots, he couldn't endure the dullness of cultivation and would often try to slack off whenever he had the chance.

It wasn't until he was around fifteen or sixteen, when his mind had settled and he understood the importance of cultivation, that he started to take it seriously.

Today, Bai Zichen was wearing a brand new green Daoist robe, with a cluster of thriving ink bamboo embroidered on the chest, one of the benefits all cultivators in the Bai family could receive from the clan.

The material of the robe was ordinary, but it was adorned with silk runes that automatically cleaned and repaired any tears. In the outside market, such a robe would cost at least five spirit stones.

Around his waist, he had a new brocade pouch containing two spirit stones and a stack of talismans—the former being the annual tribute he could receive from the clan as a first-layer Qi Cultivator, and the latter a gift from his uncle for his Qi Cultivation initiation.

Spirit stones, as the currency of the cultivation world, were indispensable for cultivation, and their importance was evident. Although Bai Zichen didn't fully understand the price system of the cultivation world, the knowledge he had gleaned from miscellaneous notes made him realize that two spirit stones might not be enough.

"Uncle, the books say that among the hundred arts of cultivation, alchemy, weapon forging, and talisman drawing are the three easiest ways to earn spirit stones. Why did you choose to be a spirit plant master?"

At his young age, Bai Zichen had already decided to learn a profitable skill, and his closest uncle was naturally the best channel. Unfortunately, his uncle was not skilled in any of the top professions in the cultivation world.

"Those three professions require extremely high talent and a massive investment of resources in the early stages. Apart from sects like the Green Maple Sect, which family would specifically cultivate such talents?"

Bai Jiuan patted his nephew's head, not angry at the child's question.

"Take alchemists, for example. Even for the lowest-grade pills, a single batch requires about a hundred spirit stones worth of materials. A few dozen failures could bankrupt a small family."

"And don't underestimate the spirit plant master. This profession doesn't require much investment. If you can successfully cultivate a few high-quality spirit plants, the benefits will be significant."

No matter how much he embellished it, the future of a spirit plant master couldn't compare to that of an alchemist or a weapon forger. The main advantage was the low investment.

Bai Zichen mused to himself but didn't have much prejudice against the profession of a spirit plant master. He was still young, and there was no way for him to learn the other high-end professions. Starting as a spirit plant master was a good choice.

Bai Jiuan led Bai Zichen to a bamboo grove, and with a finger snap, he cast a spell. A few specks of green light danced around his fingertips and then merged into the bamboo. The bamboo leaves rustled, and in a moment, the bamboo appeared more vibrant and lush.

"The Green Wood Spirit Technique, a unique spell passed down from our ancestors, is unparalleled in the entire Black Mountain County. It greatly benefits plants, not only promoting growth and restoring vitality but also refining essence and enhancing quality. It is this spell that has made our Bai family's spirit plants famous in the county and a crucial product of our clan."

As Bai Jiuan explained, he continued casting the spell, quickly covering several acres of bamboo.

"Hey, isn't this the ink bamboo planted outside the town? Is it also a type of spirit plant?"

Bai Zichen examined the bamboo closely. Apart from being darker and more vibrant, it didn't seem much different from the vast bamboo forests planted in the town.

"Haha, you guessed right. This is ink bamboo, but it's far from being a spirit plant!"

It turned out that when the Bai family's ancestors first settled in the Black Mountain Range, they obtained a bag of seeds of the first-grade lower-quality spirit plant, the Black Ink Bamboo, from a predecessor's legacy. After successful cultivation and continuous breeding, the bamboo forest grew larger and larger.

However, over time, most of the new Black Ink Bamboo had degenerated into ordinary ink bamboo, which was only slightly more resilient than common bamboo. But with the careful care of a spirit plant master and the cumulative effects of the Green Wood Spirit Technique, it was possible for them to re-ascend and become Black Ink Bamboo again.

The ink bamboo planted outside the town was, of course, at the instruction of the Bai family's cultivators, to ensure they had a sufficient supply of bamboo.

"Within our family's territory, there are dozens of such unnamed hills. Once you reach the middle Qi Cultivation stage, which is the fourth layer, you can apply to the clan for one to cultivate spirit plants. For now, you can practice on Fengfeng Ridge."

Bai Zichen was delighted. The family benefits were quite good. Such a small mountain could accommodate hundreds of ordinary people, a territory he could never have dreamed of in his previous life.

About two to three hundred ink bamboo occupied the most spiritually rich area of Fengfeng Ridge. Behind them was a steep cliff, covered with lush vines, and below was a small pond a few meters wide.

On the other side, a flat area about a hundred meters long and wide was cultivated with a bright red crop, with long, slender stems and leaves reaching waist height.

A gentle breeze made the plants sway and stretch back, like waves in a sea of fire, mesmerizing Bai Zichen, who had never seen such a sight before. At the edge of the flat area, there was a wall, and inside were three lonely, gray houses.

Bai Jiuan was less meticulous with the red crop, casting a single Green Wood Spirit Technique over a large area. The green light was so thin it was barely visible, and he finished the task in no time.

"Sun Flame Grass. Once mature, it can be used to make first-grade lower-quality fire talismans. It's not very valuable; this large area might fetch about a dozen spirit stones. But it has low spiritual requirements and is easy to grow and maintain, so most low-level cultivators plant some of it."

Bai Jiuan had already noticed that his nephew was not an ordinary child. He was very serious about the details of caring for the spirit plants, asking questions whenever he didn't understand, without any sign of impatience or boredom. So, he took the initiative to explain more to him.

"I only come here when I need to take care of the spirit plants. I spend less than half a month here each year, so the houses were built quite simply. In a few years, when Uncle reaches the late Qi Cultivation stage, I can bring a few human servants to help with our daily life and handle some miscellaneous tasks."

Initially, the Bai family lived together with ordinary people, but after a few generations, as the population grew, some cultivators raised objections. The clan leader at the time established a rule to set up a small town at the foot of the mountains, moving all the non-cultivators of the Bai family into it.

Only cultivators who reached the late Qi Cultivation stage could apply to bring a certain number of ordinary people up the mountain.

This rule was for better management and to prevent the human population from disrupting the mountain's spiritual energy.

However, this rule made life difficult for low-level cultivators. Qi Cultivators hadn't reached the stage of abstaining from food, so they had to prepare their own meals, do laundry, and clean, which many cultivators, who felt they were already extraordinary after being tested for spirit roots, found unbearable. Those with unstable minds and a preference for ease would often escape to the town at the foot of the mountain for a few days of enjoyment.

Of course, Bai Jiuan didn't live on Fengfeng Ridge mainly because of his family duties, which required him to travel frequently to gather cultivation resources. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to be just one step away from the late Qi Cultivation stage with his four spirit roots.

In the evening, after having a spirit meal with his uncle, Bai Zichen returned to his room. The so-called spirit meal was just a rough patch of spirit land where his uncle grew some ordinary rice and vegetables, occasionally nourished by the Green Wood Spirit Technique, which offered no help for cultivation.

With Bai Jiuan's poor cooking skills and lack of good ingredients, the meal was tasteless for Bai Zichen, who had been a meat-eater in both lives. He could only hope that his uncle would advance in cultivation soon and find a good cook.

(End of Chapter)