Chapter 70

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However, while 4,000 gold sounds like a lot, it is the total production over ten years.

Moreover, the consumption is also enormous.

Just the spirit array alone requires the replacement of spirit stones every five years, with five spirit stones needed each time, which means one spirit stone is consumed each year.

In addition, the fertility of the spirit fields is a significant issue. Without fertility, the spirit fields are like a human body lacking various vitamins, making it easy for the spirit herbs to grow poorly or even die.

The best source of fertility comes from the fermentation of items with spiritual properties, such as the straw left after harvesting spirit rice, the purple leaves of the purple-leaf polygonum, and the residue of spirit fish and spirit meat.

Of course, the main source of fertility is the manure from the spirit beasts raised.

For example, the Huangfu family raises many spirit-horned yak, producing a considerable amount of manure each year. Besides using it for their own spirit fields, they also sell the surplus to reduce the cost of raising spirit beasts.

Spirit-horned yak meat is expensive, and for good reason, as the breeding costs are extremely high. They need to plant a large amount of spirit grass in the spirit fields and occasionally buy the residue of spirit beans after oil extraction or the bran left after spirit rice is husked!

Even a heavenly family must carefully manage their finances to ensure a steady stream of benefits.

Similarly, maintaining spirit fields is also very troublesome. The gathering of spirit energy, the maintenance of the spirit array, the construction and maintenance of the spirit spring irrigation system, the supplementation of the spirit field's fertility, and the management of pests and diseases all come with very high costs.

However, if the spirit fields are well-managed, not only will the yield be high, but they will also be the foundation of a family.

Wang Shouzhe put aside his杂念 and said, "The transactions of these purple-leaf polygonum are not reflected in the family accounts, right?"

He had carefully examined the structure of the family accounts, and there was no record of the production and expenses of these two spirit fields.

"Rest assured, Shouzhe," Wang Xiaohan quickly explained, "The income and expenses of these two medium-grade spirit fields are all recorded by me personally. The other elders and the family head can check the accounts at any time. I will show you the records when we return to the thatched cottage."

"A portion of the output is used to offset the costs of the two medium-grade spirit fields. Another part is exchanged for [Small Cultivation Essence Pills] and some spirit beast meat, and the rest is gradually recorded in the family accounts and inventory through the repayment of old debts by other families, becoming a long-term expense for the family."

Wang Shouzhe then recalled that there were indeed some obscure income entries in the family accounts, such as a certain family repaying a debt to the Wang family from decades ago in installments.

At the time, he found it quite mysterious, but now he realized that it was the output from these hidden spirit fields, likely to keep the two medium-grade spirit fields more concealed.

"I naturally trust Grandfather Sixth," Wang Shouzhe waved his hand and smiled, "However, Grandfather Sixth should cultivate successors for the maintenance of the spirit fields as soon as possible. Otherwise, it would be a problem if a Spirit Platform Ancestor were to be farming here every day in the future."

"Successors must be cultivated as soon as possible, but..." Wang Xiaohan frowned slightly, "Currently, the only one who has just come of age in the family is Zongwei!"

Wang Zongwei!

Despite the glory and strictness of the Wang family towards their male descendants, such a person still emerged. He is currently recovering from a beating and seems to have become more obedient.

However, with Wang Xiaohan's character, how could he trust a gambler?

Even if he appears to have reformed, the spirit fields are such an important foundation for the family. What if that scoundrel sells them?

"That's not urgent. We can select a few from the younger generation to try out and see who has the most talent," Wang Shouzhe said. "Shouyong, Shoulian, and Shouye can also be tried. Spirit fields are not something that can be managed in just a few years."

Even if Wang Zongwei were to manage the spirit fields, neither Wang Xiaohan nor Wang Shouzhe would agree.

Wang Xiaohan opened his mouth, intending to ask what would happen if he couldn't break through to the Spirit Platform Realm.

But then he thought, if he couldn't break through to the Spirit Platform Realm, the family would be in grave danger...

At that time, they would have to think of other ways to protect the family and Wang Shouzhe. However, many family assets, including the spirit fields, might not be protected, and thinking about it now would be futile.

"Shouzhe, most of the benefits from the purple-leaf polygonum are invested back into this medium-grade spirit field," Wang Xiaohan pointed to another medium-grade spirit field.

The other spirit field was also divided into multiple grids of different sizes. The smallest grid was only about ten square meters, while the largest occupied about a third of the field, around 200 square meters.

Only one spirit herb was planted in it, with large leaves greedily absorbing sunlight and the spirit energy from the spirit field.

Wang Shouzhe, who had to memorize the diagrams of fierce beasts and spirit herbs from a young age, immediately recognized it as a nine-leaf spirit ginseng. Judging by the size of its leaves, this nine-leaf spirit ginseng was already quite old.

A common hundred-year-old ginseng is worth tens of thousands of gold.

The nine-leaf spirit ginseng is a high-quality ginseng, and even a hundred-year-old nine-leaf spirit ginseng is worth thousands of gold, as it is a material for multiple third-grade spirit medicines.

The healing holy medicine [Creation Pill] that Old Ancestor Longyan took requires a two-hundred-year-old nine-leaf spirit ginseng, making it extremely expensive, but its healing and energy-restoring effects are also very powerful!

Even a person on the brink of death can be saved by a Creation Pill, but it is very difficult for wealthy commoners to afford it.

Wang Shouzhe was increasingly astonished as he looked at the nine-leaf spirit ginseng. Something seemed off about it.

"This nine-leaf spirit ginseng was already nearly five hundred years old when the old ancestor discovered it in the outer domain," Wang Xiaohan explained. "Therefore, the old ancestor decided to plant it in the spirit field to nurture it."

Five hundred years old?

Wang Shouzhe was truly amazed by the family's foundation. It was indeed a family treasure. He had learned that one of the main materials for the legendary [Heavenly Spirit Pill] is a five-hundred-year-old nine-leaf spirit ginseng.

The value of this item must exceed 50,000 gold. Indeed, if a powerful ancestor emerges in the family, the foundation of the family's inheritance is truly not comparable to ordinary families.

"Unfortunately, the medium-grade spirit field provides very little benefit to it," Wang Xiaohan said regretfully. "It grows very slowly. It has been here for seventy years, but it has not yet undergone a transformation to become a five-hundred-year-old spirit herb."

Uh...

Seventy years ago, it was nearly five hundred years old, and seventy years later, it hasn't transformed yet. That is indeed very slow. Wang Shouzhe was also speechless. High-grade spirit herbs are extremely valuable, but they are not something ordinary families can afford to nurture.

Looking at it occupying a third of the field, if these seventy years were used to plant purple-leaf polygonum, the pure profit would be at least several thousand gold, but it has only grown a little bit.

The age of a spirit herb is not simply the number of years it has been planted. Can a low-grade spirit field and a high-grade spirit field produce the same results when growing the same spirit herb?

A hundred-year-old spirit herb means that the herb has undergone a transformation, with both its life essence and medicinal properties advancing to the next stage.

It is somewhat similar to a human transitioning from the Qi Refinement stage to the Spirit Platform stage.

The value increases exponentially.

However, the higher the age of the spirit herb, the more difficult it is to grow, as its demand for spirit energy and nutrients increases. A barren spirit field cannot provide sufficient nourishment for its growth.

In some high-quality spirit fields, the growth of spirit herbs is much faster. However, in terms of planting and cultivation, it is best not to let the growth rate exceed the normal annual growth rate.

For example, increasing the concentration of spirit energy and fertility to produce a hundred-year-old spirit herb in fifty years.

Such spirit herbs are called [Rapid-Growth Spirit Herbs] in the market, and their actual medicinal value and price are significantly reduced.

Experienced spirit herb merchants, alchemy workshop managers, and alchemists can easily identify whether a spirit herb is a rapid-growth spirit herb.

"Based on my estimation, after seventy years of cultivation, its age should have increased by about seven years. However, it is growing faster, and I predict that it will transform into a five-hundred-year-old spirit herb in another twenty years," Wang Xiaohan said, both excited and regretful. "Unfortunately, we don't have a high-grade spirit field; otherwise, it would grow normally."

High-grade spirit field?

Wang Shouzhe glanced at Wang Xiaohan. Grandfather Sixth, you are even more daring than I am.

We are already struggling with medium-grade spirit fields, and you are still thinking about high-grade spirit fields?

"Shouzhe, this item was originally intended to be kept for you in case of emergencies," Wang Xiaohan said hesitantly. "The family has invested a lot of resources and effort into it. Selling it now, before it transforms, would be a loss. If not for the family's crisis, I would never sell it to obtain the Heavenly Spirit Pill. I am truly sorry, Grandson."

"Selling it now would indeed be a loss," Wang Shouzhe smiled. "However, Grandfather Sixth, don't use it for now. I will think of a way to obtain the Heavenly Spirit Pill."

"What?"

Wang Xiaohan was shocked. "Shouzhe, where do you have so much money to buy the Heavenly Spirit Pill?"

A ninth-rank minor family, using decades to gradually accumulate wealth to obtain a Heavenly Spirit Pill, is already a great achievement.

Families that can achieve this level are mostly those that can sustain their lineage for a long time.

Scattered cultivators, unless they encounter a great opportunity, cannot possibly afford a Heavenly Spirit Pill in their lifetime. Moreover, academies and sects are wary of rootless scattered cultivators.

Even if their talent is far superior to Wang Shouzhe's, the academy will carefully consider and investigate, and any doubt will lead to rejection.

Lack of background means the possibility of fabricated backgrounds, which could lead to fatal issues in the future. Who knows if they are spies sent by opposing forces or carry deep-seated grudges and entanglements?

It is also because resources are hard to earn that Wang Xiaohan was so shocked.

"Grandfather Sixth, use the Cultivation Essence Pills to adjust your body and quickly recover to prepare for the breakthrough to the Spirit Platform Realm," Wang Shouzhe said conservatively, without directly answering. "I will try to find a way. If I have good luck, hehe~"

In Wang Shouzhe's view, the Liu and Zhao families have usurped the fruits of the Wang family's ancestors, who sacrificed their lives to achieve their goals. Knowing that they have accumulated wealth over decades,

With his character, how could he not try to take a chance?

Even if he fails, Wang Shouzhe is unwilling to let them easily digest the fruits of their wealth.

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