vstars Chapter 102 Grain Seeds
Chapter 102 Grain Seeds
Shen Qing got up and walked out of the pavilion. He walked slowly to the edge of the spirit field, bent down, raised his hand, and gently scooped up a handful of spirit soil.
The warm, moist earth energy seeped into my palm, and a faint spiritual energy slowly flowed through me, carrying the rich vitality unique to the earth.
He suddenly recalled what the ancient book on the development of spiritual fields said: "The transformation of soil into spiritual soil is not something that can be accomplished overnight. It requires following the right time, adapting to the right place, and aligning with the vitality of life. It will take time to form."
The same applies to cultivating the Great Way.
Establishing oneself and solidifying one's original mind, comprehending the principles of heaven and understanding order, integrating reason to perfect the foundation of the Dao, and building the foundation for the path of cultivation in the three realms—it takes at least a few years to achieve perfection, and at most several decades.
Now, with the system's assistance and the blessing of a hundred strands of spiritual energy, he has surpassed many cultivators in the world and gained an unparalleled advantage.
The mountain breeze swept through the valley at night, rustling the thatched roof of the shed.
Shen Qing raised his hand and gently sprinkled the soil from his palm back into the field, then patted the dust off his hands.
The mountain academy is on the right track, the secular martial arts and business shops have all opened and are in operation, the spiritual fields in the mountains are steadily transforming into spiritual soil, and he himself has successfully entered the "Myriad Phenomena and Enlightenment Scripture". Everything is progressing steadily and in an orderly manner.
Shen Qing felt that what he needed to do now was to steadily safeguard this foundation, and wait until the first batch of disciples of the academy had achieved something, and that would be the time for him to truly soar to great heights.
On the fifteenth of March, Shen Qing was meditating cross-legged by the spirit field as usual when he suddenly heard the sound of bells coming from in front of the mountain gate.
That was a welcome bell that Zhou Bo set up at the mountain gate when he had nothing else to do; it would ring when a guest arrived.
Shen Qing probed with his divine sense and saw that the clerk next to Zhao Yuanlang was carrying a wooden box wrapped in blue cloth and hurrying up the mountain.
Shen Qing finished his training and flew towards the mountain gate on his sword.
Upon seeing Shen Qing arriving on his sword, Xuanji bowed respectfully from afar, saying, "Sect Leader Shen, it's been many days; you are even more radiant than before."
"Mr. Xuanji, you're too kind." Shen Qing returned the greeting upon landing, his gaze falling on the wooden box, already having a guess in his mind.
Xuanji didn't exchange many pleasantries and presented the wooden box with both hands: "This student has come on the orders of the county magistrate to deliver the spiritual seed to Sect Master Shen."
Shen Qing took the wooden box; it was quite heavy.
He then invited Xuanji to sit down in the main hall of the mountain gate before opening the box.
The box is divided into two compartments by a silk cloth. The left compartment contains golden grains, each one plump and with a faint golden glow on its surface. The aroma of the grains is so strong that it makes one's mouth water.
The right compartment contains more than twenty seeds, each the size of a fingernail, the color of black jade, and warm to the touch.
Then Xuanji took out a thin book from his sleeve and handed it over: "These are the cultivation methods for two kinds of spiritual creatures. The county magistrate specially made a copy for you, Sect Master Shen."
Shen Qing took the booklet but didn't rush to look at it.
Xuanji picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said earnestly, "Sect Master Shen, the county magistrate went through a lot of trouble to secure this batch of spiritual seeds."
"The spirit grain seeds are alright; the Spirit Items Department in the county town still has some in stock. But the jade ginseng took a lot of effort from you, sir."
"This item is a closely guarded secret of the Thick Earth Sect, a branch of the Heavenly God Sect. The method of its cultivation is never revealed to outsiders. The county magistrate used his connections within the sect and spent a considerable amount of spirit stones to finally obtain these twenty-odd seeds and the cultivation method."
Xuanji looked at Shen Qing with a serious expression: "The county magistrate asked me to pass on a message to Sect Master Shen: The cultivation method comes from the Hou Tu Sect. This method must not be passed on to outsiders, otherwise, once the Hou Tu Sect finds out, not only will the Qingyun Sect be implicated, but the county magistrate will also be implicated within the sect."
Shen Qing's expression turned solemn, and he stood up and said seriously, "Please tell the county magistrate that Shen Qing has sworn an oath with his Dao heart that this cultivation method will never be revealed to anyone. If he breaks his oath, his Dao heart will be shattered and his cultivation will be completely ruined."
Seeing his seriousness, Xuanji also stood up, his expression softening slightly: "Sect Leader Shen, you flatter me. The County Magistrate naturally trusts Sect Leader Shen; it was merely a student who spoke a few words."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Xuanji rose to take his leave.
Shen Qing escorted him to the mountain gate, watched him leave, and then turned back to his quiet room.
He placed the wooden box and the cultivation method booklet on the table, took out the thin booklet first, and opened it to the first page.
Spirit Valley Cultivation Method.
The opening chapter outlines the general principles: Spirit Valley is born from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, unlike ordinary valleys. Its cultivation requires spiritual water as a foundation, earth energy as nourishment, and divine consciousness as protection; none of these can be lacking.
Shen Qing flipped through the pages one by one, becoming increasingly alarmed with each reading.
The first step is breeding. Spirit Valley seeds must be soaked in rootless spiritual water or spiritual liquid for three days and nights in order to encourage them to take root and sprout.
If the seeds are soaked in ordinary water, the spiritual energy within them will be lost, and the resulting spiritual grains will only be slightly better than ordinary grains.
Secondly, the seedlings must be transplanted into the field. The seedlings of the Spirit Valley are exceptionally delicate. When transplanting, the field must be thoroughly irrigated with spiritual water so that the soil contains abundant spiritual energy, which is necessary to support the growth of the seedling roots.
When transplanting, you must use your mind to wrap the roots to prevent them from coming into direct contact with impurities in the soil, otherwise they will easily rot.
Next comes irrigation. During the growth period of the spirit grain, it needs to be irrigated with spirit water once every half month.
The amount of water is finite; too much will cause root rot, while too little will cause leaf withering.
Irrigation should be avoided at noon when the yang energy is at its peak; early morning or dusk is better.
As Shen Qing flipped through the pages, his expression grew increasingly grave.
Pests section.
Ordinary insects are easy to deal with; a Foundation Establishment cultivator can destroy them with a single sweep of their divine sense.
However, the most likely creature to breed in the spirit field is a first-order spirit insect called "mole cricket".
This insect resembles a cricket but is yellowish-brown in color. It is only about an inch long, yet it loves to gnaw on the roots and stems of sacred creatures.
If left unattended, a single mole cricket can destroy the root system of an acre of sacred grain within half a month.
What's even more troublesome is that mole crickets are born with the ability to burrow underground, hiding deep in the soil, making it extremely difficult for ordinary divine sense to detect their tracks.
Only when the morning dew has not yet dried, and the mole cricket emerges from the ground to forage, can one use one's divine sense to detect its faint fluctuations of spiritual energy.
Shen Qing gave a wry smile. He originally thought that spiritual objects were just a few more nourished by spiritual energy than ordinary objects, and that he could simply plant them and wait for the harvest.
Only now do I realize how naive I was.
He continued scrolling down.
Linggu has a growth period of about six months, and from seedling to maturity, it must go through several periods of high incidence of pests.
During the seedling stage, mole crickets gnaw at the roots; during the heading stage, locusts devour the leaves; and during the grain-filling stage, a tiny insect called "red midge" sucks the grain sap. A grain of grain that has been bitten by a red midge will become shriveled and empty.
Each type of pest requires a different approach. Mole crickets must be repeatedly swept through the soil with spiritual sense, locusts must be killed with magic without harming the leaves of the grain, and red midges require a special insect repellent liquid to be prepared and sprayed on the ears of grain at dusk.
Shen Qing rubbed his temples and turned to the cultivation section of Jade Ginseng.
He closed the book after reading only the first paragraph.
Jade Ginseng, a second-tier spiritual medicine.
It prefers shade and dampness and must be planted on a shady slope with abundant spiritual energy. The soil must be repeatedly watered with spiritual water for more than a year in order to support its growth.
Seedlings should avoid strong sunlight and should be shaded by a shade structure or old trees. During the growing season, they should avoid drought and waterlogging and should be watered with spring water once a day, with the amount of water being precise down to the last drop.
Its pest infestation is even more alarming. Second-tier spiritual herbs will attract a second-tier spiritual insect called "Jade Moth". This insect is shaped like a white moth larva and specializes in eating ginseng leaves. In just one day and night, it can devour a Jade Ginseng plant, leaving only the root.
Second-tier spirit insects possess a certain level of intelligence and are difficult to lock onto normally; they require specialized soul-attack techniques to kill them.