Li Ye paid no attention whatsoever to the glances from Yao, Gu, and the others.
He was completely immersed, pouring all his energy and passion into this first round of planting Blood Grain Rice.
Until
[You have successfully cultivated a Tier-1 spirit plant, Blood Grain Rice, with exquisite technique, maximizing its vitality. EXP +0.2...]
A brand-new notification popped up before his eyes, followed by more of the same. The corners of Li Ye's mouth gradually curled into a smile.
With feedback this immediate, who could say farming wasn't addictive?
Without hesitation, he moved straight on to the next patch of seedlings.
The pungent smell of blood, the sticky mixture of mud and gore none of it slowed him down in the slightest.
His planting technique, paired with the precise use of various nurturing spells, came together in a rhythm that felt almost musical.
As for the physical toll, Li Ye seemed entirely unfazed. The smile on his face didn't just remain, it even deepened.
"Huh… what's Li Ye smiling about?"
Gu Daojin straightened up and flicked the bloodied mud from his hands with a burst of spiritual energy. Glancing over instinctively, he froze in surprise.
Even as someone experienced in spirit farming, staying in this bloody, sticky mess for too long wore him down.
But Li Ye?
Not only were his movements smooth and efficient, but he was smiling as if he was genuinely enjoying himself like this wasn't exhausting at all, but rather something he took delight in!
That's just absurd!
On the other side, Yao Shaohui overheard and instinctively infused spiritual energy into his eyes for a better look at Li Ye.
One glance and he, too, was stunned.
He and Gu exchanged glances, both feeling that there was something strange about Li Ye and his seedlings… they looked ever so slightly better than theirs.
Was it just their imagination?
In any case, with only the four of them in the back mountain, nothing they did went unnoticed.
Xiong Yinxiu, having caught their reactions, cast a glance toward Li Ye and his spirit field. She frowned slightly, but inwardly scoffed:
"Putting on a show, huh? Just wait until it's time to handle the Sunfire Flower. This big sister will show you what real skill looks like!"
.....
"That's enough for today…"
Straightening his back, Li Ye stepped onto the field ridge and used a cleansing spell to remove the blood and mud from his clothes and limbs.
He rolled his neck and shoulders, easing the soreness, and let out a long breath.
Before him, the once muddy, blood-red paddy field now had half its surface covered in delicate red seedlings.
They were planted in neat, even rows, full of life and not a single one had failed to take root.
"The effect of the [Vitality] trait is way beyond what I expected!"
"When paired with careful technique, I can sense the seedlings' latent vitality being drawn out nearly every single one took root instantly."
Li Ye muttered to himself, a little thrilled.
At this rate, anything Tier-1 or below he could probably plant and grow without fail.
Honestly, he was beginning to suspect that even if he just casually tossed a seed or sapling into the dirt, it'd still benefit from the effect.
If not for the exceptionally dense spiritual energy of the area constantly replenishing his strength and mana, he wouldn't have been able to last the full four hours and finish planting five-tenths of the field…
With this kind of instant feedback and steady EXP gain, Li Ye didn't want to stop.
This ability might not be as overpowered when it comes to Tier-2 spirit plants, but it should still be effective to some degree...
"Sunfire Flower... I seriously can't wait to see how much EXP you're gonna give me!"
"Ahem… Junior Brother Li, are you getting ready to rest?"
Gu Daojin and Yao Shaohui walked over with somewhat awkward smiles on their faces.
As their eyes swept across Li Ye's spirit field, their expressions couldn't help but shift slightly.
From a distance earlier, things hadn't looked too unusual. But now that they were up close, they suddenly realized how could these Blood Grain Rice seedlings, just freshly planted, already look like they'd been growing for several days.
What kind of spell did he cast to get results like this?!
They had just felt relieved seeing Li Ye finally stop after tending to five-tenths of the field.
After all, no matter how much one wanted to show off in front of the elder, if your stamina and spiritual power couldn't keep up, forcing yourself to continue would only mess up the seedlings and negatively affect their growth, making the results noticeably worse.
Wouldn't that be counterproductive?
If it weren't for the fact that Li Ye had kept going, they probably would've stopped much earlier themselves.
But looking now, even with all their effort, it seemed pointless.
Plant more or plant less what did it matter when this kind of quality difference existed?
"Senior Brothers, is there something I can help you with?"
Li Ye's voice came at just the right moment, pulling them out of their spiraling thoughts.
The two exchanged a look before Yao Shaohui, being the more eloquent of the pair, stepped forward to speak.
"We came to apologize… I misunderstood you earlier, Junior Brother, and said some things that nearly caused a major issue…"
"Senior Brother Yao, you're being too harsh on yourself."
Li Ye cut him off with a light smile, just as the other man's expression was starting to shift.
"The one who truly spoke recklessly and nearly got us all in trouble was someone else entirely. What you said earlier wasn't wrong, and I never took it to heart. There's no need for apologies."
Hearing this, both Yao and Gu were briefly stunned and then touched.
"Your magnanimity is truly admirable, Junior Brother," Yao Shaohui said earnestly.
He added with some anger in his voice, "You're right. It was someone else who couldn't hold their tongue and publicly scolded you, causing the elder to misunderstand. If not for her…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning in his eyes couldn't have been clearer.
Just earlier, he had tried approaching Xiong Yinxiu with a smile and kind words, only to be met with cold disdain and even shouted at in return!
After everything that had happened since Yao Shaohui now found himself thoroughly disgusted with her.
Gu Daojin nodded subtly in agreement and added,
"Junior Brother Li never held any malice toward us. If anything, it's we who owe you an apology…"
"If I don't make it through, I'll sincerely congratulate whichever of you does."
Li Ye and Yao Shaohui exchanged a look.
"Same here."
The three of them shared a smile, a sense of camaraderie forming between them as the atmosphere lightened.
From a distance, Xiong Yinxiu coldly watched the three chatting and laughing. Her face darkened further before she turned and left without a word.
On the first day, everyone had only managed to plant five-tenths of a field before reporting back to the elder.
The second day, however, came with more time and better preparation. Everyone arrived well-rested and ready.
That day, not only did they finish planting the remaining half of their fields, but they still had spare energy and spiritual power left just in time for the next, far greater challenge.
"Hmm… the vitality is intact. It's steadily absorbing beast blood and deepening its foundation…"
Elder Ji stood above, overlooking the four spirit fields. A single sweep of his divine sense was enough for him to grasp every detail.
"Especially Li Ye's field it's only just been planted, yet already shows signs of vigorous growth. Truly an impressive display of skill."
He offered a few words of praise casually, then turned to the four waiting disciples nearby.
"You've all done well finishing the Blood Grain Rice planting in two days."
"Since that's the case, starting today, each of you will assist me in planting and tending to a plot of Sunfire Flower."