[You successfully planted a Tier-2 spiritual herb, Sunfire Flower, using standard techniques, reviving its vitality. Experience +0.5…]
Having helped Elder Ji plant the final Sunfire Flower seedling, Li Ye bowed in gratitude upon receiving praise, then promptly excused himself and left.
"Junior Brother Li is truly steady and composed…"
Still busy in the field, Yao Shaohui couldn't help but sigh as he watched Li Ye's figure walk away.
He had only been in the spiritual fields for a few days and was still feeling uneasy. Even though most of the day's tasks had been completed, he didn't dare leave casually.
He was still carefully inspecting everything, worried that something might have gone wrong.
If he failed to seize the opportunity, so be it but if he ended up damaging the elder's precious spiritual herbs and got scolded or punished for it, that would be a double loss!
But Li Ye, on the other hand, poured his full attention into caring for the herbs while he worked, and once his task was done, he left without the slightest hesitation.
Such conduct wasn't just calm and composed it also revealed his confidence in his skills.
And rightfully so.
Over the past two days, the three of them had already engaged in several discussions about spiritual planting techniques.
Although Yao and Gu Daojin were the ones who had spent time in the herb gardens and had firsthand experience tending Tier-2 herbs, in front of Li Ye, they didn't come off as seniors at all.
Their so-called "discussions" mostly amounted to Li Ye instructing them while they listened intently.
This Junior Brother, who had only worked the fields for half a year, not only possessed deep insight into the cultivation of spiritual plants but also had a sound understanding of herbology and pharmacology. Based on that knowledge, he even proposed unique ideas for tending to spiritual herbs.
Despite essentially teaching them, he never sought anything in return nor did he ever act condescending.
Such grace and skill are truly extraordinary!
Reflecting on the events of the past few days, Yao Shaohui had already lost count of how many times he'd silently thanked himself for making the wise decision to apologize and make peace with Li Ye.
...
"All the spiritual plants have been successfully planted. Now they just need proper care. The first round of experience gain is complete it's time to consider another round of upgrades…"
Back in his quarters, Li Ye opened his system panel.
[Name: Li Ye]
[Spiritual Root: Low-grade Earth-Wood Dual Root]
[Remaining Lifespan: 73 years (3 years reduced due to overuse of life essence)]
[Skills:]
Planting - Tier 1 (High) (193/3000)
Alchemy - Beginner (1878/2000)
Artifact Crafting - Beginner (12/2000)
Talisman Crafting - Beginner (1387/1500)
[Herbal Essence: Emerald Bud Essence × 227]
[Essence Trait: Vitality - Level 1]
[Experience Points: 2125]
Li Ye had earned 2000 EXP for planting one full acre of Blood Grain Rice.
But Sunfire Flower took up more space each acre could only fit about a thousand seedlings. Given that his plot was only two and a half-tenths of an acre, it didn't yield much.
Even with full survival and growth, he only gained 125 experience points in total...
It was pitifully little.
But Li Ye wasn't in a hurry.
Compared to spirit rice, these spiritual plants had much longer growth cycles, and they were likely to provide feedback more frequently throughout their development than spirit rice.
Considering how the experience from spirit rice doubled upon maturity, Li Ye even suspected that these spiritual herbs might grant increased experience as the years passed.
Most likely, they were a form of long-term investment.
Moreover, more than just the experience points, what Li Ye truly valued from these lower-density, high-value herbs was the spiritual essence of the vegetation they produced.
"Wait a minute… if herbs do grant more feedback as they age, then why not plant trees instead?"
"Trees have more resilient vitality, and as long as they're not subjected to violent external forces, they can keep growing endlessly in a suitable environment…"
"If I could plant a highly potential Heaven-Earth Spirit Root myself or even cover the world with forests wouldn't that mean I could just lie in bed and passively collect experience and spiritual essence every day?"
Rubbing his chin, Li Ye's eyes began to shine with excitement.
Though all this still needed to be verified by observing the Sunfire Flower's future feedback, the idea of personally planting a Heaven-Earth Spirit Root had now taken firm root in his heart.
As for the experience points he'd already gained, he knew exactly how to use them.
With a single thought, Li Ye maxed out the proficiency of both his Talisman and Pill Refining skills!
As spiritual light surged through him, the problems that had once plagued him such as unstable mana nodes were instantly resolved. He also gained deep insight into fire control techniques and timing.
By the time he came back to his senses, he had officially stepped into both alchemy and talisman crafting!
[Talisman Crafting: Tier 1 - Low Grade (0/2000)]
[Alchemy: Tier 1 - Low Grade (0/3000)]
He still had 1,890 experience points left—not urgent to use for now, but perfect as a buffer to upgrade his planting skill in case something unexpected happened with the elder's spirit field.
"The talisman brush is barely serviceable for now… but I do need to get a proper pill furnace."
Li Ye muttered with a wry smile.
"I haven't even refined a single pill yet, and I've already stepped into the alchemy path. Does this make me… a 'talk-the-talk master'?"
But it was already late in the day. A trip to the marketplace would take too long, and it might be dark by the time he returned. Not to mention, a pill furnace was a valuable item that was bound to attract attention.
It'd be wiser to go first thing tomorrow.
Having just leveled up, his spirit and soul were surging with energy Li Ye was in top form.
Since he wasn't planning to go out, he went straight to the basement to the talisman crafting chamber.
Carefully preparing the talisman ink, Li Ye spread out a piece of talisman paper, calmed his mind, dipped the brush, and began to write.
His first stroke was a bit hesitant and stiff, but as he progressed, his mana nodes stabilized, and his movements grew more fluid.
By the time he finished drawing the final node, he had encountered no instability at all!
With great care and focus, a Rejuvenation Talisman was completed.
Li Ye picked up the talisman, gave it a quick look of satisfaction, then set it aside for safekeeping.
He didn't stop he immediately began working on the next one.
Time passed quietly.
His movements gradually shifted from cautious and deliberate to fluid and confident. Some talismans burst into ash, while others were completed.
By the time he had used up all two dozen sheets of talisman paper he'd purchased, he had produced six Fireball Talismans and six Frostbite Talismans, neatly arranged in their respective boxes.
Including the Rejuvenation Talisman, which made thirteen finished products.
"At a low-grade level, I can't yet draw talismans like the Golden Bell Talisman that have sustained effects. But with a 50% success rate on low-level talismans, I can at least earn a small profit even after subtracting the cost."
As he calculated, a smile crept onto Li Ye's face.
"Still, making a bit of pocket change like this isn't very exciting… Alchemy is where the real profit lies!"
Now that he had entered the alchemy path, he had no intention of relying on talismans for income.
Compared to alchemy, talismans would serve far better as tools to enhance his combat power.
Even at low levels, talismans could already cover a wide range of combat needs.
If he were willing to throw them like money was no object, he could easily overwhelm his enemies in a storm of magical attacks.
At higher tiers, there were even Break-Restriction Talismans and Teleportation Talismans, capable of bypassing formations and traveling across vast distances in an instant.
For someone like Li Ye whose cultivation technique was incomplete and lacked supporting methods they were the perfect supplement.
.....
The next day.
After taking care of the elder's spirit fields early in the morning and discussing a few planting insights with Yao and Gu once again
Li Ye gathered up all his spirit stones, tucked away the talismans he'd bought and crafted the day before, and headed out of the sect toward the marketplace.