Ning’s sudden question startled the elder.

  In this spiritual plant assessment, the elder had encountered a diverse range of people. Some froze when they couldn’t answer. Some answered haphazardly. Some extremely daring ones even tried to cheat using artifacts, only to be caught and sent straight to the disciplinary committee.

  But he hadn’t expected someone to have the audacity to directly question him, the examiner.

  “Um, you can just pass this question if you don’t know the answer,” the elder coughed and spoke sternly. He had almost answered instinctively, but fortunately stopped himself in time.

  “No, I think I recognize this plant.” Ning carefully touched the plant and sensed its aura.

  Thick and sticky, with multiple veins, and emitting a dark aura, these characteristics belonged to…

  “Elder, this is a Violetspirit Thistle,” Ning finally concluded.

  The elder heard the answer and took a deep breath, as if contemplating it.

  Then came a pause.

  A very long pause.

  Too long, in fact.

  Ning had a strong suspicion that the elder was doing this purely for theatrics. With Elder Shen as comparison, the elders in the sect probably do be like that sometimes.

  ...

  .

  As the silence grew uncomfortable, the elder glanced at Ning and the plant before suddenly smiling. “You are right!”

  Ning breathed a sigh of relief, though he couldn’t help complaining inwardly.

  If I were right, you could’ve said it sooner, you old man.

  …

  “I’m surprised you were able to discern that the last plant was Violetspirit Thistle and not Bluespirit Thistle,” the elder said curiously. “Especially since Bluespirit Thistle is a widely known plant with very similar characteristics.”

  Ning slowly unwrapped the blindfold, his thoughts turning.

  If he were being honest, even he hadn’t been completely confident in identifying the spirit plant.

  On a surface level, the plant closely resembled both Bluespirit Thistle and Violetspirit Thistle. The difference between the two was extremely minute without visual confirmation.

  So Ning had taken a gamble.

  The mere fact that such an easily recognizable plant like Bluespirit Thistle appeared as the final question had set off alarm bells in his mind. Once he realized that, he took a leap of faith.

  After all, the power of clichés in this world was over nine thousand.

  It wouldn’t be complete without something that resembled one thing by ninety-nine percent, yet was something else entirely.

  So he harvested the power of cliché accordingly.

  Fortunately, it paid off.

  “I just got lucky,” Ning smiled. He bowed to the elder and quickly walked away, shaking off the lingering disorientation from the sudden return of his eyesight.

  “It seems there are some good seedlings in this assessment,” the elder nodded. As an elder of the Spirit Plant Hall, he was pleased to see new talents emerge.

  …

  The wait for the results wasn’t long. After the first test concluded, the elder arrived again, holding a jade slip.

  “Ji Ning, an outer sect disciple, recognized sixty-seven first-tier plants and ten second-tier plants. His knowledge was detailed and his explanations substantial. He ranks first.”

  “Ni Lunxia, an outer sect disciple, recognized seventy first-tier plants and three second-tier plants. He ranks second.”

  The rest of the results were announced swiftly.

  Ning, who had been waiting anxiously, sighed in relief. All those late nights of binge-reading had been worth it.

  Upon hearing the results, Xin Fu’s face turned pale. He had only ranked sixth. Furious, he couldn’t help but accuse the boy sitting in the corner.

  “You knew the questions beforehand, didn’t you?!”

  Ning paused. This guy seemed to harbor quite a grudge.

  His eyes narrowed. “Are you out of your mind? Making baseless accusations like that? You’re incompetent yourself, yet you question fairness? Are you once again questioning the authority of the sect?”

  “And not only that, but you’re also questioning the integrity of the elder of this hall. If I remember the sect rules correctly, falsely accusing an elder earns you one hundred lashes and ten years in the mines.”

  Ning’s words were rapid and concise. As someone who lived in the sect, understanding the rules and laws was just basic practice, right?

  Xin Fu, who had already cooled down from his impulsive outburst, turned deathly pale.

  Heavens! Why does this guy always twist things into me undermining the sect? Can’t people just talk normally?

  Ning glanced at the now-silent Xin Fu and sighed. It wasn’t every day he got to unleash his verbal combat skills. It reminded him of his past life, flaming people in online games like LoL.

  The commotion drew attention.

  As the presiding elder, he shouted, “Quiet! The questions in this assessment are extremely basic. All the knowledge involved can be learned in the Spirit Plant Hall. This test only examines effort and memorization.”

  He then glared at Xin Fu. Even though the elder knew Ning was exaggerating somewhat, Xin Fu was still the one who had first questioned the hall’s integrity.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Ning nodded. “The Spirit Hall library contains the Spirit Plant Compendiums, Monster Compendiums, and Mineral Compendiums, all of which this disciple has already read.”

  “There is also the Plant Materia Medica as supplementary material, which I have memorized thoroughly. This knowledge isn’t difficult to acquire with a little effort.”

  Ning spoke lightly. He genuinely didn’t find it difficult. Compared to complex calculus and the sheer volume of historical memorization from his previous life, this was far easier.

  Moreover, his alchemy inheritance also described these spiritual plants in detail. That was why he recognized so many second-tier plants, far more detailed than the free books in the Spirit Plant Hall.

  Xin Fu was on the verge of tears.

  The outer sect elder brother he followed had told him that spirit plant magic was the most important factor in judging talent, followed by cultivation level. So he had diligently cultivated to the sixth level of Qi Refining, practiced the Earth-Shaking Hoe Technique, and helped manage twenty acres of land, all for guidance.

  Yet in his eagerness to pull strings and take shortcuts, he had ended up taking a detour instead.

  The elder waved his hand. “The second test is the casting of spirit plant spells. You will be drawn into an illusion and must plant three spiritual plants. All necessary ingredients and tools will be conjured for you.”

  With that, the elder took out a mirror, the Hundred Illusion Treasure Mirror, one of the sect’s most useful artifacts. Injecting qi into it, a beam of azure light enveloped the outer sect disciples.

  ...

  Ning opened his eyes. He was in a spiritual field. He flexed his hands, feeling the difference from reality.

  He had heard about this treasure from Old Zhou; it could plunge someone into an illusion, and that illusion could be manipulated by the elders.

  Ning carefully tested the sensation. Unlike the shaky VR technology from his previous life, this illusion was frighteningly real.

  If he hadn’t known he was inside an illusion, he wouldn’t have been able to tell illusion and reality apart at a glance. And wasn’t that terrifying?

  Ning exhaled, dismissing the conspiracy theories about what the mirror could be used for, and focused on the spiritual field instead.

  Before him appeared a bag of seeds he could freely choose from, an artifact he could select, and a spirit field matching the grade of the seeds. All other materials, such as spirit fertilizer, were missing.

  This was likely not just a test of spirit plant spells, but also a chance to experience real planting within an illusion and demonstrate one’s abilities.

  After all, with five different planting spells, it would be difficult to enforce a perfectly fair evaluation standard. So they would let everyone plant what they were best at, then judge the quality.

  Ning thought for a moment and decided to challenge himself. Instead of planting low-grade first-tier spirit herbs, he skipped mid-grade entirely and went straight for high-grade first-tier plants.

  The first two high-grade plants were the most familiar to him: Frozen Breath and Dragon Qi Grass.

  As for the last one, Ning chose Serpent Flower.

  For the artifact, Ning selected the Earth-Shaking Spiritual Hoe. It was practically equivalent to mastering an additional spirit plant spell.

  First, Ning planted the Serpent Flower.

  Serpent Flower was a creeping, vine-like spiritual plant. Its vines were covered in scales, resembling a serpent.

  However, it had nothing to do with actual serpents; it merely used its appearance to intimidate other creatures and protect itself.

  When mature, it bloomed with blue flowers. The entire plant was poisonous, except for the flowers, which served as an antidote.

  This was the next poison material Ning wanted to add to his arsenal. Poisonous lilies had little effect against mid-stage and late-stage foes anymore, so it was time to upgrade his poison game.

  Ning immediately began planting. This was a valuable chance to accumulate experience.

  Even so, he didn’t dare plant too many. He was confident, but not reckless; two vines would suffice, since he feared ruining even one.

  Meanwhile, outside the illusion, beams of light and shadow flickered at extreme speed. Sunrise and sunset within the illusion were only a matter of a few breaths.

  “He’s so bold, he’s actually starting with a high-grade first-tier spiritual plant.”

  “This one is more reliable. He’s planting mid-grade first-tier Yellow Spirit Grain, and his Earth-Shaking Hoe Technique is already perfected. He can even stir up spiritual and earth energy in the field, which suits Yellow Spirit Grain perfectly. Paired with the Sweet Dew Gourd, whether it’s breeding or watering, it’s all very steady!”

  They were talking about Xin Fu. After all, he had drawn plenty of attention with his earlier outbursts.

  But the very next moment, they saw Ning’s side.

  The vines had already spread across the ground, growing at an alarming speed. Two vines per acre, soon they covered the entire area in lush green, the scaled vines twisting like serpents.

  “How can he be so fast?”

  “That’s Great Accomplishment Withering and Flourishing Technique, Soil Refining Technique, and Great Accomplishment Small Cloud Rain.”

  “Crawling vines sprout roots as soon as they touch the ground. He pressed the vine down, cast Small Cloud Rain first, then Withering and Flourishing. That rapid guidance let one vine cover an entire acre. Still, he’s careful; he only planted one more.”

  “An entire acre supporting just one vine. How extravagant.”

  “Why did he pinch off the flower buds?”

  “The early buds lack medicinal value and nutrition. Once the acre was fully covered, he guided the vine to nourish only one flower in each area, ensuring the quality reaches high-grade.”

  Cultivators were the most enthusiastic commentators in existence. Naturally, they had something to say about every participant.

  At the same time, the presiding elder watched as most candidates finished planting their first plant. He nodded slowly. “Hm. Now it’s time to increase the difficulty.”

  …

  For Ning, planting Frozen Breath was much easier. Using his golden finger, he dug a hole and buried the Frozen Breath seed. Then he refined the soil and, using the Earth-Shaking Spiritual Hoe, combed the qi through the ground and distributed it evenly.

  He moved with precision, every action practiced and efficient. After casting Hidden Icy Fog, the suitable environment for Frozen Breath was established.

  Everything was going smoothly when, suddenly, a patch of weeds appeared out of nowhere.

  “Hm?” Ning watched the weeds disrupt the flow of qi he had meticulously arranged. “This must be the interference from the elders."

  [Scorching Purge]

  A flame swept through, burning the weeds without disrupting the planting process. The same thing happened multiple times, and just as Ning got used to the interruptions, another surprise appeared.

  Squeak.

  A monkey nearly six feet tall dropped into the field. Its qi was equivalent to a fourth-stage cultivator. Its eyes were blood-red, and its mouth was disproportionately large for its head.

  A Howling Monkey.

  At the same time, an announcement echoed through the illusion:

  “A spiritual plant master must not only be able to plant spiritual plants, but they must also be able to defend them. Defeat the beast before it causes a rampage across the field!”

  Ning had long suspected the elder’s definition of a “spiritual plant master” was wildly different from the norm. Now he had confirmation.

  In the elder’s eyes, a spiritual plant master had to be a hexagonal warrior with every attribute maxed, excellent at planting and excellent at fighting.

  But that wasn’t reality at all. Most spiritual plant masters had weak combat ability. They lacked experience, and most of their time was spent tending fields, not battling beasts.

  Ning sighed, trying to conjure a bow or spear, only for nothing to appear. It seems conjuring weapons was not allowed.

  At least the elder setting this trial had some sense. The beast’s cultivation was deliberately set one stage lower than Ning’s.

  Fair enough.

  The Howling Monkey reared back, its chest expanding grotesquely.

  [Sonic Howl]

  A piercing screech tore through the air, rattling Ning’s skull. Sharp pain stabbed through his ears, and his vision wavered for an instant.

  But Ning clenched his teeth, covered his ears, and kept moving.

  If the goal were simply to kill the beast, he could have played it safe, kept his distance, and worn it down.

  But this wasn’t a duel.

  This was about protecting the field.

  Using Shadow Steps, Ning closed the distance in a blur, ignoring the lingering dizziness. The monkey turned, startled that its howl hadn’t stopped him.

  Too late.

  No weapons? Fine.

  Ning planted his foot, twisted his waist, and drove his fist forward.

  He still had these hands.

  [Bone Forging Fist: Bone Shatter]

  Bone Forging Fist was often overshadowed by the flashier techniques Ning learned later. But it was his first martial art, refined over years of practice, polished into instinct.

  At Great Accomplishment, its strongest move was brutal in its simplicity.

  His fist struck the monkey square in the ribcage.

  A dull, horrifying crack echoed across the field.

  The Howling Monkey let out a choked scream as its body was hurled backward, slamming into the ground and skidding to a stop, its qi instantly thrown into chaos.

  Ning exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders as he advanced.

  Planting… defending… combat…

  “Yeah,” he muttered dryly, “As expected of a cultivation world, even farming requires one to know how to throw hands."

  ...

  Thanks for reading~