"Such dedication in guarding the Spiritual Field, truly my good employee..." Lu Xuan thought as the same words echoed in his mind while he watched the Straw Puppet maintain its patrol rhythm. He couldn't help but sigh. "I must reward it handsomely!"

He made up his mind, called the Straw Puppet over, and fished around in his pocket to take out a Spirit Fragment. After hesitating for a moment, he pulled out another one and stuffed both into the gray growth on the puppet's large head.

Then, he focused his mind on the Straw Puppet's body.

"Guard the Spiritual Field!"

...

What he heard were still repetitive phrases, but compared to before he fed it the Spirit Fragments, Lu Xuan felt a hint of joy in the Straw Puppet.

For the next two days, Lu Xuan remained vigilant, keeping the Silver Splitting Blade and Sword Qi Talismans close at hand, but nothing happened; everything was normal. It was as if the report from two days ago never existed.

The Spirit Firefly Grass in the Spiritual Field began to mature in large quantities, and Lu Xuan harvested twelve plants. Among them, two were of perfect quality, six were of high quality, and the remaining four were of good quality.

"Harvested one Spirit Firefly Grass, gained six months of cultivation."

"Harvested one Spirit Firefly Grass, gained nine months of cultivation."

Out of the twelve white light orbs, four contained cultivation rewards, bringing Lu Xuan a total of two and a half years of cultivation.

Four thoughts flashed through Lu Xuan's mind, and waves of spiritual energy surged within him, crashing against his meridians and dantian. After a long time, the wild energy finally calmed down.

As he circulated his energy, he felt the rich spiritual power filling his limbs and bones, bringing him a sense of security. With his cultivation level advancing, he felt more confident in case of a direct conflict with the malevolent spirits behind Wang Shan.

"Harvested one Spirit Firefly Grass, gained a first-grade Sword Qi Talisman."

"Harvested one Spirit Firefly Grass, gained a first-grade Ice Spike Talisman."

"Harvested one Spirit Firefly Grass, gained a first-grade Evil Dispelling Talisman."

Thoughts raced through his mind, and four different talismans appeared in Lu Xuan's hands. Although they were only first-grade talismans, they could still be quite effective when used in large numbers, even if they were generally not very damaging for mid-level Qi Refining cultivators.

After using up most of his talismans during Qin Ming's attack, Lu Xuan had gathered dozens of first-grade talismans during this time.

"Harvested one Spirit Firefly Grass, gained the first-grade Gengjin Sword Art."

"Harvested one Spirit Firefly Grass, gained the Wood Growth Technique."

From the remaining four white light orbs, three provided him with experience in techniques, deepening his understanding of the Gengjin Sword Art and the Wood Growth Technique.

He was now on the brink of mastering the Gengjin Sword Art, improving its speed, lethality, and control. The Wood Growth Technique had reached a proficient level, and he could see faint green spiritual energy gathering around the branches and leaves of the spiritual plants, showing rapid progress compared to when he started.

As for the last white light orb, Lu Xuan gently picked it up. The orb transformed into countless light spots that entered his body, and a thought flashed through his mind.

"Harvested one Spirit Firefly Grass, gained a second-grade Sword Qi Talismans."

A talisman, covered in countless fine sword marks, appeared in Lu Xuan's hand, exuding a sharp sword intent that seemed ready to break free at any moment.

"Two perfect quality Spirit Firefly Grasses, one yielded a second-grade Sword Qi Talisman, and the other is either a first-grade talisman or a Gengjin Sword Art. Not bad at all."

Lu Xuan stored the talismans and packed the Spirit Firefly Grasses into a jade box. He had collected twenty-three mature Spirit Firefly Grasses, and to prevent them from losing vitality, he needed to take them to the Hundred Herbs Hall.

Lu Xuan opened the formation in his yard, reminded the Straw Puppet to stay alert, and set out with the Cloud Stepping Leopard.

Outside, there were occasionally mutated cultivators with leopard cubs by their side, providing some extra safety.

In the Hundred Herbs Hall, the scent of medicine filled the air. Lu Xuan didn’t see Steward He, only a few medicine boys were busy with herbs.

"Brother Lu, you're here! Steward He is busy inside; please sit for a moment while I brew you a pot of hot tea," one of the sharp-eyed medicine boys called out, quickly bringing over a redwood chair and soon serving a steaming cup of Spirit Tea.

"Thanks."

Lu Xuan sat down and took the Spirit Tea. He could feel that the attitude of the medicine boys had changed significantly since he first came to the Hundred Herbs Hall.

When he first arrived, he was just a low-level Qi Refining cultivator with a few ordinary quality Spirit Firefly Grasses, begging Steward He to take them. The medicine boys hardly acknowledged him.

Gradually, as he visited more often, only one or two medicine boys would nod at him when he entered. After establishing a cooperative relationship with the Hundred Herbs Hall, the medicine boys became warm and friendly, treating him like an old friend.

After he continuously sold perfect quality Spirit Firefly Grasses, their enthusiasm reached new heights, serving him tea and attending to him with great care.

Lu Xuan understood that this change stemmed from his ability to grow high-quality spiritual plants. He appreciated the value of Steward He and Zhang Hong's support.

Before he finished his tea, Steward He rushed in.

"Lu kid, you’re here?"

"How many Spirit Firefly Grasses did you bring this time? What’s the quality like?" the thin old man asked curiously.

"I brought twenty-two, and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed with the quality," Lu Xuan replied with a smile.

He took out more than twenty Spirit Firefly Grasses from his storage bag and placed them on the counter.

"Nine good quality, nine high quality, and four perfect quality."

Steward He examined them closely, looking at Lu Xuan with a complex expression and sighed.

"Your growth speed is too fast! With this many Spirit Firefly Grasses, not a single one is of ordinary quality; the lowest is good quality, and the chance of perfect quality is also high."

"It seems that the perfect quality Spirit Firefly Grasses you handed in before were not a fluke."

"To maintain this level of planting efficiency has already surpassed most of the spiritual cultivators in the Hundred Herbs Hall. They spend double or even triple the effort you do on spiritual plants."

"I know I’m pretty impressive, so how many Spirit Stones can these Spirit Firefly Grasses get me?" Lu Xuan rested his chin on his hand, smiling at the still astonished Steward He.

"You little brat, you’re all about the money!"

"It’s the old price. Let me calculate... a total of seventy-seven Spirit Stones and thirty Spirit Fragments. How does that sound?"

"Steward He, you’re definitely not wrong with your calculations."

Lu Xuan took the seventy-plus Spirit Stones he handed over, swept them into his storage bag.

"Do you remember what I told you before? As long as you can consistently grow high-quality spiritual plants, you’ll gain a chance."

"There are a few spiritual plants in the hall that need to be entrusted to me. I’ll help you find a cooperative spiritual cultivator, and since you’ve performed so well, I plan to keep half for you."

"Oh? What spiritual plant?" Lu Xuan asked curiously.

"Pure Wondrous Tea."

"Second-grade," Steward He said with a smile.

(End of Chapter)