The patch of spiritual farmland, infused with Yun Jin's perfectly balanced Five Elemental spiritual power, clearly suited the taste of the Xuan Jade Ginseng seed. Yun Jin could even sense a flicker of joy radiating from the seed itself.
This was the first step. A solid start.
According to legend, nearly eighty percent of Xuan Jade Ginseng seeds withered the moment they were planted.
After all, most planters did not have Yun Jin's advantage. They had to gather five cultivators with distinct elemental affinities, keep their spiritual power in perfect balance, and gradually adjust the farmland's environment. Any minor misstep or imbalance in spiritual energy could cause the fragile seed to shut down on the spot.
Yun Jin faced no such trouble.
The field she had created was innately balanced in all five elemental attributes.
But this was only the beginning.
The next step was germination.
The most common method used was the Minor Cloud Rain Technique.
However, the Xuan Jade Ginseng seed was exceptionally delicate. It had strict requirements for rainfall—both in amount and duration—and every seed was different.
Yun Jin reached out with her spiritual sense, trying to communicate more deeply with the ginseng seed. Thanks to Shen Yanye's assistance, her spiritual strength had grown significantly. As she focused, she could just barely sense the seed's subtle feedback.
Using this faint connection as her guide, Yun Jin began to cast the Minor Cloud Rain Technique. Spiritual rain fell gently across the soil, and the seed greedily absorbed the moisture.
Yun Jin controlled the rain according to the seed's preferences, adjusting the flow and duration with meticulous care.
Roughly two hours later, a small sprout slowly pushed up from the soil.
Step two: germination. A success.
Next came cultivation.
This phase would take time. A long time. The biggest challenge was that Xuan Jade Ginseng emitted a unique scent—one that insects found irresistible.
When the time came, the swarm would arrive in numbers that could put even the last tournament's chaos to shame.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
The seed itself was extremely timid. If it witnessed insects being killed, it might die from fright. If she tried to shield its vision, the seed would start imagining things and scare itself to death anyway.
To make matters worse, it was also overly attached to its planter. The one who planted it must be the one to raise it to maturity. If the seed discovered its planter tending to other spirit plants, it would be consumed by jealousy and... die.
Because of this extreme dependency, even high-ranking planters who had the skill to raise it couldn't afford to devote themselves solely to this one plant. As for those with less skill, they simply lacked the ability to nurture it at all.
With such delicate demands, it was no wonder Xuan Jade Ginseng seeds rarely survived.
Even if they did, they almost never matured.
After all, taking care of a moody seedling for years on end was not something most people could manage.
If Yun Jin hadn't formed her Soulcore, gaining a massive boost in spiritual strength, she might not have made it this far either.
Watching her every move, Ye Cheng's eyes sparkled.
His master was simply too incredible.
Ordinary planters would never dream of successfully growing Xuan Jade Ginseng.
Just by observing her, he felt his own planting techniques improve by leaps and bounds.
Ye Cheng leaned in, entirely focused.
As the ginseng continued to grow, it began to release a strange fragrance.
"Ye Cheng," Yun Jin called, "a swarm of insects will arrive soon. Do not interfere."
The seed demanded to be cared for solely by its chosen planter. If Ye Cheng made a move, or if the scene became too bloody, the ginseng might wither from sheer panic on the spot.
Ye Cheng immediately nodded and stepped back, giving Yun Jin space to work.
Not long after, the swarm came.
Bugs of all shapes and sizes poured toward the field.
The little sprout of the Xuan Jade Ginseng trembled in panic, its leaves flailing wildly, looking as if they might fall off at any moment.
Yun Jin acted at once.
After leveling up her Insect-Banishment Finger to Tier Three, the technique's power had increased in every aspect.
Eradicating the bugs posed no problem.
But as soon as she finished off the first wave and turned around, she saw the ginseng's leaves had already begun to yellow.
Yun Jin quickly summoned another drizzle with the Minor Cloud Rain Technique, hoping to save it.
It was no use.
The little sprout soon lost all spiritual vitality.
Yun Jin was speechless.
She checked her system panel. A few new attempts had accumulated. She asked the system, "Why did the Xuan Jade Ginseng wither?"
[Consumed attempt. Analyzing...]
[Cause of failure: excessive noise. The seed was frightened.]
Excessive noise?
Yun Jin nearly lost it.
Even using Insect-Banishment Finger caused some sound. How was she supposed to handle that?
What next, cast a silent barrier just for the seed?
Then again, if it was too quiet, would it scare itself to death from the silence?
She'd have to find a balance somehow.
Yun Jin looked at the two remaining seeds and took a deep breath.
Only two chances left.
She had to succeed.
She planted the second seed.
Everything proceeded smoothly at first. Soon, she reached the same step.
As the dense swarm of insects surged forward, Yun Jin immediately divided part of her spiritual sense to soothe the ginseng while using pinpoint attacks to kill the bugs with minimal noise.
By doing both at once, she managed to help the ginseng endure the first wave.
But the seed seemed like a piece of sacred meat to the insect world—endless waves of bugs kept coming. Some were even skilled at hiding.
Yun Jin's spiritual sense continuously scanned the field, ready to respond to any disturbance and calm the seed the moment something went wrong.
There was no room for error. No room for rest.
And this high-intensity cultivation process had to continue for at least ten more days.
If she made a mistake midway, all previous efforts would be wasted.
This time, there could be no slip-ups.
Yun Jin focused completely, her spiritual sense sharpened to its limit. Within her consciousness, her Soulcore spun rapidly, restoring the energy she expended.
One day passed.
Three days.
Five days.
Seven days.
The Xuan Jade Ginseng grew steadily, following the expected pace.
If nothing went wrong, it would mature by the tenth day.
This one had to succeed.
If it failed—even with the third seed remaining—there might not be enough time to refine the pill afterward.
—
Far away, in the vast emptiness of the Endless Sea.
Yue Zhao followed a faint clue, searching.
The legendary Bifruit had an immense thirst for water. It rooted itself deep in islands and drained every nearby spirit plant of moisture. For that reason, though it loved water, the place it grew was often barren and dry.
Yue Zhao had been searching for days.
The description he received had only pointed him in a general direction. All he could do was explore slowly.
His frustration grew.
There was still no word from his second junior sister.
If the Bishui Fruit couldn't be found, everything they had done up to this point would be in vain.
Gritting his teeth, Yue Zhao quickened his pace.
Then, suddenly—
He saw an island.
His eyes lit up.
The island was located right in the middle of the Endless Sea, and not a single green plant grew upon it.
Bifruit.
It had to be Bifruit!
Yue Zhao descended rapidly onto the island.
"Hmm, this island is quite interesting," came a voice just as he landed.
An elderly man in plain clothing appeared beside him.
Yue Zhao stiffened at once.
The old man's presence held no discernible strength. At a glance, he looked like an ordinary elder.
But what ordinary person could show up in the middle of the Endless Sea?
There was only one possibility.
This man's cultivation far surpassed Yue Zhao's—so high, in fact, that he had reached the realm of perfect natural concealment.
A realm beyond comprehension.
A realm of terrifying power.