Seeing that it was this old man, Chen Ye perked up:
"Senior, we met recently. This Silver Scale Flower is exactly the one you saw six days ago."
The old man with a goatee looked quite knowledgeable, and the herbal scent all over him made him look like the stereotypical alchemist.
But then, no alchemist would ever be poor!
The old man exclaimed suspiciously, squinting his eyes up and down at Chen Ye, then slapped his thigh:
"It's really you, kid. It's only been a few days, and I couldn't recognize you."
This kid, though still looking shabby, was a far cry from the destitute beggar from a few days ago.
"Is this the spirit flower afflicted with demonic qi?"
The old man with the goatee examined the Silver Scale Flower and quickly confirmed his suspicion.
After spending most of his life immersed in the world of herbs, he had the necessary discernment.
To others, spirit plants might appear identical, but in his eyes, they were vastly different.
The old man's withered fingers lightly touched the silver-veined leaves.
The previously withered stem of the Silver Scale Flower now appeared full and lustrous, and the serrated edges of the petals corroded by demonic qi had new buds emerging.
Chen Ye rubbed his hands, suppressing his excitement, and smiled ingratiatingly: "Senior, what do you think?"
"Impressive technique!"
The old man clapped his hands in amazement, the more he looked, the more shocked he became, unable to tear his eyes away,
"Demonic qi contamination is always the most troublesome issue with spirit plants, and yet, aside from a minor flaw in the first cut, the other incisions are perfect without a single flaw! Since when did Yunxi District have such a person?"
Chen Ye's heart skipped a beat; the old man's expression was so astonished that it made him uneasy.
Suddenly, he understood the reaction of his apprentices—his excessive goodwill only made them more fearful.
When things exceeded expectations, it often led to a loss of control.
Had he underestimated the term "Perfection" on his panel?
What does perfection mean?
It means completely flawless with no shortcomings!
But fortunately, it's just a low-tier technique, so it shouldn't cause too much of a stir.
The two little girls behind him seemed a bit tense.
Zhiwei even started imagining wildly: Could it be...that Chen Ye used the Blinding Technique?
Otherwise, how could he have such skills!
Chen Ye didn't recognize the old man with the goatee, but Zhiwei did.
The old man is the Hall Master of Herb Hall, not only a Spirit Plant Master but also an Alchemist!
And Herb Hall is an old brand on par with Myat Pill Pavilion!
Chen Ye pushed the flower pot forward half an inch: "Senior, would you like to inspect it? I assure you there's no problem!"
The old man with the goatee nodded, joining his two fingers and touching the soil; a green luminescence penetrated the flowerpot from his fingertips.
The Silver Scale Flower suddenly moved without wind, and small droplets of Spiritual Dew began to condense in the core of the flower.
This was a sign of a healthy spirit plant!
"Returning to origin, hidden vitality. It's just that the condition is not ideal, little friend, you've not nourished it enough, but it doesn't matter much."
The old man with the goatee withdrew his fingers, nodding with satisfaction.
He looked at Chen Ye with a few more degrees of admiration:
"Not bad, the world today is restless, yet you, little friend, can wholeheartedly delve into the Disease Removal Saber Technique, truly commendable! You must have practiced this method from a young age to achieve your current realm. With just this skill, you should have no worries about food and drink!"
Chen Ye smiled politely without losing decorum.
The previous body practiced for twenty years, barely achieving Great Success, whereas he reached perfection in just five days.
"I won't say more; eighteen spirit stones, I'll buy it."
The old man with the goatee said, touching his ring, and with a flash of spiritual light, a small pouch of spirit stones appeared in his palm.
This was a Storage Ring!
There are two mainstream storage magical artifacts in the market.
One is the Storage Bag, priced around thirty spirit stones, and the other is the Storage Ring, with a minimum price of a hundred spirit stones!
Chen Ye absent-mindedly accepted the spirit stones, holding them tightly.
These were eighteen spirit stones!
However, upon seeing the old man's Storage Ring, the joy in his heart was somewhat diminished.
He chuckled self-deprecatingly; indeed, poverty shortens one's ambition.
Worrying all day for these eighteen spirit stones.
But with the skill proficiency panel, one day he too would wear a Storage Ring!
The old man with the goatee put away the Silver Scale Flower, looking at Chen Ye with a smile:
"I am Ye Li, the Hall Master of Herb Hall. Soon, the outer sect disciples of Lingyin Sect will come to the Three Thousand Great Mountains for a trial. There is a shortage of spiritual medicine in the hall; in the future, little friend, you can sell to Herb Hall directly, and rest assured we won't let you suffer a loss."
"Senior, what is this trial for the outer sect disciples of Lingyin Sect?"
Chen Ye asked curiously, trying to gather as much information as possible.
Though he had fragmented memories from the previous body, those years of dissipation left him unaware of the outside world, resulting in Chen Ye's lack of understanding of the surrounding environment.
Truly a case of predecessors' mess-ups leading to descendants' suffering!
Old Man Ye, in a good mood, replied calmly:
"Did you arrive at Yunxi District recently? Yunxi District is under the jurisdiction of Lingyin Sect; the sect holds an annual competition for outer sect disciples to select inner sect disciples. The trial location is the Three Thousand Great Mountains."
"These disciples are all fat sheep; every big competition is a time for Yunxi District to make a fortune!"
No wonder this old man frequently visited the free trade zone; it was to prepare for the business from the outer sect disciples.
Chen Ye felt a longing in his heart.
Lord, you've got it wrong, haven't you?
I should be the outer sect disciple of Lingyin Sect, with a sweet, lovely junior sister and a cold, aloof senior sister.
After acquiring a golden finger, I would make a stunning achievement in the outer sect competition, slapping the faces of those who looked down on me.
Then smoothly enter the inner sect, contending with the talents from various domains, and eventually winning a beauty's heart.
But how did I become a muddy-legged medicinal farmer?
And a middle-aged asshole!
Even though I have two future stunningly beautiful young fairies beside me...
Chen Ye glanced at his two little apprentices behind him out of the corner of his eye.
Qing Jun was biting her fingernail, her eyes tracking a candy booth, gulping at the sight.
The little girl, noticing her master's gaze on her, jolted in fright, hurriedly straightening her posture, and looked straight ahead.
Zhiwei's bangs shadowed her eyes, appearing aloof and reserved, her figure completely still.
But Chen Ye noticed that just as he glanced at her, the older girl's fingers subtly clutched her sleeve, her lips slightly pursed, unintentionally revealing her inner fear.
The two little girls were all skin and bones, lacking any hint of a fairy's poise.
Never mind...
Fostering them is also quite nice.
Chen Ye found amusement amidst his hardships, yet still held onto a glimmer of hope asking: "Senior, how does an ordinary loose cultivator join Lingyin Sect? For example...me?"
Old Man Ye laughed so hard that he almost bent over:
"Little friend, when old man calls you 'little friend,' it's because this old man is over eighty! You, with half your body buried in the soil, still hope to join the sect? Typical outer sect disciples aren't even half your age!"
"Moreover, looking at you, you're likely Five Spiritual Roots at best. Even with Four Spiritual Roots, you should be considering joining the sect! Like my daughter, she's Three Spiritual Roots! At seventeen, she's already at Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, how can you compare?"
Chen Ye wasn't offended, grinning foolishly: "I'm just asking, just asking."
Despite being forty, his soul was still twenty-four!
Having some dreams is quite normal...
However, unexpectedly, this old man's daughter truly had impressive talent, no wonder he worked so hard to earn spirit stones at his age.
Chen Ye carried his weighty spirit stones, feeling invigorated.
With spirit stones in hand, surveying the bustling market, he felt an invisible confidence boost.
After earning money, it was time to spend it.
Bursting with pride, Chen Ye declared: "Apprentices, let's go! Tell your master what you want to eat!"