"Second-grade spirit plants?"
Upon hearing the words of the lean old man, Lu Xuan couldn't help but sit up straight, his expression serious.
"That's right, the seedlings of the second-grade Pure Snow Lotus. When matured, the harvested tea leaves possess the effect of clearing the mind and enhancing wisdom. To some extent, they can resist many types of malevolent influences, greatly favored by mid to high-level Qi cultivators."
"In my possession are six seedlings. I have to hand over three to other spirit plant masters in the hall, leaving three. If you're willing, I can offer them to you at a discounted price."
"Of course, I'm willing."
Lu Xuan promptly agreed.
"Thank you, Elder He, for granting me this opportunity."
He stood up, expressing gratitude to the old, lean man.
"You've earned this yourself. If I didn't see your ability to steadily cultivate high-quality spirit plants, I wouldn't have entrusted them to you."
The steward looked at Lu Xuan with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.
"Before handing them over, I need to confirm a small matter with you."
"Is your spiritual field's density and area sufficient? The Pure Snow Lotus is quite dominant; it doesn't allow other spirit plants nearby and requires substantial spiritual energy."
"No problem."
Lu Xuan replied decisively.
There was still some empty space in the courtyard's spiritual field, enough for planting three second-grade spirit plants. The spiritual energy was much purer and richer than the initially allocated field, and there was a spiritual spring for irrigation.
More importantly, he could adjust the plants' conditions according to their needs, satisfying them to the fullest.
Considering all these factors, planting three second-grade spirit plants was well within reach.
"That's good. Wait here; I'll be right back."
Inside the Hundred Herbs Hall's courtyard,
In a spacious and bright house, three spirit plant masters sat on wooden chairs, shifting restlessly, indicating their unease.
"Why is Elder He so stubborn? He's been holding onto those three seedlings of Pure Snow Lotus."
"Friend Zhou, stay calm. Few in the Hundred Herbs Hall are as suitable as us for cultivating Pure Snow Lotus."
"Exactly, we've cooperated with the Hundred Herbs Hall for years, accumulating vast experience in nurturing spirit plants. If not us, then who else? Elder He is just bargaining for personal gains."
Encouraging each other, they sipped from their tea cups, now cold, and forcibly calmed themselves.
Not long after, Steward He entered the room.
"Elder He!" The three stood up simultaneously, warmly greeting him.
"Friends, I've told you before, the Pure Snow Lotus already has a suitable candidate. Why make things difficult for me?"
Hearing this, the trio's expressions stiffened.
After a while, a middle-aged practitioner with dark skin asked Steward He,
"May I ask, to which spirit plant master do you intend to entrust the Pure Snow Lotus? Is it Elder Shen from the western district? Although experienced, he's aged and may struggle to successfully cultivate the Lotus."
"No, it's a young man, not even twenty yet, but robust."
"What?!"
A nearby practitioner involuntarily sprayed the cold tea he hadn't yet swallowed.
"Elder He, are you confused? Entrusting such important second-grade spirit plants to a teenager under twenty?"
"Isn't that risking it all? Losing three seedlings of second-grade spirit plants for nothing?"
The lean old man sneered.
"The three of you have cooperated with the Hundred Herbs Hall for quite some time. Can you tell me how many years of spirit plant cultivation experience you've accumulated?"
"Twenty years."
"Minus two, eighteen years."
"Modestly, it's been twenty-five years."
The last practitioner, smiling proudly, confessed.
"When cultivating the most demanded Firefly Grass for the Hundred Herbs Hall, how much high-quality mature spirit grass could you produce?"
"I estimated that about thirty percent of the Firefly Grass I cultivated was of standard quality, approximately fifty percent were good quality, and the rest was top-grade."
The other two gave results similar to his.
"And what about perfect quality?"
Steward He asked leisurely.
"Perfect quality? That's quite rare. The demands on the spirit plant master and the spiritual field are exceedingly high. It's an elusive achievement for independent spirit plant masters."
"Is that so?"
The lean old man smirked.
"But that young man, with less than three years of experience in planting spirit plants, brought in fewer than forty Firefly Grass, with the lowest being of good quality, and eight even being perfect quality."
"How is that possible?!"
The dark-skinned middle-aged practitioner blurted out, shocked.
"Why impossible? I personally inspected all the Firefly Grass. Are you suggesting my vision is faulty?"
Steward He's tone sharpened as his brows furrowed.
The middle-aged practitioner mumbled but eventually didn't voice a rebuttal. Steward He's assertions were too incredulous for someone like him, a spirit plant master for over twenty years, who understood how rare perfect-grade plants were.
Yet, that youth, with merely thirty-odd Firefly Grass, had eight perfect-grade ones. It was hard for him to accept.
However, Steward He's words were firm and confident, leaving him little choice but to believe.
The trio exchanged glances, realizing each other's doubts and helplessness.
"Could Elder He introduce us to this young spirit plant master?"
One of them asked with lowered voice.
"He's in the Hundred Herbs Hall now. If you have doubts, you can go and see for yourselves."
Seeing their attitude, Steward He knew they were mostly convinced, considering introducing Lu Xuan to them, allowing him to connect with more fellow spirit plant masters.
Hastily, the trio entered the hall, noticing a relaxed and handsome young man near the wooden cabinet.
"May I ask, are you Daoist Lu Xuan?"
The dark-skinned middle-aged practitioner approached Lu Xuan, bowing.
"That's correct, it is I."
Lu Xuan replied.
"As expected of an outstanding figure. Cultivating perfect-grade Firefly Grass is within reason."
The middle-aged practitioner glanced at the over twenty Firefly Grass of exceptional quality on the cabinet, dispelling his final hesitation.
"Your flattery is unnecessary; it's just a stroke of luck. I still need advice from esteemed colleagues on spirit plant cultivation."
Lu Xuan replied modestly.
The trio exchanged glances, a hint of wry smiles on their lips.
"Daoist Lu, don't mock us. You've cultivated perfect-grade spirit plants. There's no need for advice from us."
One hesitated before asking in a low voice,
"Daoist Lu, may I inquire how you managed to cultivate perfect-grade Firefly Grass?"
"How to cultivate perfect-grade Firefly Grass?"
Lu Xuan showed difficulty, lightly rubbing his thumb and forefinger, eventually sighing.
"That's a secret I cannot divulge; it's not convenient to share with others."
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