Holding a token, Li Ye lifted the faint spatial seal and stepped inside.
He passed through the Sealing Formation, the Spirit-Locking Formation, and then the Spirit-Gathering Formation. With each layer he advanced, the density and quality of the spiritual energy increased noticeably.
By the time he reached the innermost area, an intense and pure spiritual energy rushed to meet him. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"Thanks to the slight spatial attributes of the Green Vine Wood Formation, this special location is now completely concealed..."
"With the three formations nested together, the spiritual energy is condensed layer by layer without the slightest leak. I've finally managed to forcefully establish a second-tier spiritual environment within this one-mu field... It's kind of like a high-end greenhouse!"
"Of course, the price is that the surrounding fields are being drained of even more spiritual energy… Without the Void Tree acting as the core and balancing the array, the other three fields would probably be rendered unusable..."
"But as it stands, only the field adjacent to this one has become significantly depleted it can still be used to grow spirit rice. The remaining two mu are barely affected and can still support the cultivation of spiritual herbs like Evergreen Flower. That's already an ideal outcome!"
As he surveyed the condition of the field, Li Ye couldn't help but once again marvel at the wonders of the Void Tree.
He squatted down and thrust his hand into the soil, burying it entirely.
With his current level of body refinement, even though the spiritual soil was densely compacted and hard for average cultivators to manage, it felt no firmer than tofu in his hands.
After a thorough examination, he grabbed a handful of soil to inspect more closely.
Its color was dark with a bluish tint. The moment he squeezed it, spiritual energy burst out and shimmered faintly in the light.
His lips curled into a broad smile as joy spread across his face.
"Not bad! With spiritual energy thoroughly infused, this field has officially reached the conditions for a second-tier spiritual field. I can finally plant those sealed seeds and seedlings…"
As long as he could maintain the environment, the field would only become more fertile over time, eventually stabilizing at a second-tier level…
And with time, even if the formations were removed, the field could continue sustaining itself and retain its unique qualities.
Li Ye stood up and pulled out jade boxes and planting trays from his storage pouch.
He glanced at the barely-alive root fragment of Earth Dragon Ginseng that he had painstakingly kept from dying after planting, and solemnly buried it into the soil first.
Then came the young Earth Dragon Ginseng seedling he'd acquired from the storage pouch of the Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Ding, along with two other main medicinal herbs.
According to Li Ye's plan, all of them like the root fragment would be nurtured until their vitality fully returned. At that point, he'd attempt to cut and propagate them, expanding their numbers.
The same strategy applied to the Mindroot Flower and the White Yin Fruit.
However, each of the three herbs had distinct environmental needs.
Earth Dragon Ginseng requires rich soil and low moisture, thriving on heavy fertilizer.
Mindroot Flower preferred shade and moonlight at night. Bone powder as fertilizer was also beneficial.
White Yin Fruit, on the other hand, needed plenty of sunlight and frequent watering, and missing a beat could prevent it from bearing fruit.
These conflicting needs made it nearly impossible to grow all three in the same field under normal circumstances.
But Li Ye wasn't just a second-tier spirit cultivator he was also skilled in array formations. These issues posed no challenge to him.
He simply divided the field into three parts and laid down specific auxiliary formations tailored to each herb's needs. These setups could also be adjusted as needed.
In the future, as the [Absorb] trait enhanced each herb's environmental adaptability, they might even be manageable under a unified setting.
It's worth mentioning that the array formation manual he purchased at the Zimo Market's auction though only first-tier was surprisingly detailed.
It included almost all known auxiliary formations. Combined with the scattered knowledge Li Ye had gathered over time, the number of arrays he now mastered was impressive.
Truly, a worthy investment.
The only drawback was that he still only knew one proper first-tier grand array the Green Vine Wood Formation...
However, with his current setup, mastering the Stone-Shifting Earth-Guarding Array would be just a matter of time. He could continue studying more to deepen his foundations.
"Counting everything I've gathered so far and what I looted from that Foundation Establishment cultivator…"
"I've got two Earth Dragon Ginseng plants, ten Mindroot Flowers, and one White Yin Fruit sapling along with five seeds…"
"To expand the scale by propagating from such a small number will take a great deal of time and effort…"
"Of course, I'll need to regularly visit the market to buy more… but if I keep focusing on herbs related to Foundation Establishment pills, I'll attract attention. That's what the Blackwood Daoist alias is for!"
After all, alter egos were made for this kind of task!
As he planted each seed and seedling into the field, Li Ye silently calculated the numbers while looking at the still mostly empty land, feeling the weight of the task ahead.
Dusting off his hands, he instinctively checked the vitality flowing through his body and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Fortunately… time is no longer a concern for me now!"
Shhh
A fine mist of pale green rain began to fall, imbued with the faint vitality unique to the Void Tree. Combined with the enhancements from [Vitality] and [Absorb], the effect was immediate: the Earth Dragon Ginseng extended its roots, the Mindroot Flower swayed gently, and the White Yin Fruit's leaves turned a vibrant green.
System prompts began appearing before his eyes:
[With exquisite technique, you've successfully planted a second-tier spiritual herb: Earth Dragon Ginseng. Maximum vitality triggered. Experience +1…]
[With exquisite technique… Mindroot Flower… Experience +1…]
[With exquisite technique… White Yin Fruit… Experience +1…]
With both his cultivation technique and growing conditions improving, the feedback experience he gained increased accordingly an encouraging sign for Li Ye.
He quietly observed until each herb had taken root and received its feedback, then finally gave a satisfied nod.
"Everything is ready. All that's left now… is to quietly accumulate and wait for the harvest."
..........
Two Days Later
"Hahahaha! Niece Lan, seeing you safe and sound truly brings joy to your uncle's heart!"
"When I first heard of Brother Lan's unfortunate passing, and then the sudden upheaval at Changcui Peak, I was quite worried about you and young Lan Ming…"
"But it seems fortune favored you both you turned calamity into a blessing!"
As he flew toward Changcui Mountain, Luo Feibai chatted enthusiastically with Lan Xinyi, a wide smile on his face.
His large, round figure was almost too much for the flying serpent beneath him, which had to exert itself to the limit just to keep them airborne its wings flapped so furiously they were nearly a blur.
"Niece Lan and the Lan family are deeply grateful for Envoy Luo's concern,"
Dressed in simple robes, Lan Xinyi's tone was polite yet composed, neither servile nor arrogant.
But in her heart, she cursed the man in front of her for his shamelessness!
Back when she was nearly driven to death by that treacherous couple, if not for Li Ye's timely appearance, she would've long been reduced to dust. And where was the alliance then?
Now this man had the gall to show up and play the benevolent elder… The only reason she didn't lash out at him on the spot was because of his high cultivation!
"Hahaha, think nothing of it it was a mere trifle!"
"I heard that you were able to reclaim Changcui Peak thanks to the aid of an outsider cultivator you encountered by chance… May I ask where that fellow Daoist is now? I would very much like to pay my respects to someone so capable!"
Luo Feibai let out another hearty laugh, then suddenly posed the question, a glint of deeper meaning flashing in his eyes.
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