A strange sensation flickered through Alex's body.
His normally calm and steady spiritual energy suddenly surged, tearing through his meridians in a wild, uncontrolled rush. For several seconds, he stood frozen, heart pounding, until the turbulent force gradually settled.
When it did, he blinked—then smiled.
His cultivation had just leapt forward. Not by a little. By three full months' worth of progress—the kind that normally took grueling meditation, steady practice, and expensive resources.
He was now just a small step away from the third layer of Qi Refining.
"So… this is it. My golden finger has finally arrived."
Excitement buzzed through him. In his last life, Alex had been painfully average—no special talent, no heroic destiny. And even here, in a family of cultivators, he was barely scraping by with four-root aptitude and no elite bloodline to prop him up.
If not for this cheat-like gift, he wouldn't stand a chance in a world like this.
As he stood still, a pulse of insight rose in his mind. The phenomenon—the White Light Orb he had absorbed—wasn't random.
Any Spirit Plant personally cultivated and harvested by him would produce a Light Orb reward upon maturing. These rewards could contain anything: cultivation energy, techniques, elixirs, spiritual items, and more.
But not all rewards were equal. The value depended on multiple factors:
How much personal effort he invested during growth
The type and tier of the plant
The health and maturity of the harvest
And how flawlessly it developed
The White Orbs were invisible to everyone but him, and only plants he personally nurtured from seed to harvest would yield them. Taking over someone else's crop or harvesting wild plants wouldn't trigger anything.
"So... every time I grow a plant, I get the plant and a bonus reward?""Double yield, double gain. This is insane."
Alex turned to look at his small field. The Sunblossom Herbs and Silverfrond Trees swayed gently, rich with energy. He could almost see the glowing orbs drifting toward him already.
"If I've gotten this far just from basic diligence and careful attention…" he thought, "…then what happens if I refine the process?"
As if triggered by the thought, something shifted in his vision.
A faint translucent progress bar appeared above one of the Sunblossom Herbs—nearly full.
Along with it came a soft whisper of information in his mind:
"Recently nourished by Spirit Rain. Growing steadily. Slightly constrained by the oversized roots of a nearby plant."
Alex blinked. Was this… real-time feedback?
He shifted his focus to the neighboring herb. Another bar hovered there, only slightly less full.
"Growing well. Slightly hindered by root overcrowding from adjacent Sunblossom Herb."
He chuckled under his breath. "There's not much I can do about that. This field isn't exactly spacious. You'll just have to tough it out, little guys."
Still, this new ability was powerful—incredibly powerful. Real-time data on plant health and development meant he could fine-tune their growth, avoid pitfalls, and maximize both yield and reward.
He eyed the nearly-complete bar again. The temptation to rush the process was strong. He could cast Spirit Rain again, force the plant to maturity, and harvest another reward right away.
But he held back.
Force-feeding a plant too much energy led to shallow roots, overgrown stems, and degraded spiritual quality. That, in turn, would reduce the strength of the Light Orb reward. He had to be patient.
"No point in rushing. The better the plant, the better the payoff."
Just as he turned to leave, another thought occurred to him.
What about the infected herb—the one with the black threads?
If this new sense could show him healthy plants, maybe it could reveal the nature of the problem too.
He turned toward the west corner of the yard, narrowed his focus, and locked his senses onto the afflicted Sunblossom Herb.
The progress bar hovered close to full—surprising, considering its condition.
A second later, a diagnostic line entered his mind:
"Sunblossom Herb infested with Black Bud Worm larvae. Critical state. If untreated, vitality will be fully drained, resulting in permanent withering."
Alex let out a breath. Relief washed through him.
At least now he had a name. He wasn't fumbling in the dark anymore.
He turned on his heel, went inside, and pulled out a thick, well-used reference book:
"Demonic Pests and Remedies: A Field Guide for Spirit Farmers."
Flipping through the pages, he quickly found the entry.