Nightfall descended.
Lu Xuan, slightly weary, returned to his room. Though the number of spiritual plants in the spiritual field was currently limiteda batch of eleven Firefly Grass plants nearly ripe, ten newly planted seedlings, two Lunar Erosion Trees, and a Crimson Cloud Pinethe meticulous cultivation and frequent use of techniques like Spirit Rain and Earth Attraction made even a Qi Cultivator like Lu Xuan feel the fatigue after a day's work.
Yet, he found joy in this labor. Compared to the vibrant growth of numerous spiritual plants, the exhaustion seemed insignificant.
After a simple dinner and a brief rest, he sat on his wooden bed, circulating his techniques to replenish his spiritual energy. His sudden surge in cultivation caused a sluggishness in his energy flow, requiring a brief adjustment.
Suddenly, he noticed a sudden flare of light from the formation plate nearby. A faint spiritual shield appeared over it, and a subtle luminance shimmered at a certain point within the shield like ripples on water.
Serious, Lu Xuan marked the position of the shimmering light with the Sword Qi Talisman slipping into his left palm. He rose abruptly, leaping to the bluish-grey stone wall.
Scaling the wall, Lu Xuan's keen eyes caught a small dark figure wriggling, darting swiftly into the distance. Enraged at the intrusion into his spiritual field, he couldn't allow it to escape so easily.
His spiritual energy surged, and swiftly, a faint golden sword qi condensed instantly, akin to a flowing light, rushing towards the small dark figure.
The figure seemed frozen by the intent of the sword, its speed slowing down considerably as the golden sword qi cleaved it in two.
As the radiance dispersed, darkness enveloped the surroundings. Lu Xuan, gripping the Sword Qi Talisman tightly, scanned the area, relieved to find nothing unusual before releasing a breath he'd been holding.
Approaching the severed figure of the dark shadow, Lu Xuan retrieved the remains and returned to his courtyard.
Just as he entered, a grey-black grass rope slithered to Lu Xuan's feet, tapping his knee, indicating an intrusion into the spiritual field.
"I've already dealt with it. Your warning arrives after the fact. Quite the delayed response," Lu Xuan remarked, half amused, half bemused, at the grass puppet that retracted after alerting him.
In the dim candlelight, he examined the remnants of the dark shadow in his hand. Jet-black, with slender fingers and uneven creases on its body, it was the Black Budworm Larvae he had encountered in the guidebook on common harmful insect pests.
"Trying to turn my spiritual field into your playground again, huh?" Lu Xuan controlled the Golden Sword Technique to slice the budworm larvae into pieces, using the Fireball Technique to reduce it to ash, dissipating his anger.
"Good thing the protective formation worked, halting the intrusion of these budworm larvae. Otherwise, the consequences would've been dire for my spiritual plants," he thought, with a shiver at the possibility of the larvae parasitizing the plants, jeopardizing his rewards.
He felt even more assured about investing in this second-hand protective formation.
The appearance of the budworm larvae was a minor ripple in his otherwise peaceful farming life. In the following days, no other incidents occurred.
Lu Xuan led a simple yet fulfilling life, meticulously nurturing the spiritual plants daily with Spirit Rain and Earth Attraction techniques, occasionally stimulating the Crimson Cloud Pine with the Fireball Technique.
Days went by without him venturing out much, with only Zhang Hong visiting once.
Zhang was set to venture into the wilderness with cultivators from the Wang family and numerous independent cultivators. Before leaving, he bid farewell to Lu Xuan, entrusting him with watching over his family in his absence.
Apart from this, Lu Xuan had minimal contact with others.
Five days later, he harvested two more batches of ripe Firefly Grass, totaling eight plants. Only three Firefly Grass plants remained on the verge of maturity in the spiritual field.
Among the eight, three were of ordinary quality, while five were of good quality.
Among the eight white orbs, three granted cultivation rewards, adding a year's worth of cultivation to Lu Xuan's internal energy, significantly boosting his spiritual power.
The other five yielded two experiences in Earth Attraction and Golden Sword Technique, deepening his understanding of these techniques, enhancing their speed and power.
Additionally, three produced first-grade talismansa Sword Qi Talisman, a Swift Speed Talisman, and a Defensive Earth Armor Talismanall stashed away for future use.
After harvesting these eight Firefly Grass plants, a significant area in the spiritual field became vacant. Lu Xuan carefully planted the remaining ten Firefly Grass seeds. In no time, tender green shoots sprouted, swaying gently in the breeze.
The previously planted ten had grown considerably, reaching about three inches in height, their deep green leaves now adorned with more prominent glowing spots.
The final three Firefly Grass plants didn't keep Lu Xuan waiting long. One day, after using Spirit Rain and Earth Attraction techniques, the progress bars beneath the three Firefly Grass plants reached their maximum.
With focused attention, Lu Xuan discovered a pleasant surprise.
"A mature Firefly Grass of good quality." *2
"A mature Firefly Grass of superior quality."
"At last, I've cultivated a Firefly Grass of superior quality," Lu Xuan exclaimed, clutching the vibrant Firefly Grass with satisfaction.
A total of twenty-four plants, meticulously cultivated through Spirit Rain and Earth Attraction, finally yielded one of superior quality.
Though the probability was minuscule, Lu Xuan understood. Given the sparse spiritual energy in his spiritual field and his late awareness of the Firefly Grass's status, achieving significant quality improvement was challenging.
"To produce a large number of superior-quality spiritual plants or even higher-tier perfect quality, at least two conditions need to be met."
"Concentration of spiritual power and meticulous cultivation from planting until maturity," Lu Xuan summarized.
In the spiritual field, three white orbs shimmered faintly, catching Lu Xuan's attention.
"Harvested one Firefly Grass, gained six months' worth of cultivation."
"Another cultivation reward. I hardly need any motivation for practice now," Lu Xuan sighed, sensing the sudden surge of overflowing spiritual power within him.
"Harvested one Firefly Grass, obtained a first-grade Expelling Evil Talisman."
Lu Xuan held a dark yellow talisman adorned with a sinister symbolan evil spirit pattern confined by chains made of peculiar lines.
"An Expelling Evil Talisman, a first-grade talisman that purifies and repels malevolent spirits within a certain range. Quite rare," Lu Xuan thought, carefully stowing away the talisman with the ghastly pattern.
The final white orb was from the superior-quality Firefly Grass. The quality of spiritual plants influenced the richness of rewards, and Lu Xuan anticipated significant gains from this one.
The orb dispersed into countless dots of light, streaming into Lu Xuan's mind, revealing a technique in his sea of consciousness.
"The Concealment Technique: practicing this can conceal one's aura and cultivation, boasting significant stealth capabilities."
Would you like more information on any specific term, technique, or detail in the text?
---------------