Chapter 709: Spirit Plants of the Medicinal Garden

Upon hearing Fang Qingyuan’s words, Huang Jing had many questions, but he understood he was in no position to ask. Thus, he immediately stated his one request:

“I am currently alone and have no other ties, but my family, far away in the Spirit Wood Alliance, has recently encountered some trouble. If Elder Fang could look after them, I would serve you until death.”

Fang Qingyuan smiled.

“That’s a small matter. It’s only right for a son to be dutiful. The Huang Family of the Spirit Wood Alliance, yes? Very well. Now, follow me.”

Fang Qingyuan rose from the main seat and descended. What surprised Huang Jing was that Fang Qingyuan, clad in wide robes with flowing sleeves, wore no shoes. He was walking barefoot across the cyan jade slabs of the hall.

Noticing Huang Jing’s gaze, Fang Qingyuan gave a serene smile.

“I’ve been feeling feverish lately. It’s cooler without shoes.”

Huang Jing had no time to ponder why a Golden Core Cultivator would be concerned with cooling down. He was led by Fang Qingyuan to the rear, into a passage that spiraled straight down.

After the two had left, faint black footprints appeared on the cyan jade slabs where Fang Qingyuan had just stepped, radiating an intense, dry heat.

Deep within the mountain, at the source of the Spirit Vein, Fang Qingyuan led Huang Jing to a Void Transmission Array.

“This medicinal garden is not on Qingyuan Mountain. You need to use a Teleportation Array to reach it. You can consider it one of the sect’s Secret Realms. This information must be kept strictly confidential; not a single detail can be revealed to outsiders.”

Huang Jing nodded again and again. Seeing the grand array before him, he knew he could never go back to the way things were.

“For these ten years, I’ll grant you a stipend based on the standard of a third-rank True Disciple. Also, if you need anything on a daily basis, you only have to ask. There’s someone from our Qingyuan Sect inside; just tell her what you need. Now, go on in.”

Looking at the enormous, magnificent Teleportation Array, and then at Elder Fang at his side—dressed in robes whiter than snow, with wide sleeves, loose hair, and bare feet—Huang Jing found it impossible to utter a single word of refusal. He closed his eyes and stepped into the Teleportation Array.

A moment later, after a dizzying spell, Huang Jing opened his eyes again and was stunned by the scene before him.

Spirit Fields stretching over thousands of acres lay before him, with different colonies of Spirit Plants distributed according to their elemental environments. Within this vast land realm, aside from the basic Spirit Fields, there were also surprisingly complex terrains such as volcanic lava, a ten-thousand-year-old frozen pool, and strata of Thick Earth.

‘Is that Li Huo Red Ginseng? The rare ginseng that can only grow near scorching hot volcanic magma? A Tier Two High Grade plant, tempered by intense heat and flames until its rhizome turns fiery red. It contains a dense concentration of Fire Spiritual Power. When consumed by a Cultivator, it helps them break through bottlenecks, and it’s especially beneficial for those who practice fire-attribute Cultivation Techniques. At the same time, it can effectively improve one’s physique and resistance to Fire Attribute Technique attacks. There’s nearly half a lava pool’s worth here?’

‘And the Thousand-Layered Jade Bamboo! It has a hundred-year growth cycle, growing one new section every ten years. Once it reaches a hundred sections, the stalk becomes as translucent and tough as jade. Each section stores abundant Life Power and dual-attribute earth and wood Spiritual Power. Grinding the sections into a powder to make a potion can strengthen a Cultivator’s body and increase their cultivation speed. But… why do these look like they were just transplanted here?’

‘Tier Three Middle Grade Yin Yang Twin Fruit, Tier Three Low Grade Cyan Nether Iron Skin Dendrobium—a sacred medicine for Body Refining! And there’s even a Drunken Dream Orchid! For a Spiritual Medicine that can enhance one’s Divine Sense… if those Array Masters were to see this, they’d go crazy with joy.’

Like a kid in a candy store, Huang Jing was instantly captivated by the Spirit Plants growing in the medicinal garden. He forgot all about checking his living quarters and instead began excitedly surveying the plants before him.

After a short while, once Huang Jing had calmed down a bit, a gentle female voice sounded in his ear:

“Huang Jing, I am Fang Ruoxi, and I will be your supervisor for the next ten years. If you need anything in the future, just come to me.”

“Fang Ruoxi?”

Hearing the youthful voice of the Female Cultivator, Huang Jing immediately formed a mental image of her. ‘She must be a Cultivator secretly groomed by Elder Fang. Since her surname is Fang, that’s enough to prove the close relationship between them.’

‘And with such a gentle voice, this young girl must be exceptionally cute. She probably has big eyes.’

The large array covered the medicinal garden like a giant bowl. Outside, the Bee Queen, Fang Ruoxi, watched Huang Jing’s every move with her huge compound eyes. This array had been modified, allowing one to observe the inside from the outside. Looking out from within, however, one would only see one of two views: a blue sky with white clouds, or a sky dotted with brilliant stars.

“Miss Fang, I thank you. If it’s alright, could I start working now? You see, the root hairs on those Li Huo Red Ginseng are already starting to wither…”

“‘Miss?’ Hehe, of course you can. Please, feel free.”

Inside the array, Huang Jing didn’t know why Fang Ruoxi was laughing, but seeing that she had agreed, he took two steps forward, squatted down beside the Li Huo Red Ginseng, and began to carefully tend to their roots.