A moment later, Chen Jinshu stopped by the Green Pine Herb Garden. Upon seeing the garden steward, she greeted him warmly.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Steward!"
"Heading to transplant the green pine? The timing's about right. If you wait another two months, the spirit roots will be much harder to recover."
"Many thanks, Senior Brother Steward!"
"Go on then, busy yourself."
Chen Jinshu wasn't about to announce to everyone that she had managed to rent three mu of spiritual farmland. In time, this senior brother would understand on his own.
Once she entered the herb garden, she activated her token, and was soon guided to the three mu of farmland located in the northwest section. It was fairly close to the green pine grove—not bad. She wondered what had prompted the previous owner to give it up.
There were only a few passing senior brothers and sisters nearby, but no one in her particular area.
It made sense—most disciples didn't come to the herb garden at this time (around shenhour). The best times to water spiritual fields were usually around chenhour (morning) or just before youhour (late afternoon).
Only if a spiritual herb was about to mature would someone come around midday to monitor the surroundings carefully. She activated the formation with her token, and a soft green light spread over the three mu of spiritual fields. The soil had just been turned, suggesting it had been harvested less than three days ago.
There were even a few scattered leaves left in the fields.
"Senior Brother Qian moves fast. It hasn't been long since the last harvest, and he already got this sorted."
"Or perhaps he struck a deal with someone to take over the field."
She leaned toward the second explanation in her heart.
"Well, doesn't matter. The field is mine now, however it came to be. That's not changing."
Next, she began examining the soil conditions. The spiritual fields here in the Green Pine Herb Garden had a slightly yellow hue and felt somewhat sandy to the touch.
"It's already been fertilized with spirit fertilizer once. No wonder the spiritual energy is so rich."
"But I'll need to wait a few more days before planting."
She casually pulled out her water container and began irrigating the fields.
...
Two months passed in a flash. Chen Jinshu, who had been tending her fields in the Frost Pool Herb Garden, was once again summoned for Gu Zhēnrén lecture.
After finishing her work, she wasted no time and rushed toward the Medicine King Hall at the mountaintop. By the time she arrived, many disciples were already seated, sitting upright and quietly waiting for Gu Zhēnrén to begin the assessment.
Chen Jinshu found an empty spot and sat down, her mind speculating on the content of today's lecture.
It was likely to be the last one.
Moments later, Gu Zhēnrén swept his gaze over the disciples before signaling for the hall doors to be closed.
"Everyone's here today, and no one's late. A good improvement," he said with a faint smile. No one knew what good news he might've heard, but his mood seemed unusually light.
This left the disciples a little puzzled, even as some felt a vague sense of unease. Chen Jinshu guessed it might be related to the upcoming alchemy competition.
In her research, she'd learned that Gu Zhēnrén served as a judge each year—evaluating the participants on their ability to identify, process, and handle spiritual herbs. While the final results were based on the quality and grade of the pills, the process—including herb recognition, preparation, cauldron handling, and refining technique—was also assessed.
This allowed judges to determine a winner when the final products were too similar.
"This will be the last lecture. The rest of the knowledge on spiritual plants will be up to you to explore."
"Let's follow tradition and begin with the assessment."
Gu Zhēnrén stood up and began inspecting the transplanted spiritual plants brought in by the disciples. There was a range of specimens, some tall, some short, some well-developed, others not so much.
Chen Jinshu's fifty-year green pine was undoubtedly the tallest, standing at one zhang (about 3.3 meters). But compared to the towering hall, it still looked like a mere stick.
After two months of care, the tree's damaged roots had fully recovered, and its branches were now noticeably more lush than when she first got it. The size hadn't changed much, but she was confident in passing the assessment.
Gu Zhēnrén expression stayed mostly neutral, except for when he reached a certain disciple who had previously boasted about advancing to the late stage and becoming Gu Zhēnrén apprentice. To this person, he gave a rare smile and an "Excellent" evaluation.
He also glanced toward the green pine near Chen Jinshu's position but didn't show any clear reaction. Still, she had a good sense of what that meant.
She was likely to receive a mid-to-high rating. There was already a standout before her, after all.
Soon, Gu Zhēnrén reached her station.
"A fifty-year green pine with a well-developed root system. Removing part of it for transplantation inevitably causes damage, which requires careful nurturing afterward."
"Your process was solid. The damaged spiritual roots have been healed. You even helped the tree grow a little stronger. Well done. Grade: Upper Mid."
"Thank you for your guidance, Zhēnrén," Chen Jinshu bowed slightly in thanks.
Although "Upper Mid" sounded nice (甲中), it essentially meant she was above average—no longer truly "Excellent."
Gu Zhēnrén moved on to the next person without pause. After completing his inspections, he returned to his meditation mat at the front.
Though Gu Zhēnrén could have swept through the fields with divine sense to get a general idea of everyone's progress, Chen Jinshu had read that he had a reputation for being a strict but respectful elder. It was said that no matter how many assessments there were, he always personally reviewed each student's work.
"Alright. Overall, the transplantations were good, though there's still plenty of room for improvement. I've pointed out the main areas to each of you."
"Now let's talk about spiritual plant cultivation—specifically, how to push a plant beyond its current grade."
This lecture was particularly interesting: it explained how first-tier spiritual plants could evolve into second-tier ones, and how second-tier could advance to third-tier. The difference in medicinal efficacy between each tier was significant.
After about three hours, Gu Zhēnrén finally concluded his long-winded but rich lecture.
Chen Jinshu's notebook had grown another inch thick.
"A fruitful session," she murmured.
In addition to advancing grade transformation techniques, Gu Zhēnrén had also shared several real-life examples of property rejection and synergy among different spiritual plants. It had been an eye-opener for her.
"You've probably all heard by now about the upcoming blind box alchemy competition to be held at Medicine King Peak. It's scheduled for one month from now. I expect each of you to participate. Even if you don't place in the top twenty, there's still a consolation prize."
"Anyone interested can register with me now."
This announcement immediately stirred the disciples into excitement. Many had expectant looks on their faces. Chen Jinshu also turned her attention toward him.
"May I ask, Zhēnrén—are there any restrictions on the competition?"
"So long as you don't cheat or interfere with others, there are no major restrictions."
Disciples began asking questions about the competition, and Gu Zhēnrén patiently answered each one. Before they left, he asked everyone to line up and register. His two disciples were tasked with recording the names.
Naturally, Chen Jinshu had no intention of missing out. Under Gu Zhēnrén pleased gaze, she wrote down her name as well.
"Didn't expect the competition to come so soon. I'll need to focus solely on alchemy this month."