After inspecting Li Xuan's flower seedlings, the group of flower servants practically lost their minds with excitement. It was as if someone had injected them with pure adrenaline—they were desperate to trade with him.
Watching their enthusiastic reactions, Li Xuan gave a satisfied nod. If today's trade went smoothly, his standing in the Flower Sea would skyrocket. This wasn't just a good deal—it was an opportunity to rise through the ranks.
As the crowd of flower servants grew increasingly restless, Li Xuan pointed at one of them and called out.
"You. How many seeds do you have? Want to trade for seedlings, or leave them with me to cultivate?" he asked with a casual wave.
"Brother Xuan! I've got twenty seeds—I'll trade for eighteen seedlings!" the man answered without hesitation and tossed a small pouch of seeds at Li Xuan's feet.
"Go ahead and pick what you like. But fair warning—these seedlings are high-grade and a pain to grow. Know your limits. And once you step out of this yard, there's no after-sales service," Li Xuan replied breezily.
"Don't worry, Brother Xuan. Even if the seedlings drop dead the moment I get home, I won't blame you," the man said, crouched on the ground inspecting the seedlings with laser focus, not even bothering to look up.
Li Xuan just shook his head and didn't argue further. After all, kind words can't save someone determined to run face-first into a wall.
He knew how fussy his seedlings were. Half-hearted effort wouldn't keep them alive for a day.
"Anyone else want me to help grow your seedlings?" Li Xuan raised his voice, lifting a hand to get everyone's attention. "I can take your seeds, log your names, and you can come pick up your seedlings in seven days. Or you can wait your turn to pick from what's left after this guy's done."
There were fewer than a hundred seedlings potted and ready for trade—clearly not enough for this many people. Most of them would have to rely on Li Xuan's help to cultivate theirs.
Some of them hesitated, but after a moment of reflection, they agreed. They had just witnessed Li Xuan's extraordinary skill firsthand. Besides, they all knew he'd recently scored a treasure trove of high-quality seeds from the canteen a few days ago. That kind of material meant even more temperamental plants.
In the end, they decided to trust him with their precious seeds.
Li Xuan dragged over a stool, picked up a wooden board, and began recording names while carefully counting each seed one by one. He didn't rush—taking his time to make sure everything was correct.
By midday, Li Xuan had finished logging every flower servant's name and their seed counts. He flexed his sore hands with a groan—just writing all that down had drained more energy than transplanting a hundred seedlings.
"You're welcome to take a look around my yard. If you spot a seedling you think you can handle, go ahead and take it—but register it with me first," Li Xuan said, setting the now-filled board back into the corner and gesturing toward the remaining seedlings.
"Thanks, Brother Xuan!" the flower slaves chorused gratefully, bowing before streaming into the courtyard like kids at a candy shop.
Li Xuan didn't rush them. He simply stood back, arms crossed, letting them choose.
The truly valuable seedlings—like the Voidgrass and Breadgrass—he'd already stashed safely inside his thatched hut. The rest? They could take whatever they wanted. He didn't mind.
Before long, some of the servants had made their choices and came forward with flowerpots in hand, registering the seedlings before heading back to their own yards.
An hour later, the last pot was taken, and the final flower servant departed. Li Xuan sighed in relief and practically collapsed onto the ground.
Dealing with that mob was more exhausting than a full-on battle.
Looking around at the chaos in his courtyard, Li Xuan's head started to ache. Just then, a noise came from outside the yard.
With lightning speed, he jumped to his feet in a perfect kip-up, snatching a dagger into his hand by instinct.
Knock knock knock.
Hearing the knock, Li Xuan relaxed. Whoever it was, they were polite enough to use the door—it probably wasn't someone coming to rob or stab him.
"Brother Xuan, it's me—just came to see how you're doing," came a familiar voice from outside.
"Brother Bai Wen? Come in, quick!" Li Xuan opened the door and welcomed him in.
The moment Bai Wen stepped into the courtyard, he froze.
"Uh… Brother Xuan, what happened in here? Did a hurricane pass through?"
"Just sold off a bunch of seedlings, that's all," Li Xuan replied casually. "Don't worry, I didn't touch yours. They're still here. Just give me a minute to transplant them into pots, and you can take them back with you."
He gestured toward the germination trays where Bai Wen's seedlings were quietly thriving.
A strange expression flickered across Bai Wen's face—half shame, half guilt.
He had come here suspecting that Li Xuan had dipped into his stash to fulfill other orders. But now, hearing that nothing had been touched, he felt like a complete jerk.
"Brother Xuan… let me help clean up the courtyard a bit," Bai Wen offered after a pause. He didn't say what he'd really been thinking—just rolled up his sleeves to help.
"Sure thing," Li Xuan smiled. "I'll transplant the seedlings, and you can help with the cleanup."
With that, he dragged out a pile of flowerpots and got to work transferring the delicate sprouts into their new homes.
Bai Wen gave him a sheepish look, then got busy picking up debris and straightening the mess.
The two of them worked until late afternoon before finally finishing up their respective tasks.
"Brother Bai Wen, take these pots with you. There's over thirty, so you'll probably need to make a few trips," Li Xuan said, grinning.
"No problem at all! I should be thanking you, Brother Xuan!" Bai Wen replied enthusiastically, bowing deeply before lifting a few flowerpots and heading out.
Li Xuan rolled his shoulders and stretched his sore joints. Watching Bai Wen's departing figure, he chuckled softly.
He wasn't blind. His soul was that of a full-grown adult. He'd long since noticed Bai Wen's doubts. He just didn't feel like calling him out.
Looking at the now-clean courtyard, Li Xuan nodded in satisfaction. He glanced up at the sky—the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. He was far too tired to do any more planting today.
Back inside his thatched hut, Li Xuan poured all the seeds he had collected onto his bed.
After this round of trades, his personal collection had exploded to over 1,200 different seed types.
Of course, a lot of them were duplicates. He kept two of each variety stored safely in his Hollow Pearl for long-term preservation.
The rest—820 unique species of strange and exotic flora—would be used for cultivation, further trades, and gifting.
By the light of the moon, Li Xuan carefully sorted through the seeds, organizing them into three distinct piles based on quality.
600 ordinary seeds
150 rare seeds
62 exceptional seeds
And then, his eyes twinkled. Among them were eight seeds from legendary-tier spiritual plants—the kind that could spark wars or save lives.
Li Xuan separated out those with special medicinal properties and stored them safely in the Void Pearl.
The rest would be used for cultivation starting tomorrow. That should be more than enough to meet any future requests from the flower servants.
He hadn't expected to get his hands on so many legendary seeds so quickly. And to top it off—there was even a seed from an Divine-grade spirit plant.