After Tian Xiaobao bought the qingpu grass seeds and left the Tian Clan’s Outer Ward Trading Association, he realized that dusk was approaching.
He became aware that it was getting late, and his initial desire to continue browsing dissipated, as it was somewhat unsafe in the Outer Ward.
Tian Xiaobao thought to himself, he would just wait until tomorrow to see if there were any other items he needed to purchase.
Thus, he turned and set off for home, walking briskly towards his small courtyard.
Upon entering the small courtyard, Tian Xiaobao suddenly felt as if something was missing from it.
He subconsciously looked around, his gaze like a searchlight, meticulously examining every corner.
From the stone table and chairs in the courtyard to the storage corner by the wall, his eyes swept over everything, not missing a single detail.
He had never paid much attention before, but with the System activated, he now clearly felt that the small courtyard seemed to lack some green plants.
Initially, it was because he was immersed in the grief of losing his parents, and later he was always busy with the Spirit Field affairs, never paying attention to the courtyard's layout, but now this sense of lacking was so strong.
After all, although his small courtyard was not large, there were still some idle Spirit Lands in the corners.
These Spirit Lands could have been used to plant various plants, making the courtyard more vibrant and his own life more enjoyable.
Instantly, a strong sense of regret welled up in Tian Xiaobao’s heart.
He couldn't help but blame himself; if he had been more diligent in the past, spending more time and effort in the small courtyard, perhaps the System would not have waited until he harvested Spirit Rice this year to be activated.
This year had been wasted in vain!
The more Tian Xiaobao thought about it, the more annoyed he became, pondering to himself.
If he had planted some ordinary fruits and vegetables in these Spirit Lands back then, he might have activated the System.
“No, I'll go to the trading market tomorrow to look for Spirit Plantings; I absolutely cannot waste these Spirit Lands any longer.”
Tian Xiaobao clenched his fists tightly, secretly making up his mind.
Cultivate through the night.
The next day, Tian Xiaobao woke up early; today he did not plan to go to the Outer Ward market, but instead headed directly to the Inner Ward market.
There was also a trading market in the Inner Ward, but all of them were set up within shops, and the quantity and quality of goods sold were slightly superior to the stalls in the Outer Ward, with naturally higher prices.
Of course, there were also instances of inferior goods being passed off as good, and even fakes, which required a discerning eye.
What Tian Xiaobao thought was, if this place was no different from the Outer Ward trading market, he would go to the Tian Clan Trading Association.
After all, since there was a Tian Clan Trading Association in the Outer Ward market, how could there not be one in the Inner Ward market?
Tian Xiaobao walked along, observing; the trading market had all sorts of shops, many of which specialized in or also sold Spirit Seeds and Spirit Medicines.
Before long, Tian Xiaobao arrived in front of a shop.
A middle-aged Cultivator at the mid-stage of Qi Condensation was tending to the Spirit Plant seedlings displayed inside the shop, and upon seeing Tian Xiaobao standing outside, he quickly got up to greet him.
“Fellow Daoist, please come in quickly, if there’s anything you need, I can introduce it to you.”
The Shopkeeper asked.
“Let me take a look first.”
Tian Xiaobao replied as he walked into the shop, his gaze sweeping across the entire shop as he moved.
Inside the shop, there were still many types of Spirit Seeds and Spirit Plant seedlings, all in various forms.
However, there were none of the qingpu grass seeds that Tian Xiaobao had bought yesterday.
Even so, it made Tian Xiaobao feel a little itchy with anticipation.
Although he didn't recognize most of the Spirit Seeds and Spirit Plant seedlings, it didn't stop him from being tempted.
Spirit Seeds are actually produced when Spirit Plants, after maturing, are allowed to continue growing, there is a certain possibility of them bearing Spirit Seeds, though this situation is rare.
Most other Spirit Seeds require various special methods to make mature Spirit Plants produce Spirit Seeds, and even some special types of Spirit Seeds are only mastered by large Sects.
Especially those rare and high-grade Spirit Seeds; their methods of producing Spirit Seeds are never leaked to the outside world.
Even Spirit Seeds produced by ordinary-grade Spirit Plants are not something ordinary Loose Cultivators can master; this shop either sources its goods from elsewhere or has a very significant background.
After looking at the Spirit Seeds and Spirit Plant seeds in the Spirit Plant shop, Tian Xiaobao spoke to the Shopkeeper.
“Do you have any Spirit Plants here that don't require much Spiritual Qi, have a relatively high survival rate, and ideally have a shorter growth period so I can see results sooner? Of course, if this Spirit Plant also sells relatively well, that would be even more perfect!”
Upon hearing Tian Xiaobao’s request, the Shopkeeper was silent for a moment, seemingly quickly searching his mind for Spirit Plants that met the criteria.
After a while, he spoke:
“Hmm... I do have two kinds of Spirit Plants here; see if they suit you.”
“One of them is a Low Grade Tier 1 iron wire lotus Spirit Seed. It has relatively low Spiritual Qi requirements; as long as you cast the Spirit Rain Technique once a day, it can grow naturally.
Of course, ample sunlight is also indispensable. This Spirit Plant grows relatively quickly; it only needs about six months to bloom year-round! And its flowers are very popular among Alchemists.”
The Shopkeeper paused, then continued his introduction:
“There’s also a Brute Force Tree seedling, but this Spirit Plant might be a bit more troublesome to Cultivate.
You need to regularly weed, thin, and prune it; besides watering and fertilizing, you basically have to do all the other tasks.
However, its growth cycle isn't long; it only takes one year to bloom and bear fruit, and it will bear fruit every month thereafter. But it's important to note that unless it can Breakthrough its grade, its lifespan is only two years.”
The higher the grade of a Spirit Plant, the more demanding its growth environment and conditions become.
It not only requires abundant Spiritual Qi but also special Spirit Soil and Spirit Springs, among various other complex conditions.
In comparison, the cultivation of these two Low Grade Tier 1 Spirit Plants is already considered relatively simple, and their growth cycles are also shorter.
After hearing these introductions, Tian Xiaobao developed a strong interest in both types of Spirit Plants.
However, when he thought of his five acres of Spirit Fields in Ding District, he had no choice but to give up on the Brute Force Tree.
After all, with his current capabilities, meticulously cultivating two different types of Spirit Plants in different locations would clearly be beyond his capacity.
After much deliberation, Tian Xiaobao finally focused on the iron wire lotus.
Because among the Spells he currently mastered, there was only the Spirit Rain Technique, and this Spell happened to align with the growth needs of the iron wire lotus.
Of course, it's also possible that the Shopkeeper knew that most Cultivators who come to buy Spirit Plants and Spirit Seeds would know the Spirit Rain Technique!
Furthermore, the iron wire lotus met Tian Xiaobao's expectations in all aspects.
“So, how many Spirit Stones does one iron wire lotus Spirit Seed cost?” Tian Xiaobao asked eagerly.
The middle-aged Cultivator smiled slightly and replied, “Two for one Spirit Stone.”
Tian Xiaobao thought for a moment, then said, “I want to buy ten iron wire lotus Spirit Seeds, which would cost five Spirit Stones in total. However, I only have four Spirit Stones here. Do you think you could let me take these Spirit Seeds?”
“Fellow Daoist, your bargaining is too ruthless!”
The stall owner said with a helpless expression,
“How about this: I’ll take a loss to gain a reputation. For four Spirit Stones and eighty shattered Spirit Stones, you can take these ten iron wire lotus Spirit Seeds.”
Tian Xiaobao was unmoved; he frowned and sighed, saying,
“Fellow Daoist, you know, I’m just a small Loose Cultivator; earning Spirit Stones isn’t easy!”
He then continued,
“I’m interested in this iron wire lotus because it truly suits my needs. However, even if I do buy it, I don’t know if I’ll be able to successfully Cultivate it!”
Tian Xiaobao continued to insist on his price, saying, “Four Spirit Stones and twenty shattered Spirit Stones, no more.”
The stall owner hesitated for a moment, then finally gritted his teeth and said,
“How about this: we both take a step back. I’ll sell them to you for four Spirit Stones and fifty shattered Spirit Stones.”
Tian Xiaobao thought about it and felt that this price was acceptable, so he nodded and said, “Deal!”
Hearing this, the middle-aged Cultivator shook his head helplessly and said with a wry smile, “Alright, since you’re so insistent, I can only agree.”
He carefully handed the ten iron wire lotus Spirit Seeds to Tian Xiaobao and instructed,
“You must plant these iron wire lotus Spirit Seeds as soon as possible; don’t delay too long, or it will affect the vitality of the seedlings. If the survival rate isn’t high then, don’t blame me!”
Tian Xiaobao quickly nodded, and with a pained expression, he took out four Spirit Stones and fifty shattered Spirit Stones from his storage bag, handed them to the stall owner, and completed the transaction.