Cultivating Immortality Starts with Planting Techniques

"Senior Brother Gu, look at Junior Brother Li's spiritual field the growth is truly impressive... It's only been a few days, but these spirit rice plants already seem to have passed the initial stage of absorbing nutrients and are beginning to grow upward!" 

On the hillside, Yao Shaohui exclaimed in amazement to Gu Daojin. 

They had arrived early at the Elder's residence, not in any rush to begin their work. 

From their vantage point above, they could observe the condition of the various spirit fields. 

And among them, the one tended by Li Ye was undeniably the best. Theirs came second, while Xiong Yinxiu's field was the worst. 

Such superior growth could only be achieved if every aspect of the planting process was handled perfectly from the very beginning. That would allow the plants to awaken their vitality early and begin absorbing nutrients, triggering faster and healthier growth. 

A good start leads to lasting success even more so in the cultivation of spiritual plants. 

To Yao Shaohui, Li Ye's skill was already just half a step away from that of a true second-rank Spiritual Planter. 

"Indeed," Gu Daojin nodded in agreement. 

He then turned to glance at the second-rank spiritual field enclosed by an array. Inside, the Sunfire Flower seedlings were already unfurling with vibrant life, their growth better than the others. 

"Not just the blood spirit rice even those Sunfire Flowers that he helped the Elder plant are thriving with far more vitality than the rest." 

"But we're not doing bad ourselves!" 

The two exchanged a glance and chuckled. 

"At least compared to a certain shrew her supposedly 'prized skills' didn't help her grow better Sunfire Flowers than ours!" 

After observing Li Ye's methods that day, and later receiving his direct guidance, the two of them had applied the techniques alongside their already respectable skills. Naturally, they could tend the Sunfire Flowers with great care. 

As a result, Xiong Yinxiu's previous advantage disappeared completely. 

Now, all she could do was work harder and hope for better luck. 

Standing beside her plot, Xiong Yinxiu stared coldly at Yao and Gu, listening to their boasts with disdain. She sneered: 

"Enjoy your gloating while it lasts. If Li Ye never shows up again in the coming days, what will you two even have to compete with me?" 

But 

"Impossible?!" 

Before she could finish, her face froze in shock as though she'd just witnessed something unimaginable. 

"Good morning, Junior Brother Li!" 

"Good morning, Senior Brothers." 

Li Ye strolled down the hill, his voice calm and friendly as he greeted them. 

There was no trace of injury on him. He looked perfectly fine, even smiling. 

"No… That's impossible… With his level of cultivation, how could he have survived Old Zhao?" 

Xiong Yinxiu murmured in disbelief, still unable to accept what she was seeing. 

But regardless of whether she believed it or not, Li Ye was here safe and sound standing right in front of her. 

This could only mean… that Old Zhao was already… 

No! With Old Zhao's strength, even if he couldn't win, he should've at least been able to escape! 

The thoughts swirled one by one in her mind, but her gaze toward Li Ye only grew darker and more hateful. 

As if sensing her stare, Li Ye turned and smiled faintly at her. 

At that very moment, something like a small squirming bug was casually tossed onto the path ahead of him… 

Squish! 

As though stung by that gaze and smile, Xiong Yinxiu quickly looked away only to spot the bug on the ground. 

And the moment she saw it crushed underfoot, she suddenly turned away, clutching her chest in visible pain. Her face twisted with agony. 

She took deep, trembling breaths. 

Moments later, her expression returned to calm, as if nothing had happened at all. 

She turned and silently went back to tending her field. 

"What a pity…" 

Watching her actions, Li Ye gently shook his head. 

From her reaction, he was now certain the masked man who had ambushed him had been sent by her. 

But the best outcome would have been if she had lost her mind on the spot and attacked him in a rage. 

In that case, he could have responded in self-defense and killed her on the spot without violating sect rules. 

However, from the looks of it, no matter what kind of relationship she had with the masked man, it wasn't deep enough for her to risk everything. 

Still, judging by Xiong Yinxiu's usual personality and her mounting hatred, she definitely wouldn't be able to suppress herself for long. 

All he had to do was be prepared and once she made her move, he could strike her down with full justification! 

... 

After a Day's Work 

As usual, Li Ye left early. 

Yao Shaohui and Gu Daojin remained behind, chatting idly while tending to any parts of the spirit fields they might've missed. 

Xiong Yinxiu walked out of her plot and, just like every day, headed toward the central stone steps. 

As she neared the spirit field managed by Li Ye 

Silently, without a sound. 

Thin worm-like creatures, resembling earthworms but slender as threads and lined with tiny suction cups, slithered out from the cuffs of her pants. 

The moment they touched the soil, their color shifted to match the earth, making them nearly invisible as they burrowed underground. 

They converged and wriggled rapidly beneath the surface, heading straight for Li Ye's field. 

"With these little darlings lurking in your field, sucking away the life force your rice seedlings accumulate, in less than three days the vitality of your entire crop will plummet..." 

"By then, if you try to cover it up with desperate measures, forcibly boosting the growth to salvage the crop, the damage you cause will infuriate the elder. He'll have you expelled from the sect on the spot!" 

"And while you're busy working, these little darlings have already snuck into your body without your notice. They're feeding on your blood and essence, multiplying and growing..." 

"I'll wait until you're drained, hopeless, and falling apart and then I'll take your worthless life, to avenge Old Zhao!" 

Though Xiong Yinxiu's face remained calm, her heart surged with malice, her thoughts seething with venomous intent. 

This wasn't just revenge it was also a way to eliminate a rival. 

With Li Ye gone, Yao and Gu wouldn't be any match for her. 

The right to tend these spirit fields would be hers alone! 

That had been her original reason for having the large man attack Li Ye. But after today, that reason had become secondary. 

As she climbed closer to the mountaintop and saw the vibrant Sunfire Flowers blooming in the second-tier field, her eyes flickered again. 

These blood-sucking worms thrived on blood and essence but could dissolve into blood water at her command, seeping into the earth. 

They left no trace behind. 

Even if someone investigated, nothing would lead back to her. 

"If even the Sunfire Flowers get damaged thanks to Li Ye's so-called 'methods,' and deceive the elder into letting him ruin the field then the elder's wrath might go far beyond just revoking his qualifications... It could be utterly unbearable." 

Constantly suppressed by Li Ye and with even her own bonded husband dead by his hand Xiong Yinxiu's mind had begun to unravel completely. 

With that thought, her gaze hardened. She directed some of the worms burrowing underground to shift course toward the second-tier field. 

"How dare you, wench!" 

An enraged shout cracked through the air as Elder Ji suddenly appeared from the rear mountain, unleashing a palm strike from afar. 

With a single sweep of his energy, Xiong Yinxiu coughed up blood, her body flung like a ragdoll across the field. 

In the next instant, the formation covering the mountain activated. 

Light burst forth from each spirit field, sweeping across the soil. Every last worm was annihilated in seconds. 

The commotion was massive. Yao Shaohui and Gu Daojin, still in their fields, could only gape in stunned confusion. 

Li Ye stepped out slowly from the main hall, following Elder Ji. His expression was cold as he watched everything unfold. 

"How… How did you know I had such a method?! There was no record of it in the copies Old Zhao had!" 

Xiong Yinxiu coughed up more blood. Ignoring Elder Ji, she stared at Li Ye with shock and unwillingness. 

"I had no idea what methods you had…" 

Li Ye replied flatly. 

"I simply reported everything to Elder Ji, without holding anything back. If you hadn't made a move today, there'd be nothing I could do to you." 

"You…" 

Xiong Yinxiu's eyes widened in horror. 

So she had walked right into the trap herself? 

Her body could no longer hold on. The injuries erupted from within, and with a final mouthful of blood, she collapsed and died on the spot. 

With a casual flick, Elder Ji summoned the storage pouch at her waist. 

"Though your motive was self-preservation, your timely report helped safeguard the spirit fields. Consider this your reward take it." 

Seeing Li Ye accept it, Elder Ji gave Xiong Yinxiu's corpse a cold glance and snorted. 

"To dare collude with outsiders to murder a fellow sect disciple and even attempt to sabotage my spiritual herbs for personal gain…" 

"A vile woman like you deserves to die a thousand deaths!" 

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