Junior Brother Liu saw it was Chen Ye, and was taken aback for a moment before a smile tugged at his lips:
"Oh, isn’t this Chen... Senior? No, no... Master Chen? What, are you also trying your luck, aiming to be a Spirit Plant Steward?"
He deliberately emphasized the word "Senior" and laughed to himself.
Li Qiuyun frowned slightly, quite displeased with Junior Brother Liu’s behavior.
But she was also too lazy to defend Chen Ye.
If it were someone else, she would have scolded Junior Brother Liu a bit.
But if she spoke up for Chen Ye... it would only bring more ridicule from the sect later...
Chen Ye was having a hard time holding his temper.
This Junior Brother Liu, was he too full and idle? Picking on him just for fun, huh...
After all, the more beautiful the woman, the more trouble she attracts.
Chen Ye couldn’t be bothered with Junior Brother Liu,
and walked calmly to the disciples responsible for registration, his voice steady:
"I am Chen Ye, here to attend the Spirit Plant Master’s Steward assessment."
The disciple in charge of registration was the type who judged people based on their appearances. Seeing Chen Ye’s ordinary attire and cultivation level at only Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, he became somewhat indifferent, casually tossing out a jade plaque: "Fill in your name and background, and wait."
Chen Ye took the jade plaque, found a corner, and carefully filled it out.
After completing it, he closed his eyes and meditated.
During this time, Junior Brother Liu did not bother him.
He was just like a buzzing fly, incessantly hovering around Li Qiuyun.
But he would occasionally point at Chen Ye, seemingly using him as a topic to amuse Li Qiuyun.
By the afternoon, in the center of the square, an elder with white hair and beard, clad in a Gebu Taoist Robe, appeared slowly on a high platform.
This person, his aura restrained, yet his eyes sharp and bright, was none other than Tian Nong, the Spirit Plant Master of the Lingyin Sect, responsible for this assessment.
Next to him stood three stewards, one of whom was Zhou Mingyuan.
Tian Nong’s gaze swept over the packed Loose Cultivators below and he said loudly:
"Fellow Daoists, today’s assessment is divided into two rounds. The first round is identifying Spirit Plants and diagnosing ailments. The second round requires hands-on treatment of ailing plants. Only those who pass can join our Lingyin Sect as stewards and enjoy the sect’s offerings! During this process, outstanding performances will be credited accordingly..."
As soon as his words fell,
many Outer Disciples carried dozens of pots of various Spirit Plants to the front of the stage.
Some of these Spirit Plants were vibrant and lively, while others were wilting and dispirited, clearly meant for the assessment.
The first round seemed simple on the surface but was actually challenging.
Among the myriad plants, some bore similar appearances yet distinctly different medicinal properties; any slight carelessness could lead to confusion.
Chen Ye glanced over and felt secretly relieved.
Although he hadn’t encountered many of these Spirit Plants,
the proficiency panel, when upgrading skills, naturally endowed him with ample Spirit Plant experience, so he didn’t need direct exposure.
The first round of assessments began quickly.
Loose Cultivators stepped forward one by one to identify Spirit Plants and diagnose ailments.
Chen Ye was in the middle of the line, and when it was his turn, three Spirit Plants were placed before him.
One had yellowed leaves, seemingly lacking water;
another had rotten roots, exuding a faint odor;
the last had tiny white insect eggs scattered across its leaves.
These were common ailments in Spirit Plants, potentially troublesome for ordinary Loose Cultivators, but for Chen Ye, who had achieved Perfection in the Three Spirit Plant Skills, they were nothing more than minor challenges.
He approached with ease, observed briefly, and clearly articulated the species, ailments, and the corresponding treatment methods of the three Spirit Plants, concise and methodical.
Tian Nong listened, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes, and he nodded slightly.
He whispered a few words to the steward beside him, then began recording Chen Ye’s score.
Junior Brother Liu watched carefully from the side, and seeing Chen Ye respond fluently, he sneered inwardly:
"These are just basic entry-level skills; what’s there to be so proud of?"
When the first round ended, nearly half of the Loose Cultivators were eliminated for making too many mistakes in identification, leaving disheartened.
It wasn’t that the assessment was particularly difficult, but many of these Loose Cultivators were just trying their luck.
Chen Ye naturally passed smoothly.
Zhou Mingyuan also gave Chen Ye a couple more glances, nodded slightly, smiling without speaking as he recorded an "A" grade.
"Hmm? Old Zhou, why did you give such a high score?"
Another Fat Steward couldn’t help but feel curious.
Tian Nong didn’t detail the significance of the scoring, but these stewards knew it well.
A high score implied a high starting point.
As stewards of the Lingyin Sect, some would be seasoned farmers in the Spirit Field growing rice, while others would oversee the sect’s market enterprises.
And this score influenced the responsibilities assigned to new stewards by the Lingyin Sect.
Therefore, generally speaking.
The stewards conducting assessments are extremely cautious when giving scores.
Zhou Mingyuan said softly, "Of course, it was because his experience with Spirit Plants is profound, hence the score given."
The Fat Steward furrowed his brow, doubting Zhou Mingyuan’s words, muttering to himself:
This Chen Ye, could he have connections within the sect...?
Wait a minute!
The Fat Steward suddenly saw Junior Brother Liu pointing at Chen Ye, his body trembling.
This Chen Ye, could it be that Chen Ye?
It’s said that the little Demoness of the Bai Family once intended to match Chen Ye in marriage...
Originally, he was unaware of this matter,
but the disciple surnamed Liu kept loudly talking about it in the Internal Affairs Hall every day, making it hard not to know!
"Troubled now; it’s better to provoke King Yama than the demoness..."
The Fat Steward’s spine shivered as he quickly picked up the pen to jot it down.
The second round of assessment involved a hands-on demonstration.
Tian Nong personally selected a dozen or so Spirit Plants with varying ailments, though with potential for recovery, and distributed them to the Loose Cultivators who passed the first round.
Noticing the situation, Junior Brother Liu secretly signaled to the disciple responsible for distributing Spirit Plants.
With so many people present, no one really paid attention to Junior Brother Liu’s gesture.
The disciple understood, placing a pot of Fire Cloud Grass, whose leaves were almost entirely wilted except for a faint trace of vitality, in front of Chen Ye.
"This Fire Cloud Grass belongs to the Fire Element Spirit Plant, known for its resilience. But this plant here has been away from the Land of Fire Marsh for too long without proper care, resulting in severe Spiritual Qi loss and an almost total loss of vitality. Ordinary methods are now ineffective." Junior Brother Liu thought to himself, "I really want to see how this old geezer handles it!"
"Wait a moment!"
Zhou Mingyuan, who had been quietly observing Chen Ye, spotted this Fire Cloud Grass,
and suddenly stood up, speaking in a deep voice,
"Steward Tian, this is unprecedented; the Fire Cloud Grass was an assessment plant in previous years, but this year, a cold disaster unexpectedly struck, significantly affecting the Fire Cloud Grass. How can it be used for assessment?"
The Fat Steward shook his head: "Steward Zhou’s words are true; I hope Steward Tian considers carefully!"
Tian Nong looked back at the two stewards with doubt, only to see their faces were honest, revealing no signs of deceit.
He pondered to himself:
How strange, typically these two stewards wouldn’t speak up for Loose Cultivators?
Even if it were truly unfair, it wouldn’t concern them...
Tian Nong asked Chen Ye sternly, "Friend, what do you think? If we switch midway, regardless of how other stewards score, in my judgment, the score will inevitably drop by a level! Since I selected Fire Cloud Grass, naturally I have ways to manage it!"
Chen Ye gazed at the pot of Fire Cloud Grass, on the verge of death, his brow slightly raised.
He instantly saw through the intricacies involved, yet this level of diseased plant was no concern to him.
"No need to switch!"
Chen Ye, unhurried, used the Cloud Rain Technique to conjure a cluster of Spirit Rain imbued with abundant vitality, gently nourishing the cracked roots and stems of the Fire Cloud Grass.
"Intrinsic vitality, endlessly flowing!"
Tian Nong stood up swiftly, staring intently at the cluster of Spirit Rain, his face changed drastically.
If Chen Ye had used the Ganlu Nourishing Technique, he would not have been shocked.
But this person had clearly used the Cloud Rain Technique!
Even Zhou Mingyuan, although partially expected, found it hard to conceal the shock on his face.
Chen Ye appeared indifferent as he fully deployed the Fostering Technique, with pure Wood Element Spiritual Power continuously injected into the Fire Cloud Grass.
Under the skeptical gazes of the crowd, the pot of Fire Cloud Grass, once akin to dry wood, began to exhibit glimmers of green at a visible pace!
The edges of the withered leaves gradually revealed a faint flame-red halo, and its weak vitality started to circulate again!
"This... how is this possible?!" Junior Brother Liu was dumbfounded, almost unable to believe his eyes.
Beside him, Li Qiuyun, usually stern-faced, couldn’t help but show surprise.
On the high platform, Tian Nong’s eyes brightened significantly, staring closely at Chen Ye’s actions and the Fire Cloud Grass rapidly regaining vitality!
As a Second Tier Spirit Plant Master, he naturally recognized the exquisite nature of Chen Ye’s Spirit Plant Technique.
This person... certainly isn’t an ordinary Medicinal Farmer!
Half a two-hour later, Chen Ye finished his work and stood poised.
The Fire Cloud Grass now stood upright, its leaves vibrant with fire-red color, brimming with vitality, drastically different from its formerly dying condition!
The other contestants had already ceased their attempts, their faces grim.
Despite their strenuous efforts, they only managed preliminary treatment of the Spirit Plants, yet lacked Spiritual Qi.
Compared to Chen Ye’s vigorous, spiritually radiant Fire Cloud Grass, the difference was like night and day.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Tian Nong exclaimed three times, clapped his hands, and laughed heartily, his demeanor invigorated,
"Friend, your Spirit Plant Technique is truly extraordinary, I admire it! You’ve passed this Spirit Plant Master assessment! Let’s hear the evaluations from the other stewards!"