Lin Yangfang Market.
As dawn broke, the mist hadn't dispersed entirely, veiling the market in a gauzy white haze.
Enclosed by a gray stone wall, a small courtyard spanned roughly three yards long by two wide. Most of it was dark soil, with a narrow path of blue stone running through the center.
In that dark soil, low-grade spirit plants thrived, nurtured by the night's mist, their vibrant greenery stretching lazily under the fog's gentle touch.
With a creak, the door of a stone house at the end of the blue stone path swung open, and a teenager emerged.
Sixteen or seventeen, clad in gray, tall and handsome with bright, clear eyes—this was Lu Xuan, who had inexplicably awakened in this young body, leaving behind an ordinary life on Earth to become an insignificant spirit plant cultivator in the vast world of cultivation.
After navigating initial confusion and fear, Lu Xuan gradually adapted to his new identity.
Starting with nothing—no parents, no support—mediocre aptitude, at the second level of Qi cultivation, he leased a plot of spirit farmland in the market. He toiled to grow spirit grass and medicine, striving to survive in this cutthroat world of cultivation, fraught with danger.
The thin mist in the courtyard helped clear Lu Xuan's just-awakened mind as he inspected the spirit plants carefully.
There were about twenty or thirty plants, each with spaces between them, standing a foot tall, their slender leaves adorned with faint white fluorescence, like stars in the pale mist.
These were Firefly Grass, first-grade spirit plants, relatively easy to cultivate. When matured, they served as ingredients for several healing elixirs, widely used in the cultivation world.
Apart from the Firefly Grass, there were two trees in the yard, both Lunar Erosion Trees.
Under Lu Xuan's attentive care, the Lunar Erosion Trees, also first-grade spirit plants, flourished. They stood taller than his head, bearing dozens of silver-white fruits resembling crescent moons, gradually maturing into full moons.
Mature Lunar Erosion Fruits could be consumed to slightly boost the spiritual energy in lower-level cultivators or used in refining precious elixirs like the Elemental Nourishing Elixir.
Both plant species were thriving, yet a hint of worry crossed Lu Xuan's face.
He hurried to the west side of the courtyard, crouched, and carefully turned over a leaf of one Firefly Grass near the stone wall.
As expected, the back of the leaf bore faint black threads, almost imperceptible without Lu Xuan's keen observation.
"Compared to yesterday, there's notably more of these black lines."
Lu Xuan compared silently, gazing at the Firefly Grass invaded by these threads, sighing softly.
A couple of days ago, while tending to the plants, he noticed this particular Firefly Grass near the wall acting strangely. After an extensive search, he discovered these black threads on the underside of its leaves.
They seemed inseparable from the Firefly Grass, firmly intertwined, and their origin remained a mystery to Lu Xuan, a mere novice in the world of spirit plants, lacking knowledge about these black threads' nature.
Unable to find a specific remedy, he cautiously separated the threads from the leaf using his internal energy and concentration. Exhausted, he managed to clean them away but found more the next day, multiplying with each passing day.
"At this rate, in a day or two, this Firefly Grass will be entirely overrun by these black threads, possibly spreading to nearby ones."
Thinking this, Lu Xuan felt troubled, standing still in his tracks.
He considered uprooting this Firefly Grass to prevent contamination of the neighboring plants, but upon careful thought, he dismissed the idea. After all, the nature and effects of these black threads remained unclear. Removing one plant might not stop the rest from being affected.
"As things stand, I'll have to find an experienced, legitimate cultivator from the market to help solve this."
"All the spirit stones I've saved... I was planning to pay the rent for this farmland in two months."
Lu Xuan, a second-level Qi cultivator, couldn't wholly own a piece of farmland. This small plot in his courtyard was leased from a mid-level Qi cultivator in the market, demanding a substantial amount of spirit stones every month.
"For the foreseeable future, I'll have to tighten my belt."
He stood resolute, aware that when the plants matured, he could sell them to shops or fellow cultivators for spirit stones, beyond what he needed for rent and daily cultivation.
But seeking help from a seasoned cultivator would require a hefty investment.
Lu Xuan made up his mind, surveying his surroundings.
A black thorn hedge ran along the gray stone wall, providing some defense with its sharp spikes. However, its defensive capability was limited—it could deter gentlemen but not villains, let alone protect against mysterious creatures eyeing the plants.
"After resolving this, I'll need to save some spirit stones to set up a protection array. Relying solely on this straw puppet to guard the farmland is impractical."
He glanced at the straw puppet in the corner of the yard.
Standing three feet tall, leaning against the wall, made of unknown hay, it had a disproportionately large, deformed head with a gray hay lump on top.
Lu Xuan bought it second-hand from a stall in the market, claiming it originated from the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, known for basic functions and guarding lower-grade farmlands.
Supposedly, if it sensed a cultivator or beast entering the farmland, it would alert the owner. But whether it worked or not depended on both its condition and Lu Xuan's reclusive nature since his arrival here.
Lu Xuan scowled at the lumped puppet, his Qi surging, creating a subtle spirit rain that fell onto the Firefly Grass and Lunar Erosion Trees, enhancing their growth.
Every cultivator learned this essential technique, infusing subtle spiritual energy into mist to nurture the plants for healthy growth.
"Hmm? This Firefly Grass has entered its maturation phase."
After irrigating each plant, Lu Xuan noticed one Firefly Grass emitting intermittent flashes, seemingly ready to detach from its leaves.
Hurrying inside, he fetched a white jade box and carefully harvested the grass, placing it within. The jade box slowed the loss of spiritual power within the plant, preserving its medicinal properties.
"What's this?"
As Lu Xuan closed the box, about to leave, he noticed a fist-sized white orb remaining where the Firefly Grass had grown, radiating faintly with dispersed spiritual light.
Curiously, he reached out, lightly touching the orb.
In an instant, countless specks of light rushed into his palm, triggering a thought in his mind.
"Harvested one Firefly Grass, gained three months' worth of cultivation."
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