Volcanic Fertilizer

"Huh?" Bibi Dong's expression faltered.

Did she just mishear that?

Five thousand Jin per Mu?

What kind of crop is this?

The primary crop on Douluo Continent is wheat, and with sufficient irrigation, a yield of four hundred Jin per Mu would already be considered a bumper harvest.

Yet potatoes could yield five thousand Jin per Mu? Doesn't that mean that from now on, there would be no more famine on Douluo Continent?

It's important to note that on Douluo Continent, tens of thousands of people die of hunger every year due to droughts or floods.

Agricultural disasters are a problem that both the two great empires and the Spirit Hall have to face annually.

But what was Chen Jian saying?

Potatoes yielding five thousand Jin per Mu!

Planting one Mu of potatoes would be equivalent to the yield of twelve Mu of good farmland!

Bibi Dong felt momentarily breathless; that figure was simply terrifying.

Compared to Bibi Dong's internal shock, Hu Liena's reaction was more direct. She pursed her lips and said, "Old Chen, are you and my teacher trying to deceive me? Although I've never worked the fields, I know that fields yielding five hundred Jin per Mu are already scarce across the entire continent. If you had said one thousand Jin per Mu, I might still believe it."

"But five thousand Jin? That's way too Much. Even if they grew just by drinking water, it's impossible for the yield to be that high!"

Chen Jian stroked his white beard and chuckled. "It's normal for you not to believe it. When Young Master Ye Tian first told me, I didn't believe it either. How could such a high-yield crop exist in the world? But once I saw potatoes being cultivated with my own eyes, I became a true believer."

Nearby, Ye Tian approached Hu Liena, patted her on the shoulder, and said calmly, "When have I ever lied to you? Right now is the potato harvest season, and the southern part of the farm is the potato cultivation area. If you don't believe it, you can go see for yourself."

This not only piqued Hu Liena's interest but also drew Bibi Dong's attention.

The significance of potatoes was enormous. If what Ye Tian said was true, the benefits couldn't be measured by any accurate figure.

This wasn't just about solving food shortages for the people.

It would also boost tax revenue for the Spirit Hall.

This meant that the Spirit Hall could recruit more powerful soul masters.

Seeing that her teacher was also intrigued, Ye Tian suggested, "Why don't we dig up some potatoes ourselves and ask the farm's kitchen to make us a potato dinner?"

"Alright!" Hu Liena was the first to respond with raised hands.

Eating crops you've harvested yourself would undoubtedly taste sweeter.

She had spent most of her time training in Spirit City, rarely experiencing such joy.

Now that she had the chance, she was determined to try it out.

Seeing Hu Liena agree, Ye Tian turned his gaze toward Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong also nodded slightly. Ever since becoming the pope, she had been swamped with political affairs every day. She didn't even have time for leisure, let alone meals at times.

She truly missed the days of her childhood, helping her parents harvest crops.

Those were one of the few warm memories buried deep in her heart.

Under Ye Tian's lead, the group headed toward the southern part of the farm.

Hu Liena made sure to run ahead and take off her shoes, only to return to Ye Tian's side and grab his arm.

Soon, they arrived at the southern farm area.

They saw vast expanses of lush, mature potato fields.

The tall potato stalks stood straight and firm, and many farmers were busy digging up the potatoes.

Bibi Dong was the first to step forward and pull up a potato plant.

Because the soil was sandy, the potato stalk was easily uprooted.

Bibi Dong stood frozen.

At the root of the stalk were clusters of potatoes, weighing about five or six Jin in total!

She stared at the potatoes, MurMuring, "It's actually true."

Seeing this, Hu Liena's eyes widened as well. "Oh my heavens! There really is a crop with such a high yield."

Ye Tian came up to Bibi Dong and smiled. "Would I ever lie to you, sister? Now you believe me, right?"

"With such a high yield, could they possibly taste bad?" Bibi Dong voiced her concern.

Everything in the world has its pros and cons. If potatoes had such a high yield, they Must have some other disadvantage.

"Not at all," Ye Tian shook his head. "Potatoes can not only be eaten as a staple but can also be stir-fried into dishes. And not only that, if you cut them into strips and deep-fry them into golden fries, then add some secret seasoning, they become a top-tier delicacy!"

Chen Jian chimed in, "You can also grind potatoes into powder and make potato flour. The potato flour produced on the farm is already popular along the eastern seaboard and is very well-received."

Hearing Ye Tian's words, Hu Liena almost drooled. She grabbed Ye Tian's sleeve, staring up at him eagerly. "Brother, are potatoes really as delicious as you say?"

"You little glutton, you'll find out tonight," Ye Tian teased, tapping her forehead.

"Okay!" Hu Liena didn't mind Ye Tian's playful gesture at all and nodded enthusiastically.

It reminded her of the hotpot she once had at Ye Tian's house, which was simply divine!

She was even starting to think about staying by Ye Tian's side forever.

That way, she could always enjoy delicious food!

No, no, how could I think like that?

Being a glutton leads to gaining weight.

Besides, I'm still the future Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, and my teacher wouldn't allow me to stay anyway.

Maybe… I could persuade my teacher to stay here together…

While Hu Liena was lost in thought, Bibi Dong, who had been pondering, suddenly noticed the land next to the potato field.

Growing there was a long-stemmed plant, with long vines, unlike potatoes which had thick roots.

She looked at Ye Tian, pointing to the neighboring land, and curiously asked, "Is that also a potato?"

Ye Tian shook his head and pointed, "That's a sweet potato, but it's not fully mature yet. It needs another round of fertilization and about a month before it can be harvested."

"Fertilizer?" Bibi Dong was taken aback. She always seemed to hear novel terms when following Ye Tian around.

Old man Chen Jian stepped forward and explained, "Fertilizer is what plants need for nourishment. Just like we humans grow strong from eating meat, crops need fertilizer to yield more."

Chen Jian gave an example, "I once did an experiment on the farm. In the same wheat field, the yield was only five hundred Jin per Mu without fertilizer. But after fertilization, the yield reached one thousand two hundred Jin per Mu."

"Wheat can yield one thousand two hundred Jin per Mu?" Bibi Dong, usually composed, was utterly astonished.

It was well known that increasing wheat yield had been the goal of both great empires and the Spirit Hall.

The Spirit Hall even had a dedicated department for researching this, filled with food-type and support-type soul masters.

Despite years of research, the problem had never been solved.

Yet Ye Tian had somehow managed to crack it.

She couldn't help but ask in disbelief, "Old Chen, when you did your experiment, are you sure the wheat didn't Mutate?"

It would be understandable if the wheat had Mutated.

But Chen Jian firmly replied, "I'm certain there was no Mutation. It's actually quite simple to explain. According to Young Master Ye Tian's theory, plants not only need sunlight to grow but also elements like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium."

"You may have noticed that if a field has manure, it grows better than others."

(End of chapter)