Chapter 6: Cultivating Seeds

Back in his humble thatched hut, Li Xuan laid out all the seeds on his bed and began carefully identifying each one.

Thanks to his Herbal Appraisal skill, he quickly obtained detailed information on all the medicinal seeds.

There were exactly one hundred seeds in total: forty common, forty rare, eighteen extremely rare… and two classified as Legendary Treasures of Heaven and Earth!

Aside from the Nether Orchid, he was pleasantly surprised to find one seed of the elusive Voidgrass.

[Plant: Voidgrass]

[Grade: Legendary Treasure of Heaven and Earth]

[Age: 0 years]

[Description: A legendary plant with spatial properties. Every hundred years it produces a Void Pearl capable of storing 3 cubic meters. Every thousand years, it can grow a Void Crystal capable of holding 100 cubic meters. Not edible, not medicinal.]

"Who needs storage rings when you've got Voidgrass?! A hundred cubic meters of space—and I can grow one of those crystals in just ten days? This is amazing!" Li Xuan practically jumped for joy.

With the potential to produce Void Crystals, he could safely store any rare herbs or valuable plants he cultivated without attracting unwanted attention.

This was crucial. In the Flower Sea settlement, privacy was basically a myth—if he started cultivating a pile of legendary herbs, someone would notice eventually. But thanks to the Voidgrass, his treasures could now vanish into literal thin air.

Rolling up his sleeves, Li Xuan began the meticulous task of germinating each seed using the most suitable method based on his extensive knowledge as a herbalist.

Since all these seeds were bartered from different sources, every single one required a unique method to sprout properly. It took him an entire day to sort and set them up.

By the time he was finished, his tiny room was filled with all sorts of little jars, pots, and containers—an apothecary's dream (or nightmare, depending on how you feel about clutter).

Only then did Li Xuan allow himself a short rest, sinking onto his wooden bed.

Despite their value, cultivating these seeds wasn't particularly difficult for someone with his background. The real challenge had simply been the sheer number of them—it was like hosting a botanical convention in his room.

Reaching into his robe, Li Xuan gently pulled out the two most precious seeds: one violet, one black. The Nether Orchid and the Voidgrass—both certified Legends in the plant world.

After double-checking their details, Li Xuan took the Ghost Orchid seed out to the backyard and searched for the shadiest, creepiest corner near the outer wall.

He crouched down and planted the seed with utmost care.

The Ghost Orchid thrived in dark, damp places and loved soaking up ghostly energy—basically the goth kid of magical flora. The corner wall was perfect for it.

Even better, once grown, it would form a sinister domain that absorbed lingering spirits, accelerating its own growth. Li Xuan, however, didn't want to start a haunting right outside his window, so he deliberately chose the farthest wall from his bedroom.

With that done, he headed to the front yard, grabbed a flowerpot, filled it with soil, added water, and planted the Voidgrass.

Unlike its gloomy cousin, Voidgrass wasn't picky about its environment. The only problem? It was incredibly delicate—just the thought of a strong breeze might kill it.

Luckily, Li Xuan had a secret weapon: the green liquid from his Little Green Bottle.

This mystical liquid could rapidly boost plant growth without needing to absorb surrounding soul energy. Once the Voidgrass matured enough, it would become much more resilient.

With both legendary seeds planted, he found a ceramic jar, filled it with water, and summoned the Little Green Bottle with a pulse of soul energy.

Popping the cork, he dripped a bit of the glowing green liquid into the jar.

The water immediately turned a vibrant emerald green.

Given the number of plants he needed to care for, Li Xuan had to dilute the liquid for efficiency. This was also a good chance to test whether its effects weakened when watered down.

He poured half the green solution into the Voidgrass pot.

The results were instantaneous.

The seed split open and a black sprout burst from the soil, rapidly growing tall and straight. Its leaves unfurled like a stretching cat, rising before his very eyes.

In mere seconds, it had become a small, ten-centimeter-tall black plant.

It was pitch-black, its surface dusted with golden flecks that shimmered like stars—elegant and mysterious.

It had five leaves, and under the lowest one hung a dark pearl the size of a soybean, glossy and smooth.

With a wave of his hand, Li Xuan used Herbal Appraisal again.

[Plant: Voidgrass]

[Grade: Legendary Treasure of Heaven and Earth]

[Age: 50 years]

[Description: A legendary spatial herb. Produces a Void Pearl every 100 years (3 cubic meters of storage), and a Void Crystal every 1000 years (100 cubic meters). Not edible, not medicinal.]

"Looks like the diluted liquid still works just fine. Great! Now I can grow multiple legendary plants at once!" Li Xuan grinned and pumped his fist in triumph.

He carefully placed the Voidgrass pot inside his hut and headed to the backyard again. At the corner where the Nether Orchid was planted, he poured in the rest of the diluted green solution.

As soon as the liquid soaked the soil, a dark purple sprout crept out, slowly growing into a half-meter vine that clung to the wall.

But this vine… it looked eerie.

Its leaves and stem were both dark purple, and the whole thing gave off an uncomfortable, almost sinister vibe.

Li Xuan instinctively stepped back a few paces and turned to leave. If the Nether Orchid didn't produce flowers that enhanced the soul, he wouldn't have gone near it in the first place.

Just as he returned to the front yard, he spotted someone approaching—Zhao Dazui, the burly guy who had traded him the lotus seeds earlier.

Zhao was lugging a massive water vat over his shoulder and walked straight into Li Xuan's courtyard.

"Little Xuan! Brought you this vat for growing that lotus. Anything else you need, just holler. Seriously, thanks again for the trade. But, uh… you sure you can handle growing lotus your first time? If you're unsure, I can trade you the seeds back," he added, scratching his head.

Li Xuan smiled and said confidently, "Don't worry, Uncle Zhao. From now on, if you've got any hard-to-grow seeds, just bring them to me—I'll handle the germination."

"Hah! Big talk for a kid. Just make sure you grow something before you start bragging." Zhao Dazui chuckled and turned to leave.

Li Xuan watched him go, chuckling softly. Then he got to work filling both large water vats with fresh water.

One would be for planting the lotus; the other, his daily drinking supply. Efficient use of resources.

He fetched more water in the ceramic jar, topped off the vats, and used the remaining water to rinse out the green solution basin. Then, he poured that rinse water into the various seed containers to improve germination rates.

Finally, he tossed the ceramic jar into one vat and dropped both lotus seeds inside, letting the last traces of the green liquid soak in.

With everything settled, Li Xuan returned to his hut, flopped onto his wooden bed, and let out a long, satisfied sigh.

Life as a plant whisperer was exhausting.