"You've finally adapted to the spiritual energy here?"
Seeing Li Ye take the initiative to step forward, Elder Ji asked indifferently.
Although he had been quite pleased with Xiong Yinxiu's earlier performance, he had noticed her forced suppression of spiritual power and the slight instability in her condition.
Still, a disciple who would risk injuring herself just to please him how could he not appreciate that? Naturally, he didn't say anything to criticize her.
In fact, from a certain perspective, it was even a bonus in her favor.
As for Li Ye… Despite showing no less understanding of the planting techniques than Xiong Yinxiu yesterday, he hadn't rushed to prove himself. Instead, he had calmly observed and taken time to adjust to the environment first a clear sign that he prioritized his state over immediately currying favor.
This attitude made Elder Ji regard him a bit more coldly than before.
But Li Ye seemed entirely unaware of the shift in tone, replying respectfully,
"Elder, the spiritual energy here is so dense it causes my spiritual power to stir. I feared making a mistake and damaging the precious seedlings, so I thought it best to first adjust myself…"
That was at least a reasonable explanation. Elder Ji's expression softened slightly.
"Fine then. Go ahead."
As he handed over a flower seedling, Li Ye smoothly crouched down and began prepping the spirit field.
"Let's see what you're capable of,"
Xiong Yinxiu thought coldly to herself, watching him with narrowed eyes.
"If Junior Brother Li fails, we'll have no chance against that wretched Xiong woman…"
Yao Shaohui and Gu Daojin exchanged a glance, both worried.
At this point, even if it meant letting Li Ye seize the opportunity, they would much rather that than see it fall into the hands of Xiong Yinxiu the one who had nearly gotten them all kicked out.
Even though the elder had clearly stated that everyone would have their chance before his next departure, who knew when that would be?
Under such uncertain conditions, every single opportunity to prove oneself was critical.
But Li Ye paid no attention to any of the gazes or whispers around him.
Right now, his entire focus was on the Sunfire Flower seedling before him.
The upgraded planting techniques in his mind, along with the many details he'd observed earlier, flashed through his thoughts. His hands moved with a slight awkwardness at first but never once made a mistake.
Loosening the spirit soil, activating the earth's energy, untangling the roots, dripping spirit water, awakening its vitality…
One step after another, everything was done smoothly.
And with each move, his technique grew more fluid.
"Hmm?"
Elder Ji glanced at Li Ye, his expression showing a trace of surprise.
From the way Li Ye moved, it was obvious he had never actually handled a Sunfire Flower before. Yet his execution of the assisting process was flawless.
So smooth, in fact, that it gave Elder Ji a feeling akin to lying down on a pillow simply comfortable.
Before long, the seedling was perfectly planted.
[You have successfully planted a second-tier spirit plant Sunfire Flower using standard techniques, awakening its vitality. Experience +0.5…]
A system notification flashed with a brighter glow, and Li Ye's heart instantly settled. A wave of delight rose within him.
Even though he hadn't been the main planter, and his technique wasn't yet refined, he still earned double the experience compared to planting a first-tier spirit plant.
That alone was more than enough to excite him.
"Junior Brother Li truly lives up to his Foundation Establishment family background. Though he's only been working the fields here for just over half a year, the legacy and knowledge he brings are undeniable. His technique might be a bit raw, but his performance is in no way inferior to Xiong Yinxiu's…"
Gu Daojin watched the whole scene unfold, and his worries immediately melted away as his smile widened.
Yao Shaohui reacted even more noticeably. His eyes widened in surprise.
"It seems the seedling Junior Brother helped plant is in even better condition than the ones before!"
As he spoke, he even mimicked Xiong Yinxiu's earlier tone and shot her a sideways glance.
"It's just a fluke. What's there to be so proud of… It's his first time after all, with zero experience. Can he pull it off perfectly every time?"
Xiong Yinxiu's face darkened as she caught sight of their grins, secretly cursing them under her breath.
"Next one!"
Elder Ji was even more aware of how effective Li Ye's assistance had been and couldn't help but grow excited.
He wasted no time taking out another seedling and moved to plant it.
Li Ye had no objections and immediately followed along to make the necessary preparations.
And so it went one seedling, then another, and another…
From the second seedling onward, Li Ye's movements lost all traces of awkwardness. While still a bit rigid, the effectiveness of his assistance increased noticeably.
Not only did the planting become more efficient, but the seedlings he helped with also ended up in slightly better condition each time.
The process became so smooth that Elder Ji almost didn't want to stop. His gaze toward Li Ye grew increasingly approving.
Meanwhile, Xiong Yinxiu's expression turned darker and darker, even tinged with disbelief.
This man had only been working the spirit fields for six months since joining the Purple Profound Sect. Even if he had some prior training and had inherited knowledge of spirit-planting techniques, his current level of skill was simply too astonishing!
Looking at his performance now, Xiong Yinxiu began to suspect that if Li Ye were given the chance to plant a Sunfire Flower on his own, he might succeed.
As for Yao and Gu
They had long since lost interest in paying attention to Xiong Yinxiu.
The two of them now stood with focused expressions, eyes locked on Elder Ji and Li Ye's every movement. They even mumbled to themselves as they watched, clearly absorbed and fascinated.
Compared to Xiong Yinxiu, Li Ye's methodical movements may have lacked flair, but they were open, organized, and easy to follow.
For observers like Yao and Gu, it was perfect.
Even without explanations, just watching was proving to be incredibly rewarding!
Before anyone realized it, Elder Ji seemed to forget others were waiting. As soon as one seedling was planted, he immediately moved on to the next.
Li Ye, although somewhat reluctant to stop, still took the initiative to speak up halfway through planting the remaining section of the field.
"Elder, Senior Brothers Yao, and Gu are still waiting. Perhaps they could also assist you for a bit?"
He had already made up his mind to team up with Yao and Gu to thoroughly crush Xiong Yinxiu's momentum and make sure she lost any remaining chance. There was no need to hoard the experience gains all to himself.
After all, Elder Ji had already witnessed his capabilities. Letting the other two have a shot wouldn't hurt.
Given their knowledge of spirit planting and the time they'd spent observing, he figured they'd do just fine.
Besides, if they waited too long and ended up fatigued by the time it was their turn, their performance might suffer and that wouldn't benefit anyone.
Li Ye's words made Elder Ji pause for a moment.
His brow furrowed slightly, as though he were annoyed or perhaps he had only just remembered that the other two were still waiting.
He turned expressionlessly toward Yao and Gu.
"Do you two have the confidence to try?"
The two of them had been so absorbed in observing that they'd almost accepted that Li Ye would finish the whole field himself. They hadn't expected him to offer them a turn, and both were momentarily stunned.
They cast a grateful look at Li Ye and nodded eagerly.
"With Junior Brother Li working so well with Elder Ji, we've learned a lot just by watching. We're ready to give it a try!"
"Very well. Come then."
Elder Ji waved them over with a hint of reluctance, then moved to a different section of the field.
To his surprise, although the two couldn't match the smooth, almost comforting synergy he'd felt with Li Ye, their performance wasn't far behind Xiong Yinxiu's.
Both of their attempts were flawless, and the seedlings they worked with turned out in decent condition.
That alone left Elder Ji quite satisfied. He even gave the group a few words of praise.
Soon after, Elder Ji declared the day's session was over and casually took his leave.
It wasn't until his figure disappeared in the distance that Xiong Yinxiu's forced smile dropped from her face. She quickly turned and strode out of the spirit field, away from the rich spiritual energy and away from the three of them.
After walking a fair distance, her face suddenly flushed, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The spiritual power she had forcibly suppressed earlier was now wreaking havoc inside her body, tearing through her meridians like knives.
Hearing the faint sound of laughter behind her, her eyes filled with bloodshot rage.
"All my hard work… and I've been overtaken by two fawning nobodies? You people… you've gone too far!"