Chương 95: Chapter 94: Seeds and Competitions

Senior Brother Lin Yi. Yang greeted him and stepped forward.

"How are you, Senior Brother? I hope you were not waiting long."

"I just arrived." Senior Brother Lin Yi looked at him with the easy manner Yang had already come to associate with him.

"How are you, Junior Brother?"

"Well, thank you." Yang used his token to allow access and pushed the door open.

"Please come in. Forgive the mess, I was not expecting company today." He led Senior Brother Lin Yi to the table and floor cushions and gestured for him to sit while he began clearing the scattered talisman papers and ink-stained cloth from the surface. Senior Brother Lin Yi settled in and picked up one of the fireball talismans Yang had set aside for himself, turning it over in his hand.

"Junior Brother Yang, I did not know you were interested in talismans as well."

"It was easier to get into than alchemy," Yang said.

"Definitely more affordable," Senior Brother Lin Yi agreed.

"Talisman paper and cinnabar cost considerably less than an alchemy furnace and ingredients." He looked at the talisman more carefully.

"But you have real talent here. I would not be surprised to see an inner sect disciple producing a talisman of this quality. It may not be powered beyond your current realm but the smoothness of the qi in the inscription cannot be denied. I would not have expected this level of skill from someone at 2nd stage of Qi Condensation."

"Thank you, Senior Brother. I just have a small talent and I am using it to support my cultivation." Senior Brother Lin Yi smiled and set the talisman down. He reached into his robes and produced a small bundle of manuals and a cloth pouch, placing them on the table between them.

"I bring what I promised. Seeds and basic manuals to help you get started with spirit plants." Yang leaned forward.

"Go on, have a look," Senior Brother Lin Yi said. Yang picked up the first manual. It was dense with information, cultivation conditions, seasonal requirements, notes on soil composition. The second covered a few cultivation techniques. The pouch was heavy, full of seeds.

"Blue Jade, Spirit Grass, and Spirit Spiral Plant seeds," Senior Brother Lin Yi said.

"I brought only the basic kinds so you can get the feel of maintaining a spirit garden before you start choosing more specialised plants. You already know Blue Jade from your assigned task. Spirit Grass is straightforward enough. The Spirit Spiral Plant is a bit different." Yang raised an eyebrow.

"It cannot be used in pill creation, but it gathers qi around the area it is planted in. Given enough time, even thousands of years, it can make a qi-barren area the most qi fertile place." Senior Brother Lin Yi paused.

"It is one of the most common plants among cultivators for exactly that reason. Some go as far as flying over barren areas to scatter the seeds and use their own qi to water the soil. It is considered an investment in the world's future." He held up a hand.

"Before you say anything, it is not precious. Its uses are precious, so cultivators have made sure it is widely available. Plant only a few of them to start. It absorbs quite a lot of qi before it is strong enough to begin gathering it, so start small and only grow as much as you can properly tend to." The description is more than enough to arouse Yang's interest.

"Senior Brother, I am truly grateful. I did not expect something like this." And its the truth, he is more than appreciative of Senior Brother Lin Yi sharing his knowledge and plant seeds with him.

"It costs me nothing. The seeds are from my own gardens." Senior Brother Lin Yi waved the thanks off.

"The manuals contain some techniques that will help you grow the plants better. They apply to the other seeds as well, not just the Spirit Spiral plant. Use them." Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"I will work hard at it and not disappoint your expectations," Yang said excited to try his hand at spirit plant cultivation.

"As long as you cultivate well," Senior Brother Lin Yi said, then straightened slightly.

"Now. I came here to deliver the seeds and the manuals as promised, and also to invite you to watch an inner sect competition taking place next month. I was originally going to ask you to come and watch the alchemy portion." He looked at Yang.

"But I have changed my mind. I think you should participate instead."

"Senior Brother, I have no knowledge or experience in alchemy."

"Not alchemy. Talismans." Senior Brother Lin Yi nodded toward the fireball talisman still sitting on the table.

"You will not win. But you are skilled enough that the talisman masters present at the competition will take notice, and that attention alone is worth the experience of participating."

"Are such competitions open to outer sect disciples? I have not heard anything about it, even Ye Xuan has not mentioned it."

"It is not widely discussed outside of those with an interest in the specific disciplines. The competition happens every decade and is considered routine. Outer sect disciples are welcome to attend as observers if they can arrange to get there, but participation requires a sponsorship from an elder or a core disciple." He looked at Yang.

"Who is your talisman teacher?"

"I have been taking basic classes from Elder Fu Ming." Senior Brother Lin Yi looked slightly surprised.

"I am surprised he has not already put your name forward. The sect always encourages talent."

"He would not know, Senior Brother. I have only taken the basic classes and most of my work has been self-study. He has not seen my talismans beyond my work with illumination talismans early on."

"Then you must show him." Senior Brother Lin Yi said it simply, with the finality of someone who considered the matter obvious.

"The sect does not suppress talent, it cultivates it. Show Elder Fu Ming what you have made. I am certain he will sponsor your participation and likely have further advice to improve your craft as well. I know nothing of talisman creation beyond the very basics and even I can see you have skill here, especially given how short a time you have been practicing." Yang smiled slightly to himself. Seventeen years obsessively practicing a closely related craft in another world.

He would have had to be dumb as a rock not to carry some of that over.

"When is the talisman portion of the competition, Senior Brother?"

"The alchemy portion is next month. The talisman portion I will need to look into. These competitions run over a very long period and cover everything you could think of and a great many things you could not. Formations, tool refining, beast mastery, and much more. I will find out where the talisman section is scheduled and send you a sound seal once I know."

"Thank you, Senior Brother." Yang looked around the table.

"Forgive me for not offering you anything. I only keep water in my cave."

"No matter." Senior Brother Lin Yi paused, then said with the tone of someone passing on practical knowledge, "Though Junior Brother, it is best to keep some tea leaves even if you do not drink it yourself. We are all cultivators and no one expects a feast, but we generally keep some kind of beverage for visitors. When you can, look for Jade Spirit Tea leaves. Brew it using water made from a water technique, converting qi from the air rather than drawing from a water source.

It is popular among cultivators for its meditative properties and many of us drink it instead of plain water. Good for the mind and for long hours sitting in cultivation."

"I will look into it, Senior Brother. Thank you for the seeds, manuals and the guidance." Senior Brother Lin Yi rose.

"It was no bother. I enjoyed the conversation and I felt a kinship with you, Junior Brother. We seem to have similar interests and share a similar desire to learn alchemy." He moved toward the cave entrance.

"Whatever you decide about the talisman competition, I will send you the dates and times for the alchemy portion regardless, and I will come to collect you myself or arrange for transportation." Yang walked him to the entrance and bowed as Senior Brother Lin Yi stepped out onto the path, summoned his sword, and rose smoothly into the air. Yang watched until he was out of sight, then turned and went back inside.

He stood at the table looking at the manuals and the seed pouch and the fireball talisman still sitting where Senior Brother Lin Yi had set it down. The competition was something worth thinking about and showing Elder Fu Ming his talismans was something he could see no negative in. The Spirit Spiral Plant and what it could do was definitely worth looking into and the Jade Spirit Tea was a small thing but a useful one to note. He had received more from this visit than he had expected to.

He must not become a cultivation hermit, he reminded himself. There are simply too many advantages to socialising with generous seniors. He sat down, picked up the first manual, and began to read.