landbeastnovel Chapter 24: Jiang Qiu's talent for nurturing is truly outstanding.
Chapter 24: Jiang Qiu's talent for nurturing is truly outstanding.
The following day, at the Ninth Plantation.
The news that intern Jiang Qiu had won first place in the acquisition event spread throughout the park, and the news that Qian Cheng had been disqualified from the selection and blacklisted also quickly spread, and he didn't come all morning.
As Wang Baisheng passed by the greenhouse, he could still hear Zhang San, Li Si, and others discussing, "I knew Qian Cheng wasn't capable. Look, that mid-grade fruit with a score of 9 was cultivated from a mutated spirit seed. The shop owner discovered it, and today the regulatory bureau invited him to investigate!"
Li Si clicked her tongue in amazement. "Sigh, Qian Cheng's results really surprised me. I thought he was a genius, but it turns out he was just faking it. He can't compare to Jiang Qiu at all."
Zhang San glanced at the figure silently watering the potted plants in the corner and sighed, "Jiang Qiu is a true genius. In less than two months, he cultivated a top-grade fruit with two characteristics and even got a top-grade [Nourishment Pill]. I bet even Wu Shan wouldn't want Qian Cheng to take the spot."
"Why even think about it? It's hard to say whether Qian Cheng will even come back. Besides, his talent for nurturing is nowhere near that of Jiang Qiu, unless he has some extraordinary talent for cultivation that could alarm the headmaster," Li Si teased.
"Why not believe I'm Qin Shi Huang, haha!"
The two people's conversation faded into the distance. Without saying a word, he clenched his fists and returned to the outer courtyard of courtyard number 17. As soon as he entered, a pretty voice rang out, "Why are you so late this afternoon?"
A girl in a blue denim outfit leaned against the wall, watching Wang Baisheng walk toward his flower stand with a meaningful look. "Hey, where's your little assistant?"
"He has something to do today." With a splash, Wang Baisheng tilted the kettle, and fine streams of water fell onto the fruit-laden [Wood Edge Flower], moistening its surface.
"Hehe, it's good to be busy. How can you pass the internship assessment if you don't work hard? Hey? Your fourth generation is almost mature, why don't you push it to produce more? It looks like it'll be of high quality."
"I haven't lost my sense of smell; I can smell the fruit," Wang Baisheng said expressionlessly, glancing at her. "Jiang Qiao, it's you who's meddling in my affairs instead of nurturing the rare spirit seed [Golden Spirit Cage] that your father signed for you."
"Sigh, my dad just finished completing the incomplete mid-grade recipe for the [Golden Spirit Cage], and he's almost finished researching the high-grade recipe. You know, people want at least a high-grade one. If I only cultivate mid-grade ones and don't collect them, all my work will be for nothing."
Wang Baisheng paused in his hand holding the kettle, and said in a deep voice, "Can't you research superior formulas yourself? Cultivation is your own business, why do you need your father's help every day?"
"Hey, it's easy for you to talk when you're not in the same boat. Your dad is a martial arts practitioner, and you only embarked on this path halfway through because of your physique. You've never cultivated rare spiritual seeds before, and you think it's easy to study?" Jiang Qiao put her hands on her hips and pouted.
Wang Baisheng remained calm as she listened to her talk fluently with her hands behind her back: "Although the recipes for low-grade rare spirit seeds aren't that difficult to obtain, some of the rare spirit seeds that my father used to let me grow for fun can be cultivated using general recipes."
"But mid-grade formulas are all upgrades from low-grade ones. They require generations of research into the growth habits of rare spiritual plants and continuous improvement attempts, which consumes a lot of resources."
"The same goes for superior-grade ones. The raw materials are very expensive, and the requirements for cultivating talent are even higher. Many apprentices have to spend several years studying them wholeheartedly. A superior-grade recipe represents a secret path for cultivating special characteristics."
"I'm not capable of researching this right now."
Wang Baisheng frowned, a barely perceptible glint of coldness flashing in his eyes: "So you're hoping your father will spend a lot of resources to develop a top-grade formula for you?"
Jiang Qiao frowned slightly. "Otherwise, this is the condition my father agreed to when he found shop owner Zhao Nan to sign an exclusive supply agreement. My father said he would research the superior formula and could supply it in a timely manner, so they signed with me."
"Doesn't this mean your father signed it?"
"Hmph, is it not my name that's signed?" Jiang Qiao sneered. "When Shopkeeper Zhao uses my superior-grade fruit to develop a rare level 2 pill, the first superior-grade one he makes will be given to me for free. Theoretically, there's a certain probability of awakening a constitution later in life, something money can't buy!"
"Can one's physique be awakened through pills?" Wang Baisheng paused, glancing at her again.
"Impressive, right? My dad said that Zhao Nan, the shop owner, researched this area with her advisor in university, achieving remarkable results. She's a rare genius. After Yi Dan Garden offered the best conditions to bring her back, she started developing a corresponding Level 2 pill suitable for the Spirit Plant Master's path. It's estimated that she only needs a high-grade Golden Spirit Cage Fruit to successfully refine it!"
"Stop watering," Jiang Qiao snapped, pushing away Wang Baisheng's watering can. She squinted and said, "Once I awaken my physique after taking the pill, you won't be the only intern in the garden with a good constitution anymore. Even if my dad doesn't help me, I'll still be the first intern to pass the internship assessment, hmph."
"Oh." With a splash, Wang Baisheng poured more water from the watering can and continued watering. "Not necessarily."
Seeing that he wasn't looking at her, Jiang Qiao put on a stern face:
"Tch, your talent cultivation isn't even as good as Jiang Qiu's in the greenhouse. That Qian Cheng you brought in was taken in for questioning by the regulatory bureau, and you're still pretending to be so profound!"
Tap, the kettle stopped, Wang Baisheng's eyes were fixed, the two of them stared at each other across the flower stand, silhouetted against the dappled sunlight, the wind rustling the branches and leaves.
"..."
"What's wrong? Did I hurt your pride?"
"Why are you two arguing instead of properly cultivating your spiritual plants?" A strong voice suddenly came from outside. It was Wu Shan standing at the door with his hands behind his back, staring intently at the two people who were standing on either side of the flower stand.
"It's nothing," Jiang Qiao pouted, gave Wang Baisheng a light snort, and smugly skipped towards her flower stand. "Uncle Wu Shan, I'm going to the inner courtyard to cultivate my rare spiritual plants."
"Hmm." Wu Shan nodded, stepped over the threshold, his shoulders uneven, and limped in. "Yum, you know about the acquisition last night, right?"
"I've heard about it," Wang Baisheng said, lowering the kettle, his fingers slightly white and then red. "Uncle Wu, when you came back from the regulatory bureau, did Qian Cheng really collude with the strange cultivators and plant masters, privately trading strange and mutated spirit seeds?"
Wu Shan shook his head, "It's not certain, there are risks, but he did help me find a rare level 2 spirit seed to refine healing pills, so I can guarantee that he can stay in the garden."
Whew, Wang Baisheng's grip on the kettle loosened slightly, but the next second, *slap*, Wu Shan's large hand patted his shoulder, his eyes deep and serious:
"But this year, with this incident, the regulatory bureau is going to focus on supervising our internship evaluations, so I have to be fair and impartial. His spot is basically gone."
"unless--"
Suddenly, Wang Baisheng's pupils twitched slightly. He heard the other party say in a deep voice, "He has the same physique as you, proving that he has a unique talent in cultivation."
Physical constitution...is something we are born with.
Even if it is formed later in life.
It's not that Qian Cheng had the resources to make contact.
Wang Baisheng was silent for a moment, then said, "I understand."
"Hmm," Wu Shan nodded, patted his shoulder twice, and said with a sigh, "If Qian Cheng had come back, I would have kept his spot. Unfortunately, I didn't expect Jiang Qiuzang to have such talent. He can be considered the most outstanding intern in recent years."
A complex look flashed in his eyes. "I only found out today that he has this talent for nurturing. It was really unexpected. I guess he will compete with you for the first choice of the [Initial Spirit Embryo] during the assessment, just like Jiang Qiao."
"After the initial spiritual embryo is planted in the heart field, it is used to transform the external spiritual seed into the internal spiritual seed. This is no small matter. Although you have a good physique and a high score, it would be best if the results of your spiritual plant cultivation could be further improved."
Wang Baisheng lowered his eyes. The fourth-generation [Wood Edge Flower] was lush and verdant, with a large flower bud emitting a fruity fragrance, nurturing his first top-quality fruit that he had cultivated independently, which should have been the first in the internship class.
But now Jiang Qiu is in front of us.
His achievements were lackluster.
Wang Baisheng took a breath, his eyes sharpening: "Uncle Wu, if Jiang Qiu can cultivate dual traits, I should be able to as well. In the last month and a half, I will use top-grade fruits as seeds to cultivate even better results."
"Good," Wu Shan said with a gratified expression, taking out a notebook from his pocket. "Back then, the rainy season came early on the front lines, and that strange tide destroyed my newly cultivated courtyard overnight. It was your father, Old Wang, who gave me a hand, which is why I came back alive."
"So ever since you came to Jiuzhi Garden, I have treated you as my direct successor. After the assessment, you will also inherit my teachings, so I will pass on these cultivation notes to you in advance."
With a soft thud, Wang Baisheng caught it with both hands. A wisp of azure spiritual energy slid across its surface, revealing a line of hastily written characters visible only to him. His usually composed pupils instantly shrank to pinpoints, and his expression changed drastically—
"This also holds immense research potential for plant cultivators, its value is immeasurable, how could you...?"
"Thud," Wu Shan grabbed Wang Baisheng's arms and pushed him back, "I don't plan to marry or have children. Your father saved my life, and you have talent for cultivation. Sooner or later you will inherit my life's savings. Try cultivating this [Wooden Flower] mutation path note that I accidentally discovered during the land reclamation. Don't miss the chance to be number one."