Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 100: Amazing Skills, Joining a Sect
Seeing Chen Ye's extraordinary abilities, not only successfully reviving the nearly withered Fire Cloud Grass, Junior Brother Liu...
This drew praise from Tian Nong and the other examiners, and even Zhou Mingyuan and the fat steward gave him a top score. His mind was in complete turmoil.

what's the situation……

Could it be that he really wants to step on his head?
Junior Brother Liu forced himself to take a few breaths, consoling himself: Oh well, no matter what, I'm just a spirit plant master...

However, at this moment.

Suddenly, a young rogue cultivator said indignantly:

"Steward Tian! This is the Lingyin Sect's annual assessment. Could there be something fishy going on? If it were an ordinary rogue cultivator, would two stewards be speaking up for him? Besides, this Fire Cloud Grass looks like it's about to die, but only heaven and earth know the truth!"

Although this rogue cultivator was a hothead, he was quite well-known in Yunxi Fang.

The other independent cultivators below the stage began to whisper among themselves:
"Isn't this Fellow Daoist Bu Feifan from Miaodan Pavilion? I heard that his family has been herb farmers for three generations..."

“I have heard of it. I heard that this fellow Daoist is quite courageous. Unlike other rogue cultivators, he has been practicing spiritual plant cultivation since childhood, even at the cost of affecting his cultivation, in order to join a sect through spiritual plant cultivation.”

"Hmph! If it weren't for the considerable fortune left by his father, how could he have been so oblivious to everything else and focused solely on cultivating spiritual plant techniques! Now look what's happened, he's ruined his brain..."

His words immediately created a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

Some people secretly mocked Bu Feifan, while others kept sizing up the various deacons.

Zhou Mingyuan remained calm, but the fat deacon panicked.

The fat butler has concluded that Chen Ye and Bai Susu are related, and it is indeed possible that they got in through connections.

If this gets out, it won't be Chen Ye and Bai Susu who suffer, it will only be him and Zhou Mingyuan!
How can there still be such naive cultivators in the world?
The fat butler glanced at Bu Feifan with hidden anger, but the man just snorted and didn't take him seriously at all.

Tian Nong frowned slightly, clearly displeased with Bu Feifan's sarcastic remarks.

"Silence, silence!"

Junior Brother Liu angrily stopped the commotion and shouted,
"What do you know! If Fellow Daoist Chen had connections within the sect, he would surely have access to other advanced spiritual plant techniques. Why would he only use basic spiritual plant techniques to participate in the competition?"

These words only caused an uproar among the many independent cultivators who participated in the Spirit Plant Master assessment.

"What...it really is! He used the three basic spiritual plant techniques! How could these three techniques possibly pass the competition?"

“Wait a minute… Not long ago, this person went to the Internal Affairs Hall to pay his respects to Steward Zhou! I happened to be in the Internal Affairs Hall that day! It is said that this person also knows Protector Sun…”

"Impossible! Protector Sun is so busy with state affairs, how could he possibly condescend to meet with a mere herb farmer?"

"Exactly! Could it be that we've mistaken someone for someone else?"

"But I did see that day that Steward Zhou personally led this person to the depths of the Internal Affairs Hall, and his attitude was quite polite!" The rogue cultivator who broke the news said confidently, as if afraid that others would not believe him.

Most of these people are medicinal herb farmers who are also taking the spiritual plant master assessment.

While some hotheads stepped forward, they hid behind, making promises that were half true and half false.

If this causes the Lingyin Sect to consider the impact and leads to Chen Ye's failure in the assessment, then they will undoubtedly have another chance.

If Chen Ye still passes the test, it's none of their business...

In short, it is entirely beneficial and without any drawbacks.

As the scene grew increasingly chaotic, Bu Feifan, with his neck stiff and a defiant look on his face, stared at Chen Ye, convinced that he had gotten in through connections.

Just then, Chen Ye, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

He didn't look at Bu Feifan, nor did he pay attention to the surrounding discussions. He simply came to the weak and sickly spiritual plants that had not yet been taken away and belonged to other independent cultivators undergoing assessments.

"Fellow Daoists,"

Chen Ye's voice wasn't loud, but he was the center of everyone's discussion. His words instantly drowned out the clamor in the room.
"My name is Chen Ye, and I am a spirit plant master. I am fortunate to have passed today's assessment thanks to the kindness of all the deacons. As for whether I have any real skills, there is no point in talking about it."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Bu Feifan and the other farmers who looked resentful, and smiled faintly:
"How about this, fellow Daoists present today, if you are scratching your heads and unable to figure out the spiritual plants for the test, why don't I examine them on the spot? Whether they are successful or not will be clear at a glance. This will also save you from having doubts and ruining the reputation of the Lingyin Sect's test."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked!

Bu Feifan was stunned. He didn't expect Chen Ye to be so direct and offer to treat other people's spiritual plants in front of everyone.

This... this isn't arrogance, it's just that they truly possess earth-shattering abilities!

Notice,

These spiritual plants used for the assessment are not ordinary sick spiritual plants; they are basically suffering from various intractable diseases, requiring independent cultivators to devote their utmost efforts to research and treat them.

It consumes both mental and spiritual energy.

Healing so many people in one go is something an ordinary first-level spirit plant master could never do!
"Good! Fellow Daoist Chen is indeed quick-witted and outspoken!"

Bu Feifan realized what was happening.
"I have a black magnolia here, its leaves are turning yellow and its spiritual energy is gradually waning. I beg Fellow Daoist Chen to lend a helping hand!"

As he spoke, he handed the potted black magnolia, which was about half a foot tall, to Chen Ye.

The leaves of this flower should be dark green like jade, but now they are tinged with a waxy yellow, and the flower buds are drooping listlessly, looking like they are terminally ill.

Seeing this, the other herb farmers, who were also unwilling to give up, took out their problematic spiritual plants and described the symptoms to Chen Ye, their words carrying a strong sense of testing.

In an instant, five or six pots of spiritual plants of different shapes and symptoms were placed in front of Chen Ye. Seeing this, Junior Brother Liu was secretly delighted, hoping that Chen Ye would be embarrassed in public.

Li Qiuyun frowned slightly, wondering what Chen Ye was up to. She didn't understand spiritual plants, but she did understand cultivators. Treating so many spiritual plants that had baffled many herbalists was exhausting.

Tian Nong and Zhou Mingyuan on the high platform exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of interest in each other's eyes.

Chen Ye, however, remained calm and composed. He carefully observed the condition of each spiritual plant, sometimes picking up a withered leaf to examine it closely, and sometimes gently touching the roots with his fingertips, his expression focused.

After a moment, he spoke confidently:
“Fellow Daoist, your black magnolia has been attacked by downy mildew insects. These insects are extremely difficult to see with the naked eye. They parasitize spiritual plants and devour their spiritual energy. They will only emerge after three months of parasitism, but by then, treatment will be extremely difficult.”

Upon hearing this, Bu Feifan was taken aback. He racked his brains and finally remembered the record of the frost-covered insect from the "Thousand Insect Classic" passed down in his family. However, it only mentioned the frost-covered insect briefly, and Bu Feifan did not immediately think of it as the frost-covered insect.

As for other herb farmers, they had never heard of this insect before, and even began to suspect that Chen Ye was just making it up.

Bu Feifan looked dejected, but explained to Chen Ye, "No...it is indeed a downy mildew beetle..."

On stage, Tian Nong nodded slightly in agreement.

……

after that,

Chen Ye provided detailed comments on each plant, analyzing the causes and symptoms of each spiritual plant in a very clear and accurate manner.

This insight alone was enough to make many rogue cultivators nod in approval.

He then began to provide first aid.

His technique was skillful, and his spiritual energy flowed smoothly like clouds and water, sometimes nourishing with clouds and rain, sometimes removing with sword techniques, and sometimes stimulating and revitalizing.

Those five or six potted plants that were originally on the verge of death were brought back to life in his hands!
The entire square fell silent, everyone was stunned by Chen Ye's incredible skill in using spiritual plants.

Bu Feifan stepped forward and bowed deeply to Chen Ye: "Senior Chen... Senior Chen's skills are superb, and I am completely convinced! I have offended you before, and I hope you will forgive me!"

He then left dejectedly.

The other farmers who had brought out the medicinal plants looked at each other in bewilderment.

Not daring to utter a single word, they retreated back into the crowd like turtles hiding in their shells.

The other independent cultivators naturally knew what these herbalists were thinking.

Bu Feifan was just a stubborn and unwilling young man.

These individuals, of course, intended to take the opportunity to suppress Chen Ye and replace him.

Therefore, everyone looked at these herb farmers with either mockery or schadenfreude, making them blush with embarrassment.

It's hard to offer help in times of need, but easy to kick someone when they're down...

On the high platform, the farmer clapped his hands and laughed:
"Excellent! Well done, Chen Ye! I have truly broadened my horizons today! Such mastery of spiritual plants should serve as a model for all of you!"

Then, the outer disciple who had been in charge of registration brought over a jade plate containing the steward's waist token.

He changed his previous dismissive attitude and spoke respectfully:
"Deacon Chen, congratulations on passing the test. This is your identification token; please keep it safe."

The jade plaque feels warm and smooth to the touch, and is engraved with the two characters "Lingyin".

Chen Ye cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

"You're too kind, Deacon Chen. According to the sect's rules, you need to wait in Yunxi Fang for seven days. Once the matters concerning the outer sect competition are settled, you can take this token to our sect's outer affairs hall to register and officially join our Lingyin Sect."

"Furthermore, the sect has always treated its deacons well. Deacon Chen, you will have a three-month training period upon entering the sect to familiarize yourself with the sect's rules, affairs, and cultivation methods. During this period, the sect will arrange for an outer disciple to assist you and guide you to become familiar with the sect's environment. Hmm... If you have a familiar disciple in Yunxi Fang, that would be even better."

Seven days...

That's fine, it'll be good to deal with some mundane business in the market.

As for the companion, it must be the same companion that Junior Brother Liu and Li Qiuyun were talking about.

Chen Ye had just passed by and heard that Li Qiuyun intended to return to the clan with him.

He thanked them outwardly without showing any emotion, but inwardly he was thinking: This matter of accompanying the disciple is indeed an opportunity.

Previously, because of Qingjun's matter, I troubled Li Qiuyun to lead the way to the Internal Affairs Hall. Although she returned the twenty spirit stones on the spot, I still owe her this favor.

If we can designate her as our accompanying disciple today, we can rightfully repay this favor.

Chen Ye didn't need to take the initiative to find Li Qiuyun.
This spirited and stunningly beautiful young female disciple was already walking towards Chen Ye.

Several outer disciples were also there to join in the fun.

Judging from his face, he was actually one of the disciples who had teased Chen Ye before.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. These disciples are stationed in the area near Bishui Street, so they are relatively familiar with each other and naturally form a small circle.

Wherever there are people, there is a world of its own...

(End of this chapter)