Cultivation begins with harvest.

"I know what I'm doing."

"Perhaps." Ying Xiao remained noncommittal, then took out three bottles of pills and lined them up on the bedside table.

"These are pills to help treat your subsequent injuries, as well as to replenish your vital energy. You will need to come for Fire Hu treatment once a day for five days to ensure you are out of danger." As Ying Xiao spoke, his voice gradually softened.

Chen Guang looked into Ying Xiao's eyes and noticed that Ying Xiao seemed a little shy.

Suddenly recalling the so-called "fire beard"—

During the coma, I am not completely unaware of what is happening around me. This is a benefit of the Forging God. I can still be aware of the outside world in a daze. I will only lose consciousness if the injury is more serious or more thorough.

Since it's a medicinal bath, clothes are naturally removed.

"Who led me into the bathtub?" Chen Guang asked with a strange expression.

Wei Donglai stood to the side with his arms crossed: "He told me not to interfere."

"I have... the ability to manipulate objects," Ying Xiao whispered in defense.

"I'll stay sober from now on. I'm sorry to have troubled you this time, Senior Sister." Chen Guang was still in a good mood. It was always nice to be treated like this by a woman. As for whether he was seen naked or not, he didn't have that kind of obsession.

Chen Guang had a clearer understanding of the principles of healing and saving lives in his previous life.

Wei Donglai's heart was set on the Great Dao, and he was not deeply separated from the mortal body.

Although this was originally a somewhat awkward topic, the most embarrassed person was actually the doctor, Ying Xiao.

Ying Xiao took a deep breath, influenced by the two people's attitude, and quickly cleared his mind of distractions, saying seriously: "The treatment cost from now on is 1168 Sui Yuan per day, and as for today, my part is 6800 Sui Yuan."

This price already exceeds that of a mid-grade spiritual weapon, but what Chen Guang was more concerned about was: "Your part?"

"Yes, the injury you suffered was caused by a second-tier spiritual plant. The main part of the treatment and diagnosis came from my teacher. This is definitely within the scope of the second tier. I was just cleaning up the mess," Ying Xiao's gentle voice stated a serious fact. "The sect will not deliberately restrict your free contact with second-tier spiritual plants, but you will have to bear the losses you suffer as a result. This is not a task assigned to you by the sect. For example, developing Snow Peak would naturally be treated unconditionally. However, for the part that you cannot bear due to your own actions, such as second-tier injuries, the sect will still heal them, but it will be recorded and you will need to settle the bill when you are able to pay. Therefore, after you, Junior Brother Chen, enter the Foundation Establishment stage, your teacher will ask you to pay the medical expenses."

"At the same time, this is not without limitations. A second-tier injury means that it requires the same amount of Foundation Establishment resources to treat. It is impossible to be lenient with a Qi Refining disciple again and again. Before you pay the medical expenses this time, you will not receive pre-paid treatment in the next similar situation."

Ying Xiao paused for a moment: "The teacher said that you are a special case, with some minor skills, so you can be lenient once or twice. Therefore, unless necessary, junior brother should be cautious in dealing with the Ice Flower Wutong. Before you recover from your injury, it is best not to come into contact with the Ice Flower Wutong again."

Upon hearing this, Chen Guang fell into deep thought, and after a long while, he gave Wei Donglai a meaningful look.

Wei Donglai was immediately embarrassed and said helplessly, "I really didn't know. I didn't know that a second-tier spiritual plant would cause such trouble for my junior brother. I am willing to pay for my junior brother's medical expenses. No, this is what I should do."

"Does Senior Brother Zhong know?" Chen Guang's tone remained calm, but this composed attitude only made Wei Donglai more anxious.

"I need to ask in person," Wei Donglai said without hesitation.

The room fell silent. Even though Ying Xiao was reminding Chen Guang how to recover and what the taboos and key points were about taking those pills, his voice seemed to come from another world. Chen Guang and Wei Donglai watched and listened quietly as if they were outsiders.

Ying Xiao could already sense the change in atmosphere.

"Junior brother, once you have paid my medical bills, you may leave." Ying Xiao promptly withdrew.

Cultivators are not that fragile. After resting for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Chen Guang called to Wei Donglai and said seriously, "Senior Brother has been kind to me, but I still need to ask Senior Brother Zhong Qi about his actions in person."

"That's only natural." Wei Donglai showed no surprise.

Chen Guang was naturally annoyed. With the sect's attitude, the impact of a second-tier item on a Qi Refining cultivator like himself was probably greater than he thought. And Zhong Qi hadn't pointed this out, so it was hard to say that he was also unaware of it.

A cultivator who ranks highly in the sect many years ago would naturally be well aware of the sect's various secrets and taboos.

It's highly likely that this was done intentionally.

After Chen Guang paid off the medical expenses himself, the two quickly returned to their apartment building.

Zhong Qi had been waiting at the edge of the ice mist array for a long time. However, after seeing the expressions of Chen Guang and Wei Donglai, she said as if she were sighing, "I admit that I have concealed some things, but I am confident. I have spirit stones that can be used as foundation-building resources to help you get healed."

"So you know but don't say it?" Chen Guang asked.

"No, I'm not entirely sure about the exact extent of the damage caused by the cold energy of the Ice Flower Wutong tree. I admit I had selfish motives and wanted to stop it at one point, but my greed prevented me from doing so." Zhong Qi said frankly, looking directly at Chen Guang. "I am willing to compensate for the harm caused by this concealment."

"You didn't violate the sect's curse, did you?" Chen Guang recalled the five covenants of the curse. Regarding the situation of harming fellow disciples, the rules were basically set outside the sect. Within the sect, there was only a rule against killing each other. Therefore, whether Zhong Qi's concealment was considered a crime depended on whether Chen Guang reported it. "Then this was just a transaction, with a contract as proof. Senior Brother Zhong treated me quite well."

After a pause, Chen Guang said, "I want ownership of at least one strand of dragon energy."

"Yes, there's a contract to prove it," Zhong Qi nodded slowly. "After helping the Purple Spirit Soil transform, there wasn't much dragon energy left. You can have it all."

Chen Guang nodded.

Throughout the entire process, Wei Donglai stood on Chen Guang's side. Seeing this, Zhong Qi merely raised an eyebrow slightly and changed the subject: "Want to take a look at that white mist duckweed? It seems to have completely stabilized, and the other white mist duckweeds have also stabilized under its influence."

"I still need the assistance of my two senior brothers. I cannot enter the formation to avoid aggravating my injuries. I need you to preside over the formation and relax the defenses against the outer detection."

Chen Guang was still somewhat wary of the chilling aura of the Ice Flower Wutong tree, so he chose to heed the medical advice of Daoist Chunming and squatted down near the ice mist array, touching the ground with one hand.

Earth and wood interact.

Zhong Qi and Wei Donglai flashed into the ice mist array and manipulated the array, allowing Chen Guang's senses from underground to penetrate the white barrier and enter the ice mist array.

The strange, cloud-like, but slow-moving, gathering and dispersing, icy entity is the pool of white mist duckweed. It took a lot of assistance to prevent it from being completely frozen, but the coldness was still slightly greater than the living space of the white mist duckweed. Extending upwards, there are white dots illuminating the vast darkness of the spiritual plant in my perception—the white mist duckweed.

They are like lamps in a raging storm, struggling to keep their flames burning even in the midst of extreme chaos.

In their center, there was a white dot that looked like it was wearing a magnificent robe and radiating purple light. Its whiteness was already negligible, as the dragon energy would reach it with each movement, making its whiteness even fainter.

The white duckweed, which was specially planted at the bottom of the pond, should probably no longer be called duckweed. It has taken root in the ground and no longer drifts with the current.

This white floating duckweed is undergoing transformation by the dragon's energy because it is connected to the earth. More precisely, the earth it is rooted in is undergoing the same transformation, so some of the changes have naturally been "inherited".

In the perception of the interaction between earth and wood, it is the dominant force that connects all the other white duckweed, helping them survive, including itself.

How should we describe or summarize it?

If Chen Guang could still tell what kind of spiritual plant the other white mist duckweed would become, then for this white mist duckweed that could accept dragon energy, Chen Guang only knew that it came from his own hands, but the specific outcome depended entirely on how it mutated on its own. This was no longer a guided transformation, but an uncontrollable mutation.

However, just as Chen Guang's consciousness made further contact with this special white floating duckweed, a piece of information flooded into his mind.

Spiritual Plant: [Mutant White Mist Duckweed (Unnamed)]

Grade: Tier 1 Common (Under Transformation)

Attribute: Water / Perennial

Special attribute: 『All』

Description: A spiritual plant that has undergone a mutation due to dragon energy, the cold energy of the Ice Flower Wutong tree, and the transforming Purple Spirit Soil. It possesses the unique attribute of being able to attract and gather all beings from the center.

Its specific characteristics are not yet fully stable.

Related description (all): Individuals with this characteristic will be regarded as the same or similar to other individuals. The specific manifestation of the characteristic of "all" will also vary among different spiritual plants.

Unlock the next level of cultivation content: 0/50 (Mature Mutant White Duckweed - Unnamed)

All of them?

Even without entering the ice mist array, Chen Guang could sense that the shape of this white mist duckweed had changed dramatically from before.

"Then let it surprise me after I recover from my injuries and after it has completed its transformation."

Leave the rest to time.

As the old saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Chen Guang's pent-up resentment towards Zhong Qi began to dissipate, replaced by a more peaceful joy.

Chen Guang withdrew from the ice mist array. Zhong Qi and Wei Donglai, who sensed this, quickly stabilized the operation of the ice mist array and came out after noticing the cessation of the earth-wood interaction.

"Let's wait and see; it's too early to draw any conclusions," Chen Guang said.

"Okay." Zhong Qi hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She looked at Chen Guang, and the two locked eyes. One was calm, the other resolute. Seeing this, Zhong Qi immediately fled.

"Junior brother is quite amiable." Wei Donglai stepped forward and stood side by side with Chen Guang, watching Zhong Qi's figure gradually disappear into the distance.

Chen Guang turned around and suddenly asked, "Why does Senior Brother cultivate Taoism?"

Wei Donglai was taken aback, then pondered for a long while, his expression becoming increasingly serious, before asking, "Junior Brother, why?"

"Not for longevity, nor for unbridled freedom."

Chen Guang straightened up.

"I only wish for peace and tranquility, and for my wishes to be fulfilled."

After pondering it carefully for a moment, Wei Donglai smiled and said, "Not for immortality, not for freedom, my junior brother and I share the same path, but our ambitions are different."

Then Wei Donglai continued to say to himself, "Unfortunately, things don't go as planned. Junior Brother wanted peace and tranquility, but the heavens are not at peace."

Chen Guang curled his lip: "What else can we do? Hopefully, I can just ignore it every time."

"Hahaha," Wei Donglai laughed loudly, then leaped into the flying boat and sailed away freely. "I entrust my Qi to my junior brother."

Chen Guang looked back at the ice mist array. What interested him more now was no longer the ice flower phoenix tree, but the white mist duckweed. Just thinking about it brought him a moment of clarity and comfort, and he couldn't help but feel great. He strode towards the door.