After binding with a genius, I became an immortal by exploiting loopholes.

However, before that, the news that Lu Qingchen had become a spirit plant husband had already spread among a few friends.

Li Si was the first to know.

On the second day after Lu Qingchen officially became a spirit plant master, he returned from drawing array diagrams in the Array Dao Hall all day, feeling dizzy and disoriented. In the courtyard, he ran into Lu Qingchen, who had just returned from the Spirit Plant Hall.

"Qingchen, you look good," Li Si said casually.

"good."

Lu Qingchen smiled and said, "I registered at the Spirit Plant Hall yesterday, and I'll be a formal Spirit Plant Master from now on."

Li Si paused, turned around, and stared at him, his eyes wide: "A formally certified spirit plant cultivator? You passed the assessment?"

"Passed."

Li Si was stunned for a few seconds, then slapped him on the shoulder: "Wow! You've already passed the test in just three months? I remember Zhao Ming was still worrying about his rocky land."

Lu Qingchen rubbed his shoulder, which had been slapped so hard, smiled, and said nothing.

That evening, Wang Ming also returned from the weapon-refining hall.

As soon as he entered, he saw Li Si and Lu Qingchen sitting together talking. He threw down his toolbox and plopped down between them, asking, "What are you two talking about?"

"Qingchen has passed the Spirit Plant Master assessment." Li Si's opening statement was a startling piece of news.

Wang Ming nearly dropped his water glass: "What?!"

"Passed, officially appointed as a Spirit Plant Master."

Li Si repeated it.

Wang Ming turned to look at Lu Qingchen, scrutinizing him several times as if he were a complete stranger: "You... how did you manage? Weren't your spirit rice plants stolen?"

"They've been found," Lu Qingchen said. "And those few spirit rice plants won't affect the overall situation."

Wang Ming was silent for a few seconds, then sighed: "Alright, you're lucky. But speaking of which, you're really good at farming. I saw that a long time ago."

Li Si added from the side, "When did you figure that out? Didn't you say before that 'Qingchen's land is so barren, it would be a miracle if anything could grow on it'?"

Wang Ming blushed: "I was... I was just concerned about him!"

Lu Qingchen watched the two bickering, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

Although these past few months have been tough, now that I've truly become a spiritual plant grower, I don't find it so difficult anymore.

The news spread very quickly.

The next day, Zhao Ming, Qian Wanliang, and several other acquaintances also found out.

Zhao Ming ran into Lu Qingchen in the cafeteria.

He sat down with his rice bowl in his hand, looking at Lu Qingchen with a complicated expression: "I heard you passed the assessment?"

"Um."

Zhao Ming was silent for a while, then lowered his head and ate a mouthful of rice. He said in a muffled voice, "My plot of land is still the same as before. There are many stones and the soil is poor. The spirit rice is growing sparsely, and several plants have died this month. It's driving me crazy."

Lu Qingchen didn't know what to say, so he only advised, "Take your time, you'll be able to grow it eventually."

Zhao Ming gave a wry smile and didn't reply.

Qian Wanliang, ever the easygoing one, slapped Lu Qingchen on the shoulder: "Congratulations! You're officially a spirit plant master now, you'll have to treat us!"

"Okay, tomorrow night, it's my treat at that little restaurant next to the cafeteria," Lu Qingchen said.

"That's not cheap!" Qian Wanliang's eyes lit up. "Are you sure?"

"Sure."

In the evening, the group met at a small restaurant next to the cafeteria.

It was called a restaurant, but it was actually just a shed built by the outer disciples themselves, with a few wooden tables and benches, selling some spiritual food and side dishes and homemade spiritual wine.

The owner is a senior disciple at the fourth level of Qi Refining. He has good skills and his prices are reasonable. Outer disciples occasionally come here to improve their meals.

When Lu Qingchen arrived, Li Si, Wang Ming, Zhao Ming, and Qian Wanliang were already seated. Several small dishes and a pot of spirit wine were laid out on the table.

"You've come at the perfect time, the food has just been served." Li Si invited him to sit down.

Wang Ming had already poured a cup of spirit wine, picked it up and smelled it: "This wine is good. The boss said it's brewed with spirit rice, and drinking it is good for cultivation."

"Drink less, you have to go to the weapon-refining hall to forge iron tomorrow," Li Si said.

"Just one cup, just one cup." Wang Ming chuckled.

The group ate and chatted.

Li Si recounted an amusing anecdote from the Array Dao Hall—a junior brother spilled ink while drawing an array diagram, ruining the entire drawing and receiving a severe scolding from his senior sister.

Wang Ming talked about the matter in the weapon-refining hall—he finally forged a complete iron ingot today, although it was crooked and uneven, but his senior brother said that he had "made progress".

Zhao Ming and Qian Wanliang also said a few words, and the atmosphere was very lively.

Lu Qingchen listened, occasionally interjecting with a word, but mostly focused on eating his food slowly.

He'd been busy in the fields for months, and it had been a long time since he'd sat down and had a proper meal like this.

"By the way," Wang Ming put down his wine glass and looked at Lu Qingchen, "you'll be a formal spirit plant grower from now on. What are your plans? Will you still be farming that land?"

"uncertain."

Lu Qingchen picked up a piece of food and said, "The Spirit Plant Hall has allocated spirit fields to each spirit plant grower. I haven't chosen one yet, but I want to ask Elder Sun if he has any suggestions."

"Old Sun is so good to you."

Li Si said enviously, "He lent you land, delivered fertilizer, and helped you find magic rice. I heard he even personally helped you resolve Liu Quan's matter? Who would care about you if it were someone else?"

Lu Qingchen nodded without saying anything more.

He remembered Sun Lao's kindness.

Wang Ming poured another glass of wine and raised it: "Come, let's toast Qingchen! Congratulations on becoming a formal spirit plant grower!"

Li Si also raised his glass: "Congratulations!"

Zhao Ming and Qian Wanliang also raised their glasses: "Congratulations!"

Lu Qingchen picked up his cup, clinked it with the others' cups, and drank it all in one gulp.

The liquor was a bit spicy, causing him to cough twice, while Wang Ming laughed heartily beside him.

After finishing his meal, Lu Qingchen went to pay the bill.

He took out two spirit stones from his sleeve and handed them to the shopkeeper, who gave him change.

Wang Ming, with his sharp eyes, noticed that there were several spirit stones in his sleeve pocket, and his eyes widened immediately.

"Qingchen, where did you get so many spirit stones?" Wang Ming leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Don't you only get two spirit stones a month?"

Li Si also looked over, his eyes filled with surprise.

Lu Qingchen put away his sleeve and said calmly, "It was a senior brother from the Spirit Plant Hall who made the compensation. He stole my spirit rice and paid me thirty spirit stones."

"Thirty yuan?!" Wang Ming gasped. "Your few spirit rice plants are worth thirty yuan?"

"It's of good quality, and the leaves have a spiritual glow," Lu Qingchen said. "This kind can be kept for future research. Liu Quan did something wrong, so he naturally has to pay the price."

Wang Ming and Li Si exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

Thirty spirit stones are enough for their monthly salary for two years.

However, neither of them pressed for details about the spirit rice. They knew that the spirit rice grown by Lu Qingchen was indeed extraordinary, and that the price was not unreasonable.

Lu Qingchen did not mention that he had earned a few spirit stones from selling spirit rice.

He planned to keep the money for other purposes and didn't want to make a fuss about it.

......