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

Old Master Sun had been kind to him, helping him ever since Panlong Peak, so he had to give him face.

Besides, if Old Master Sun really wanted to seize it, given his status, he wouldn't need to consult with him at all.

"Alright, we'll do as Elder Sun says."

Old Sun was taken aback, seemingly not expecting him to agree so readily.

Then, a smile flashed across his face.

"Don't worry, this spiritual plant is yours. I won't take anything from you. No matter how it grows in the future, it will belong to you. I'm just studying it, and I'll return it to you when I'm done."

Lu Qingchen's last bit of worry dissipated, and he bowed respectfully: "Thank you, Elder Sun."

"Alright, no need to thank me."

Old Sun waved his hand, squatted down, and began to look at the two potted spiritual plants again, his eyes filled with a childlike curiosity.

"You can leave now. Leave your things here, I'll look at them slowly."

Lu Qingchen stood there for a while, then asked, "Elder Sun, what about the matter of the exclusive spirit field..."

"Don't worry, I'll get it done for you quickly."

Old Sun didn't even look up. "Just go back and wait."

Lu Qingchen bowed again, then turned and left the herb garden.

Walking along the mountain path, sunlight filtered through the leaves, bathing him in its warmth.

He took a deep breath, and the corners of his mouth slowly turned up.

With its own dedicated spiritual field and protected by an array, the earth vein spirit embryo can finally be planted legitimately.

He quickened his pace and headed towards the Lingma Caravan Park.

Lu Qingchen came down from Panlong Peak and walked out along the mountain path.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, warming my skin.

With the matter of his exclusive spiritual field settled, he could now smoothly plant the earth vein spirit embryo, and his mood was unusually relaxed.

When he reached the vicinity of the Spirit Plant Hall, he suddenly paused.

A person was standing at the entrance, talking to the disciple on duty.

The man was wearing a drab gray short jacket, and his back view looked somewhat familiar.

After the man finished speaking, he turned around—he had a round face, dark skin, and slightly furrowed brows.

Zhou Ping.

Lu Qingchen was stunned for a moment.

Wasn't Zhou Ping at Cuiping Manor? How come he's here?

He strode over and called out, "Senior Brother Zhou."

Zhou Ping looked up, saw it was him, and a hint of surprise flashed across his face: "Junior Brother Lu? What are you doing in the sect?"

"I came back to take care of some things."

Lu Qingchen walked up to him. "Weren't you at Cuiping Manor, Senior Brother? Why are you back?"

Zhou Ping gave a wry smile, and instead of answering directly, he took two steps to the side, making room for the doorway.

Lu Qingchen then noticed the worry in his brows and the dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept well for several nights.

"There's a problem with the spiritual plants on the estate," Zhou Ping said in a low voice. "I've come back to find someone to help."

Lu Qingchen frowned: "What problem? Even you, Senior Brother, can't solve it?"

Zhou Ping had been farming for several years, and although his crops weren't top-tier, his experience was undeniable.

What could make him make a special trip back to his sect to ask for reinforcements must be no small matter.

"Diseases and diseases".

Zhou Ping sighed, "The batch of red-striped ginseng I planted has developed grayish-white spots on its leaves, and I can't cure it no matter what I do. The owner of Cuiping Manor happens to be away these days, and there's no one to help me make a decision."

"I tried several methods—changing the soil, controlling the watering, and sprinkling lime—but none of them worked. I had no other choice but to come back and see if I could find someone to help me at the Spirit Plant Hall."

Red-striped ginseng.

Lu Qingchen had heard of this spiritual plant; it was a mid-grade first-level plant, much more delicate than the Jade Spirit Rice, and had higher requirements for soil and water.

The fact that Zhou Ping can grow this shows that he's doing quite well in Cuiping Village.

"Have you found them?" Lu Qingchen asked.

"Found it." Zhou Ping's expression softened slightly. "Senior Brother Ma agreed to come with me. He's worked at the Spirit Plant Hall for almost ten years and is a first-grade expert. He has much more experience than me."

As they were talking, a cultivator in his early thirties walked out of the Spirit Plant Hall.

He was thin and had an ordinary face. He wore a faded blue robe and had a first-grade high-level spirit plant master's token hanging at his waist.

He walked at a moderate pace to Zhou Ping's side, his gaze sweeping over Lu Qingchen.

"Who is this?"

"Senior Brother Ma, this is Junior Brother Lu Qingchen, also from the Spirit Plant Hall, currently at Qingmu Manor."

Zhou Ping introduced, "Junior Brother Lu, this is Senior Brother Ma Wenyuan."

"Senior Brother Ma," Lu Qingchen cupped his hands in greeting.

Ma Wenyuan nodded, his gaze lingering on Lu Qingchen for a moment, as if recalling something: "Qingmu Manor...you're the one recommended by Elder Sun?"

Lu Qingchen was slightly taken aback, not expecting the other party to know him: "That's right."

Ma Wenyuan grunted in response, saying nothing more, but his attitude became noticeably more polite.

He turned to Zhou Ping: "Let's go, let's get to Cuiping Village before dark and check the situation first."

Lu Qingchen's heart stirred.

Cuiping Village is located north of Qingmu Village, so it's convenient to go back to Qingmu Village.

He was curious about the disease Zhou Ping mentioned—what could it be that could leave a plant expert who had been cultivating the land for several years helpless?

"Senior Brother Zhou, may I go with you to take a look?" he asked.

Zhou Ping glanced at him, somewhat surprised: "You're going too?"

"It's on the way," Lu Qingchen said. "I'll be passing through Cuiping Manor on my way back to Qingmu Manor, and I also want to see what kind of disease is so severe."

Zhou Ping thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay, but don't touch anything when you get there. We don't know if the disease is contagious."

"Don't worry, senior brother."

The three of them left the Spirit Plant Hall and headed towards the carriage and horse field.

......

In the carriage heading to Cuiping Village, Ma Wenyuan sat by the window, closing his eyes to rest.

Zhou Ping sat opposite him, tapping his fingers lightly on his knees, clearly feeling uneasy.

Lu Qingchen sat in the corner, not saying a word, just quietly watching the mountain shadows flash by outside the window.

"Senior Brother Ma," Zhou Ping suddenly spoke up, "Do you think that disease might be the Soul-Eating Disease?"

Ma Wenyuan opened his eyes and remained silent for a while: "We'll talk about it when we get there. It's hard to draw conclusions before we see it with our own eyes."

Zhou Ping nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

The carriage fell silent again, with only the creaking of the wheels as they rolled over the mountain road.

Lu Qingchen leaned against the corner, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two.

The name "Spirit Erosion Disease" was new to him, but judging from Zhou Ping's expression, it didn't seem like a good thing.

Several hours later, the hearse stopped in front of a gentle slope.

The driver lifted the carriage curtain and gestured towards the outside, saying, "We've arrived at Cuiping Village."

The three of them got out of the car.

Cuiping Village is larger than Qingmu Village, with vast stretches of spiritual fields that appear as a verdant expanse from afar.

But Lu Qingchen noticed that the color of some fields was not quite right—it was a grayish green, as if covered by a thin mist.

Zhou Ping led the two through the village, encountering several tenant farmers along the way. They all nodded and greeted him, but their expressions were not very pleasant.

An old tenant farmer carrying a hoe passed by, glanced at Zhou Ping, sighed, and left without saying a word.