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

Three days later, the medicine was finally prepared.

The elders spent two whole days and nights in the alchemy room, trying more than a dozen extraction and formulation methods, and finally found the most stable one.

The juice of the mutated spirit rice is mixed with several auxiliary medicines in a certain proportion, and then nourished with spiritual power for half an hour to fully activate its medicinal properties.

Elder Zheng conducted an experiment using the Corrosive Insects in a petri dish.

The moment the medicine was dripped in, the insects began to struggle violently, and within fifteen minutes, they all died.

He waited for another two hours to confirm that the insect showed no signs of revival before letting out a long breath.

"It's done."

The first batch of medicine was contained in thirty porcelain bottles.

Elder Zheng did not delay. He immediately took Ma Wenyuan and two disciples and set off for Cuiping Manor in a flying light.

Cuiping Village was the hardest hit by the disaster.

Nearly half of Zhou Ping's red-striped ginseng fields have been infected with the disease, and the situation is similar for the other spiritual plant growers in the village.

When Elder Zheng arrived, the manor owner was pacing anxiously by the field.

Upon learning that Elder Zheng had come with a solution, the nearly fifty-year-old manor lord almost burst into tears!

After diluting the pesticide solution with water, spray it on each row.

Elder Zheng personally oversaw the process, demanding meticulous attention to the dosage and evenness of spraying for each row.

The results were even better than expected.

Just two hours later, the leaves, which were originally covered with gray and white spots, now had green edges around the spots—a sign that the spirit-eating insects had died and the spirit plant was beginning to recover.

Zhou Ping squatted down and turned over a leaf. The back of the leaf, which was originally covered with dense grayish-white insect spots, was now dull and shriveled, and turned into powder when rubbed with his hand.

"He's alive..." His voice trembled slightly. "He's alive!"

The news spread, and the entire Cuiping Village was in an uproar.

Elder Zheng did not stay at Cuiping Manor for long.

After confirming that the medicine was effective and that the Soul-Eating Insects had no chance of survival, he immediately returned to his sect.

time does not wait.

There are still six villages whose spiritual plants are waiting for the medicinal liquid to save their lives. Every moment of delay will destroy another field.

Upon returning to the Spirit Plant Hall, Elder Zheng immediately organized a team. Apart from keeping a few plants as seedlings, the remaining mutated spirit rice was all processed into medicinal liquid.

The amount of juice is limited, but after being diluted with water, it is barely enough to supply the emergency needs of seven villages.

The disciples split into several groups, carrying the medicine, and rode their escape lights to head to the various disaster-stricken farms.

The medicine from Qingmuzhuang was delivered by Ma Wenyuan.

When Zhao Demao received the porcelain bottle, his hands were trembling slightly, and he thanked him repeatedly.

Ma Wenyuan waved his hand and said that Elder Zheng had instructed that the fields most severely affected by the disease should be sprayed first, and the dosage should be precise to avoid waste.

The effect was immediate after the medicine was sprayed on.

On the first day, the number of newly appearing spots decreased significantly.

The next day, the already infected rice stopped getting worse, the grayish-white spots on the leaves stopped spreading, and the milder cases even began to turn green.

Within a few days, the gray spot disease that had been spreading for more than half a month was finally brought under control!

Zhao Demao stood on the edge of the field, looking at the spiritual field that, though mottled, was no longer deteriorating, and let out a long breath.

Although this season's harvest may not be complete, at least it won't be a complete loss.

The tenant farmers' faces also lit up with smiles.

Li Laosi squatted on the edge of the field, smoking his pipe, and said to the tenant farmer next to him, "This time we have to thank Manager Lu. If it weren't for those few mutated spirit rice plants in his field, our whole season would have been ruined."

"you do not say."

The tenant farmer next to him chimed in.

The plant growers of Baiguozhuang and Fenglinzhuang were mostly relieved—no matter what, the disease was finally under control, and this season wouldn't be a complete financial disaster.

......

After the gray spot disease was brought under control, life in Aoki Village returned to its usual rhythm.

The tenant farmers' faces returned to smiles, and their work in the fields gradually returned to normal.

Before dawn, you can hear roosters crowing, and in the evening, when people finish work, you can see groups of people smoking dry cigarettes on the ridges of the fields.

Li Laosi squatted on the edge of the field, smoking a pipe, squinting at the patch of spiritual field that, though mottled, had finally come back to life, and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.

"We've finally made it through," he said to the tenant farmer beside him.

The tenant farmer nodded, then shook his head, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just sighed.

Although most of this season's harvest was saved, the dead parts couldn't be saved, and the year-end wages would likely be significantly reduced.

However, compared to a complete crop failure, this is already the best possible outcome.

That evening, Zhao Demao had Wang Fu invite all the spiritual plant growers to the main room.

Everyone has arrived.

Sun Zhiyuan sat in his usual spot, arms crossed, his face expressionless.

Zhou Ming sat next to him, his round face bearing his usual smile, but the gloom in his eyes had lessened considerably compared to the past few days.

Liu Wenhua and Wang Youde sat opposite each other, one drinking tea with his head down, the other looking around.

Lu Qingchen sat at the end of the table, just like always.

Zhao Demao sat in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over the people present, and cleared his throat.

"I've called everyone here today for no other reason than..."

He paused, his gaze falling on Lu Qingchen. "Manager Lu, the entire manor owes a great debt to you this time."

Lu Qingchen was slightly taken aback. Before he could speak, Zhao Demao had already stood up and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting.

"If it weren't for those few mutated spirit rice plants in your field, our Qingmu Manor's harvest this season would have been at least 40% less!"

"I, Zhao Demao, have worked in Qingmuzhuang for more than ten years. This is the first time I've encountered something like this, and it's also the first time I've received such a big favor from a junior."

He spoke slowly, and every word was clear.

Lu Qingchen quickly stood up and returned the greeting: "Master, you flatter me. I didn't do anything special, I was just lucky."

Whether it's luck or skill.

Zhao Demao waved his hand, "The fact is, without your few spirit rice plants, the whole village would have suffered. Qingmu Village will remember this favor."

Zhou Ming also stood up, raised his teacup to Lu Qingchen, and said, "Manager Lu, we owe you a lot this time! I'd like to toast you."

Lu Qingchen picked up his teacup and returned the greeting.

The two nodded to each other across the table, and Zhou Ming sat back down.

Liu Wenhua rarely took the initiative to speak. He stood up, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Lu Qingchen, and said two words: "Thank you."

Then he sat down, picked up his teacup and continued drinking tea, as if his previous words had exhausted all his talking for the day.

Wang Youde was the most direct. He stood up, walked over to Lu Qingchen, and slapped him on the shoulder: "Junior Brother Lu, I, Wang Youde, am impressed! I'm truly impressed by your luck!"

Lu Qingchen's shoulder swayed slightly from the pat, and he smiled without saying anything.

Sun Zhiyuan was the last to stand up. He held his teacup, raised it to Lu Qingchen, and gave a slight smile: "Thank you, Manager Lu."

His tone was flat, and his face was polite, just like always.

After saying that, he sat back down, slowly sipping his tea, occasionally turning his head to say something to Liu Wenhua next to him, his expression unchanged.

Lu Qingchen glanced at him, nodded, and didn't say anything more.

......