We agreed to farm, but you're planting a divine tree in the eternal night?

Old Tian glanced at the chairman's seat, his eyes meeting those of Wu Shan and the others, but his hands did not slow down at all. The cyan spiritual energy floated away, and the earth-yellow vine python kept coiling and twisting the spiritual lotus.

Director Liu smiled and squinted, "You really have some guts."

Lu An also looked over with interest, his tone slightly appreciative, "His strength is indeed impressive. His combat awareness and skill in manipulating spiritual plants are rare even on the front lines. Old Wu, when have we had such a robust veteran trainee back home?"

Wu Shan spoke coldly, "His name is Tian Ming. Twenty years ago, he was training on the front lines when his territory was attacked by a treacherous tide. He was seriously injured in the battle and had no choice but to retreat to the rear to stay behind at the training center."

"Oh? Back then, a large number of trainees sacrificed themselves, but only one person relied on a rare trait to resist the parasite and survived until reinforcements arrived?"

"right."

"So it was him," Lu An's eyes flickered. "It's said that when he was rescued, his internal organs were refined by a monster, but I didn't expect him to still be alive. His potential is amazing. The front line needs this kind of talent."

"Hehe, then Instructor Lu An might be disappointed," Director Liu interjected, still smiling. "I've also heard of Tian Ming. He uses the annual cultivation allowance from the logistics department to exchange for healing pills, and he still shows no signs of recovery. I wonder how much more he can contribute."

"Haha, what are some old injuries? As long as he earns enough merit on the front lines to exchange for high-grade materials, and hires an alchemist to specially refine a high-grade healing pill for him, are you worried that it won't heal completely?" Lu An's voice was cheerful, his eyes slightly narrowed. "Besides—"

"In this year's 'Battle of Procreation,' he has already eliminated Bai Sheng and is about to eliminate Jiang Qiao. He is expected to win the title of strongest trainee. At that time, hundreds of contestants' spiritual plants will become nutrients to support one person, and his potential may not be able to be transformed. Even if he is a bit older, it doesn't matter. Wasn't the headmaster a late bloomer too!"

Wu Shan slowly took a deep breath and fell silent, while Director Liu chuckled, "Instructor Lu An is joking. How can Tian Ming compare to Director Lu? As for the title of strongest trainee, I don't think it will necessarily fall on his head. After all... Jiang Qiu hasn't made a move yet."

Lu An glanced at the field and calmly said, "To be able to fight ten against one and survive until now without dying, his hybrid [Wood-Born Golden Cage] is indeed remarkable. It's a pity that once Tian Ming finishes digesting [Healing Golden Lotus], it will be equivalent to concentrating 90% of the nutrients on the field into one, allowing him to dominate the final rounds."

Now, ninety percent of the spiritual plants on the field have withered, and the surrounding area is empty, with only half of the stems drooping in the soil.

Given that the clump of [Spirit-Trapping Vine] in the center was completely focused on trapping the [Wooden Golden Cage], it had no time to look at anything else.

Nutrients gradually gathered in the "old tree root" plant. As it digested the [Healing Lotus], its trunk became stronger, and the roots that had just been destroyed extended and spread out again, and its condition improved steadily.

Even the most ordinary first-generation hybrid spiritual plants, after absorbing so many nutrients, have undergone tremendous changes in their attributes, and are by no means inferior to the best-developed second-generation hybrids.

Moreover, "Old Tree Root" already had the ability to solo kill [Wood Spirit Vine Python], and its innate attributes are among the best in the field; it will only become stronger now.

Director Liu observed this, but remained unfazed. "Digesting so much nutrition takes time, doesn't it, Director Wu?"

"Hmm," Wu Shan understood, and with a thunderous bang, slammed his hand on the table, shouting, "Attention all contestants! There are still fifteen contestants left. We need to eliminate twelve more to advance to the finals. The minimum reward is 10 high-grade [Spirit Cultivation Pills]. Everyone, hurry up and sprint!"

Upon hearing this, Team Leader Sun, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, glanced at him but didn't say anything. The entire room erupted in cheers. Several veteran trainees wiped their sweat and exclaimed, "Wang Baisheng has been eliminated, and Jiang Qiao is about to be eliminated by Lao Tian too. It seems like we have a chance to make it to the finals this year!"

"Wow, that's awesome! In the past, it was always the geniuses who received the inheritance from the master who made it into the top three each year. Could it finally be our turn to make it too?"

"Old Tian's solo venture is truly something else! Old Niu, you're the strongest among us. Let's put in a little more effort and drag things out a bit longer [the 'wooden cage' phenomenon], giving you a chance to shine. We'll get a share of the rewards then!"

"Don't do this!" Old Niu shuddered. "Director Wu said that, and you actually dare to do it? His personal apprentice Wang Baisheng being eliminated is bad enough, how dare we surpass Director Jiang's eldest daughter!"

The other veteran trainees frowned. "What are you afraid of? We're doing the same thing as always, no one's been eliminated, and we're not offending anyone. Besides, it's not us who's going to eliminate Jiang Qiao, it's Lao Tian. He's going solo this year."

"Tsk, you guys have really gotten cocky. Have you forgotten about the group that accidentally eliminated a genius back then?" Old Niu was sweating profusely, but his cloudy eyes shone with awe. "They were transferred to the front lines and distinguished themselves!"

"Hiss—" Everyone woke up with a start.

"Holy crap, back when I participated in the 'Battle for Reproduction,' my injuries had barely stabilized, and the higher-ups asked me if I was willing to be transferred back to the front lines. That was terrifying."

"Damn it, Lao Tian's actions are harming innocent bystanders. We can't 'help him.' Anyway, we just want to team up and get a good ranking. So far, even those who have been eliminated are only in the top 20 or even the top 10!"

"Good that you've figured it out," Old Niu nodded with relief, secretly clenching his fist, and solemnly said, "In that case, let's commit suicide and return to our fields!"

"Okay, I'll listen to Lao Niu. Anyway, I'm already at my breaking point. If I keep going with [Mu Sheng Jin Long], my heart condition will flare up again."

"That's enough, that's enough, time to move on!"

With a whoosh, Old Ox was the first to stop his spiritual energy output. In the center of the field, a vine-like spiritual plant topped with the [Wood Edge Flower] gradually withered and turned yellow. Its small leaves became brittle, and its trunk gradually hardened, lying on the field.

The other vine-like spiritual plants connected to it also decayed, their vitality gradually stripped away, turning into nutrients, which gathered into the body of [Wood-Born Golden Dragon] through its root system, and with a whoosh, a ring of new leaves sprouted from the roots.

This scene shocked everyone present. Wang Baisheng's eyelids twitched. "How is this possible? The [Wooden Cage] actually managed to hold out until they all withered away?!"

The audience stared wide-eyed, and as the veteran apprentices left the stage, they crowded around, exclaiming, "Holy crap, Old Niu, you ten or so veteran apprentices at the late stage of the [Proliferation Realm] combined, and you still couldn't trap Jiang Qiu? Really?!"

"Sigh~" Old Niu wiped the sweat rolling down his face and sighed, "A genius is a genius. I don't know what rare trait he cultivated. [Wooden Cage] is like a spiritual energy meat grinder. Our [Spirit-Trapping Vine] was completely drained without causing any damage."

"Holy crap, completely unharmed?!"

The single stone stirred up a thousand ripples; everyone was shocked. Zhang San and Li Si's eyes lit up, while Du Ziyue stared in disbelief, "Holy crap?"