Uncle Nine: Scattering beans to create soldiers? I'm using plants and trees to create soldiers.

Aoki Town,

Zhang Family Residence.

In front of the altar in the backyard, the incense had burned out.

A few sticks of incense remained stuck in the incense burner, with only the dark red tips remaining, occasionally emitting a faint glow.

Lin Xuan sat cross-legged on the futon, his breathing deep and even, his aura gradually receding into his body.

After the previous battle and the use of this altar to regulate his breathing, he has recovered most of the Dao Qi that he had consumed.

As the last wisp of energy returned to his dantian, Lin Xuan slowly opened his eyes.

The courtyard was shrouded in darkness.

Zhang Nan and the housekeeper did not leave.

The two sat on the veranda not far away, wrapped in thick clothes, their heads nodding, clearly exhausted.

The steward was also holding a lamp, which was almost out of oil and the flame was pitifully small.

Lin Xuan glanced at the two of them, and felt a bit more approval towards them.

Zhang Nan has indeed demonstrated considerable business acumen to have built his business to its current level.

For an ordinary wealthy family, it would be considered quite good if the Taoist priest could politely see them to the door after completing the task.

It's truly rare to see someone like Zhang Nan, who stubbornly stayed up all night to wait for him to finish his meditation.

Lin Xuan got up, walked to the corridor, and patted Zhang Nan on the shoulder.

Zhang Nan suddenly woke up with a start, her coat almost slipping off her body.

He instinctively shrank back, and only breathed a long sigh of relief when he saw that the person in front of him was Lin Xuan. "Little Daoist Lin, you're awake?"

Lin Xuan nodded slightly. "Boss Zhang, it's late. You should go and get some rest. I should head back too."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Nan quickly stood up, leaning on a pillar for support, her face still showing signs of fatigue.

"Is Master Lin leaving so late?"

He straightened his clothes and quickly said, "I've already had the room prepared, and the bedding is all new. You can stay at the Zhang family's house tonight, and go back to Renjia Town after breakfast tomorrow morning."

The butler next to him was also awakened at this moment.

Hearing the two talking, he quickly stood aside and waited with his head down.

"No need to trouble yourself." Lin Xuan shook his head. "I have other matters to attend to at the mortuary, so I won't bother you any longer."

Seeing that he was determined to leave, Zhang Nan didn't press him any further. She immediately turned to the steward and instructed, "Go, wake up the coachman and prepare the carriage to take Daoist Xiaolin back to Renjia Town."

The butler quickly responded and hurried out with the lantern.

Not long after, the sound of horses' hooves could be heard outside the side gate of the Zhang family.

Lin Xuan boarded the carriage, and Zhang Nan personally escorted him to the door.

"Master Lin, I will never forget your life-saving grace today! Please don't hesitate to ask if you ever need anything from the Zhang family in the future."

Lin Xuan lifted the carriage curtain, nodded to him, and said, "Boss Zhang, you're too kind. Please wait a moment."

The driver gave the reins a jerk.

The carriage slowly drove away from Zhangjia and headed towards Renjia Town along the dirt road outside Qingmu Town.

The night breeze blew in through the gaps in the carriage curtains, carrying the dampness of the mountains and fields.

Lin Xuan leaned back in the carriage, closing his eyes to rest.

By the time the carriage arrived at Renjia Town, the sky was already beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

The streets and alleys were still deserted.

Without disturbing Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, Lin Xuan returned to the mortuary through the side gate and went straight to the backyard.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the soil in the backyard was covered with night dew, while the glutinous rice field was filled with a bluish-white mist.

A few early-rising insects hid in the cracks of the field ridges, making soft chirping sounds.

Lin Xuan arrived at the water vat in the corner of the courtyard.

The water in the jar was clearer than it had been the night before.

The exotic blood lotus quietly took root in the mud, its half-closed petals tinged with a faint blood color, and fine red lines slowly flowing between the veins of its leaves.

Beside the blood lotus, two water plants grew close to the water's surface.

The aquatic plant is entirely bluish-black, with narrow leaves and a faint white sheen at the edges.

Lin Xuan's gaze fell upon the system panel, which then appeared.

【Shady Water Grass】

[Quality: White]

Maturity: 90.3%

【Special Feature: Water Spirit Gathering Yin】(Can spontaneously gather Yin energy from within a ten-meter radius, accelerating the growth of aquatic plants.)

[Dao Guo: "Grassroots Soldiers"]

……

【Shady Water Grass】

[Quality: White]

Maturity: 91.3%

【Characteristic: Watery and Yin-gathering】

[Dao Guo: "Grassroots Soldiers"]

……

"It only went up a little."

Lin Xuan's brow twitched slightly.

After these two plants of Yinshui grass were transformed, their quality improved significantly, but their inherent qualities were also greatly enhanced.

To continue maturing, it needs to absorb significantly more moisture and yin energy than before.

Relying solely on a water tank in the backyard and chanting sutras to slowly raise them is still too slow.

That's normal, though.

If a white-quality spiritual plant can mature simply by being soaked in water, then it cannot be called a spiritual plant.

Lin Xuan flicked his fingers.

Two drops of Yin Water essence fell into the water tank.

tick-

tick-

Two fine ripples spread across the water's surface.

The once calm water in the tank suddenly shimmered with a faint, ethereal light.

The roots of the two water plants spread out, their fine roots burrowing into the water like living things, quickly absorbing the pure water vapor.

The bluish-black leaves swayed gently, and the white light at the tips of the leaves gradually brightened.

The water vapor around the water tank was also drawn over, slowly gathering along the edge of the tank and turning into a thin layer of mist.

[The Yin Water Grass absorbs the essence of Yin Water, thus increasing its maturity.]

Maturity: 90.4%

Maturity: 90.8%

Maturity: 91.3%

……

Lin Xuan stood by the vat and watched it quietly for a moment.

The two plants of Yinshui grass have stabilized.

The essence of Yin Water continues to work its magic, and the growth rate of Yin Water Grass is steadily increasing.

At this rate, these two plants of *Lysimachia christinae* will be fully mature in a day at most.

After harvesting the Dao Fruit of "Grass Soldiers", use the grass to make grass figures with water attributes. With the help of the Dharma lineage soldiers, they can enter the water to carry out their missions.

By then, perhaps we'll have a chance to wipe out those filthy things under the Beiqing River!

Thinking of this, a look of satisfaction appeared in Lin Xuan's eyes.

Then, Lin Xuan turned around and turned his gaze to the old well next to the water vat.

Then, on a whim, he took the statue from his system inventory.

This statue is the very same trophy that was cut from the belly of the mother and child demons after they were killed at the Zhang family's residence—the [Water Palace Spirit Turtle Statue].

The statue is entirely white, its material resembling neither jade nor bone, and it feels warm and smooth to the touch, yet it also has a translucent quality like well water.

Its overall image is that of a deity sitting on a sacred tortoise.

The deity wore a small crown and a wide-sleeved robe. His face was thin and slender, his eyebrows were lowered, and his expression was peaceful.

The tortoise beneath him was also sculpted with remarkable realism.

The turtle's head was slightly raised, its eyes were half-open, and its four legs were firmly resting on the base.

The thick tortoise shell has layers of interwoven patterns, with mysterious textures that resemble both a natural tortoise shell and a series of finely connected water palace runes.

The patterns spread along the turtle's back, vaguely outlining the shapes of wells, streams, underground rivers, and water veins.

As for the man-made array patterns that were originally drawn on the statue, they have all disappeared.

Instead, there is a natural, innate brilliance.

Lin Xuan, with a solemn expression, placed the statue properly beside the well.

With a flick of his wrist, he took out three incense sticks.

With a gentle flick of the fingertips, the tip of the incense ignited with a dark red spark.

Wisps of smoke rose, carrying a calming fragrance, slowly swirling around the well.

Lin Xuan inserted the incense into the incense burner, straightened his sleeves, and bowed devoutly to the statue of the god by the well.

"Lin Xuan, a disciple of Maoshan, today offers three sticks of incense to invite the Well God to return to his place."

May the wells be clear and the waterways peaceful, protecting the land and water of my mortuary.

The clear sound echoed in the empty backyard.

The moment the words fell, the entire backyard seemed to fall into a strange stillness.

The morning breeze was still blowing, and the leaves in the glutinous rice field were still rustling...

But the water vapor around this well seemed to be frozen in place by an invisible force!

next moment.

A faint blue light suddenly appeared between the eyebrows of the statue.

hum-

A ring of blue light emanated from the statue.

The light waves swept across the well opening like ripples on water, and then across the water tank next to it.

wow-

A clear, resonant sound came from the depths of the well, followed by fine ripples on the surface.

The well water, which originally contained some bluish-gray impurities, became crystal clear to the naked eye, exuding a sweet and refreshing aroma.

Even the water in the nearby water tank seemed to brighten a bit.

The leaves of the water lily trembled slightly, and the hybrid blood lotus swayed gently, its growth rate quietly increasing by 1%.

Just then, Lin Xuan felt a sudden chill between his brows!

The cool sensation flowed into Lin Xuan's mind, making his entire head clear and bright!

In the center of his consciousness, a scroll radiating a deep blue light was slowly taking shape.

On the document, one can vaguely see the ripples of water flowing!

Each talisman floats and disappears within, carrying a watery aura completely different from ordinary talismans.

A system notification sounded.

[Ding! Detected the blessing of the Well God. The host has gained insight into the "Water Palace Passport".]

[Proficiency in "Water Palace Pass" increased.]

Current level: Lv2 (gray).

……

Upon hearing the notification tone, Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed instantly, and his breathing became slightly heavier.

Water Palace Passport!

This is exactly the key he needs right now.

With the Water Palace document, he no longer needed to forcibly send his altar troops into Beiqing River to fight the water ghost.

Instead, one can directly use the well god's water vein as a guide to reach the water palace and request the water palace's troops to be mobilized!

In this way, we won't be helpless against the evil spirits and monsters underwater as before!

Moreover, as the level of the pass increases, the strength of the borrowed Water Palace troops will be stronger, and it is even possible to invite the Water Palace deities to take charge!

"Now, all we have to do is wait for the aquatic plants to mature, then we can make special straw figures to kill that water ghost!"

Lin Xuan's heart stirred slightly, and a look of anticipation flickered in his eyes.