Chapter 151: You Humans Are Quite Good (3k4)
After sampling the data of many plants, Jiang Cheng and Yue Linger hurried back home without stopping to integrate the sampling data.
The growth of a plant is generally divided into six stages.
Germination, seedling, growth, flowering, fruiting, aging.
Among them, germination, seedling, growth, and aging stages only need to be experienced once, while the flowering and fruiting stages can be repeated multiple times.
Considering the ten-year lifespan of a Blood Orange Tree, it can repeat the flowering and fruiting process about ten, or even nine times throughout its life.
Of course, as a Spirit Plant, the Blood Orange Fruit is different from normal plants. After normal plants bear fruit, the ripe fruit naturally falls off and turns into seeds, but the Blood Orange Fruit does not fall off normally.
If not harvested, the fruit of the Blood Orange will continue to grow without getting bigger, but its age will increase.
The Blood Orange Fruit that grows in one year is of ten-year quality, and if the fruit is not shed and is allowed to grow for ten years, one can obtain a hundred-year quality Blood Orange Fruit.
However, the medicinal properties of Spirit Plants have diminishing marginal benefits. A hundred-year quality Blood Orange Fruit is not much stronger than a ten-year quality one, so for the sake of maximizing profits, the fruit of the Blood Orange Tree is harvested once a year.
Before going to Lotus University’s Spirit Plant Garden, Jiang Cheng had done his homework thoroughly.
The information he collected on the plants was from the best performers at each growth stage in the Spirit Plant Garden.
For example, the fastest germinators, the fastest-growing seedlings, and the ones that flower and bear fruit the quickest.
The Blood Orange Tree must learn from the best plants in the entire Spirit Plant Garden.
As is well-known, “just as humans need iron and food made of steel,” the same is true for plants.
Enforcing self-discipline in plants may speed up their growth, but their nutrition must keep up as well. Otherwise, it would be likened to pulling up seedlings to make them grow taller, resulting in a skinny and actually frail sapling.
To ensure the Blood Orange Tree gets enough nutrients, Jiang Cheng specifically collected information on “Seeking Sun Grass.”
To help the Blood Orange Tree speed up photosynthesis and accumulate enough energy for growth.
“Jiang Cheng, the information about the Seeking Sun Grass is here.”
Yue Linger handed over an Autonomy Talisman marked to Jiang Cheng.
This Autonomy Talisman recorded how the Seeking Sun Grass conducts photosynthesis, and it’s known that even at night, it can perform efficient photosynthesis with very low light, which shows how strong its capability is.
Jiang Cheng took the Autonomy Talisman and extracted the relevant parts about photosynthesis ability.
But soon, Jiang Cheng furrowed his brow.
Why does this talisman record so much information? Could it be that the photosynthesis of Seeking Sun Grass is a very complex ability? That must be the case, after all. With Seeking Sun Grass’s powerful abilities, how could its information be unremarkable?
Liu Qing was originally just observing Jiang Cheng and Yue Linger’s work, but when Yue Linger took out the Seeking Sun Grass Autonomy Talisman, she noticed something was off.
There was a faint hint of Nascent Soul aura on the talisman, weak and without malice, but the aura was indeed present.
The talisman might have been touched by a Nascent Soul cultivator.
However, it seemed to be undamaged; presumably, there was nothing wrong with it.
Seeing Jiang Cheng focused on studying the talisman, Liu Qing quietly sat beside him, keeping silent all the while.
Although her cultivation level was high, she was not adept at pondering over things.
Most of the time, she made decisions based on her intuition.
In fact, from the time she started interacting with Jiang Cheng, Liu Qing had always been unable to keep up with his thoughts.
So, she felt that not causing trouble for Jiang Cheng was the greatest help she could offer.
After a morning, plus most of an afternoon’s hard work by Jiang Cheng and Yue Linger, the ultimate version of the Plant Autonomy Talisman, combining all the best features of multiple plants, was finally successfully completed!
According to Jiang Cheng’s calculations, the self-disciplined Blood Orange Tree could grow nearly fifteen times faster than one without an Autonomy Talisman!
Originally, it would take a whole year for a Blood Orange Tree to go from planting to fruiting, but with the support of Jiang Cheng’s Autonomy Talisman, this process was shortened to just 24 days!
A harvest of Blood Orange Fruit every 24 days means fifteen harvests a year!
Under ideal conditions, the annual yield of the Blood Orange Fruit could increase by 15 times!
But this is only under ideal conditions, and whether the Blood Orange Tree can successfully self-regulate still depends on the use of a Talisman, and you have to wait 24 days before you know.
Any accident could happen in the meantime, Jiang Cheng could not take it lightly.
The next day, an accident occurred.
If Jiang Cheng didn’t come to play with her at night, Liu Qing usually went to bed early and correspondingly, she woke up early in the morning.
Today, after she got up and washed up as usual, taking her breakfast to the balcony, she noticed something was off about the sapling of the Blood Orange Tree.
“Jiang Cheng,” Liu Qing knocked on the door of Jiang Cheng’s room.
“What is it?”
Jiang Cheng, wearing striped pajamas, asked as he opened the door.
“It doesn’t look right.”
Not right?
Because this was about the Plant Autonomy Talisman and the Blood Orange Fruit, Jiang Cheng didn’t dare to be careless, and squatting down in front of the Blood Orange Tree’s flower pot without even changing his clothes.
The sapling in the flowerpot was barely alive, and while it did grow sizable, it conspicuously looked half-dead.
Moreover, Jiang Cheng always felt that the tree’s “hairstyle” was a bit sloppy, like roadside Foxtail Grass.
Jiang Cheng observed the state of the sapling for a while, then grabbed a handful of soil from the flowerpot.
“Has the soil turned to yellow sand…It seems like it grew too fast, and the soil’s nutrients were insufficient. But that shouldn’t be the case, right? Does it have the ability of Seeking Sun Grass yet still suffers from nutrient deficiency?”
Jiang Cheng always felt there was something wrong with his Blood Orange Tree, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
Actually, solving the issue of nutrient deficiency in the tree was easy, simply changing the soil would do.
Jiang Cheng took out another flowerpot and transplanted the tree into it.
Sure enough, an hour later, his tree perked up once again.
But this time, Jiang Cheng watched the state of the soil in the second pot closely, and noted that as the tree grew rapidly, the nutrients in the soil were quickly depleted.
He estimated that in less than half a day, he would have to change the soil and pot again.
“Rapid growth brings rapid consumption, which makes sense, but changing soil every half day is a bit too troublesome.”
“Water.”
Liu Qing crouched next to Jiang Cheng with a cup of water in her hand.
She still hadn’t forgotten her housekeeper duties—bringing water to the “master” when he was thirsty.
Looking at Liu Qing and the water she offered, Jiang Cheng wondered whether he could delegate the task of changing the soil for the tree to her?
That way, Snake would have a job, and he wouldn’t be troubled.
The best of both worlds.
“Liu Qing, this tree probably needs its soil changed every half day, can you help with that?”
“A job?”
“A job.”
“Okay.”
Liu Qing nodded her head.
She wasn’t particularly interested in changing soil or trees, but if it was a task given by Jiang Cheng, she’d be very willing to do it.
She handed the water over to Jiang Cheng and then rolled up her sleeves, ready to reach out and help change the soil for the tree.
Her snow-white delicate hands, contrasted with the dark soil of the flower pot, formed an extremely stark contrast.
It was as if someone was using a hoe made of white jade to plow the land.
To say it was a waste of heaven’s gifts would be an understatement; it was purely ruining good things.
“Hold on.”
Jiang Cheng grabbed her hand before Liu Qing could touch the sand.
The last time they held hands like this was when they were testing the Fishing Talisman.
The feel of Liu Qing’s little hand was the same as before, soft and smooth, combined with a gentle coolness.
“You don’t need to help with the repotting,” Jiang Cheng said.
“Why not?”
“You can help with one now, but what about when I plant ten? Can you repot them all?”
Liu Qing blinked and said without hesitation, “I can.”
“What about a hundred?”
“I can.”
“What about ten thousand?”
“I can.”
“A hundred thousand.”
“I can.”
“I plant the entire Capital.”
“I can.”
Jiang Cheng felt a bit embarrassed.
If anyone else had claimed they could repot so much, there would be no doubt they were bragging, but it seemed a certain Mahayana Realm Monster could really do it.
“I get it, you don’t need to say more. You don’t need to help with the repotting. I have come up with a better idea. Bring me the brush for drawing talismans,” he concluded.
Jiang Cheng finished speaking, but Liu Qing still crouched motionless beside him.
“Why aren’t you going?” he asked.
This seemed to be the first time Snake hadn’t moved. She wasn’t like this before.
“Hand,” Liu Qing said.
Hand?
Jiang Cheng looked down.
Oh, he was still holding it. He hadn’t let go.
Jiang Cheng quickly released Liu Qing’s hand, saying, “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”
Liu Qing shook her head and said, “No need.”
Then she silently went to fetch things for Jiang Cheng.
Isn’t it very normal for friends to hold hands? Why did he apologize?
Liu Qing couldn’t understand.
Jiang Cheng, on the other hand, fell into thought.
Why had he made the beginner’s mistake of “forgetting to let go”? Strange, had he been cultivating too hard recently?
After Liu Qing brought Jiang Cheng the brush for drawing talismans, he started modifying the Plant Autonomy Talisman.
As a self-disciplined fruit tree, it would be normal to repot itself, right?
If it could change soil, then watering itself wouldn’t be too difficult either, would it?
After changing the soil and watering, if the ground wasn’t clean, it wouldn’t be too troublesome to tidy up, would it?
If it could sweep the floor, then getting up early to prepare three dishes and a soup…
Let’s forget about that. After all, fire does somewhat restrain plants.
Messy little fruit tree: You’re quite decent.
This year, Lotus Cloud University’s Talisman Department still had three classes.
Following the tacit understanding of previous years, the students of Class 3 had the highest configuration, followed by Class 2, and Class 1 took in “special admission” students, such as those with recommendation letters, weird contributions, or who donated a bunch of Spirit Stones.
Based on Jiang Cheng’s perfect scores in five subjects, he should’ve been in Class 3.
But Mao Lang, the counselor of Class 3, shuddered at the sight of Jiang Cheng, as if Jiang Cheng had once dismembered him piece by piece.
Mao Lang stated: Jiang Cheng could come to Class 3, but I would transfer to Capital University.
Lotus University didn’t object to transferring, but with the start of the academic year imminent, a missing teacher was hard to replace.
Reluctantly, they had to move Jiang Cheng to Class 2.
Liu Lingshen declared: Jiang Cheng could come to Class 2, but I’ll teach Class 1 instead, or I’ll advance to Core Formation and battle the Heavenly Tribulation to the death!
The counselor of Class 1, who hadn’t attended the freshman assessment but was horrified by his colleagues, stated: It’s not that I don’t want to teach Jiang Cheng, it’s mainly because I’m getting old, my health isn’t good. My kidney has performed Core Formation first, and I’d like to request medical leave.
Finally, Guo Xiuyuan, the head of the Talisman Department at Lotus University, a Core Formation Cultivator, and a fourth-order Talisman Master, personally visited the young teacher who had just transferred to their college to teach – a second-order Talisman Master, Cui Zhifei.
“Zhifei, I see great potential in you,” Guo Xiuyuan said, patting the shoulders of Cui Talisman Master emphatically.
Cui Zhifei was flattered.
“There is a senior teacher in our department who is unwell, and he has vacated the position of Class 1 counselor. I think you’re quite suitable. What do you think?”
“Me?” Cui Zhifei pointed to himself in surprise.
“Indeed. Among the new teachers in our college, I value you the most. Let me tell you something in private, in our school, becoming a counselor is a necessary step for promotion. It happens that a senior teacher has retired due to illness, leaving a vacancy.”
“Am I qualified?” Cui Zhifei hesitated.
He was young, with little experience, but felt that this counselor position was an opportunity he should seize.
“Believe in yourself. I’ve already discussed with the counselors of the other two classes and asked them to support your work. For the new students this year, you pick first, and they choose from those you’ve left over.”
Guo Xiuyuan took out this year’s ranking of the freshman assessments.
Cui Zhifei saw Jiang Cheng’s name ranked first at a glance.
Perfect scores in all five assessments!
What a prodigy of a Talisman Master!
“You pick first,” urged Guo Xiuyuan.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Cui Zhifei thought to himself: Hey, letting a newcomer like me pick first, you’re really quite nice.
A fool wouldn’t take advantage of a good deal.
Cui Zhifei wasn’t going to be polite; he immediately pointed to Jiang Cheng’s name on the list and said, “Him.”