"How could it still be like this?"
Early in the morning, Si Rong, with sleepy eyes, faced a pot of withered flowers and a fiery red flower seed. He patted his face to make sure he was not dreaming.
Hao Xin said with a tense face, "I didn't expect that either. Master said that it was because you injected too much fire spirit energy that caused the flower seed to change its nature, from a wood spirit seed to a fire spirit seed."
"But isn't it still buried safely in the flowerpot? It just... looks like it's burnt." Si Rong turned the flowerpot and studied the withered plant inside.
Hao Xin swallowed. "Because the fire spirit seed grew from this grass, and it withered after it was formed."
"No wonder!" Si Rong held up the Fire Spirit Seed and examined it carefully. "Will new plants grow from it if I plant it?"
As she spoke, she poured some fire spirit energy into it, and the "flower seed" in her hand turned red like charcoal and then began to burn.
"Ah!" Si Rong was startled. Hao Xin quickly summoned water spirit energy to condense into water droplets and shot them towards the fire spirit seed to extinguish it.
"Don't worry, it's not hot," she said, rekindling the flame. "Why is it brighter than before? I clearly didn't inject that much fire energy this time."
"Master said..." Hao Xin shook off the water from his fingertips and recalled, "The fire spirit seed won't turn into a plant, but it can produce flames. The more fire spirit energy you put in, the lighter the color. If there are impurities in the fire spirit energy, the color of the flame will also be different."
"Oh...but I still want to plant flowers." Si Rong fiddled with the withered plants. "Other people's flowers are blooming, why are mine like this?"
"Master has given you a new wood spirit seed." Hao Xin pulled out a emerald green flower seed from his bosom. "Replant it. As long as there's pure wood spirit energy injected into it, it will grow even in winter."
"Okay! But this seed seems different from the previous ones?"
"It will grow out, don't worry. Okay, I'll sleep a little longer, you can have breakfast by yourself."
"Hey, what's wrong with you today..." Before Si Rong could finish her words, Hao Xin left the yard. She muttered a few words and planned to find a new flowerpot to plant flowers.
Hao Xin returned to his residence, lay on the bed, let out a long breath, and felt severe pain all over his body.
Of course, that wood spirit seed is different from the previous ones because he made it himself.
The master gave him a fire spirit seed, saying that it could be used to temporarily replace the flower seeds. He also taught him how to make flower seeds, saying that although he had good intentions, he still had to take responsibility for his mistakes and had to do his part to solve the problem.
So he stayed up all night, concentrating all his energy on condensing the wood spirit energy into a flower seed, and finally finished this new wood spirit seed. He hoped that idiot Ah Si would quickly learn how to purify the wood spirit energy and make it bloom successfully.
Hao Xin's eyelids became heavier and heavier, and he finally fell asleep. If Si Rong hadn't come back to find him, he would have almost been late for class.
Shen Qingmang was thinking about matters related to the sports meeting. When she heard her second apprentice thanking her for the new flower seeds, she subconsciously replied "You're welcome" and then remembered to explain.
"Oh, that flower seed is actually..."
"Master!" Hao Xin interrupted her, blinking at her frantically. "The flower seeds Master gave me will surely sprout again, right?"
Shen Qingmang understood immediately and helped his little disciple cover up the past. He looked at the two of them returning to their seats and smiled meaningfully.
In the original novel, Hao Xin is neglected by his master and bullied by other disciples. Si Rong, as his senior sister, is protective and repeatedly helps him out. Shen Qingmang initially thought that Hao Xin developed a crush on Si Rong because of these actions, but unexpectedly, even if none of these things happened, he would still be attracted to her. Perhaps this is fate.
After school today, she went to Wendao Peak to submit her plan to the elders. Everyone was amazed by her exceptional efficiency. The long lifespan of a cultivator led them to take things slow, and everyone assumed Shen Qingmang would need more than a month to come up with a final plan.
Her sudden attack also caught them off guard. The elders who were called to the meeting looked at each other, and one of them even yawned loudly when faced with the confident Shen Qingmang.
"Junior Brother Qiongju, um... um, what's your name, oh, planner..."
"Is there any problem, Master?"
"I've never seen this style of writing before, but it looks pretty clear after listing one, two, three, and four."
"If there is anything you don't understand, Qiongju can explain it in detail."
“Where will these competitions be held?”
"Tentatively, the ice and snow events will be held at Wuya Peak, the highest elevation... The track and field events will be held at Wendao Peak, the most gently sloping. The Five Elements Magic events will be determined based on the concentration of spiritual energy on that day. Qiongju intends to conduct the survey after the date for the sports meet is set."
"Why is the prize for winning the championship a lesson from Master Wufeng? Can't disciples receive instruction from their master anytime, anywhere?"
"Qiong Ju has prepared two plans," Shen Qingmang said in a gentle tone. "First, each of the five peaks will send a master, who will then select one person to provide guidance based on the winning disciple's performance. Second, the winning disciple will propose to ask a master other than their master to provide guidance."
Elder Xuanshen, whose realm had been elevated by Shen Qingmang's sudden enlightenment, smiled. "If Junior Brother Qingmang doesn't mind, I'd like to give some guidance to the younger generation at Wuya Peak."
"I see, Qiongju offered this as a prize because you want outer disciples to participate, right?" Elder Yinchu, the former head of Wuyin Peak, pointed to a line of small characters and read, "Participants: All Taichu disciples. Does this mean that both inner and outer disciples can participate?"
This was the first time Shen Qingmang met Elder Yinchu. She was one of the few female elders. She had traveled to Liyou Island in search of materials for making a musical instrument and had just returned recently.
Unable to grasp the other party's temperament, Shen Qingmang responded cautiously: "Qiong Ju's idea is that both inner and outer disciples can participate, but there are some magic projects that outer disciples have not practiced before and may not choose to participate. They can only participate in projects that require physical strength."
After more than half a year here, she'd realized that the Taichu Sect's upper echelons were generally conservative, even interfering with her desire to recruit more disciples. She'd previously sought to improve the treatment of outer disciples, and while each peak now received a monthly stipend, none of the other peaks, with the exception of Wuya Peak, had opened their library to the outer disciples, maintaining their strict boundaries. So, this time, she hadn't planned a major event, lest it provoke opposition and derail her plans for the sports meet. She'd designed the competitions to favor inner disciples, intending to gradually add events that would benefit the outer disciples, gradually achieving a balance. For now, she'd only made a small concession in the prizes to incentivize them.
This elder wouldn't even allow such a small inclination, right?
"In that case, can the elders participate?" asked Elder Yinchu.
Shen Qingmang didn't react: "Huh?"
He only heard the other party laugh heartily and said, "If I win, can I ask the headmaster for some pointers?"
Shen Qingmang saw out of the corner of her eye that her master, Yun Xuzhou, the head of the Taichu Sect, had just stepped into the meeting hall, and she silently retracted her foot.
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