Chapter 29: An Irresistible Force

Huang Tao had pulled out a big chunk of his hair, yet he still couldn't figure out why the Soul Calming Fragrance simply wouldn't bloom. Could it really be a defective plant?

There was no other way; he'd have to switch to another plant.

He couldn't let an entire night go to waste when the assessment was only for four days and three nights!

Supporting his weary body, Huang Tao made his way with difficulty toward the seedlings area, but on the way, he noticed his good friend Ma Wu rushing over as well, looking rather hurried.

"Mr. Ma? What is this…"

"Hmm? Brother Huang?" Ma Wu, who had accompanied Huang Tao during the day, was puzzled to see Huang Tao not cultivating in his own area, "I picked a defective plant; after struggling with it for three to four hours, alas, it simply won't bear fruit."

"Ah? What a coincidence?" Huang Tao was startled, "Me too!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Wu's heart felt much more comfortable—turns out he wasn't the only one with bad luck!

"Brother Huang, let's go pick another one together, it is already midnight; if we delay further, it will be too late."

"Let's go!"

......

There were quite a few people coming to reselect seedlings or seeds, but nobody thought to question the reason; after all, this kind of thing wasn't rare. Who doesn't experience plants dying every now and then? Besides, when picking, everyone chose somewhat difficult plants.

So, when Zhao Xing initiated the first pulse of the Earth Vein Comprehensive Element, most people did not think in that direction.

But could anyone think of and notice it?

There were some who did.

For example, Wen Nanxing and Xiao Ze, who were close to Zhao Xing, were both at the Gathering Essence Third Rank; and since they were nearby, if they observed carefully and made comparisons, they could still realize that the anomaly was man-made.

Zhao Xing had thought of this, so he controlled the absorption efficiency for these two neighbors.

"I can't let the experts notice too early; I need to control the pace. But these two, being in a place where the elemental energy is abundant, and their own spellcasting energy is purer, even if I reduce the absorption proportion, they still receive more than the others."

For the less skilled, he vigorously absorbed, taking eight or nine tenths of the full energy.

For these experts, Zhao Xing was extremely cautious, cutting flesh with a blunted knife, boiling a frog in warm water.

"Though Earth Vein Comprehensive Element is difficult to learn and cultivate, it still doesn't rule out the possibility that others may know this spell."

"But so far I've felt no one draining my elemental energy; there probably isn't another 'Old Six' around."

The novices can't recognize it, the experts haven't noticed.

Although throughout the night, voices of confusion were intermittently heard, everything was developing according to Zhao Xing's expectations.

.......

As time passed, the elemental energy gradually accumulated. The Vajra Bamboo at the center of the spellcasting finally began to stir.

At 1 a.m., the tip of the Vajra Bamboo shoot broke through the surrounding soil, emitting a faint golden glow.

Seeing this, Zhao Xing immediately summoned a dark cloud to water the Vajra Bamboo, aiding its growth.

At 1:15 AM, the Vajra Bamboo continued to grow, its leaf sheaths' patterns thickening, swelling to half a meter tall.

At 1:30 AM, the height of the Vajra Bamboo doubled to one meter, and the first node appeared, signifying its departure from the seedling stage.

At 1:45 AM, the second node appeared on the Vajra Bamboo, marking its full entry into the growth phase.

Once at this point, there was no stopping it.

As the saying goes, bamboo shoots grow rapidly after a rain, thriving with unstoppable momentum.

Although the Vajra Bamboo was of a high grade, it was still bamboo; receiving a vast amount of elemental energy from the Earth Vein Comprehensive Element, abundant nutrients, and a suitable living space, it immediately began to thrive explosively.

The first node appeared at only one meter tall, but within 15 minutes, the second node appeared, and its height soared to four meters!

Afterward, the leaf sheaths began to fall off, practically growing two nodes every 15 minutes, clearly increasing in height at a visible rate!

By the end of the Yin hour, each of the twenty Vajra Bamboo plants grew to a height of over fifty meters, with a diameter exceeding 30 centimeters!

It was completely golden in color, including its leaves and branches.

Twenty stalks of Vajra Bamboo, lush and leafy, had turned this place into a veritable golden bamboo forest!

As the first light of dawn broke, its rays illuminated the Vajra Bamboo Forest, causing it to shine brightly, and everyone took notice of this scene.

"Hmm? What huge bamboos!"

"What's going on, how did so many bamboos appear overnight?"

"They are so tall that, although there are only twenty, it looks like a whole forest!"

"Golden yellow, so beautiful, what variety is this?"

"Full-bodied golden yellow, taller than fifty meters, could it be the Second Order Top Grade Vajra Bamboo?"

"What? Second Order Top Grade? And all at once, twenty stalks?"

"Whose area is that?"

"It's Zhao Xing from Huai Liu Courtyard who bred them!"

Inside the examination area, all officials were engaged in animated discussions.

It was impossible not to pay attention; at a height of fifty meters, they were too conspicuous, making it difficult for the officials present to ignore them.

"Overnight, they've matured?" Li Chengfeng from the west frowned as he looked at the figures beneath the golden bamboo forest, "Though bamboos have a growth advantage, isn't this a bit too exaggerated?"

Seeing the golden bamboo forest, he vaguely felt a sense of crisis as if he were about to be overtaken by someone.

"How did he do it?" Zong Shichang was flabbergasted, "Vajra bamboos are Second Order Top Grade, it's tough enough to grow one, let alone twenty!"

"I don't know," Li Chengfeng shook his head, "Wen Nanxing and Xiao Ze are closer, perhaps they know something. Brother Zong, why don't you go and inquire?"

.......

Wen Nanxing and Xiao Ze were also at a loss at this moment.

Because they didn't know much either, Zhao Xing's cultivational technique had concealed the growth, and it wasn't until daylight that the results were revealed to everyone.

It wasn't just the Vajra Bamboo, green vines had also spread across the ground.

Looking solely at the cultivation results of these two plants, Zhao Xing could be said to be in the lead so far!

In comparison, the performance of the two of them was quite lackluster.

Wen Nanxing had cultivated four types of plants, respectively Second Order Top, Upper, Middle, and Lower grades.

The Second Order Lower Grade plants had entered their mature phase, but the middle-grade ones were still growing slowly.

As for the "Seven-star Flower" of Second Order Top Grade, it hadn't even started sprouting.

"My Second Order Top Grade has not even entered the growth phase, and he's already cultivated so many mature Second Order Top Grades?" Wen Nanxing's eyes flashed with a hint of astonishment.

"There's a problem, a big problem!"

Tang Wanchun's brows were deeply furrowed as he calculated the spell effects of his student Xiao Ze and the growth cycles of the cultivated plants.

As he calculated, he suddenly gasped, stood up, and looked closely at the blue plant in the wet soil.

"Something's not right! According to the calculation, Xiao Ze's Ice Cold Lotus should have produced its fourth leaf by now, but why are there only two?"

A thought crossed the mind of another official nearby; he was Wen Nanxing's teacher, Pang Yuan: "The effectiveness of Wen Nanxing's spellcasting has also been greatly reduced."

"Moreover, since midnight, there has been frequent activity in the seedling area with people going back and forth, replanting, and many have killed their own plants."

"One or two, maybe, but so many people experiencing this?" said Tang Wanchun.

"There's only one possibility: the Earth Vein Yuan Qi has been affected!"

Then the two exchanged a glance and blurted out in unison: "Earth Vein Comprehensive Element!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Shijie smiled lightly, "Why the rush, gentlemen? Are you thinking of warning your students?"

Tang Wanchun and Pang Yuan bowed quickly, "We wouldn't dare; we just didn't expect anyone among the officials to be capable of executing the Earth Vein Comprehensive Element."

Chen Shijie gestured with a wave of his hand, "Then sit down and let's quietly observe the changes."