Chapter 28: Where Exactly Did Things Go Wrong?

"Geomantic Convergence!"

Zhao Xing crouched on the ground, his fingertips pressed into the soil. A wisp of vital energy immediately flowed down through the earth, sinking deep into the ground.

A second wisp followed, then a third... nine strands of vital energy in total vanished beneath the surface. In Zhao Xing’s perception, these nine strands formed a cage-like structure deep underground.

"This is the core of the spell, the central hub. All underground vital energy will be gathered and absorbed here."

Drawing upon the power of the ley lines and synthesizing the earth’s energy was only the first step. With the center point established, he now needed to determine the direction.

Zhao Xing began to wander along the edges of his plot. Every few steps, he would crouch down and grab a handful of soil, putting on the act of someone intently checking the fertility of the land.

Wen Nanxing and Xiao Ze noticed his actions, but since Zhao Xing didn't cross any boundaries, they paid him no further mind.

"This is the advantage of Geomantic Convergence: it's invisible!" Zhao Xing even waved at Wen Nanxing.

Feeling that this person was quite polite, Wen Nanxing nodded in response.

...

After circling the area, Zhao Xing was truly exhausted. Although Geomantic Convergence was a low-level spell, its consumption was massive. Casting it required as much vital energy as dozens of "Cloud-Walking" spells.

"The vital energy is like roots, anchoring itself underground to form a subterranean network."

"The cage is set; now, we see how many fish swim in." Zhao Xing clapped his hands in satisfaction. He then ran over to the side of the well and leaned against the edge to rest with his eyes closed.

While Wen Nanxing and Xiao Ze couldn't decipher Zhao Xing's movements, they didn't escape the discerning eyes of Chen Shijie. However, it took Chen quite a while to understand what he was seeing.

"Is this... Geomantic Convergence?"

"He has set the spell in motion but holds back the activation, planning to act secretly under the cover of night? Clever lad! He acts with a style quite like my own." Chen Shijie felt increasingly satisfied with Zhao Xing; the more he watched, the more he liked him. As a former Agricultural Officer of the military, he understood this tactic all too well.

Apart from Chen Shijie, only Xue Wenrong realized Zhao Xing's true intent. The other officials hadn't caught on; they lacked Chen Shijie's comprehensive oversight and Xue Wenrong's vast experience. Xue Wenrong naturally wouldn't reveal the truth and invite jealousy upon his student, and Chen Shijie kept his admiration to himself, knowing he had already paid enough attention to Zhao Xing for one day. He knew all too well the petty thoughts of the people below him.

...

"Zi Yu, I... I can't do it anymore..." Qian Dong collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air like a fish dying of thirst.

Chen Ziyu wasn't doing much better; sweat poured off him like rain, and he couldn't wipe it away fast enough. It was already afternoon, and despite working for several hours, there was no sign of life in their soil. Most of the seeds had failed to sprout, and the few seedlings that had emerged were already withered. It looked like the remaining few wouldn't last until tomorrow.

"Why don't... why don't we just leave? We can just retake the exam next time," Qian Dong suggested, truly not wanting to waste any more effort.

"I'm not leaving," Chen Ziyu shook his head. "We always say 'next time, we'll try harder'... when will we ever get ahead? It's better to fight now."

Qian Dong paused, then gritted his teeth and pulled himself up. More and more people were giving up, unable to endure the hardship, and leaving the field. Yet, others grit their teeth and persisted.

Enduring the scorching heat, the group finally waited until nightfall. Xue Wenrong didn't make things too difficult for them; as darkness fell, he sent a gentle breeze across the planting area.

...

As the breeze brought relief, Zhao Xing awoke from his light sleep. He was exceptionally sensitive to winds that weren't his own.

"It's dark. Time to get to work."

Zhao Xing stretched and ran to check the status of his three types of plants. By now, the twenty green vines had transitioned from the seedling stage to the growth stage; their tendrils covered the yellow soil, and flower buds were already appearing on some of the branches. In the two mud pits, the fragrant lotus had sprouted three leaves and had also entered the growth stage. Only the Diamond Bamboo, due to the nature of bamboo plants, still only had a shoot tip poking through.

"As expected of a Tier 2 High-Grade plant. Even though I’ve concentrated all the nutrients on it, it still looks no different from the beginning."

The Diamond Bamboo was a score-differentiating plant; naturally, it wouldn't be easy to cultivate. Zhao Xing wasn't worried; he hadn't even begun to exert his full strength.

"Night has fallen. Time to work in secret."

A wisp of vital energy emerged from Zhao Xing's fingertip and plunged into the ground.

*Hum~*

Geomantic Convergence was instantly activated!

The vast net began to spread, quietly expanding beyond the range of Zhao Xing's "Cloud-Walking" spell. It pushed north across most of Wen Nanxing’s territory and south to encompass Xiao Ze’s land. To the west, it enveloped the plots of a dozen other top-tier candidates.

Li Chengfeng and Zong Shichang were at the far west; Zhao Xing couldn't reach that far yet, as he had only just mastered this Earth-School spell.

"Covering a small half of the planting area is enough." Zhao Xing’s eyes, gifted with night vision, saw many officials beginning to work after dark, one after another consuming their vital energy to cast spells.

"Keep it up, everyone. How tall the Diamond Bamboo grows depends on you."

...

"It's dark. The Soul-Calming Incense I'm growing should start to ripen," Huang Tao looked at the seedling on the ground, preparing to start. After being humiliated by Zhao Xing in the morning, he had still managed to snatch a spot near the well.

The plant Huang Tao chose was called "Soul-Calming Incense," a Tier 2 Mid-Grade plant. It had only one effect: once it blossomed, its fragrance could soothe the spirit and steady the soul. Many people liked to grow a stalk at home to reduce the risk of Qi deviation during meditation. The flowering period of the Soul-Calming Incense was quite long, lasting for months, but it was intolerant of extreme heat and difficult to bloom, which was why Huang Tao hadn't touched it during the day, waiting until nightfall.

"To successfully grow Soul-Calming Incense during the Beginning of Autumn solar term—even just one stalk—would be enough to make the top tier," Huang Tao thought, full of confidence.

"Begin! Grow strong!"

Huang Tao started casting on the seedling. His vital energy entered the soil, heading straight for the roots. But just as a portion of the energy was about to reach the roots, it suddenly vanished, with only ten percent being absorbed.

"This season, the Soul-Calming Incense seedling is indeed difficult to grow," Huang Tao thought, unbothered. He assumed that because he had chosen a high-difficulty plant, the progress would be slow.

He waited a moment and cast again. The seedling grew just a tiny bit taller.

"Again!"

...

At the hour of the Rat, Huang Tao crouched on the ground in a daze, staring at the Soul-Calming Incense.

"How... how is this possible? I've been casting on it continuously for three hours, and it still hasn't entered the growth stage?"

It hadn't even reached the growth stage, let alone blossomed. Initially, Huang Tao hadn't realized it, but after draining his vital energy several times, the plant was still growing at a snail's pace. He finally realized it wasn't that he was incompetent—something else was wrong!

"Did I pick a diseased seed? That's impossible, I checked it..." Huang Tao muttered, tugging at his hair. "Where exactly did things go wrong?"