“I can’t believe that this Bai Xiaochun… has such shocking skill with plants and vegetation!!” The Outer Sect disciples felt like explosions were going off in their hearts. Their previous ridicule and mockery now caused their faces to burn so hot it hurt.
Even more astonishing was that his explanations were obviously inferred in reverse. He was able to discern the grafting method merely by looking at the grafted plant; only someone with an unbelievably advanced skill with plants and vegetation could do something like that.
Even Elder Sun’s eyes were wide with disbelief. “He’s inferring everything in reverse! He… he understands plants and vegetation to an incredible degree….
“He’s only an apprentice apothecary, and yet he is able to analyze a spirit plant grafted by the Peak Lord himself. This… this….”
As for Li Qinghou, his eyes were shining brightly; he almost couldn’t believe he was looking at the same Bai Xiaochun he knew from before.
Du Lingfei’s face was ashen, and she staggered backward. Based on her skill with plants and vegetation, as soon as she heard Bai Xiaochun’s explanation, she knew that he was right. In fact, at a few points during his speech, she didn’t even understand what he was saying. By this point, she was feeling completely and utterly embarrassed.
Currently, Bai Xiaochun wasn’t using any sort of magical technique. However, every statement he made was backed by his understanding of plants and vegetation, and became like divine abilities or magical items. Du Lingfei was simply incapable of processing what was happening. She felt like lightning was crashing around in her mind, and she backed further and further away, her face growing even more pale.
“Flaming Crow-dipper and Nineflames Sky can be used to make the spirit bulblets impervious to strong sunlight. Merge them into Crow-dipper Fruit, and it will give birth to Blackskull Lily! That is the last of the spirit plants that I recognize.” It took Bai Xiaochun about half the time it takes an incense stick to burn to finish his explanation. His eyes flashed like lightning as he scanned the crowd and then eventually looked straight at Du Lingfei.
“Elder Sister Du. Ladies and gentlemen of the sect. The Dao of plants and vegetation is deep and profound, and contains no absolutes. Were that not the case, it would be impossible for you to make any progress with your skill with plants and vegetation. And yet, you actually want me to list out all of the plants in the first three volumes of plants and vegetation. What’s so hard about that?!” Setting his jaw, he flicked his sleeve and began to recite.
“Spiritwinter Bamboo….
“Earthdragon Fruit….
“Inkroot….” His voice was clear and his expression tranquil as he spoke. Complete silence filled the arena. As his words echoed out, they were like a huge invisible hand smacking everyone a second time.
Everyone present was filled with profound shame, and gasps could be heard. Some people even pulled out jade slips with information about plants and vegetation, which they compared with what Bai Xiaochun was saying. Soon, they began to tremble, and their shock increased.
Du Lingfei’s face was deathly pale as she backed up, looking at Bai Xiaochun as if he were a ghost.
The reason she had spoken such snide words earlier was because she had never seen anyone actually recite 30,000 different types of medicinal plants. To her, it seemed like an impossibility. If someone was actually able to do that, then they had to already possess completely Heaven-defying skill with plants and vegetation.
As time passed, Bai Xiaochun spoke more and more quickly. With almost a single breath, he talked for two hours straight. To the audience, it almost seemed like no time had gone by at all, and virtually everyone had taken out jade slips to study along with Bai Xiaochun’s recitation. 1
After two hours, he finished reciting all of the medicinal plants. Then, there was deathly silence for a moment, followed by an explosive outburst that was audible even outside of the arena.
“Heavens…. Not a single mistake! He was completely correct…. I can’t believe I just witnessed this happen!!”
“All 30,000 medicinal plants…. Bai Xiaochun’s skill with plants and vegetation is simply shocking. Wait… what is his ranking on the stone steles of plants and vegetation?”
“For Du Lingfei to compete with Bai Xiaochun in skill with plants and vegetation is like throwing an egg at a rock!”
As the uproar went on, Du Lingfei looked at Bai Xiaochun with increasing bitterness. Her reaction to losing in the fight hadn’t lead to a feeling like this. But right now, in terms of skill with plants and vegetation, she had been utterly and thoroughly defeated.
How could she ever have imagined that Bai Xiaochun, with his incredible luck and multitude of magical items, would actually be so monumentally ahead of her in skill with plants and vegetation?
It was a huge blow to her, and she couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. She threw the Cloudsoaring Incense over, then turned and fled the arena. It was simply impossible for her to even consider staying, considering how embarrassed she was.
Now that Du Lingfei was gone, the other surrounding Outer Sect disciples started to feel even more embarrassed. They quickly clasped hands and bowed to Bai Xiaochun, then hurried off. It was easy to imagine how long the profound shock they felt would last.
Soon, the arena was virtually empty. Bai Xiaochun was the only one left behind, coughing dryly. He realized… that he had really done it this time. Putting the Cloudsoaring Incense away, he looked over cautiously at Li Qinghou.
“Apprentice… will take off now,” he said, turning and leaving so fast that he almost left behind a dust cloud.
Elder Sun watched Bai Xiaochun leaving, and his the shock in his eyes was still evident.
“Peak Lord, this kid… is outstanding!” he said softly.
Li Qinghou threw his head back and laughed loudly, then waved his sleeve and shot back up toward the top of the mountain.
1. Okay so I did the math, and for him to recite 30,000 words in two hours would require him to say over four plants per second. The fastest talker in the world can speak about eight words per second, so it’s not impossible!
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Chapter
35: Another Encounter with Xu Baocai
It only took about half a month for the news about Bai Xiaochun crushing Du Lingfei in the competition to spread among virtually all the disciples, and cause a huge commotion throughout the entire sect.
Whenever Bai Xiaochun went out, the Outer Sect disciples he encountered would call out cheerful greetings. For the first time in his life, Bai Xiaochun felt famous. Now, he enjoyed leaving his residence. He would even approach random people and start to chat with them, all in the hopes that they would ask who he was, whereupon he would proudly reveal his name.
Bai Xiaochun really enjoyed living such a luxurious life. He also performed a threefold spirit enhancement on Du Lingfei’s medicinal pill. Consuming that pill then pushed him from the great circle of the fifth level of Qi Condensation all the way into the sixth level.
As far as his Lightness-in-Heaviness magic, the more he practiced with it, the more refined it became. In fact, he had even begun to probe the second level of the Violet Qi Cauldron Control Art, which was Heaviness-in-Lightness.
Although it seemed incredibly difficult at first, after numerous attempts, he made a bit of progress.
On one particular day, he was seated cross-legged in his courtyard, practicing Heaviness-in-Lightness, when suddenly his expression flickered. Putting away his wooden sword, he looked up at the main gate of the courtyard. A moment later, someone knocked.
“Elder Brother Bai, are you home?” After hearing the familiar voice, Bai Xiaochun’s brow furrowed slightly. People didn’t often come to visit him in his courtyard. He waved his finger toward the gate, which creaked open to slowly reveal a gaunt young man.
He wore the garments of an Outer Sect disciple, and his expression was very serious as he clasped hands and bowed deeply.