20demayo Chapter 64: The Struggle Over Procreation
Chapter 64: The Struggle Over Procreation
Under Wu Shan's guidance, the three officially embarked on the path of spiritual plant cultivation. Afterwards, they bid farewell and left, with Jiang Qiu and Jiang Qiao traveling together, while Wang Baisheng went alone.
So the Qi Refining Cauldron was given to Du Ziyue, Lao Tian and others to use. They scrambled to grab the right to use it and hurriedly planned a cultivation scheme.
Especially for veteran trainees in the [Proliferation Realm], the resources required to maintain their realm are not low, and they themselves have injuries and illnesses that led to their retirement from the front lines, making their treatment costs astonishing. If they are surpassed by Jiang Qiu and lose their subsidies, it will be a real disaster.
Therefore, they dared not slack off.
But Du Ziyue sighed deeply, "Old Tian, with Jiang Qiu's genius potential, he'll probably reach the [Proliferation Realm] within six months, just like Lu Changming. I'm out of luck, and your [Proliferation Realm] gatekeeper's cultivation subsidy will be wiped out sooner or later. Is it even worth the trouble?"
"Tsk, you're so negative and useless," Old Tian glared at him and said in an old-fashioned tone, "No matter how talented Jiang Qiu is, he still needs time to grow. Without taking pills, he might not be able to reach the [Proliferation Realm] in half a year. And you know how expensive taking pills is, he might not take them to the end."
"Didn't you say that Jiang Qiusheng is like a direct disciple of Director Jiang, and that all the pills he needs for the entire [Growth Realm] can be obtained with just a word from Director Jiang?"
Old Tian raised an eyebrow. "If it's better than Wang Baisheng's, then it means it's not. I think Jiang Qiu's route will probably cost more than twice as much as Wang Baisheng's. That's no small amount. Why would Director Jiang be obligated to pay for it? Of course, I estimate that if Jiang Qiu is willing to ask, Director Jiang will actually pay for it, but..."
"However, Jiang Qiu is a rare genius, and Director Jiang's relationship with him is unpredictable. Even if he doesn't officially take him on as a personal disciple, he will definitely support him to rise to prominence behind the scenes. How will you have a chance to fight back then?"
"Hey, does that mean geniuses should progress by leaps and bounds in a day?" Old Tian snorted. "That's for geniuses who are mediocre or conservative. Jiang Qiu's precious method and unheard-of new path will inevitably lead to one obstacle after another if no one paves the way. Even Lu Changming has been stuck at the [Proliferation Realm] for nearly three years."
"Hiss, you mean Jiang Qiu won't be able to hybridize the fruits needed for cultivation methods, thus getting stuck at the [Growth Realm]?" Du Ziyue frowned. "That shouldn't be the case, his talent for cultivation is no less than Lu Changming's."
"How can they be the same? Lu Changming is a direct disciple of the head of the garden, inheriting the legacy of the Lu family, which has been rooted for three hundred years. It is one of the most glorious spiritual plant master lineages in the county. Although he is preparing to take a different path and the future is unknown, he still has a solid foundation, so it is not that difficult for him. As for Jiang Qiu..."
Old Tian recalled for a moment and pondered, "His cultivation method is suspected to be a rare dual-attribute method. The difficulty of cultivation cannot be explained in a few words. There are rumors that Director Jiang's genius wife sacrificed herself because of this."
Du Ziyue's eyes widened. "That dangerous?!"
"Shh, I don't know the specifics, I've only heard about it. But I have to say, that frontline base that he helped Director Jiang rebuild back then didn't fall even though the rainy season came early a few years ago, and it's still standing today. His cultivation methods are truly unique in the county, they're unparalleled." Old Tian said wistfully.
"You've said that many times already," Du Ziyue said, pursing his lips.
"Tsk, you've never been to the front lines. Listening to me is like looking at the moon from the bottom of a well. It's boring." Old Tian turned his head away.
Du Ziyue seemed thoughtful. "Ultimately, Director Jiang must have inherited his wife's knowledge and skills, and he's using that to guide Jiang Qiu or provide references. He's not alone in his efforts. So, Lao Tian, are you worried that Jiang Qiu won't reach her limits and that's why you're anxious?"
"Fear? This is called being prepared for a rainy day. If Jiang Qiu is indeed a genius who is suited to that kind of precious cultivation method and reaches the [Proliferation Realm] within six months, he will be qualified to participate in the 'Proliferation Competition' at the end of this year. I also need to prepare some spiritual plants to deal with it." Old Tian said with his hands behind his back.
"With three or four decades of experience, I can't let a young man who has been cultivating for less than a year scare me into a panic. Besides, the rewards for this year's 'Battle for Procreation' are much more generous than three years ago. The top rewards are enough to completely cure the eye injury I suffered back then. It's worth it for me to pull out all the stops."
......
After officially embarking on their cultivation journey, Jiang Qiu and Jiang Qiao returned to Courtyard No. 17 together to plan a new round of cultivation programs.
"Hey, you've changed quite a bit since you entered the [Growth Realm] all at once. How long do you estimate the result period will be?" As they walked, Jiang Qiao glanced over out of the corner of her eye, pretending to look at him casually, and suddenly pouted as she asked.
"One year," Jiang Qiu said calmly.
"Oh, it won't be too long. Please have Sister Zhao Nan order the [Spirit Cultivation Pill] which has metabolism-boosting properties. It'll be half price, and by the end of the year you'll reach the 'Result' threshold of the [Reproduction Realm]. If you're lucky, you might even make it into the 'Reproduction Competition' held every three years." Jiang Qiao said with her hands behind her back, her voice sweet and charming.
"The 'Reproduction Struggle'?" Jiang Qiu raised an eyebrow. She recalled that when she was interning in the greenhouse, some senior employees had mentioned it in casual conversation. It seemed to be the assessment for selecting the strongest trainees in the park, and Lu Changming was the first place in the previous year.
It is said that the rewards for this assessment are very generous.
All participants receive a guaranteed minimum compensation.
Each edition features rare level 2 spirit seeds, level 2 pills, and rare resources specifically for cultivating spirit plants.
Many of these are rare, secret items that are not for sale.
Those who rank highly can even obtain advanced spirit seeds.
If I have the opportunity, I will definitely participate.
Jiang Qiao noticed the curiosity in his tone, gave a smug snort, and raised her chin:
"You also want to participate in the 'Battle of Reproduction'? Then you'll need to break through to the [Reproduction Realm] and cultivate the resident spiritual plants first. This requires consuming quite a few pills. If you don't have enough money to order the pills, I can lend them to you."
Pills are an indispensable thing on the path of cultivation. After moving into courtyard number 17, Jiang Qiu noticed that most of the apprentices would take pills whenever they could, while the spiritual energy he refined was mainly used to cultivate external spiritual plants.
Because the pills themselves are refined, the spiritual energy they contain is easy to digest and can promote the growth of spiritual plants in the body. Its effect is far better than the spiritual energy that one refines oneself, with almost no loss.
but.
In the park's Level 1 Pill Storage, the most common high-grade wood-type Pill is priced at 1.2 per pill, while the kind with better properties that I just swallowed is priced at 1.5 per pill, and they are very easy to sell out.
Many trainees who cannot afford such services resort to refining their own spiritual energy to sustain the growth of their internal spiritual plants, and occasionally taking elixirs to promote their development.
Not to mention that he also needs the metal "Ningling Pill", which costs at least 2 per pill. If he wants to "get results" as soon as possible, he has to take two kinds of "Ningling Pills" for 120 days without interruption. If he stops, he will regress.
Relying solely on consuming elixirs for cultivation is like burning through a gold mine.
but.
With the "golden cage" as a "money tree," the monthly income is estimated to be over a million. In addition, the logistics department receives a share of the profits from the nutrient soil it produces every quarter. With some planning, there's no need to borrow money.
These thoughts vanished in an instant, and Jiang Qiu calmly said, "No need, my current estimated profits are enough to order the necessary pills."
"Hmph, I know you exclusively supply Sister Zhao Nan with the [Golden Spirit Cage], and my father even promised you a million-dollar share every quarter. But that profit is only for purchasing pills, which is a basic necessity for cultivation. You haven't even factored in the cost of hybrid spiritual plants~"
Jiang Qiao crossed her arms and said, "My father said that the cultivation method he gave you has very high requirements. Even if he gives you the necessary materials, no matter how talented you are, you will still need to try the formula generation after generation. Each generation will consume a lot of spiritual energy, and it is difficult to succeed in a year or two. Every day that is delayed will be a waste of money."
"When you get back to the courtyard and see the rare level 1 spirit seed, the [Powder-Gathering Fairy], and its cultivation notes that my father prepared for your hybridization, you'll realize how troublesome this is. Don't come to me for money when you're worried about it!"