My Portable Spirit Farm: Rise of the Humble Servant

Chapter 172: Evolution of the Spirit Garden

Now that Chen Ping had verified his new cultivation method, his path forward was singular and crystal clear.

With such a miraculous efficiency multiplier in hand, he could not conceive of a single distraction worth his time.

Cultivate. Cultivate. And then, cultivate some more.

Only by pushing his realm to the absolute peak of his potential could he find a sliver of peace. In the brutal world of Cultivation, his heart remained suspended in a perpetual state of tension.

Ever since Chen Ping realized the strict, crushing hierarchy of this world—where high-level cultivators held absolute dominion over the lives of those beneath them—he had never known a moment of true relaxation.

A sense of crisis hung over him like a sword suspended by a single hair, ready to fall at any moment. It followed him like a shadow, clinging to his every step.

In this world where The Strong Eat the Weak, those without sufficient strength or the shelter of a massive faction were nothing more than duckweed in a gale—fragile, rootless, and liable to be crushed into dust without warning.

Raising his realm was the only shield that mattered.

Furthermore, the three-year agreement was looming. Since he had given his word, he would honor it with everything he had.

This was Chen Ping’s Dao.

It was the core of his character.

Before entering deep seclusion, Chen Ping habitually shifted his consciousness into the Jade Pendant Space. It was time to conduct a thorough audit of his assets. The spirit herbs had been steeping in the time-dilated environment for two years, and the changes were drastic.

He swept his gaze over the inventory, tallying the growth:

[Cold Star Grass Tree] The original herb had mutated into a towering tree, exceeding 5 zhang in height with a thick, iron-hard trunk. Its medicinal age had hit 320 years. When used to refine Marrow Cleansing Pills, this ingredient alone guaranteed a stable output of Top-grade pills. Chen Ping touched the bark, calculating. If this potency continues to rise… I might touch the domain of the legendary ‘Peerless Pill’. Peerless Pills—alchemical myths said to be completely devoid of Pill Toxin, boasting ten times the efficacy of Top-grade pills. The records of such treasures had been severed for thousands of years, but here, the possibility was real.

[Qi Gathering Grass Tree] The primary material for Qi Gathering Pills. Potency: 310 years. Height: 5 zhang. The raw energy density was so high that even if his three inexperienced disciples used it, they would almost exclusively produce Top-grade pills, with High-grade being a rare “failure.”

[Qi Nourishing Fruit Trees (9)] Each stood over 3 zhang tall with a vintage of 260 years. Productivity was monstrous—each tree bore 132 fruits. The true miracle, however, was the potency inheritance. Although the trees only took ten years to fruit, the resulting produce carried the full 260-year medicinal strength of the parent tree.

[Moonlight Grass Tree & Three-Star Flower Tree] One of each. Both essential for Qi Nourishing Pills. Both standing 3 zhang tall with 260 years of potency.

[Soul Nourishing Tree] 240 years. It had grown to 1 zhang, its branches heavy with eight jade-green leaves. They shimmered with a soft luster, emitting a faint, soothing aura that washed over his divine sense. Chen Ping resisted the urge to harvest them. Not yet. He would wait until his alchemy reached Rank 3. Only then would he use these leaves to refine Rank 3 Soul Nourishing Pills. To use them now would be a waste.

[Five Elements Yin Spirit Vines] Unlike the others, these had not lignified into trees. However, the oldest vine—now 260 years old—had transformed. Its surface swirled with a psychedelic riot of red, yellow, blue, green, and brown, pulsing with elemental light. It released a thick, heavy fragrance that permeated the entire dimension. Standing near it, Chen Ping felt a primitive, lizard-brain impulse rising in his gut—a desperate hunger to rip the vine apart and devour it raw. He shook off the sensation and checked the stock. There were 320 vines in total, ranging from 190 to 230 years in age. They densely occupied nearly half an acre of the Black Earth, remaining the most numerous crop in his possession.

[Origin Thunder Bamboo (3 Stalks)] Fully matured bamboo, standing half a zhang tall. 200 years of potency. Tiny arcs of blue lightning danced across their surfaces, crackling softly. Chen Ping sighed. Origin Thunder Bamboo Shoots only appear after a thousand years. Farming these would be a game of extreme patience.

[True Essence Fruit Trees] This was his crown jewel project.

The Matriarch: Nearly 400 years old. Nine fruits hung from its branches, each nearing 50 years of independent potency.

Generation 2: Two trees, 200 years old. They had just produced a fresh batch of 18 fruits.

Generation 3: Nine trees, 50 years old (planted from the Matriarch’s previous harvest).

Generation 4: 18 seedlings (planted from the most recent harvest). Total Count: 30 Trees. It was beginning to look like a proper grove.

[Sunfire Grass & Amethyst Flower] One tree each. Both essential for Foundation Establishment Pills. Both had broken the 200-year threshold. Chen Ping nodded in satisfaction. The requirements to mass-produce Top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills… I’m closing the gap.

[Dao Comprehension Spirit Tea Tree] 300 years. It stood silent and unassuming. According to the inheritance, it needed another three centuries to bear the legendary tea leaves.

[True Essence Grass Tree] 210 years. Lush, vibrant, and overflowing with vitality.

[The Mysterious Seed] Silent. Buried deep in the Black Earth, showing zero activity. Chen Ping concluded that the current tier of the Black Earth simply lacked the majestic energy density required to wake it.

He hadn’t introduced any new species recently, mostly because he hadn’t risked venturing out to hunt for treasure trees. He stood by that decision. The cultivation world was a slaughterhouse; running around with weak cultivation was a good way to become fertilizer.

Wait until I am strong, he reminded himself. Then I will scour the earth.

Every plant here was a testament to the sedimentation of time and the miracle of the spirit spring. This visible accumulation of wealth gave Chen Ping a terrifying amount of confidence.

He walked over to the True Essence Grass Tree. The foliage was dense, the blade count sufficient.

He didn’t hesitate.

With practiced hands, he harvested 150 blades that had reached peak condition. It was enough material for 50 furnace batches of True Essence Pills.

For the next ten days, the heavy stone doors of the Pill Hall remained shut.

Inside, the earth fire roared without pause. The air grew thick with the biting scent of medicinal herbs and the acrid tang of heat.

Chen Ping entered a state of flow. His focus was absolute, his movements precise and mechanical.

Extract. Purify. Condense. Seal.

He cycled the furnace 50 times.

The results were enough to make any alchemy grandmaster weep.

32 successful batches. A success rate exceeding 60%.

But the truly terrifying statistic was the yield. Every single successful batch was a Full Batch—nine pills.

Chen Ping held a glowing pill up to the firelight. It’s the ingredients. The absurdly high medicinal age of his herbs forced the success rate and yield beyond the boundaries of common sense.

The quality distribution confirmed his hypothesis:

Top-grade True Essence Pills: 3 per batch. Total: 96.

High-grade True Essence Pills: 6 per batch. Total: 192.

He did the mental math quickly. Adding his previous stock, he now held 288 High-grade True Essence Pills.

In the Marketplace, a single High-grade True Essence Pill traded for 250 to 300 Spirit Stones.

Just the High-grade pills alone… That was a liquid value of 70,000 to 86,000 Low-grade Spirit Stones.

Chen Ping swept the mountains of jade bottles into his storage bag. His expression remained calm, but the numbers swirled in his mind like a vortex of power. He stepped onto his flying sword, the blade humming as it lifted him into the air.

Destination: The Marketplace.