Inside the space, Chen Ping removed the segment of Blood Stanching Vine and walked to the edge of the field.

He did not plant it immediately. Instead, he picked up the medicine shovel and dug a shallow, small hole near the boundary of the Black Earth, close to the spatial barrier.

The hole was just large enough to bury one-third of the vine segment.

Gingerly, he placed the Blood Stanching Vine upright into the hole, with the cut end facing upward. Then, he backfilled the hole and compacted the loose Black Earth around it.

After finishing this, he took a step back and watched quietly.

Naturally, there would be no immediate changes in such a short time.

The Blood Stanching Vine segment simply stood in the Black Earth. The mucus at the cut end seemed to have solidified slightly.

He patiently waited for a while longer, confirming that the vine remained stable and showed no signs of withering, before exiting the space.

For this first attempt, simply getting it to take root would be a success.

He was in no hurry.

In the following days, Chen Ping became even more cautious, yet also bolder.

Leveraging the convenience of his Manager status and his familiarity with the herb fields, he began selectively collecting materials.

His targets were all spirit herbs of medium to low value—those that were abundant and easy to harvest parts from without being easily noticed.

Among several “Dew Condensing Grass” seedlings that were growing too densely and needed thinning, he disposed of one that appeared the weakest. In reality, he carefully dug it out with its complete root ball intact and buried it within his space.

During inspections, he would occasionally “discover” that the soil around the roots of certain spirit herbs had become compacted and needed loosening for aeration.

During this process, his fingertip would “accidentally” break off a small piece of fine rootlet. That rootlet would then disappear into the soil—in truth, he had pinched it up and hidden it away.

For each action, he chose different targets, different areas of the herb fields, and different times. Moreover, each action had a seemingly reasonable pretext.

Whether it was treating disease, thinning seedlings, loosening soil, or pruning overly dense branches and leaves.

His movements were swift as lightning, and any traces were cleaned up meticulously.

The spirit herbs from which parts were taken were themselves in good condition; losing a tiny bit did not affect their overall growth or medicinal properties at all.

The laborers only felt their Manager was meticulous and responsible. When an Immortal Master came for inspections, they certainly wouldn’t notice such minor details either.

At the edge of the Black Earth within the Jade Pendant space, several new items gradually appeared.

A small segment of a Blood Stanching Vine inserted into the soil.

A growing Dew Condensing Grass seedling planted a bit farther away from the vine.

And several fine rootlets from different spirit herbs, which he carefully buried in separate locations.

The Black Earth seemed to accept all comers. No matter what was planted, it could provide abundant nourishment.

Every night when Chen Ping entered the space, his first task was to check on these “treasures.”

The changes were slow but continuous.

For the Blood Stanching Vine segment, after a few days, mucus no longer seeped from its cut end. Its originally dark brown skin seemed to gain a faint sheen. The part buried in the soil vaguely showed an extremely weak white protrusion—as if new roots were about to sprout.

After all, it was only a small segment of vine. Even though the Black Earth could provide powerful vitality, the speed at which it could recover into a whole vine was greatly reduced.

But that was fine; patience was all that was needed.

After planting, the Dew Condensing Grass seedling’s originally somewhat wilted leaves perked back up by the very next day. The fuzz on its leaves seemed denser. The dewdrops condensed at its heart also appeared more crystalline. Its growth speed was gratifying.

As for the various fine rootlets buried in the ground, most did not survive.

However, one red rootlet belonging to a “Red Sun Flower”… three days after being buried in the Black Earth, actually sprouted a sesame seed-sized white bud from its cut end!

The miraculous efficacy of the Black Earth truly far exceeded Chen Ping’s expectations.

It demonstrated powerful growth-accelerating and restorative abilities toward spirit herb materials of different types and conditions.

Chen Ping felt exhilarated internally but remained calm outwardly.

Within this space, spirit herbs already grew about ten times faster than in the outside world.

So… was there a possibility?

On the Black Earth, if spirit herbs were watered with Spirit Spring Water… could their growth speed increase even further?

Action followed thought.

Every morning when the laborers carried back Spirit Spring Water, and when no one was paying attention, he secretly scooped up a tiny bit using a small bamboo tube. He hid it on his person and brought it back to his stone house.

At night, after entering his space, he used this genuine Spirit Spring Water, extremely carefully watering each material with just a few drops.

The effect was remarkable.

After receiving nourishment from the Spirit Spring Water, both the Blood Stanching Vine and Dew Condensing Grass showed noticeably more active vitality.

The Dew Condensing Grass leaves unfurled at a visible pace, new leaves continuously emerging One After Another.

For the Blood Stanching Vine, that white protrusion buried in the soil finally broke through! A pale green sprout—barely thicker than a strand of hair—emerged.

Chen Ping stroked his chin.

It seemed then… with Spirit Spring Water irrigation, spirit herb growth speed could reach nearly twenty times that of the outside world!

This discovery indeed counted as a pleasing harvest.

Days passed One After Another.

By day, Chen Ping remained the steady, taciturn Manager disciple.

By night, he became a diligent gardener within the Jade Pendant space.

He continued consuming Purifying Grass for training. After approaching the threshold of the three thousand pounds mark, his strength increase became extremely slow—like being stuck in mire.

He knew: the limit of Mortal martial arts likely lay right before him now.

The medicinal efficacy of the Purifying Grass had become negligible for his current robust physique.

Meanwhile, the spirit herbs within the space became his new hope.

First to bring a pleasant surprise: that Dew Condensing Grass seedling! Under the nourishment of the Black Earth and Spirit Spring Water, its growth was astonishing.

Within a mere month, it progressed from a seedling state close to the maturity size described in the Compendium of Hundred Herbs!

The leaves were thick, lush green, and vibrant. The dewdrops condensed at the leaf heart were plump and round. It emitted a fresher, more intense aroma compared to those in the garden.

Chen Ping hesitated not.

That night, he carefully plucked a single leaf—the fattest one bearing the largest dewdrop.

He did not uproot the entire plant; he only took a single leaf.

He placed the leaf containing the pure essence of vegetation into his mouth.

There was no bitterness or slight fishiness like the Purifying Grass.

The Dew Condensing Grass leaf felt cool upon entry, carrying a refreshing, sweet vegetal fragrance. It was crisp, tender, and juicy when chewed.

The leaf entered his stomach and instantly transformed into a stream of cool energy—far purer, gentler, yet vastly more immense compared to the Purifying Grass.

Unlike the Purifying Grass’s violent torrent scouring his bones and muscles, this energy seeped silently like a trickling stream, permeating his limbs, bones, and every inch of his flesh and blood, nourishing them deeply.

Chen Ping immediately assumed a stance within the space and continued practicing the Vitality Technique.

Forty sets… forty-five sets… fifty sets!

His movements remained fluid, but each exertion seemed able to guide the flow of cool energy within his flesh and Meridians.

He felt his bodily fatigue rapidly dispelled. His bones and muscles felt immersed in warm, cool spring water, becoming more supple and transparent.

An unprecedented sense of “lightness” accompanied the sedimentation of strength germinating within his body.

Finished training, Chen Ping exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

He felt refreshed and clear-headed; his senses seemed slightly sharper, too.

More importantly: that slowly increasing strength within his body seemed injected with new vitality.

The stagnant Bottleneck faintly showed signs of loosening!

Spirit herbs!

These genuine Immortal spirit herbs had effects that far surpassed the Purifying Grass.

The joy of success was the strongest motivation yet.

Chen Ping’s gaze turned toward the garden’s more precious areas.

Especially the East Garden, where Bai Zhi tended those several “Cold Star Grasses.”

Those slender, needle-like leaves with silver stars on the undersides, recorded in the Compendium of Hundred Herbs, contained extreme cold medicinal efficacy—miraculous effects for tempering bones and muscles and expelling bodily impurities.

It was the primary ingredient for an Immortal pill—the Marrow Cleansing Pill.

If he could obtain a small piece of a leaf…

Perhaps… relying on the Black Earth’s miraculous power, he could… grow one?