He took stock of the resources within the space.

The area of the Black Earth was limited, so he had to concentrate his efforts on cultivating the most valuable plants.

The leaves of the Dew Condensing Grass were effective for helping him break through bottlenecks, while the Cold Star Grass held immense long-term potential.

As for the Blood Stanching Vine, Earth Root Tuber, and Red Sun Flower, although they had also survived, their medicinal effects were relatively ordinary. They were of little help to him at the moment.

He hesitated no longer.

First, he dealt with the Dew Condensing Grass. The mother plant was growing the best.

Chen Ping picked up the sharpened iron shard and carefully dug away the soil around the base of the plant.

The well-developed root system was exposed, resembling a complex white network of fine capillaries.

He searched for the side shoots that had sprouted from the main root, identifying those with their own independent root systems.

Soon, he found ten seedlings of varying sizes, each viable for separation.

His movements were extremely cautious. Using the iron shard, he precisely severed the connections to the main root, completely separating these ten seedlings along with their fresh roots and a small amount of soil.

The root system of the mother plant suffered some damage, but the main body remained intact. Given the properties of the Black Earth, it would recover quickly.

Next was the Cold Star Grass.

Here, he was even more careful.

There was only one mother plant. The buds that had sprouted from its roots were still very small, but fine, weak white rootlets could already be seen clinging to them.

With utmost gentleness, Chen Ping used the iron shard to detach these buds, ensuring each retained a tiny bit of rootlet.

The mother Cold Star Grass lost its buds, but its main root and leaves remained unharmed.

With this, the task was accomplished.

In Chen Ping’s hands were the seeds of his future.

One mother plant of Dew Condensing Grass (damaged, but recovering).

Ten seedlings of Dew Condensing Grass.

One mother plant of Cold Star Grass.

Eight buds of Cold Star Grass (with minimal rootlets).

These things looked small and insignificant, yet they were his foundation—the bedrock upon which he could embark on The Immortal Path.

Chen Ping picked up the medicine shovel and began planning the layout of this small patch of Black Earth.

He roughly divided the land into three areas.

In the corner closest to the spatial barrier, which he considered the “coolest” spot, he planted the mother Cold Star Grass and the eight newly detached buds.

This circle was located on the outer periphery of the entire plot. Chen Ping intended to reserve this outer ring exclusively for Cold Star Grass in the future.

Since the buds were very small, he buried them shallowly in the soil, leaving just a tiny green tip exposed.

In the middle circle, a slightly larger area, he planted the ten Dew Condensing Grass seedlings, arranging them neatly with even spacing.

The mother Dew Condensing Grass was planted farther away, near another side of the spatial barrier, allowing it to recover in isolation without competing for nutrients.

After planting everything, he fetched some of the Spirit Spring water he had saved up and gave each plant a little sprinkle.

He also brought out the last reserves of the Cold Pool water, using it exclusively to water the three strongest Cold Star Grass plants.

After completing the work, he stood within the space, looking at the vibrant little herb garden before him.

An inexplicable sense of satisfaction filled his heart.

Ten Dew Condensing Grasses. Nine Cold Star Grasses.

As long as they grew smoothly, given time… perhaps he could truly cultivate his own path to immortality.

Furthermore, Dew Condensing Grass matured once a year. Each time it matured, leaves could be harvested and consumed to aid his cultivation practice. And it could undergo Division Propagation annually.

It wouldn’t be long before the Dew Condensing Grass filled the entire middle section of the Black Earth.

Although the Cold Star Grass required three years to mature…

With the time acceleration of the space, it could undergo Division Propagation much sooner.

Perhaps… in just a few months, even the outermost layer of Black Earth would be fully planted with Cold Star Grass.

Months later, when it matured for propagation or when its leaves were harvested after sufficient years had passed… what kind of pleasant surprise might its contained medicinal potency bring him then?

Moreover, aged Cold Star Grass would undoubtedly be valuable; it would certainly fetch a high price in Spirit Stones.

Chen Ping could already see the gates of the Immortal Sect beckoning to him.

As for concerns about time…

He was only sixteen years old. Time was his greatest advantage.

Exiting the space, Chen Ping pushed open the stone hut door as usual.

The cool morning air rushed in, carrying with it the Hundred Herb Garden’s unique blend of medicinal scents.

He took a deep breath and walked toward his assigned herb garden area to begin another day’s inspection.

His steps were steady; his gaze was calm. No trace of inner turmoil could be seen on his face.

Only he knew that it wouldn’t be long before he could save up enough Spirit Stones for a Spirit Root test.

At that time, he would have a chance to become a Registered Disciple—to reach the top tier among all Servant Disciples.

The days repeated themselves in a cycle of watering, inspecting, and observing.

Changes within his space were slow, but compared to the spirit herbs in the Hundred Herb Garden outside, they changed daily.

All ten Dew Condensing Grass seedlings survived, continuously sprouting new leaves. Though far less robust than their mother plant, their growth remained stable.

The leaves on the mother Cold Star Grass grew thicker, with cold energy concentrating within the veins.

The eight small buds, after being watered several times with Cold Pool water, noticeably swelled in size. Their color deepened into a dark green as they began unfurling into tiny needle-like leaves—truly taking root.

The mother Dew Condensing Grass also regained its vitality, sprouting several plump new leaves.

Every seven or eight days, Chen Ping would harvest the most mature leaf from the mother Dew Condensing Grass for consumption before practicing his Vitality Technique routine.

The effect persisted; his routine count increased arduously from fifty-five sets to fifty-eight sets.

Each additional set required consuming one Dew Condensing Grass leaf plus extensive time spent practicing diligently.

He could feel his body approaching a saturation point; the efficacy gained from consuming these leaves seemed to be diminishing at the margins.

This wasn’t good news.

It meant his Physical Strength wouldn’t surge dramatically anymore.

His overall Physical Strength had stabilized around four thousand pounds.

Possessing such immense strength was something unimaginable among Mortals. Even the previous version of Chen Ping couldn’t have envisioned reaching four thousand pounds of force.

What did four thousand pounds mean?

Legends said that even a mountain lord—the striped white-browed tiger deep within the old forests—could only muster two thousand pounds of force at a full swipe.

In other words, his current strength exceeded a tiger’s by more than double.

However, great strength didn’t equate to absolute power.

Among Mortals, he was naturally a top-tier powerhouse. But in the eyes of Immortals, he differed little from an insect.

Just based on what he had witnessed before—that stunningly brilliant Fireball Art—could easily claim his life in an instant.

Therefore, without absolute certainty or mastering Immortal Arts himself (by becoming a Registered Disciple), he wouldn’t act rashly against Fatty Wang.

Fatty Wang had been a management disciple for quite some time; inevitably, he might possess unknown hidden cards.

Only by striking lethally once, completely erasing all traces, would Chen Ping emerge from the shadows to eliminate him root and branch.

Of course, what Chen Ping feared most was the exposure of his Jade Pendant space.

If Fatty Wang grew suspicious about him obtaining some “opportunity”…

Should Fatty Wang decide to smash the jar completely, making up wild stories and spreading rumors to arouse suspicion among the Immortals…

They would definitely investigate him. Once the secret of the Jade Pendant space was exposed, it would surely cost him his life.

Currently, Fatty Wang represented a major hidden danger.

He had to be eliminated quickly.

Chen Ping’s gaze gradually turned resolute.

He needed to find a way to test his Spirit Root, securing a worry-free path forward for his future self.

Nowadays, only Bai Zhi possessed Immortal means among the people around him. She was also an accessible Servant Disciple.

To break his current shackles, he had to seek a breakthrough point starting from Bai Zhi herself.