Chapter 247: Speculations on the Nature of Spiritual Plants

Zhang Shijie glanced at Zheng Fa's expression, as if she could see his joy, and asked, "Is this secret technique very precious?"

Zheng Fa handed the jade slip over. Zhang Shijie swept her spiritual sense across it, frowned lightly, and her face showed only two words:

Just this?

Zheng Fa could understand the doubt in Zhang Shijie's eyes. To speak the truth, the methods within this Qianhe secret technique were not many—

The Qianhe Sect was, after all, just a Jin Dan sect. Their best product was Huang Ya Rice, so most of their secret techniques concerned the cultivation of Huang Ya Rice:

What spells could increase the yield of Huang Ya Rice.

What spiritual energy concentration was more suitable for Huang Ya Rice growth.

From sowing to harvest, they had a complete set of cultivation methods, involving the selection of various spells and environmental requirements.

There were indeed methods regarding other spiritual plants.

They were just not systematic.

Zhang Shijie probably couldn't quite understand why Zheng Fa was so happy—after all, for most people in the Xuanwei Realm, learning these things seemed to mean only knowing how to grow Huang Ya Rice.

Zheng Fa pointed at the jade slip and said,

"This secret technique is nothing special; it just resolved many of my doubts."

"What doubts?"

"Since I began researching the Spirit Wood Thunder, I've had a doubt..." Zheng Fa explained. "Sister Zhang, you probably know I once farmed at the manor. Ordinary crop growth generally depends on timing, geographical advantages, and human effort."

"Timing refers to the climate, geographical advantages obviously mean whether your soil is fertile, and human effort roughly means whether you know how to farm..."

"But immortal techniques are too magical... some spells can even make plants bloom and bear fruit directly. One could say spiritual energy has altered these laws."

Zhang Shijie frowned, looking like she didn't quite understand what Zheng Fa wanted to say.

"This led to a problem: past agricultural experience seems not to match spiritual plant cultivation very well."

This problem was something Zheng Fa had thought of in the modern era—

For instance, Zheng Fa used the Evergreen Talisman, which could accelerate the growth of most non-spiritual crops. This led to a phenomenon: the agricultural system of the Xuanwei Realm and the Cultivation World seemed not to rely on past agricultural experience, because this spirit talisman was too BUG-like.

A spirit talisman being strong was certainly not a bad thing.

But the problem was that Zheng Fa found it very hard to find an effective method to cultivate spiritual plants; he could only rely on researching the Spirit Wood Thunder and then observing.

This caused research to be very slow.

"But this Qianhe secret technique is different... this thing has given me some new questions about spiritual plant cultivation:"

"Why do solar terms affect the production of spiritual plants?"

"Why is spiritual energy concentration so important?"

"The most important question is: what exactly is the difference between spiritual plants and ordinary plants?"

Zhang Shijie rubbed her head, seeming a bit unable to take it anymore. "Junior Brother, why don't you go talk to Sister Yuan?"

"Isn't she still evolving? She's asleep and can't hear me, right?"

"Exactly, so she won't get a headache from hearing so many 'whys' from you."

Modern era, nursing home.

"These methods..." Tian Laoshi looked at the Qianhe secret technique Zheng Fa had copied, frowned lightly, and then said, "Actually, there are just two points—"

"Hmm?"

"Seasons, spiritual energy."

"For instance, choosing a suitable spiritual land, or planting on a certain spiritual vein, is actually one problem: controlling spiritual energy concentration."

Hearing her say this, Zheng Fa nodded lightly.

"You're right. This is very different from our agricultural system. We often have to consider light, temperature, humidity, nutrients in the soil, and so on... but these methods don't really value any of those at all; in the end, they only value these two points."

Old Bai, standing nearby, nodded and said, "This is probably because the effect of spiritual energy is too strong, making all these secondary factors."

"Then why do they value the seasons?" Tang Lingwu asked from the side. "Zheng Fa, you said before that the Spirit Wood Thunder might be related to the twenty-four solar terms... why are solar terms so important to spiritual plants?"

Upon hearing this, even Tang Mudao felt a bit confused.

Although he had just joined the nursing home, he also knew that spiritual plant cultivation was very important to them and the nursing home—let alone other things, being able to grow spiritual plants would make their cultivation progress much faster.

"This matter... I actually have a very..." Zheng Fa, while saying this, stumbled a bit, seeming not very confident, "a very whimsical idea."

"What idea?"

Seeing him like this, the other four couldn't help but become curious.

Zheng Fa usually had many ideas, but never once had he hesitated like this.

Actually, he had this idea in front of Zhang Shijie, but Zhang Shijie probably wouldn't understand it, so he hadn't said it.

"You know, when we humans cultivate, we only consider two things: spiritual energy concentration and cultivation technique."

Old Bai blinked his eyes, as if suddenly understanding his meaning: "Are you saying that a plant becoming a spiritual plant is also a process of cultivation?"

"Yes, more accurately, it is a passive process of cultivation," Zheng Fa said softly. "The concentration of spiritual energy, needless to say, is a necessary condition for cultivation."

"But if we view the changes in the Spirit Wood Thunder and the solar terms as changes in an electromagnetic field..."

Zheng Fa said softly:

"Our human bodies are too complex; our sensitivity to solar terms might not be that strong, but some plants might be more sensitive..."

"And changes in the external magnetic field cause changes in the bioelectric currents inside these plants. Tian Laoshi, our thinking is actually related to neural currents or brainwaves, therefore—I boldly hypothesize that this change in bioelectric current is actually a most primitive form of thinking, or rather, a cultivation technique..."

Tian Laoshi frowned lightly: "Do you mean that the twenty-four solar terms in a year are actually twenty-four processes of 'thinking' change, like the thoughts we use to control spiritual energy when we cultivate?"

"Yes!" Zheng Fa smiled. "We cultivate with the concept of Zhou Tian, but in reality, the twenty-four solar terms are also a natural cycle of change, year after year, twenty-four times every year."

"This..." Old Bai also understood now. "Do you mean that spiritual plants are actually plants that cultivate? It's just that this cultivation process can be seen as unconscious, influenced by heaven and earth?"

Zheng Fa nodded, looking at the other few people.

He was actually not very confident in this hypothesis—in the end, this idea had no concrete evidence.

"This matter, indeed, can explain many phenomena..." Tian Laoshi spoke up, "For instance, the discussion in this secret technique regarding spirit fields and spirit veins is actually about providing a better cultivation environment for spirit plants..."

"For example, why spirit plants, besides the condition of spiritual Qi, do not value other material conditions much—this is just like us humans; once we cultivate, we can all bypass the need for grain."

"On the other hand, it also explains why we have only produced one kind of spirit plant: pea sprouts."

Tian Laoshi continued:

"First, this cultivation itself is a process. For instance, when we cultivate, we must at least circulate a Zhou Tian before spiritual Qi gathers in the dantian. Do those plants perhaps need several different combinations of Spirit Wood and Thunder to generate a spiritual Qi structure within their cells? Pea sprouts, which can produce changes with just one Spirit Wood and Thunder combination, are likely a minority."

"Second, perhaps the spiritual Qi concentration in our nursing home is not high enough."

"Actually, there is another point: I fear some plants simply cannot grow into spirit plants." Bai Lao spoke up, "This is equivalent to the portion of humans who lack aptitude."

"It's just that I don't know how to verify this hypothesis..." Tang Lingwu, who was standing nearby, spoke up.

"Actually, there is a method. The spiritual Qi concentration is limited by the Spirit Mountain Technique; we cannot increase it." Zheng Fa thought for a moment and said, "But changes in the magnetic field, we can actually simulate through the laboratory."

As soon as he said this, the others understood.

"Right!" Tian Laoshi nodded: "As long as we know how the magnetic field on the ground changes during the twenty-four solar terms... then we can simulate it."

Bai Lao, however, was not very optimistic.

"Spiritual Qi requires time to cultivate... it will be difficult for our simulation to have any effect in such a short time..."

Zheng Fa also felt somewhat helpless.

At this moment, he really missed that great bell...

"It will have an effect; at the very least, it can verify Zheng Fa's idea that Spirit Wood and Thunder are related to the twenty-four solar terms." Tian Laoshi shook his head and said, "Even if spirit plants cannot be produced, we can still observe the changes in spiritual Qi."

"I think we should not hold such high expectations..." Bai Lao was still opposing, "We have been farming for nearly half a year. If we speak of solar terms, more than ten have already passed, yet we have not seen any spirit plants."

This statement was indeed correct.

Originally, Zheng Fa had little confidence in this idea; with Bai Lao saying this, he also felt there was some truth to it.

Seeing everyone fall silent, Bai Lao also seemed to feel that his words were too discouraging to morale. He spoke up: "It is not that I do not want to try, but I feel that if this theory is correct, then we恐怕 cannot cultivate any spirit plants in a short time..."

"Humans need time to cultivate..."

He glanced at Zheng Fa and added, "Have you encountered something?"

Zheng Fa was stunned for a moment; only then did he understand why the optimistic Bai Lao would speak this way.

To be honest, the current situation places great pressure on the Jiushan Sect. Master Tongming may not truly alleviate the Jiushan Sect's crisis—he naturally wants to control the Heavenly Stele Realm even more.

His mindset regarding Spirit Wood and Thunder has indeed become increasingly urgent.

It is not that their research is slow; the situation is indeed becoming more critical day by day.

Just then, Bai Lao continued speaking: "The experiment, we must still conduct. It is just that my meaning is: do not hold too much hope..."

Tian Laoshi, standing nearby, suddenly also understood: "Yes, spirit plant growth first requires time, and also requires corresponding spiritual Qi concentration. More importantly, absolutely not every kind of plant can be cultivated into a spirit plant..."

Zheng Fa nodded lightly, knowing this was Bai Lao's reminder.

"But, how do we know the strength of the electromagnetic field on the ground on the day of a solar term?" Tang Lingwu raised an issue that could not be ignored.

Zheng Fa was stunned; indeed—this data, without even needing to look it up, one would know is very obscure...

Nearby, Tang Mudao thought for a moment, then suddenly spoke up: "Regarding this matter, I can actually think of a way!"