After setting up the spiritual stones, Fang Yun stayed close to the field for several days, not even returning to the cave for his daily healing routine. Since his healing method merely involved using Spiritual Power to nourish his meridians, he could do it anywhere. Besides, the spiritual energy from the spring water wasn't something he could use for cultivation given his current state.
At this critical moment, the growth of the spiritual rice was his top priority, and everything else could wait. Only once the rice overcame this challenge could Fang Yun relax.
After a few days of close observation, Fang Yun realized that his original plan was working. The spiritual stones were indeed releasing energy into the field under the constant flow of spring water. The previously troubled rice plant had returned to normal, and the other plants seemed to radiate a sense of contentment.
This discovery allowed Fang Yun to finally breathe a sigh of relief. He continued monitoring the field for several more days, and everything remained stable. The rice continued to grow normally, with no signs of pests and only a few weeds that he quickly removed.
Moreover, the spiritual stones weren't depleting as rapidly as he had feared. This situation reassured Fang Yun, so he left the field and returned to the cave. When the situation wasn't urgent, it was much more comfortable to stay in the cave rather than enduring the elements outdoors.
Over the next month, Fang Yun alternated between healing himself and checking on the rice. The plants grew smoothly, sprouting several new leaves over the month, taking them one step closer to maturity.
However, as things became more routine, Fang Yun started to feel bored. During the busy days, he hadn't noticed, but now that the rice was growing well, his tasks were reduced to checking for any abnormalities in their condition and removing a few weeds here and there. There were no pests yet, so weeds were the only real threat at this stage.
Since it didn't take long to remove the weeds, Fang Yun found himself with a lot of free time. Due to his injured meridians, he still couldn't cultivate. In the past, he had passed the time by reading the "Changchun Technique" manual, but now he had read it so many times that he could practically recite it backwards.
But no matter how well he knew the book, without the ability to cultivate, its content wasn't much use. As a result, his idle days became unbearably boring. His golden finger's panel also showed no changes. Despite everything he had done over the past two months, his abilities and control over plants remained more or less the same.
On top of that, because of the importance of the spiritual spring, no other mortals were allowed on the mountain except for Fang Yun, the cultivator. Even the elders of the Fang family only came up in emergencies, preferring to live at the base of the mountain or in nearby towns. This isolation meant Fang Yun had no one to talk to.
One day, after inspecting the spiritual field, removing weeds, and checking the consumption of the spiritual stones, Fang Yun found himself at the end of his daily tasks. However, he didn't feel like returning to the cave. His healing for the day was already done, and apart from rereading the worn-out "Changchun Technique" book again, there was nothing else to do.
Instead of going back, Fang Yun considered taking a walk down the mountain. After being in this world for over two months, he had yet to leave the mountain or see anyone else. It was time to take a stroll and explore the world beyond the mountain.
After all, with his identity as a cultivator, even if he encountered members of the Fang family down the mountain, he shouldn't face any danger. So, off he went. However, just to be safe, Fang Yun found a fine iron sword left behind by some previous cultivator in the cave and strapped it to his waist.
Instead of taking the mountain path down, he followed the direction of the flowing spring water. The spring flowed down from the spiritual field, not in a straight line, but rather winding its way through the crevices of the mountain, passing through many places before finally reaching the base.
As Fang Yun walked along the spring, he was treated to a vibrant display of life, thanks to the spring's nourishment. Trees were lush and green, grass was thick and vibrant, flowers were competing for attention with their brilliant colors, and he even discovered several rare plants he had never seen before, some of which seemed like medicinal herbs.
It seemed these plants had gone unpicked for many years. After all, cultivators wouldn't bother with them, and ordinary people couldn't climb the mountain. They could only grow, wither, and then grow again, endlessly cycling through this process.
As Fang Yun admired the charming scenery along the way, he felt his mood lighten considerably. Seeing these plants triggered his professional curiosity, and he almost stopped right there to conduct research and explore the secrets they held.
Ultimately, he resisted the urge. At this stage, his primary tasks were healing, planting spiritual rice, and exploring his golden finger. Once he had completed these tasks, he could spare time to study these rare plants, which would yield far greater results than if he wasted time on them now.
With his plan set, he continued down the mountain. After a while, he finally reached the base and, following the direction of the spring, saw a wide river several hundred meters across. Walking along the river, Fang Yun soon found himself facing an endless expanse of rice paddies.
At this moment, the rice was in its seedling stage, and the entire landscape was a rich green. A sense of pride welled up in Fang Yun's chest. Although the rice paddies weren't his own planting, as the patriarch of the Fang family, he still held some authority over them.
If he could improve his farming skills in the future and find better rice seeds, while also thoroughly researching his golden finger, then this vast rice paddy could serve as his ideal experimental field.