"The crystal rice has just matured, so I haven't had the chance to study it yet. However, the spiritual energy it emits is clear and pure, so I suspect it holds potent medicinal properties. Junior Sister, where did you get these grains?"
"They came from that batch of demonized spirit rice I picked up from a rogue cultivator's stall at Qingping Market."
"I see. That means we can deduce the medicinal nature of this crystal rice. Since it mutated under demonic influence, it might have suppressive effects on demonic energy."
Wen Shuyu's eyes lit up for a moment as he thought aloud.
"But the spiritual energy in spirit rice isn't that concentrated. I doubt its medicinal effects would be very strong."
Chen Jinshu wasn't doubting the potential of the crystal rice, but with such a small quantity, its efficacy might not amount to much.
"Still, it's better than nothing. The sect's spiritual veins have been tainted with demonic energy for years, yet Medicine King Peak has barely managed to cultivate any spirit herbs that can counteract it." Wen Shuyu shook his head slightly, not believing the crystal rice was meaningless.
After all, this was only the first generation of crystal rice. If cultivated for several more generations with a focus on enhancing its ability to resist demonic energy and enrich spiritual energy, it could solve many of the sect's contamination issues.
What intrigued him more at the moment was whether the rice plant itself had a suppressive effect on demonic energy. If so, the implications for the sect were massive—they wouldn't have to worry about demonic corruption in their spirit fields anymore.
Chen Jinshu also found this plausible. From the look in her senior brother's eyes—burning with ambition—she knew he was planning something with this rice.
"Have you planted any of this crystal rice, Junior Sister? I'm beginning to suspect the rice plant might itself resist demonic energy."
He asked casually, though his eyes were glued to the rice plants. Chen Jinshu gave a subtle shake of her head. She had planted her crystal rice in her private space. If her senior brother suddenly insisted on checking, she wouldn't be able to explain it.
"Don't worry. Once I've researched the medicinal properties of this crystal rice, I'll be sure to inform you. We can report the findings to the sect under your name. There might even be a nice reward in it."
"This crystal rice was cultivated by you first, Senior Brother. Why don't we share the credit? I'd feel uneasy taking it all."
"Fair enough. Then we'll claim the achievement together—but you're getting the bigger reward."
"Deal!"
After returning from the Green Pine Herbal Garden, Chen Jinshu immediately dove into her spiritual plant space.
Her senior brother had grown such beautiful, possibly anti-demonic crystal rice from white grains—what if the white grains she had planted in the mutated black spiritual field turned out even more extreme?
After all, even the plants she grew from white grains had turned entirely white.
Comparing the growth conditions of the two batches, Chen Jinshu made some guesses about the white rice plants before her. They were likely mutated and had leveled up, which explained why they grew more slowly than her senior brother's, despite being in a much faster time-flowing space.
"About half a month more and they'll sprout heads. Maturity isn't far off."
With that, she watered the field. Within moments, the white rice plants glowed with a dazzling white light. Her thoughts stirred. She pulled out a demonic bone she'd snatched from the treasure furnace last time. The bone still held lingering demonic energy, so she affixed a talisman to suppress any leaks.
"Senior Brother mentioned the rice plants from these white grains might suppress demonic energy…"
She decided to test it.
To avoid contaminating the rest, she sealed off most of the white rice plants, leaving only one exposed. The moment she placed the demonic bone beside the plant, the surging demonic energy calmed and was immediately suppressed. But not long after, the energy began to stir again—restless but afraid to leak out.
"It really can suppress it! And this white spirit rice is even more potent."
If she reported this mutated white rice to the sect, she'd be thrust into the spotlight. But she had no such intention. Her brother's batch would suffice. Though less effective, it was enough—no need to be overly showy.
A gut feeling told her: "the occasional demonic energy leaks in the sect might mean someone was sneaking demonic influence in."
A demon cultivator infiltrator, perhaps?
Even though Xuanming Sect wiped out the demonic sect that once controlled this spiritual vein, many remnants had never been accounted for.
"I must warn Senior Brother." She feared he'd become too fixated on crystal rice and draw unwanted attention.
That would be bad for both of them—and the sect.
"Maybe… I could try refining a spiritual pill that suppresses demonic energy." The idea suddenly struck her.
Demonic miasma leaked from many places within the sect. A pill would be far more practical—no one could carry around entire rice plants, after all. The value of this demon-suppressing spirit rice would be best unlocked through her expertise: alchemy.
A month passed in a flash.
At last, the white grains Chen Jinshu had planted in her spiritual space had matured. Unlike her senior brother's crystal rice, the grains from her black spirit field were not transparent but pure white, plump and seemingly brimming with medicinal potency. A single grain of white rice looked nearly as potent as an entire plant of crystal rice.
"Pure white grains, overflowing with spiritual energy… Let's call it Moonlight Rice."
The white grains before her glowed like her other white spirit field, bright and alluring—almost dreamlike. She brushed her fingers across a stalk of moonlight rice. A faint chill met her skin.
"Unlikely to be ice-attributed. This must be a natural effect of its medicinal properties."
She harvested the mature moonlight rice and decided to cook some—to test its effects. The outer husk was incredibly thin, so she didn't bother removing it. Perhaps the husk had medicinal value too. Soon, her treasured furnace emitted a faint white mist, carrying a sweet fragrance.
"This furnace really is amazing. Works for alchemy, medicine, and even rice!"
She scooped a small bowl and took a bite.
The moment the rice touched her tongue, a sweet flavor spread across her palate—unlike any spiritual rice she'd eaten before.
"So good! I bet people would pay fifty spirit stones per pound if I sold this at a stall."
Moments after swallowing, the rice transformed into rich spiritual energy, flowing to her lotus birthmark on her forehead. A sense of serene clarity filled her mind.
"It even calms the mind!" Her eyes sparkled as she instinctively took another bite.
"I wonder how my senior brother's research is going…"
She had a hunch—when fully cultivated, crystal rice might evolve again into moonlight rice.