The floating island of the Heavenly Horizon Farm hovered majestically above the mountain peak, casting a soft shadow filled with pure energy over the rocky terrain. Streams of spiritual qi fell in luminous cascades directly onto Li Xian, who felt every pore of his body absorb a vitality that was previously inaccessible.
Below, on the winding trail, the commotion among the sect disciples had turned into a full uproar. The thunderous roar of the farm's manifestation had echoed across the entire Mountain Range of Ten Thousand Clouds, attracting not only apprentices but also higher-ranking figures.
A gust of sharp wind announced the arrival of Gao Fan, a senior disciple from the Inner Sword Hall, whose robes bore the silver emblem of the sect. His eyes narrowed with greedy ambition as he locked his gaze onto the floating island.
— Li Xian! — Gao Fan bellowed, his voice dripping with arrogant authority as he landed heavily on the rock, kicking up a cloud of dust. — What kind of demonic technique did you use to steal a clan relic? That floating island emanates supreme-grade celestial treasure! A talentless trash like you has no qualification to possess such a thing! Hand over the control of your sea of consciousness immediately, or I will be forced to purify your soul in the name of the sect!
The other disciples backed away in fear, whispering among themselves about Gao Fan's boldness and the terrifying aura the island displayed.
Li Xian remained unfazed. He stood calmly with his arms relaxed and an ironic smile on his lips. With a slight flick of his wrist, a beam of silvery light descended from the floating island, resting in his hand in the form of a glowing spiritual fruit dusted with starlight essence.
— A clan relic? — Li Xian replied, his voice calm yet razor-sharp. — Gao Fan, this farm was locked within my mind for years, feeding exclusively on my own effort and sweat. Now that it has broken free, do you really think it belongs to this mountain?
— Insolent fool! — Gao Fan drew his spiritual sword, its blade vibrating with sharp energy. — Your insignificance ends here!
Gao Fan's sword slashed through the air in a flash of blue light, firing a blast of qi straight toward Li Xian's chest. However, before the strike could touch him, an invisible shield of agricultural energy erupted from the floating island, absorbing the impact with a dull metallic sound and reflecting the shockwave back with double the intensity.
BOOM!
Gao Fan was thrown backward, stumbling uncontrollably until he collapsed onto his knees on the rocky ground, his sword vibrating violently and his hands completely numb. He looked up, pale and incredulous.
— How... How is this possible?! You didn't even use a combat technique! — Gao Fan stammered, feeling the oppressive weight of the island's aura.
— Have you still not realized, Gao Fan? — Li Xian took a step forward, raising the glowing spiritual fruit in his hand. — In the past, I cultivated to hide my resources from you all. Today, the entire world is my field... and you came trying to steal the harvest before it was even ready.
With a snap of his fingers, Li Xian took a light bite of the spiritual fruit. A surge of pure qi illuminated the entire mountain peak, causing his cultivation base to leap forward into the next realm. The spiritual currents of the island roared in approval, making the earth tremble beneath Gao Fan's feet.
— Tell the elders I'll be waiting for them up here — Li Xian concluded, turning his back and ascending smoothly up a staircase of light toward his farm. — The real cultivation has just begun.