[Panel]
[Name: Ji Ning
Spiritual Root: Mid-grade Spiritual Root
Attributes: Five Elemental Attributes
Talent: Extreme Space-Time Sensitivity
Realm: 2nd Stage of Qi Condensation (21/200)
Cultivation Method: Pure Qi Sutra (1st Floor: 87/100)
Martial Arts: Bone Forging Fist (Minor Accomplishment: 19/200), Shadow Steps (Minor Accomplishment: 11/200)
Spells: Small Cloud Rain Technique (Minor Accomplishment: 13/200), Soil Refining Technique (Starting: 99/100)]
Glancing over the panel, Ning nodded in satisfaction.
It had been four months since he arrived in this world. Compared to the bare-bones collection of skills he'd started with, his panel was finally beginning to look somewhat respectable.
Most importantly, after nearly two months of steady practice, his Soil Refining Technique was finally on the verge of reaching Minor Accomplishment.
It had taken roughly the same amount of time as the Small Cloud Rain Technique, but the actual process of comprehending it had been considerably more difficult. The only reason Ning had managed to maintain a similar pace was that his cultivation had improved in the meantime, giving him enough spiritual energy to cast the technique far more frequently than before.
After all, learning a spell wasn't as simple as memorizing an incantation and throwing spiritual energy at it.
From Ning's experience, there were five main components to mastering a spell: precise chanting, accurate hand seals, stable spiritual energy control, an understanding of the underlying principle, and a clear mental visualization of what the spell was supposed to accomplish.
The first three could be improved through repetition. Chant enough times and the words became instinctive. Form the seals enough times, and the hands moved on their own. Circulate spiritual energy enough times and controlling the flow gradually became second nature.
The final two, however, demanded genuine comprehension.
With the Small Cloud Rain Technique, Ning had possessed something of an unfair advantage.
His understanding of rain came from his previous world's science: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Water rose into the atmosphere, cooled and condensed into clouds, then eventually returned to the earth as rain. Once Ning understood how the spell imitated that natural process through spiritual energy, visualizing it had become considerably easier.
Old Zhou, naturally, understood the same phenomenon in an entirely different way.
According to him, the Small Cloud Rain Technique worked by guiding the water qi within heaven and earth, drawing upon the Yin essence gathered within clouds and harmonizing it with the Yang energy provided by the cultivator. When Yin and Yang reached the proper balance, water qi gathered naturally and descended as nourishing spiritual rain.
That was, in fact, the normal cultivator's understanding of the technique.
Different explanation, same rain.
The Soil Refining Technique, however, was another matter entirely.
Rain followed a cycle Ning already understood. Soil Refining dealt with something much more abstract: transformation.
Old Zhou described the technique as "nourishing the veins of the earth" and "awakening the latent spirit sleeping within the soil."
Very profound.
Unfortunately, Ning had absolutely no idea what an earth vein was supposed to feel like.
So, as usual, he translated the explanation into something his own mind could work with.
To Ning, soil was an enormous living system filled with minerals, moisture, organic matter, microorganisms, and countless other components working together. Healthy soil retained nutrients and water while allowing air to circulate through it, whereas poor soil became compacted, depleted, or chemically imbalanced.
With that in mind, the Soil Refining Technique became much easier to understand.
Rather than imagining himself "awakening the spirit of the earth," Ning visualized his spiritual energy as something closer to a combination of tilling, fertilizing, and restoring the soil. Stagnant qi was loosened and broken apart, accumulated impurities were dispersed, and fresh spiritual energy was guided through the earth to restore its vitality.
Once he had a principle he could actually understand, the visualization naturally followed.
Of course, that particular part had never been especially difficult for Ning. After a lifetime of cultural baptism through movies, games, novels, anime, and every other form of entertainment his previous world had thrown at him, imagining strange supernatural phenomena was probably one of his more thoroughly trained abilities.
After recovering enough spiritual energy, Ning placed his palm against the earth and cast the Soil Refining Technique once more.
Spiritual energy spread beneath his hand, sinking through the soil in gentle waves. Ning carefully maintained the circulation, adjusting the flow whenever he sensed resistance until the compacted earth gradually loosened and a faint trace of vitality spread through it.
Then the familiar panel appeared.
[Soil Refining Technique (Starting: 99/100) → Minor Accomplishment (1/200)]
"Finally."
Ning couldn't suppress his grin.
"That's two spells at Minor Accomplishment."
He wasn't pleased merely because another number on his panel had increased. The Soil Refining Technique was particularly valuable because, with prolonged use, it could gradually improve the sub-first-grade soil currently used by peripheral disciples until it reached true first-grade quality.
That mattered considerably.
First-grade soil could support higher-tier spiritual crops, which meant more valuable harvests and, naturally, considerably greater profits. Better yet, successfully improving the quality of one's assigned farmland was considered a contribution to the sect, meaning Ning could earn merit for doing something that already benefited him.
Those merits could then be exchanged for resources unavailable through ordinary spirit stones.
A rather beautiful cycle, as far as Ning was concerned.
Thinking about resources reminded him of something else.
Ning reached into his robes and took out one of the spirit stones he had remaining. The translucent blue stone rested innocently in his palm, pure spiritual energy faintly swirling within.
Ning stared at it.
For one dangerous moment, he almost felt his inner Gollum emerging.
My precious.
He quickly suppressed the urge.
Still, spirit stones really were precious. In a world where practically every step along the path of immortality required resources, these little rocks were simultaneously currency, cultivation aids, formation fuel, and the solution to an alarming percentage of life's problems.
Unfortunately, Ning had been discovering just how quickly they disappeared.
The hundred spirit stones Wei Zhusang had originally lent him, along with what Ning had earned through spiritual farming, had already been converted almost entirely into cultivation resources.
Fortunately, Wei Zhusang had helped introduce him to a few more potential investors.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Zhang Feng had lent him eighty spirit stones, while, much to Ning's surprise, Lang Rulang had handed over a full hundred.
That one had genuinely caught him off guard.
Given Lang Rulang's usual personality, Ning hadn't expected her to agree so readily, much less match Wei Zhusang's investment. If her expression hadn't remained completely unchanged while handing him the spirit stones, Ning might have suspected she had ulterior motives.
Old Zhou had also lent him some spirit stones. In fact, that had been considerably easier than Ning expected. As a spiritual farmer himself, Old Zhou understood better than most what Ning's progress in the Small Cloud Rain and Soil Refining Techniques actually represented. Combined with the relationship they had built over the past few months, Ning hadn't needed much convincing at all.
Ning carefully put the spirit stone away before looking across his farmland.
"Now that Soil Refining has reached Minor Accomplishment, I should be able to handle another acre."
Another acre meant more crops. More crops meant more spirit stones. Better soil meant better-quality crops, which meant even more spirit stones.
And more spirit stones meant faster cultivation.
Ning nodded to himself.
Yes. The future was looking increasingly bright.
...
"Junior Brother Ning."
Ning turned at the call and saw a tall young man approaching through the fields. Blue robes hung neatly from his frame, their sleeves embroidered with thin golden lines, and even walking through farmland somehow failed to diminish the faint air of superiority surrounding him.
It was Su Fan.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Su." Ning cupped his hands, straightening from where he had been waging his eternal war against weeds.
"Hm." Su Fan acknowledged him with a slight nod before letting his gaze sweep across the surrounding fields.
Then he said nothing.
Ning waited.
Su Fan continued looking around.
After several increasingly awkward seconds, Ning accepted that if he left the initiative to this man, they might remain standing here until sunset.
"If Senior Brother has something to discuss, why don't we talk inside?"
Su Fan inclined his head as though this had naturally been his intention all along. "Very well."
Once inside the small hut, Ning prepared a cup of warm milk tea and placed it before him. "Here, Senior Brother."
Su Fan accepted the cup with the same placid expression he seemed to wear everywhere. Only after taking his first sip did his eyebrows rise ever so slightly.
"Not bad."
Ning smiled. Dealing with someone like Su Fan required a certain amount of initiative. The man wasn't necessarily difficult to talk to, but if Ning waited for him to carry the conversation, they might both die of old age first.
"So, what brings Senior Brother here today?"
Rather than answering, Su Fan took another sip of milk tea and asked, "How is your training as a spiritual farmer progressing?"
Ning didn't comment on the blatant avoidance of his question. "I've reached Minor Accomplishment in both the Small Cloud Rain Technique and the Soil Refining Technique."
Su Fan's hand paused briefly around the cup.
Ning had deliberately chosen not to hide this progress.
Ever since deciding to establish himself as someone talented in spells, there was little point in concealing every achievement. Talent only had value when the right people knew about it, and demonstrating steady progress would increase his standing within the sect while opening doors that would otherwise remain closed.
Naturally, Ning had considered whether showing too much talent would attract unwanted attention.
Fortunately, Old Zhou had already reassured him on that front.
Ning's rate of comprehension was impressive, but it wasn't unprecedented. Among the hundreds of disciples recruited every five years, there would inevitably be a handful with unusually high comprehension toward spells or particular cultivation arts. Old Zhou had even known someone similar during his own generation.
That person had possessed only a low-grade spiritual root, yet his talent for spells had allowed him to accumulate enough resources to obtain a barrier-breaking pill and attempt to enter the late stage of Qi Condensation. He had ultimately failed, but the fact that he'd gotten that far despite his spiritual root showed just how valuable exceptional comprehension could be.
More importantly, it also showed that Ning's talent wasn't so absurd that every elder in the sect would immediately drag him away for interrogation.
Compared to monsters born with top-grade spiritual roots, being unusually good at learning farming spells was positively reasonable.
Su Fan finally set down his cup. "It seems Wei Zhusang is a little behind on his information. He only told me you'd reached Minor Accomplishment in the Small Cloud Rain Technique."
"I only reached that level with Soil Refining a few days ago," Ning explained. Wei Zhusang had helped him considerably, so there was no reason to let the man take the blame for something so trivial. "Most people don't know about it yet."
"I see."
Unlike Wei Zhusang, Su Fan didn't ask him to demonstrate the technique. Whether that came from trust, arrogance, or simply confidence that Ning had no reason to lie about something so easily verified, Ning couldn't tell.
Instead, Su Fan leaned back slightly.
"That's even better. I've come today with a proposition."
Ning's attention sharpened. "A proposition?"
"Yes." Su Fan looked directly at him. "I'm an alchemist's apprentice. The sect provides materials for practice, but good ingredients are always in short supply. Any alchemist who intends to progress eventually needs reliable sources of high-quality spiritual herbs."
Ning nodded in understanding.
Alchemy was, from everything he'd heard, essentially the cultivation world's most respectable method of setting money on fire. Learning required enormous quantities of medicinal ingredients, and failed batches were disgustingly common. It made perfect sense that alchemists would establish relationships with capable spiritual farmers.
"Wouldn't Senior Brother be better off working with more experienced spiritual farmers?"
Spiritual farming wasn't exactly a rare profession within the sect. Its entry requirements were relatively low, which was precisely why so many disciples without strong backgrounds or exceptional talent eventually ended up doing it.
"I already do," Su Fan replied matter-of-factly. "But experienced farmers have existing arrangements, and the best among them know exactly what they're worth."
Ning understood immediately.
Ah. Expensive.
Su Fan might be wealthy, but so were plenty of other alchemy apprentices. If several of them competed for the same experienced spiritual farmers, prices would inevitably rise, and what began as recruitment could quickly turn into a bidding war.
Su Fan continued, "What I need is someone capable of eventually producing higher-grade medicinal herbs. You're inexperienced now, but your comprehension is excellent. At your current rate, obtaining a Spiritual Farmer Certificate within a few years isn't unrealistic."
Then, for the first time since entering the hut, Su Fan smirked.
"Besides, I don't mind investing some resources in someone with promise."
Ning stared at him.
Damn.
The casual arrogance. The expensive robes. The implication that throwing resources at promising juniors was beneath his concern.
This bastard is aura farming right in front of me.
Unfortunately, it was working.
Ning turned his attention back to the actual proposition.
Obtaining a Spiritual Farmer Certificate required reaching Great Accomplishment in at least three recognized spiritual farming techniques, with the Small Cloud Rain Technique being compulsory. It was difficult, but the benefits were substantial.
Ordinary spiritual farmers were required to surrender a percentage of their harvest to the sect. Certified farmers, however, only needed to provide a fixed amount. Anything they produced beyond that belonged entirely to them.
For someone capable of producing large or high-quality harvests, the difference could become enormous.
Ning considered the offer briefly before nodding. "Since Senior Brother has gone out of his way to explain everything, it would be rude of me to refuse."
"Good." Su Fan seemed to have expected that answer. "But I have one condition. Within two years, I want your Small Cloud Rain Technique to reach Great Accomplishment. If you manage that, I don't mind sharing a portion of the profits from any medicinal herbs you grow for me."
Two years.
Ning quickly ran the numbers through his head.
Comprehension wasn't the biggest obstacle. The real problem was spiritual energy. Reaching Great Accomplishment required extensive practice, and only after reaching the middle stages of Qi Condensation would he possess enough spiritual energy to repeatedly cast the complete technique without exhausting himself.
Could he reach the middle stage within two years?
With his current progress and access to cultivation resources, it seemed entirely possible.
"Alright." Ning nodded. "I accept."
"Good."
Su Fan reached into his sleeve and produced a jade bottle barely larger than Ning's thumb. A faint medicinal fragrance escaped from within as he casually tossed it across the table.
"Take it. Consider it an advance and some encouragement."
Ning caught the bottle and removed the stopper. The familiar fragrance immediately told him what was inside.
Red Bud Pills.
There were twelve of them.
However, the scent was noticeably purer than the pills Ning had used before, and each pill carried a faint marking across its surface.
"Senior Brother, these seem different from ordinary Red Bud Pills."
"Naturally." A hint of pride finally entered Su Fan's voice. "Those are Star-Marked Red Bud Pills. Medicinal pills are generally divided into three grades: defective, genuine, and star-marked. Star-marked pills contain almost no impurities and possess nearly twice the medicinal efficacy of ordinary genuine pills."
Su Fan took another leisurely sip of milk tea.
"I don't need them anymore, so you can have them."
Ning stared at the bottle.
He wasn't particularly surprised that pills had quality grades. This was a cultivation world. If something existed, cultivators would inevitably find a way to divide it into increasingly expensive tiers.
What surprised him was how casually Su Fan had handed over twelve of them.
Suddenly, Ning understood something.
So this is why arrogant rich young masters always have so many lackeys.
The employee benefits were fucking incredible.
"Then I won't pretend to refuse." Ning cupped his hands sincerely. "Thank you, Senior Brother."
Su Fan gave an approving nod. Apparently, he appreciated Ning not performing the traditional three rounds of
I couldn't possibly accept this
before inevitably accepting it anyway.
"Do your best."
With that, Su Fan rose and left with the same effortless flair with which he had arrived.
Ning stood at the doorway and watched the blue-robed figure disappear between the fields.
Su Fan was certainly arrogant. There was no denying that. Yet strangely enough, Ning didn't find him particularly unpleasant.
His arrogance was different from Xiao Hong's. Xiao Hong's arrogance seemed to demand that everyone around him acknowledge his superiority, whereas Su Fan simply appeared to have concluded long ago that he was superior and saw no particular reason to debate the matter.
Ning supposed upbringing had a great deal to do with it.
This wasn't Earth. There was no standardized moral education teaching everyone that people should fundamentally be treated as equals. This was a world where strength, talent, lineage, and cultivation determined one's position from childhood. When someone grew up surrounded by praise while watching the strong receive respect and the weak step aside, developing a certain amount of arrogance was hardly surprising.
Of course, Xiao Hong's particular brand of mindless arrogance might simply be a terminal case of proximity to the protagonist.
Ning considered psychoanalyzing the matter further, then decided he had more important things to worry about.
He looked down at the jade bottle in his hand.
Twelve Star-Marked Red Bud Pills.
Ning's expression immediately brightened.
Whatever personality flaws Su Fan possessed could be analyzed another day.
For now, he had pills. Loads of them.
...
Thanks for reading~