I Need a Bigger Spirit Field!

Obtaining Jade Sprout Spiritual Essence had undoubtedly opened the door to a whole new world for Li Ye.

It allowed Li Ye to obtain a set amount of cultivation resources from the spirit field at regular intervals, sparing him the need to spend Spirit Stones on spirit rice.

He only had to farm diligently to steadily improve his cultivation, and he now had a way to heal his injuries.

That way, even if he stayed put and honestly farmed the sect's spirit field until the heavens grew old and the earth crumbled, his progress wouldn't be much slower than that of cultivators fighting to the death outside.

Hmm...

All right, that was already damn amazing!

All he had to do was farm.

He could harvest experience points to improve his skills, obtain Plant Spiritual Essence to raise his cultivation, and finally reap another harvest when the spirit rice ripened...

Who could resist such a windfall that brought so many benefits at once?

If it weren't still short of harvest time and doing so would be far too strange, Li Ye would have wanted to sleep right in his spirit field and tend those five thousand spirit seedlings day and night!

What's more, Li Ye saw even broader potential applications for Plant Spiritual Essence...

The only things stopping him from putting them into practice now were that he simply didn't have enough experience points to improve his pill-making skills, nor enough capital to purchase the most basic necessities for pill refinement!

"Senior Brother Zhang...

"Besides accepting a mission to grow spirit rice on these five mu of spirit field, is there any other way for disciples like us to take charge of a larger area of spirit fields, or even tend more precious spirit medicines?"

During their usual chat, Li Ye suddenly asked Zhang Liangfu, looking thoughtful.

By now, five mu of land could no longer satisfy Li Ye.

Over the past two days, he had accumulated two more wisps of Jade Sprout Spiritual Essence, and after refining them, he had completely halted the decline in his cultivation.

He only needed a little more cultivation to fully regain control of his Law Power and restore his cultivation to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer.

His overall condition was improving by the day!

Five thousand Jade Sprout Rice plants had brought him such gains...

If he could plant more Spirit Plants, he could accumulate enough experience to get started in the Dao of Alchemy in less time!

Li Ye also looked forward to seeing what effects the different kinds of Plant Spiritual Essence from different Spirit Plants would have...

He needed a bigger spirit field!

"Of course there is..."

Zhang Liangfu was taken aback for a moment, then nodded at once. He grinned and said,

"Junior Brother, you have a real talent for tending Spirit Plants. You surely wouldn't be content to waste your time here. I've been waiting for you to ask me!"

"...Please enlighten me, Senior Brother!"

Li Ye immediately cupped his hands in salute.

But Zhang Liangfu stepped aside to avoid it and waved his hand.

"No need for that, Junior Brother. This is no secret. Any disciple who's completed this Spirit Plant mission at least once knows something about it..."

No wonder his predecessor had known nothing about it.

After joining the Purple Profound Sect, that fellow had disdained any further contact with anything related to Spirit Plant farmers!

Understanding dawned on Li Ye's face, and he dragged his predecessor out for another round of criticism.

Seeing Li Ye's expression, Zhang Liangfu laughed heartily and motioned for him to sit on the ridge between the fields.

"You should know that this isn't the only place in the sect with spirit fields."

"Leaving aside the spirit fields occupied by the markets outside the mountain gates, the places we tend are merely low-grade areas used to grow spirit rice..."

"The higher-grade spirit fields have nothing to do with Qi Refining disciples like us, but there are also top-tier first-rank spirit fields, rich in Spiritual Qi and covered by formations, devoted to growing the many first-rank spirit medicines the sect needs."

Li Ye nodded to show that he knew about them.

"And the spirit farming missions issued by the Internal Affairs Hall are actually used to select people..."

At this point, Zhang Liangfu turned and carefully glanced at the pavilion by the distant edge of the fields.

Seeing no movement there, he gestured vaguely toward it a few times and lowered his voice as he spoke to Li Ye.

"When the spirit fields are harvested, Senior Brother Xiao will naturally judge us based on the spirit rice yield."

"For those who meet the quota, Senior Brother Xiao will conduct another test... If you pass, you'll qualify to work in the spirit medicine garden!"

"Although we can't take away a single spirit medicine we grow there, whether it's the techniques we can learn for tending them or the generous contribution rewards, both are enough to make anyone's eyes burn with envy..."

"Even just spending each day in a place so rich in Spiritual Qi is a tremendous help to the cultivation of low-level disciples like us!"

Zhang Liangfu listed the benefits as readily as if counting his own treasures, his face full of longing. Li Ye's heart stirred as well.

Wasn't this exactly what he wanted?

It didn't matter whether the spirit medicines produced belonged to him. Sect contribution rewards were good enough, and Plant Spiritual Essence would make up the rest for him anyway...

However he looked at it, he'd come out ahead!

Li Ye immediately made up his mind. He would do everything he could to earn a place in the spirit medicine garden!

Seeing Li Ye's changing expression, the dark-skinned, honest-looking burly man felt moved to sigh, though he didn't quite know why.

"It's taken me three or four years to gain some insight into Spirit Plant techniques. I feel like I might have a chance to give it a shot this year..."

"But you, Junior Brother Li... Even with your past experience to build on, this is only your first time working the fields in the sect, and you've already tended your spirit field so well. You probably have a great chance..."

"Who knows? Old Zhang here might even have to rely on your guidance and support someday!"

Zhang Liangfu spoke as if joking, but there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes.

Though he hadn't known Li Ye for long, the talent Li Ye had shown as a Spirit Plant farmer was truly astonishing.

In their time together, the character and disposition Li Ye had displayed had also been good.

Under the circumstances, it was hard for Zhang Liangfu not to hold him in high regard.

All he had to do was lower his stance a little. If Li Ye really did advance further in the future, it would be a small investment with ten thousandfold returns for Zhang Liangfu!

Hearing this, Li Ye's expression turned serious.

"You're too kind, Senior Brother. Whether or not either of us is selected, I'm willing to support you, and have you support me, here in the sect!"

It was true that Li Ye had his complaints about his predecessor joining that little group led by Cai and Tang.

But he didn't disagree with the fellow's thinking.

The cultivation world was full of treacherous dangers, and the sect was far from harmonious. For someone alone and powerless, let alone accomplishing anything, even keeping their life was difficult.

Part of Li Ye's reason for befriending spirit farming disciples like Zhang Liangfu was to huddle together for warmth.

They were all hard-pressed disciples at the bottom, and Zhang Liangfu's cultivation was only at the level of someone who had just broken through to the Qi Refining Third Layer.

But even if he expected nothing else, having a social circle to exchange information with was good for Li Ye!

Zhang Liangfu was immediately moved.

"Good! Junior Brother Li, let us advance together hand in hand..."

"I didn't expect you to actually be here!"

Before the dark-skinned man could finish, a slightly grating voice rang out.

Three figures descended through the air on flying Law Artifacts. Rather than landing, they simply floated there.

They seemed unwilling to touch the muddy fields and dirty their clothes.

"Don't you know you can't trespass on the sect's spirit fields..."

Having been interrupted and seeing the three looking down at him from above, even Zhang Liangfu felt his Qi and Blood surge.

Among the three, the sharp-mouthed cultivator frowned but ignored him completely.

He and another cultivator, a round-faced fatty, simply released traces of their Law Power.

Both were actually at the mid-stage Qi Refining Fourth Layer!

Pressed by their presence, Zhang Liangfu faltered mid-sentence. His imposing manner immediately weakened, and for a moment he was at a loss for words.

The other spirit farming disciples nearby merely watched in silence, somewhat uncertain and alarmed.

Li Ye took everyone's reactions in at a glance, his expression unchanged.

He looked straight past the fat and thin pair, who were showing off a little, and turned to the woman with fluttering robes. He asked calmly,

"What are you here for?"