Renewing the Contract

High-quality spirit rice was also the primary ingredient for refining Essence Replenishing Pills.

After winding downward along the terraces of the spirit fields for fifteen circles, Su Bai finally found Spirit Field No. 1523, the field specified by his assignment, in the fifteenth-circle area.

This was practically one of the spirit fields at the very bottom of the ring-shaped spirit fields.

However, the Jade Mist Sect rested against the massive spirit vein beneath Qingyun Mountain. With abundant spiritual energy to spare, the sect had never stopped opening up new spirit fields.

Every year, Qingyun Mountain still saw several new spirit fields opened.

Given Qingyun Mountain's height, it would not have been a problem even to wind downward another hundred or so circles.

There was no need to worry about running out of space for spirit fields.

Only about one-third of the fifteenth circle had been developed, yet there were already more than thirty spirit fields.

Spirit Field No. 1523 was one of them.

Su Bai arrived at the compound for the fifteenth circle's spirit fields. A steward was stationed here, responsible for the thirty-odd spirit fields on the fifteenth circle.

The compound had been built in the gaps between the spirit fields.

When Su Bai stepped into the compound, the steward was sleeping on a bamboo mat.

"Cough, cough."

Su Bai had no choice but to clear his throat.

The steward slowly woke up.

"Oh, a newcomer?"

"Don't mind it. This old man is already over a hundred years old, yet I'm only at Qi Refining Layer Seven. There's no hope left on the immortal path, so I might as well enjoy the rest of my days. Wouldn't you say so?"

The steward rolled over and got up. Though he was over a hundred years old, nourished by spiritual energy, he still looked white-haired and youthful.

That was one of the benefits of cultivation. Until they passed away in meditation, their bodies would not age into the state of ordinary people.

Su Bai scratched his head. "With such a state of mind, Steward, this disciple admires you more than he can say."

"Haha, what a sweet talker. Hand over your jade talisman." Whether Su Bai meant it sincerely or not, the steward was delighted all the same.

Su Bai handed over the jade talisman.

After a series of operations, the steward returned the jade talisman to Su Bai.

At the same time, he handed Su Bai a thin booklet with only a few pages.

"The booklet contains basic knowledge about planting and tending spirit rice paddies, along with the casting times and efficiency of the Dewdrop Technique."

"If there's anything you don't understand, come ask me."

"I'll inspect the growth of the spirit fields regularly. If anything goes wrong, I'll point it out to you as well."

"Water diligently every day. But with me keeping watch, don't worry about making mistakes. Go plant your fields with peace of mind." The steward teased.

This steward was also a spirit planter with an official sect title. When it came to growing spirit rice, he was already exceedingly proficient.

That was why he had been assigned here as a steward.

Su Bai accepted the booklet, thanked him, and left the compound.

Walking along the field ridges, Su Bai soon arrived at Spirit Field No. 1523.

Beside the spirit field was an open patch of ground, where a thatched hut stood. This would be Su Bai's daily residence.

Su Bai entered the thatched hut and used the Object Manipulation Technique to clear away the dust.

He tidied up the living utensils a little.

Then he opened the booklet and began reading.

For a spirit field of one mu, the entire field had to be watered once a day with the Dewdrop Technique.

With Su Bai's spiritual power, it was naturally impossible for him to water an entire mu of spirit field in one breath.

For every cup of tea's time spent watering, he had to meditate for one shichen to recover his spiritual power.

One mu of spirit field had to be watered in three separate sessions.

By that calculation, it would take at least more than three shichen to finish watering it.

However, meditating to recover spiritual power was no different from cultivation. In fact, after exhausting his spiritual power and then circulating the Radiant Qi Refining Technique again, the results would be even better. It could be considered another form of cultivation.

All told, the actual labor took less than half a shichen.

Together with the three Essence Replenishing Pills issued every month, it would definitely improve the efficiency of his cultivation.

Most importantly, Su Bai quickly discovered one of the benefits of tending spirit fields.

That was, three meals a day, with all the spirit rice he could eat!

As long as he could stomach it, he could eat as much as he wanted!

Judging by the time, it was about time to begin today's watering.

Su Bai divided Spirit Field No. 1523 into three sections. Choosing one area, he formed hand seals and recited an incantation, gathering the Dewdrop Technique to begin watering.

The process went fairly smoothly.

Since it was his first time watering and he was not yet proficient, it took a little longer than usual.

By the end of the morning, he had finished watering two-thirds of the field.

He could finish the remaining third in one shichen that afternoon.

For a field of one mu, an Outer Disciple like Su Bai had to water it continuously for three months before it could mature and be harvested.

At noon, Su Bai headed to the compound, ready to enjoy one of the benefits of serving at the spirit fields.

The more than thirty Outer Disciples assigned to the spirit fields had all gathered at the compound to eat.

Labor Disciples carried buckets of spirit rice onto the tables. The Outer Disciples took their own bowls and chopsticks and served themselves spirit rice, eating as much as they could.

The Outer Disciples said nothing, simply piling rice into their bowls and eating. At most, they occasionally added a little side dish to change the taste in their mouths.

Su Bai quickly blended into this excellent atmosphere of eating.

In one go, he ate enough spirit rice for ten people from the courtyard. Only when he was so stuffed he could not eat another bite did he rub his round belly and return to the thatched hut to meditate and cultivate.

As the essence of the spirit rice was continually refined and absorbed, Su Bai finally let out the breath he had been holding in.

"Being stuffed really is uncomfortable."

"Next time, I should eat a little less. Nine portions should do..."

As the saying went, drops of water could wear through stone. With so much spirit rice in his stomach, the benefits to his cultivation were naturally obvious.

After cultivating for a day, Su Bai could clearly feel that his cultivation progress was twenty to thirty percent faster than when he had been in the courtyard.

And so, Su Bai watered the spirit fields each day, ate at the compound, and cultivated inside the thatched hut. His days were extremely fulfilling.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

At the beginning of July, the outside world had already entered high summer.

Under the effects of the sect formation, Qingyun Mountain was warm as spring throughout all four seasons, with no noticeable changes in temperature.

Su Bai felt that the assignment of serving at the spirit fields suited his current stage of cultivation well, so he decided to renew the contract.

At least until he advanced to Qi Refining Stage Four, he could keep carrying out this assignment.

The only drawback was that his daily routine was rather dull and boring. Living alone in a thatched hut amid the spirit fields, with no one to talk to, required him to endure loneliness.

For Su Bai, that was no problem at all.

Thus, on this day, Su Bai made a trip to the Outer Court and collected this month's assignment reward of three Essence Replenishing Pills, along with the two Essence Replenishing Pills issued that month to disciples at Qi Refining Layer Two.

Then he changed the assignment to one without any time limit.

This way, Su Bai could remain stationed at Spirit Field No. 1523 for the long term.

"I'll go back to the courtyard for a look, and by the way, visit Wu Tian."

During this month at the spirit fields, Su Bai had received quite a few messages from his fellow disciples in the courtyard.

Wu Tian had also sent him two messages, both concerning the housekeeping disciple in his courtyard.

After Wu Tian and the others advanced to Qi Refining Layer One, that housekeeping disciple had actually still tried to squeeze one Essence Replenishing Pill from them every month.

Wu Tian and the other disciples could no longer stand it.

Together, they made a scene at the Outer Hall Steward's Office and demanded to change courtyards.

A few days ago, according to Wu Tian, his application to change rooms with the Outer Hall Steward had finally been approved.

Even the housekeeping disciple had been punished.

However, this had also forced them to forge a grudge with that housekeeping disciple.