At the summit of Azure Stone Mountain, beside six mu of Spirit Fields.
Though Ling Pengyun was a cultivator, he worked in the Spirit Fields just like the ordinary clansmen of Azure Stone Village.
The ordinary villagers of Azure Stone Village were harvesting rice, while Ling Pengyun was pulling weeds from the six mu of Spirit Fields.
The growth cycles of spirit plants differed from those of plants in the mortal world. Though the rice outside had already ripened, the Yellow Jade Spirit Rice long planted on Azure Stone Mountain had yet to mature.
Spirit plants grew according to the years!
There had originally been no weed seeds in the six mu of Spirit Fields.
These weeds had come about because, during this harvest season, special plants such as dandelions grew fluffy seed heads that drifted on the wind and happened to land in the six mu of Spirit Fields on Azure Stone Mountain.
Because the Spirit Soil in these fields contained gentle spiritual power, ordinary plants would take root and flourish within three days of entering the soil.
The weeds had to be pulled because their growth drew upon the spiritual energy in the Spirit Soil as nourishment, more or less affecting the growth of spirit plants growing in the same mu of Spirit Field.
Since autumn began, ten thousand plants had raced to ripen. Basically, each time Ling Pengyun cleared the weeds from the six mu of Spirit Fields, a fresh batch would grow three days later.
After spending nearly half an incense stick's time, Ling Pengyun finally carefully brushed away the Spirit Soil around the weeds' roots and pulled every last weed from the six mu of Spirit Fields.
He piled together the weeds he had pulled, summoned flames to burn them into ash, then wiped the sweat from his brow. Looking at the golden Yellow Jade Spirit Rice in the six mu of Spirit Fields beside him, already bearing ears and standing a leg high, as well as the three-inch-tall Qi Training Grass and the Sword Star Grass shaped like long swords, a smile spread across his face.
"By my reckoning, this batch of spirit plants has been in the soil for more than eight months. Judging from the Yellow Jade Spirit Rice, Qi Training Grass, and Sword Star Grass planted in these six mu of Spirit Fields, they should mature one after another by November this year, at most two months from now. That is a month earlier than my original plan of having them mature before year's end. That is a good thing!"
"By then, letting these spirit plants grow a little longer in the Spirit Fields will also allow them to contain more spiritual energy!"
"When the elders of the Lineage come to harvest these spirit plants, it will also be time for me to receive my ten-percent share of the two mu of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice!"
"After that, I can use this harvest to buy a batch of Yellow Sprout Pills at Cloud Mist Market. I can buy two more First Rank Middle Grade spirit fruits, and perhaps I will even have enough Spirit Stones to purchase a Flying Magical Item!"
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"
To prevent clansmen stationed at external Spirit Veins from lining their own pockets, spirit plants grown on Spirit Veins could not be harvested privately by the stationed cultivators. They could only wait for the Lineage to send designated people to harvest them.
Three days later, Ling Dong arrived alone at the foot of Azure Stone Mountain, half a li beyond Azure Stone Village, his face full of anxiety. He shouted, "Immortal Elder!"
Before his words had even faded, a green figure drifted down from the mountainside of Azure Stone Mountain.
It was Ling Pengyun, the cultivator stationed at Azure Stone Mountain.
Ling Pengyun was greatly puzzled by Ling Dong's sudden arrival at the mountain's foot. Even though Ling Dong had interrupted his cultivation, he did not blame him. Instead, seeing the urgency on Ling Dong's face, he immediately asked upon landing.
"Village Chief Ling, have you encountered some trouble?"
Ling Dong's voice choked slightly. "Immortal Elder, a Qi Refining Demon Serpent has appeared in Azure Stone Lake. Over these three days, it has swallowed a child from Azure Stone Village, three women washing clothes by the lakeside, and a strong man carrying water from the lake to irrigate the rice fields. Even of the three Lingxiao Guards in heavy armor who discovered the Demon Serpent's trail, only one survived. The other two were brutally killed by the Demon Serpent while trying to stop it from committing evil!"
As a direct descendant of cultivators, Ling Dong had heard his elders speak of the general realms of cultivators when he was young.
"A Qi Refining Demon Serpent is running amok in Azure Stone Lake?" Ling Pengyun asked in surprise.
"That is correct, Immortal Elder. Every word I have said is true. A child went missing from Azure Stone Village three days ago. If someone had not personally seen the Demon Serpent appear, I would never have dared interrupt your cultivation!" Ling Dong hurriedly explained, afraid Ling Pengyun would not believe him.
Ling Pengyun had dealt with Ling Dong quite often. Though he was a martial artist, he was meticulous and upright. It was clearly impossible for him to lie about the Demon Serpent.
Then this matter had to be true.
Yet when Ling Pengyun first arrived around Azure Stone Mountain nine months ago, he had inspected Azure Stone Lake.
He had even used his Divine Sense to investigate the lake, but had found no trace of any demon beast.
Yet now, a Demon Serpent had suddenly appeared. That was strange indeed.
Lingxiao Guards patrolled around Azure Stone Village day and night. It was clearly impossible for the Snake Demon that had committed these crimes to evade the Lingxiao Guards and enter Azure Stone Lake.
That meant it could only be...
"Could it have come from the Underground River at the bottom of the lake?" Ling Pengyun's expression shifted slightly as he secretly guessed.
Azure Stone Lake had no upstream creeks. The lake water all came from the Underground River within the lake, while its downstream branch lay beside Azure Stone Village. It was likewise impossible for the Demon Serpent to pass through there without alarming the villagers.
"I will go inspect Azure Stone Lake first!" Knowing the severity of the matter, Ling Pengyun lightly tapped the ground with his feet and swiftly rushed toward Azure Stone Lake, light as a feather.
As the cultivator stationed over this area, if too many people died in the villages under his charge, he would be punished by the Lineage.
Besides, Ling Pengyun could not bear to see a demon beast commit evil right beneath his nose.
Azure Stone Mountain was not far from Azure Stone Lake, only half a li away. In little more than ten breaths, Ling Pengyun arrived at the lakeside.
As soon as he approached Azure Stone Lake, Ling Pengyun summoned the Black Iron Shield and Black Iron Sword, while tightly gripping a Water Shield Talisman.
The three Water Shield Talismans the Lineage had given him had long been used up during the matter of the Ink Cloud Poisonous Snake. The Water Shield Talisman he held now was one of the three Ling Ruguo had given him.
Ling Pengyun used his Divine Sense to carefully inspect the perimeter of Azure Stone Lake, but found no trace of the Demon Serpent.
"Though my Divine Sense is stronger than that of cultivators at the same realm and can now cover a distance of sixty-five zhang, Azure Stone Lake is simply too vast, several thousand zhang across. Since I have not found the Demon Serpent this time, it must be hiding near the center of the lake!"
"This is troublesome. We cultivators are not skilled in water. Once we enter it, our strength will surely be reduced by more than thirty percent!"
"I do not know the Demon Serpent's true strength, so I do not dare enter the lake lightly!"
"In this situation, I can only wait passively. If this Demon Serpent refuses to come out, I fear there will be nothing I can do to it!"
Ling Pengyun looked helplessly at the Azure Stone Lake before him, several thousand zhang wide, and muttered to himself.
Afterward, he lightly tapped his feet against the ground and returned to Azure Stone Village, where he found Ling Dong, who had just returned to the village. After discussing the matter with him, he proposed that in a few days, they have several children play in the shallow waters of Azure Stone Lake to lure out the Demon Serpent hiding in the lake and make it reveal itself while committing evil.
Ling Dong naturally understood the purpose of this plan at once. His face filled with difficulty as he said helplessly, "Immortal Elder, everyone in the village now knows there is a Demon Serpent in Azure Stone Lake. Forget children—even adults would not dare approach the lakeside easily! Asking children to lure the Demon Serpent into attacking will be difficult!"
"How about... I do it?" Ling Dong clenched his teeth, hesitated for a while, then spoke.
Hearing this, Ling Pengyun looked at Ling Dong in surprise and could not help but think more highly of him. As expected of Third Grandfather's grandson. If he possessed a Spirit Root, with such courage and responsibility, my Ling Clan would surely gain another talent. What a pity...
"Very well. You will do it. But rest assured, I will definitely save you before the Demon Serpent can harm you!" Ling Pengyun comforted him.
"Mm." Ling Dong lowered his head and said nothing more.
After thinking further, Ling Pengyun said, "But today is not the time. My search around the lake just now surely alarmed the Demon Serpent. If you go to the lakeside now, it will certainly make the Demon Serpent suspicious. We will act two days from now. As for these next two days, warn the villagers to stay indoors as much as possible. I will also remain in Azure Stone Village, in case the Demon Serpent goes berserk!"
Upon hearing this, Ling Dong said gratefully, "On behalf of the three thousand villagers of Azure Stone Village, I thank you, Immortal Elder, for extending a helping hand!"
"We all came from the same bloodline; our bones may be broken, but the sinews remain joined. There is no need for more words. Find me a place to stay," Ling Pengyun said.
"Immortal Elder, Azure Stone Village has only just been established and has no empty houses. If you do not mind, would you be willing to stay in my home?" Ling Dong asked.
"Mm," Ling Pengyun replied.
Before you continue