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When one was busy, it was often difficult to notice the passage of time.

Before he knew it, it was already mid-December.

This winter was like the last: snow drifted down from the sky, draping the earth in a layer of silver frost.

Amid the boundless snow, a snow-white Immortal Spirit Crane carried a white-haired old man. A gale aura surrounded them, warding off the snow and biting wind as they flew over countless mountains before finally landing atop Azure Stone Mountain.

"Ninth Great-Grandfather." Having heard the Immortal Spirit Crane's cry long ago, Ling Pengyun had been waiting here. When the elder riding the crane leaped down, he cupped his hands in salute.

This elder was Ling Rufan, who had replaced Ling Ruguo. He ranked ninth among the Ru Generation and was already over a hundred years old—one hundred and four, to be exact. His cultivation was at the Qi Training Seventh Layer. Though he did not have much lifespan left and his cultivation was gradually slipping away, it was not yet severe. Otherwise, the family would not have sent this old man out from the clan mountain to handle affairs.

As early as half a year ago, he had taken over Ling Ruguo's task of delivering stipends to clan members stationed at low-grade spirit mountains within the family's territory.

Ling Rufan asked kindly, "Pengyun, was this year's spirit rice harvest any good?"

"Not bad. Those two mu of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice should yield around a thousand jin each," Ling Pengyun replied happily.

The two mu of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice under his care had ripened as early as mid-October, aided by the two Spirit Plant Secret Methods he knew—the Cloud Rain Technique and the Lingxiao Ripening Technique—as well as the Earth-Turning Earthworms, which had raised the Spirit Soil to C-grade quality.

At the time, Ling Pengyun had estimated the harvest based on the fact that every ear of rice in those two mu bore as many as forty-five Spirit Grains.

Hearing this, Ling Rufan was startled. He turned his head toward the two mu of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice among the six mu of Spirit Fields on the other side of the mountaintop.

When he saw that the stalks of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice were slightly bent beneath ears heavy with plump Spirit Grains, he immediately believed Ling Pengyun's words.

Ling Rufan also noticed that the Spirit Grains on those two mu of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice contained ten to twenty percent more spiritual energy than ordinary Spirit Grains. The same was true of the remaining four mu of Qi Training Grass and Sword Star Grass. He secretly concluded that the spirit plants in these six mu of Spirit Fields had likely ripened one or two months ago.

There was only one possible explanation for such an ability to accelerate the maturation of spirit plants.

A trace of shock appeared on Ling Rufan's face as he asked, "Pengyun, has your attainment in the Spirit Plant path approached the First Rank Middle Grade?"

Ling Pengyun was briefly stunned. Seeing Ling Rufan's gaze fixed on the two mu of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice, he immediately understood.

He did not hide it, though neither did he elaborate. "I'm still a little short, but not by much."

Ling Rufan secretly guessed, Pengyun will not turn eighteen until mid-February next year. This child will likely become a rare First Rank Middle Grade Spirit Plant Farmer before he reaches twenty.

With that thought, he immediately smiled and praised him. "As expected of the successor chosen by Eleventh Brother. The family's Spirit Plant path finally has someone to carry it on."

Ling Pengyun smiled faintly and said nothing, tacitly admitting it.

The two clan members of his age who had entered the Spirit Plant path were still merely studying under the family's First Rank Middle Grade Spirit Plant Farmers.

Since childhood, due to his extraordinary talent for spirit plants, he had been the only one to study the knowledge of the Spirit Plant path under the family's Grand Elder, Ling Ruda, a First Rank High Grade Spirit Plant Farmer.

The fact that he was Ling Ruda's successor had long since spread throughout the clan.

Though Ling Rufan still had quite a few years left, he was already over a hundred, with one foot in the coffin. To see, in his final years, that the Spirit Plant path—the foundation upon which the clan stood—had a successor, filled him with joy.

However, he could also tell that Ling Pengyun did not intend to say much more about the matter, so he changed the subject.

He took two bulging Storage Bags from his robes. From one, he summoned a large pile of spirit items onto the ground; he handed the other Storage Bag to Ling Pengyun.

"Pengyun, this is your stipend for the next half year: sixty spirit stones... one hundred and twenty jin of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice; the seeds for the six mu of Spirit Fields atop Azure Stone Mountain for the coming year; and the family's compensation for those of you who cannot return home during the New Year because of clan duties—three First Rank Middle Grade Azure Silk Spirit Peaches."

"These one hundred spirit stones and six Azure Silk Spirit Peaches were sent back by your parents in Cloudwater County through the family, for us to pass on to you."

"As for what is inside this Storage Bag, I do not know. Eleventh Brother placed a divine sense mark on it, and he specifically instructed that it could only be delivered to you."

The Eleventh Brother he referred to was Grand Elder Ling Ruda.

Ling Pengyun accepted the Storage Bag Ling Rufan handed him. He was initially puzzled, but quickly guessed what it contained.

Only the second batch of one hundred sets of Azure Bamboo Sword Weapon Refinement Materials, worth a thousand spirit stones, which Ling Yunhong had promised him earlier, would be concealed so carefully.

"Thank you for the trouble, Ninth Great-Grandfather." Ling Pengyun tucked the Storage Bag into his robes, put away the spirit items on the ground, and cupped his hands.

"A small matter; it is my duty. Quickly harvest the spirit plants here. There is still plenty of time today. Once we finish harvesting the spirit plants on your mountain, I should still be able to travel a ways and visit the spirit mountain Peng Cheng is stationed at. Then I can stay there for the night." Ling Rufan's expression carried a hint of longing.

Ling Pengcheng was one of the five who had been dispatched early by the family, before reaching eighteen, to guard spirit mountains within the territory. He was from the same generation and of the same age as Ling Pengyun.

He ranked ninth in the Peng Generation and possessed Three Spirit Roots. He was Ling Rufan's great-grandson, as well as the only descendant of this old clan member to possess spirit roots. This made Ling Rufan treasure him beyond measure; whenever he obtained spirit items, he would generally save them for Ling Pengcheng.

Ling Pengcheng had also lived up to expectations. At such a young age, he had already reached the bottleneck of the Qi Training Third Layer. There was a great chance that he would break through to the Qi Training Ninth Layer in this lifetime, perhaps even Qi Training Completion.

Understanding his meaning, Ling Pengyun nodded and entered the six mu of Spirit Fields with Ling Rufan to harvest the mature spirit plants.

Harvesting the spirit rice and pulling up the Qi Training Grass and Sword Star Grass was a tedious process. They had to carefully brush the Spirit Soil clinging to the roots back into the Spirit Fields to avoid carrying it away.

Yet Ling Pengyun and Ling Rufan were both experienced. In only half a day, by noon, they had harvested and uprooted all the spirit plants from the six mu of Spirit Fields.

The two then used the Vibration Technique together to remove the husks from the Yellow Jade Spirit Grain.

Ling Rufan then cast the Weight Measurement Technique and tallied the weight of the spirit rice harvested from the two mu of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice.

They yielded one thousand and fifty-three jin and one thousand one hundred and five jin, respectively.

Ling Pengyun received ten percent, totaling two hundred and fifteen jin of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice.

As in the previous year, Ling Pengyun sold his share of the spirit rice to the family, earning forty-three spirit stones in total.

Such a harvest delighted Ling Pengyun for quite some time.

The spirit stones one earned oneself were always the sweetest.

With this year's stipend, the spirit stones from his parents, and the proceeds from selling the spirit rice, his Storage Bag had been replenished to a total of two hundred and ninety-three spirit stones.

With these spirit stones, I won't need to worry about gathering spirit fruits for next year's cultivation. It's also time to replace my Black Iron Shield, Ling Pengyun thought.

The Black Iron Shield was merely a First Rank Low Grade defensive artifact. Though it was of excellent quality and comparable to a First Rank Middle Grade defensive artifact, now that he had spirit stones, he naturally needed to buy something better to increase his combat strength.

While Ling Pengyun was lost in thought, Ling Rufan reminded him to "be careful outside," then hurriedly mounted the Immortal Spirit Crane and flew away from Azure Stone Mountain toward the place where his treasured great-grandson was stationed.