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 much the same as last year. Snow drifted down from the sky, cloaking the earth in a layer of silver frost.
Amid the boundless snow, a snow-white Immortal Crane carried a white-haired old man. A barrier of gale force surrounded him, keeping out the snow and freezing wind as they flew over countless mountains before finally landing atop Azure Stone Mountain.
"Ninth Great-Grandfather." Having heard the Immortal Crane's cry long ago and waited here, Ling Pengyun saw the old man leap down from the crane and cupped his hands in greeting.
This old man was Ling Rufan, who had replaced Ling Ruguo. He ranked ninth in the Ru Generation and was already over a hundred years old, one hundred and four to be exact. He was at the Qi Training Seventh Layer. Though he did not have much lifespan left and his cultivation was gradually fading, it was not yet serious. Otherwise, the lineage would not have sent this elderly clansman out from the Clan Mountain to handle affairs.
Half a year ago, he had taken over Ling Ruguo's task of delivering stipends to clansmen stationed at the low-grade spirit mountains within their territory.
Ling Rufan asked kindly, "Pengyun, has this year's Spirit Rice harvest been good?"
"Not bad. Those two mu of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice should yield around a thousand jin each," Ling Pengyun said happily.
The two mu of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice under his care had matured as early as mid-October this year, 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 Grade C aptitude.
At the time, Ling Pengyun had calculated the approximate harvest based on the fact that every ear of rice in those two mu held as many as forty-five Spirit Grains.
Ling Rufan was startled. He turned to look at 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 rice stalks were slightly bent beneath ears laden with heavy, abundant 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 other four mu of Qi Training Grass and Sword Star Grass. He secretly surmised that the spirit plants in these six mu of Spirit Fields had likely matured one or two months ago.
There was only one explanation for such an ability to hasten the maturation of spirit plants.
A hint of surprise 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 slightly startled. Seeing Ling Rufan's gaze fixed upon the two mu of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice, he immediately understood.
He did not hide it, though neither did he elaborate. "There's still a little way to go, but it's about there."
Ling Rufan silently guessed, Pengyun would only turn eighteen in mid-February next year. This child would likely become a rare First Rank Middle Grade Spirit Plant Farmer before he even reached twenty.
With that thought, he immediately smiled and praised him aloud.
"As expected of the successor chosen by Eleventh Brother. The lineage's Spirit Plant path will have someone to carry it on."
Ling Pengyun smiled faintly and said nothing, tacitly acknowledging it.
The two clansmen his age who had entered the Spirit Plant path were merely studying under the lineage's First Rank Middle Grade Spirit Plant Farmers.
Ever since his childhood, because of his exceptional talent in spirit plants, he had been the only one, after entering the Spirit Plant path, to study its knowledge under Ling Ruda, the lineage's Grand Elder and a First Rank High Grade Spirit Plant Farmer.
The matter of him being Ling Ruda's successor had actually long circulated within the clan.
Although Ling Rufan still had several years left to live, he was already over a hundred, with one foot in the grave. To see, in his final years, a successor emerge for the Spirit Plant path—the foundation upon which the clan had established itself—filled his heart with immense joy.
However, he could also tell that Ling Pengyun did not intend to say more on the matter, so he changed the subject.
He took two bulging Storage Bags from his robes, summoned a large pile of spiritual items from one onto the ground, and handed the other Storage Bag to Ling Pengyun.
"Pengyun, this contains your stipend for the next half year: sixty Spirit Stones... one hundred and twenty jin of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice, seeds for the six mu of Spirit Fields atop Azure Stone Mountain for the coming year, and compensation from the lineage for you clansmen who, because of lineage affairs, cannot return home during the New Year—three First Rank Middle Grade Azure Silk Spirit Peaches."
"These one hundred Spirit Stones and six Azure Silk Spirit Peaches were sent back to the lineage by your parents in Cloudwater County 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 imprint on it, and he specifically instructed that it could only be handed over to you."
The Eleventh Brother he spoke of was the Grand Elder, Ling Ruda.
Ling Pengyun accepted the Storage Bag Ling Rufan handed him. He was puzzled at first, 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 earlier, would be hidden so carefully.
"Many thanks for your trouble, Ninth Great-Grandfather." Ling Pengyun tucked the Storage Bag into his robes, put away the spiritual items on the ground, and cupped his hands.
"A small matter. It is my duty. Quickly harvest the spirit plants here. It is still early today; once we finish harvesting the spirit plants on your mountain, I should have time to travel farther and visit the spirit mountain Peng Cheng is guarding. I can stay there for the night as well." Ling Rufan's expression carried a touch of longing.
Ling Pengcheng was one of the five youths of the same cohort as Ling Pengyun who had been dispatched early by the lineage to guard spirit mountains within its territory before reaching eighteen.
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 among this elderly clansman's progeny to possess a Spirit Root. This made Ling Rufan cherish him beyond measure; whenever he had any spiritual item, he would generally save it 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 life, perhaps even Qi Training Completion.
Ling Pengyun nodded in understanding and entered the six mu of Spirit Fields with Ling Rufan to harvest the mature spirit plants.
Harvesting the Spirit Rice and uprooting the Qi Training Grass and Sword Star Grass was tedious work. They had to carefully brush the Spirit Soil clinging to the plants' roots back into the fields to avoid carrying any of 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 in those six mu of Spirit Fields.
The two then jointly cast the Vibration Technique to remove the husks from the Yellow Jade Spirit Grain.
Ling Rufan then cast the Weight Measurement Technique and calculated the weight of the spirit rice harvested from the two mu of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice.
They came to one thousand and fifty-three jin and one thousand, one hundred and five jin respectively.
Ling Pengyun received ten percent, amounting to two hundred and fifteen jin of Yellow Jade Spirit Rice.
Just as last year, Ling Pengyun sold his share of spirit rice to the lineage, receiving forty-three Spirit Stones in total.
Such a harvest delighted Ling Pengyun for quite some time.
The Spirit Stones he earned himself were the sweetest.
With this year's stipend, the Spirit Stones his parents had given him, and the Spirit Stones from selling the spirit rice, his Storage Bag was replenished to a total of two hundred and ninety-three Spirit Stones.
With these Spirit Stones, I won't need to worry about spirit fruits for cultivation next year. 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 an excellent shield, enough to rival a First Rank Middle Grade defensive artifact, now that he had Spirit Stones, he naturally had to buy something better to increase his combat strength.
While Ling Pengyun was lost in thought, Ling Rufan reminded him to "take greater care of your safety outside," then hurriedly mounted the Immortal Spirit Crane and flew away from Azure Stone Mountain toward the place where his treasured great-grandson stood guard.
Before you continue