Cloud Rain Technique (Seeking Bookmarks, Seeking Recommendation Votes)

"Finally finished planting! And now it's time for me to refine Yin Yang Primordial Qi!" Ling Pengyun wiped the sweat from his brow, looked up at the sky, saw the red sun rising, and muttered to himself.

He took a Meditation Mat from his Storage Bag, sat down cross-legged, absorbed the First Sun Power, and slowly condensed Yin Yang Primordial Qi.

Only after the morning sun had climbed higher and he had absorbed the last wisp of First Sun Power did Ling Pengyun open his eyes.

"That half-mouthful of Yin Yang Primordial Qi is growing ever fuller. Based on how I used to accumulate one mouthful by constantly absorbing the powers of the first sun and first yin over nine years, I estimate that in another two years, I'll be able to condense another mouthful of Yin Yang Primordial Qi. I just don't know what I should use that mouthful on then!" Ling Pengyun worried to himself.

The Yin Yang Primordial Qi refined through the Yin Yang Primordial Scripture was not all-powerful and could only be used once.

By now, both he and his Natal Spirit Plant had each received a mouthful of Yin Yang Primordial Qi. There was no longer any suitable recipient for the mouthful he would refine in the near future.

As his thoughts churned, Ling Pengyun recalled the magnificent sight he had seen that day at the entrance to the main path atop Lingxiao Mountain, when Fifth Elder Ling Yunxi rode an immortal crane.

"Spirit beasts!"

"That's right, spirit beasts. Once I find a decent spirit beast in the future, I'll infuse it with a mouthful of Yin Yang Primordial Qi, improve its aptitude, and make it a great aid to me!"

A smile spread across Ling Pengyun's face.

As cultivators' helpers, spirit beasts could provide no small amount of assistance.

Just then, Ling Pengyun remembered something. Turning to look at the six mu of dry Spirit Fields beside him, his brows furrowed, and he inwardly cried out, Oh no. I forgot to make it rain!

When spirit plant seeds had just been sown, it was best to promptly shower them with a round of Spirit Rain. The gentle Spirit Rain, carrying Water Spiritual Energy, could stimulate the spirit seeds newly buried in the soil and speed up the germination of spirit plant seeds.

This was a small trick the Ling Clan, a spirit plant family, had learned through more than two hundred years of cultivating spirit plants.

With this trick, the germination time of spirit plant seeds could be shortened by several days, or even more than ten days. It was certainly a good thing.

Ling Pengyun hoped that the three kinds of spirit plants in those six mu of Spirit Fields, which ordinarily required a full year to mature, would mature ahead of time by year's end—in other words, within eleven months.

He hurriedly rose to his feet, formed one hand seal after another with both hands, silently chanted an incantation, and condensed a blue Dharma seal.

"Condense!"

As soon as the Dharma seal took shape, Ling Pengyun struck it into the air above the six mu of Spirit Fields, where it transformed into a white cloud.

"Fall!" Ling Pengyun changed his hand signs and called inwardly.

Drops of Spirit Rain formed from spiritual power immediately fell from the white cloud.

As the drops of Spirit Rain fell upon the dry Spirit Fields, it was as though all things had returned to spring, giving the fields faint traces of vitality.

However, because Ling Pengyun's cultivation was limited, the Cloud Rain Technique he cast could only cover two mu of Spirit Fields at once and bring down Spirit Rain.

Thus, he could only cast the Cloud Rain Technique three times in succession before he had watered all six mu of Spirit Fields.

The Cloud Rain Technique could not be interrupted once cast. A Spirit Plant Farmer still needed to continuously pour spiritual power into it. As a result, after casting the Spirit Rain Technique three times in a row to water six mu of Spirit Fields, Ling Pengyun had expended a great deal. Combined with yesterday's journey and his search for nearby demonic beasts, less than thirty percent of the spiritual power in his Dantian remained.

The Cloud Rain Technique was a secret art of Spirit Plant Farmers, and only Spirit Plant Farmers could cast it.

Ling Pengyun, with little spiritual power left, had originally planned to absorb the spiritual energy of this mountain to recover. Yet he discovered that the dense spiritual energy within Azure Stone Mountain was all being absorbed by the six mu of Spirit Fields after the spirit plant seeds had been sown, nurturing the seeds to germinate. He could not absorb even a shred of it.

There was not even enough spiritual energy to activate the Mountain Protection Formation. If he truly wanted to activate it, he could only expend spirit stones to power the formation.

Feeling somewhat helpless, he muttered to himself.

"Being sent out to guard a spirit mountain truly is as arduous as the elders said. It's simply impossible to absorb the spiritual energy from the spirit vein one guards for cultivation. It all goes toward nourishing the growth of spirit plants. I can only cultivate with the spiritual energy in spirit stones or medicinal pills!"

"Still, the clan gives subsidies to clan members sent out to guard Low-Order Spirit Veins. The spirit stones in our monthly stipend are doubled!"

"If there weren't such benefits, I'm afraid no one would be willing to take on the task of guarding a Low-Order Spirit Vein!"

"With doubled pay, plus the one extra Qi Refining Pill and two Yellow Sprout Pills the clan gives me each month, my cultivation speed shouldn't be any slower than it would be if I were on the clan mountain absorbing spiritual energy! It may even be a little faster."

At that thought, the helplessness on Ling Pengyun's face immediately vanished.

One Qi Refining Pill and two Yellow Sprout Pills every month—this was something Ling Pengyun had never even dared dream of before.

Even though his parents sent him ten spirit stones each month to help him purchase cultivation resources, the First Rank Middle Grade Yellow Sprout Pills were simply too expensive. A single pill was worth a full five spirit stones. Ordinarily, Ling Pengyun would only be willing to buy one each month and use it sparingly.

"The clan has helped me so much. I cannot forget it!"

"In this life, I am bound to the Ling Clan. My parents also serve the clan, and I cannot cast aside my ties of kinship with it!"

"If I can step into... Foundation Establishment, I will surely protect the clan and lead it to prosperity!"

Ling Pengyun silently swore.

As for whether he could achieve Foundation Establishment, he had no confidence in it. Even though Yin Yang Primordial Qi had improved his aptitude, bringing it to the level of Three Spirit Roots—

Three Spirit Roots were only considered average aptitude. Even among the Ling Clan's Peng Generation alone, there were several clan members with Three Spirit Roots.

Throughout the Ling Clan's generations, there had been no fewer than thirty, if not fifty, clan members with Three Spirit Roots, yet not a single one had successfully achieved Foundation Establishment.

The current Clan Head of the Ling Clan, Ling Yunhong, was also a cultivator with Dual Spirit Roots.

But Foundation Establishment was still too distant for Ling Pengyun. He could not be bothered to think so much about it and affect his state of mind.

Casting aside those distracting thoughts, Ling Pengyun remembered something.

"I nearly forgot about the three treasures Eleventh Great-Grandfather gave me!"

Ling Pengyun took a Beast Taming Pouch from his robes, infused it with spiritual power, and poured out three giant earthworms as thick as fingers and five feet long.

Ordinary earthworms did not have such enormous bodies.

The moment the three giant earthworms emerged from the Beast Taming Pouch and sensed the somewhat familiar aura on Ling Pengyun, they felt greatly at ease. They even crawled toward him of their own accord.

Seeing this, the corners of Ling Pengyun's lips curved upward slightly as he muttered to himself.

"These three Earth-Turning Earthworms bred by our Ling Clan are acting this way because they were raised with blood through the Ling Clan's secret art. They can sense the bloodline of Ling Clan members and naturally feel close to them!"

"Eleventh Great-Grandfather did not deceive me. These three Earth-Turning Earthworms have indeed all reached Innate Perfection. They are only one step away from entering the Qi Training Realm!"

Earth-Turning Earthworms were spirit beasts capable of improving the quality of Spirit Soil in Spirit Fields, making them extremely valuable. On the market, even an Earth-Turning Earthworm in the Innate Realm could sell for the high price of more than fifty spirit stones.

The Ling Clan possessed nearly a hundred Earth-Turning Earthworms. Though most were in the Innate Realm, quite a few had embarked upon the immortal path. There was even an Earth-Turning Earthworm King at Qi Training Completion, only one step away from advancing into the Foundation Establishment Realm.