The Role of Earth-Turning Earthworms (Please Bookmark and Vote)

This Earth-Turning Earthworm King could, in fact, be considered the Ling Clan's guardian spirit beast.

It was precisely by relying on these nearly hundred Earth-Turning Earthworms to improve the quality of the Spirit Soil in many of the Ling Clan's Spirit Fields that, back when the Ling Clan was still a Qi Refining lineage, they had been able to endure safely for more than two hundred years in this cruel Cultivation World through the art of spirit plant cultivation.

Without Earth-Turning Earthworms, there would be no Ling Clan.

One had to know that Qi Refining lineages capable of lasting more than two hundred years were rare in this Cultivation World—fewer than one in a hundred. Much less one that had held on until a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was born within the clan, leading the lineage beyond the ranks of Qi Refining lineages.

The quality of Spirit Soil could affect the growth rate of spirit plants planted within it. Spirit Fields of every grade could, according to the quality of their Spirit Soil, be divided into four ranks: Grade A, Grade B, Grade C, and Grade D.

Grade D Spirit Soil was the weakest, while Grade A Spirit Soil was the strongest.

Grade D Spirit Soil could only ensure that spirit plants survived. Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C Spirit Soil, however, could accelerate their growth. Grade C quality could increase growth speed by ten percent, Grade B by twenty percent, and Grade A by thirty percent.

These Earth-Turning Earthworms could devour Spirit Soil and, through a special method, purify its quality.

Of course, using Earth-Turning Earthworms to improve Spirit Soil quality was only one method.

Aside from this, there were two other methods that could also improve the quality of Spirit Soil.

They were using the spiritual energy of a Spirit Vein to purify Spirit Soil, or using the spiritual energy contained within Spirit Stones to purify it.

However, the latter two consumed too much and were impractical. Unless one urgently needed to advance the grade of Spirit Soil, no one would use them unless driven into a corner.

"Since the lineage has given these three Earth-Turning Earthworms to me, I should tame them. That will make it easier for me to command them to purify the Spirit Soil in these six mu of Spirit Fields on Azure Stone Mountain in the future!"

Ling Pengyun did not believe that the lineage had given him three Earth-Turning Earthworms merely because he cultivated quickly and was valued by the clan.

That was presumably only one reason. The second was clearly that they wanted Ling Pengyun to use those three Earth-Turning Earthworms to purify the quality of the Spirit Soil in Azure Stone Mountain's six mu of Spirit Fields.

A First Grade Middle Rank Spirit Vein was uncommon even for the Ling Clan, which occupied more than ten Spirit Veins.

Having accepted the benefits, he naturally had to give something in return.

As a cultivating lineage, the Ling Clan had long considered that its members might tame demon beasts into spirit beasts in the future. They had therefore taught the clan members the restrictions for taming spirit beasts in the Clan School long ago.

Ling Pengyun had grown up within the clan, so he naturally knew this restriction as well.

He summoned a jade bowl from his Storage Bag, cast a streak of blue spiritual light, sliced open his wrist, and squeezed Fresh Blood into the jade bowl. Only after it had filled more than half the bowl did Ling Pengyun channel spiritual power to stop the wound.

Afterward, he silently recited an obscure incantation while forming hand seals and casting spiritual energy. It took him a full ten breaths to condense three special blue magic seals.

Once the magic seals formed, Ling Pengyun waved his hand and drew the Fresh Blood from the jade bowl before him, dividing it into three portions and merging them into the three floating blue magic seals.

As the Fresh Blood poured in, the blue magic seals gradually turned blood-red, until not a trace of blue light remained.

"Form!" Ling Pengyun changed his hand seal and spoke in a low voice.

The three Blood Red Magic Seals flashed at once, then flew spinning into the bodies of the three Earth-Turning Earthworms nestled at Ling Pengyun's feet.

The three Earth-Turning Earthworms did not resist the Blood Red Magic Seals entering their bodies in the slightest. They remained as docile as before. With no resistance from them, the Recognition of Ownership Restriction progressed several times faster.

Within only a few breaths, Ling Pengyun sensed that a special connection had formed between himself and the three Earth-Turning Earthworms. It felt as though they were his own limbs.

"Go to that mu of Spirit Field, devour the Spirit Soil, gather spiritual energy, and purify the quality of the Spirit Soil!" Ling Pengyun intended to test whether the Recognition of Ownership Restriction had succeeded, so he pointed to the nearest mu of Spirit Field.

Receiving his command, the three Earth-Turning Earthworms nestled at Ling Pengyun's feet nodded lightly. Extremely obedient, they slowly wriggled toward the Spirit Field he had indicated, burrowed into its Spirit Soil, and swallowed mouthful after mouthful of soil, using a special method to purify its quality.

"These three Earth-Turning Earthworms are quite obedient. With their Innate Realm cultivation, it should take no more than three months for them to purify the Grade D Spirit Soil in this mu of Spirit Field to Grade C!"

"With the cultivation of these three Earth-Turning Earthworms, purifying the Spirit Soil in all six mu of Spirit Fields to Grade C quality should take less than a year and a half!"

I hope these three Earth-Turning Earthworms can advance into the Qi Refining realm by devouring Spirit Soil during that time. Then, during the five years I am stationed here, they can purify all the Spirit Soil in these six mu of Spirit Fields to Grade B quality. That way, I will not have failed the lineage for giving these three Earth-Turning Earthworms to me! Ling Pengyun silently planned.

Seeing that the three Earth-Turning Earthworms had already burrowed deep into the Spirit Soil and vanished from sight, Ling Pengyun finally looked away.

He surveyed the mountaintop. Aside from six mu of Spirit Fields and stones, there was nothing else—not even a place to live. His brows furrowed slightly.

"During the five years I will be living on Azure Stone Mountain, it seems I can only build myself a place to stay!"

Since the mountain had no trees, only some vegetation, Ling Pengyun decided to use local materials to save time. He patted the Storage Bag at his waist, drew out the Mystic Iron Sword, and carved out a cave three zhang deep and one zhang high on Azure Stone Mountain's hillside.

Ling Pengyun did not have many demands when it came to lodging. As long as it sheltered him from wind and rain and gave him a place to sleep, it would do.

Although the Mystic Iron Sword was sharp enough to cleave through the ordinary rocks of Azure Stone Mountain as though they were tofu, using the magic tool to carve out this cave still exhausted every last trace of spiritual power in Ling Pengyun's body.

The Mystic Iron Sword was a First Grade Middle Rank Magic Tool, a gift from Ling Pengyun's father, Ling Xiaoshun, when Ling Pengyun broke through to the Qi Training Middle Stage.

With not a shred of spiritual power remaining, Ling Pengyun hurried into the cave. He took out a Meditation Mat and a Spirit Stone, sat down cross-legged, circulated the Azure Water Art, and absorbed the spiritual energy within the Spirit Stone in his hand to restore the spiritual power in his Dantian.

This was to prevent demon beasts from being drawn here by the spiritual energy leaking from Azure Stone Mountain while he lacked the strength to resist them.

Azure Stone Mountain currently had no Defensive Formation protecting it. If demon beasts appeared, Ling Pengyun would be the main fighting force. Only if the attacking demon beast proved powerful could he use the twenty Spirit Stones he had received from Ling Ruda to activate Azure Stone Mountain's Wu Earth Two Elements Formation.

If he activated the formation often, those twenty Spirit Stones would hardly be able to sustain it for long.

After four hours, having consumed nearly half the spiritual energy within the Spirit Stone in his hand, Ling Pengyun finally replenished his Dantian.

With no further concern over lacking spiritual power, Ling Pengyun opened his eyes and took a large earthenware vat from his Storage Bag, carefully placing it in the deepest corner of the stone cave.

Then, he took out an earthenware jar from his Storage Bag, opened the large vat, removed two liang of Azure Jade Spirit Rice from within, and placed it into the jar.

The large earthenware vat was a rice vat, holding a considerable amount of spirit rice as translucent as Azure Jade.