Di Qing Arrives

A piece of gossip spread among the Outer Sect Disciples.

It was said that the newly promoted True Disciple Han, seeking revenge on Hu Yifan for wagging his tongue, had deliberately had someone destroy Hu Yifan's Dantian—and the one who struck was even Hu Yifan's friend!

According to the rumors, True Disciple Han was a sinister man with an exceptionally vengeful nature. Speaking ill of him in private would incur his displeasure and invite retaliation. He especially liked testing his friends' loyalty. Truly sinister.

With such rumors circulating, coupled with seeing Hu Yifan's miserable state for themselves, everyone kept their mouths tightly shut. No one dared say anything more about Han Yuan; they even deliberately forgot he existed. True Disciple Han? Who was that? Never heard of him.

In the end, these rumors reached the Di Family.

"Elder, you summoned me?" Di Qing came before a middle-aged cultivator and spoke respectfully.

The middle-aged cultivator nodded. "I have heard some rumors about True Disciple Han. Have you heard them?"

Di Qing understood at once and nodded. "I have."

"Oh? You have met him. What do you think of him?" the middle-aged cultivator asked.

"Elder," Di Qing said solemnly, "to be honest, I have only met him twice. Once outside his small courtyard, and once at the testing assembly. My first impression was that he had a mild temperament and treated others with utmost gentleness. He seemed quite sunny and cheerful. The second time, I was in the stands. I could tell that he was neither arrogant nor impetuous. Even after testing at Qi Refining Layer 4, he did not put on airs. When he returned to the group, he still stood quietly in a corner and watched. He greeted those who gathered around him with a smile as well. So I believe that matter outside is probably just a rumor."

The middle-aged cultivator smiled faintly. "I looked into it specifically. Do you know who spread the news?"

"Who?" Di Qing asked in confusion.

"Qin Feng!" the middle-aged cultivator said flatly.

"Who is that? Wait, he does sound familiar. He is that Outer Sect Disciple of Han Yuan's—the first person to test at Qi Refining Third Layer." Di Qing was puzzled. "Why would he spread such rumors?"

"You do not know this, but he is now one of True Disciple Han's people. He has long been working in his cave abode. Wu Chao's matter this time was most likely arranged by him as well."

"How is that possible? Would someone deliberately smear his own name? That Hu Yifan caused trouble, so he got what he deserved. It does not rise to the level of being some sinister villain." Di Qing could not understand.

The middle-aged cultivator said with certainty, "This was his doing. Heh, do you think becoming a True Disciple is so simple for everyone? It is even less simple for him to have risen from an Outer Sect Disciple with no background into a True Disciple! Can you imagine it? A sixteen-year-old boy had already planned for his future, saving up Spirit Stones to exchange for the Spirit Rain Technique? Along the way, he had to endure the contempt and ridicule of fellow disciples from the same courtyard, and resist the temptations of Spirit Stones and pills, saving for a full year, perhaps even two!

"Later, he even knew to purchase an array to protect his Spirit Field, and he did not hesitate to spend the Spirit Stones he had painstakingly saved for half a year. Do you think someone like that is simple? So young, yet already so mature—are you certain you can see through his character? If he smeared his own name, how could you know what he was planning? Perhaps it was for self-preservation. Perhaps he was waiting for someone to jump into the pit!"

Hearing this, Di Qing pondered it carefully, and his scalp could not help but tingle. The truth showed in the details. He had been too young before. A mere sixteen-year-old youth, born an orphan with no elders to guide him, could make such plans and endure all kinds of temptations. It was simply terrifying!

He even thought one layer further. How had this youth acquired his farming skills? Naturally, he had gained them through observing the farmers in his village in daily life. Nor had he merely copied them—he had summarized their experience and brought forth the new from the old. He must have observed for at least several years, and he surely had to help out with his own hands. How old had Han Yuan been then?

Living in a dilapidated thatched hut, struggling just to fill his belly the next day, yet at such a young age already thinking about a way out for his future—this truly was... no simple matter!

No simple matter!

No matter how he thought about it, it was not simple. He had originally looked down somewhat on Han Yuan obtaining the status of True Disciple, believing it to be luck or some trick. But now that he thought about it, this was absolutely no simple matter. He had been far too shallow!

The middle-aged cultivator stroked his beard and nodded with a smile. "It seems your mind has not been stiffened by your status as a Direct Descendant of a Golden Core Clan. Every True Disciple is extraordinary! You must remember that! This is especially so for True Disciple Han, who came from an ordinary background, so there are matters we can investigate. But what about the other True Disciples? Those True Disciples who died in battle were also killed by existences of the same level. Of the others who survived and were not crippled, nearly all could reach the Golden Core Realm."

Di Qing nodded slowly.

"I called you here to remind you to mind your attitude when you visit him tomorrow. You must not be deceived by his appearance or the rumors. Do not underestimate him too much, but neither can you tarnish the family's reputation. As for precisely what you should do, you must weigh it yourself. I will be outside the cave abode then. Contact me at once if anything happens!"

"Yes, Elder!" Di Qing answered solemnly.

In the blink of an eye, another day passed.

Early that morning, Han Yuan—the man Di Qing considered anything but simple—was still busy in the Spirit Field.

Qi Sword Slash!

Qi Sword Slash!

"Where are all these weeds coming from? When I farmed in the outer courtyard before, there were nowhere near this many weeds!" Han Yuan could not understand.

Qin Feng diligently helped at his side. Hearing this, he said with a smile, "Estate Master, it seems weed seeds can drift along with spiritual energy! Some old weeds can become spirit herbs too. Their seeds travel everywhere with the circulation of the spiritual energy between Heaven and Earth. That is why places rich in spiritual energy have more weeds. Unless they are directly sealed off, like those Spirit Fields beside us. If the spiritual energy does not circulate, no grass will grow. Or in those legendary secret realms—the weeds there are not as plentiful."

Han Yuan gave Qin Feng a somewhat surprised glance. "That is possible? Why do I not feel anything when I absorb spiritual energy?"

"The seeds are very fragile and have very little vitality. They need to absorb a great deal of spiritual energy in the soil before they can truly break through the earth. Once absorbed into the body, they are directly refined and expelled as impurities," Qin Feng said.

Han Yuan looked at Qin Feng as though seeing him anew and asked curiously, "How do you know that?"

Qin Feng coughed. "I have some Outer Sect friends from Planting Peak. When chatting idly, I asked them about farming and learned about it."

Han Yuan sighed. "It seems there is a lot to learn about farming! Once my cultivation slows down, I will definitely study the ins and outs of it. But seeds in spiritual energy really are rather strange."

Han Yuan spread out his Spiritual Sense and sensed the Wood-attribute Spiritual Energy in the air. In the end, he shook his head regretfully. "I cannot see them. I cannot detect even the slightest trace."

"It seems only a Golden Core True Person's Spiritual Sense can see them clearly," Qin Feng said uncertainly.

"Then forget it... Qi Sword Slash! Qi Sword Slash!"

One golden-attribute Qi Sword after another darted nimbly through the Spirit Rice, cutting away the vitality of the weeds.

Qin Feng watched from the side, secretly alarmed. Were there really this many Qi Sword Slashes? At the same time, he seemed to see more than thirty Qi Swords moving together. Even if they were Qi Sword Slashes released in rapid succession, that was still unreasonable. Was this really something the Spiritual Sense of someone at Qi Refining Sixth Layer could control?

Qin Feng was shocked, but Han Yuan felt nothing at all. He only wanted to clear away the weeds as quickly as possible, so he used more Qi Sword Slashes. Controlling these Qi Swords with his Spiritual Sense placed no burden on him whatsoever, so he had yet to realize that being able to control so many Qi Swords was somewhat abnormal.

Ring~~

The bell at the entrance to the cave abode rang.

Han Yuan stopped and looked over.

Chang Chun stood at the entrance. After apparently exchanging a few words with someone outside, he opened the gates of the cave abode.

A familiar figure entered Han Yuan's view. It was Di Qing!

"Oh, someone has arrived. Hurry it up a little."

Han Yuan could not help increasing the number of Qi Sword Slashes again.

To Qin Feng's disbelief, the weeds in the Spirit Field were swiftly cleared away.

Han Yuan turned and left.

Only Qin Feng remained frozen where he stood. From every Qi Sword, he had felt the threat of death—and there had been more than a hundred such Qi Swords.

Liu Sisi saw him standing there stupidly from afar and immediately called out, "Qin Feng, go prepare some tea!"

"Oh, oh, I'm coming!" Qin Feng snapped back to his senses and hurried off to prepare the tea.