Wood Origin Pearl

Ji An brought a meditation cushion out from his room and invited Old Huang to sit in a chair. Standing while talking was no way to treat a guest.

"Senior Brother, please sit. This place is a little shabby, and I have nothing to offer you. Please forgive the poor hospitality."

Old Huang sat down in the chair without ceremony.

"Junior Brother, you are being too formal. We cultivators keep everything simple."

Ji An sat on the meditation cushion and said:

"Senior Brother, I want to plant a few fruit trees in the courtyard, so I can offer fruit to guests in the future. Where can I buy Spiritual Peach and Spiritual Apricot seeds?"

Old Huang shook his head.

"Little Brother An, this patch of land of ours does not even qualify as a grade. Spirit Fruit Trees are very difficult to keep alive here.

You need at least a first-grade Spirit Field to grow such things."

"If my Minor Cloud and Rain Art and Thick Earth Art reach the major mastery level in the future, would it be possible then?"

Ji An was unwilling to give up. For a long time to come, farming would be his main means of earning spirit stones. Naturally, he had to make arrangements for Spirit Fruit Trees in advance.

If a Qi Condensation Stage disciple could achieve Foundation Establishment, they could choose a mountain peak with a first-grade Spirit Vein Node as their cave abode. They would also receive twenty mu of Spirit Fields exempt from taxes.

Spirit Fruit Trees needed at least a decade or more before they began bearing fruit. The older the spirit tree, the better the quality of the spirit fruits it produced.

If he prepared now, he could use them once he achieved Foundation Establishment. Then, when receiving guests and seeing them off, he would not seem quite so shabby.

"That won't work.

I once heard a Senior Brother who worked in the medicine garden say that his Minor Cloud and Rain Art, Thick Earth Art, and Wither and Flourish Art had all reached major mastery. He planted a Spiritual Peach Tree in his own little courtyard.

The tree survived, but it looked wilted and lifeless. Ten years had passed, yet it had barely grown. Its trunk was at most as thick as the arm of a yellow-mouthed child."

Ji An nodded thoughtfully. He felt the spells must be lacking certain necessary trace elements, making them unable to meet the nutritional needs of a Spiritual Peach Tree.

"Senior Brother, how many years did it take you to cultivate that first-grade Spirit Field?"

"Let me think... hmm, about seven or eight years."

Seven or eight years was a little too long. He wondered whether a Perfected Realm Thick Earth Art could speed things up—and if it could, by how much.

Ji An still wanted to cultivate a small patch of land for Spirit Fruit Trees. Besides, his Thick Earth Art would certainly not stop at major mastery. The Perfected Realm was what he sought.

The more he prepared now, the smoother his path would be in the future.

"Little Brother An, rather than thinking about Spirit Fruit Trees right now, I think you should plant more Spirit Grain and get the benefits of your first year firmly into your hands first.

Improving your cultivation and raising your spell mastery are what matter most."

"Senior Brother is absolutely right. I will remember that."

Seeing his sincere tone, Old Huang nodded in satisfaction and rose to his feet.

"Get on with your work, Junior Brother. I need to go to the General Affairs Hall and pay this quarter's field rent.

If you need spirit stones, Little Brother An, just say the word."

"Ji An thanks Senior Brother."

Ji An knew Old Huang intended to increase his investment, but he was not short on spirit stones at the moment. He would wait and see after some time had passed.

"Senior Brother, I have one more question. How many Contribution Points are needed to learn the fourth-level formula for Farming Spells?"

"You want to exchange for a fourth-level formula?!

You... don't tell me you have had another few enlightenments?"

Old Huang could no longer remain calm. Only enlightenment could greatly accelerate one's understanding of spells.

"Seems like it."

Ji An scratched his head. Practicing spells in the Stone Turtle space looked no different from enlightenment in the eyes of others. Calling it enlightenment was not wrong.

Old Huang spoke more quickly. "You have already comprehended a major mastery formula? Which one?"

"Not yet. I feel like the Minor Cloud and Rain Art is close."

It felt close? So it was just an illusion.

For some reason, Old Huang felt better. He said:

"No matter which fourth-level formula you wish to learn, you must pass the sect's assessment first.

When I learned the fourth-level formula of the Minor Cloud and Rain Art, it cost five hundred Contribution Points. Learning the fourth level of the Thick Earth Art cost six hundred Contribution Points."

"So many?"

Ji An bared his teeth. With that many Contribution Points, selling him would not even be enough.

"Junior Brother, hear me out."

Old Huang chuckled. He recalled the scene when he had gone to the General Affairs Hall to exchange for spells in those days. He had been just as dumbstruck.

"The sect does not collect the Contribution Points all at once. Instead, it signs an agreement with us. I signed for ten years of gradual repayment, and I will finish paying it off next year.

All fourth-level formulas for production-type spells work this way."

"That is a good system!"

Ji An praised it. Ride first, pay the fare later—the sect truly had its eyes set far ahead!

The next day.

Morning light scattered the thin mist in the valley, and Ji An finished his cultivation.

Following a faint fragrance, he entered the kitchen and lifted the pot lid. The aroma immediately became much richer.

After happily finishing his Yellow Bud Rice and even licking the bowl clean, he sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion and refined his spiritual power.

A single ordinary meal of spirit rice required only half a quarter-hour to refine, yet it matched the effect of an hour without taking medicinal pills.

He only cultivated for three hours a day now.

With Spirit Grain to aid him, the day he advanced to the Third Layer of Qi Condensation would arrive even sooner. By then, the spiritual power in his body would be enough to cast the fourth-level Minor Cloud and Rain Art.

When he finished cultivating, he found that one of the branch veins of his immortal vein had grown a little longer. This made him even happier.

He kept Elder Qin Yan's teachings firmly in mind.

Without accumulating half-steps, one could not reach a thousand li; without gathering tiny streams, one could not form rivers and seas. Every bit of effort today added another chip for riding the wind and breaking the waves tomorrow.

After harvesting Spirit Grain, Spirit Farmers generally rested for a day or two before throwing themselves into the next round of work.

Ji An did not rest. He did not deserve to. Practicing spells was his way of unwinding.

Ever since the Blazing Fire Spell had reached the introductory level, he had not practiced it again.

The Stone Turtle had not absorbed the spiritual essence of the Li trigram, so he could only practice more on his own.

Next season, he planned to plant two mu of Spirit Fields. He had to improve the Blazing Fire Spell as soon as possible.

He took out a jade slip and pressed it to his forehead, then strolled toward the Spirit Fields.

Once he reached them, he cast his spell calmly. Fire Element Spiritual Energy spread across the ground, igniting the Spirit Grain stalks as faint white smoke drifted upward.

Ji An had now learned five spells in total. He discovered that even different spells shared certain similarities.

Moreover, he had already practiced even the most difficult Sharp Metal Art to the proficient level, so his progress with the Blazing Fire Spell was quite fast.

Spell practice had standard answers. Casually casting a spell would not increase one's insight; it had to conform to a certain mysterious, intangible rhythm before one could gain insight.

This displayed the Stone Turtle's strength. Every wisp of spiritual essence could genuinely improve his understanding.

Once more than half the spiritual power in his body had been consumed, Ji An went into the nearby forest and found a lush, towering tree.

It was merely an ordinary elm tree, but because it grew within the sect and received greater nourishment from spiritual energy, it was thick enough for several adults to wrap their arms around it.

The hand seals in his hands shifted. His left hand moved like an elegant dancer fluttering through a performance, nimble and smooth.

Strands of pale green Wood Element Spiritual Energy flew from the tree and gathered in his palm, swiftly forming a vortex of spiritual energy.

More and more Wood Element Spiritual Energy gathered. Soon, a pale green Wood Origin Pearl appeared in his palm.

Yellow leaves spiraled down before his eyes. Ji An looked up and saw that the once lush, verdant tree now had nearly half its leaves withered yellow.

The Wither and Flourish Art robbed plants of their vitality. It was exceedingly overbearing, and to its target, it was like a calamity.

Ji An marked the tree. For some time, he could not keep shearing this tree's wool.

He took out the jade bottle he had once used to store medicinal pills and poured the Wood Origin Pearl into it.

He casually shook it, producing a series of clear clinks. These were what he had accumulated over this recent period.

Wood Origin Pearls were of no use in the Spirit Fields at present. The next time he went to the General Affairs Hall, he planned to exchange them for some Contribution Points.