Spirit Rice Harvest (Seeking Recommendations)

Early spring.

The spirit farmers in the shantytown all wore joyful expressions, some even in rare new clothes, as if they were attending a celebration.

Fang Xi walked through the bamboo forest, casually waving his right hand.

The Green Bamboo Sword flew out, cutting off a section of bamboo.

He knocked on the bamboo tube, listening to the solid echo from inside, and nodded with satisfaction, "The Spirit Rice is ripe."

The next moment, Fang Xi directly lit a fire on the ground, roasting the bamboo tube.

As time passed, a fragrance mixed with rice and bamboo slowly spread out.

This was another way to eat Spirit Bamboo Rice, making it into Bamboo Tube Rice.

During this period, he had been staying in the bamboo forest, guarding the hard-won ripe Spirit Rice and preventing small thieves and even pests.

For this reason, he hadn't even gone to Da Liang.

Today, he finally had his harvest!

Crack!

After a while, the bamboo tube exploded, revealing the full Spirit Rice inside.

The freshly ripened Spirit Rice grains were plump and evenly distributed, practically melting on the tongue. Especially the fragrance, it was refreshing.

Paired with the cured meat Fang Xi brought, it was a good meal.

After eating his fill, Fang Xi felt his spiritual energy overflowing within him. He dared not delay and quickly circulated the Evergreen Art cultivation technique.

Not only that, after circulating the technique, he struck a pose and honed his palms.

"Tsk tsk... Little Fang, are you practicing body refinement?"

Unsure how much time had passed, Fang Xi, somewhat immersed in martial arts, heard a teasing voice. He quickly looked up and saw a Magic Tool, an Iron Leaf Boat, slowly descending from mid-air. A person disembarked.

The person was a male cultivator in his thirties, wearing a sky-blue Official's Attire, with a smiling face, looking quite prosperous.

Upon seeing him, Fang Xi immediately stopped practicing martial arts, stood up, and put on a fawning smile, "Greetings, Steward Situ."

Seeing Situ Ying looking at him, he quickly added with a smile, "I was just bored and practicing some mortal martial arts. It's nothing, just a laughing matter..."

This fatty in blue was named 'Situ Ying', a member of the Situ Family, who managed a portion of the spirit fields.

To many spirit farmers on the mountain, he was like a local emperor who held the power of life and death.

"Hmm, this patch of Spirit Bamboo is growing well. You must have put your heart into it."

Situ Ying walked through the bamboo forest, observing the growth of the Spirit Rice, and nodded slightly.

"Not at all, it's mainly because Green Bamboo Mountain is a blessed place with excellent spiritual energy, which allows the Spirit Rice to grow so well," Fang Xi said.

While flattering Situ Ying, Fang Xi took out a small brocade pouch and offered it.

Inside the pouch were his remaining few Spirit Crystals.

Situ Ying took it. Without even opening it, he knew the exact number. His expression softened further. "Good boy, you know the way... Since that's the case, let's start the harvest."

This scene reminded Fang Xi of his past life, of books he had read.

It was probably like this when ancient landlords and tenant farmers harvested, wasn't it?

Since both of them were cultivators, the harvesting was very fast.

Rustle!

Patches of bamboo forest fell, turning into Spirit Bamboo Rice.

Finally, Situ Ying took out a specialized large measuring Magic Tool from the Storage Bag at his waist and began to weigh the harvest.

"Storage Magic Tool?"

Fang Xi stared at the inconspicuous, dusty little bag on Situ Ying's waist and felt envious again.

He didn't have a Storage Magic Tool like that...

"The harvest is good this year, yielding two shi and forty jin of Spirit Rice... The main family gets half, which is one hundred and twenty jin!"

Situ Ying fiddled with an abacus. "The price of Spirit Bamboo Rice has increased now. If you sell your private share, I can give you four Spirit Stones..."

Fang Xi calculated and said reluctantly, "I'll keep half..."

According to the land lease agreement, he was entitled to half of the harvest, which was one hundred and twenty jin of Spirit Rice.

If he wanted to sell this Spirit Rice, he could only sell it to the Situ Family.

The Situ Family also had a rice shop in the market, so they could ruthlessly suppress the price, offering not much Spirit Crystal.

And spirit farmers often needed to cultivate, so most of them had to keep it.

However, Situ Ying asking Fang Xi to sell his share right away was a bit too greedy.

"Half, fine... I'll leave sixty jin for you."

Situ Ying put the Spirit Rice into his Storage Bag, then tossed down a small bag of Spirit Crystals and left, riding his Iron Leaf Boat.

Fang Xi opened the bag and found only eighteen Spirit Crystals inside. He couldn't help but curse inwardly, "A vampire who plucks feathers from a goose, don't let me get my hands on you someday..."

After the Spirit Bamboo Rice is harvested, it needs to wait until summer to be planted again.

Planting here is also peculiar; it doesn't require rice seeds, only a catalyst to grow Spirit Bamboo roots, which then sprout bamboo shoots.

And when harvested in spring, there's a period of agricultural downtime until planting again in summer.

Fang Xi strolled back to his shack, contemplating whether to renovate his own dwelling.

Just as he opened his door, he saw a newcomer in Old Mai Tou's house, and was momentarily stunned.

"Are you Fellow Daoist Fang? I am a new Spirit Farmer named Chen Ping."

Chen Ping looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties, with a cultivation base in the early Qi Refining stage and an unremarkable appearance.

He smiled obsequiously and handed over a low-grade Dust Removal Talisman, saying, "A small token, please accept it."

"Thank you. Let's interact more in the future."

Fang Xi responded with a smile and returned to his room, stroking his chin. In the past, Spirit Farmers would only give gifts like snacks or Spirit Rice... this new Fellow Daoist seems quite well-off... could he be a Talisman Master?

But then, he sighed with emotion.

Old Mai Tou had been a Spirit Farmer for decades, yet after his death, few remembered him, and his house and fields were quickly transferred.

This was the reality of the cultivation world!

The lowest-level cultivators were like ants, like leeks... easily harvested, as they would always grow back.

"Yesterday it was Old Mai Tou, tomorrow it might be me!"

Fang Xi gave a self-deprecating smile.

With his personality, even fewer people would remember him when the time came.

"Oh well... I'll take advantage of this agricultural downtime to cultivate properly."

Fang Xi practiced the Evergreen Art, a Qi Refining third-layer technique, daily, but his progress wasn't fast.

In contrast, the White Cloud Palm, a martial art, seemed to be progressing by leaps and bounds.

Da Liang.

White Cloud Martial Arts School.

"Senior Brother Fang!"

"Greetings, Senior Brother."

Fang Xi, dressed in white martial attire, entered the school, and the disciples in the outer courtyard greeted him with fawning, admiring smiles.

If, at first, they were merely impressed by Elder Fang's wealth, now their admiration was tinged with a reverence for strength.

The reason was simple: Fang Xi's progress was astonishingly rapid!

Not only did he grasp the basics quickly, but he also completed the first transformation of Qi and Blood at home, and not long ago, he announced his breakthrough to the second transformation of Qi and Blood!

This made countless people envious in secret.

'But... what's the use of jealousy?'

Fang Xi smiled slightly and entered the inner courtyard of the White Cloud Martial Arts School.

"Eldest Senior Sister!"

After greeting Mu Piaomiao, he went to a brick stove on his own.

The stove was built with blue bricks, and an iron pot was placed on top.

As Fang Xi arrived, a servant immediately lit the stove and began pouring sacks of medicinal ingredients into the iron pot.

Upon closer inspection, wriggling centipedes, spiders, and other venomous insects were mixed among the herbs, making one's scalp tingle.

"After entering the second transformation of Qi and Blood through the calcination method, my White Cloud Palm will attempt to infuse poison into my palm strikes!"

Fang Xi looked at his own palms.

After two transformations of Qi and Blood, the skin on his palms was as tough as cowhide, strong and powerful.

This was the foundation for cultivating poisonous techniques.

After all, infusing poison into palm strikes would also damage one's own body.

Even though the White Cloud Martial Arts School had specific antidotes, the cumulative damage over time would be terrifying.

WHOOSH!

Flames licked the bottom of the pot fiercely, causing the soup inside to thicken, turning dark green and emitting a foul odor...

Fang Xi's expression remained unchanged. After the water boiled, he directly plunged his palms into it.

SPLASH!

The boiling poisonous liquid swirled around his palms. He silently circulated his Qi and Blood, absorbing the toxins.

'As expected, only a strong physique and Qi and Blood after the second transformation of Qi and Blood can slightly absorb the toxins... cultivating too prematurely might just poison my own palms to uselessness!'

After half an hour of cultivation, Fang Xi withdrew his reddened hands and looked at his palms.

He saw that in his palms, a mass of gray suddenly appeared whenever he circulated his Qi and Blood.

"Is this the Poison Palm? White Cloud Palm at the Dark Cloud stage? No... it should just be the beginning..."

White Cloud Palm has three stages: White Cloud, Dark Cloud, and Black Cloud!

White Cloud corresponds to the first and second transformations of Qi and Blood, with palms as white as jade.

Dark Cloud is the stage of the third transformation of Qi and Blood. When practicing, the palms turn dark, and the poison technique is partially mastered.

Fang Xi is currently in the intermediate stage between the second and third transformations.

As for the final Black Cloud stage, it signifies the true mastery of true energy, with the Poison Palm fully developed!

It is said that when Mu Canglong truly circulates his energy, his palms are as black as ink, and even his palm strikes carry potent poison!

"I have abundant financial resources, allowing me to purchase various potent poisons and temper them into my palms, which is why my progress has been so rapid..."

Fang Xi withdrew his hands and stood, silently contemplating his martial arts progress.

In addition, he could use his spiritual sense to observe his body internally, repair damage, and expel toxins, which was also a significant advantage!

With so many advantages stacked up, Fang Xi's progress in White Cloud Palm was naturally progressing at an astonishing rate, even surpassing Wu Ji. Although he still appeared very enthusiastic in public recently, the gaze from behind him had become somewhat telling.

'Within the entire martial arts school, in terms of martial arts alone, only Mu Piaomiao and Mu Canglong are above me, right?'

Fang Xi thought to himself.

'Wu Ji is not a threat. Liu Taotao's temperament is flawed. In terms of honesty and steadfastness, perhaps Tang Xuan will eventually surpass them in the future... I can befriend him slightly.'

Just as he was contemplating, the handsome Wu Ji arrived in the backyard with a kind smile on his face. "Junior Brother Fang..."

"Senior Brother Wu, is there something you need?" Fang Xi raised an eyebrow.

"Well... Senior Brother has been short on cash recently due to practicing martial arts. I wonder if Junior Brother..."

Wu Ji's opening statement was to borrow money.

'This little boat of friendship is about to capsize.' Fang Xi rolled his eyes internally.