Tribute Levy

So that was how it was.

Lu Xuanji came to understand.

He had broadened his horizons.

Just then, the ancestor sensed something and opened a jade talisman. "Danyang Sect cultivators have come to collect the Lineage tribute levy. Little fellow, are you interested in serving tea?"

"At the ancestor's command, I dare not refuse!"

Lu Xuanji said.

Leaving the library, he arrived at the reception hall.

After serving the tea, Lu Xuanji stood respectfully to one side.

The guest was a fifteen-year-old youth, utterly ordinary save for a pair of bright eyes that set him apart from the crowd.

"Danyang Sect's Ye Taizhen greets you, Fellow Daoist."

The youth said with a smile.

"So, you are a Fellow Daoist of the Tai generation!" the ancestor said. "The Lu Clan has twenty-three Foundation Establishment Cultivators and one Purple Mansion cultivator. Each Foundation Establishment Cultivator pays one hundred Spirit Stones a year, while a Purple Mansion cultivator pays one thousand. Over ten years, that comes to thirty-three thousand Spirit Stones. Fellow Daoist, please take them."

As he spoke, he handed over a storage pouch.

Ye Taizhen accepted the storage pouch, opened it, and inspected it carefully. "The entries are clear. The accounts are correct!"

"Farewell!"

Ye Taizhen said with clasped hands, then took his leave.

Without even drinking tea, he departed directly.

From his arrival to his departure, less than Ten Breaths had passed.

"Does it hurt?" the ancestor asked.

"It hurts!"

Lu Xuanji said.

Thirty-three thousand Spirit Stones were equivalent to three Foundation Establishment Pills.

Qi Refining Cultivators received annual stipends of ten to fifty Spirit Stones.

Foundation Establishment stage Cultivators received annual stipends of only one hundred to five hundred Spirit Stones.

"It hurts me too, but spending money may not buy peace. Refusing to spend it will certainly bring no peace," the ancestor said leisurely. "You may leave!"

"Yes!"

Lu Xuanji departed respectfully.

Life continued as before, simple and repetitive.

At the same time, he pondered how to increase the yield of White Yang Rice per mu.

Those who mainly farmed were also called Spirit Planters.

Compared to Alchemists, who needed to burn money; Artifact Refiners, who needed talent; and Array Masters, who needed comprehension, Spirit Planters had the lowest threshold. They only needed Spirit Fields and seeds to farm.

Yet even in farming, some could grow two hundred jin of Spirit Rice, while others could grow two hundred and thirty jin. That was the difference between Spirit Planters.

In the Blink of an Eye, four years passed.

Within the Cave Dwelling, Lu Xuanji opened his eyes. Golden light shot from his pupils, and lightning seemed to spark through the empty chamber.

His body crackled, producing a series of sharp sounds as his sinews and bones rang together. Red light flickered, rising and falling in flux; then green light emerged and transformed; then yellow light shifted above and below.

At last, the green, yellow, and red lights alternated without end, surging and revolving.

The three-colored radiance rose and fell within the Cave Dwelling. After lasting half an hour, it withdrew, and everything returned to normal.

He was now at Qi Refining Layer 3.

He had originally estimated that it would take Five Years, but by cultivating the Azure Lotus Creation Art deduced through Fate Deduction, he had entered Qi Refining Layer 3 in just four years.

Feeling the aura within his body, Lu Xuanji felt incomparably comfortable.

Cultivating the three attributes of fire, earth, and wood together not only accounted for his own attributes, but also fit him Perfectly. Its circulation was exceptionally smooth.

"I'm eighteen years old!"

Lu Xuanji sighed.

Within the Cave Mansion, he lit a fire, poured Spirit Spring Water and White Yang Rice into a Bronze Cauldron, and began steaming rice.

The fire was spiritual fire.

A moment later, waves of fragrance wafted from the cauldron.

Opening the Bronze Cauldron, he scooped out the White Yang Rice with a wooden ladle and placed it in a wooden bowl. He then took out three more bowls containing meat stew made from Demon Beast Meat, dishes made from spiritual herbs, and a bowl of medicinal wine.

He began to eat.

The Spirit Rice warmed his stomach.

The spiritual wine burned like fire in his mouth.

The spiritual meat was tender and smooth, soft yet satisfyingly chewy.

As he ate, his stomach gently churned, digesting the food.

The spiritual qi contained in the food was gradually refined by his body, delicate and mild as it nourished his flesh.

The grade of one's food determined the grade of one's life.

The higher the form of life, the more exquisite its food.

In the eyes of mortals, immortals stood high above, dining on dew and rosy clouds, living by inhaling and exhaling spiritual qi. Yet that was not the case. Cultivators also had to eat Spirit Rice, spiritual herbs, and spirit pills.

Opening Cave Mansions atop Spirit Veins and drawing in spiritual qi to refine into true qi was the conventional cultivation method of cultivators.

But the spiritual qi of a Spirit Vein was violent and restless. After absorbing it into the body, one had to use Mental Strength to suppress it, refining away its violent turbulence again and again. After cultivating by absorbing spiritual qi for a period of time, one had to rest and recuperate to avoid damaging the Meridians.

Spirit Rice, grown in Spirit Fields, contained mild and nourishing spiritual qi. After cultivators ate it, it would not damage their Meridians. It could nourish their bodies and increase their cultivation.

Near Spirit Veins lay vast Spirit Fields, where great quantities of Spirit Rice were planted for food.

Spirit Rice was a necessity for cultivators.

Cultivators could survive without Spirit Rice, but their cultivation would stagnate, and their progress would become far slower.

After eating and drinking his fill, Lu Xuanji lay down on his bed to rest. Then the Jade Pendant in his robes stirred, delivering a message.

"Father has returned!"

Upon receiving the message, Lu Xuanji left the Cave Mansion and headed home.

At the foot of the mountain, within the courtyard, Lu Xuanji saw his father and mother.

"Mother, Father... you're back!"

Lu Xuanji said.

"We're back. We haven't seen each other for three years!"

His father said.

"Son, come here, let me hug you!" His mother stepped forward, only to realize that her son had already grown too big for her to hold.

"Son, these are the gifts I brought you!"

His father said.

As he spoke, his father took several gifts from his storage pouch.

The sword was like autumn water, radiating bright light and peerless sharpness. When it danced through the air, it made hissing sounds. It was not merely sharp—within the spirit sword, runes interlocked into a rune array, drawing upon the spiritual power of heaven and earth to nourish the sword itself.

Its three-foot azure blade had a tassel at the hilt, light and elegant.

"This is the Autumn Water Sword, a Level 1 Spirit Artifact. Son, give it a try!"

His father pointed with one finger, and the spirit sword flew over.

Lu Xuanji caught the spirit sword and held it in his hand. It weighed just over three jin, yet it was extraordinarily sharp.

He Drip Blood onto the rune array at the core of the spirit sword, leaving behind a blood mark. At once, he felt as if the spirit sword had become an extension of his arm, nimble and swift.

Thread after thread of true qi entered the rune array, activating the formation.

His true qi rapidly drained away. After exhausting thirty percent of it, the flying sword flashed into a streak of light and shot forth to kill, reaching a speed of three hundred meters per second as hissing sounds rang through the air.

Swish! Swish!

It could not be maintained for even three breaths before his true qi was exhausted.

"What a fine sword!"

Lu Xuanji exclaimed.

"These are Level 2 Spirit Talismans. One is an Earth Shield Talisman, which can form an earth shield capable of blocking one attack from a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator. One is a Fireball Talisman, which can unleash a Fireball Technique from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. One is a Teleportation Talisman, which can teleport you ten li away." As he spoke, his father took out three jade talismans.

After accepting the three jade talismans, Lu Xuanji was not pleased. Instead, he asked worriedly, "Father, what happened?"

According to the Lineage rules, before reaching Qi Refining Seventh Layer, cultivators mostly planted spiritual herbs and Spirit Rice near Clear Wind Mountain and were rarely sent out on missions. He seemed to have no need for these things.

Yet these gifts were worth at least two hundred Spirit Stones.

His father was at Foundation Establishment Layer 3, yet his annual stipend was only four hundred Spirit Stones.

"In two years, the once-in-a-century Beast Tide will arrive. At that time, I will not be able to look after you. You must be clever." His father said worriedly.

"The ancestral land has a Level 3 Spirit Array. I'll be completely safe here!"

Lu Xuanji said.

"You don't understand. The Beast Tide is terrifying!"

His father said, "When the Beast Tide arrives, all kinds of low-level demon beasts will stretch across the sky and cover the earth without end, like a tide sweeping away everything and drowning everything. Not to mention a mere Qi Refining Layer 3 cultivator like you—even Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Purple Mansion cultivators, and even Golden Core cultivators may perish within it!"

"During the Beast Tide, even the Mountain Protection Arrays of some Purple Mansion Families are often breached!"

"Remember, two hundred years ago, one of the Lineage's Mountain Protection Arrays was forcibly breached. Inside were three Foundation Establishment stage Cultivators, twenty-five Qi Refining stage cultivators, and one hundred thousand mortals, all forcibly overrun!"

Seemingly frightened, his father's expression turned grave. "Son, when the Beast Tide comes, think of nothing else. Preserving yourself comes first."