Planting

Before that challenge,

Yao Ping had provoked him again and again.

No matter how steady Zhang Qingyuan's temperament was,

he was still a hot-blooded youth, and a trace of anger had built up in his heart.

On the arena,

although he had blocked layer upon layer of attacks, his defense airtight,

he had still been taking blows.

A haze of pent-up frustration had already settled over Zhang Qingyuan's heart.

When Yao Ping exhausted his final strength

and unleashed the entry-tier Martial Skill, Tiger Sha God Slaying Claw, avoiding that final strike had actually been the best choice.

Yet,

Zhang Qingyuan abandoned the thought of dodging.

Following his heart,

he chose to meet it head-on with dignity.

That instant of release within his state of mind

happened to align with the natural-flowing state of mind of the Water Origin Art.

The Spirit Essence of the Fourth-Layer Water Origin Art inside his body began circulating naturally.

Combined with that faint Spiritual Mechanism hidden in the unseen, it resonated with the Nine Refinements Bone Forging Fist, allowing him to unwittingly unleash that Combination Skill whose power rivaled an entry-tier Martial Skill!

The harvest from such an epiphany

was nearly impossible to encounter and impossible to seek.

Going with the natural flow

was itself the true meaning of the Fourth-Layer Water Origin Art.

Blindly forcing things

was instead not particularly advisable.

Having understood the reasoning within it,

Zhang Qingyuan no longer dwelled on it or wasted time. He directly left the quiet room in the house.

Within the courtyard,

Hu Junshan was working the several newly opened Spirit Fields around the yard, laboriously scattering Spirit Grain seeds one by one across the barren Spirit Land.

Chaoyang Peak was the location of the spring outlet of a certain Micro Spirit Vein.

The Spiritual energy within it was several degrees richer than that of the outside world.

It could barely sustain the growth of Spirit Grain and Spirit Plants, making it comparable to some barren Spirit Fields outside. However, cultivators normally had to frequently cast spells such as the Spring Breeze Fine Rain Technique to replenish the Spiritual energy required for the Spirit Plants' growth, lest the yield decrease too greatly.

"Immortal master, you have emerged from seclusion!"

Upon seeing Zhang Qingyuan,

Hu Junping hurriedly stepped forward and bowed.

Hearing this,

Zhang Qingyuan felt somewhat helpless.

Being called "master" by a twelve- or thirteen-year-old child always made him feel as if he had hired child labor.

Let alone

that he had previously accepted a large sum of Spirit Stones from Hu Yong'an.

He felt vaguely awkward inside,

but this child was extremely stubborn.

Since Hu Yong'an had said he was being sent here to serve as a slave, he truly regarded himself as one.

Zhang Qingyuan felt a headache coming on.

"No need for such formality. How is the Spirit Field coming along?"

Previously,

after Zhang Qingyuan completed the mission to kill the Spirit Devouring Rat in Azure Mountain Town and finished the handover at the External Affairs Hall, he received two hundred Contribution Points and a handful of Spirit Grain seeds as a reward.

Zhang Qingyuan had originally planned

that although he would no longer take on the various planting-related tasks in Area C and Area D, he should not abandon the Spring Breeze Fine Rain Technique he had worked so hard to master.

He could reclaim several Spirit Fields in the courtyard and plant some Spirit Grain.

While practicing the Spring Breeze Fine Rain Technique, he could also grow some cultivation Spirit Items for his own use. That would not be bad.

It would be income, one way or another.

But afterward,

upon hearing of this,

Hu Junshan voluntarily took on the task of opening Spirit Fields in the courtyard.

Considering that there was not much for a child to do within the Sect Gate, and that suitable exercise could improve his cultivation progress, Zhang Qingyuan did not stop him.

Then, with the string of subsequent events, Zhang Qingyuan had not had much mind to spare for this matter.

Yet he had not expected

that after merely half a month, when Zhang Qingyuan emerged from seclusion,

Hu Junshan had already made it look quite proper.

He had reclaimed the Spirit Fields in the courtyard and scattered the handful of Spirit Grain seeds they had previously received as a reward.

"Master, these three fen of Spirit Field are fully enough for those Spirit Grain seeds. But because the Spiritual energy in the soil is lacking, we still need to carry over the river water containing Spiritual energy from the waterfall below Chaoyang Peak and water them once every day, so the Spirit Grain's yield will not fall too much. I ask that Master bestow some Magic Tools for drawing water, so this servant may conveniently carry water every day."

Hu Junshan stood to one side and answered respectfully.

That humble tone

gave Zhang Qingyuan a slight headache.

"No need. Although that river flows out from Chaoyang Peak, the current actually does not contain much Spiritual energy."

Zhang Qingyuan waved his hand,

signaling that it was unnecessary.

Before Hu Junshan could ask,

Zhang Qingyuan raised his right hand and formed a hand seal. Spirit Essence around his body surged forth like a tide, strand after strand of Spiritual Power gathering at his fingertips.

Spring Breeze Fine Rain Technique!

Whoosh!

A breeze rose from nowhere across the level ground, gathering and circling within the courtyard.

It was like invisible hands reaching into the void.

The Spiritual energy within a radius of more than ten zhang was seized by those invisible hands and gathered in the high altitude.

Then,

a gray cloud several zhang wide was generated from nothing above the newly reclaimed Spirit Fields in the small courtyard. Drizzling rain then fell from the cloud.

The rainwater contained faint Spiritual energy.

Carried on the breeze, it scattered down from the sky, drop by drop falling into the newly reclaimed Spirit Fields, moistening the dry earth as specks of light glittered.

In the time it took to burn an incense stick,

the several fields reclaimed by Hu Junshan were thoroughly moistened by rainwater infused with Spiritual energy.

The rain ceased.

A crisp, refreshing breath of air washed over them.

However,

Zhang Qingyuan had not stopped.

His fingers shifted, forming another hand seal in a short time.

Growth Induction Technique!

After that,

threads of Spirit Essence seeped outward.

They seemed to produce a mysterious resonance with the surrounding air.

Having just been watered and moistened,

the Spirit Grain seeds buried beneath the soil broke through the earth one after another, pushing out from the gray-black dirt and revealing tiny sharp yellow-green shoots!

"This is..."

Looking at the scene before him, as though heaven and earth had been remade and creation itself revealed its mysteries, Hu Junshan's originally dull face showed utter astonishment.

So powerful!

As expected of an Immortal master from the Immortal sect. With a mere gesture, he could gather Spiritual Rain, and in the blink of an eye induce every Spirit Grain seed buried in the soil to sprout!

Such methods

were countless times more formidable than the cultivators within the Lineage of Azure Mountain Town!

Before,

when the cultivators in the Lineage cast the Spring Breeze Fine Rain Technique to water the Spirit Fields,

Hu Junshan had seen it as well.

They generally had to draw a bucket of water from the Spirit Spring, carry it by hand to the edge of the Spirit Field, then expend the Spirit Essence of several cultivators to cast the Spring Breeze Fine Rain Technique, turning the Spirit Spring water containing Spiritual energy into rain and scattering it over the Spirit Field.

But Zhang Qingyuan

could Generate clouds and gather rain from nothing. Such a method was simply like that of a true Immortal!

Even the Hu Clan Leader, whose cultivation strength was the highest in their Hu Family, fell far short in comparison!

"So amazing! With a flick of his fingers, he can Command Wind and Rain. Is this the strength of an Immortal from the Immortal sect?!"

He recalled how every mu of his Lineage's Spirit Fields required at least three or four cultivators to painstakingly tend them for several days before the Spirit Grain seeds could sprout and grow.

And now,

this Senior Zhang before him

had merely waved his hand and completed work that others would need several days to finish.

"If Senior Zhang went farming, he could surely cultivate many mu of Spirit Fields!"

Within Hu Junshan's small mind,

such a thought could not help but surface.