Planting

Before that challenge,

Yao Ping provoked him again and again.

No matter how steady Zhang Qingyuan's temperament was,

the spirit of youth still won out in the end, and a thread of anger smoldered in his heart.

On the arena,

though he had blocked layer upon layer of attacks, defending himself so tightly that not even water could seep through,

he had still been taking blows.

A layer of pent-up frustration had already shrouded Zhang Qingyuan's heart.

When Yao Ping exhausted his final strength

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

However,

Zhang Qingyuan abandoned the thought of dodging.

Following his heart,

he chose to meet it head-on, openly and honestly.

The relief in his state of mind at that instant

happened to align with the natural, unforced state of mind of the Water Origin Art.

The Spirit Essence of the fourth layer of the Water Origin Art within his body circulated naturally,

then, combined with that faint trace of Spiritual Mechanism in the dark, 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 gains from such enlightenment

were almost something one could encounter but never seek.

Going with the flow

was itself the true meaning of the fourth layer of the Water Origin Art.

Blindly forcing things

was instead not very advisable.

Having understood the principle behind it,

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

In the courtyard,

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

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

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

It could barely support the growth of Spirit Grain and Spirit Plants, making it comparable to some barren Spirit Fields outside. Ordinarily, though, cultivators had to frequently use spells like the Spring Breeze Fine Rain Technique to replenish the Spiritual energy needed for the Spirit Plants' growth, so the yield would not decrease too much.

"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 child of twelve or thirteen always made him feel as if he were employing child labor.

Let alone

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

He always felt somewhat awkward inside,

but the child's temperament was extremely stubborn.

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

Zhang Qingyuan felt a slight headache coming on.

"No need for such formality. How is the Spirit Field reclamation going?"

Previously,

after Zhang Qingyuan completed the mission to kill Spirit Devouring Rats in Azure Mountain Town and handed it in at the External Affairs Hall, he received two hundred Contribution Points and a bag of Spirit Grain seeds as rewards.

Zhang Qingyuan had originally planned

that although he would no longer take on the various planting-related missions in Area C and Area D, he could not abandon the Spring Breeze Fine Rain Technique that he had painstakingly practiced.

He could open up 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 cultivation. That would not be bad at all.

It would be an income stream, more or less.

But afterward,

upon hearing of this,

Hu Junshan voluntarily took over the task of reclaiming Spirit Fields in the courtyard.

Considering that a child had little to do while staying within the Sect Gate, and that suitable exercise could also improve his cultivation progress, Zhang Qingyuan did not stop him.

Then, with the series of events that followed, he had not paid much attention to this matter.

He had not expected

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

Hu Junshan had already done a respectable job.

He had reclaimed the Spirit Fields in the courtyard and sown them with the bag of Spirit Grain seeds they had received as a reward.

"Master, these three fen of Spirit Fields are entirely enough for those Spirit Grain seeds. But because the soil lacks Spiritual energy, we still need to carry over river water containing Spiritual energy from the waterfall below Chaoyang Peak and water them once every day, so the Spirit Grain yield will not decrease too much. I ask that Master grant me some Magic Tools for fetching water, so it will be easier for this servant to carry water each 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, its waters do not actually contain much Spiritual energy."

Zhang Qingyuan waved his hand,

indicating there was no need.

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, while strands of Spiritual Power gathered at his fingertips.

Spring Breeze Fine Rain Technique!

Whoosh!

A breeze rose from nowhere over the flat ground, gathering and swirling within the courtyard.

It was like an Invisible Hand reaching into the void.

Within a radius of more than ten zhang, all the Spiritual energy was seized by that Invisible Hand 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, and a fine drizzle began to fall from it.

The rainwater contained faint Spiritual energy.

Together with the breeze, it descended from the sky, drop by drop falling into the newly reclaimed Spirit Fields, moistening the dry earth as specks of light glittered within it.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea,

the several plots Hu Junshan had reclaimed were thoroughly nourished by the rainwater containing Spiritual energy.

The rain subsided.

A fresh, clear breath of air washed over them.

However,

Zhang Qingyuan had not stopped.

His fingertips shifted, forming another Hand Seal in a short time.

Growth Induction Technique!

Then,

strands of Spirit Essence seeped out,

seemingly producing a profound resonance with the surrounding air.

The Spirit Grain seeds that had just been watered and moistened,

buried beneath the soil, broke through the earth one after another. They pushed out from the gray-black soil, revealing tiny pointed yellow-green shoots!

"This is..."

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

So powerful!

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

Such methods

were countless times more formidable than the cultivators of the Lineages in Azure Mountain Town!

Before,

when the cultivators of his Lineage used 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 a Spirit Spring, carry it by hand to the edge of the Spirit Fields, then expend the Spirit Essence of several cultivators to use the Spring Breeze Fine Rain Technique and turn that Spirit Spring water containing Spiritual energy into rain that fell upon the fields.

But methods like Zhang Qingyuan's,

where clouds and rain were gathered from nothing,

were practically like those of a true Immortal!

Even the Hu Clan Leader, whose Cultivation Strength was the greatest 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 Spirit Fields in his Lineage required at least three or four cultivators to spend several days carefully tending them

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 needed several days of kung fu 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.