After Chen Changming entered the Heart Demon Tower, the other youths filed in after him.
With his hands clasped behind his back, the steward elder gazed down at the Heart Demon Tower with a calm expression and waited in silence.
There were hardly any people left in the plaza now. Only a few outer disciples of the Lingxiao Sect remained, waiting to take care of the youths who emerged from the Heart Demon Tower.
Half an incense stick later, a ray of light shot out from the Heart Demon Tower and landed on the ground, transforming into a youth with a contorted expression.
"Ahhh!"
The youth clawed at the air, looking utterly mad, like a lunatic. A burst of laughter rose around him.
A few breaths later, the youth came to his senses and returned to normal.
"You've been eliminated."
An outer disciple told him this, then grabbed him and tossed him onto the Spirit Boat. "Don't move around. We'll take you back shortly."
"Uh... all right, all right."
The youth's face fell as he nodded repeatedly.
The Lingxiao Sect was a reputable sect with rules to follow, so it would make a special trip to send the eliminated candidates home.
As time passed, one ray of light after another descended, and more people were transported out.
An incense stick and a half later.
Fewer people were being sent out. By the time two incense sticks had burned, no more light shot out of the Heart Demon Tower.
"Hmm, why hasn't that Chen Changming come out yet?"
The steward elder blinked.
He had looked over the roster and remembered this youth's name, since he had been impressed by the boy with the worst aptitude.
Three incense sticks later.
A ray of light flew out of the Heart Demon Tower.
"Chen Changming!"
When he saw that resolute face, the steward elder's expression shifted. For a youth with such trash aptitude to last this long showed an iron will, one that would not easily be swayed by outside influences.
"What a pity. His aptitude is just too poor..."
After a few seconds of silence, the steward elder sighed and put away the Heart Demon Tower before leaving.
As for the selected servant disciples, the outer disciples waiting in the plaza would naturally see to their arrangements.
This time, the Heart Demon Tower had eliminated forty or fifty people. The remaining hundred or so were divided into several groups.
Chen Changming was assigned to the spirit-field group.
There were thirty people in the group. Led by a disciple named Tian Shouyi, they left the plaza on foot.
They crossed mountain after mountain, walking for a full two hours before stopping in a valley.
Along the way, Tian Shouyi explained their duties, and Chen Changming came to understand the mission entrusted to their group of servant disciples.
Starting today, each of them would have a small courtyard of their own and be responsible for cultivating five mu of spirit fields nearby. Their usual work would mainly involve growing Spirit Rice, watering, pest control, and harvesting.
Successfully completing a year's Spirit Rice cultivation would earn them 100 contribution points.
According to Tian Shouyi, these contribution points were extremely valuable. From then on, they would have to use them to exchange for all their cultivation resources.
These included techniques, pills, magical treasures, materials, and so on.
As for the cultivation techniques provided to newcomers, the Lingxiao Sect gave its servant disciples two: one was the Evergreen Art, a technique specifically for improving one's realm; the other was the Cloud Rain Art, a spell specifically for watering Spirit Rice.
The rain summoned by the Cloud Rain Art was rich in spiritual energy, making it more conducive to Spirit Rice growth and boosting yields.
The Lingxiao Sect required each mu of spirit field to produce one thousand jin of rice, of which eight hundred jin had to be handed over, leaving two hundred for personal use.
If they increased their yield, they could keep the surplus.
Any uneaten Spirit Rice belonged to them as well. They could trade it to the sect, though the price would be a little lower.
If they wanted a better price, they could also take it to the city market and sell it.
However, increasing the Spirit Rice yield was very difficult. Besides guarding against pests and disease, they also had to cast the Cloud Rain Art regularly to water the fields.
This was quite a challenge for servant disciples with poor aptitude, who had to both work the fields and cultivate.
"The fields here are all pretty much the same. There's nothing to choose between them, so just pick one..."
Tian Shouyi pointed absently in a direction and laughed. "I only collect the Spirit Rice once a year anyway. Just hand it over on time."
The youths hurriedly agreed.
"Hmph!"
Tian Shouyi's expression suddenly changed, turning cold. "Let me make this clear from the start. If any of you fail to complete your task two years in a row, you'll be expelled from the sect."
Everyone's expression tightened, and they all felt a chill.
Tian Shouyi turned and left.
"This is tough..."
One youth sighed and hurried toward a courtyard in the distance.
Chen Changming followed the others and slowly entered an empty courtyard.
The courtyard wasn't large. A small wooden hut stood in the middle, and the interior was quite bare, with only a few basic household items.
On the bedroom table sat a wooden chest about half a meter across.
Tian Shouyi had already told them it had been prepared by the sect for its new servant disciples. Inside were three books: the Evergreen Art, the Cloud Rain Art, and the Spirit Rice Planting Guide. There was also a set of gray servant disciple robes.
Gurgle!
His stomach growled with hunger. Rubbing it, Chen Changming went to the corner, opened the rice jar, and scooped out some rice.
Naturally, it was all Spirit Rice.
In the Lingxiao Sect, servant disciples like them had to take care of their own food and daily needs.
"Wonderful..."
Breathing in the faint fragrance of the Spirit Rice, Chen Changming chuckled, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
Back when he had been a wanderer, his greatest wish had been to have enough to eat, warm clothes, and a place to call home.
Though the Lingxiao Sect's servant disciples held low status, Chen Changming didn't mind. To him, cultivating Spirit Rice was a fine job: he had food, drink, and a place to live, plus the Evergreen Art to practice.
After chopping some firewood outside to start a fire, wisps of smoke rose from the roof. Half an hour later, the youth sat on the threshold with a bowl in hand, eating with relish.
He had only eaten half when a young man in servant disciple robes walked in.
"You're new here, junior brother?"
The young man grinned casually and walked up with his hands behind his back.
"Yes, yes..."
Chen Changming hurriedly stood up, forcing a smile.
The aura the young man gave off was just like Zhu Fang's, so he was probably a Qi Refining Realm cultivator too.
"Junior brother, I've come to water your spirit fields."
The young man smiled. Without waiting for Chen Changming to answer, he suddenly formed a string of hand seals. A small cloud drifted in from outside, about the size of one mu, and settled over the spirit field. As the clouds rolled, fine strands of rain came pouring down.
Chen Changming: "..."
"Junior brother, you can't let the spirit fields go neglected. They need watering when it's time."
The young man wore a smile as he controlled the cloud and spoke with great seriousness. "You newcomers need to hurry up and cultivate. Learn the Cloud Rain Art as soon as you can, and you won't need anyone else to help."
The muscles in Chen Changming's face stiffened.
Had he just run into a weasel paying a New Year's visit to a chicken?
This senior brother had come uninvited. He definitely wasn't here with good intentions.
"All done."
After watering the field, the young man patted Chen Changming on the shoulder and said without a hint of embarrassment, "Junior brother, it's five contribution points per watering. If you book ten sessions with me, I'll throw in one for free. How does that sound?"
Five contribution points for a single watering?
Chen Changming's eye twitched, and his mood instantly soured.
He had to work hard for a whole year to earn 100 contribution points. If he had to pay for a few waterings, they'd all be gone.
These old servant disciples really knew how to take advantage of someone in a tight spot!
"Ah..." Chen Changming sighed and shook his head repeatedly. "Senior brother, I don't have any contribution points."
The young man smiled. "You can owe me for now. Pay me a year from now."
"Well... let me think about it..."
Chen Changming didn't refuse outright, instead resorting to stalling. After all, he had only just arrived, and it was best not to offend the sect's old hands.
"Fine."
Seeing the youth's awkward expression, the young man seemed to be used to it. He clapped his hands and left the courtyard.
"This really is a profitable business..."
Watching the young man head to another servant disciple's courtyard, Chen Changming gave a wry smile and went inside.