"Such rich spiritual energy!"
The moment he entered the Ziyuan Secret Realm, Chen Changming was stunned.
He found himself in a small, green world. Mountains rose and fell in the distance, while grasslands and rivers lay nearby. The sun blazed overhead, and not a single cloud marred the sky. What shocked him most was how rich the spiritual energy was here.
It was countless times denser than in the Spirit Rice cultivation valley of the Lingxiao Sect.
"Little brother, plenty of sects have places rich in spiritual energy, much like this one. You mean you didn't know?"
The young man glanced at the boy before him and asked with an amused smile.
"I've never heard of that."
Chen Changming felt embarrassed.
He couldn't help it. He was only a menial disciple of the Lingxiao Sect, with no one to rely on. How could he have known the sect had such a wondrous place?
"Never mind. If you've got the skill to help the medicinal fields mature sooner, our young miss certainly won't shortchange you."
The young man declared, thumping his chest.
"Fellow Daoist, why isn't the young miss coming in?"
Chen Changming glanced back and asked in a low voice.
"This secret realm is damaged. If a Foundation Establishment cultivator enters, it'll collapse, and the medicinal fields will be destroyed along with it."
The young man sighed. "Only Qi Refining cultivators can enter."
"I see."
Chen Changming nodded in understanding. Then he followed the young man over the mountains and through the valleys, heading deeper in.
Along the way, they passed more ruins. Among them lay plenty of White Bone and fragments of weapons and magical treasures.
"A great battle once took place here."
The young man said.
Chen Changming nodded and asked nothing more. After all, this was the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion's territory, and he had sworn not to reveal it. Naturally, he didn't want to learn too much.
Half an hour later.
The two arrived at a valley shrouded in a thin veil of mist.
To Chen Changming's surprise, dozens of Qi Refining Realm cultivators stood guard around the valley, stationed in different places and keeping the spiritual fields under tight watch.
A rich medicinal fragrance wafted toward them. Chen Changming took a sniff, and his spirits immediately lifted; even his internal organs seemed to stir to life.
The young man led him into the valley and stopped outside a medicinal field. Pointing toward it, he said, "This is the medicinal field. Please use the Cloud Rain Art to water the herbs."
Chen Changming nodded.
The medicinal field covered forty or fifty mu and held all sorts of herbs in a riot of colors. He couldn't identify a single one.
"Cloud Rain Art!"
Chen Changming repeatedly formed hand seals.
A gale sprang up, and a cloud ten mu wide appeared out of thin air. A moment later, fine strands of rain fell from the sky, soaking into the medicinal field.
Seeing a boy at the first Qi Refining layer cast the Cloud Rain Art on such a scale, the young man nodded in approval. He held out a hand to catch some of the rain and silently tested it, looking rather astonished.
As expected, the young miss had invited someone exceptional.
After casting the Cloud Rain Art five times in a row, Chen Changming had watered the entire medicinal field.
Once the various spirit herbs had absorbed the rain, they began to grow slowly. The change wasn't fast, but it was still visible to the naked eye.
"Impressive..."
The young man praised him again and again. The other guards also looked at Chen Changming with admiration.
"All done. Let's go. We'll come back in three days."
Chen Changming stopped and smiled at the young man.
He had no interest in the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion's medicinal fields. For one thing, he knew nothing about spirit herbs. For another, he knew his own limits.
The young man escorted him out of the Ziyuan Secret Realm.
"How did it go?"
As soon as the two emerged, the White-Clad Woman asked anxiously.
The young man bowed. "It worked, young miss. The spirit herbs are all growing faster."
"Wonderful..."
The White-Clad Woman smiled, and her gaze toward Chen Changming changed.
The Lingxiao Sect's menial disciple had lived up to her expectations. His cultivation was low, but he had a talent for the Cloud Rain Art.
Normally, these medicinal fields would take three years to mature. With their growth accelerated, they would be ready in just over a year.
Once mature, the herbs would prove useful.
With the two nations at war, demand for pills was enormous. If the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion supplied a batch of top-quality pills, cultivators from both sides would snatch them up in an instant.
The profits could multiply several times over.
That was why they were hiring this Lingxiao Sect menial disciple for a hundred Spirit Gathering Pills a month. The expense was negligible.
The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion had plenty of Low-grade Spirit Gathering Pills.
After climbing back onto the black Azure Eagle, the White-Clad Woman took Chen Changming straight to a valley on the outskirts of the Lingxiao Sect. They agreed to meet there again in three days.
Chen Changming returned to the Spirit Rice cultivation valley and climbed to the mountainside.
To his surprise, the mountainside was empty. Not a single menial disciple was around.
Someone hurried down from the summit. Chen Changming took a look and realized it was Senior Brother Pi Dong, whom he hadn't seen in ages.
Seeing someone standing beside the path, Pi Dong stopped, surprised. "Huh, Junior Brother Chen, you're here?"
"Mm. I'm here to grow Spirit Rice on the mountainside."
Chen Changming smiled and nodded. Seeing Pi Dong hurrying along, he asked, "Where are you off to, Senior Brother?"
"Running for my life."
Pi Dong sighed, his face full of lingering fear. "I heard our Yue Kingdom's cultivation sects are being driven back at every turn. I'm afraid menial disciples at our cultivation level will be sent to the battlefield as cannon fodder..."
He paused and tugged at the boy's sleeve. "Junior Brother Chen, you should make plans too. How about this? Run away with me!"
Run away together?
Chen Changming froze.
Was the Yue Kingdom really so weak?
Would the Lingxiao Sect truly send even a disciple at the first Qi Refining layer like him to the battlefield?
"Forget it. I'd rather keep farming. With so many spiritual fields, I could get a good harvest..."
After a moment's thought, Chen Changming shook his head and refused.
"Suit yourself."
Pi Dong had no choice but to accept it.
"How many senior brothers are still up on the summit?" Chen Changming asked.
"They've all run off."
Pi Dong let out a long sigh. "When disaster strikes, everyone flies off on their own. Our menial disciples were never valued by the sect to begin with. It isn't worth losing our lives farming here..."
After saying that, he patted Chen Changming on the shoulder and hurried down the mountain.
Chen Changming watched Pi Dong disappear into the distance, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Those who failed to plan ahead were bound to face trouble. It seemed he needed to make plans early too. He absolutely couldn't become cannon fodder.
"At least I meet the young miss of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion every three days. I'll ask her more about the war between the two nations. Surely she won't let the sect send me to the battlefield before the herbs mature..."
Chen Changming spoke slowly, and his heart gradually settled.
He had finally found himself in a favorable position at the Lingxiao Sect. There was a steady supply of Spirit Gathering Pills, and no one was growing the Spirit Rice on the mountainside or the summit. All those resources would fall into his hands.
He went up to the summit and counted the spiritual fields.
There were two hundred and ten mu on the mountainside and one hundred and twenty mu on the summit.
Since no one remained on the summit, Chen Changming didn't know which fields could produce four harvests a year and which could produce three. He would have to figure it out gradually.
Chen Changming started by watering the spiritual fields on the summit and clearing out the pests.
Apart from the Spirit Rice he had to hand over to the sect, he planned to plant Mid-grade Spirit Rice in every remaining field this time.
He worked for three days before finishing the watering and pest removal on both the summit and the mountainside. The work left Chen Changming utterly exhausted.
Even so, his heart brimmed with joy.
With such a vast supply of Spirit Rice, his cultivation would advance rapidly.
Over those three days, he swallowed three or four Spirit Gathering Pills daily, steadily improving his cultivation. When clearing pests, he didn't use Spirit Finger Flick but instead practiced the Five Tigers Soul-Severing Blade, hoping to strengthen the blade technique sooner.
"It's getting late."
After checking the sky, Chen Changming, his spiritual energy restored, left the Lingxiao Sect and headed to the valley.
A huge black Azure Eagle and a graceful figure in white were already waiting there.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting..."
Chen Changming apologized.
"Let's go."
The White-Clad Woman smiled faintly and made an inviting gesture with one hand.
After finishing the watering, Chen Changming returned to the Lingxiao Sect.
The Spirit Rice on the summit didn't need watering for the time being. He found a courtyard there, shut himself in, and began cultivating.
Day after day, Chen Changming went back and forth between the medicinal fields and the spiritual fields, while his cultivation rapidly improved.
A month and a half later.
Chen Changming broke through to the second Qi Refining layer!
"It wasn't easy. Without the Spirit Gathering Pills and the Evergreen Art after three enhancements, breaking through to the second Qi Refining layer would have been as hard as climbing to heaven..."
Chen Changming opened his eyes and gave a faint, bitter smile.
The further he advanced in his cultivation, the more he felt the terrifying drawbacks of a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root, the trashiest aptitude of all.