A Day of Two Seventh Grades

Three hundred zhang beneath New Dajiang County, hidden below a water vein.

A secluded dark chamber had been carved out, enclosed by walls on all sides. Several Premium Quality Evening Primrose seedlings had been planted at his feet, giving off a faint glow like cold moonlight shining upon someone.

Fine droplets of water crisscrossed the stone walls, gathering into streaks that seeped into the earth and rock.

Jiang Tu sat cross-legged atop the stone platform in the center. Before him stood a neat row of Premium Quality medicinal treasure bottles, all preparations for breaking through. Everything was ready; all that remained was the east wind.

His choice to break through beneath New Dajiang County had also come after much deliberation.

He feared that breaking through to Seventh Grade might cause a huge commotion—heavenly phenomena? Fluctuations in cultivation? Tremors in the earth? Or some other uncontrollable upheaval.

If it happened in Xiaopei County, he would not be able to explain it clearly, and it would easily draw the Daoist Sect's attention.

But in New Dajiang County, Agricultural Path Cultivators were everywhere. Any disturbance related to the Agricultural Path would be considered normal. Even if discovered, it would be difficult to investigate deeply. This land of prosperity, piled atop the bones of countless farmers, had instead become his best cover.

Long ago, he had come here to investigate. Upon arriving, he had taken advantage of the night, avoided the resident Daoist masters, and used Earth Escape to make a wide circuit. What he saw in New Dajiang County resembled what he had imagined, yet was far clearer.

Fine fields stretched everywhere in crisscrossing ridges; chickens and dogs could be heard from village to village, and greenery flourished. The four seasons were like spring, with Favorable Weather.

Ninth Grade Farmers walked through the fields, while Eighth Grade Field Stewards could occasionally be seen emerging from the soil to move earth and cast spells. Tiny motes of spiritual light even drifted through the fields, as though Land Spirits were slowly breeding within the newborn earth. Its auspicious signs were already sufficient.

The total number of Agricultural Path Cultivators here had already surpassed a thousand. It truly was a convergence of fate, dragons and serpents rising from the land.

Yet Jiang Tu knew perfectly well how many bones lay buried beneath this prosperity, how many calculations of the Daoist Sect were hidden within it. Countless tears and blood from the Agricultural Path had brought this land back to life, only for the Daoist Sect to erect a chastity arch upon it.

What a gutter-rutted world.

Whenever he thought of this, Jiang Tu became a little more cautious.

He withdrew his thoughts, calmed his mind, and gathered his strength to break through.

In truth, he had reached the peak of Eighth Grade two years ago. At first, he had wanted to try breaking through on his own. He could not rely on adding points through the Golden Tome every time he advanced. The higher his realm became, the more Sequence Points he would need, and they might not always be enough. It would do no harm to undergo some advance military training and familiarize himself with the breakthrough process.

But after spending over half a year painstakingly consolidating his cultivation and repeatedly sensing the gate to Seventh Grade, that gate had remained sealed tight—so tight that not even a needle could be thrust in, nor water splashed through. There had not been the slightest sign of a breakthrough, not even the faintest loosening!

That was when he knew he would likely have to rely on adding points again. Then Xiao Tuyun happened to enter seclusion at Green Mountain Lake, and he decided to stop and wait once more.

That child possessed an Innately Extraordinary Agricultural Bone and had been Eighth Rank in the Womb, with astonishing aptitude. If she broke through to Seventh Grade first and scouted the path for him, he might be able to benefit from a wave of Sequence feedback. Perhaps an opportunity for loosening would come, and he could break through naturally when the water arrived and the channel formed.

Yet Xiao Tuyun had remained in seclusion for a year and a half without a single movement.

He could not wait any longer.

He had taught Ning E everything he could teach and explained everything that needed explaining. With her managing and protecting the farmland aboveground and the fertile fields belowground, Jiang Tu could rest assured.

If this breakthrough went smoothly, perhaps he could return home after three to five days of consolidation. If it did not, who knew how long it would take.

May everything go smoothly!

Whoosh!

With a thought, he summoned the panel—

"Sequence Points: 329"

Come on. It was time to see the new world beyond Seventh Grade.

"Add points! Seventh Grade, break for me—!"

Whoosh!

"329 Sequence Points consumed. Beginning assault on grade boundary—!"

A vast force, as boundless as the sea, surged forth from heaven and earth, bursting through his entire body in an instant like a riverbank collapsing.

In that moment, his muscles and bones were forcibly stretched apart. Every inch of his flesh trembled violently, while his limbs and organs were flooded and filled with dense, surging Agricultural Path aura. In a daze, he felt as if his body were about to melt away, with winds and thunder swelling through every limb and bone!

The surrounding layers of earth began to squirm and rise subtly as the breakthrough commenced, rippling in waves.

Drip. Drip.

The underground water vein was stirred as well. Undulating currents burrowed into the quiet chamber, circling around him and transforming into hazy vapor and white mist, like nimble little jade-white snakes gathering clouds and Daoist resonance.

Boom! Boom boom boom—!

The mighty force of the Agricultural Path continuously slammed against the gate to Seventh Grade, like crashing waves striking the shore and rolling up a thousand heaps of snow—heavy, dense, rising and falling with the tide.

Jiang Tu clenched his teeth. Veins bulged across his forehead, and bean-sized drops of sweat fell one after another.

The gate to Seventh Grade was right before him!

Crack—crack crack crack—!

Cracks appeared across the immovable gate. Countless fine lines spread rapidly, crisscrossing each other, on the verge of shattering!

Dim golden light shone from within, warm and brimming with vigorous life.

He could almost see the abilities of an Herbal Scholar through those cracks. Broader perception of heaven and earth, greater mighty power of the land—they were waiting behind that gate for him to push it open. But... the damn thing simply would not open!

It kept making him jump back and forth along the boundary between Eighth and Seventh Grade!

Again and again, he attacked, using every ounce of his essence, energy, and spirit to crash into it head-on. But every time, he fell just short—only the tiniest bit short.

Separated by a single thread, yet it was like a heavenly chasm. He simply could not cross it.

What was going on?

"Hu... hu... hu—"

Jiang Tu panted heavily, sweat soaking through his clothes and pooling into a small puddle on the stone platform beneath him.

His thoughts flashed like lightning, never stopping.

From Ninth Grade to Eighth Grade, he had paid forty Sequence Points and it had been over in the blink of an eye. It had come naturally, without the slightest obstruction. But now, for Seventh Grade, he had spent over three hundred points and could not even push open the door. All he had gotten was a sound—and it was the kind where the thunder was loud but the raindrops were small!

Something was wrong!!

This was absolutely wrong!

He recalled Luo Jin in the simulation. The man had spent a full five years in seclusion before breaking through, and even then, he had succeeded only by relying on a sliver of opportunity from the land's cultivation feeding back into him. His realm had been extremely unstable after the breakthrough, and he had needed a long period of consolidation before finally stabilizing it.

Yet when Ninth Grade and Eighth Grade had broken through, the process had been extraordinarily smooth. There had been no need to consolidate any realm at all.

Logically speaking, could a difference of merely one grade truly be so terrifying?!

This was only Seventh Grade! According to the grade progression given by the Sequence, there were at least six more grades above it! If every breakthrough from now on became even harder, he could hardly imagine who the hell would be able to advance.

It should not be this difficult!

Perhaps what this stage required was not merely gradual accumulation and brute-force impact, but some crucial component that was missing.

Luo Jin, Xiao Tuyun, and himself had all been forcing their way through without any skill, charging in headfirst.

There had to be something else in between!

Some heavenly treasure? Something like the Foundation Establishment Pill from novels? A breakthrough pill?

Some subtle opportunity for breakthrough? Some mysterious and profound realization of the realm?

Or some particular ritual?

All of those were possible, but no matter what it was, he did not have it now, nor did he have the time to search for it.

Just as his thoughts wandered, he suddenly discovered that the cracks forcibly opened by the Sequence Points were slowly healing.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle—!

A thin fissure gradually closed.

Jiang Tu: "..."

It could grow back by itself?!

What the hell, were you a poet?!

Were you trying to drag me to death?!

He immediately calmed himself, put away his thoughts, sat firmly once more, and swiftly stabilized his breathing.

At that moment, he began to understand why Luo Jin had spent five years in seclusion. If it were him, he would not be able to come out either.

If he retreated now, the cracks that had just appeared might close completely. The next time he attacked, he would have to start all over again, and it might even be harder than the first attempt. He could only ride this momentum and keep digging deeper, wearing it down bit by bit. This was the kind of situation where one rode a tiger and could not get off—his realm had him pinned on the rack!

Damn it!

He refused to believe it. Luo Jin had managed to break through without a cheat, so there was no reason he could not do it with Sequence Points supporting him!

From then on, he took up long-term residence there, entering seclusion without leaving and beginning an intense tug-of-war with the gate of that realm. The situation grew increasingly fraught, escalating by the day.

Time flowed on. The sun rose and moon fell, day after day.

Occasionally, Daoist Sect cultivators sensed the area overhead, or Agricultural Path Cultivators passed through with Earth Escape. He used Premium Quality treasure pills that concealed his breath to merge with the aura of the surrounding earth, while the innate ability of the Sequence Golden Codex to obscure heavenly secrets shielded and concealed him. He weathered it all easily and was never discovered.

In the blink of an eye, late autumn had become deep winter, and the new year was approaching.

Winter in New Dajiang County was not cold or biting. Instead, it had Favorable Weather, with no blizzards in sight. Many cold-resistant crops and medicinal herbs continued to grow vigorously, and greenery filled the land. It was far from the scene outside, where a thousand miles were sealed in ice and ten thousand miles drifted with snow. The prosperity of the Agricultural Path was plain to see.

This day.

Inside the quiet chamber, Jiang Tu poured out two pills. One fortified his foundation and nourished his vitality, while the other stabilized his spirit. He tilted back his head and swallowed them.

Another bottle of Premium Quality medicinal treasure had emptied before his eyes, while the gate to Seventh Grade had gained only a few more cracks, showing no sign of breaking open. Yet he remained calm and eased his mentality.

Then, without warning, he suddenly felt wisdom arrive in his heart and blessings arise from within. He sensed an invisible, tiny ripple swell into being!

It crossed from a faraway place, spanning the vast Dajiang River as it drew immensely near. It touched the depths of his consciousness, reached his body and mind, reached the very essence of his realm... and that utterly motionless gate of the realm suddenly loosened violently, trembling without end.

Immediately afterward, the Sequence Golden Codex in his mind shook with a thunderous roar, and Xiao Tuyun's exclusive panel appeared—

"Name: Qin Tuo Yun"

"Remaining Lifespan: 11/112"

"Cultivation: Innately Extraordinary (Eighth Grade · Field Steward (2000/2000) → Seventh Grade · Herbal Scholar (???/15000))"

"Triggered Events"

"(New) After nearly two years in seclusion, she broke through to Seventh Grade with the help of a trace of realization."

"(New) Her realm is unstable. She is currently consolidating it, embracing the spiritual nature of heaven and earth."

Jiang Tu's pupils suddenly constricted.

She had broken through!

Her cultivation feedback was exactly like the day the land's return flow had helped Luo Jin break through to Seventh Grade—it gave Jiang Tu a savage push from behind!

The opportunity had arrived!

If he did not break through now, when would he?!

Boom boom boom!

The gate to Seventh Grade trembled violently. It was no longer unbreakable as it was struck with savage force.

Countless tiny cracks spread and burst open like a spiderweb, joining together in sheets. The golden light within suddenly blazed, flooding the entire dark chamber!

The earth shook, and the water vein flowed backward!

The world before his eyes turned sun and moon upside down. Five colors manifested, thousands of flowers and herbs covered mountains and plains, and a grand vision flashed with spiritual radiance!

Break through!! Seventh Grade!!

Jiang Tu abruptly opened his eyes. Brilliant light flashed within them, carrying absolute determination and conviction—decisive and domineering!

"Break for me—!!!"

The next moment, heaven and earth became dreamlike, and a new world opened by a thread.

Boom boom boom boom!!

The gate to Seventh Grade shattered with a thunderous crash. The Herbal Scholar had been achieved!

Separated by thousands of miles and spanning the vast Dajiang River, two Seventh Grades had broken through in a single day—!