Mutated Spirit Rice Grain surpassed the Second-Grade Spirit Rice grown in Grade-Two Spirit Fields, whether in spiritual qi content.
Or taste.
Of course, Xu Changqing was not selfish enough to eat it all by himself.
He later shared some with the yellow dog and the Pearl Chicken.
As the two little fellows ate, blissful expressions appeared on their faces.
A rich fragrance unique to Mutated Spirit Rice Grain even wafted from their bodies.
Even their fur became smoother and softer.
Xu Changqing said with some regret, "What a pity there isn't enough to eat."
There were still nine hundred grains left. He could not keep eating them.
He planned to cultivate the Mutated Rice Seeds into Mutated Spirit Seedlings, then plant them back in the Black Soil.
To see whether they could grow and mature.
If it succeeded, it would mean he could eat an endless supply of Mutated Rice Grain in the future.
That way, the speed at which his cultivation realm improved would increase greatly.
He could reach Qi Refining Perfection within a year, perhaps even break through into the Foundation Establishment Realm.
After all, there would be another wave of the Spiritual Qi Tide in spring.
Over the following days, Xu Changqing kept a close watch on the Mutated Spirit Rice.
Although harvesting the rice ears had dimmed its luster.
There were no other problems besides that.
[Mutated Spirit Rice] [Already Matured] [Undamaged] [Spiritual Qi Abundant] [Supreme grade Today] [More Children, More Blessings]
After watering it several more times with spring water, Xu Changqing left the cave.
He then stepped onto a Flying Paper Crane and flew toward the Core Administration Office.
Autumn was approaching, and the third quarter's planting was about to begin.
Though he still had other seeds, he needed to collect new Spirit Seedlings.
Since it was not his first time, the whole process went smoothly.
Xu Changqing deliberately checked his points.
He had previously gained 700 by submitting Spirit Rice Grain.
Later, he gained another 700 for helping Hu Man cultivate the Earth-Spouting Lotus.
Together, that came to just over 1,400 points, equivalent to half of a High Grade spell.
Sure enough, the best way to earn points was to complete missions.
But good missions were like finding overlooked treasures—something one could encounter but never seek.
Missions like cultivating the Earth-Spouting Lotus were even rarer than phoenix feathers and qilin horns.
Afterward, Xu Changqing left the Core Administration Office.
Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.
He had Han Su come over to till the soil.
He arranged a time with Bai Ling'er for rain.
Then he waited for Hu Bugui to deliver the Spirit Beast Manure.
The first two were fine, with no issues at all.
But the third one—Hu Bugui's side—ran into trouble.
Looking at the unfamiliar young man leading a camel by the hand, Xu Changqing could not help asking, "Who are you?"
"My name is Sun Ban." The unfamiliar youth gave an awkward laugh as he explained, "Senior Brother Hu had something come up, so he temporarily asked me to deliver the century-old Spirit Beast Manure for you."
Xu Changqing pressed, "What happened to him?"
Sun Ban hurriedly said, "Senior Brother Hu was injured."
The moment he heard that, Xu Changqing thought of Zhao Ziyue and Black Dragon Pool.
He then had Sun Ban unload the century-old Spirit Beast Manure.
Before leaving, Sun Ban even gave him a plump, juicy watermelon as compensation.
Xu Changqing then took out a Communication Talisman from his small storage bag and infused it with spiritual power.
"Who is it?"
"Me!"
"Uh... Fellow Daoist Xu?"
"I heard you were injured?"
"Looks like you've already met Sun Ban."
"Was it related to Zhao Ziyue?"
"It has nothing to do with Senior Brother Zhao!"
"What do you mean?"
Then, through Hu Bugui's detailed explanation.
Xu Changqing finally learned what had happened to this fellow.
After the two had parted ways last time.
Hu Bugui had quickly gone with Zhao Ziyue to Black Dragon Pool.
They wanted to see whether Spirit Rice Wine could lure a Dragonfish.
But they had not expected Black Dragon Pool to contain not only Dragonfish, but also Fish Demons.
As they fished, they were suddenly attacked without warning, and Hu Bugui was dragged into the water.
Fortunately, Zhao Ziyue had a Water Spirit Root and had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm.
He successfully rescued Hu Bugui before the Fish Demon could eat him.
Neither of them dared stay any longer, and they fled at once.
However, Hu Bugui injured his arm because of it and was temporarily unable to go out.
"So that's what happened." Xu Changqing came to a sudden realization.
Hu Bugui said quietly, "Fellow Daoist Xu, your Spirit Rice Wine really works."
"Oh?" Xu Changqing raised his brows at that.
Hu Bugui said earnestly, "After the Fish Demon dragged me into the water, I happened to see a Dragonfish wandering around the spot where the Spirit Rice Wine had been poured."
Xu Changqing frowned. "Unless it bites the hook, that cannot prove it works."
But Hu Bugui immediately said, "No, no, no. I think the Spirit Rice Wine works, but perhaps the quality of the Spirit Rice Grain is not high enough, so it is not enticing enough."
"The quality..." Xu Changqing thought of the Mutated Spirit Rice Grain in his hands.
Could it be that ordinary Spirit Rice Wine could attract Dragonfish, but not make them bite the hook?
If he switched to Third-Grade Spirit Rice Wine.
Or Mutated Spirit Rice Wine.
Then according to Hu Bugui, it might truly take the bait.
Because Dragonfish possessed a thin trace of Demon Dragon bloodline, they were extremely valuable.
Any one of them could sell for over a thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.
Their flesh was exceptionally delicious, which made them beloved by many.
At this moment, Hu Bugui said with considerable regret, "What a pity we didn't succeed this time. Otherwise, I could have become a core disciple too, and I wouldn't need to take that damned Formal Disciple Grand Competition."
Xu Changqing smiled when he heard that.
He himself had no intention of joining the Formal Disciple Grand Competition.
Even if his strength was sufficient.
Even if his realm was sufficient.
He simply was not interested.
Rather than spend the time on that, he might as well plant more Spirit Rice.
The two then chatted briefly for a while longer.
Hu Bugui would need at least ten days to half a month of rest to recover from this injury.
The next time they met would probably be in winter.
Xu Changqing felt that as long as Hu Bugui was all right, that was enough.
Hu Bugui was one of his few friends.
If something had truly happened to him, or if he had even died.
Losing the supply of Spirit Beast Manure would only be a secondary concern.
The important thing was that there would be no one left to drink and chat with him in the future.
Time flashed by.
The day Bai Ling'er was scheduled to bring rain arrived.
Before long, she came as promised.
She seemed to be in a good mood today, with a smile always hanging on her face.
Xu Changqing could not help asking, "Did something happy happen?"
Bai Ling'er blinked. "My older sister came back from the Eastern Domain! She brought lots of local specialties."
"The Eastern Domain?" Xu Changqing quickly remembered. "The Great Moon Dynasty!"
Bai Ling'er nodded, then took something from a pink, scented-sachet-like storage bag. "This is peach blossom pastry, the most popular dessert in the Great Moon Dynasty right now. Try it."
Xu Changqing accepted it and examined it carefully.
It was a small box containing a single pastry.
Its color leaned toward pink.
It was shaped somewhat like a peach blossom.
And it carried a faint peach blossom fragrance.
He picked it up, put it into his mouth, and bit off a third.
It was very crisp.
The flavor was somewhat sweet.
Many tiny crumbs fell as he chewed.
Overall, it was decent, though not particularly astonishing.
"I'm starting the rain." Bai Ling'er wanted to finish quickly so she could return sooner to chat with her sister.
Soon, the Minor Cloud-Rain Art began to operate.
A mass of slightly dark water vapor condensed above the Spirit Fields.
Neither mist nor mist, neither cloud nor cloud.
Before long, the pattering sound of rain arose.
Seeing this, Xu Changqing hastily put away the remaining half of the peach blossom pastry, then took several water buckets from his small storage bag.
Bai Ling'er asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"
Xu Changqing gave an embarrassed smile. "I'm collecting some spirit water."
Bai Ling'er came to a realization, then reminded him, "Then be careful. The spiritual qi will dissipate within a few days."
"Got it." Xu Changqing committed it to memory.
Before long, he had filled several buckets.
After Bai Ling'er left, he rushed toward Stone Mountain without stopping.
But he was not going to irrigate the Mutated Spirit Rice.
He was going to raise seedlings.
There were three steps in total:
Soaking the seeds.
(Soak the rice seeds in water.)
Sprouting.
(Place the soaked rice seeds in a warm, humid environment.)
Raising seedlings.
(After the rice seeds sprout, place them in nutrient-rich soil.)
The whole process would take roughly three to seven days, after which the Mutated Rice Seeds might become Mutated Rice Seedlings!!!
Before you continue