Spirit Rain Art

Taking up his spirit hoe, Zhou Changwang hurried down into the Spirit Field. With a powerful dig, the rock-hard soil jolted his hands numb.

The soil in a Spirit Field was extremely compact; ordinary people simply could not hoe it.

He had not done much farm work in his previous life, but fortunately, he had inherited all the original owner's memories. Channeling spiritual power and wielding the spirit hoe, he worked in a steady, proper manner.

After loosening the soil, he pulled out the weeds, roots and all.

When filling the soil back in, he also had to make sure not to miss any grass seeds. Otherwise, by the next day, one or several weeds might spring up right beside the Spirit Grain.

Fortunately, he came to tend and weed his three mu of Spirit Fields almost every day. Thus, it took him only an hour to finish the weeding.

But even then, he could not rest.

Spirit Grain was a spiritual plant, delicate in the extreme. Turning over the soil in the Spirit Field could affect its growth.

So Zhou Changwang hastily cast the Spirit Rain Art again.

The Spirit Rain Art was a plant-type spell. The spiritual rain it produced contained a trace of spiritual energy, just enough to nourish the Spirit Grain and help it grow.

Zhou Changwang's Spirit Rain Art had already reached the Mastery level. Its coverage was much greater than at the Initiation stage, but he still needed to cast it three times to cover a single mu of Spirit Field completely.

Forming a hand seal, Zhou Changwang controlled the spiritual power within his body, guiding it along a unique rune structure. The instant the entire structure was covered in spiritual power, heaven and earth around him resonated with it. Spiritual energy churned, and a dark cloud gathered overhead.

"Go!"

Without hesitation, Zhou Changwang shouted low and flicked a finger.

A fine, drizzling rain fell evenly from the dark cloud onto the Spirit Field.

Spirit Rain Art +1

As the spiritual rain fell, Zhou Changwang noticed that not far away, Old Xu was also casting the Spirit Rain Art to irrigate his Spirit Field.

The other man's Spirit Rain Art not only covered a larger area—just two castings were enough to cover one mu of Spirit Field—but was also much faster than Zhou Changwang's.

Zhou Changwang needed five or six breaths from start to finish to cast the Spirit Rain Art, while the other man required only four.

"Looks like Old Xu's Spirit Rain Art has already reached Minor Mastery."

Zhou Changwang compared them silently and found it perfectly normal. After all, the other man was an old spirit farmer with more than a decade of experience. Having cast the Spirit Rain Art year after year, he could have piled its level up through sheer repetition alone.

He did not stop because of that, instead hurriedly casting the Spirit Rain Art again.

Then came the third time, the fourth time...

Until he had cast the Spirit Rain Art nine times.

Spirit Rain Art +9

Spirit Rain Art (Mastery 135+9/200)

He had also thoroughly watered all three mu of his Spirit Fields.

However, after casting the Spirit Rain Art nine times in succession, the spiritual power in his body had run dry.

Cultivators were actually extremely vulnerable at times like this. Spiritual power was the source of their strength; without it protecting them, cultivators were at most somewhat stronger than ordinary people, their strength severely limited.

Fortunately, this stretch of Spirit Fields at the foot of Long Ridge Mountain belonged to the Spirit Plant Hall. Every few days, they sent cultivators to patrol the area.

Moreover, most cultivators knew that spirit farmers stood at the bottom rung of the cultivation world. Unless it was just after the autumn harvest, they were all poor as church mice, with hardly any profit to squeeze out of them. No one usually bothered to target them.

Zhou Changwang was not picky about the spot. He found a relatively shaded place, sat down cross-legged, and began meditating to restore his spiritual power.

He circulated the Five Elements Formula, drawing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth around him slowly into his body.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes...

This was, in truth, a slow process.

He needed to draw in the surrounding spiritual energy, absorb it into his body, then use his mind to control the spiritual power as it circulated through his meridians. Bit by bit, he absorbed those strands of spiritual energy, refined and transformed them into spiritual power he could wield.

Finally, it flowed into his dantian...

Five Elements Formula +1

After one circulation, a trace of exhaustion had already appeared on Zhou Changwang's face.

Yet he did not stop. The emptiness in his dantian made him crave more spiritual power before he could feel safe.

Half an hour later.

Zhou Changwang finally stopped cultivating.

He had no choice but to stop.

Cultivation was not simply a matter of sitting peacefully while the years flowed by. It required mental energy to sustain the circulation of one's cultivation method and the absorption and transformation of spiritual power.

After three circulations, Zhou Changwang had expended a considerable amount of mental energy. He simply could not sustain a fourth cycle of cultivation.

Forcing the cultivation method onward would only exhaust his mind, throwing his spiritual power into disorder and sending him into slumber.

Zhou Changwang even suspected that the reason he had been able to transmigrate here was because the original owner had forcibly cultivated while mentally exhausted.

Of course, that did not mean cultivators could only cultivate for such a short time.

Among cultivators, there were many tools that could assist cultivation.

For instance, Spirit-Calming Incense, Qi-Nourishing Pills, Mind-Awakening Talismans...

Both Spirit-Calming Incense and Mind-Awakening Talismans could help cultivators restore their mental energy and accelerate the circulation of their cultivation methods, while Qi-Nourishing Pills could directly increase one's spiritual cultivation.

High-level cultivators possessed powerful mental energy that could transform into Spiritual Sense or Divine Sense, naturally allowing them to greatly extend their cultivation time. If the consumption from circulating their cultivation methods was slower than the recovery of their mental energy, they could even enter seclusion for years or decades at a time.

In the mountains, one knew not the passing of years; in cultivation, time left no trace.

Nothing could have described it better.

"After three circulations, I've only restored half my spiritual power."

Zhou Changwang sensed the spiritual power within his body, feeling somewhat helpless.

Still, this was normal.

His Spirit Root aptitude was what it was; his cultivation efficiency had always been low.

Out of a hundred strands of spiritual energy, it would already be good if he could absorb and convert ten. In reality, he could not even reach ten. On top of that, he was located on the outermost edge of Phoenix-Cry Cove Market, nowhere near the market center, which sat atop a First-Rank Spiritual Vein. The spiritual energy here was naturally limited, so recovery was correspondingly slow.

"But fortunately, my cultivation method proficiency has still increased."

Thinking this, Zhou Changwang could not help looking toward the Attribute Panel.

Name: Zhou Changwang
Lifespan: 17/75
Cultivation: Qi Refining Second Layer (21/100)
Cultivation Method: Five Elements Formula (Initiation 88/100)
Skills: Spirit Rain Art (Mastery 144/200), Cleansing Art (Initiation 61/100), Growth Technique (Initiation 63/100), Geng Metal Finger (Initiation 13/100)
...

After three circulations, the proficiency of the Five Elements Formula had increased by three points.

"As long as I complete another twelve circulations, the realm of the Five Elements Formula will improve.

"Perhaps then, my cultivation efficiency will be completely different."

Zhou Changwang's heart brimmed with anticipation.

He had already gained a deep understanding of his own aptitude. Naturally, he could only place his hopes for cultivation on the realm of his cultivation method.

At noon, he made do with a quick meal at home before hurrying back to his Spirit Field.

"Changwang, Changwang."

Not long after he arrived, the old spirit farmer Xu Fugui hurried over.

"What is it, Old Xu?"

Zhou Changwang came back to his senses at the call and asked.