Greetings

With a thought, he stirred his spiritual power and traced out rune structures related to the Geng Metal Finger.

However, this time, he drew far less spiritual power than before, only barely covering the rune structure instead of overflowing as it had previously.

Then, the spell took shape.

He pointed forward again!

Sssh!

A flash of golden light shot forth and sank directly into the room's floor, leaving behind a small hole the width of a little finger and over three inches deep.

Geng Metal Finger +1

"Success.

Sure enough, reducing the mana input could still complete the spell.

Though its power would be much weaker.

For practice alone, however, it was more than enough."

Zhou Changwang was overjoyed.

Because this meant that, with his mana fully replenished, the number of times he could cast the Geng Metal Finger would rise directly from ten to twenty—twice as many as before.

Thus, Zhou Changwang began repeatedly attempting to cast the Geng Metal Finger using this "cultivation mode."

One strike, two strikes, three strikes...

He continued until the spiritual power within him was completely exhausted.

Only then did he stop.

Then he looked at the attribute panel.

There, the value beside Geng Metal Finger had changed to: Geng Metal Finger (Beginner 38/100).

He estimated that in another two days, he would be able to raise this spell to the proficient level.

The night passed as he sat in meditation, restoring his breath.

Although the area where Zhou Changwang lived was merely on the outskirts of Phoenix-Cry Cove Market, it was still close to the central region's first-grade spirit vein. Spiritual energy was fairly abundant there, so his spiritual power recovered far faster than it had in the spirit fields.

After three cycles, it was essentially full again.

By then, however, his mind had nearly been drained dry.

At times like this, the best way to recover was to sleep. So he quickly lay down and fell into a deep slumber.

Early the next morning.

Zhou Changwang rose as usual.

He washed rice and cooked porridge.

As he busied himself, he saw a petite young woman from the neighboring residence hesitantly make her way over.

As she walked, she kept cautiously glancing toward Zhou Changwang's room.

"Fellow Daoist Qian, is something the matter?"

Zhou Changwang recognized the woman. She was Qian Xiaoyue, a third-layer Qi Refining Realm rogue cultivator who lived next door. She was an alchemy apprentice, currently running errands and learning under an alchemist at Six Directions Pavilion within Phoenix Dock Market. Her status was far higher than his.

After all, alchemists held an extremely high status in the cultivation world.

Even an alchemy apprentice was far better off than a spirit farmer like him.

"Ah, oh, it's nothing..."

Hearing this, Qian Xiaoyue seemed startled. She shrank her neck and hurriedly turned to flee.

Yet after taking two steps, she could not help stopping. She asked cautiously, "Last night, I heard some noises coming from your place..."

"I was practicing a spell. I didn't expect to disturb Fellow Daoist Qian. I'm truly sorry."

Zhou Changwang hurriedly said.

He had known that the explosive sounds from his failed casting last night would inevitably be heard by the surrounding neighbors. He simply had not expected Qian Xiaoyue, who was always so timid, to be the first to offer greetings.

"It's fine."

Qian Xiaoyue shook her head. She said nothing more and left directly.

Zhou Changwang did not think much of it. After drinking his porridge, he headed out again.

When he arrived at his spirit fields, several spirit farmers nearby had already begun working.

Besides Old Xu, there were also the brothers Zhao Jie and Zhao Qiang several dozen meters away. The two were the most diligent among the surrounding spirit fields, and they were bold as well. They had built a small hut beside the fields and sometimes rested there at night. They cultivated the most land too, a full thirty mu, and had additionally rented three mu for spirit herbs, specially enclosing them with Spirit Thorn Vines.

Spirit herbs were unlike spirit rice, which could yield two harvests a year when properly cared for.

From planting to maturity, spirit herbs were usually measured in years.

At the shortest, one to three years; at the longest, ten years.

They also required meticulous care and frequent use of spirit plant spells to aid their growth, consuming both time and effort.

However, the brothers' cultivation was also high. One was at the fourth layer of the Qi Refining Realm, while the other was at the fifth layer. They were among the rare spirit farmers who had reached the middle stage of Qi Refining.

Moreover, they kept a Spirit Beast Hound with the strength of the second layer of the Qi Refining Realm, so their safety was assured.

Farther away, other spirit farmers were also busy in their own fields.

In addition, Zhou Changwang spotted Xu Zhong, who had also come from the Spirit Plant Hall.

Xu Zhong wore embroidered robes and had a fair, clean face. If he were not carrying a spirit hoe and looking like he was about to work the fields, others might have taken him for some wealthy young master.

Yet after working for only a short while, he suddenly darted out of his spirit field with a panicked expression. Then he kept inspecting the fields along their edges, his face growing uglier the more he looked...

Zhou Changwang paid him no mind. He entered his own spirit field and began the routine work of weeding.

Then he cast the Spirit Rain Art to ensure the spirit grain's normal daily growth.

After finishing all that, more than half the spiritual power in his body had been depleted. He hurriedly found a spot, sat cross-legged, and began meditating to restore it.

In this way, after three cycles.

Half of the spiritual power in Zhou Changwang's body had recovered.

At that moment, he opened his eyes.

And immediately looked at the attribute panel.

"The Five Elements Formula's proficiency has reached (Beginner 96/100).

As long as I complete four more cycles, it will reach (Beginner 100/100). At that time, perhaps my cultivation technique realm will change."

Zhou Changwang's face was filled with delight.

Four cycles.

As long as he worked a little harder at night, it would not be difficult at all.

In other words.

Today, his cultivation technique proficiency would reach completion and advance...

That afternoon.

After lunch, Zhou Changwang headed straight for the spirit fields in high spirits.

The taste of yesterday's Azure-Armored Beetle had left him craving more. More importantly, the spiritual power contained in its flesh was greatly beneficial to his cultivation.

He had even heard that, because the spiritual energy within spirit insects was easy to absorb and they also counted as meat, some people were willing to spend one low-grade spirit stone for fifteen of them.

And people really had gone to exchange them. It counted as a bit of extra income for spirit farmers like them.

So he was quite enthusiastic about searching for and killing spirit insects.

If he found enough, perhaps he could earn a small fortune too?

"Sure enough, the fruiting period is nearly here. I cleared out a batch just yesterday, yet spirit insects have appeared again today."

Zhou Changwang noticed an Azure-Armored Beetle hiding beneath a spirit grain leaf. If not for its weight bending the leaf too noticeably, he truly would not have spotted it at once.

He quickly held his breath. Spiritual power circulated within him, and the instant the rune took shape, the spell condensed.

Geng Metal Finger +1

Then he pointed forward, and a flash of golden light streaked out.

Pfft!

The Azure-Armored Beetle's head was pierced through, and it fell to the ground.

Then came the second, then the third.

Besides Azure-Armored Beetles, there were also Black Octagonal Beetles, Root-Eating Ladybugs, and Burrowing Cicadas. Among them, Black Octagonal Beetles and Root-Eating Ladybugs were relatively small, but the harm they caused was no less serious. One directly gnawed through the stalks of spirit grain, while the other bit through its roots. Both greatly affected the growth of the spirit grain.

To restore the vitality of the gnawed spirit grain, he had no choice but to cast the Growth Promotion Art again, aiding its growth.