The Youngsters

Time flies, and two years have passed in the blink of an eye.

At noon that day, a short, chubby figure stood in the newly cultivated spiritual field of the Chongming Sect.

He placed his fair, tender right hand on a leaf of a Red Spirit Grain plant, his little face scrunched up, and a wisp of slender Geng Metal energy flowed along his plump finger and slowly disappeared into the thick stem of the Red Spirit Grain.

The few plump, black-shelled insects hiding in the stem were terrified and frantically scrambled around inside, but they couldn't escape the deadly power of the Geng Metal aura and were all killed.

"Phew, I'm exhausted. Junior Brother Jin, you have it so easy. As a cultivator, there are so many things to do every day, and you can never finish them all." The chubby boy habitually wiped his sweat with the sleeve of his robe, only halfway through before remembering something.

He quickly changed the hand seals in his hand, and a mist of water the size of a hairpin instantly surrounded his short, stout body, carrying away all the dirt and grime around him.

"Junior brother, I came to bring you food under this scorching sun, and Senior Brother Kang is still making sarcastic remarks." Jin Shilun walked to the edge of the field with a bitter face, carrying a lunchbox containing a whole pork knuckle, and beads of sweat on his forehead.

"Haha, junior brother, you've worked hard." Kang Rongquan happily took the lunchbox, and didn't forget to cast a Clear Wind Incantation on Jin Shilun.

"Phew." A gentle breeze brushed my face, and I felt instantly refreshed.

While feeling refreshed, Jin Shilun let out a barely audible sigh. He looked at Kang Rongquan, who was enviously munching on his food with an innocent expression.

The farmer who was hired earlier returned to Xuanwei City half a year ago.

During the year he Chongming Sect land under Emperor Chongmingzong, he got along very well with everyone under the Chongming Sect.

In his own words, it was rare to find such a generous host. If it weren't for the fact that he had a large family in Xuanwei City that he couldn't leave, he might have asked the sect leader to let him stay at the Chongming Sect as an external steward for a long time.

Whether this was just polite talk or not, he did indeed have a special fondness for Kang Rongquan.

Perhaps because he had a bunch of daughters but no sons, the old farmer with a deeply lined face couldn't take his eyes off the chubby, fair-skinned child who looked like a New Year's picture doll.

He would pull Kang Rongquan aside whenever he had free time and teach him the secrets of the Jiashi sect for free. It is said that he even secretly asked the sect leader if Kang Rongquan could return to Xuanwei City with him and arrange a marriage between him and Kang Rongquan's daughter.

Sect Leader Kang Da would naturally not agree to such a wasteful act; he was still waiting for Kang Rongquan to Foundation Establishment and bring glory to the sect.

But he really couldn't bear to part with the craftsmanship of that master, so he simply kept making excuses and trying to fool him.

The farmer was delighted to have Kang Rongquan teach him everything he knew in the fields every day, like an old donkey that was always pulling the millstone towards the radishes.

Perhaps the master was truly impartial, or perhaps Kang Rongquan was genuinely talented.

Now, the chubby little boy, who is just over seven years old, is already the Chongming Sect when it comes to his skills in mastering agriculture.

Judging from the old cultivator's gratified and envious expression, it's estimated that after another two or three years of refinement, Chongming Sect will be able to produce a proper cultivator who has entered the ranks.

The path of Spirit Plant is not, as commonly believed, at the bottom of the spectrum of cultivation arts. Or, strictly speaking, there is no inherent hierarchy among the various cultivation arts.

A truly accomplished alchemist is no different from Alchemist, weapon maker, or array master; they are the kind of people who are actively sought after by various powerful forces.

They can tailor the earth's veins to the needs of their master, ingeniously cultivate spiritual fields, and cultivate Spirit Plant according to local conditions, thus creating abundant resources for spiritual practice.

In any systematic force, the farming master is a particularly important link.

However, the lineage of this art is incomplete in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, and the entry into the art of farming is indeed somewhat easier, which is why the art of farming is less prestigious than other arts and crafts.

Even so, Kang Dabao was still very happy when he learned that Kang Rongquan had remarkable talent in the art of farming.

It should be noted that Kang Rongquan is not even eight years old this year, and in two or three years, he will only be a child in his early teens. Such talent is rare even among some Foundation Establishment sects with shallow foundations, and his future is truly limitless.

This is a personal fate, and Jin Shilun can only envy it.

He never expected that after nearly three years of training, even Kang Rongquan, a newcomer, had surpassed him and become a cultivator half a year ago, which truly filled him with mixed feelings.

Fortunately, I'll be able to try Drawing Spirit into the Body again next month! I can't afford to fail again!

Even if I fail again, will I still have to call Mo'er" Senior Sister"? Does that mean I, the young chieftain who has been a rising star for over a decade, have no dignity left?

"Hiccup, Junior Brother's skills are still so good, much better than Mo'er's." Kang Rongquan habitually rubbed his greasy hands in the soil, then patted the dry dirt off his hands.

"Give it to me." Kang Rongquan cheerfully stretched out his hand to Jin Shilun.

"Senior brother, you're almost eight years old." Jin Shilun said helplessly as he took out a strangely shaped ice jade glass bottle, unscrewed the lid, and handed it to the chubby boy.

"Drinking more spirit beast milk will help you grow taller; that's what my great-uncle said." Kang Rongquan took it and happily smacked his lips. It tasted just right, icy cold and delicious.

"Senior brother, you've really worked hard." Jin Shilun looked at the fiery red scene before him. Twenty-one acres of spirit fields—how many bushels of Red Spirit Grain could this yield!

"Mmm, gulp, gulp. Master said I need to work harder today and catch up on the progress. He's going to teach me how to identify medicinal herbs tomorrow afternoon, so I can't procrastinate."

Kang Rongquan nodded as he drank, his little braid swaying behind his head. After speaking, he handed the empty glass bottle back to Jin Shilun and patted his round belly with satisfaction.

"Burp." I'm about 70% full.

"A year ago, Master Zhou taught me to plant a crop of yellow soybeans. Although they grow slowly and taste bad, they are useless to cultivators and can only be used to feed the spirit beasts in the Beast Garden. But they have enriched the field, and the bearded array master has finally cleared the Spirit Vein."

This year, following Master Zhou's instructions before he left, I used the Red Spirit Grain from the warehouse as seeds to try planting one. Alas, I didn't expect that the earth's veins and Spirit Vein weren't properly cleared, and I also used the Lesser Cloud and Rain Art six more times, which caused it to grow poorly and even suffer from pests.

We shouldn't have listened to Master Zhou. The "Nine Treatises on Spirit Plant" left by our sect's predecessors mentioned that the soil in Pingrong County is barren. Without properly nurturing our First-Tier Lower-Grade spiritual fields for several years, we can't grow high-grade Spirit Plant. We should have tried planting Tea-Colored Grain first. We're going to lose money this year; we might not even recoup the cost of the seeds."

The chubby boy sat back down on the ground, pulling Jin Shilun down with him, and poured out his grievances to him.

Jin Shilun was somewhat taken aback. As an outsider, he could only watch the spectacle. Looking at the fiery red scene before him, he had thought it was a bountiful year and the sect would make a fortune, but he never expected to lose money.

There is truly no easy way to cultivate immortality.

Jin Shilun, imitating Kang Rongquan, leaned against the mound of earth, gazing blankly at the azure sky. "What should I learn after I begin my cultivation?"

A gentle breeze dispelled the summer heat, and the two leaned against the mound of earth for a short rest.

Jin Shilun stretched, picked up the bottle and lunchbox together, and gave a final reminder before leaving.

"Senior Brother Han also asked me to remind you to attend his Daoist gathering tonight. He also specially invited two senior brothers from the Lu Household and Xue Household to come as well, and told you to go back early so as not to neglect your guests."

"He does nothing of substance all day. He only recently broke through to the Qi Refining Second Layer. What kind of Dao is he talking about? No wonder he can't even get into the Three Yang Scripture and has to resort to the Heavenly Fire Art. Also, when did the Lu Household and Xue Household families become guests when they come to my Chongming Sect? Do I have to go and keep them company?"

The little boy, feigning an air of maturity, offered a critique, noting that his progress in cultivating the "Azure Wood Treasured Light Guide" was even smoother than Duan Anle's. His master Pei Yi, often praised him, which made him a bit spoiled and arrogant, believing he had every right to be proud.

After saying that, he ignored Jin Shilun and turned back into the spirit field.

"As my great-uncle said, it's always better to put in more effort; even harvesting just one more grain of Red Spirit Grain is a good thing."

Upon hearing this, Jin Shilun shook his head helplessly. This junior brother really dared to say anything; children speak without restraint.

They had only taken a few steps on their return journey when they saw Duan Anle leisurely approaching from the opposite direction, riding a Desolate Ox.

Jin Shilun's eyes revealed a hint of envy. Apart from Duan Anle, who was temporarily in charge of the Beast Garden and was studying the "Beast Artisan Formula" as a supplementary text, the other disciples' cultivation levels were too low to qualify them to interact with spirit beasts on their own.

Well, except for the old donkey, anyone in the Chongming Sect can ride it.

Kang Dabao had previously written to the He Household, requesting that they send an experienced He Household tamer to instruct Duan Anle for a while.

He Dezong was very accommodating, readily sending people to help. Perhaps because the He Household hadn't been able to assist with the Shi Household family's matter last time, and felt they had lost face, He Dezong didn't even Chongming Sect to pay the betrothal money this time.

The Beast Tamer came here to teach Duan Anle in a proper manner for a year. Unlike the Farmer, the Beast Tamer's relationship with the Chongming Sect was purely based on mutual benefit.

Therefore, within a year, out of consideration for the He Household, the beast tamers could only teach diligently, and could hardly be said to have put their hearts into it.

Fortunately, Duan Anle is a diligent and studious child who keeps studying.

As a result, children from poor families mature early. Duan Anle, who is only twelve years old now, has already taken on all the responsibilities except for the title of steward of the Chongming Sect's Beast Garden.

At just eleven years old, he led a group of over twenty mixed-blood beasts of lower rank on a caravan with the Lu Household head. Although he made some mistakes due to his lack of experience, he still completed the caravan's mission well.

On just this one trip, Duan Anle and his pack animal team earned nearly twenty Spirit Stone.

Of course, for safety's sake, Jiang Qing kept it a secret from the honest boy and followed far behind the caravan.

After Duan Anle returned safely, he became the only junior in the Chongming Sect with experience in independent training (earning money), and is now quite popular among his fellow disciples.

"Shilun, you've come to deliver animal milk to Rongquan again?" Duan Anle smiled upon seeing Jin Shilun, and nimbly dismounted from his saddle to talk to him.

"If I had known you were coming, I would have come with you. It would have saved me the trouble of walking," Jin Shilun said with a smile.

"That's not good. You're currently training your body; more activity won't do you any harm," Duan Anle said earnestly after hearing Jin Shilun's words.

Then he added, "Martial Uncle Pei just finished refining two batches of Qi Condensation Pill, and sent me out to distribute a bottle to each of the fellow disciples." Duan Anle took out the jade bottle for Jin Shilun to see, and the latter's face showed envy.

"Here, Martial Uncle Pei also asked me to bring you the Spirit Awakening Powder. Look." Duan Anle took out another dark green bottle.

Before the latter could even express his surprise, Duan Anle spoke again, "Master's seclusion isn't over yet. Martial Uncle Pei said he'll be protecting you this time, so don't worry, it'll definitely be successful."

"Thank you, Senior Brother!" Jin Shilun carefully put the jade bottle away in his bosom, bid farewell to Duan Anle, and returned to the sect.

They walked briskly for almost half an hour before finally reaching the Chongming Sect from the spirit field.

He took out his token and waved it, causing the misty vapors formed by the Lesser Cloud and Mist Formation to dissipate. As Jin Shilun stepped into the main gate, he immediately felt refreshed.

This First-Tier Superior-Grade Spirit Vein was indeed extraordinary; even as an ordinary mortal, he could still feel the Spiritual Qi nourishing his life force.

"Junior Brother Jin is back?" Pei Que was sitting on the stone table in the old courtyard, lost in thought. Jin Shilun was almost right in front of him when he finally came to his senses.

"What is Senior Brother Pei doing?" Jin Shilun asked curiously.

"It's nothing, I just got scolded by Martial Uncle Jiang for a while." Pei Que shook his head and smiled wryly. If his master hadn't gone into seclusion and his uncle hadn't been focused on refining pills, he really wouldn't have dared to ask Jiang Qing for advice.

Among the elders, Jiang Qing had the highest cultivation level and the worst temper. In addition, Jiang Qing himself was quick-witted and intelligent, and he couldn't stand the younger generation making foolish mistakes, so the younger generation was most afraid of him.

"Oh, where's Second Uncle? Three days ago, Martial Uncle Pei said he went to help the Xue Household family repair their Law Artifact. Didn't he say he'd be back this morning?" Jin Shilun asked curiously. Although Yuan Jin's temper was hard to predict, it was still better than Jiang Qing's.

Pei Que sighed and turned to Jin Shilun, saying, "Junior Brother Jin, I need to go to the training puppets tonight. Please tell Senior Brother Han that I won't be attending the Dao discussion tonight."

"Why don't you go and say it yourself?" Jin Shilun said, seeing Pei Que turn to leave.

During evening classes, all the disciples gathered in the scripture hall to do their homework. Jin Shilun sized up a thin, dark-skinned girl who had just been sent there by Kang Dahou last month.

This girl wasn't particularly pretty, but she came from the Chongming Sect, and her secular surname was Zhang, with the given name Le.

This first female disciple to formally enter the sect since Kang Dabao took over did not bring much surprise to the sect's elders; she remained just another ordinary person with Four Spirit Roots.

Perhaps because the Zhang Household had already fallen into decline, and because he came from a collateral branch, Zhang Le was taciturn, had an eccentric personality, and was difficult to get along with.

After the initial excitement of meeting new faces wore off, Zhang Le didn't interact much with his fellow apprentices, except for Duan Anle, who still showed considerable interest. He wasn't very sociable.

"Smack!" Jin Shilun, stunned, rubbed his head, not daring to cry out in pain, and quickly buried his head in the book.

"Seriously! What time is it? Why aren't you studying?" Jiang Qing, who was on duty transmitting the skills, put away the ruler with a stern face and led his disciples in reciting again. "The ten directions are boundless, all worlds are like crystal, without any obstruction. All beings from the ten directions ride on five-colored jade wheels, and jeweled chariots."

After evening classes, Han Yundao's small dormitory was bustling with activity, as everyone sat around the desk, making it packed full.

"The cave abode outside Little Ring Mountain is still under construction and is only enough for a few division commanders for now. I'm sorry to trouble you all today, but my cave abode will be ready next month, and then I'll invite you all to come and visit."

Han Yundao, who had just turned twelve, imitated the tone of an adult, sat in the main seat, and said a lot of nonsense such as "It is an honor to have you here," before finally bowing and saying...

"Then I'll offer my congratulations in advance, Brother Han. I'll definitely come to bother you then," said a pale-faced, thin young man at the bottom, his face showing an undisguised fawning expression.

Jin Shilun thought to himself, "The Lu Household of Fangshi Mountain really is of the same ilk. Lu Kang is just like his uncle."

He was only grumbling to himself, while Kang Rongquan confronted him on the spot. "Senior Brother Han, are you going to hold this Dao Assembly or not? If you don't, I still need to go and cultivate, otherwise my great-uncle will scold me if he sees me not doing my proper work."

Duan Anle angrily tugged at Kang Rongquan's short jacket. There were outsiders present; how could he let his senior brother embarrass himself at this moment?

Han Yundao froze for a moment, too embarrassed to say anything.

Just then, the door opened, and a cool breeze entered the room, causing the flames of the brightly burning whale oil candles to hiss loudly. It was Zhang Le who walked in.

Han Yundao initially thought it was Mo'er returning from the Chongming Sect. Seeing Zhang Le enter, he was surprised but quickly breathed a sigh of relief. He then greeted Zhang Le warmly with a smile, "Junior Sister has arrived too! Please, have a seat."

"Greetings, fellow disciples." Zhang Le was a bit aloof, but not ignorant of etiquette. He bowed to everyone before sitting down.

"Then let's begin our Daoist gathering tonight. Let me, Han, start by offering my humble opinion." Han Yundao composed himself and began to share his experience of breaking through to the Qi Refining Second Layer.

No matter which world one cultivates immortality in, one cannot do without the four words "wealth, place, method, and companion".

The Daoist gathering organized by Han Yundao tonight, which was attended by close friends and family, actually has considerable value.

Although his sharing was far less insightful than that of the sect's masters, he could often clarify the disciples' doubts with just a few words.

However, its strength lies in its simplicity, sincerity, and ease of understanding, which greatly benefited everyone present.

Even Kang Rongquan, who was initially the most impatient, calmed down and listened attentively.

He possessed Triple Spirit Root. Although he entered the Daoist path later than others, his cultivation speed was much faster than that of his fellow disciples. After only half a year of cultivation, he had already reached the point of breaking through to the First Layer of Qi Refining.

Kang Rongquan has been reviewing the experience notes of his predecessors to prepare for this, so listening to Han Yundao's fresh sharing and combining it with his reference would naturally be even better.

After Han Yundao finished speaking, he sat down, and everyone thanked him profusely. Unlike the several Dharma assemblies that Kang Dabao held in White Sand County, which were all driven by ulterior motives, Han Yundao's speech today was almost entirely unreserved, which allowed everyone present to gain a great deal. Naturally, he deserved everyone's sincere gratitude.

After Han Yundao, Duan Anle, Kang Rongquan, Lu Kang, and another son-in-law of the Lu Household surnamed Xuan also stood up to give their sermons.

Their cultivation levels were all quite shallow, and they would occasionally stumble over their words, but the people in the room didn't seem to mind, and they all spoke up to discuss when they had different opinions.

As Sect Leader Kang Da often says, "Truth becomes clearer through debate."

The atmosphere grew so lively that everyone present became interested, and they chatted until midnight. They then agreed to hold another sermon another day before finally dispersing.

Jin Shilun returned to his room, too excited to sleep, his eyes burning with desire as he looked at the jade bottle containing the Spirit Awakening Powder.

Thank you, Brother Feizhi, for the 100 coins!

Thank you to Brother Xifang Gui for the Extended Net Moon, and thank you to Brothers Fengchuipanties and Yibulianrenxin for the Extended Net Moon each.

(Thanks to everyone's support, this book is finally available for purchase. I will try my best to update three chapters tonight. I hope you will continue to read and subscribe to support me. Thank Lao Bai in advance.)