The wind carried a strange scent that morning—half earth, half ambition. In the heart of Crimson Valley, the spiritual crops shimmered brighter than usual, their roots humming with the rhythm of the newly activated Verdant Pulse Array.
Jin Zhen stood at the formation's center, his crimson robes fluttering lightly. His gaze swept over the rising mist, pupils glowing faintly with power.
In the distance, the clatter of hooves echoed.
"Looks like our first guest from the outside has arrived," he murmured.
---
A young man stepped off the spirit beast carriage, eyes scanning the valley with thinly veiled disdain.
He wore the insignia of the Azure Gale Sect—a minor branch of the Cloud Sun Sect, known for their cultivation arrogance and rigid rules.
"I am Disciple Zhao Lingyu," he announced to no one in particular. "Here under orders to verify cultivation practices, evaluate legal compliance, and ensure spiritual land use adheres to treaty law."
Before he could take three steps forward, a hoe slammed into the ground in front of him.
Fang Mu stood there, grinning. "You need to fill out Form 7B for planting inspections, Form 12A for spiritual flow queries, and Form 108Z to speak to the boss."
Zhao Lingyu blinked. "What—"
Fang Mu pointed at a shack covered in paperwork charms. "Line starts over there. Don't worry, we'll get to you in four to six business days."
---
Back at the main hall, Jin Zhen reviewed the expansion map while listening to two elder cultivators bicker.
"We can't allow this rate of growth," said Elder Hu, slapping the map. "The spirit herbs are adapting too fast. If one mutates, we'll have a forest of talking ginseng demanding equal rights!"
Elder Qing snorted. "Better than having to explain to the sect treasury why their farms are still producing low-tier cabbage."
Jin Zhen raised a hand. "Enough. The Pulse Array is holding. If anything does go sentient, we'll sell it as a rare beast companion."
Elder Hu: "…"
---
Later that afternoon, Fang Mu tried something "experimental."
He had taken three spirit rabbits, painted glyphs on their ears, and was now desperately chasing them across a field as they scattered seeds at random.
"Come on! Work smarter, not harder!"
One rabbit turned mid-air and threw a seed back at him like a pebble.
"You're not unionized yet!" Fang shouted, tripping into a trench.
---
[System Notification]
[Field Expansion Zone 4: 80% Operational]
[SP Opportunity: "Spirit Beast Work Force – Beta Prototype"]
[Cost: 2 SP]
[Warning: May result in cognitive awakening of beasts. Proceed with caution.]
Jin Zhen narrowed his eyes. "Tempting."
He didn't use his remaining SP yet—but the seed was there.
---
Meanwhile, hidden near the valley's northern border, a figure cloaked in dark blue robes knelt by a spiritual stone and whispered, "Contact the Inner Council. The Crimson Sect's methods defy conventional arrays. Request observation clearance immediately."
As soon as the message vanished into the stone, a vine shot up from the ground and coiled around the man's ankle.
"What—?"
The vine jerked violently. Moments later, the man's unconscious body was dropped outside the valley border with a "Do Not Enter" sign tied to his forehead.
Fang Mu found him an hour later and dragged him back to the fields. "Look, another volunteer!"
---
[Meanwhile – Inner Valley Greenhouse]
Lan Yuer leaned over a crystal basin, her fingers glowing softly as she infused a rare herb with moonlight qi.
Jin Zhen approached from behind. "Still awake?"
"Barely. These moonshade orchids are sensitive to ambient emotion."
He watched as the petals shimmered. "Funny. So am I."
She smiled faintly. "The more we grow here, the more others will fear us. What happens when the top sects stop sending messengers and start sending armies?"
Jin Zhen tapped the formation lines etched into the greenhouse walls. "Then we feed them... until they're too dependent to fight."
---
[Status – Jin Zhen]
Cultivation: Core Formation (Late)
Talent Grade: Crimson Starfire – Divine Grade
Physique: Infernal Ember (True Sync)
Wealth: 102,500 Spirit Stones
SP: 1
Passive Qi Income: +65/day
Fame Titles: Flame-Lord of the Fields, Root Sovereign, Bureaucratic Nightmare
Influence Zones: Crimson Sect Valley, Three Hills District, Farmer's Guild, Blazewind Market, Eastern Border Outpost
---
Far beyond the valley, in the depths of a desert temple, a blind seer opened her eyes for the first time in a century.
"The Red Earth stirs," she whispered. "The Harvest Lord has awakened."
And in the lands to the west, war drums began to beat.