"As the saying goes, 'Live in the moment, have wine while it's there.' For people like us, why bother with the tiresome pursuit of immortality? Wouldn't it be better to wake up from the big dream early and enjoy life?"
"Alright, are you treating us?"
"Get lost! Go away!"
...
Before long.
A vast mountain range shrouded in mist comes into view, the mountains majestic, and waterfalls cascade down, creating dragon pools, with expansive water vapor that looks like an ink painting.
On the cultivated hillsides, hundreds of acres of Spirit Fields are arranged in orderly terraces.
With the spiritual energy provided by a Tier One Spirit Vein, planting Low-Tier Spirit Valley and Spirit Plants is more than sufficient.
The golden Spirit Grains in the fields shimmer brilliantly, swaying in the breeze, and the unique fragrance of the Spirit Rice fills the air.
Attracting birds from the skies nearby to seek food.
"Dong!"
Before the flock of birds could land, a loud bang was heard.
The makeshift grass puppet set in the Spirit Field shook its Spirit Gong, emitting piercing sound waves that sent the birds flying away in all directions.
Qin Ming and his companion followed the mountain path to their own Spirit Fields and began to busily work.
Within the Spirit Fields.
Qin Ming gazed eagerly at one of his plots, and couldn't help but twitch his lips slightly, feeling a bit disheartened.
In this plot of Spirit Field, about half an acre of Spirit Rice was still lush green, completely different from the matured golden Spirit Rice around it.
People who didn't know might think he was growing scallions...
He knew very well the reason for this scene.
It was due to his lack of proficiency with the Spirit Rain Technique, the low level of the technique, and the insufficient application, leading to an uneven distribution of rain.
"It seems this season's Spirit Rice will see a reduction in yield, I wonder if we will get through the tax this time," Qin Ming thought worriedly.
Shaking his head, Qin Ming began to harvest the Spirit Grains.
The Spiritual Scythe cut beneath the rice stalks, and bundles of Spirit Rice fell, skillfully tied into sheaves by him.
This Spirit Rice could be harvested three times a year, as long as the roots were left, it would grow back in a few months for another harvest.
Like cutting chives.
The sun set in the west.
After harvesting the Spirit Rice and bagging the Spirit Rice,
Qin Ming's mana was completely drained, leaving him exhausted.
Just as he wiped his sweat, he heard the sound of a magical artifact cutting through the air from afar.
He quickly looked up to see a Cyan Leaf Dharma Ship streaking a green light across the sky, slowly descending.
A person disembarked from it.
The individual was a fat middle-aged male cultivator, wearing a blue and white robe of the Spirit Feather Sect's Outer Sect, with a big belly, striding imposingly towards him.
This fat man's name was Du Haifu, the overseer of this area of Spirit Fields.
He managed the Spirit Fields and Spirit Farmers on this whole mountain; to Qin Ming, he was like a local tyrant.
"Hehehe, Little Qin is quite efficient! You've finished collecting the Spirit Rice so quickly," Du Haifu said.
Du Haifu opened the Spirit Rice bags in front of Qin Ming, pinching a few grains, first sniffing them under his nose.
Casually tossing the Spirit Rice into his mouth, he chewed slowly, then revealed a satisfied smile.
"Hmm, the quality is quite good; it seems you've put in a lot of effort."
Du Haifu patted the storage pouch on his waist, taking out a Great Dipper Spiritual Artifact and began weighing.
"Two stone eighty pounds of Spirit Rice harvested, seventy percent tax is one hundred ninety-six pounds..."
"Huh? Isn't that wrong?"
"How come you harvested fifty pounds less Spirit Rice than last season?" Du Haifu's smile immediately disappeared.
He consulted a booklet, his expression turned cold, and he gazed at Qin Ming.
Qin Ming felt a chill and quickly took out a Small Brocade Pouch from his bosom and handed it over.
Forcing a smile, he said, "Elder Du, I really apologize. There was a small issue in the Spirit Field. This half-bag short on Spirit Rice, please accept these Spirit Stones as compensation, kindly bear with it."
Though it pained him, Qin Ming had no choice; most of his possessions were in that pouch.
In reality, the Spirit Feather Sect only required a fifty percent Spirit Rice tax, but there's still a Steward below, and below the Steward are overseers managing the Spirit Farmers...
Layer upon layer of exploitation, in the end, only a pitiful amount reached his own hands.
That small bag of Spirit Stones would most likely end up in Du Haifu's private stash.
Du Haifu took the pouch, weighed it in his hand, and knowing the contents, his attitude became much more agreeable.
However, he still admonished Qin Ming, "Just this once, don't let it happen again!"
Saying this, he waved a hand forward, collecting the few large bags of Spirit Rice into his storage pouch.
Qin Ming watched Du Haifu's storage pouch and the Cyan Leaf Flying Ship artifact earlier, feeling a touch of envy.
Things like this he could never afford...
"Do you know how much Spirit Rice Cai the Ninth paid this season?" Du Haifu suddenly asked him meaningfully.
Then he raised two fingers, waving them in front of him.
"More than double yours!"
"You can't go on like this, kid."
"Since you understand a bit, I can give you a tip."
"I just got the news that next time taxes are collected, the Sect's Steward Elders will review the Spirit Rice tax contributions for the year, and the bottom ten Spirit Farmer cultivators will be assigned to the frontline Battle Camp as reinforcements."
"Manage yourself well."
After saying this, Du Haifu departed without seeing Qin Ming's reaction.
Leaving Qin Ming standing there in a daze.
"What? Sent to the Battle Camp?"
...
Nightfall.
Qin Ming, carrying the remaining Spirit Rice, returned to his house.
Clatter!
He shut the door and then collapsed heavily onto the bed, face-up, like a dead dog, sprawling across.
His mind was in turmoil.
He stared blankly at the ceiling, recalling Du Haifu's words earlier.
He knew very well that with his current Spirit Rice yield, he'd definitely be among the bottom ranks.
The Spirit Feather Sect's Battle Camp had a high mortality rate, and everyone dreaded it.
The term "pioneering" naturally meant the Sect sent cultivators to cultivate wild territories in the Cultivation Realm with no human habitation.
These places were often previously occupied by Demon Beasts, or blocked by natural barriers, and always filled with danger.
Not to mention some indescribable eerie threats making regular cultivation a distant dream.
Bluntly speaking.
The Sect needed a lot of Low-Tier Cultivators as cannon fodder to scout the way.
Even though being a Spirit Farmer was tiring, it had the advantage of being stable.
This world was full of people struggling for survival.
The job everyone despised now turned into his lifeline in this sea of hardships.
'What to do? I don't want to be cannon fodder in the Battle Camp!'
'I am truly unwilling!'
Lost in thought, and perhaps too exhausted from the day's toil,
Qin Ming drifted off into a deep slumber...
Suddenly!
A brilliant and resplendent light flashed across the depths of his soul.
Qin Ming had a very long dream.
In the dream, there were all sorts of exotic plants, seemingly influenced by something, they started to grow at an incredible speed, covering the sky...
"Boom!"
Then it seemed something exploded inside his mind.
...
The next day.
Qin Ming woke up holding his throbbing head, feeling groggy.
He got out of bed, drew a basin of water, and went outside to the flowerbed to wash up.
There were a few dozen Spirit Rice plants in the flowerbed, used for studying plant habits and occasionally practicing the Spirit Rain Technique.
But the moment Qin Ming lifted his head to look at the flowerbed, he was completely stunned!
He saw above three of the Spirit Rice plants in the flowerbed, each had a string of prompts:
[Name]: Golden Spirit Rice [Entry]: Ripening (Maturity 100%, can be harvested)
[Name]: Golden Spirit Rice [Entry]: Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique five times (Maturity 100%, can be harvested)
[Name]: Golden Spirit Rice [Entry]: Weak Dharma Power (Maturity 100%, can be harvested)
Qin Ming rubbed his eyes in disbelief, murmuring:
"Did I get up too hastily?"
"Did I sleep in a weird position last night?"