Ten days later.
The night was cool as water, and the bright moon hung silently overhead. Within the bamboo lodge, a single stick of incense burned, its smoke curling dreamlike through the air.
Seated cross-legged on a meditation cushion, Ji An's breathing alternated between fast and slow. His spiritual veins surged with power, flowing like a small river winding and rushing forward, striking again and again at his Qi Sea Acupoint.
The bottleneck of the third layer of Qi Refining gradually loosened.
Spiritual energy roared within him, yet his heart was as calm as a still lake. Patiently, without haste, Ji An guided his power, continuing the assault on his dantian.
At last, after repeated impacts, the Qi Sea suddenly expanded. Like a dragon sucking in water, all the power within his spiritual veins surged into his ancestral aperture.
Ji An sensed another new branch sprouting upon his spiritual veins.
Keeping his mind steady, he refined the last traces of medicinal power from the Yellow Sprout Pill, then slowly withdrew from cultivation.
After two and a half months of uninterrupted spirit rice and a steady supply of pills, he finally stepped into the third layer of Qi Refining.
Only now did his face reveal a faint smile as he sighed softly:
"Not easy."
With his current "aptitude," this speed was already very fast, but the price was a rapidly thinning purse.
Ever since harvesting his spirit rice, he had activated the protective array around his bamboo lodge. Should some "gentleman" with sticky fingers come by, he wouldn't even have time to cry.
The ward was simple; a single spirit stone could sustain it for a year. Yet for him, even a single stone was a significant expense and one he couldn't skimp on.
Just days ago, he'd gone to the Bihai Market, purchased thirty Yellow Sprout Pills from Senior Brother Wei, and spent another ten spirit crystals on rice seed. After this, his pockets were back to being empty. What he had left was a mere ten spirit crystals, twenty-four pills, and a handful of Wood Element Pearls.
Fortunately, the two acres of Yellow Sprout Rice had already been sown. If he endured another two months, just as his pills were exhausted, the harvest would arrive.
Now that he had reached the third layer of Qi Refining, his spiritual power capacity had doubled. Casting fourth-layer spells would no longer be a problem.
Ji An sank his mind back into his Qi Sea Acupoint.
Old turtle starts!
Three types of elemental essence drained away in sequence, as his understanding of spell formulas deepened. When he opened his eyes again, two of his techniques had advanced to Great Accomplishment.
[Master: Ji An]
Dao Resonance: 0
Spiritual Qi: Kan 4.9, Kun 0.7, Xun 0
Spells:
Minor Rain (Great Accomplishment 1%)
Thick Earth Formula (Great Accomplishment 1%)
Withering-Bloom (Small Accomplishment 62%)
Flamefire Incantation (Proficiency 2%)
Sharp Gold Art (Proficiency 12%)
With two spells at Great Accomplishment and one at Small Accomplishment, a bountiful harvest was assured. Much of the insecurity that had plagued him due to his lack of resources eased from his heart.
Still, with his breakthrough, the effectiveness of Yellow Sprout Pills and spirit rice would diminish. If he wanted to maintain rapid progress, he would need to earn far more crystals.
Rising to his feet, Ji An pushed open the twin wooden windows. A cool breeze drifted in, carrying the full glow of the moon into the bamboo lodge.
...
The next morning.
After finishing cultivation, Ji An strolled to his fields and cast Minor Rain.
A rolling bank of white mist covered the acre of fields. Rain pattered down in silver threads, crackling against the leaves of spirit grain, splashing into the earth, and scattering droplets of mud.
Ji An felt the spiritual energy in the rain far denser than before and listened to the heavenly sound of life being nourished.
A subtle and wondrous insight welled up in his heart. Inspiration struck, and his hand seals shifted swiftly. Over the second acre, he cast Minor Rain once more.
[Minor Rain: Great Accomplishment 1% → 11%]
"Hahahaha!"
Ji An laughed wildly, startling several sparrows from the trees.
Even without the stone tortoise, this Daoist can still comprehend by epiphany!
After a while, the turbulence in Ji An's heart gradually subsided, his emotions settling into calm.
He pulled a piece of gray cloth from his robe, unfolded it, and placed the talisman bird in his palm. Channeling spiritual power into it, he waited until the paper goose stopped expanding before straddling it.
Rubbing the dimming glow of the talisman bird, he whispered:
"Old friend, carry me one more time."
The talisman bird flapped its wings and wobbled into the air, tracing a crooked path across the sky.
A faint mist gathered over the spirit fields but quickly dispersed under the morning sun.
Administrative Hall
Ji An swept his gaze around the hall, then walked straight toward a familiar face. Bowing with cupped hands, he greeted:
"Senior Brother Li, I am Ji An. I've come today to exchange for spell manuals."
The man was indeed familiar; this was the senior brother on duty that day at the Hall of Enlightenment, where Ji An had been impressed by the lingering fragrance of the spirit tea.
Li Changfeng lifted his eyes and said faintly:
"Greetings, Junior Brother. Please hand me your jade token. Which spells do you wish to exchange for?"
He had no recollection of Ji An and was unsurprised that the other recognized him. As a disciple of the Administrative Hall, most Qi Refining disciples in the sect would know his face.
Ji An calmly produced his jade token, still warm from his chest, and said evenly:
"I wish to exchange for the fourth-layer formulas of Minor Rain and the Thick Earth Formula."
Li Changfeng accepted the token, studying Ji An with a half-smile:
"The sect values production talent highly. For such spells, disciples may enjoy preferential treatment.
But Junior Brother should know the rules when exchanging for fourth-layer or higher production spells; you must demonstrate them on the spot."
He grew curious about this youth. Ji An looked young, his clothing plain, not the standard robes of the various peaks and halls. Clearly, he was a spirit farmer.
Yet spirit farmers were required to come to the Administrative Hall each quarter to pay rent and tax on their fields, but he had no impression of this youth. Interesting.
"Naturally, I am aware. Please, Senior Brother, verify for yourself."
"Good. Follow me."
Li Changfeng took out a palm-sized bronze disk-shaped artifact and led the way.
The two walked to the courtyard behind the side hall, stopping before a wide, empty plot of white earth. With a flick, Li tossed the artifact into the center of the ground. After a few breaths, he formed a seal, reached forward, and the disk flew neatly back into his hand.
Ji An clicked his tongue in admiration. This must be the Object Control Technique, perfect for retrieving items and, more importantly, the foundation for manipulating artifacts. A must-learn spell for any cultivator.
"Senior Brother, how many contribution points are required to exchange for the Object Control Technique?"
Li Changfeng was even more surprised. This junior didn't even know the basics? Could he be a brand-new disciple from this year?
If that were true… then achieving Great Accomplishment in a production spell in the very first year was astounding. His prospects would be limitless.
His tone unconsciously softened, and he smiled:
"The sect has compiled a set of practical spells into a jade slip, one from each of the Five Elements, meant for Qi Refining disciples. Exchanging for it requires two hundred contribution points.
Compared to the prices in the market cities, this is already extremely cheap."
Two hundred contribution points are equivalent to ten spirit stones! Ordinary disciples would need years to save up that much.
Ji An frowned slightly:
"Uh… can these spells be exchanged individually?"
"I'm afraid not.
And, Junior Brother, it's far too early for you to worry about such things. Before reaching mid-stage Qi Refining, your spiritual power will be insufficient. Even if you learn the spells, they'll be of little use in combat."
Ji An curled his lips inwardly. He understood perfectly that this was the sect setting up a high barrier, forcing spirit farmers and other production-focused disciples to keep their heads down and serve as the foundation of the sect.
Li Changfeng raised the artifact in his hand with a smile:
"This is the Spirit Measuring Disk. It tests spiritual power intensity.
The casting range of Thick Earth Formula at Small Accomplishment and Great Accomplishment is the same. Only by measuring the strength of spiritual power before and after casting can it be verified."
He gave Ji An a nod.
Ji An understood. He stepped forward, calmly formed the hand seals, and released a wave of earthy-yellow light that spread across the pale ground.