It was close to noon.
Ji An wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and licked his dry lips as he retreated to the shade of a tree.
After half a day of work, all the spiritual power in his body was drained, but he had finally finished sowing his spirit grain.
According to Old Huang's instructions, he only needed to cast the Minor Rain Technique once more, either that night or early the next morning, and the entire sowing process would be complete.
"Heh… I'll cultivate well tonight, then cast the spell tomorrow morning once my spiritual power is full again."
Now that he was back by Bihai Lake, the flow of Kan Spiritual Qi returned to normal. Tomorrow's rainfall would be the first time he used the third layer of the Minor Rain Technique.
Before the spirit grain reached the heading stage, the stone tortoise would certainly accumulate enough Spiritual Qi for him to push his other two spells to the Minor Accomplishment stage.
After sowing came a month-long lull. He needed to plan carefully how to use this time.
Daytime couldn't be spent cultivating techniques, so it would be a waste to idle around. Even earning a single spirit crystal would be worthwhile.
He needed crystals to buy a Yellow Sprout Pill, to test how effective it was before deciding on his next cultivation path.
Because of the tortoise's habit of devouring his spiritual power, his aptitude now was at best low-grade, perhaps even the bottom tier among low-grade.
Without taking pills, he had no idea how long it would take him to break through to the second layer of Qi Refining.
He wanted to advance before the spirit grain reached the heading stage, but that would likely cost dearly. He had to think carefully about his next steps.
After all, no one ever said you could only cultivate with the crystals you earned yourself; one could borrow their way through cultivation, too.
He decided to package himself as a "spell genius," to create a persona worth investing in.
Back at his bamboo lodge, Ji An swept the courtyard clean.
Without any crystals, he hadn't even activated the protective wards around the place. But because his dwelling looked so poor and shabby, no one would bother coveting it anyway.
Inside, with nothing pressing to do, he absentmindedly picked up the little wooden carving of a spirit-seeking rat and toyed with it, turning over in his mind who he might borrow crystals from.
At last, dusk arrived. He left his bamboo lodge and walked to Old Huang's place.
He had no crystals, no gifts, so all he could bring were his two fists.
"Senior Brother Huang?"
No answer.
"Senior Brother Huang!" he called louder.
Still no reply.
Ji An exhaled softly and stood at the fence gate, gazing into the distance.
Cooking smoke curled into the sky, the scene looking peaceful and timeless. But he knew better; most Qi Refining disciples lived busy, anxious lives, counting every grain of rice before tossing it into the pot.
The sky blazed with gold and crimson, like mountains hanging in the heavens. As twilight faded, the colors dimmed into a dusky blue-gray, slowly blending into the night sky.
Stars hung low over the plain, the cold moon a silver hook.
"Cultivation is never easy," Ji An sighed from the heart. In any world, life at the bottom was always hard.
The silent moon crept above the treetops. A thin, wiry figure hurried along the path.
"Who's there?" The voice carried a hint of menace.
"Senior Brother Huang, it's me, Ji An."
"Oh, it's you, little An."
Old Huang drew closer, his tone softening. "What brings you here?"
Ji An clasped his hands in salute and smiled:
"Brother, you're one of the old hands here, so I came to ask if you know of any way for a first-layer Qi Refiner to earn some crystals."
Feeling a bit embarrassed, he added:
"I should have brought some wine or food to share with you… But alas, my sleeves are empty for now. Once my days improve, I'll treat you properly."
Without spirit crystals, he could only swallow his pride and ask.
If he met someone kindhearted, he might get an answer, and it would also give him a chance to see whether the other man was worth befriending.
"No need to be so polite. Since you call me senior brother, how could I let that title go to waste?"
Old Huang lifted the fence gate.
"Come in and we'll talk. Back in the day, I suffered through the same hardships."
Inside the bamboo lodge, he lit a candle.
Ji An glanced around. The furnishings were almost the same as his own place, except that there were a few extra jars that they held, but he couldn't tell.
"A first-layer Qi Refiner wanting to earn spirit stones? That's hard.
Not just at the first layer, any disciple in the early stages of Qi Refining has a tough time.
At this stage, spells are unrefined, and spiritual power is scarce. Even if you want to risk your life outside, no senior brother is willing to bring you along."
As he spoke, Old Huang raised three fingers:
"When I entered the sect, I was already at the second layer of Qi Refining.
I barely clawed my way to the third layer; it took me a full year.
Without crystals to support you, there's no way to advance quickly.
If you just stay stuck working the fields, you'll rarely reach mid-stage Qi Refining.
In the end, I had no choice but to go out with a few equally desperate brothers to try our luck.
Four of us set out. One and a half came back.
After that, I stayed obediently in the sect, trying every method I could think of to earn crystals."
His words trailed into rambling, filled with helpless sighs.
"Since you're only at the first layer, I can think of only two options.
First, go out into the mountains beyond the sect gates. If you're lucky, you might find some low-grade spirit herbs or grasses, but remember, don't wander too far.
Second, you can try the Bihai Lake market for day labor. But with your cultivation this low, I doubt you'll find much work."
The Bihai Lake Market was a sect-run bazaar, frequented mainly by Qi Refining disciples living around the lake.
Ji An's face tightened, but he bowed slightly.
"Thank you, senior brother, for your guidance."
Inside, he wasn't disappointed at all; he'd already guessed as much.
At the first layer of Qi Refining, doing odd jobs in the city would barely pay more than a mortal mercenary.
In truth, that wasn't even the main reason he'd come tonight.
"Senior brother, I've just finished sowing my spirit grain today. Tomorrow morning, I plan to cast rainfall for the first time.
Since I have no experience, I'd like to ask you to come and give me some pointers."
"What's there to guide? Just make sure the mist and clouds form right over your field, and that's it."
Old Huang sounded puzzled.
"Heh, I just feel a bit uneasy. It won't take much of your time.
I think I have a knack for five-element spells. I keep feeling like I'm on the verge of advancing to the next stage."
Could it be his technique was about to reach Proficiency? Judging by the timing, it was possible.
But to get that result at the first layer of Qi Refining now shows talent.
Old Huang nodded.
"Very well, I'll come take a look.
But only after I finish drawing out some Water Essence from Bihai Lake. I should be at your field around the third quarter of the Chen hour (roughly 8 a.m.)."
Ji An bowed.
"Many thanks, senior brother."
Done! The man had agreed. This would be his grand debut.
Qi Refining, first layer, yet already casting the third-layer Minor Rain Technique. Who wouldn't be impressed?
He paused, then added:
"Senior brother, what exactly is this Water Essence?"
He'd heard his father mention it before, but only in passing.
Now, playing the role of a fresh-faced rookie, Ji An had to act the part like a blank sheet of paper, ignorance written all over his face.
"Little An, when you have time, you should spend more of it in the sect's Library Pavilion. Some basic common sense you really need to know."
This kid's even dumber than I was, Old Huang thought, glancing at him before explaining:
"Water Essence is one of the five elemental essences. It's drawn out with the Essence Extraction Technique from things aligned with the five elements, basically condensed elemental energy.
It has many uses.
Artifact refiners use it to increase a magic tool's spirituality. Alchemists use it to raise the quality of their pills.
Once you reach mid-stage Qi Refining, extracting elemental essence can actually be a decent line of work."