Three months later.
Threads of nature's spiritual energy entered the body through the nose and mouth, circulating in the Immortal Vein in a specific manner.
With every Grand Circulation, some spiritual energy was refined into magical power and transferred into the Qi Sea Acupoint, with half of it being devoured by the Stone Turtle as usual.
When Ji An felt the Immortal Vein starting to swell, he decisively stopped cultivation.
He introspected the Immortal Vein and discovered another inch-long branch expanded, feeling a burst of self-satisfaction in his heart.
He withdrew from his meditation, a gleam flickered in his eyes.
The celestial vault was moonless, stars shining brightly.
"Ah, life without pills and spirit grains is hard to endure."
Ji An stood up from the pudun, speaking of hard times, yet in his heart, he did not feel much distress.
Two months ago, the spirit grains harvested last time were completely consumed.
A month and a half ago, the Yellow Bud Pills were all gone as well.
It's easy to shift from frugality to extravagance, but hard to go from extravagance to frugality.
Initially, he did worry for a few days, wondering if he should go out and sell "financial insurance" again, but eventually, he held back.
Credit diminishes with every use; people only see the efforts but not the gains, which is disadvantageous for the next round of financing.
In the future, he'll need to consciously save some spirit stones, even if it's just to make a show of repaying debts a year later, he can't do nothing at all.
These days, his mindset has adjusted; unable to be completely indifferent to external gains or losses, but achieving a calm mentality is not a problem.
Storing the pudun inside, while his body was filled with magical power, Ji An cast the Thick Earth Technique, enveloping the small courtyard in a hazy earth-yellow spirit light.
Before the spirit light dispersed, he conveniently changed the spell in his hand, raising a cloud just enough to cover the courtyard.
Spirit rain poured down, and the green vegetables and cucumbers on the wooden frame swayed in the spirit rain.
Since those two planting techniques upgraded to the Fourth Layer, he performed spells every day without fail to transform the small courtyard.
Like Old Huang, he also developed the small courtyard into a vegetable garden, leaving only a small path and a square meter of space for sitting in meditation.
Though these were just mortal vegetables, under the constant nourishment of spiritual power, they grew well and contained some spiritual power, far more nutritious than the wild vegetables he dug up.
Nodding with a sense of accomplishment, Ji An returned to the bamboo building to practice another spell—Sharp Gold Technique.
Magical power circulated and gathered within the Immortal Vein, eventually bursting from his fingers into pieces of gold light.
The Sharp Gold Technique condenses Gold Element Spiritual Qi into threads, a single thread barely harms anything; if hit on the human body, if one's skin is thick and spiritual sense not sharp, it might not even be detected.
Even when multiple threads of gold exploded, due to their dispersion, it felt barely like a light prick of a needle.
The spell's power is small, but it is unparalleled against aphids much smaller than sesame seeds, without harming the spirit grains.
Ji An split his divine sense, trying to control the direction of the gold light, for instance, distributing more on the sides and less in the middle, or gathering all the gold light into a bunch.
Many times it was in vain, but occasionally succeeding once, he felt as joyful as a child.
Until his body's magical power was completely exhausted, he ended the practice with a sense of loss.
Through constant spell practice during this period, he gradually tasted the mysteries within the five planting techniques.
The Sharp Gold Technique trains the precision of controlling divine sense, the Life and Death Technique focuses on stable and continuous magical power output, Flame Fire Spell emphasizes the explosive activation of Fire Element Spiritual Energy, Thick Earth Technique attends to inclusion and precipitation, while the Small Cloud Rain Technique contains a divine rhyme of water nurturing all things.
Although these are merely the most basic planting techniques, dedicated study can reveal the Five Elements True Intent hidden within.
Furthermore, the five techniques seemingly unrelated, actually have complementary effects.
After practicing the Sharp Gold Technique, he achieved more precise control over magical power, thereby accurately casting spells to save magical power.
Just as casting the Small Cloud Rain Technique and Thick Earth Technique perfectly covered the courtyard.
He calmed his mind and engaged the Stone Turtle.
[Master: Ji An]
[Dao Rhyme: 0]
[Spiritual Mechanism: Kan Spirit 0.4, Kun Spirit 0.2, Xun Spirit 7.3]
[Spells: Small Cloud Rain Technique (Great Success 39%)
Thick Earth Technique (Great Success 25%)
Life and Death Technique (Great Success 3%)
Flame Fire Spell (Mastery 8%)
Sharp Gold Technique (Mastery 48%)]
As spell levels reach Great Success, the effect of the Spiritual Mechanism diminishes, requiring more refinement of the Spiritual Mechanism to comprehend the spell's true intent.
Nevertheless, estimating at his current speed, in the sect's assessment three years later, he should be able to advance the Small Cloud Rain Technique and Thick Earth Technique to the Perfection Level.
Because the genes of the Yellow Sprout Rice limit it there, Great Success level spells are sufficient, he's not in a hurry.
In the sect, few ever advance any basic planting technique to the Perfection level.
Firstly, understanding Divine Intent is difficult, secondly, one would learn more exquisite planting techniques at the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Ji An patted the cloth bag full of spirit grains, feeling much at ease.
Yesterday, he harvested two acres of spirit grains, weighed them after shelling, yielding 588 pounds of Yellow Sprout Rice, Old Huang who 'helped' stood with eyes wide open.
At the time, Old Huang said sourly that it took him seven to eight years to reach the theoretical yield of Yellow Sprout Rice, the resentful gaze still made Ji An laugh and proud from the inside whenever he recalled it!
Is it difficult being a Spirit Farmer? No, it's just that you're too inexperienced!
...
Early the next morning, Ji An finished his cultivation, stretched his long legs, and sped toward the Jade Water Marketplace.
A few days ago, Zhang Yuanshan asked Chu River to contact the disciples from the same period at the Cyan Pine Daoist School.
Sending invitations, it was decided to host a banquet at noon today in the Celestial Character No. 4 Room at the Hundred Flavors Pavilion.
The dishes at the Hundred Flavors Pavilion are all prepared by spirit chefs, not to mention that a hearty meal would surely provide enough magical power equivalent to several days of bitter cultivation.
Immortal cultivators have spiritual qi nourishing their internal organs and improving their physical condition, now Ji An is already at the third-layer Qi Refining, his speed doubly faster compared to his first hike to the marketplace.
Upon arrival, he didn't feel as fatigued as he did last time.
After washing his face by the lake and slightly resting, waiting for his breathing to return to normal, he strode over to the Hundred Flavors Pavilion—that tavern which he once passed by with Wei Songnian without entering.
In the private room, Ji An found Zhang Yuanshan, Chu River, and Zhao Mengyao were all present.
"Senior brothers and sister, good morning."
The three creditors gathered together at a table, their gazes at him somewhat amused.
As the initiator of the gathering, Zhang Yuanshan stood up and said:
"Junior brother successfully progressing to the third-layer Qi Refining, congratulations, please sit down."
"Thank you, senior brother," Ji An sat down nonchalantly.
"Hmm," Chu River coughed and said solemnly:
"Junior brother, before coming to the sect, you borrowed three spirit stones from each of us, and after entering the sect, borrowed once more.
We discovered your debts are quite high."
Zhang Yuanshan tapped the table with his fingers, smiling:
"It's not that we don't trust you, just that as you took on the role of Spirit Farmer, you can only grow spirit grains, earning crystal stones isn't easy.
I heard only three planting techniques could increase yield, and they need to reach Minor Success Level at least.
With debt of over ten spirit stones, how long will it take you to repay?"