In the observation fields, the other Fire Attendant Daoists looked at the Black Spirit Bamboo Qin Chuan had finished planting in less than half a day, their expressions varied.
“The newcomer really is easy to push around.”
“Speaking of which, the work on my hands is a little tight too. Why not have this little Qin lend me a hand as well?”
Someone rubbed his chin, a somewhat unscrupulous thought arising.
But someone else frowned when he heard this. “How is acting like this any different from bullying him? He’s only a Fire Attendant Daoist to begin with, and now that this trouble has fallen on him, he could be pushed out as a scapegoat at any time. Yet you still want to pile more odd jobs onto him? If you want to do such things, go do them yourselves. I, Hong Zhu, disdain bullying others by relying on status.”
With that, he turned and left.
Someone watched his back and sneered. “Why pretend to be so lofty? In the arena of immortal cultivation, fame, and profit, useless kindness is the least tolerated thing.”
Qin Chuan heard none of these discussions in the dark.
At this moment, in the eyes of others, he had been firmly controlled by Zhong Ziheng. Yet they did not know that half a day later, after he had finished planting all the Black Spirit Bamboo and sank his mind into the Niwan Palace, the number of Dharma Essence he saw had quietly changed:
Dharma Essence: 20 points.
In just half a day, he had gained another 10 points of Dharma Essence.
“As expected, after stepping into the first level of Qi Refining, with my cultivation advanced and my physique strengthened, even the Heavenly Essence Furnace’s process of reforging and extracting has shortened.”
Clearly, over this half day, he had already reforged all the Dharma Essence contained within Zhong Ziheng’s farming tools, gaining another 10 points. Now his total Dharma Essence had reached 20 points.
The night was silent. Qin Chuan returned to his courtyard, shut the doors and windows, and sat cross-legged on the couch, already resolved to expend all 20 points of Dharma Essence.
“Many of Agricultural Spirit Temple’s basic spells all require the corresponding cultivation before they can be used. For instance, the Five-Spirit Soil-Turning Hand can be cultivated at the first level of Qi Refining; while the Herb-Discerning Subtle-Observation Eye requires the second level of Qi Refining, transforming spiritual waves into spiritual light and gathering it in the eyes. The Thousand-Stamen Bee-Summoning Mantra requires the third level of Qi Refining, condensing spiritual light into a flow of spiritual qi. As for offensive and defensive spells such as Fireball, Giant Stone, Golden Light, and Giant Vine, they cannot be used unless one reaches the fourth level of Qi Refining, when spiritual qi transforms into spiritual power.”
Now that Qin Chuan had been forced to take on the hot potato that was the Liuxiang orange field, he knew clearly that only by speeding up his cultivation and breaking through as quickly as possible could he fight out a slim chance of survival from this dead end.
And the Thirteen Transformations of Startling Spirit was precisely his greatest reliance in transforming into a cultivation genius.
“Heavenly Essence Furnace, raise the Thirteen Transformations of Startling Spirit to the second level!”
As soon as the thought moved, a continuous series of crisp sounds rang out in his sea of consciousness, as though crystal were shattering. Twenty points of Dharma Essence surged forth with a roar, pouring entirely into that divine sense cultivation art.
The Dharma nature that had originally accumulated to only five percent, under the infusion of this vast Dharma Essence, abruptly broke through the barrier—
Boom!
Breakthrough! Second level of the Thirteen Transformations of Startling Spirit!
Rumble—
The aura around Qin Chuan surged outward like a whirlwind, shaking the hanging paintings in the room until they flew up and sending the curtains rolling.
He suddenly opened his eyes, and it seemed as though a flash of lightning passed through his pupils.
In that instant, he only felt that his divine sense had once again doubled from its original foundation!
Under the second level of the art, his divine sense was as keen and agile as tentacles. With but a slight movement of thought, eighteen flying needles flew out from the needle case in response, weaving gracefully through the room, echoing one another as easily as if they were extensions of his own arm.
Between breaths, Qin Chuan tried using his second-level divine sense to transport spiritual particles, and felt the transformation even more astonishing.
If, at the first level, using divine sense to move spiritual qi was like transporting water with a tanker, then at this moment it was like drawing water with a pump. The spiritual qi around him poured continuously into his body, allowing him to cultivate whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down.
At the same realm, the cultivation benefit brought by twice the strength of divine sense was far from as simple as one plus one.
Finally, Qin Chuan looked at what was required for the next breakthrough of the Thirteen Transformations of Startling Spirit—it had actually leaped to 100 points of Dharma Essence.
He drew in a deep breath. Though he found it staggering, he also felt it was only natural.
Early the next morning, Qin Chuan arrived at Agricultural Spirit Temple for duty.
Before long, he saw Zhong Ziheng strolling over. Seeing that all the Black Spirit Bamboo had been planted, delight appeared on his face, and he patted Qin Chuan on the shoulder. “Little Qin really is diligent and capable!”
“When you make your report, don’t forget under whose name this task should be recorded,” Qin Chuan replied calmly.
Within the system, there were attendance and performance standards. Everyone had to complete a certain amount of work each month. If one fell short, points would be deducted; if one exceeded it, one would be rewarded and granted a bonus, counted into one’s wages.
“This brat actually dares speak to me like this…”
A trace of anger flashed through Zhong Ziheng’s eyes. He was just about to flare up when he suddenly met Qin Chuan’s gaze—and felt an exceptionally powerful divine sense pressing down on him. That gaze was sharp as a blade, jolting his entire body.
He was shocked inwardly. “I’m already at the second level of Qi Refining. How could I be startled by this newcomer?”
He suspected it was an illusion, but when their eyes met again, that invisible pressure only increased instead of decreasing!
Naturally, he did not know that although Qin Chuan’s Qi Refining cultivation had not broken through again, the strength of his divine sense had long since far surpassed the second level of Qi Refining.
Zhong Ziheng’s face stiffened unnaturally as he forced out two dry laughs. “Of course, of course I remember.”
With that, he hurriedly turned and went to make his report.
Within Agricultural Spirit Temple, Deputy Temple Head Liu Shichang heard Zhong Ziheng’s report and could not help raising his brows, thinking to himself:
“Although Old Guo and I have long had an understanding, the spirit orange plan still needs to be properly dressed up on the surface… Since even a Fire Attendant Daoist is so diligent, the temple cannot make no show of response at all.”
Thus, that afternoon, the temple sent three elderly, senior Agricultural Spirit physicians to Qin Chuan’s field to conduct an “inspection.”
After the three old physicians arrived, they did not converse with Qin Chuan. They merely lowered their heads to observe and record. Before leaving, they tossed out one lukewarm instruction:
“Tend them carefully. The temple will deliberate further.”
Then they drifted away.
Qin Chuan took a deep breath. Though he clearly knew the temple was merely putting on appearances, there was nothing he could do about it.
Perhaps because Zhong Ziheng had set the precedent, in the following days, several more senior Fire Attendant Daoists actually came to “ask” Qin Chuan whether he had any free time.
Qin Chuan repeated the same method and seized the chance to obtain several more sets of farming tools.
In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. In Qin Chuan’s sea of consciousness, his Dharma Essence points had accumulated to 45.
That night, along with a thunderous vibration within his body, that spiritual wave suddenly condensed, transforming into a strand of pure spiritual light that wandered through the meridians throughout his body—
Second level of Qi Refining, breakthrough!
“Within one month, I’ve broken through both the first and second levels of Qi Refining… If I maintain this speed, perhaps I’ll only need three or four months to reach the fourth level of Qi Refining, satisfy the conditions for formal registration and conferment, and become a true Heavenly Register Daoist.”
With such swift progress in cultivation, even Qin Chuan could not help feeling waves rise in his heart.
…………
“This kid… actually broke through again?!”
The next day, when Qin Chuan stepped into the observation field, the change in his cultivation naturally could not escape Elder Huo’s eyes.
This time, Huo Yuanjue was truly shaken.
If half a month ago, Qin Chuan’s ability to step into the first level of Qi Refining in just a few short days could still be attributed to perhaps having consumed some spirit medicine or extraordinary fruit before entering the temple, then now, after less than a month had passed, he had broken through another realm. This could not possibly be luck. It could only be attributed to this boy’s outstanding talent.
“Such fine material—am I really to let him be buried here?”
Elder Huo’s thoughts churned, and he fell into hesitation.
Just then, Qin Chuan actually took the initiative to hurry over, anxiety on his face.
“Elder Huo.”
“Mm.” Huo Yuanjue revealed no ripple on his face, merely answering faintly. “What is it?”
“Please come take a look at once!” Qin Chuan’s tone was anxious, not seeming feigned.
“Oh?” Elder Huo’s brows shifted slightly. Then, as though realizing something, his expression turned solemn. “Has something happened to the Liuxiang oranges?”
“Exactly! A dozen or so fruit trees have suddenly developed yellow leaves, and the bark is faintly turning white…”
Qin Chuan’s expression was tense as he led Elder Huo quickly to a fruit tree and raised his hand to point toward the crown.
Elder Huo focused his attention and circled the tree, inspecting it carefully. When he returned to Qin Chuan’s side, his face already showed complete understanding. He looked at Qin Chuan and said in a deep voice:
“It is the most common acclimatization failure. The spirit tree’s vitality has already begun to decline from within. In this old man’s view, these dozen or so… are likely only the beginning.”
“Then… what should be done?” Qin Chuan revealed a timely hint of helplessness.
Elder Huo fell silent in thought, his knuckles tapping lightly for a long while. At last, his gaze steadied, and he slowly raised a finger, pointing it at the diseased tree before him.
Qin Chuan saw a stream of emerald spiritual power surge forth from his fingertip. It actually took shape as a small azure dragon brimming with vigorous life force, carrying an indescribably flourishing aura—
That feeling was as though he were facing the legendary immortal peach spiritual root itself, or seeing an all-perfect tonic pill that could revive the dead and regrow flesh on bare bones!
Pop—
As that abundant spiritual power poured into the tree, Qin Chuan could not help widening his eyes.
He saw the withered yellow leaves on the crown turning from yellow to green at a speed visible to the naked eye, regaining vitality. The pale white markings on the trunk also quietly receded, restoring it to its original state.
“This is…?”
Elder Huo slowly withdrew his finger, his aura deep and steady, and said:
“This technique was originally called the Aoki Vitality Art, divided into five levels. However, above those five levels, this old man further created three more, refining the spiritual power within it into ‘Yimu true qi’… Thus, I renamed it—the Yimu Azure Heaven Art.”