Innate Immortal Seed

"The Peng Family has only just begun to prosper with my generation, so our numbers are small. Most of my clansmen have taken up Artifact Refining; we only have three Spirit Plant Masters. I’ll have them report to your people tomorrow, Junior Brother Bai."

Peng Chong stroked the glittering golden Spirit Bracelet on his wrist, a brilliant smile on his face.

It took him a year to refine this Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact.

He had used the twin eyes of a Jade-Eyed Golden-Eyed Ape as the core, adding twelve Tier Two Treasure Beads and refining it with both civil and martial flames for one hundred and eighty days each.

This marked the first Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact of Peng Chong’s Artifact Refining career.

"I appreciate the kind offer, Senior Brother Peng. Does your Spirit Bracelet have a name? I imagine you’ll be able to challenge the rank of Tier Three Refiner in just a few more years."

Bai Zichen sensed the powerful Spiritual Power contained within the golden Spirit Bracelet, and it gave him a faint sense of danger.

He understood that the golden Spirit Bracelet could be considered an exceptional piece even among Top-Grade Spiritual Artifacts.

"Haha, Tier Three is too far off. I’ll be satisfied if I can become a Tier Two Peak Refiner within thirty years. This treasure bracelet has three effects: immobilization, knocking away Magical Treasures, and disrupting Divine Sense. It’s just a hair’s breadth away from reaching the category of a Tier Three Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact."

"As for the name, its main Divine Techniques all come from the eyes of the Jade-Eyed Golden-Eyed Ape, so let’s just call it the Golden Eye Treasure Bracelet."

Peng Chong boasted about his masterpiece, his excitement palpable.

"Moreover, through this Artifact Refining session, I found a glimmer of hope for Breaking Realm. I feel like the bottleneck to Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment is finally loosening."

"Congratulations, Senior Brother. May your Great Dao be everlasting."

Bai Zichen’s expression grew solemn as he cupped his fists in salute.

’Compared to successfully refining the Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact, this is probably the true reason for Peng Chong’s elation.’

For Bai Zichen, as long as he continued Refining Spiritual Energy to accumulate Magical Power, Breaking a Realm was as easy as drinking water. Every breakthrough was a natural process, with no true bottlenecks.

But one only had to look at how many Elders in the Sect remained at the peak of the early stage of Foundation Establishment, some for nearly a hundred years, to understand how difficult Breaking a Realm was for others.

"It’s not too late to congratulate me after I actually break through..."

Peng Chong’s smile froze when he saw Bai Zichen’s impossibly young face.

He suddenly felt it would be more rewarding to share his joy with someone else.

"This Elder council has already held four sessions in a row, lasting nearly a month... Aside from splitting the Spirit Plant Hall in two and allowing Elders to contract Spirit Fields, I doubt the other two proposals will pass."

Peng Chong pulled down his rolled-up sleeve, covering the Golden Eye Treasure Bracelet.

Aside from strong opposition from the Elder in charge of the Spirit Plant Hall, almost no one objected to splitting it in two.

The matter didn’t really affect anyone else’s interests, and it would even create a host of new positions.

The main point of contention was the appointment of the managing Elder and the allocation of Steward-level positions for the newly established Spiritual Agriculture Hall.

As for allowing Elders to contract Spirit Fields, not many people opposed it either, since it had been made clear that this was a temporary policy that would be automatically abolished in thirty years.

Once it passed, any interested Elder could apply.

To oppose it openly would directly harm the interests of the six Elders who had relocated to Feiyue Lake.

Clearly, few people were willing to do something that harmed others while bringing no benefit to themselves.

But establishing the Market and Feiyue Lake as independent halls involved far too many complications and would even weaken the authority of the Five Halls.

Judging from the four council sessions so far, the chances of those proposals passing were virtually zero.

"I don’t have that much time to waste here. If there’s still no result next time, I’m heading back to Feiyue Lake."

Bai Zichen had only returned to the Sect’s main mountain for the matter of contracting the Spirit Fields.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have wasted his precious Cultivation time on these boring council sessions.

"I’ve already spread the word for you: anyone willing to work for half a year can receive personal guidance from the Sect’s new generational prodigy, Junior Brother Bai. Countless Qi Refining Disciples are now regretting not having studied Spirit Plant Techniques."

Bai Zichen offered compensation matching what the Sect paid Spirit Plant Masters of the same rank. He also added his own incentives: work for six months, and he would help resolve one cultivation-related problem; work for a full year, and he would offer a session of Swordsmanship guidance.

He refused to believe that with his reputation, he couldn’t snatch up more workers than the other Elders.

「Three days later.」

The fifth Elder council finally held a vote on contracting the vacant Spirit Fields at Feiyue Lake, and the proposal passed with an overwhelming majority.

The other proposals were once again shelved.

Bai Zichen immediately applied for five hundred mu of Tier Two Spirit Fields. As for the Tier One Spirit Fields, their total area was enormous and he didn’t have enough Spirit Plant Masters for them, so he set the matter aside for the time being.

In any case, if all the land around Feiyue Lake were to be developed, it would create thousands of qing of Tier One Spirit Fields—far more than anyone could possibly manage.

However, his plans to return to Feiyue Lake were interrupted. Senior Brother Dai Hui had emerged from his two-and-a-half-year seclusion.

"Senior Brother Dai, I trust you’ve had a fruitful seclusion?"

Bai Zichen could sense that Dai Hui’s Cultivation was still at the Late-Stage of Foundation Establishment, but his eyes were bright and his aura was profound. He had clearly made significant gains in seclusion.

"Sigh, my accumulation is still insufficient. I can’t compare to Senior Brother Wei."

Hearing that Wei Dao was still in seclusion and his Cave Mansion was sealed shut, Dai Hui sighed.

"In the first year of my seclusion, I realized that trying to break through to Foundation Establishment Perfection with my current reserves of Liquid Magical Power would be forcing it. Failing the breakthrough and damaging my Primordial Qi would be disastrous. So, I instead focused on understanding a few minor techniques and became a Tier Three Refiner."

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Dai."

Bai Zichen and the two accompanying Elders from the Artifact Refining Hall all rose to their feet. A breakthrough in a Great Realm of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation, while not as significant as a Cultivation Breakthrough, was still worthy of hearty celebration.

To achieve a Hundred Arts Realm that surpassed one’s own Cultivation by a full Great Realm, one needed to have been immersed in that path for a very long time and possess talent far exceeding the ordinary.

No matter the path among the Hundred Skills of Cultivation, reaching Tier Three was always a significant turning point.

Even for the most obscure skills, like brewing, dowsing, or astrology, their value increased dramatically after reaching Tier Three.

The first thing Bai Zichen thought was that his Tier Two Flying Sword was now a sure thing.

For a Tier Three Refiner to refine a Tier Two Flying Sword, especially with prior experience refining Flying Swords, the possibility of failure was basically non-existent.

Dai Hui obviously still remembered his promise from before his seclusion. He chuckled and said, "Junior Brother Bai, my first refinement as a Tier Three Refiner will be for you... In half a year, come and get your Celestial Xin Sword!"

Bai Zichen thanked him sincerely. After exchanging a few pleasantries and briefly discussing their views on the Sect’s current situation, he tactfully took his leave.

As one of the Five Halls Masters, Dai Hui definitely had a pile of matters to deal with after coming out of seclusion.

Furthermore, with Gu Xisheng’s recent bold initiatives, they needed to discuss what stance the Artifact Refining Hall should take.

As an outsider, he didn’t want to take up any more time or get in the way.

...

Hou Kehai was completely focused, inspecting every inch of the twenty-five mu of Tier Two Spirit Fields under his care.

The period just after the Spirit Rice sprouted was when it was most vulnerable to pests. A moment of carelessness, and a few Spirit Rice-eating Insects could ruin an entire mu’s harvest.

One solution was to go to the great expense of setting up an Array around the Spirit Field to ward off pests.

But the higher the tier of the Spirit Rice, the more exacting its requirements for moisture, Spiritual Qi, soil, and other factors. An isolation Array could cause subtle environmental changes, which would very likely lead to a drastic reduction in yield, or even a total crop failure.

An Array capable of isolating pests without affecting the environment in the slightest would be far too high-grade.

Using such an Array to grow Spirit Rice would not be cost-effective. No one would engage in such a money-losing venture.

"You’re courting death!"

A ladybug the size of a bottle cap, its back covered in red spots, landed on a tender Spirit Rice shoot. Before it could even take a bite of the juicy sprout, a jet of water blasted it to the ground.

Hou Kehai stepped forward and stomped on it twice, making absolutely certain the ladybug was dead before lifting his foot.

’That’s what you get for trying to ruin my opportunity for guidance... I’d better get two more bags of insect powder tomorrow. This type of Spirit Rice attracts way too many pests!’

Of course, Spirit Plant Masters had various methods for dealing with pests over a large area.

These ranged from sprinkling powder made from the carcasses of High-Tier Insect Beasts to scare away lesser Insects, to casting Magic that released special odors to repel them.

But no plan was foolproof. When managing a large area of Spirit Fields, some pests were bound to slip through.

Hou Kehai could guarantee that he had never been this diligent, not even when tending to his own Spirit Fields.

After all, Elder Bai Zichen’s reputation was immense. Having been stuck at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer for more than three years, Hou Kehai had rushed to sign up the moment he heard the news.

Under the guidance of Elder Tong, a renowned Tier Two Spirit Plant Master in the Sect, he had successfully prompted all the Dragon Tooth Rice in his twenty-five mu of Spirit Fields to sprout.

Of course, the most difficult parts—sowing the seeds and coaxing them to sprout—had been handled by the handful of Tier Two Spirit Plant Masters.

His job was to cast the Cloud Formation and Rainfall Technique and the Spring Breeze Skill daily, as well as to prevent pests.

’Hmph, he’s already in the Late-Stage of Qi Refining, and he’s still trying to steal our opportunities!’

Hou Kehai cast the Cloud Formation and Rainfall Technique once more. At this stage, Dragon Tooth Rice had an extremely high demand for water.

If it missed one watering, it might wither and die the very next day.

He saw a cultivator with a tall, straight posture in the adjacent Spirit Field, using Rain Transformation Techniques to water the Spirit Rice, and let out a cold snort.

The man’s name was Zha Chengsun. He was already at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer and had a minor reputation among their peers.

After all, as a Late-Stage Qi Refining cultivator under forty, with a little seniority, it would be very simple for him to seek a Steward position.

But the man was obsessed with Swordsmanship. He’d spent all his savings on a Flying Sword and spent his days practicing on his own without guidance.

As soon as he heard that the Sect’s First Sword Cultivator, Elder Bai, was offering a chance for Swordsmanship guidance in exchange for helping tend the Spirit Fields for a year, he dropped everything and ran straight to Feiyue Lake.

’Good thing I’m a Tier One Top-Grade Spirit Plant Master. How can the Spirit Rice you’re tending, a mere Mid-Grade Spirit Plant Master, possibly compare to mine?’

Hou Kehai had never felt his skills as a Spirit Plant Master were so useful. He had originally planned to return to his farmhouse to rest for an hour, but he decided against it.

Instead, he used the Spring Breeze Skill to evenly distribute the moisture in the soil, helping the Spirit Rice grow stronger.

’I’ll sleep an hour less tonight. I’ll outwork you to death!’

Watching the several-inch-long sprouts of Spirit Rice swaying gently, Hou Kehai felt a surge of motivation. He was determined to have the best results in his group.

"Excellent. To have achieved such a result in such a short time is all thanks to your efforts."

Seated on his Colorful Cloud Robe, Bai Zichen inspected his Spirit Fields, accompanied by Elder Tong and several other Tier Two Spirit Plant Masters.

A vast expanse of lush green stretched before them, the growth promising.

"It is our good fortune to be able to work for Elder Bai."

"Indeed. Everyone knows that Elder Bai will be the Sect’s Sea-Spanning Golden Beam in the future. It is our duty to help lighten your burdens."

Bai Zichen had somewhat underestimated his own appeal. Within a month, over fifty Spirit Plant Masters who met the requirements had signed up.

Among them were three Tier Two Spirit Plant Masters.