Early spring.
The spirit farmers in the shanty area all had joyful expressions on their faces, some even sporting rare new clothes, as if they were about to attend a celebration.
Fang Xi walked among the bamboo forest, with a casual wave of his right hand.
The Green Barley Sword flew out, chopping off a section of bamboo.
He knocked on the bamboo tube, listening to the solid echo inside, and nodded in satisfaction, "The spirit rice has matured."
The next moment, Fang Xi ignited a flame directly on the ground and started to roast the bamboo tube.
As time passed, a fragrance that mixed the scent of rice and bamboo slowly wafted through the air.
This was another way to consume Spirit Bamboo Rice, made into bamboo tube rice.
During this time, he had been staying in the bamboo forest to guard the hard-earned mature spirit rice, as well to prevent theft from petty thieves or pests.
For this, he even avoided going to Great Liang.
Today, at last, there was a harvest!
Snap!
After a while, the bamboo tube burst open, revealing the full load of spirit rice.
The freshly matured spirit rice grains were plump and evenly distributed, almost melting on the tongue with their distinct fragrance that was refreshing to the heart.
Paired with Fang Xi's own cured meat, it made for a decent meal.
After eating his fill, Fang Xi felt the overflow of spiritual energy in his body and started to circulate the Eternal Spring Skills cultivation technique without delay.
Not only that, after circulating the cultivation technique, he also assumed a stance and started to practice his palm techniques.
"Tsk tsk... Fang Xi, are you practicing body refining?"
Time passed unnoticed while Fang Xi, engrossed in martial arts, heard a teasing voice. He quickly looked up and saw an Iron Leaf Ship Magic Weapon gradually descending from mid-air, with a person stepping off it.
The person was a man in his thirties dressed in sky-blue attire, with a smile that made him look rather affluent.
Upon seeing him, Fang Xi immediately stopped his martial practice, stood up, and greeted with a smile, "Mr. Situ, nice to see you."
Seeing his reaction, the other man couldn't help but smile more, "I'm just practicing some mundane martial arts when there's nothing else to do, it's quite laughable, indeed... quite laughable..."
This blue-clad man was named 'Situ Ying', a member of the Situ Family, in charge of managing a portion of the spiritual fields.
For many spirit farmers on the mountain, he was like an emperor with the power of life and death.
"Hmm, this Spirit Bamboo has grown well; you've clearly put in the effort."
Situ Ying walked through the bamboo forest, observed the growth of the spirit rice, and nodded slightly.
"Not at all, the main reason is Green Bamboo Mountain's gifted land and spiritual essence, which allows the spirit rice to grow well," Fang Xi complimented while pulling out a small brocade pouch and handing it over.
Inside the pouch were the few spirit crystals he had left.
Situ Ying took it, not even needing to look inside to know the exact number, and his expression softened even more, "Good lad, very sensible... In that case, start the harvest."
This scene made Fang Xi think of his past life, the books he had read, and how the landlords dealt with their tenants at harvest time—it must've been somewhat similar.
Since both were cultivators, the harvest was quick.
Swish, swish, swish!
Sections of bamboo forest fell, turning into bamboo rice.
In the end, Situ Ying took out a specialized large measuring vessel from his storage bag at his waist to weigh the rice.
"A storage artifact?"
Fang Xi stared at the unassuming little gray bag at Situ Ying's waist and felt envious again.
He didn't have such a storage artifact...
"This year's harvest is good: two hundred and forty catties of spirit rice... half goes to the manor, which is one hundred and twenty catties!" Situ Ying fiddled with the abacus, "With the current price rise of Spirit Bamboo Rice, if you sell your personal share, I can give you four spirit stones..."
Fang Xi did some calculations and reluctantly said, "I'll keep half for myself..."
According to the land lease, he was supposed to get half of the harvest, which would be one hundred and twenty catties of spirit rice.
And if he wanted to sell the spirit rice, he could only do so to the Situ Family.
The Situ Family, who also had a rice shop in the market, could severely underprice him while buying it, so the amount of spirit crystals they offered was not generous.
And since spirit farmers often required cultivation, they generally had to keep most of their harvest for themselves anyway.
However, Situ Ying demanding Fang Xi sell his own share came off as somewhat greedy.
"Half will do... I'll leave you sixty catties."
Situ Ying collected the spirit rice into his storage bag and tossed over a small bag of spirit crystals before departing on the Iron Leaf Boat.
Fang Xi opened the bag and found only eighteen spirit crystals inside, cursing under his breath, "A bloodsucking vampire plucking a passing goose, you'd better not fall into my hands one day..."
...
After the Spirit Bamboo Rice harvest, it wouldn't be time to plant again until summer.
The planting here was also peculiar; it didn't require rice seeds, but only needed to stimulate the growth of the Spirit Bamboo roots, and then bamboo shoots would emerge.
Drawing from the spring harvest until summer planting, there was a period of inactivity for the farmers.
Fang Xi leisurely strolled back to his hut, considering whether to refurbish his home.
Just as he opened the door to his house, he saw a new face in Old Mai's place and was startled.
"You must be Mr. Fang, right? I'm a new spirit farmer here, my name is Chen Ping."
Chen Ping seemed in his twenties or thirties, also at the beginner stage of Qi Refining cultivation, and appeared quite ordinary.
He smiled ingratiatingly and handed over a low-grade 'Dust Removing Seal', "It's just a small gift, please don't see it as disrespectful."
"Thank you, let's get together more often."
Fang Xi smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries, then returned to his room and stroked his chin, "Previously, spirit farmers' gifts would be limited to sweets or spirit rice... This new fellow seems rather well-off... Could it be he's a Talisman Master?"
But immediately, he became quite sentimental.
Old Mai had been a Spirit Farmer for decades, but the moment he died, few remembered him, and even his house and fields were quickly transferred to new ownership.
This is the reality of the Cultivation World!
The lowest level of Immortal Cultivators is like ants and leeks... easily cut, because they always grow back.
"Yesterday it was Old Mai, tomorrow it might well be me!"
Fang Xi smiled mockingly at himself.
Given his personality, when the time came, there would probably be even fewer who would remember him.
"So be it... It's just the right time to use this break from farming to seriously cultivate."
He practiced the Qi Refining methods of the third layer of the Eternal Spring Skills every day, but his progress was not fast.
On the contrary, the White Cloud Palm, a Martial Arts technique, tasted quite a bit of sudden and rapid progress.
...
Great Liang.
White Cloud Martial Arts School.
"Brother Fang!"
"Good day, Brother."
Fang Xi, dressed in a white training attire, walked into the martial arts school, and the disciples in the outer court revealed flattering and admiring smiles.
If at first they were only impressed by Sir Fang's wealth, now they admired him even more as a powerful figure.
The reason was none other than Fang Xi's speed of progress, which was just too fast!
Not only did he learn extremely quickly, completing the Qi Blood First Transformation at home, but he had also recently announced his breakthrough to the Second Transformation of Qi-blood!
This made countless people jealous in secret.
'But what use is jealousy?'
Fang Xi casually smiled and entered the inner court of the White Cloud Martial Arts School.
"Big Sister!"
After greeting Mu Piaomiao, he made his way to an earthen stove.
The stove was built with green bricks, with an iron pot set on top.
As Fang Xi approached, a servant immediately lit the stove and started pouring medicinal herbs into the iron pot by the bagful.
On closer inspection, among the herbs there were wriggling centipedes and spiders, chilling to the bone.
"After entering the Second Transformation of Qi-blood with my White Cloud Palm's Roasting Skills, I now have to try infusing poison into the power of my palm!"
Fang Xi looked at his palms.
After the two transformations of Qi and blood, his palm skin was as tough as cowhide, robust and powerful.
This was the foundation for cultivating Poison Skills.
After all, infusing the palm with poison is damaging to one's own body.
Even though the White Cloud Martial Arts School had a special antidote, accumulating such injury over time was terrifying.
Roar!
Flames fiercely licked the bottom of the pot, making the soup inside thicker, turning dark green, and foul-smelling...
Fang Xi's expression remained unchanged, and after waiting for the water to boil, he directly inserted his palms into it.
Slash!
The boiling poisonous liquid rippled between his palms as he silently circulated the changes in his Qi-blood, absorbing the power of the poison.
'Indeed, only a strong physique that has undergone the Second Transformation of Qi-blood, and even the Qi-blood itself, can slightly absorb the poison... If you cultivate too far ahead of time, you might just end up ruining your palms with poison!'
After half an hour of cultivation, Fang Xi retracted his now crimson hands and looked at his palms.
One could see that grayish substance suddenly emerged in his palms whenever he circulated his Qi-blood.
"Is this the poisonous palm? The Dark Cloud realm of the White Cloud Palm? No... it should just be the beginning..."
The White Cloud Palm had three levels: White Cloud, Dark Cloud, and Black Cloud!
The White Cloud is the first and second transformations where the palms are as white as jade.
The Dark Cloud is the Third Transformation stage, where the palms turn utterly black when the power is exercised, marking a minor accomplishment in Poison Skills.
Fang Xi was currently at the mid-stage between the second and third transformations.
The final Black Cloud level is when one truly cultivates the True Power, and the poisonous palm is fully accomplished!
It is said that when Mu Canglong truly exercises his power, his palms are as black as ink, and even the palm wind carries a deadly poison!
"With my abundant financial resources, I can buy all sorts of rare poisons and infuse them into my palms, hence my rapid progress..."
Fang Xi stood with his palms retracted, silently thinking about his progress in Martial Arts.
Besides, he could use his Spirit Sense to internally view and repair bodily injuries and expel toxins, which was another significant advantage!
With such numerous advantages combined, Fang Xi's progress in the White Cloud Palm was naturally stride by stride, surpassing Wu Ji, who recently, albeit still very warm in public, has given somewhat meaningful glances behind his back.
'In the entire martial arts school, in terms of martial arts skills, only Mu Piaomiao and Mu Canglong are above me, right?'
Fang Xi thought to himself.
'Wu Ji is not worth mentioning, Liu Taotao has flaws in character, in terms of sincerity and stability, perhaps Tang Xuan will surpass others in the future... I should make a slight connection.'
While he was pondering, the handsome Wu Ji arrived in the backyard, showing a friendly smile, "Brother Fang..."
"Brother Wu, is there something you need?" Fang Xi raised an eyebrow.
"Well... I've been tight on funds recently because of my Martial Arts cultivation, and I was wondering, Brother..."
As soon as Wu Ji started speaking, he was asking for money.
'There goes the friendship,' Fang Xi internally rolled his eyes.