Qin Ming stared intently at the three prompts hovering above the spirit rice plants.
The golden text flickered faintly, and after repeatedly confirming its authenticity, he was overcome with excitement.
A cheat ability!
This was undoubtedly his own cheat ability!
Qin Ming had originally thought that, barring any miracles, his path to immortality would end right here.
But now, hope had been reignited!
Suppressing his excitement, Qin Ming ignored his morning routine and cautiously approached the three spirit rice plants.
He examined all the plants in his courtyard but found that only these three displayed any prompts.
"Can I just harvest them directly?"
Qin Ming reached out and plucked the three spirit rice plants from their roots.
As he collected the rice, a green light and two white lights flashed from the grains before transforming into three leaves that quietly appeared in his sea of consciousness.
The green leaf carried the "Accelerated Growth" trait.
The two white leaves carried the "Faint Spiritual Power" and "Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique x5" traits.
With a single thought, he could activate them at any time.
Qin Ming returned to his room, closed the door, and sat cross-legged on his bed. He focused his mind on one of the white leaves, and the "Faint Spiritual Power" trait vanished instantly.
In that moment, a surge of spiritual energy erupted in his dantian, startling him. He quickly guided the energy through the pathways of his family's "Eternal Spring Technique," converting it into Eternal Spring spiritual energy.
"It was supposed to be just a faint amount of spiritual power, but it's so abundant!"
After a while, Qin Ming felt the changes in his dantian and couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
"The spiritual energy in my dantian has grown significantly, equivalent to three months of hard cultivation!"
The bottleneck that had kept him stuck at the second level of Qi Refinement for so long was now showing signs of loosening.
If he could obtain more of these traits, reaching the third level of Qi Refinement wouldn't be far off!
What surprised him even more was that these traits could be stored in his sea of consciousness, ready for use at any time. It was incredibly convenient.
'Traits like "Faint Spiritual Power" are definitely worth collecting. They might save my life in a critical moment!'
Qin Ming made a mental note to gather more of these traits in the future.
Having tasted the benefits, Qin Ming was eager to try out the other two traits. But he quickly restrained himself.
"Don't get carried away! Stay calm! I need to stay calm!"
"I should stick to my usual routine. With my current low strength, I can't let others notice anything unusual. Steady growth is the way to go."
With that thought, Qin Ming got up and went to the kitchen to cook breakfast using the spirit rice he had harvested the previous day. He also prepared a few side dishes.
In the past, after paying his taxes, Qin Ming would sell the remaining spirit rice at the market, saving every bit to exchange for cultivation resources. He rarely indulged in eating spirit rice himself.
Spirit rice contained spiritual energy, and while it wasn't as potent as the traits, it was still a valuable resource for low-level cultivators.
After breakfast, Qin Ming grabbed his spirit hoe and headed to his spirit fields at the usual time.
He wandered around the fields but soon noticed something peculiar.
After inspecting all the nearby spirit fields and plants, he found that only one spirit rice plant in his half-acre of immature rice displayed a "Faint Spiritual Power" trait.
No other plants showed any traits.
In other words, traits only appeared on plants he had personally cultivated.
Moreover, the appearance of traits seemed to be random and rare.
In his half-acre field, there were thousands of spirit rice plants, yet only one had a trait. The odds were incredibly low.
The fact that three plants in his flowerbed had displayed traits was nothing short of a stroke of luck.
Still, Qin Ming believed that as long as he kept cultivating, he would eventually encounter more traits.
His spirit fields were located in a secluded area at the back of the mountain, shielded by a dense bamboo grove. Aside from himself, few people ever visited.
The overseer, Du Haifu, only showed up during tax collection and rarely inspected the area unless something major happened.
Since the other spirit farmers had finished harvesting their rice, no one was around.
Qin Ming stared at the single trait-bearing spirit rice plant, scrutinizing it for a long time. Yet, he couldn't figure out what made it different from the surrounding plants.
It was truly baffling...
Seeing that no one was around, Qin Ming decided to use the remaining two traits.
Du Haifu's warning the previous day had given him a strong sense of urgency.
He couldn't afford to be sent to the front lines as cannon fodder.
With his current strength, he would undoubtedly be the weakest among the weak.
"Let's try using the 'Accelerated Growth' trait on this half-acre of rice and see what happens."
Qin Ming took a deep breath and activated both the "Accelerated Growth" trait and one use of the "Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique."
The green leaf in his sea of consciousness disappeared, and the "Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique" was reduced to four remaining uses.
Qin Ming formed a hand seal and pointed toward the sky above the half-acre of rice.
A gray spiritual cloud quickly gathered, covering the entire area.
A gentle rain began to fall, enhanced by the "Accelerated Growth" effect.
"The Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique is truly on a different level compared to the beginner version."
"The range and efficiency of spiritual energy conversion are vastly improved. Most importantly, it can draw energy from the spirit vein. It's incomparable."
Qin Ming carefully observed the effects of the spell, cherishing this rare opportunity.
He immersed himself in the experience, gaining insights into the workings of the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique.
After a while, Qin Ming felt a sense of enlightenment. The key difference lay in the precise control of his spiritual energy and the efficient use of ambient spiritual energy during the spell.
The flow of energy was no longer sluggish.
Old Jiu had spent years mastering the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique, but Qin Ming was already making progress.
The rain lasted for the time it took an incense stick to burn.
Of course, Qin Ming's spiritual energy was completely drained by the end...
His cultivation level was still too low.
Pale-faced and weak-legged, Qin Ming collapsed to the ground, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
An entire incense stick's worth of time!
In the past, he wouldn't have dared to dream of such a feat, let alone with the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique.
"Hah! I can maintain it for this long now!"
"No more three-second drips!"
At this moment, Qin Ming's confidence was restored.
After resting for a while, he got up to inspect the effects of the rain.
In just half a day, the half-acre of spirit rice began to grow at a visible rate, just like the plants in his dream.
The growth continued until the plants were more than twice their original height before slowing down.
The rice was already starting to form ears.
"This speed... is incredible..."
The combination of the "Accelerated Growth" trait and the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique left Qin Ming in awe.
"And this is with the 'Accelerated Growth' effect spread across the entire half-acre."
"If I focused it all on a single plant, wouldn't it be ready for harvest immediately?"
"It seems green-tier traits are extremely rare. I'll need to use them sparingly in the future."
While marveling at his luck, Qin Ming noticed that the trait on the spirit rice plant had changed.
**[Name]**: Golden Spirit Rice
**[Trait]**: Faint Spiritual Power (Maturity: 70%)
At this rate, he estimated the rice would be ready for harvest by the next morning.
Sure enough, when Qin Ming returned to the fields the next morning, the half-acre of rice had fully matured.
Not only that, but the yield had increased by about 20%, and the quality of the rice was superior—plump, translucent grains exuding a tempting spiritual aroma.
The Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique, drawing energy directly from the spirit vein, had provided ample nourishment for the plants.
What pleased Qin Ming the most was that the "Faint Spiritual Power" trait from the rice had been converted into part of his cultivation.
Feeling satisfied, Qin Ming began to look forward to the future.
...
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Qin Ming finished tending to his original three acres of spirit fields and approached Overseer Du Haifu to rent two additional acres nearby.
After preparing the soil, he planted new rice seedlings.
He used the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique three more times, leaving only one use remaining.
Qin Ming gradually gained a deeper understanding of the technique through practice.
He believed that with continued effort, he would soon be able to perform the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique without relying on traits.
This was the difference between firsthand experience and blind practice.
When Du Haifu saw Qin Ming renting more fields, he praised him for finally showing some initiative and even offered some half-hearted encouragement.
Du Haifu was eager to rent out more land, as it meant more profit for him.
But he had no idea that Qin Ming's hard work was all about farming for traits...
After a busy half-month, Qin Ming had fully prepared all five acres of his spirit fields.
Now, he only needed to wait for the next harvest while maintaining the fields.
With some free time on his hands, Qin Ming decided to sell part of his spirit rice and purchase some cultivation items.
Two things were at the top of his list: a storage pouch and a soundproofing array.
Carrying bags of rice around was inconvenient, and the noise from his neighbor was becoming unbearable.
After changing his clothes, Qin Ming shouldered a bag of spirit rice and headed out.
"Hey, Qin! Heading to the market to sell your rice? Looks like you had a good harvest!"
"Rare to see you out and about, Qin."
As Qin Ming stepped out, several neighbors greeted him.
Walking through the maze of alleys, he reached the main road.
There, he encountered two cultivators—a man and a woman.
"Brother Long."
"Brother Qin."
Qin Ming quickly put down his bag and greeted them respectfully.
The man, Brother Long, was the only late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator in their shantytown, having reached the eighth level years ago.
The woman beside him was Qin Ming's neighbor, Li Yanli. Judging by their closeness, she had likely latched onto Brother Long.
The shantytown's security had improved over the years thanks to Brother Long's presence, deterring troublemakers.
The Spirit Feather Sect's land reclamation had attracted many low-level cultivators, but it had also drawn bandits and thieves.
Although the sect's patrols maintained order, incidents of robbery and murder still occurred.
Brother Long acknowledged Qin Ming with a nod before leaving with Li Yanli.
To them, Qin Ming was just a lowly spirit farmer, barely worth their attention.
Qin Ming didn't mind. It was natural for a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator to act aloof.
As he watched them walk away, Qin Ming sighed, realizing that another noisy night was inevitable.
He decided to prioritize purchasing the soundproofing array.
Soon, the grand archway of Qingyang Market came into view.
The market was bustling with activity, vendors shouting their wares.
Qin Ming made his way to the central area and arrived at the back door of a shop.
After knocking, someone came out to greet him and went to fetch the shopkeeper.
A middle-aged man in a white robe with gold embroidery soon appeared.
The shopkeeper, a sixth-level Qi Refinement cultivator, greeted Qin Ming warmly despite his low status.
"Here to sell spirit rice? Come in, let's talk."
In the backyard, Qin Ming set down his bag of rice and bowed slightly. "This should be around a hundred pounds."
The shopkeeper instructed his assistants to inspect and weigh the rice.
"One hundred and eight pounds of Golden Spirit Rice."
"I can offer one low-grade spirit stone for every five pounds. Does that work for you?"
"Deal."
Qin Ming agreed readily. He had sold rice here before, thanks to Old Jiu's recommendation.
While selling at the market could fetch a slightly higher price, the hassle of renting a stall and paying fees made this option more convenient.
"If you have more rice in the future, feel free to bring it here. We'll take any amount."
The shopkeeper handed Qin Ming twenty-one spirit stones and a few spirit crystal fragments.
"By the way, do you sell soundproofing arrays here?" Qin Ming asked before leaving.
"Of course." The shopkeeper smiled and produced a simple array from his storage pouch.
"A low-grade soundproofing array costs ten low-grade spirit stones."
Qin Ming hesitated, then said, "Can you lower the price if I also buy a storage pouch?"
"Sure. The array is ten stones, and the pouch is twelve. I'll knock off one stone, so twenty-one in total."
After completing the transaction, Qin Ming left the shop.
"Money comes and goes, but it never stays," he muttered to himself.
He then visited nearby shops to purchase books on spirit plants and daily necessities before heading home.
Though the expenses were significant, Qin Ming was confident he would soon earn even more spirit stones.
...
(End of Chapter)