Returning home, Qin Ming set up the soundproofing array. From now on, no matter how much noise his neighbor made, it wouldn't affect him.
"Ah, finally, peace and quiet."
For the next few days, Qin Ming focused entirely on his five acres of spirit fields. His future depended on them.
Ten days later, the spirit rice in the fields had begun to grow, lush and green. Qin Ming rushed to inspect the fields, eager to see what traits had appeared.
At a glance, he spotted four traits shimmering among the green rice plants:
**[Name]**: Golden Spirit Rice
**[Trait]**: Faint Spiritual Power (Maturity: 10%)
**[Name]**: Golden Spirit Rice
**[Trait]**: Faint Spiritual Power (Maturity: 15%)
**[Name]**: Golden Spirit Rice
**[Trait]**: Beast Repelling Technique x5 (Maturity: 12%)
**[Name]**: Golden Spirit Rice
**[Trait]**: Mother Seed - Beast Tooth Rice (Maturity: 10%)
"New traits have appeared!" Qin Ming was delighted. Besides "Faint Spiritual Power," there were two new traits.
"Too bad there's no 'Accelerated Growth' trait," he lamented.
The "Beast Repelling Technique" was familiar to him. It was another spirit-planting spell, often used with a special bell-type magical tool to drive away beasts and protect the crops.
However, this spell was even harder to master than the Spirit Rain Technique, and few people could use it effectively. The number after the trait likely indicated it could be used five times.
Qin Ming then turned his attention to the last trait.
"Hmm, Beast Tooth Rice... I feel like I've heard of this before..."
He frowned, trying to recall where he had seen it. Suddenly, it hit him.
He reached into his storage pouch and pulled out a booklet. This was a guide on spirit plants issued by the Spirit Feather Sect to spirit farmers like him.
Qin Ming quickly flipped to the last few pages.
**Beast Tooth Rice**: A low-grade, first-tier spirit plant. The rice is white as snow and shaped like beast teeth. Consuming it can slightly enhance physical strength, strengthen bones, and harmonize internal organs. It contains five times the spiritual energy of Golden Spirit Rice!
Golden Spirit Rice was an ordinary spirit rice, ungraded, while Beast Tooth Rice was a low-grade spirit plant, relatively rare and highly sought after by body-refining cultivators. Whenever it appeared in the market, it was quickly sold out.
However, cultivating Beast Tooth Rice was challenging. It required the use of the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique to draw energy from the spirit vein for long-term irrigation. Its growth cycle was also lengthy, with the lowest-quality Beast Tooth Rice taking two years to mature, and its yield was low.
Its price was ten times that of Golden Spirit Rice, and even its seeds were exceptionally expensive.
The Spirit Feather Sect's guide also included a note: **Any spirit farmer who successfully cultivates Beast Tooth Rice will have their spirit rice tax halved.**
Successfully cultivating a low-grade spirit plant like Beast Tooth Rice would qualify Qin Ming as a first-tier spirit planter, elevating his status far above that of an ordinary low-level spirit farmer.
"It's Beast Tooth Rice seeds! This is a windfall!" Qin Ming was overjoyed.
Now, he had to take even better care of his five acres of spirit fields.
In just over three months, it would be time to pay the spirit rice tax again, and that would be the real test.
His life depended on it.
During this time, Qin Ming was on edge, ensuring nothing went wrong in his fields.
He carefully cleared the weeds and used his last remaining use of the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique.
...
Days passed.
Qin Ming worked diligently from dawn to dusk, tending to his fields and eagerly awaiting the rice's maturity.
When he wasn't managing the fields, he practiced the "Eternal Spring Technique" and the Spirit Rain Technique.
After experiencing the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique five times, his progress in the spell had improved significantly. Through repeated practice and experimentation, he finally grasped the technique.
A month later, Qin Ming looked up at the spiritual cloud covering his five acres of fields and smiled. "The Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique—success!"
Now, even without relying on traits, he could perform the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique on his own.
However, his second-level Qi Refinement cultivation was a limiting factor.
Despite this, Qin Ming pushed himself to the limit to increase his yield. Every time he used the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique, he drained every last bit of his spiritual energy. To ensure he could cast the spell two to three times a week, he often returned home exhausted, leaning against the wall for support.
"Wow, Qin, I didn't expect this from you!"
"Honestly, have you been secretly visiting Li Yanli next door?"
"Young people need to learn moderation!"
"Even if you have an iron waist and steel kidneys, you can't keep this up every day."
The neighbors began to speculate that Qin Ming had been indulging in wild spending.
'Sigh, my cultivation level is still too low. Using the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique always leaves me drained.'
Qin Ming sighed inwardly. He responded to the rumors with an awkward smile, offering no explanation.
Focusing on farming was his priority.
Watching the spirit rice grow day by day, Qin Ming smiled with satisfaction.
"All this hard work hasn't been in vain."
Two months later, the spirit rice matured.
**[Name]**: Golden Spirit Rice
**[Trait]**: Faint Spiritual Power (Maturity: 100%, Harvestable)
**[Name]**: Golden Spirit Rice
**[Trait]**: Faint Spiritual Power (Maturity: 100%, Harvestable)
**[Name]**: Golden Spirit Rice
**[Trait]**: Beast Repelling Technique x5 (Maturity: 100%, Harvestable)
**[Name]**: Golden Spirit Rice
**[Trait]**: Mother Seed - Beast Tooth Rice (Maturity: 100%, Harvestable)
Qin Ming harvested these four plants, and four white leaves instantly appeared in his sea of consciousness.
Soon after, the spirit farmers began harvesting their rice under the supervision of Overseer Du Haifu.
When it was Qin Ming's turn, Du Haifu looked at the fields and couldn't hide his surprise.
The golden rice ears were plump and heavy, bending the stalks under their weight.
"You've mastered the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique?" Du Haifu turned to Qin Ming, showing a rare hint of approval.
"I was lucky to master it recently."
"Good job. Go ahead and harvest the rice."
Qin Ming worked efficiently, harvesting the rice throughout the day. By the end, he had filled eight large bags with spirit rice.
Du Haifu began inspecting and weighing the rice.
"Eight stones and twenty pounds of spirit rice..."
"The tax is seventy percent, totaling five hundred and seventy-four pounds."
As soon as he finished speaking, a large flying boat descended from the sky, landing gracefully on the hillside.
At the bow stood an elderly man in a blue robe, his expression stern. Behind him stood seven or eight Spirit Feather Sect outer disciples, all standing respectfully.
Du Haifu immediately bowed. "Greetings, Elder Gu. As per your instructions, this season's spirit rice tax has been collected. Please review."
He carefully presented a jade slip.
Qin Ming also lowered his head in respect.
In front of Elder Gu, Du Haifu was all deference, a far cry from his usual authoritative demeanor with the spirit farmers.
Although Elder Gu was only an outer sect elder, he was Du Haifu's superior, and Du Haifu dared not overstep.
After reviewing the jade slip, Elder Gu ordered his disciples to gather all the spirit farmers.
Over three hundred people assembled.
Old Jiu squeezed through the crowd to stand beside Qin Ming, giving him a meaningful look. "Qin, how did your harvest go?"
Qin Ming chuckled lightly. "Not bad. But you, Old Jiu, you've been keeping your success to yourself, huh? Quietly making a fortune?"
"Hehe, it all went to the taxes anyway," Old Jiu replied evasively.
Elder Gu surveyed the crowd and announced emotionlessly, "This year's three seasons of spirit rice taxes have been fully collected."
"By the sect's orders, I hereby declare that the ten spirit farmers with the lowest annual yield will be forcibly assigned to the front lines to replenish manpower. Disobedience will not be tolerated."
His voice, firm and unyielding, echoed like thunder in the hearts of the spirit farmers, leaving them unsettled.
"What? The front lines?"
"No way..."
"I can't be at the bottom, right?"
"Why wasn't this announced earlier?"
...
Panic spread among the spirit farmers.
"Silence!" Elder Gu's cold voice, accompanied by the pressure of a peak Qi Refinement cultivator, instantly quieted the crowd.
"The yield rankings for all three seasons are here. You may review them yourselves."
Elder Gu gestured, and a disciple activated the jade slip, projecting a large screen of text above the crowd.
The rankings, from highest to lowest, were displayed clearly, along with each season's yield.
Qin Ming scanned the list and quickly found his name: 156th.
He let out a long breath of relief.
Mid-tier ranking.
His worries were finally put to rest.
"How is this possible? Eight stones and twenty pounds?"
Old Jiu exclaimed in shock.
A dramatic scene unfolded.
On the ranking list: 157th, Cai Jiuwu...
Old Jiu's name was right below Qin Ming's.
In the previous two seasons, Old Jiu's yield had been higher than Qin Ming's.
But Qin Ming's yield this season was absurdly high, far surpassing Old Jiu's.
If only the third season's yield was considered, Qin Ming would have ranked in the top fifty.
The top spots were dominated by experienced mid-level Qi Refinement spirit farmers.
"I trust you've all seen the rankings?" Elder Gu's voice was cold.
"The last ten names, come aboard the boat."
"Tian Youcai, Zhao Shan, Lin Chengdong..."
The ten named spirit farmers turned pale, their hearts sinking.
They were destined for the harsh life of reclaiming land on the front lines.
But they dared not disobey Elder Gu's orders.
The disciples led them onto the flying boat.
"I hope you all continue to work hard in the coming year, contributing to the sect. Next year, the bottom thirty spirit farmers will be sent to the front lines."
Elder Gu's voice, firm and unyielding, lingered in everyone's ears.
Qin Ming pondered silently.
This time, the Spirit Feather Sect hadn't given any prior notice.
Most spirit farmers had no idea about the front-line assignments.
If Du Haifu hadn't tipped him off, he would have been in the dark too.
After this incident, Qin Ming knew that next year would bring fierce competition among the spirit farmers.
After all, no one wanted to be cannon fodder on the front lines.
...
Qin Ming looked at the four trait leaves in his sea of consciousness, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
In the past, mastering the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique in such a short time would have been unthinkable.
But now, he had done it in less than half a year.
His experience in cultivating spirit rice had also improved significantly. After paying the taxes, he still had over two hundred and fifty pounds of Golden Spirit Rice left.
He couldn't possibly eat all that rice himself. Selling it would give him a small stash of spirit stones.
With spirit stones, he would have a bit more security in this harsh environment.
"But if things continue at this pace, my cultivation level won't be able to keep up."
"Constantly draining my spiritual energy like this will eventually damage my meridians, and that damage would be irreversible."
Moreover, now that he had Beast Tooth Rice seeds, he needed to start cultivating them.
Maintaining the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique for long periods required at least a third-level Qi Refinement cultivation.
"I wonder if the two 'Faint Spiritual Power' traits can help me break through to the third level of Qi Refinement."
"No, I need to work even harder. I must get that 'Accelerated Growth' trait!"
(End of Chapter)