By the end of October, the autumn chill had deepened.
A refreshing autumn breeze swept through the air.
The forest floor was covered with a layer of dried leaves, which swirled and scattered with the wind, obscuring the winding path that spiraled up the mountainside.
However, the same wind also concealed several unusual marks along the path...
The third season's spirit rice had already formed ears on the stalks.
In another month, it would be ready for harvest.
Gradually, the recent turmoil faded from everyone's minds.
On the hillside, hundreds of acres of golden spirit fields were bustling with the activity of spirit farmers.
The final season's spirit rice harvest was of utmost importance to these farmers.
With the harvest imminent, none of the spirit farmers dared to relax, spending almost every day in the fields, never straying far.
In Qin Ming's third-season Golden Spirit Rice field, only one "Weak Spiritual Power" entry had appeared.
His hope of quickly accelerating the growth of the Beast Tooth Rice had been dashed.
He gazed longingly at the four entries in his Beast Tooth Rice field.
**[Name]**: Beast Tooth Rice **[Entry]**: Advanced Spirit Rain Technique x5 (Maturity 28%)
**[Name]**: Beast Tooth Rice **[Entry]**: Quality Enhancement x1 (Maturity 26%)
**[Name]**: Beast Tooth Rice **[Entry]**: Accelerated Growth x5 (Maturity 33%)
News of his successful cultivation of Beast Tooth Rice had spread, and some people in the market had already begun paying attention to his field.
He had no choice but to wait patiently.
Currently, he had three "Weak Spiritual Power" entries stored in his spiritual sea.
Qin Ming was in the middle of casting the Spirit Rain Technique when he heard footsteps approaching from behind.
Instantly alert, he stopped the technique and turned around.
A young man in a white robe, carrying a small bamboo basket, came into view.
'It's Alchemist Su.'
'What is he doing here?'
As Qin Ming wondered, Alchemist Su walked straight toward him and got straight to the point.
"Fellow Cultivator Qin, I heard you successfully cultivated Beast Tooth Rice?"
Qin Ming quickly bowed respectfully and replied modestly, "It was just a stroke of luck."
"No need to be so formal. I came here for the byproduct of Beast Tooth Rice—Crimson Spirit Dew."
Qin Ming was surprised, as this was the first time he had heard of it.
Alchemist Su explained, "Crimson Spirit Dew is a relatively obscure auxiliary material used in alchemy to balance medicinal properties. Not many people know about it."
With that, Alchemist Su began carefully inspecting the Beast Tooth Rice field.
He walked around the field, deep in thought.
After a while, he turned to Qin Ming and said with admiration, "Fellow Cultivator Qin, to be honest, the quality of your Beast Tooth Rice is beyond my expectations. It seems you have a unique cultivation method."
Qin Ming thought to himself: I don't have a special method, but I do have a secret I can't share.
Alchemist Su gently parted the leaves at the top of a Beast Tooth Rice stalk and motioned for Qin Ming to take a look.
When Qin Ming leaned in, he saw a drop of crimson, blood-like dew nestled at the base of the leaf.
"So this is Crimson Spirit Dew," Qin Ming said, finally understanding.
If Alchemist Su hadn't mentioned it, he would never have known. The spirit planting manuals hadn't mentioned it at all.
"Collecting this dew won't harm the plant."
"It happens to be useful for my alchemy."
"Fellow Cultivator Qin, would you allow me to gather some?"
"I can offer ten spirit stones in exchange."
Alchemist Su asked calmly.
"Alchemist Su, you're too kind. If the dew is useful to you, please take as much as you need," Qin Ming replied.
He couldn't possibly accept payment from such a promising alchemist. Building a relationship with him was something Qin Ming greatly desired.
Moreover, he had previously received a free Qi Restoration Pill from Alchemist Su. This was a perfect opportunity to return the favor.
"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony," Alchemist Su said, taking out a jade vial to collect the Crimson Spirit Dew.
Rustle, rustle!
Swish, swish!
The trees in the surrounding forest began to shake violently!
It seemed as though some beast was leaping through the trees, heading straight for the hundreds of acres of spirit fields!
Hearing the commotion, Alchemist Su immediately stopped what he was doing.
"What's going on?"
Qin Ming's expression changed, and he instinctively pulled out a Golden Light Protection Talisman. A sense of foreboding washed over him.
The spirit farmers on the hillside also noticed the disturbance and stopped their work.
Suddenly!
Before anyone could react—
"Screech—screech—screech—"
Piercing cries echoed across the spirit fields.
Dozens of monkeys with sickly, grotesque fur burst out of the forest!
Several of these beasts exuded a particularly strong aura.
They were clearly mid-tier first-grade demonic beasts!
"Not good! They're Howling Monkeys!" Alchemist Su seemed to recognize the creatures.
He slapped his storage bag, and a set of array flags appeared in his hand. He quickly cast a spell and threw them to the ground.
A faint blue light barrier, about two zhang in radius, instantly formed around him.
Alchemist Su shouted to Qin Ming in a rapid voice, "The Golden Light Talisman won't work! Get in here, quick!"
Without hesitation, Qin Ming stepped into the barrier.
Instantly, the noise from outside was cut off.
Qin Ming looked out toward the nearby fields.
Wherever his gaze fell, the Howling Monkeys' cries continued, and arcs of sound waves spread out from their mouths.
Any low-level spirit farmer hit by the sound waves immediately turned red-eyed, their faces twisted with madness.
They began attacking each other in a frenzy!
Chaos erupted in the fields, and much of the unripe spirit rice was trampled and ruined.
A mid-stage Qi Refinement spirit farmer tried to summon a flying sword to escape, but the sound waves disrupted his spell, causing him to fall from the air.
Whoosh!
A Howling Monkey, larger than the others, leaped from the field!
Its movements were lightning-fast!
In an instant, it grabbed the spirit farmer, bared its crimson fangs, and bit through his neck.
Blood gushed out!
The spirit farmer's face was frozen in terror as he died.
"Screech—screech—screech—"
The sharp, ear-piercing cries echoed through the mountains.
Qin Ming felt his scalp tingle as he watched the brutal scene.
His heart pounded wildly, and he immediately thought of fleeing.
If the spirit rice was ruined, it could be replanted, but if he lost his life, there would be no second chance.
But he hesitated, realizing that if he left the safety of Alchemist Su's barrier, he would surely fall victim to the sound waves, meeting the same fate as the spirit farmer.
For a moment, he was torn.
Qin Ming glanced back at Alchemist Su, who, despite looking uneasy, didn't seem overly panicked.
'Does he have confidence in his barrier?'
Qin Ming's mind raced with thoughts, his expression complex.
"Don't panic. This barrier can hold those beasts off for a while," Alchemist Su said, clearly noticing Qin Ming's unease.
"These are Howling Monkeys. Their most dangerous ability is their sound wave attack, which can bewitch the mind. It's extremely tricky to defend against."
"If we hold out a little longer, the Spirit Feather Sect's reinforcements should arrive soon."
As soon as he finished speaking, seven or eight Howling Monkeys began to gather, forming a circle around them and charging forward!
Among them was the mid-tier first-grade Howling Monkey that had just killed the spirit farmer.
Eight of them at once?
Even Alchemist Su's expression changed.
Qin Ming watched as the Howling Monkeys rampaged through the fields, heading straight for his own.
Without hesitation, he slapped his storage bag, his eyes filled with determination.
A small bronze bell appeared in his hand, spinning rapidly.
Qin Ming formed a hand seal, and the bell expanded into a large bell, hovering in the air ahead.
It was the Beast Repelling Technique!
"So you want to compete in noise? Let's see who's louder!"
(End of Chapter)