Thinking about the golden finger and glancing at the rice paddies, Fang Yun suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He recalled that his golden finger had awakened when he was planting spiritual rice. However, it hadn't provided him with a detailed manual; it merely displayed the number of plants he could control.
It had not explicitly stated that the plants had to be spiritual rice for his golden finger to function. Was it possible that his golden finger could also affect ordinary crops? If this idea were true, his progress in studying the golden finger would surely accelerate.
At the moment, his golden finger was limited to a display panel and the ability to sense spiritual rice. While these functions were decent, turning them into practical strength was a challenge. This was also why he sought to develop other abilities of his golden finger. Being merely at the Qi Refining stage in this world gave him no sense of security.
To develop new functions for his golden finger, the best course of action was to wait for the spiritual rice to mature, as he hadn't thought of anything else yet. However, the maturation period for spiritual rice was exceedingly long. Ordinary crops, on the other hand, would mature much more quickly.
Moreover, during this time, he could test the fertilizer methods he had learned in his previous life. Since spiritual rice was too precious, Fang Yun was hesitant to use those fertilizers rashly. But with ordinary crops, he had fewer worries. If the fertilizer experiment were successful, it would not only promote the crops' robust growth but also be excellent news for the Fang family.
Thinking of this made Fang Yun excited. He stopped in his tracks and turned back up the mountain, eager to find a suitable experimental field for growing ordinary crops.
It wouldn't be impossible to allocate part of the rice paddies at the base for his experiments, but the distance was too far from the mountain, making it inconvenient for him to travel back and forth. His focus was still on the spiritual rice in the spiritual field, and cultivating ordinary crops was just a side experiment related to his golden finger. Even if the experiment succeeded, ordinary crops would never match the importance of spiritual rice.
On the other hand, the rice paddies in front of him had already been planted, and there was no need for him to uproot a portion of the rice for his experiment. Doing so would make him feel like a bully, which was unnecessary.
On Ling Shui Island, there were plenty of uncultivated lands waiting to be developed. Not to mention other areas, but just in the northern mountains, there were vast stretches of untapped land. The terrain of Ling Shui Island sloped down from north to south, with the north featuring rolling hills and the south being a flat plain.
A major river originated in the northern mountains and flowed southward toward the sea, dividing the southern region into two. On either side of the river were tens of thousands of acres of rice paddies, and beyond that were towns and villages where members of the Fang family lived.
Even far from the river in the southern region, there were still large amounts of undeveloped land. However, for the time being, Fang Yun didn't need such vast tracts of land; he just needed some experimental fields to test his golden finger.
So, Fang Yun returned to the mountain, made careful preparations, and then set off to explore the north from behind the peak. He was eagerly hoping to find a piece of land that met his needs. However, it was clear that finding such a perfectly suitable plot would take time and effort.
As darkness approached and he had found nothing, Fang Yun had no choice but to return to the mountain. Over the following days, after finishing his healing, meticulously checking the condition of the spiritual rice, and pulling some weeds, Fang Yun continued heading north without rest.
Days later, perseverance paid off. Fang Yun finally found the experimental field of his dreams in a secluded canyon. Within this canyon was a piece of land hundreds of acres in size, densely filled with various trees, flowers, and other plants, all thriving vigorously.
From this scene, it was evident that the soil was rich in nutrients. Moreover, a clear little stream flowed through the center of the land, which added to the vitality and liveliness of the area. Standing at the top of the canyon, Fang Yun looked down at the flourishing land below and couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
Not only was the land fertile, but it was also just a few kilometers from the mountain where he practiced. At his current pace, he could reach it in no more than half an hour. This way, he could easily Spiritual Powerge both places without neglecting either. This discovery made Fang Yun even more pleased with the location.
Afterward, Fang Yun returned to the mountain, picked up his iron hoe, strapped on the iron sword, and found a regular axe. The hoe was for cultivating the land, the axe was for chopping wood, and the iron sword was for self-defense.
It was essential to note that Ling Shui Island was not inhabited solely by humans. In the wilderness, especially in the northern mountains, many ferocious beasts roamed. While there weren't any powerful monsters, even ordinary wild animals posed a significant threat to a cultivator like him, who was injured and had diminished strength.
In addition to these three critical items, Fang Yun also brought some miscellaneous gear and essential dry rations. Once everything was prepared, he set off confidently toward the canyon.
Upon arriving at the top of the canyon, Fang Yun carefully tied a rope and slowly descended into the canyon. Once he touched down, he enthusiastically began clearing out the trees and other plants in the canyon.
Over the next two months, ensuring that he had enough time each day for healing and thoroughly checking the condition of the spiritual rice, Fang Yun dedicated all his remaining time to the land-clearing work in the canyon.
After two months of hard work chopping down trees, thoroughly uprooting plants, and concentrating on burning the debris, he made significant progress.
The entire canyon had finally been cleared out, spotless and pristine. The ash produced from the burning of plants was carefully mixed into the soil, greatly enhancing its fertility. Although it took two long months, Fang Yun felt immensely satisfied and relieved when he looked at the hundreds of acres of fertile and even land in the canyon.
Next, he needed to properly plan the layout of this land to determine what to plant and then find suitable seeds. Once these preparations were complete, he could officially start his farming plan.