At present, Ji An still had eleven spirit stones in hand, set aside to activate the Spirit-Draining Array for cultivation.
No matter the time or place, raising one's cultivation was always the highest priority.
If he endured another three months, he would reap a considerable profit from his fields enough to purchase new spell jade slips, perhaps even a low-grade magical artifact.
He shook his head lightly. Magical artifacts could wait. With the income his fields produced, joining beast-hunting expeditions would not be cost-effective.
Better to focus wholly on raising his realm, and once he reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining, reconsider his options.
By then, his farmland should already have been nurtured into first-grade low-rank fields, capable of growing Jadegrain Rice.
The first two months after planting Jadegrain Rice required little management, leaving him with far more time to venture outside.
He pinned his hopes on these high-risk beast hunts bringing enough return that he could accumulate the contribution points needed for a Foundation Establishment Pill, entering the long queue to "purchase a pill."
According to Elder Qin Yan's teachings, one needed to open more spiritual vein branches at the ninth layer of Qi Refining. Then, during the moment of breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, the transcendent surge of body and mind would nourish the veins, extending them further, thereby raising one's natural aptitude.
There was no rush. He could grind away at the ninth layer slowly and use the time to temper his combat skills.
Ji An sighed inwardly. Even with his extraordinary divine sense born of dual-soul fusion and the aid of the stone tortoise that sped his spell practice far beyond ordinary peers, the path of cultivation still felt grueling.
For those born into great clans, with their endless resources, the road ahead was far smoother.
Wei Songnian pocketed the crystals, smiling cheerfully.
"No need to hurry, Junior Brother. Owing me is no problem at all."
Not afraid you owe a debt, only afraid you don't!
In his eyes, it was only a matter of time before this junior became his number one customer.
The two of them chatted about their cultivation, sharing insights, until dusk crept in unnoticed.
Ji An rose and lit a candle. Soon after, Liang Qiu brought in a pot of fish-head soup.
"Let's give him a hand," Wei Songnian said, and the three of them went to the kitchen, carrying out fish-bone cakes, stewed fish tail, and steamed fish.
Back in the hall, Liang Qiu poured spirit wine into porcelain cups.
After a round of drinking, he exhaled softly and said,
Twenty years since I entered the sect. This year, I am thirty-six, and only at the eighth layer of Qi Refining. I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to reach Foundation Establishment in this lifetime."
Candlelight wavered, carving deep furrows across his brow in shifting light and shadow.
Why did the sect drive out disciples who had failed to build their foundation by sixty? Because after sixty, the body of a Qi Refining cultivator declined, and without an extraordinary stroke of fortune, the chance of breaking through was slim to none.
He had twenty-four years left. In that time, he would need to break into the ninth layer of Qi Refining and then polish his realm to perfection.
That much was not difficult. The real hurdle lay in acquiring a Foundation Establishment Pill. Six thousand contribution points were required, equivalent to three thousand spirit stones.
The price of a single pill dwarfed that of the daily elixirs a Foundation Establishment cultivator consumed.
"Junior Brother, now that you have a fish pond, surely you'll be able to gather enough contribution points for a pill sooner rather than later."
Wei Songnian raised his cup with a laugh.
"Come, let's drink to that."
After downing the spirit wine, Liang Qiu let out a long breath.
"No need to comfort me, Senior Brother. I can't compare to you, who has your clan's support. My father is only a mid-stage Qi Refining rogue cultivator, and I still have younger siblings to provide for.
What I can rely on… is only myself.
I've done the math. Unless I manage to raise some higher-grade spirit fish, it will be nearly impossible to gather the needed points in time.
And even if I do, there will still be the long wait in line for the sect to distribute the pills."
He clenched his fist beneath the table. He had already thought it through; if time truly ran out, then he would buy magical artifacts and talismans and venture into the Ten-Thousand Mountains.
Bet his life for a future. And if he failed, then let his bones rest in the green hills.
Liang Qiu knew very well that if he could not obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill within the sect, then he had no chance of getting one outside.
In the immortal cities, it wasn't uncommon for a single Foundation Establishment Pill to be sold for four or five thousand spirit stones.
Having entered the sect, he had seen a broader world. How could he resign himself to being just a Qi Refining cultivator?
The elders always taught: Foundation Establishment is where true cultivation begins. To live a lifetime lingering outside the gates of cultivation, how could one accept such a fate?
Wei Songnian felt a little awkward. Truly, he was speaking from the comfort of someone who did not share that burden.
As long as he reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining and polished it to perfection, his clan would support him with a large sum of spirit stones. They would also use their connections to help him obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill sooner.
Ji An frowned slightly, then picked up a fish-bone cake and smiled:
"Senior brothers, spirit fish are best eaten hot.
Let us fill our bellies well; only then will we have the strength to fight for our future."
"You're right, Junior Brother," Liang Qiu nodded, lifting a piece of fish tail into his bowl.
"Eat first, talk later. Compared to rogue cultivators, our lot is already much better."
Outside, the bright moon shone over the lake.
Spirit fish leaped across the rippling waters, breaking apart the pool of moonlight.
...
At dawn, sparrows were already chirping in the branches.
Ji An formed hand seals, crimson light spreading across the barren soil, smoke rising in thin wisps.
He shifted into another seal, releasing the Thick Earth Formula.
In no time, five mu of farmland were reclaimed.
The morning light spread across the quiet valley, bathing the fields in a gentle glow.
Old Huang and Young Huang hurried back from Bihai Lake. Seeing that Ji An had reclaimed several more mu, they laughed enviously:
"If I had Little An's skill, I could probably linger in the sect for another twenty years."
He had farmed all his life, yet could not match what another accomplished in just three years. Though he was long past the age of rivalry, every time he thought of it, a faint bitterness welled up inside.
Ji An replied warmly:
"Back then, it was thanks to Senior Brother's help that I could come this far."
Old Huang quickly waved his hands:
"Without me, Junior Brother would still have a bright future."
Outstanding people always found support more easily.
He pondered for a while, then suddenly looked up:
"Little An, once this season's spirit rice is harvested, I'll let you take over my one-mu graded field.
Jadegrain Rice is a little different from Yellow Sprout Rice. While I still have half a year in the sect, I can at least pass on a few tricks to you."
Wei Songnian's words during that night of drinking had struck him deeply. Giving up the field a little earlier only meant losing a few spirit stones of income, but in the future, there would be plenty of times when he would need to rely on others.
Better to invest in goodwill now.
After years together, he understood Ji An's character. A favor given today would surely be repaid.
He remembered lending just one spirit stone before, and sharing a single meal had already earned him back several dozen spirit crystals' worth of goodwill.
Ji An paused briefly, then bowed his hands:
"To tell the truth, Senior Brother, I am short on spirit stones. Since you offer with such kindness, it would be rude of me to refuse.
If Feihu ever encounters difficulties, as long as it is within my ability, I will never turn him away."
He believed that if there was a benefit to be taken, one should take it. When his cultivation rose higher, paying back today's favor would be all the easier.
It was the same as when he had just entered the sect, borrowing spirit stones to train. With rapid growth in cultivation, repaying the debt became much lighter.
Back then, he borrowed nine spirit stones, a fortune for him at the first layer of Qi Refining. But by the fourth layer, repaying that debt was already a simple matter.