Ji An once again cast the Thick Earth Formula, and the seeds sank neatly into the soil.
He shifted hand seals, and white clouds gathered above the spirit field, quickly spreading outward.
Spiritual rain began to fall in a steady drizzle. Old Huang stretched out his hand into the misty rain petals of light, and fragments of jade seemed to scatter across his palm, while a moist, nourishing aura spread from his hand up along his arm.
"So this is the Perfected level of the Minor Rain Technique… I wonder if I'll ever reach this realm in my lifetime."
His voice carried a faint loneliness. Years of toil had already worn away the ambitions he once had when he first stepped onto the path of cultivation.
"The road may be long, but if one keeps walking, one will arrive. Brother Huang, your Minor Rain Technique has been at the Great Accomplishment stage for many years. Reaching Perfection is only a matter of patient grinding."
Ji An offered comfort. In his understanding, if a spirit farmer spent ten or twenty years and still couldn't refine Minor Rain Technique or Thick Earth, two of the most commonly used techniques to Perfection, then it wasn't diligence that was lacking, but insight. At least, their comprehension of water- and earth-element spells was simply insufficient.
Old Huang's Minor Rain Technique had already reached Great Accomplishment long ago. With enough time, careful intent, and mindful reflection during each casting, reaching Perfection shouldn't be too difficult.
Thinking this, Ji An began to share his own insights into the Minor Rain Technique.
It was the path he had walked, not necessarily suitable for another, but even if their methods differed, a stone from another mountain could still sharpen jade. Borrowing ideas was always useful.
Old Huang nodded repeatedly. Occasionally, a flash of clarity lit his clouded eyes, as though he had indeed gained something.
The clouds overhead slowly thinned, the rainfall dwindled to a fine mist, and soon a thin veil of water vapor rose above the spirit field.
The morning sun crested the mountain ridge, pouring golden light into the valley.
A faint rainbow appeared, reflected in Ji An's eyes, as tender green shoots pushed up through the soil.
Suddenly, he sensed the Stone Turtle, always calm within his dantian, tremble lightly several times before settling once more.
Focusing his mind, he probed it.
[ Spiritual Qi: Zhen 0.2]
Zhen belongs to the Wood element. It represents thunder, symbolizing vibration and awakening, the surge of vitality when all things sprout forth.
Ji An frowned slightly. When I planted Yellow Sprout Rice, I also saw shoots breaking the soil, but why didn't I gain any Zhen resonance back then? Could it be that the rice simply held too little spiritual essence?
By this logic, when the spirit peach, spirit apricot, and Firecloud Ginseng had first sprouted, there should have been Zhen resonance as well. But since he hadn't been present at the time, he must have missed that harvest.
Suppressing the thought, Ji An immediately tried refining the Zhen resonance to see the effect. But the feedback came: no corresponding spell required this resonance.
At this moment, Old Huang came back to himself. Bowing, he said:
"Ji An, after listening to your words, I feel as though a new path has opened before me. Perhaps with a little more time, I can truly make a breakthrough. Thank you."
He had already decided to have Feihu spend more time around Ji An. Perhaps just a few casual pointers from him would save his grandson years of detours.
Ji An smiled gently.
"Brother Huang, you're too polite. If my words were of use, it's only because of your own comprehension."
Ji An and Old Huang exchanged a few polite words before parting ways.
Back in his own spirit field, Ji An began planting talisman grass and spirit grain.
This time, he only planted five mu of spirit grain while keeping the talisman grass mu the same. One reason was that the Jadegrain Rice had entered its tasseling stage and required more careful attention.
He had originally thought that combat spells would consume far more Spiritual Qi to advance compared to farming techniques. To his surprise, the difference wasn't significant.
Now that the Water Curtain Technique had reached Perfection, he could fully rely on talisman-making to earn higher profits.
A high-grade talisman paper sold for just eight spirit crystals, while a single defensive talisman easily fetched twenty or more.
The next morning, Ji An pushed open the bamboo house door, fresh from cultivation. His spirit was clear, his body relaxed; obviously, his practice had advanced.
As usual, his eyes swept slowly across the courtyard, silently counting the Firecloud Ginseng plants.
"One, two, three, four"
His gaze froze when it reached the far right.
Striding over, he found two Firecloud Ginseng plants had been dug up, their roots gnawed clean.
Ji An crouched down, lifting one of the chewed stalks. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
From the bite marks and the tiny claw prints left on the soil, he judged it to be some rodent-type creature.
Because he often used the Thick Earth Formula to smooth the land's qi, the soil in the courtyard had grown soft, making the intruder's tracks easy to follow.
Tracing them, Ji An found they led to a corner of the wall.
He examined the spot carefully. The fence had three layers: the innermost was a dry bamboo lattice with wide gaps enough for a pheasant to slip through. The middle layer was small wooden stakes, with fist-sized spacing. The outer layer was a tight weave of green bamboo, the gaps no wider than two fingers.
He had been careful when he built the fence, worried something might sneak in. Yet even so, he had still been robbed.
Losing two Firecloud Ginsengs stung, but it wasn't a disaster. They'd only been planted for three months, so he could treat it as if those seeds had simply failed to sprout.
What concerned Ji An more was that the creature had developed a taste for them. If it came back regularly, the problem would become serious.
There was still over a month before he could get a sealing formation. Unless he stayed awake every night to keep watch, he risked further losses.
After some thought, he scooped a bowl of Yellow Sprout Rice from his grain jar and scattered it in a corner of the courtyard.
With an easier target, the Firecloud Ginseng should be safer.
Still, he didn't expect to fool the beast for long. He resolved to stake out the yard for a few nights to see.
After three months, Firecloud Ginseng roots were only as thick as a baby's little finger. But as a ranked spiritual herb, the qi it contained was far beyond Yellow Sprout Rice.
That also meant the intruder wasn't likely a normal animal. Ordinary beasts couldn't withstand the potency of Firecloud Ginseng.
If it were a demon beast… that would be troublesome.
...
Mulling this over, Ji An took out a talisman bird and infused it with qi.
When it grew in size, he mounted it and flew toward Bihai Market.
"Junior Brother Ji? What brings you here?"
Wei Songnian had just been tallying goods when Ji An suddenly arrived at his home, and he was surprised.
"Hehe, I came to see if Senior Brother might let me buy something on credit."
Ji An rubbed his hands together, then added:
"A few days ago, I exchanged for a spell jade slip at the sect. From now on, I can start making talismans.
I'd like to borrow the cheapest talisman brush you have. With luck, by next month, I can start selling defensive talismans through you."
"That works. Talismans are selling very well lately. What kind are you planning to make?"
"Water Curtain Talismans. Later, perhaps Golden Steel Finger Talismans."
"Water-element defensive talismans? Those don't sell as well. Buyers mostly prefer metal- and earth-element defenses."
Ji An only smiled faintly.
"I have a natural affinity with water spells. This technique might be my best option.
When I've drawn a few, I'll leave them with you on consignment. We can sell them at a discount to build up a reputation first."
He was confident in his spells. Talented spellcasting didn't necessarily mean talisman-making talent, but it was still a considerable advantage.
"Well, that's true. The best choice is always what suits you. Junior Brother, you've got a clear eye."
Wei Songnian rummaged around, then produced a worn-down white-hao talisman brush, apologetic as he said:
"There aren't many brushes for water-element spells on the market. I only have this second-hand one.
The talisman master who traded it in said it could draw maybe another hundred talismans before breaking. Price: three spirit stones."