At dusk, a group of laborers arrived at the mountain gate, gasping for breath.
The disciples who had arrived on White Eagles had already been chosen by the stewards and elders of the outer sect. By the time Li An and others arrived, Wang Dazhu and others were nowhere to be seen.
"Next, I'll assign you your duties,"
said the immortal leading them up the mountain, "Zhang Susu, Wang Zilin, possessing wood attribute mixed spirit roots, will handle the cultivation of spirit plants. Lu Yishan, Guo Mang, possessing fire attribute mixed spirit roots, will handle blacksmithing..."
After naming everyone, the immortal paused, "Li An, no attribute spirit root..."
His gaze fell on Li An, "Where would you like to go?"
Among the many laborers, Li An's spirit root was the most unique.
Therefore, the immortal didn't bother thinking about where he should go. Unexpectedly, Li An had the privilege of choosing.
A thought crossed Li An's mind, "I wish to cultivate spirit plants!"
Being a spirit plant cultivator was most suitable for practicing his Life Nourishing Immortal Skill.
"Alright, suit yourself. Stewards, please take your people."
Having said that, several immortals stepped up, leading their respective people according to the assignments.
"Zhang Susu, Wang Zilin, and Li An, right? You three, follow me!"
A middle-aged man spoke; he was Fan Jie, the steward of the Spirit Plant Mountain, also a registered disciple!
Fan Jie was burly and pot-bellied, his gaze scanned the three of them, lingering a bit longer on Zhang Susu.
Although Zhang Susu had only mixed spirit roots, she came from a secular noble family in Celestial Yang County. She was quite beautiful and graceful, truly a great beauty, second only to Mu Qingwan.
He nodded with satisfaction.
...
The Profound Yang Sect was one of the seven major cultivation sects of the Great Li Dynasty, owning a mountain range spanning several dozen miles.
The Spirit Plant Mountain was located in the remote northern mountains; its slopes were gentle, spiritual energy abundant, and between the slopes were over a hundred acres of spirit fields!
"It's so beautiful here!"
Zhang Susu couldn't help but exclaim; the scenery of the Spirit Plant Mountain was indeed exceptionally scenic.
"Such potent spiritual energy!"
Wang Zilin, coming from a humble background, was also delighted.
Staying in a place with such strong spiritual energy would greatly benefit his cultivation.
Only Li An secretly lamented.
Doomed, so much land...
Afraid he's really going to be working like a horse?
Fan Jie brought them to the Spirit Plant Mountain, where there were some quarters for the laborers to live.
From halfway down the mountain, spirit fields were planted with spirit rice, spirit beans, and other crops, while above the halfway point, due to the steep slopes, nothing was planted.
"Here are some cultivation techniques, including the Breathing Skill and the Cloud Movement and Rain Skill. Breathing Skill, coupled with spirit stones, can quickly get you into the Qi Refining Stage. Cloud Movement and Rain Skill is a technique you will use for cultivation later."
Fan Jie stopped at the foot of the mountain, handing two bamboo slips, a small piece of spirit stone, and a small bag of spirit rice to each of the three, saying:
"Hurry and cultivate, the spirit plants are maturing soon, and you only have a month to learn, understood?"
The three of them showed expressions of joy, nodding eagerly.
"Off you go, all the houses at the foot of the mountain are vacant. Choose a place to live, and there are labor clothes in the room. Change into them starting tomorrow!"
"Without my permission, do not take a step up the mountain. If you dare to disobey, I'll break your legs, remember that!"
Having said that, Fan Jie headed up the mountainside.
He lived at the top of the mountain!
After he left, the three started choosing their residences.
"Miss Susu, this residence is the largest, and it even has a small garden. It suits you best; what do you think?"
Wang Zilin took the initiative to offer Zhang Susu the best residence, not consulting Li An.
Zhang Susu was obviously pleased with the residence as well and nodded, "Thank you, Brother Zilin!"
Wang Zilin smiled, "We can live close to each other; it would also be convenient for us to discuss cultivation later on..."
He chose a residence right next to Zhang Susu's and then suggested:
"Susu, Brother Li, shall we study the Breathing Skill and Cloud Movement and Rain Skill together?"
Although he called Li "Brother," he barely looked at him, keeping his attention on Zhang Susu.
"That's right, if we study together, we'll progress faster!"
Zhang Susu also nodded, looking expectantly at Li An.
Li An's spirit root was slightly superior to theirs; if he could practice with them, they'd benefit to some extent.
"I'm sorry, but I'm a bit tired and want to rest first."
Li An said calmly, then went to find a quiet room by himself.
Zhang Susu and Wang Zilin were both a bit embarrassed.
"Hmph, just because he has a no-attribute spirit root, what's he so proud of... isn't he still the same as us?"
Wang Zilin couldn't help but say.
...
The living conditions for the laborers were very simple, but fortunately, everything needed for basic living, like pots and pans, was available, so daily needs were covered.
Li An set aside the Breathing Skill and Cloud Movement and Rain Skill, taking out that small bag of spirit rice!
Compared to spirit stones, the primary function of spirit rice was to satisfy hunger, with a slight amount of spiritual energy. This small bag, about a pound or so, was enough for an ordinary person to eat for a year!
Spirit rice was essential for beginners and low-level cultivators, as the latter could not yet fast.
Moreover, one could use the spiritual energy in spirit rice to adapt to the cultivation technique. Once familiar, switch to spirit stones to break through, thus avoiding waste.
Everything needed in the room was there, and Li An clumsily washed the pot, rinsed the rice, and started the fire to cook.
Steam continually lifted the lid of the pot, carrying the distinct fragrance of spirit rice.
The rice was done, filling the entire pot.
If anyone saw it, they'd likely find it absurd; such a large pot was enough to feed dozens!
Also, at the early stage of cultivation, unfamiliar with the technique, eating more would waste much of the spiritual energy.
So in the beginning, one would eat sparingly, a meal of no more than twenty grains.
This pot was cooked with half a pound of rice.
He dared to eat so much mainly because, benefiting from past life experiences in cultivation, he wouldn't waste spiritual energy.
He served himself a large bowl of spirit rice and began to eat slowly.
His throat moved continuously as the aromatic spirit rice filled his stomach, and in his mind, the Life Nourishing Immortal Skill began to operate gradually.
At this moment, Li An's blood and Qi moved slowly, extracting thin strands of spirit mist from the spirit rice.
Li An guided several times, but the spirit mist was too scant, dispersing at the slightest prompt.
Li An remained calm, continuing to eat slowly while persistently guiding the Life Nourishing Immortal Skill.
The bottom of the pot became visible as he ate, and the thin mist within him accumulated steadily, finally reaching a certain amount that he directed into his dantian.
"Set—"
Li An murmured, and the condensed mist was absorbed by his dantian.
However, there was still not much change.
Li An took a glance and felt a pang of pain. Half of the small bag of Spirit Rice was already gone!
Nonetheless, he didn't care much and cooked the remaining portion as well.
After eating it all,
finally, in his Dantian, a green sprout emerged.
With the emergence of this sprout, there seemed to be a hint of lush greenery in the Dantian, and Li An felt his body becoming more comfortable. The body that had been injured by Thunder Spiritual Qi was slowly being nourished.
"I succeeded in growing the Life Seed...!"
Li An felt a bit excited.
In his previous life, after obtaining this cultivation technique, he had studied it countless times.
In this life, he finally had the opportunity to practice it.
Everything happened effortlessly and naturally.
"The growth of the Life Seed is the core of the Life Nourishing Immortal Skill!"
"It is connected to my life. The stronger the Life Seed, the more vigorous my life force will be, and my lifespan will also increase!"
"Moreover, the unique feature of the Life Nourishing Immortal Skill is that the Life Seed takes root in the Dantian, continuously growing and eventually nurturing the body, gradually altering one's Spirit Root!"
Li An murmured.
This was the fundamental reason he chose the Life Nourishing Immortal Skill.
As long as he remained patient and developed steadily, relying on a lifespan beyond ordinary people and the slowly changing Spirit Root... there might be a glimmer of hope to reach the Nascent Soul, or even higher realms in the future.
The lifespan of a cultivator is also limited. For example, those in the Qi Refining Stage can live up to two hundred years. If they can't achieve Foundation Establishment, they will die of old age.
But Li An estimated that if he practiced the Life Nourishing Immortal Skill properly, he could live for about three hundred years!
Directly increasing his lifespan by a hundred years.
Immediately, Li An couldn't help but frown.
Currently, he only had one pound of Spirit Rice a month, and he didn't know when his Life Seed would sprout its first leaf.
The Life Seed was his hope for repairing his Spirit Root, and without repairing the Spirit Root, he couldn't step into the Qi Refining Stage.
But in a month, he would have to participate in the Cloud Movement and Rain Skill labor. If he hadn't made a breakthrough by then, he would undoubtedly be scolded and targeted by Fan Jie.
He still had a small piece of Spirit Stone, but Spirit Stones were extremely precious, containing more abundant and pure Spiritual Qi than Spirit Rice, and were meant to be used when officially entering the first layer of Qi Cultivation.
He thought for a moment, and the Spirit Rice in the outer Spirit Field was almost ripe...
However, there were arrays and restrictions guarding it. Apart from labor time, no one could enter the Spirit Field.
"The arrays and restrictions here should be relatively low-level and probably don't cover everything..."
Li An murmured, having reached the Core Formation stage in his previous life, he had some knowledge of arrays, artifact refining, and alchemy.
He got up, boiled some hot water, and took a comforting hot bath in a wooden tub, letting the sweat and fatigue of the day wash away.
He then changed into the sect's servant clothes, a light gray uniform that fit comfortably, made of fine hemp, and much more comfortable than the old cloth clothes he wore when he first joined.
Only then did he go to sleep.
...
In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.
In these seven days, Li An occasionally went outside to stroll, admire the scenery, and familiarize himself with the terrain.
"I've finally stepped into the Qi Refining Stage!"
Outside, came the excited shout of Wang Zilin.
Taking advantage of the remaining daylight, Li An also went out for a walk, seeing Wang Zilin and Zhang Susu congratulating each other.
"Brother Li, you should have broken through too, right?"
Zhang Susu's beautiful eyes looked towards Li An.
"Not yet."
Li An felt a bit awkward and said, "My body was injured by Thunder Spiritual Qi, so I still need some time to heal..."
Upon hearing this, a glimmer of thought flashed in Zhang Susu's eyes, and she said, "Brother Li, there's no need to rush. I have some Spirit Rice here, I can share some with you..."
Although Spirit Rice is not Spirit Medicine, it can also nourish the body.
Originating from an influential secular family, she understood well how to make connections with people.
Despite Li An being injured now, he still had a Spirit Root with no attribute, and in the future, he might have the chance to rise.
Li An thought for a moment and said, "Then thank you, Miss Susu."
He took the small handful of Spirit Rice that Zhang Susu offered and then wandered around before returning to his room.
Zhang Susu's smile widened a bit.
"Susu, that person doesn't appreciate kindness, why be so polite to him!"
Beside her, Wang Zilin couldn't help but complain!
...
Inside the room.
Li An remained very calm.
The Spirit Rice given by Zhang Susu wasn't of much use to him, but he still accepted it.
Because he didn't want Zhang Susu to have a negative impression of him.
-- On Spirit Plant Mountain, Zhang Susu was the only female cultivator, and she happened to be beautiful like a flower.
Moreover, on the day Fan Jie brought them here, his gaze lingered on Zhang Susu for a long time, and Li An understood the implications.
Whether actively or passively, Zhang Susu would inevitably become Fan Jie's companion!
Owing her a small favor would make future interactions easier.
As for Wang Zilin... Li An didn't care about him at all.
Wang Zilin being so close to Zhang Susu was simply asking for trouble, and Fan Jie would deal with him.
Li An's mind was solely focused on one thing now.
Living steadily and changing his Spirit Root!
He absolutely did not want any unnecessary problems or risks.
With no cultivation and no ability to protect himself... he was too fragile now.
...
It was already midnight.
Li An quietly slipped out of the room.
Following the route he had determined over the past few days, he reached a corner where the Spirit Field and mountain intersected, an area not covered by the restrictions due to the complicated terrain!
Thanks to his past life experiences, otherwise, even a registered disciple like Fan Jie would never find this flaw.
He jumped into the rice paddy, rolled up his pants, took off his shoes, and stepped into a ditch, following it into a fertile plot of the Spirit Field.
Walking in the ditch wouldn't leave footprints!
Moreover, mosquitoes and insects thrived in the ditch, so the few rows of Spirit Rice near it often got eaten by pests, yielding less, and no one paid attention.
Li An carefully rubbed a few not-yet-fully-ripe grains of Spirit Rice from a stalk...
...