His body, which had been strengthened by well water for a month and was now exceptionally vigorous in terms of qi and blood, seemed to have undergone some subtle changes triggered by the incantation.
The dantian remained lifeless, but an extremely minute trace of the vigorous life force contained within the limbs and bones was extracted and integrated into the hand seals.
At the same time, the extremely thin water vapor and spiritual energy in the air around Li Xuan seemed to be slightly drawn in.
With a soft "poof," a small wisp of mist condensed half a foot above his fingertip, and then a few drops of murky muddy water fell onto the ridge of the field and were instantly absorbed by the parched earth.
Li Xuan: "..."
Li Xuan was stunned, looking at his fingertips and then at the few almost negligible wet marks on the ground.
Muddy water? Not spiritual rain? But the feeling just now... it was as if something was being drained from his body, causing him to feel slightly weak now, like a stomach that hadn't eaten all day.
And the moisture from the outside world has indeed been gathered up a bit.
"I have no spiritual power, but... my blood and qi seem to be able to barely replace it? Or perhaps my body has developed some kind of affinity and craving for water, instinctively responding to the incantation?"
Li Xuan's heart pounded. Although the result was just some muddy water, it meant that he wasn't completely unable to cast this kind of spell! It was just that the effect was disastrous, and it consumed his vital energy and strength.
Li Xuan tried several more times, each time managing to gather a few murky drops of water, followed by feelings of hunger and weakness.
"No, this is too taxing on the body. And this water... it's too dirty even to use for watering the ground." Li Xuan shook his head with a wry smile, temporarily abandoning this method.
The most urgent task was to fill his stomach. The dry rations had long been gone, and the wild vegetables were barely enough to satisfy his hunger. The enormous physical exertion and the depletion of energy from just trying magic left Li Xuan feeling hungrier than ever before.
Li Xuan remembered the stream to the west that Zhao Tie had mentioned and decided to try his luck there to see if he could catch any fish or find more food.
Following the direction Zhao Tie pointed out, Li Xuan walked through a grove of trees and indeed heard the sound of flowing water.
A stream about ten feet wide appeared before them. The water was clear, and the pebbles at the bottom could be seen, but there was no spiritual energy emanating from it; it was just ordinary water.
By the stream, several people dressed in menial work clothes were fetching water and washing clothes. They all turned their gazes toward Li Xuan as he approached.
Li Xuan maintained his low-key and honest demeanor, nodded to the group, then squatted down upstream and scooped up some water with his hands to drink a few mouthfuls.
Sure enough, it was just ordinary stream water, which had no special effects other than quenching thirst, and was far inferior to his broken well.
Li Xuan observed the water's surface, hoping to spot any fish or shrimp.
"Hey, newbie?" a slightly frivolous voice rang out.
Li Xuan turned around and saw three menial disciples walking over. The one in the lead was slightly taller and had a mocking look in his eyes as he sized Li Xuan up. The other two stood behind him with their arms crossed.
"Greetings, fellow disciples. I am Li Xuan, from No. 7, Class 7, of the back mountain." Li Xuan stood up and answered politely.
"The back mountain? That godforsaken place." The tall handyman scoffed. "You look unfamiliar; do you even know the rules here?"
"Rules?" Li Xuan's heart skipped a beat, and he realized something was wrong.
"This stream was the first place our Brother Wang chose to fetch water," a skinny, monkey-like servant chimed in. "Newcomers who want to fetch water here have to pay a 'water fee'!"
Li Xuan frowned: "Water fee? This stream belongs to the sect, it's not privately owned..."
"Stop talking nonsense!" Brother Wang interrupted impatiently. "I said it is! Look at your poor, stingy appearance, you haven't contributed anything. How about this, from now on you help us fill our water tanks every day, and that will be payment for the water bill." He pointed to a few slightly better wooden houses on the hillside in the distance.
This is clearly an attempt to bully newcomers and find free labor!
Li Xuan felt a surge of anger, but he quickly suppressed it. His strength was currently too weak to risk a conflict. He took a deep breath and feigned weakness: "Senior brothers, I... I can't even finish my own spirit field tasks, I really don't have the time..."
"Hmm?" Brother Wang's face darkened. He stepped forward, closing in on Li Xuan. "Not giving me any face?"
Two other people joined in, and the atmosphere immediately became tense.
Li Xuan clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it. He assessed the other party's strength; they were all menial laborers, their bodies might be stronger than ordinary people, but definitely not as strong as his own body after being strengthened by the well water.
He might not lose if they really fought, but if a fight broke out and things escalated, it would inevitably attract attention, which is something he absolutely does not want to see.
Just as he was weighing the pros and cons and preparing to swallow his anger for the time being, a voice came.
"Wang Mazi, bullying the newcomer again?" It turned out that Zhao Tie had come to the stream to fetch water and witnessed this scene.
When Brother Wang saw Zhao Tie, his expression changed, seemingly showing some apprehension. He snorted, "Zhao Tie, what's it to you?"
Zhao Tie wasn't particularly tall, but he was very sturdy, with a dark complexion and a determined look in his eyes.
He walked up to Li Xuan and said to Wang Mazi, "There are only a few households in the back mountain. Li Xuan is my neighbor. Do you think it's none of my business? If you're so capable, go steal water from the outer sect senior brothers. What kind of skill is it to act tough in this den?"
Wang Mazi's face was grim. He glared at Zhao Tie and Li Xuan, said "We'll see," and left dejectedly with his two henchmen.
"Thank you for helping me out, Senior Brother Zhao," Li Xuan said sincerely.
It seems that this Zhao Tieren is quite good, and he even seems to have some prestige.
"It's alright, that's just how Wang Mazi is, bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Try to avoid them when you fetch water from now on." Zhao Tie waved his hand, then sighed and said, "That's how we menial laborers are, the lower ranks hurt each other. Just focus on farming, the end-of-month task... sigh, good luck to you."
Li Xuan thanked him again, watching Zhao Tie's departing figure with mixed feelings. The crisis was temporarily averted, but the task at the end of the month weighed heavily on his mind.
Looking at the clear but useless stream, Li Xuan recalled the soon-to-dry spirit well and the well water whose effects had almost disappeared. His desire to become stronger had never been so intense.
Days passed by, and Li Xuan, like a silent ox, worked diligently in his small plot of land, his daily routine consisting of drinking water without fail.
The water level in the well seemed to have indeed dropped somewhat, and as expected, the effect was becoming weaker and weaker. At first, it could clearly expel impurities, but now, drinking a bucket of it only made me feel slightly warm, and then there were no other reactions.
"Drug resistance...or rather, the body has adapted to this low spiritual energy stimulation." Li Xuan looked at the dark water at the bottom of the well and realized.
The well water was losing its effectiveness for him, but he didn't stop, continuing to drink large amounts of it every day. Even if the effect was minimal, little by little, he could feel his body's foundation slowly but steadily strengthening.
His strength, speed, and sensory acuity are gradually surpassing the limits of ordinary people. He can now wield a hoe with ease, carry water at lightning speed, and even faintly hear the panting of other laborers working in the distance.