The Qi Refining Technique Fang Yun cultivated was the Wood Attribute's Cyan Wood Technique.
One of the advantages of having Five Spirit Roots was being able to cultivate any of the Five Elements Techniques.
When he had his Spirit Root tested and was choosing a Cultivation Technique, he considered that he would likely make a living by planting in the future, so he chose this basic Wood Attribute Cultivation Technique for the Qi Refining Stage.
It was worth mentioning that he currently only possessed the first three layers of the Cyan Wood Technique. If he didn't join the Celestial Cloud Sect in the future, he would have to purchase the subsequent layers once he broke through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer.
The first three layers of any Qi Refining Technique were very cheap. It was the later layers that were expensive, even for the most common ones.
After becoming an Outer Sect disciple of the Celestial Cloud Sect, one could get the fourth to sixth layers of most Qi Refining Techniques for free.
In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the fifth month.
Nearly two months had passed since Fang Yun planted the Purple Corn.
Compared to the Clear Water Rice, taking care of the Purple Corn was far more strenuous. There was much more to do every day, and Fang Yun, still at the Qi Refining Second Layer, could barely keep up.
Small Cloud Rain Technique!
A raincloud formed over the one-mu Spirit Field, and a light drizzle began to fall. Before long, the cloud vanished completely, and sunlight once again shone upon the Purple Corn stalks.
'Minor Achievement.'
The corners of Fang Yun's mouth curved up slightly.
To advance the Realm of a Magic technique, one needed constant practice.
The Small Cloud Rain Technique was the Low Tier Magic he used the most. Now that it had advanced from the Entry Realm to Minor Achievement, taking care of the Purple Corn would become a little easier.
The ability to smoothly cast all types of Five Elements Magic was another advantage of having Five Spirit Roots.
Without a Water Spirit Root, he would have had to go through a conversion process to cast the Small Cloud Rain Technique. This would slow down the casting speed and consume more Spiritual Power.
Since he cultivated a Wood Attribute Cultivation Technique, Fang Yun received a bonus when casting Wood Attribute Magic.
Once his Low Tier Golden Needle Technique also reached the Minor Achievement realm, caring for the Purple Corn would become easier still.
As Fang Yun was heading home after tending to the two mu of Purple Corn, he saw Huang Datong walking toward him.
Huang Datong was absolutely beaming, clearly having just received some great news.
Knowing a bit about Huang Datong and his family, Fang Yun quickly guessed what it might be.
"Uncle Datong," Fang Yun greeted him first.
"Fang Yun! I was just about to look for you, and here you are. Come on, come over to my place. Your aunt is preparing something special tonight."
"Uncle Datong, seeing how happy you are... how is Mengzhu's Spirit Root Talent?"
"Three Spirit Roots: Gold, Wood, and Water!"
Three Spirit Roots met the standard entry requirement for the Celestial Cloud Sect.
"Hahaha, I knew it! I knew that girl Mengzhu could do it," Fang Yun said, laughing happily at the news.
"When Mengzhu gets to the Celestial Cloud Sect, I'll need you to look after her."
Huang Datong was an honest, down-to-earth man, but that didn't mean he was a fool.
After growing Clear Water Rice for nine months, Fang Yun had switched to planting Purple Corn. This was a clear sign he was aiming for the Celestial Cloud Sect.
From his many years of farming experience, he could tell that Fang Yun definitely had a talent for planting and would likely become a Spirit Plant Master in the future.
A Spirit Plant Master was entirely different from an ordinary planter like him.
"Uncle Datong, you don't have to ask. I'd look after Mengzhu anyway. I've watched her grow up, after all. But as for me joining the Celestial Cloud Sect... nothing's set in stone yet."
"I have faith in your talent. You'll definitely get into the Celestial Cloud Sect."
The two chatted as they walked, soon arriving at Huang Datong's home.
As they got closer, Fang Yun caught the faint aroma of food, which seemed to contain a trace of Spiritual Qi.
This was an aroma that only Spiritual Food could emit.
"Dad! And Brother Fang Yun!"
Before they even entered the house, an adorable little girl came skipping over to greet them.
Because she lived the closest, Huang Mengzhu was the child he interacted with the most.
He had a good impression of the little girl. At least she wasn't a handful; she never pestered him to play with her while he was cultivating.
"Come, come, Fang Yun, sit here."
Huang Datong's wife, Zhang Chuzhen, also greeted Fang Yun with great enthusiasm.
Fang Yun was the only guest this time.
There were only two dishes on the table, but both could be considered Spiritual Food. Spiritual Food was what Cultivators ate, and it didn't have to be made by a Spirit Chef to be called as such.
The first was braised rabbit, with Moonlight Rabbit as the main ingredient.
The second was stewed snake, made with the meat of a Chicken-headed Snake.
Both were common ingredients from Demon Beasts, and the Moonlight Rabbit had long since been domesticated.
"Delicious!" After one bite of the braised rabbit, Fang Yun gave a thumbs-up. "Auntie, your cooking is definitely on par with a Spirit Chef's."
For Fang Yun, whose palate had grown tired of bland food, this was an absolute delicacy.
The braised rabbit was clearly made with seasonings. The Spirit Medicines used to make these spices were very difficult to grow. Not only were they labor-intensive, but crops could also fail entirely for all sorts of reasons, which made the seasonings extremely expensive.
Even the lowest-quality seasonings cost several Lower Grade Spirit Stones for just a tiny amount.
"How could I compare to a Spirit Chef? I'm nowhere near that level. Here, eat up, before too much of the Spiritual Power dissipates." With a wide smile, Zhang Chuzhen placed a piece of snake meat in Fang Yun's bowl.
To become a Spirit Chef, one had to master the art of handling ingredients.
Spiritual Food made by a Spirit Chef had a fundamental characteristic: the energy contained within it did not dissipate easily.
During the cooking process, energy loss from the ingredients also had to be minimized as much as possible.
Therefore, the two dishes Zhang Chuzhen had made needed to be eaten as quickly as possible.
"Mommy, I want some too," the little girl called out.
The three adults—Fang Yun and the couple—sat at one table, while Huang Mengzhu sat by herself at another.
They were eating Spiritual Food, whereas Huang Mengzhu was eating mortal food.
"Be good, Mengzhu. We'll talk about it after you become a Cultivator," Zhang Chuzhen said, lovingly stroking Huang Mengzhu's little head and motioning for her to continue eating her own meal.
"Okay..." The little girl looked longingly at the delicious food on the other table.
Until she formally became a Cultivator, there was no difference between Huang Mengzhu, who possessed a Spirit Root, and an ordinary mortal.
Mortals lacked the means to digest Spiritual Food. Not only was it a waste, but eating even a little bit too much could easily cause bloating.
"Little one, in terms of pure tastiness, what you're eating is much better," Fang Yun explained with a smile, seeing Huang Mengzhu's reluctant expression.
"Really, Brother Fang Yun?"
"Of course. Once you become a Cultivator, you'll know just how true my words are."
For Spiritual Food, taste was secondary. Low Tier Spiritual Food could rarely compare to mortal food in terms of deliciousness.
And the Spiritual Food Fang Yun was currently enjoying was, without a doubt, very Low Tier.
After the little girl happily went back to enjoying her own delicious meal, Fang Yun focused on eating.
He ended up eating most of the Spiritual Food himself.
Zhang Chuzhen kept piling meat into his bowl.
Besides celebrating Huang Mengzhu testing for Three Spirit Roots, the meal was also Huang Datong and his wife's way of treating him.
It was a sign of their approval of Fang Yun.
In their eyes, Fang Yun was a diligent, hardworking, and resilient Cultivator who hadn't fallen into despair despite losing his parents at a young age.
Cultivators like him usually had good character.