Chương 9: A Test of Composure

"Huaijin, not bad! Your performance has made your father very satisfied." Zhang Lixian looked at his son, his eyes full of approval and his voice laced with pride. In just three months, Huaijin had stepped straight into the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm. What's more, he hadn't taken the bait and walked out of the formation. That showed composure. He kept the family's spirit fields as his top priority.

Even better, the moment he saw the battle turn to his advantage, he acted without hesitation and charged out of the formation. He took on two enemies by himself and killed them both. Zhang Lixian could have easily killed those two rogue cultivators himself. He had already slain the sixth level Qi Refining Realm rogue, and the other two wouldn't have escaped his pursuit. But he had watched their retreat path and held back. He wanted to see what choice Huaijin would make.

"I only charge out because I sensed your presence, Father," Zhang Huaijin said.

"Otherwise, I would never have stepped outside." The truth was, if it weren't for the spirit fields, Zhang Huaijin could have faced those three rogue cultivators alone in the wild and taken them all down. His soul was already powerful enough to rival an eighth level Qi Refining Realm cultivator. The power from his Heavenly Fire Blaze Art was also an aggressive type. Right now, Huaijin desperately wanted to find a soul cultivation technique. Once he mastered it, he could launch soul attacks and kill without a trace.

Otherwise, such a powerful soul would be wasted.

"Good! Steady, but still sharp," Zhang Lixian said, clearly pleased. As for the fact that Huaijin had advanced to the fourth level in only three months… Zhang Lixian didn't pry. Everyone had their own secrets. Though Huaijin had five spirit roots, his cultivation speed was no slower than someone with three roots. The Zhang family didn't think much of it.

"Father, the spirit rice is ripe. We need to harvest it quickly, before more trouble comes," Zhang Huaijin urged. Now that Zhang Lixian had advanced to the ninth level of Qi Refining Realm, the family's strength had grown considerably. The Zhang family now had two ninth level Qi Refining Realm cultivators guarding it.

"You recover first. I'll handle the harvest," Zhang Lixian said. Father and son walked into the Six Ren Crimson Blaze Array. Zhang Lixian produced a sickle, its cold metal glinting. This was a Tier 1 Upper Grade spirit sickle, capable of harvesting very quickly. Zhang Huaijin didn't stand on ceremony. After the battle, most of his spiritual power was depleted. He sat down cross legged and began to recover. Fifteen minutes later, Zhang Lixian had already harvested three acres of spirit rice.

Zhang Huaijin had recovered more than half his strength and took out his own sickle. Father and son worked side by side. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Zhang Lixian was not only a ninth level Qi Refining Realm cultivator but also a Tier 1 Upper Grade Spirit Plant Cultivator. He harvested quickly. Two hours later, they had cleared all forty acres of spirit paddies.

Zhang Lixian took out five storage pouches, and together with Zhang Huaijin, they gathered all the rice stalks and spirit rice. Back at the family compound, clansmen would thresh the rice. Some of the spirit rice would be sold, some stored, and the rest used for brewing wine. The leftover stalks still contained faint traces of spiritual energy. They would be ground up, mixed with other feed, and used to raise spirit fowl. A Qi Refining Realm family's foundation was truly meager.

They raised several dozen spirit chickens. Every year, the rice stalks from the spirit fields were their food.

"Huaijin, here's a hundred sacks of Red Sun Spirit Rice and fifty spirit stones. The family is going through difficult times right now. Heavenly Yang Mountain is counting on you," Zhang Lixian said with a sigh. Zhang Hong's injuries were too severe. He needed to rest. Zhang Lixian and his own father had to guard Green Bamboo Mountain. The family had very few mid-stage Qi Refining Realm cultivators, and all of them were already occupied with their own duties.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent Huaijin, only at the fourth level, down the mountain in the first place.

"Don't worry, Father. I'll take care of Heavenly Yang Mountain," Zhang Huaijin said. He understood. The spirit rice and spirit stones were a form of compensation. A drop in the bucket, but at least it showed the family's attitude.

"The family has failed you. Once this batch of spirit rice is sold, your grandfather and I will set aside some spirit stones to buy you some resources," Zhang Lixian said slowly. Then he took out the spirit seeds from his storage pouch.

"In the coming days, you need to carefully adjust the spiritual energy in the paddies, till them all thoroughly, and maintain fertility. When the time is right, plant the new seeds." Zhang Huaijin nodded.

"I understand. I've already become a Tier 1 Middle Grade Spirit Plant Cultivator. I'll need the techniques for the higher levels." Zhang Lixian handed him a book.

"Most families have this, but for a rogue cultivator, it would still be a treasure. Once you've mastered it, burn it." Zhang Huaijin nodded.

"I know." He tucked the book away. Father and son spoke no further, and Zhang Lixian left. Heavenly Yang Mountain fell silent once more. Zhang Huaijin then began breaking the seals on the two storage pouches. Both were Tier 1 Low Grade pouches with very weak seals. Using his powerful soul, he ground away the seals in just a few seconds and dumped everything out. After taking stock, a look of disdain crossed his face.

"Only two Tier 1 Low Grade spirit artifacts, twenty eight spirit stones, three Qi Return Pills, and a bunch of junk. Rogue cultivators are really poor." Looking at the spoils, Zhang Huaijin felt a trace of helplessness. But even a rat's meat is still meat. His total net worth had now reached nearly three hundred spirit stones. Besides these two rogue cultivators' low-grade artifacts, he already had a Tier 1 Low Grade Blue Bamboo Sword from before.

He now had three Tier 1 Low Grade spirit artifacts in his possession, all of them useless to him. When he finally left the Heavenly Yang Mountain, he would sell them off and convert them into spirit stones for cultivation resources. Zhang Huaijin shook his head and began studying his father's book on spirit planting techniques. With his powerful soul and exceptional comprehension, he had the entire book memorized in less than a day. All that remained was practical application.

"The Six Ren Crimson Blaze Array isn't damaged, and the stored energy hasn't been depleted much. Good thing I didn't rashly activate the Crimson Flame Saber," Zhang Huaijin murmured after inspecting the formation, breathing a sigh of relief. The array's power was enough to fully activate the saber three times, unleashing an attack comparable to a late stage Qi Refining Realm cultivator. That was the family's hidden strength, their deterrent against outside enemies.

It was best not to use it unless absolutely necessary. After settling everything and recovering his spiritual power to its peak, he turned his gaze to the spirit paddies. The rice was harvested, and the fields' fertility was depleted. The rice roots and stubble were still in the ground. He needed to till all forty acres, grind spirit stones into fine powder, and sprinkle it evenly across the fields to restore their fertility. Only then could he plant the new spirit seeds.