The first ray of morning sun slowly cascaded upon the land.
In the Celestial Desolation Cultivation World, within a quaint courtyard in the western suburbs of Azure Spirit Market in the Eastern Forest Domain.
A young man sat on a prayer mat, his palms facing upwards, resting naturally on his knees.
He wore a light cyan robe, with several Spiritual Plant patterns embroidered on the collar, and a plain belt tied around his waist.
The young man's appearance was not outstanding, but his features seemed sculpted by strong winds; his brow ridges were slightly thick, his nose bridge was tall but not overly sharp, and the slight downward curve of his eyes revealed determination. Though his physique was as slender as a bamboo, it held a hidden resilience.
"Alas. The efficiency is still too low. I'm only at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining Layer Three, and it will still take a lot of time to reach Qi Refining Layer Four."
Shen Yunxi sighed inwardly, adjusting his breathing and concluding his Cultivation.
At twenty-four years old, he was a Spirit Farmer in this Azure Spirit Market.
Shen Yunxi then tidied his clothes, turned around, and dug out an old hoe with several special patterns on its wooden handle from a corner of the courtyard.
He weighed it in his hand; it was quite heavy. Then, he hoisted it onto his shoulder and strode out of the courtyard gate.
After about three or four li, he arrived at the Spiritual Field area.
Looking out, a vast expanse of Spiritual Fields was artificially divided into numerous plots, crisscrossing and magnificent.
Golden waves shimmered under the sunlight as a gentle breeze blew.
Many white spirit rice plants bore plump ears of rice, their heavy weight bending the stalks.
"Oh, it's Cloud Creek. Why are you so early today? Usually, you don't come until 7-9 AM?"
At this moment, a dark-skinned, burly middle-aged man in a Spiritual Field looked at the newly arrived Shen Yunxi and spoke.
"Big Brother Lu, please don't tease me. I only have those three acres of Spiritual Fields. Coming to tend to them at Chen Shi is more than enough time. If it weren't for the upcoming white spirit rice harvest, I would want to Cultivate a bit longer and strive to Breakthrough to Qi Refining Layer Four sooner."
"Good, young people just have spirit."
Lu Kaishan grinned and laughed heartily.
Shen Yunxi and Lu Kaishan chatted casually for a few moments before Shen Yunxi headed to his own Spiritual Fields.
Before long, a small mountain shrouded in mist appeared. At its foot, several Spiritual Fields lay quietly, surrounded by bamboo groves, making it seem exceptionally serene.
Beside each Spiritual Field stood a scarecrow, holding a small bell-like object. Although it was a Low Grade Magical Artifact, it was quite effective at deterring birds from pecking at the white spirit rice.
Nearby, there was also a thatched shed, specifically built for resting at noon.
Shen Yunxi looked at the vast expanse of Spiritual Fields laden with rice ears, his heart filled with extraordinary joy.
However, many serrated small grasses were interspersed among them, looking somewhat unsightly.
Serrated grass, a weed named for its saw-toothed leaves, possesses tenacious vitality and often grows alongside white spirit rice. If not removed early, it greatly affects white spirit rice yield.
Shen Yunxi picked up his hoe, circulated the Spiritual Qi within his body, guiding it towards the runes on the hoe. Feeling the hoe lighten in his hand, he quickly began his weeding campaign.
He moved with swift eyes and hands, targeting the location of the serrated grass, and his right-hand hoe accurately struck its roots.
"Chii."
In an instant, it was pulled out root and all.
The hoe in his hand was specifically provided by the Azure Spirit Market for the Low Grade Spirit Farmers there to loosen soil and remove weeds.
However, it did require money to purchase.
This hoe wasn't even considered a Magical Artifact; it was merely refined to meet the needs of Spirit Farmers, with very low production costs.
Yet, the Azure Spirit Market dared to charge twenty Spirit Stones for it.
One must know that a Low Grade First-Tier Magical Artifact generally costs around thirty Spirit Stones.
If a Spirit Farmer was short on money, they could use it first and pay later, needing only to pay it back over three years, which sounded quite humane at first glance.
But each year, they had to pay an extra three Spirit Stones in interest, totaling twenty-nine Spirit Stones to repay.
It was like a turtle eating coal—utterly black-hearted.
Although one could cast the Golden Sword Technique to remove weeds, Cultivators at Qi Refining Layer Two and Three lacked sufficient Spiritual Qi in their bodies, making it difficult to sustain.
For someone like Shen Yunxi, casting the Golden Sword Technique only a few times would completely drain his Spiritual Qi.
In terms of efficiency, it couldn't compare to using this specialized Spirit Farmer's hoe.
Therefore, to secure a stable source of income, Shen Yunxi could only hold his nose and accept this loan, finally paying it off this year.
The setting sun dyed the sky fiery red.
"Huff! Huff! Finally, it's all cleared!"
Shen Yunxi, exhausted to the point of collapse, sat inside the thatched shed, panting heavily.
As dusk fell, he rested for a while before heading home. On the way, he saw Lu Kaishan still there.
Lu Kaishan formed a hand seal with his left hand, pointing his right index and middle fingers towards the Spiritual Field. Instantly, a sword-shaped golden light shot from his fingertips, rapidly striking the root of a serrated grass.
"Chi. Chii. Chii."
After quickly severing one plant, the golden light did not stop but continued to rush towards the next, only slowly dissipating after severing dozens of plants consecutively.
Although this was not the first time he had witnessed this scene, Shen Yunxi still showed an envious expression.
"Big Brother Lu, your Golden Sword Technique must be close to Minor Achievement, it's truly incredibly powerful."
Shen Yunxi watched the gradually fading golden light and couldn't help but praise him.
"It's alright, I've also finished everything here. Let's go back together."
Although Lu Kaishan's words carried humility, a hint of pride still appeared on his face. With his Qi Refining Layer Six Realm and this Golden Sword Technique nearing Minor Achievement, he was indeed capable of being proud among the hundreds of Spirit Farmers in this Azure Spirit Market.
He patted Shen Yunxi's shoulder, and then the two walked away together.
"The harvest will be in a few days. After paying the rent, try to buy a few bottles of Spirit Gathering Pill for Cultivation with the remaining money, and Breakthrough to Qi Refining Layer Four as soon as possible. By then, you will also have sufficient Spiritual Qi to cast the Golden Sword Technique, which will be much easier. As for the dozens of Spirit Stones you owe me, you don't have to pay them back yet; wait until you are more financially comfortable."
On the way, Lu Kaishan spoke with a slightly weary expression.
Repeatedly casting the Golden Sword Technique and Spiritual Rain Technique, even with his Qi Refining Layer Six strength, was taxing.
"But…"
"No need to say more. Although I, your Big Brother Lu, have many expenses, I'm not short on this amount. However, these dozens of Spirit Stones are very important to you."
Before Shen Yunxi could finish speaking, Lu Kaishan interrupted him.
"Thank you for your concern, Big Brother Lu."
Shen Yunxi's face showed gratitude.
Lu Kaishan waved his hand, then walked steadily towards the northern suburbs of the market, heading home.
Shen Yunxi watched Lu Kaishan's departing figure, slowly recalling how, more than three years ago, on his way home from work, he had encountered "great luck" and Transmigrated into the body of this recently deceased person with the same name.
From initial surprise to later ecstasy, then to the bewilderment upon first arriving at Azure Spirit Market, and finally, the good fortune of meeting Lu Kaishan.
If not for Lu Kaishan teaching him basic Spirit Farmer knowledge and helping him obtain Spirit Farmer status, with his original body's Qi Refining Layer Two strength, he would likely have died again in the wilderness… Shen Yunxi returned home, picked up the teapot, and poured a full, large cup of tea.
"Gulp, gulp."
"Comfortable."
Putting down the teacup, he contentedly sat on the chair, resting.
This courtyard looked somewhat old, with a small main hall connected to a back bedroom, and another side room adjacent to it, primarily used as a kitchen and storage. The middle of the courtyard was not spacious either, only two zhang square.
Shen Yunxi was quite satisfied, hearing that the original tenant of this courtyard had given up the lease to go develop new land.
Because it was located on the outskirts of the market and not connected to the First-Tier Spiritual Vein Formation within the market, Shen Yunxi rented it for a relatively low price of six Spirit Stones per year.
After a short rest, he casually prepared some white spirit rice, paired with ordinary Yao Beast meat left over from a few days ago, considering it a satisfying meal.
He sat cross-legged, calming his mind and Qi.
A moment later, Shen Yunxi's aura gradually stabilized, and he began to circulate a common Cultivation Technique, the "Spirit Origin Skill."
Although the "Spirit Origin Skill" was very ordinary, it was balanced and harmonious, and would not have any negative effects if he were to switch to other Cultivation Techniques in the future, making it most suitable for Low Grade Cultivators as an initial Cultivation Technique.
Moreover, this Cultivation Technique was quite compatible with him; he had already reached the Proficient level, and compared to before, the speed of refining Spiritual Qi had increased by about twenty percent.
The faint Spiritual Qi in the white spirit rice was easily absorbed by him, then gradually refined and integrated into the Spiritual Qi vortex in his Dantian.
Not long after.
Shen Yunxi noticed that the white spirit rice in his body was mostly digested. Feeling a slight increase in Spiritual Qi, he nodded inwardly.
"Not bad. Although this white spirit rice is Low Grade, it is still much better than directly refining the Spiritual Qi within Spirit Stones. At this rate, if I also take a few bottles of Spirit Gathering Pill, I should be able to Breakthrough to Qi Refining Layer Four in another three or four years."
The Spiritual Qi in Spirit Stones and the Spiritual Qi floating in the world need to be "tamed" by Cultivators before they can be absorbed.
He had bought quite a few Spirit Gathering Pills before, but they had long been used up, and his daily intake of white spirit rice was limited, so he had to take out a Spirit Stone and begin absorbing its Qi.
Shen Yunxi mobilized the Spiritual Qi within his body, guiding it to flow along the Meridians indicated by the "Spirit Origin Skill." Then, he drew the Spiritual Qi light spots from the heavens and earth into his Dantian.
Several hours later, as the Spirit Stone in his hand gradually lost its luster, a wisp of new Spiritual Qi was finally successfully refined and integrated into his Spiritual Qi vortex.
Feeling his body was extremely tired, Shen Yunxi simply stopped Cultivating and collapsed onto his bed, falling into a deep sleep.
Late at night, without anyone noticing, a dreamlike, five-colored aurora streaked across the dark night and shone upon him.
Boom.
After an unknown period, it seemed that something within the five-colored aurora burst forth in his mind.