Zhou Jinyan examined a rice panicle.

  "Brother Zhou, this spirit rice seems stable now. But looking at your field, besides spirit rice, it seems you've planted other spirit crops too?"

  Lu Chi asked without moving a muscle.

  "Naturally," Zhou Jinyan straightened up from the rice, looked up, and grinned.

  "Last year, I also tried planting a few clumps of Azure Grass and Purple Orchids. The former refines into auxiliary materials for Qi?Nourishing Pills, and the latter can be used to make Spirit?Dispelling Wine to ward off evil. Though I didn't achieve great success, I managed to save some seeds."

  "...Are those seeds... still here today?"

  Zhou Jinyan was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing. He clapped Lu Chi on the shoulder, his eyes twinkling with playful teasing.

  "You rascal! Beating around the bush like that—you were eyeing my seeds, weren't you!"

  "Tsk tsk, just now, as I watched you peering around the field, your eyes shining, I thought perhaps our Talisman Master had grown bored. Seeing my Spirit Field, you suddenly developed an interest and wanted to join me in tilling the soil?"

  "Brother Zhou jests. I merely... witnessed your Mountain?Guiding Technique and Minor Cloud?Rain Art and felt that the Spirit Farmer's path also had its merits. I just wanted to give it a try."

  Zhou Jinyan sized him up, then, as if he'd made a decision, stopped laughing. His tone turned earnest.

  "Give it a try? Hah, spirit farming isn't as simple as drawing a talisman. Sowing seeds is easy, but nurturing them into mature spirit crops takes at least a few months, perhaps three to five years."

  "Exposure to wind and sun, pest infestations, blight, shifts in earth veins, fluctuations in spiritual tides... every single one requires meticulous care. A moment's negligence, and all your prior effort is wasted—far more painful than ruining a talisman."

  He paused, then saw the determination in Lu Chi's eyes. He couldn't help but sigh, waving a hand.

  "Fine, fine. Since you've spoken up, how could I hide them from you? A taste is good too. Come, let's go back to my place and get the seeds."

  Zhou Jinyan led Lu Chi back to his own small courtyard. He pushed open the wooden gate and walked straight to a wooden cabinet in a corner of the main hall, taking out three small jade bottles from it.

  The bottle bodies were engraved with fine restrictive patterns, and tiny Preservation Talismans were affixed to the openings, faintly glowing with spiritual light.

  "In here, one bottle contains Azure Grass seeds, one Purple Orchid seeds, and there's another bottle..."

  "Hmm, these are Moonshadow Vine seeds I bought from the market a few days ago. Although they're just first?rank, lower?grade spirit plants, when fully grown, they can condense into pearls, quite beneficial for Qi Refinement cultivators nurturing their meridians."

  He stuffed the three bottles of seeds into Lu Chi's hands, his tone cheerful yet carrying a note of instruction:

  "Take them. If you truly intend to learn spirit farming, these three are perfect for you to practice with. If there's anything you don't understand, just come ask me."

  Lu Chi took the jade bottles, his fingertips brushing their cool surfaces. A warmth stirred in his heart.

  With the three types of spirit plant seeds in hand, the final task was almost within reach.

  He cupped his hands and said solemnly, "Brother Zhou's great kindness, I will remember it."

  Hearing this, Zhou Jinyan was first stunned, then burst into hearty laughter again, patting his shoulder heavily.

  "Enough of that! When I first saw you come out of the Luo Family Talisman Shop, I already wanted to pull you into farming. Now that you want these three types of seeds, you must cultivate them well in the future."

  "Spirit plants take at least a few months to grow, perhaps three to five years. If you start strong and finish weak, abandoning them halfway, don't blame me for mocking your lack of perseverance and weak Dao?heart in the future!"

  Having said that, Zhou Jinyan turned to fetch a jar of Spirit Rice Wine from the wine vat in the corner of the main hall. He broke the clay seal, and the aroma of wine immediately began to permeate the air.

  "Come, let's have a drink to celebrate first. You helped me greatly today, my treat—Spirit Rice Wine, as much as you want!"

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  Lu Chi smiled as he took the wine bowl. In his heart, he was already calculating: personally planting these three spirit crops, once the Spirit Farmer profession was unlocked, who knew what kind of innate talents or dispositions he might gain?

  The two of them drank a few cups and casually exchanged a few pleasantries.

  Lu Chi mentioned that he had already entered Moon?Veil Pavilion, becoming a talisman master there, considered attached to the Dusk?Mist Sect. If he needed talismans in the future, he only needed to mention his name.

  Hearing this, Zhou Jinyan felt a wave of emotion. He hadn't yet heard about the recent trouble at Moon?Veil Pavilion. He only felt that his friend had unexpectedly found a place, much more respectable than his own spirit?farming self, and couldn't help sighing a few times about the unpredictability of worldly affairs.

  Lu Chi simply smiled faintly, saying no more. He soon rose to take his leave, and by the time he returned to his own small courtyard, it was already mid?afternoon.

  Sunlight slanted into the courtyard, casting a faint, warm glow on the bluish stone slabs. The courtyard itself wasn't large; one corner was piled with various sundries, while another corner stood empty, just enough to clear out a small plot.

  Lu Chi rolled up his sleeves and first used the Mountain?Guiding Technique to tidy up the earth veins in the courtyard.

  Although Lu Chi knew that patch of spirit farmland wasn’t ideal, it wasn’t too shabby either.

  He carefully took out three jade bottles from his storage pouch and poured out the seeds.

  The Verdant Sprout Grass seeds were as fine as grains of rice, with a faint greenish tint.

  The Purple?Calyx Flower seeds were slightly larger, their surfaces etched with intricate purple veins.

  The Moon?Dew Vine seeds were oval, seemingly holding a shimmering liquid within.

  He found a shaded yet sunlit corner in his courtyard.

  With a finger flick, he conjured a small shovel from his spiritual energy and dug three shallow holes.

  The soil was loose, carrying a hint of mundane earthiness, lacking any special spiritual nourishment.

  Spirit farmers are actually quite particular about soil quality and the spiritual environment.

  For example, that patch of Zhou Jinyan’s farmland was special spirit soil bought from the market’s “Nurturing Origin Pavilion.”

  Normally, it required sticking on Spirit?Gathering Talismans and guiding earth veins to make the spirit rice thrive.

  But Lu Chi was just unlocking a profession now.

  Where would he find time for such meticulousness?

  He planted them casually. Success or failure, it all depended on fate.

  He placed each of the three types of seeds into a hole, covered them with a thin layer of soil, then with a light tap of his fingertip, a wisp of water?type spiritual energy transformed into a fine drizzle, falling evenly.

  After the three seeds were in the soil, Lu Chi stood still for a moment, confirmed there were no unusual fluctuations, and then withdrew his hand.

  Once everything was settled, he took a deep breath.

  With a thought, he summoned his Career Panel.

  A radiant glow appeared, and indeed, there were changes.

  [Career Panel]

  ?

  [Name: Lu Chi]

  ?

  [Realm: Qi Refinement – Fourth Layer]

  ?

  [Profession: Talisman Master Lv.2 (5/50)]

  ?

  [Current Profession: Spirit Farmer (Unlocked)]

  ?

  [Spirit Farmer Lv.1 (0/30)]

  ?

  [Root Trait: Plant?Listening]: Can listen to the language of plants, perceiving their joys, desires, ailments, and growth intentions.

  The stronger the plant, the clearer the whispers.

  [Talent: Dew?Condensation]: Can gather essence from the sun and moon, condensing it into spirit liquid.

  When dripped onto spirit plants, it can accelerate their growth, stabilize their roots, and enhance their grade.

  Lu Chi’s eyes lit up, and his heart trembled slightly.

  The first boost from his new profession came from this Root Trait.

  He looked down at the three new mounds in the courtyard corner.

  Though the three spirit plants had just been placed in the soil, he could already faintly sense a subtle stir.

  It was like three slender, dazed threads of thought coming from the earth, carrying a longing for sunlight, rain, and spiritual energy.

  Lu Chi closed his eyes, concentrating, trying to gently open his [Plant?Listening]? root trait.

  Those three vague thoughts instantly became clearer, as if three just?awakened infants were babbling in the soil.

  “Thirsty… so thirsty…”

  “Suffocating… the soil is too heavy… need light… need sun… sun… shine on me… grow… grow tall…”

  “…Dark… so dark… afraid… afraid of the cold… flower… want to bloom… want to turn purple… purplish?purple…”

  The three wisps of intention intertwined, clumsily tugging at the hem of Lu Chi’s mental robes for candy—crying, fussing, coquettish, and quarrelsome all at once.

  Lu Chi opened his eyes; the corner of his brow twitched.

  He laughed and said helplessly, “…These are clearly not spirit plants. They’re three milk?deprived babies.”

  He shook his head helplessly, yet couldn’t suppress a surge of gratification.

  This [Plant?Listening]? root trait, at first listen, seemed like a weakness.

  But upon deeper consideration, it was an immense convenience.

  Normally, cultivating spirit plants requires daily observation of leaf color, soil conditions, and spiritual energy flow.

  One even needs to ask a talisman master to draw Spirit?Gathering Talismans or request an alchemist to refine a growth?accelerating pill, only then to roughly guess what the spirit plants lack or desire.

  One careless move could lead to overwatering, underwatering, excessive sun, or insufficient sun—ruining the entire plant.

  But with [Plant?Listening], he could directly hear the spirit plants’ own voices.

  Thirsty? Just water it.

  Need air? Just provide ventilation.

  Cold? Crank up the warmth.

  Flower bud anxious? Help it open…

  No need to memorize those tedious cultivation notes, and no worry about misjudging their needs.

  Wasn’t this saving ninety?nine percent of the trial and error of spirit farming?

  Then, Lu Chi became greatly interested in the new talent, [Dew?Condensation].

  He sat cross?legged, his hands naturally resting on his knees.

  Closing his eyes and looking inward, with a single thought, he quietly activated this new talent.

  In an instant, Lu Chi felt a strange, cool sensation rising from his brow.

  It was as if invisible threads were drawing in the essence of sun and moon from the heavens and earth, slowly converging toward the center of his palms.

  He stilled his mind and focused inward.

  It felt as if countless tiny pores across his body had opened, greedily drawing in the faint spiritual light within the sunlight and the residual moonlight lingering from the night.

  This essence was originally scattered and formless, but now it was like a hundred rivers returning to the sea—guided by an invisible force, it gathered, compressed, and condensed…

  Time seemed to stretch infinitely slow in that moment.

  Fine beads of sweat gradually formed on Lu Chi's temples, and his fingertips trembled slightly.

  He didn't dare let his focus waver. He could only feel that pulling force growing stronger and stronger. The essence of heaven and earth, fine as silk threads, continuously flowed into the empty space above his palms.

  After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

  Within that void, a glimmer of crystalline light quietly took shape.

  First, it was a faint, hazy mist. Then it condensed into a droplet of liquid, like a dewdrop, suspended three inches above his palm. It was completely transparent, with subtle interweaving golden and silver glimmers swirling inside, emanating a vitality so rich it felt almost tangible.

  Lu Chi opened his eyes and gazed at the suspended droplet of spiritual liquid. Carefully, he guided it with his finger toward the nearest Moondrop Vine seed.

  The moment the spiritual liquid touched the soil, it seeped into the earth like snow meeting boiling soup.

  In the next instant.

  Crack!

  The soil layer trembled slightly, and a tiny fissure appeared.

  Immediately after, a tender green sprout broke through the soil at a speed visible to the naked eye!

  The sprout first stretched out half an inch, then its stem and leaves rapidly unfurled. In the blink of an eye, it had grown to about three inches tall. The vine was soft yet resilient, with dewdrops Coagulation on its leaves, refracting a prismatic halo in the morning light.

  "Breaking through the soil… it actually broke through the soil directly?"

  Even though he had expected it, Lu Chi couldn't help but stare in stunned silence.

  The Moondrop Vine was originally a first?rank, low?grade spirit plant. Under normal circumstances, after seeds were buried, it took at least three to five days to sprout, sometimes half a month to a month. It required careful watering, spirit?gathering, and protection to grow slowly.

  But now, with just one drop of spiritual liquid, it had skipped months of effort and directly broken through the soil!

  Lu Chi stared blankly at the Moondrop Vine that had already sprouted. Amid his shock, a familiar sense of absurdity welled up in his heart.

  This… this was exactly like Han Old Devil's little green bottle!