Cultivation: Starting with Farming in the Spiritual Pivot Grotto

Chapter 7 A tree dies when transplanted, but a person thrives.

The fiery sunset reflected on Poyang Lake, resembling fire rising from the water. In a previous life, it would have been acquired by wealthy merchants who would have charged for sightseeing.

However, this scenery was nothing to the hard-working laborers, who were all thinking about going back to rest as soon as possible.

As darkness fell, Li Ya, shrouded in the night, made his way to the medicinal herb field on the back mountain.

"This is my senior brother. Please inform Senior Brother Xie Lingji that Li Ya, a handyman from Beitian, requests an audience."

The medicinal herb field is a key area of ​​the sect, guarded by powerful warriors.

A copper coin slipped from his sleeve and fell to the ground. Li Ya quickly picked it up: "Senior brother, you dropped your money."

Li Ya didn't want to get entangled with this strongman, so he simply offered money as a way out.

The armored warrior bowed and reached out to take it: "Wait here!"

Then a servant was summoned to announce the news.

Not long after, Xie Lingji, dressed in green, approached with his hands clasped in greeting: "Junior Brother Li, have you come to a decision?"

"Thank you, Senior Brother." Li Ya returned the greeting with a cupped hand. "I've figured it out, but I still need to discuss the details with you in more detail!"

"Junior brother, come with me!"

He did not enter the medicinal herb field again, but led Li Ya to his residence.

Unlike the usual servants' quarters, this Senior Brother Xie's villa was quiet and elegant. Several unnamed ancient trees were planted in the garden, with vigorous trunks and upright leaves, covering most of the courtyard.

The plaque above the courtyard gate bears the three characters "Qingmuxuan" in a steady and powerful hand.

The entire courtyard was quiet and elegant, a world apart from his own bamboo house.

Upon entering the courtyard, the spiritual energy around us noticeably intensified.

Li Ya was shocked; this small courtyard actually had an array that gathered the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Seemingly sensing his emotions, Xie Lingji began to explain:

"This courtyard belongs to my aunt, but she didn't like it, so she let me live in it."

He then pointed to the stone table under the tree: "Junior brother, this way please."

The two sat down at the stone table under the tree. The ancient tree branches were covered with lanterns the size of fists, illuminating the entire courtyard.

"Thank you for your kind words, Senior Brother!"

"Haha, these are all decorations left by my aunt. I don't have the leisure for such things."

Xie Lingji smiled and flicked his finger, sending a spark into the charcoal furnace.

"Shall we have some tea and chat?"

"When in Rome, do as the host does!"

On the stone table sat an exquisite tea set and a small pot of orchids, which were growing vigorously.

"Senior Brother Xie, the reason I've come to find you is because of what we discussed a few days ago."

Xie Lingji sighed softly, "It's good that Junior Brother has come to his senses. Giving up this position, taking the compensation, and going down the mountain is the best course of action!"

"No!" Li Ya stared at the handsome man before him, who was no less dashing than himself, and said, "I'm willing to give up this position, but I don't want to leave the mountain, and I don't want this compensation!"

Xie Lingji stopped what he was doing, the warm smile on his face disappeared, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

Apart from the sound of the boiling spring water on the charcoal stove, there was no other sound in the courtyard at this moment.

An invisible sense of oppression emanated from the handsome man before them, like a tightening shackle that drew them in.

Li Ya's heart trembled: This Senior Brother Xie's cultivation level is probably already at the fifth level of Qi Refining.

"Junior Brother Li, please speak frankly."

Li Ya took a deep breath, stood up, bowed slightly, and said respectfully and sincerely, "I will hand over all of this compensation to my senior brother for his disposal."

"I only ask that my senior brother find me a job in the herb field, so that I can learn how to cultivate spiritual herbs and have a stable place to stay."

Upon hearing this, Xie Lingji's eyes flashed with surprise. He had originally thought that Li Ya had come looking for him because he thought the compensation was too low, and he was prepared for Li Ya to ask for an exorbitant price.

I didn't expect I was wrong.

He hesitated for a moment: "The truth?"

Not entirely.

"I am not willing to leave like this."

Li Ya faced him directly, his eyes showing no evasion.

Looking into Li Ya's sincere eyes, Xie Lingji thought to himself: You are not reconciled, but neither am I!

As soon as the spring water boiled, Xie Lingji took some water to warm the teapot. After brewing the first pot of tea, he quickly poured it out.

Only after the second pot of tea was brewed did they pour a cup for Li Ya.

The tea soup is clear and bright, with a rich aroma that lingers around the nose.

Xie Lingji picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

But in his heart, he was considering that the reward Lin Zhenshan gave, plus the compensation given to Li Ya, was not a small amount. It would be a lie to say that he was not tempted.

The previous generation of the Xie family sent their children to the Yunfu Sect for cultivation, and they suffered heavy losses in the final sect examination.

Everyone was pessimistic about Aunt Xie Daoyun, but she was the one who proved them wrong.

He became a disciple of an elder and became a Daoist disciple of Yunfu.

Unfortunately, the elder had no hope of breaking through to the next level, and his lifespan had run out.

My aunt had the title of an outer disciple but not the substance of one, and was eventually assigned to guard the medicinal herb field.

The sect's important medicinal fields are located in various forbidden areas. This area in the back mountain is only for refining ordinary pills.

Moreover, her aunt had a weak connection with the family, so it was already incredibly lucky that she took her in.

The resources for daily spiritual practice are earned by patiently working as a middleman.

"Junior brother, you are decisive. You are willing to give up this money and want to exchange it for the medicinal field. This is not difficult at all."

"The medicine field is the place in Yunfu Sect that treats people the most like human beings among all the general affairs."

"In addition, my aunt dislikes frivolous people. As long as someone does their job diligently, she won't criticize them for minor mistakes."

"Furthermore, my aunt is fond of teaching, and in her spare time, she would also guide the herb garden workers on their cultivation difficulties..."

So it seems that, apart from the heavy workload and low pay, this medicinal herb field has no other disadvantages.

Li Ya was overjoyed, but the next sentence poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

"But why should I take you into my medicinal herb garden?"

Li Ya remained calm. If Xie Lingji wanted to refuse, he would have just said so directly. Why bother telling him about all these benefits?

Just as I was thinking about how to answer, the next question came.

"My aunt manages the medicinal herb field; I can't make the decision myself. I need her permission. Go back and wait for news!"

"Thank you, senior brother!"

Li Ya stood up again and bowed to Xie Lingji.

Xie Lingji's words actually increased Li Ya's goodwill towards him.

Judging from his tone, it seems like he's almost certain.

Li Ya finished his tea and then got up to take his leave.

As I walked out of Qingmu Pavilion, I glanced back at the exquisite courtyard.

"When will I be able to live in a house like this!"

In the night, there are several such villas, their lights like yellow jade embedded in the mountain scenery.

The matter requested by the fellow Daoist has been deduced, and there are three cultivation techniques involved.

[The "Azure Mist Condensing Wood Nourishing Essence Technique": A ninth-grade wood-element cultivation method that draws the gentle breeze and subtle breath of forest vegetation into the body, circulating through the meridians to nourish the physical form and accumulating true energy. It can be obtained from Xie Daoyun, the manager of the medicinal herb fields.]

[The Record of Nourishing Spiritual Energy: A ninth-grade earth-elemental cultivation method that absorbs the abundant spiritual energy of mountains and hills, ensuring a smooth and unobstructed cultivation experience, and has the effect of strengthening the body. Available for purchase from the shopkeeper at Qingfeng Cave.]

[The "Shuling Chapter": A ninth-grade water-based cultivation method that absorbs the spiritual energy of shallow mountain streams to cleanse the meridians and acupoints, regulate breathing, and nourish the spirit. It can be obtained through merit points at the General Affairs Office.]

There are three cultivation techniques in total, and none of them are easy to obtain.

"The Record of Nourishing Spirit and Cultivating Qi" is expensive, and I certainly don't have that much money.

The "Shuling Chapter" requires good deeds, but there are none at all.

It seems we can only place our hopes on the "Azure Mist Condensing Wood Nourishing Essence Technique".

The phrase "skillfully accumulating true qi" alone is worth pursuing. The further you progress, the more true qi the Ling Shu consumes. When choosing a cultivation method in the future, the higher the upper limit of true qi, the better.

Now many things have been properly addressed, and even if success has not yet been achieved, things are at least moving in a positive direction.

"Once the matter of the medicinal herb field is settled, I will go and pay back all the money owed to Wang Wu."

He wasn't in a hurry; under the bright moon, he enjoyed the scenery along the way.

Even in the deep of night, one can look up and see dozens of fairy islands floating in the air, surrounding the main peak of Yunfu, their lights twinkling.

The floating islands are connected by chains as thick as waists, and walkways connect them.

I've heard from Brother Wei that these dozens of floating islands are part of the Yunfu Sect's grand formation. Once activated, the floating islands become deadly weapons, but no one knows exactly how effective they are.

The world is a magnificent and breathtaking landscape, a masterpiece of nature. To not appreciate its beauty would be to have wasted one's life.

Li Ya really wanted to compose a poem, but after searching for a long time, he realized that his knowledge was limited and he could only return disappointed.

Back in my little bamboo house, I closed the door, shutting out the magnificent scenery outside.

Fangcunluo's intelligence has increased considerably. Knowing that Li Ya had returned, it crawled out of the small jar under the bed.

Li Ya gently stroked the warm, jade-like snail shell and took two pills from the Ling Shu Cave.

He fed Fangcun Snail a Qi-Gathering Pill and took a Turbidity-Cleansing Pill himself.

He then sat cross-legged on the bamboo couch, following the nine-short-one-long breathing technique, and swallowed the pill whole. His body then shrank back into the shell, quietly staying by his side.

Unlike the Qi Gathering Pill, the Cleansing Pill, once swallowed, did not seem to spread its medicinal power; instead, it felt as if a gentle breeze had appeared out of nowhere within the body.

This breeze was extremely cool. As it began to flow through the meridians, it gradually grew stronger and blew into the acupoints, causing them to emit hollow echoes. It seemed that some of the stagnant and impure qi had been stirred up.

After exiting the acupoints, the energy flows through the internal organs and then across the entire body. A slight pain is felt in the internal organs, and an itching sensation also arises in the bones and flesh.

The breeze blew again and again, a full twenty times, until its power was completely exhausted.

"Well……"

Li Ya felt a tightness in his chest. When he spoke, a grayish-white breath was exhaled, mixed with foul and turbid air, and a fishy stench hit his head.

He only recovered after vomiting everything out.

"These impure and chaotic energies can hinder cultivation. Are there any cultivators in the world who specifically collect them to fight enemies?"

But thinking about it, it still seems unrealistic. Most people find excrement and urine disgusting, but you don't see anyone carrying a bucket of excrement and urine around all the time, and splashing a few spoonfuls on it when fighting an enemy.

"I am a righteous cultivator, so I certainly wouldn't, but those demonic cultivators might be a different story!"

Although a single Cleansing Pill cannot open up all the acupoints, Li Ya felt that the pill's effects were several times greater than those of a Qi Gathering Pill.

The Cleansing Pill has created a crack in the walls of the city, opening up all the acupoints. From now on, all we need to do is attack the crack, and the city will fall in no time.

"There are still eight Cleansing Pills left. If we take them all, we can shorten the time by half again. However, the matter of removing the erysipelas still needs to be put on the agenda."

The Cleansing Pill is so potent that only the direct descendants of powerful families can afford to use it. The Mountain Lord's Pouch must have come from a very powerful source.

"Haha, you're just scaring yourself. If something really happened, the ghost market would have been overturned long ago. Why would it be waiting for me to buy this mountain king's pouch?"

Li Ya gave a self-deprecating laugh.

He gulped down a large mouthful of tiger bone wine, and the moment the medicinal wine went down his throat, he opened his eyes wide and forced himself to swallow it.

The spiciness spreads rapidly from my throat to my stomach, like swallowing a ball of fire.

"How much juicy stuff did Brother Wei use?!"

At this moment, wisps of heat gushed out from between the bones of his body, his veins bulged, and soon sweat began to pour from his forehead.

My blood and energy flowed like a floodgate being opened, and my chest felt so hot I could bake a pancake in it.

Since arriving in this world, Li Ya had almost never experienced insomnia, but this night, he couldn't sleep at all.