When Si Qinghe awoke, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled outside, and rain poured down. In the brief moment illuminated by the lightning, he found himself lying in a dilapidated thatched hut. Immediately after, his head spun, and a memory of farming in the Outer Sect of the Nine Heavens Talisman Palace was added to his mind.
He had transmigrated!
From a 24-year-old agricultural college graduate, he had transmigrated into a 16-year-old Cultivator youth!
At that time, he was in the laboratory examining a bronze shard with an unknown plant pattern when his finger was accidentally cut by the shard, and suddenly, that shard emitted a strong light!
Hmm, something like that.
Then, he arrived here!
He didn't know whether to cry or to laugh!
He had read many Transmigration novels, but he never expected such a magical thing to happen to him!
He had transmigrated to a Xuanhuan cultivation world, where he could cultivate for longevity, fly on swords, summon wind and rain, experience a different life, and fulfill his cultivation dream!
But the premise was that he had to survive!
The original owner was facing a life-or-death situation!
There was a problem with the spiritual rice he cultivated, he was harshly scolded by the deacon, mocked by fellow Disciples, and was on the verge of being expelled from the School!
He was ambushed, poisoned, and about to die in the Yellow Springs!
In order to retain his Sect Disciple status, after the spiritual rice problem arose, the original owner sought advice everywhere, but no one paid attention to him!
He also suspected that someone else was behind it and inquired everywhere; everyone was a suspect. He annoyed people so much that unknowingly, they poisoned him, and he finally died from the poison!
The problem with the spiritual rice had not been solved, and the poison in his body had not been cleared. Now that he had transmigrated, he directly inherited the problems.
“Heaven, you just can’t stand to see me do well, can you?!” Si Qinghe cursed under his breath. His response was a clap of thunder from the sky. Well, it didn't strike him.
This was a cultivation plane, with numerous Sects and fierce competition. The original owner, with the same name, was an orphan. After his Spiritual Root for cultivation was detected, the entire village pooled money to send him to the Nine Heavens Talisman Palace, the largest cultivation School in Zhao Kingdom, to seek a master.
The reason they chose the Nine Heavens Talisman Palace was because it was the closest, and the villagers only knew of this one Sect!
He clearly remembered the eager gazes of the entire village, which was also why the original owner desperately wanted to stay here.
He couldn't let the villagers down!
Rubbing his still slightly dizzy forehead, he sighed, “Oh, I’ll go check tomorrow. What exactly is going on with this spiritual rice field?”
After dealing with the spiritual rice field and the poison, he needed to plan carefully how to survive in this dangerous cultivation world!
This place could fulfill cultivation dreams, but it was also full of dangers. A slight carelessness could lead to death!
The poison in his body had acted up once, but he could still delay it for a while. Apart from some dizziness and soreness, there were no other symptoms for now, but this spiritual rice field could no longer be delayed.
It was still dark, and Si Qinghe was about to get up. The original owner had been sick for several days, without food or drink, and his body felt weak.
“You little bastard, are you dead? If not, hurry up and get down the mountain, lest someone has to clean up your corpse!”
The scolding voice of Deacon Zhao Hu came from outside the door.
Zhao Hu was at Qi Refining Layer eight, and Si Qinghe was at Qi Refining Layer two. He couldn't beat him. Zhao Hu also had a cousin who was an Inner Sect Disciple, so he had backing and couldn't be given an excuse to be driven down the mountain!
Si Qinghe sighed and slapped his Face a few times to loosen it up, forcing a smile.
He staggered out the door, bowing and scraping to Zhao Hu, saying, “Good morning, Deacon Sir. Deacon Sir looks great today, full of Dragon and horse spirit. I’ll go attend to the spiritual rice field immediately and ensure the spiritual rice harvest is not delayed.”
Zhao Hu was a bit surprised. This little brat was a bit different today; he wasn't so weak-kneed before. Had he finally matured?
However, this attitude was very pleasing!
Zhao Hu had originally intended to drive Si Qinghe down the mountain today. He had been sick for several days and couldn't get up; he couldn't die on the mountain, it would be bad luck!
Looking at him, it seemed he had recovered. As long as he could work, it was fine.
“Hurry up and get to work! If this season’s spiritual rice doesn’t meet the Sect’s requirements, you can pack your bags and get out!” Zhao Hu said fiercely.
Outer Sect Utility Disciples cultivating the School’s spiritual rice fields had to hand in five hundred catties of spiritual rice per mu. The yield of one mu of spiritual rice field was about six to seven hundred catties, and the extra one to two hundred catties were considered the School’s reward to you. But if you didn’t hand in enough five hundred catties, you either had to pay out of your own pocket or pack your bags yourself.
Outside, people waiting to enter the School were lining up!
Si Qinghe was all smiles, repeatedly agreeing, “Going right away, right away. Deacon Sir, take care. I’ll invite Deacon Sir for a drink when the spiritual rice has a bountiful harvest another day.”
Zhao Hu left satisfied. Si Qinghe rummaged through the hut and found a few biscuits. He ate two with water to fill his stomach. With some strength, he was about to leave when a voice came from outside the door again:
“Is Junior Brother Qinghe in?” This was Li Minghai’s voice. Li Minghai also cultivated spiritual rice, and the original owner was quite familiar with him, even borrowing two Low-Grade Spirit Stones from Li Minghai.
Si Qinghe walked out the door, putting on a smile: “Good morning, Senior Brother.”
“Is Junior Brother feeling much better?” Li Minghai was a bit awkward.
“Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother, I am well now.”
“It’s like this, Senior Brother has been a bit tight on money lately, and I was wondering, Junior Brother…”
So, he came to collect a debt!
Si Qinghe was speechless. He guessed Li Minghai had heard he was dying or about to be driven down the mountain and rushed over to collect the debt.
If he had two Spirit Stones now, he would immediately return them, but he truly had none.
With a fawning smile, Si Qinghe said obsequiously, “Senior Brother, please give me a few more days. I’ll return it as soon as I earn some Spirit Stones. I truly can’t spare any right now.”
Li Minghai was also speechless. He was also as poor as a church mouse; otherwise, he wouldn’t have lost Face to collect a debt for two Low-Grade Spirit Stones!
Seeing that Si Qinghe didn't look like he was on the verge of death, he could only wait a little longer.
“Alright then, Junior Brother, your health is important. I’ll come visit you another day.”
After sending off Li Minghai, Si Qinghe’s mouth was full of bitterness. Alas, he was truly too poor!
The Nine Heavens Talisman Palace was a Talisman Cultivator and Formation Cultivator School. Cultivating this spiritual rice had nothing to do with Talisman Cultivators; it was the lowest type of Utility Disciple work!
Disciples with connections or those willing to offer bribes could be assigned to make talisman papers or patrol formation eye Restrictions. Making talisman papers could be sold as scrap, and patrolling formation eyes could report losses, both of which were lucrative jobs.
Those of a slightly lower standing could also go to raise Spirit Beasts or be spiritual chefs, which also offered some benefits. The worst was farming, which had high risks and low returns, relying on nature for sustenance.
Si Qinghe had no connections, and his pockets were cleaner than his Face, so being assigned to farming was the most normal outcome.
The spiritual rice field he was responsible for was in a remote location with thin Spiritual Qi. Arriving there, his eyes were filled with drooping spiritual rice, a truly heartbreaking sight!
The original owner had truly had a miserable life!
He was reclusive, stubbornly unyielding, and didn't know how to adapt, ultimately leading to his own stubborn demise!
Si Qinghe squatted down and carefully examined the spiritual rice.
Poor crop growth was usually due to insufficient fertilizer or pests and diseases. The spiritual rice on this hill was not growing well, its leaves were wilted, but the leaves weren't curled or had small spots, nor were any insect eggs found, so it didn't look like a pest or disease problem. Could it be a fertility issue?
Si Qinghe carefully recalled the planting knowledge the original owner had learned.
spiritual rice was planted in spiritual rice fields, absorbing Spiritual Qi from the fields to produce spiritual rice. The Spiritual Qi in spiritual rice was gentle and pure, making it the best food for low-level Cultivators who had not yet entered Bigu (abstinence from grains). It could promote the growth of a Cultivator’s cultivation and could also be used to restore Spiritual Qi and True Qi. It could also be used to feed some Spirit Beasts.
To make spiritual rice grow well, it needed to absorb more Spiritual Qi, supplemented by Five Elements cultivation techniques to assist the spiritual rice’s growth and development at various stages. No mistakes could be made at any stage of growth to ensure a bountiful harvest.
The only thing the original owner was commendable for was his Five Elements Spiritual Plant cultivation technique; he had at least learned the basics of each!
Si Qinghe had been at the School for two years, and this plot of land had been cultivated for two years. The poor growth of the spiritual rice only appeared this month.
Just as he was at a loss, a lazy, bewildered, and slightly vicissitudes of life voice suddenly sounded in his mind: “Where is this?”