Chapter 444: 443. Chapter 438: If Not Expelled, Then Leave

443. Chapter 438: If Not Expelled, Then Leave

In just two days, Ding Huan, who had just broken through to Jin Xian Seventh Layer, felt the cultivation barrier of Jin Xian Eighth Layer.

The advantage of the Great Universe Art is that once cultivated, no matter how pure or abundant the immortal spiritual source, there is never an issue of inability to absorb it.

The Dao rules within these immortal spiritual rice were too clear; Ding Huan didn't even need to consciously contemplate them—they were deeply etched into his mind.

Boom! The Great Universe Art's Zhou Tian effortlessly shattered the Jin Xian Seventh Layer barrier and entered Jin Xian Eighth Layer.

Amazing.

The protective array's seals were disturbed; Ding Huan ceased his cultivation.

He knew his time to take the blame had arrived.

Yet Ding Huan felt no bitterness; the moment he thought of the thousand-plus jin of immortal spiritual rice he'd harvested, his mood improved greatly.

He waved his hand and collected all the void array patterns from the rice paddies, then opened the protective array—three people stood at the entrance.

Chen Guan stood at the front, expression full of helplessness.

Clearly, he didn't want Ding Huan to be made a scapegoat, but he couldn't stop it.

Since the day Ding Huan entered the Immortal Agriculture Department, his fate had been sealed.

"Lu Renjia, time's up. We're here to collect the immortal spiritual rice. You cultivated five mu, so you must pay six hundred jin of inferior-grade immortal spiritual rice grains."

A man with piercing eyes stepped forward, speaking coldly.

From the killing intent radiating from him, Ding Huan knew they weren't here to collect rice—they were here to arrest him.

They were certain he couldn't grow immortal spiritual rice.

According to regulations, Ding Huan cultivated five mu and must pay six hundred jin of inferior-grade immortal spiritual rice grains, or five hundred jin of immortal spiritual rice.

This refers to the inferior grade.

If it were middle-grade, he'd pay two hundred fifty jin of immortal spiritual rice, or three hundred jin of rice grains.

"If you can't pay the rice grains, come with us." Another man stepped forward, ready to act.

Ding Huan replied coldly: "I haven't spoken yet, and you're already saying I can't pay? You're not here to collect rice—you're here specifically to arrest me, aren't you?"

Hearing this, the men paused, momentarily stunned.

True enough—they were here to seize him, and this kid knew it perfectly well.

Ding Huan turned to Chen Guan: "Chen Dangzhi, how many superior-grade immortal crystals per jin for inferior-grade immortal spiritual rice grains?"

Chen Guan didn't understand Ding Huan's intent and replied casually: "Usually five to six thousand superior-grade immortal crystals per jin."

Ding Huan sucked in a sharp breath—this was a fortune waiting to be made. So middle-grade immortal spiritual rice grains must be worth over ten thousand.

If one cultivated this, wouldn't wealth come effortlessly? Why then was there so little of it on the market?

Ding Huan ignored his own Great Universe Art—if he hadn't possessed it, two hundred jin of inferior-grade immortal spiritual rice grains from five mu would've been excellent.

And cultivating immortal spiritual rice isn't as easy as Ding Huan's method—just practicing the Great Universe Art.

Cultivating it requires meticulous care, regular placement of various Five Element immortal spiritual substances, and pest control.

He could set up Void Killing Pest Immortal Arrays; others couldn't.

Though Ding Huan had thoroughly studied the Immortal Agriculture Department's jade slip rules, he didn't know he could periodically claim partial Five Element immortal spiritual substances from the department to nurture the rice.

It was an unspoken rule—everyone knew it, except Ding Huan.

But even if he'd known, he had no time to claim them—he barely had time for cultivation.

Ding Huan raised his hand and pulled out an open basket filled with green immortal spiritual rice grains.

Chen Guan and the other two stared, frozen, at the basket in Ding Huan's hand.

The rice grains inside emitted a fragrant aroma, abundant heavenly and earthly qi, and clear Dao resonance—obviously freshly harvested.

This was top-tier middle-grade immortal spiritual rice grains, nearly approaching superior-grade.

"See? These are middle-grade immortal spiritual rice grains. One basket is one hundred jin."

As he spoke, Ding Huan pulled out two more baskets, each identical, filled with middle-grade immortal spiritual rice grains.

"You actually grew immortal spiritual rice grains?" Chen Guan finally realized, staring at Ding Huan in disbelief.

The other two also snapped out of their shock, staring at Ding Huan with identical expressions.

They weren't here to collect rice—they were here to find a scapegoat.

Even if Ding Huan had grown the rice, three hundred jin handed to the Immortal Court was far from enough.

Ding Huan feigned confusion: "Chen Dangzhi, I was hired as an Immortal Cultivator, wasn't I? Isn't growing immortal spiritual rice grains my duty?"

Chen Guan fell silent—he couldn't explain this.

Ding Huan turned to the two stunned men: "What? You won't accept middle-grade immortal spiritual rice grains?"

"We'll take them," the man with the piercing eyes swallowed hard and stepped forward to seize the baskets.

Ding Huan said coolly: "First, inspect them. Second, weigh them. You haven't done either, and you want to take my rice? Are you here to make a joke?"

The man sighed, bent down, plunged his hand into the basket, and tossed the rice grains up and let them fall: "One hundred jin of middle-grade immortal spiritual rice grains—qualified."

Then he walked to the second basket and repeated the exact same procedure.

After finishing, he said: "Three hundred jin of middle-grade immortal spiritual rice grains—qualified."

"Give me the receipt for the immortal spiritual rice grains," Ding Huan said.

The man pulled out a jade token, carved some seals on it, and handed it to Ding Huan.

Ding Huan scanned it with his spiritual sense—he knew the man was playing tricks. The receipt seals were temporary and would dissolve at any moment.

Ding Huan didn't bother arguing—trying this on him was like teaching a master to wield a sword.

He'd originally planned to continue cultivating here, but after discovering someone absorbing the immortal spiritual rice's vitality to nourish an immortal fruit tree, he decided not to stay.

One time was enough—if he stayed to cultivate more rice, did he even want to live?

Besides, he now had over a thousand jin of immortal spiritual rice grains—he could cultivate even without a Spirit Gathering Immortal Array.

Now that he had the strength of an eight-tenths Jin Xian, he could find a place to improve his array Dao level.

He would strive to set up a gathering-spirit immortal array that no one passing by could detect, and still be able to impact Xuan Xian.

"Where are you going?" Seeing Ding Huan turn to leave.

The fierce-eyed man called out to Ding Huan.

Ding Huan turned his head and looked at him coldly: "What? You're just a petty official collecting rice, and you want to boss around me, an immortal-plant official?"

"You're the immortal-plant official here, the one who plants immortal spirit rice. Naturally you cannot leave." The fierce-eyed man said sharply.

Ding Huan swept a contemptuous glance at the fellow:

"After your family's field plants immortal spirit rice, doesn't it need field-resting? And where in the Immortal Agriculture Department's rules have you seen that an immortal-plant official is not allowed to leave the field ridge?"

The slightly shorter man clearly could not stomach Ding Huan's attitude. He snorted and said: "If your immortal spirit rice quota hasn't been fully delivered, you cannot leave."

He knew the harvest-seal imprint in Ding Huan's proof jade token had already dissipated, and now they had taken away the immortal spirit rice.

Even if Ding Huan opened his mouth to talk nonsense, there was nothing he could do.

If he hadn't discovered that this place truly could not be stayed in any longer, Ding Huan would definitely have set a trap for these two fellows.

Now he had no mood for it, he just wanted to leave early.

He grabbed a crystal orb and tossed it to the fellow who had spoken: "Look clearly at what's inside, then decide whether to cause me trouble."

Having said that, Ding Huan turned and left swiftly.

"Wait…" The sharp-eyed man was about to chase Ding Huan, but was stopped by the slightly shorter man.

Before he could ask, the slightly shorter man handed the crystal orb to the other party, sighed and said: "This fellow is very shrewd, definitely not some newcomer."

When the crystal orb was activated, the scene not only recorded their entire conversation, but also captured every bit of the footage of them inspecting the immortal spirit rice.

Chen Guan covered his forehead; to think he had been worrying about Ding Huan all along.

Compared with Ding Huan, he seemed like a newcomer himself.

Watching how Ding Huan handled things, there wasn't the slightest oversight.

"Forget it, we'll report it up. Right now we truly have no reason to hold him." After watching the crystal orb, the fierce-eyed man also sighed.

Ding Huan had prepared so thoroughly, how could they still seize him?

The moment Ding Huan left the Immortal Agriculture Department, he fled swiftly.

Looking at these two fellows collecting immortal spirit rice, Ding Huan cursed inwardly; finding a place to settle down was really hard.

……

Immortal Court Treasure Hall.

Emperor Wushang sat on the imperial throne, expressionless.

Almost all the officials on both sides of the Immortal Court's great hall had come: the Four Great Emperors, the Four Direction Dao Lords, the Nine Armies Commanders, the Ten Star Lords, the Eighteen Immortal Departments, the Thirty-Six Bureaus, the Seventy-Two Regions, the Hundred-and-Eight Immortals…

Everyone knew that Emperor Wushang's body had developed a problem.

If this matter hadn't been so major, Emperor Wushang would not have convened this Immortal Court audience.

"Honored immortal ministers, the Demon Court disregards morality and rules, publicly tore up the peace accord with our Immortal Court, invaded our Immortal Court's immortal domains, and slaughtered nearly a million of our domain's troops. What should be done about this?"

Emperor Wushang's voice was slightly weary, showing that the rumored matter of his body's problem was true.

"This matter absolutely cannot be endured. Mere beastly creatures with fur and horns dare to make a racket in our immortal domain. I request the Emperor to send a million immortal soldiers to level the Demon Court."

A tall man with a great halberd on his back strode out and shouted loudly.

"Jimi, hold your tongue and stop talking nonsense. Your Jia Chen Bureau faces the Divine Court head-on; what does the Immortal-Demon battlefield have to do with your Jia Chen Bureau?

Moreover, this time the demon race launched a surprise attack and wiped out several hundred thousand of our Immortal Court's great army in one go. So what of a million?"

An old man with a white beard and white hair stepped forward and immediately rebuked him.