Chapter 15

The next day, after the grandfather and grandson finished their cultivation, they set off to find a place suitable for developing spirit fields. Fortunately, his grandfather was a Foundation Establishment cultivator and carried Lin Zhangqing on a spirit boat.

This was also Lin Zhangqing's first time flying. After flying for a while, he didn't feel particularly afraid; instead, he really liked the feeling, even though they were just circling the Nine Peaks Mountain.

The grandfather and grandson spent a day searching carefully. They found three suitable places in total. After considering various factors, they finally chose Aoyun Peak, which was closer to the outer perimeter of Nine Peaks Mountain. Because it was relatively outer, there weren't many people in the clan developing spirit fields there; one could say Lin Zhangqing was the first.

By clearing and leveling the mountainside of Aoyun Peak, they could organize a piece of spirit land nearly a hundred mu in size. But they didn't need to clear that much right now.

The two discussed it and decided to develop eighteen mu first. They started organizing from the center of the chosen location, first using the Fireball Technique to burn weeds and miscellaneous trees into ash to fertilize the land.

They cleared an area of about twenty mu. The grandfather and grandson studied the land again and both felt the soil was very good and suitable for planting.

Then they used the Earth Covering Technique to turn up the grass roots and tree stumps in the soil. Because the Earth Covering Technique was a first-grade mid-grade spell, Lin Zhangqing couldn't learn it yet, so only his grandfather could do it.

Developing spirit fields was a delicate task; it not only required clearing the land but also setting up Spirit Gathering Arrays within the fields, followed by the Spirit Planter's Growth Technique to nourish the land. Only then could it be considered a successful opening of spirit fields.

Because the family benefit was only ten mu, and Lin Zhangqing opened eighteen mu, each mu of spirit field required a Spirit Gathering Array. Therefore, the cost of the remaining nine Spirit Gathering Arrays had to be borne by himself.

Each cost 100 contribution points, totaling 900 contribution points, which were paid on Lin Zhangqing's behalf by his father. Setting up an extra Spirit Gathering Array here could facilitate the cultivation of whoever was guarding the spirit fields.

The Growth Technique was a first-grade high-grade spell, which Lin Zhangqing couldn't learn yet. It could only be performed by his aunt and grandfather.

It took more than ten days to finally complete it. During this period, his parents, second uncle, and aunt all came to help, which was why it was completed so quickly.

The whole family worked together and also built a small courtyard and three houses. One of them was a cultivation room with a Spirit Gathering Array, and the other two were for resting.

Then they placed some furniture and prepared some hoes, sickles, and other farming tools. Basically, everything was complete.

Everyone discussed it and decided to plant first-grade low-grade spirit rice in ten mu of the spirit fields for the first year, and spirit herbs in the remaining eight mu, because Lin Zhangqing was still relatively young and his family didn't want him to be too tired.

First-grade low-grade spirit rice was low in planting difficulty, and the Lin family had rich planting experience. Lin Zhangqing had also read quite a bit about it in the Scripture Pavilion.

Basically, he just needed to cast the Spirit Rain Technique on time, occasionally apply fertilizer, and loosen the soil. The task of catching insects was left to Chuyi. Basically, there would be no major problems.

First-grade low-grade spirit rice matured once a year and basically didn't need the Catalysis Technique; letting it grow naturally was fine.

Each mu could produce about 400 catties of spirit rice, and every 20 catties of spirit rice could be exchanged for 1 contribution point. Ten mu of spirit rice would provide an income of about 200 contribution points per year.

According to the standard of an ordinary cultivator using three mid-grade Qi Gathering Pills per month, one only needed 15 contribution points per month, totaling 180 contribution points per year, to cultivate for a year. This treatment was already very high; ordinary scattered cultivators might not even be able to guarantee three low-grade Qi Gathering Pills per month.

Spirit rice was also a daily consumable for Qi Refining cultivators.

Qi Refining cultivators couldn't avoid grain yet and still needed to eat every day. If they ate ordinary grains, there would be many impurities, which was very unfavorable for cultivation.

Spirit rice had fewer impurities and could replace ordinary grains. Eating about one catty a day was enough to be full.

Leaving about 400 catties of spirit rice, which was worth exactly 20 contribution points, was enough for a year's worth of food.

Unless one was a body-refining cultivator, there would be no limit. Body refiners were recognized as big eaters and were also the most resource-consuming way of cultivation. Now, few people practiced it. The mainstream of the cultivation world was still Qi Refining. These ten mu of spirit fields were enough for an ordinary cultivator to cultivate with mid-grade spirit pills and still have a little left over. Therefore, the family's distribution of benefits was very well thought out and had been roughly calculated.

Lin Zhangqing mainly took care of the eight mu of spirit fields planted with spirit herbs. Each mu could plant 60 spirit herbs. Eight mu meant 480 spirit herbs, all of which were spirit herbs needed to refine Qi Gathering Pills.

All of them needed to grow for three years to mature. With Lin Zhangqing taking care of them, catalyzing them to maturity within a year was already the limit. He couldn't take care of any more.

Once mature, they could be sold directly to the Affairs Hall. Each plant was bought for one contribution point. That was 480 contribution points. This harvest was already quite good.

Lin Zhangqing's father and second uncle participated in the demon-hunting team, and each earned about 500 to 800 contribution points per trip.

Lin Zhangqing was a Spirit Plant Master, which was why the family gave him this benefit. This also proved from the side the importance of mastering a skill.

His grandfather and aunt had ready-made spirit rice and spirit herb seeds, so he didn't need to exchange them at the Affairs Hall. Otherwise, that would be another expenditure of contribution points.

This year, his second uncle happened to be on rotation and didn't need to go to the demon-hunting team. From now on, he would be responsible for picking up and dropping off Lin Zhangqing every day. Once Lin Zhangqing reached the fourth layer of Qi Refining and could fly with a dharma artifact himself, it would be convenient.

So from now on, Lin Zhangqing's days would be even more fulfilling: farming, cultivating, and finding time to read books in the Scripture Pavilion.

Chuyi would farm with Lin Changqing from now on. Chuwu and Chuliu would be responsible for the spirit medicine garden and Hundred Herb Garden. Of course, if his father and second uncle went out to hunt demons, they would definitely have to bring them along. After all, they were raised for reconnaissance and early warning!

Just like that, Lin Zhangqing's cultivation and life became regular again.

Days passed one by one, and soon a few months had gone by. It was time for his father's demon-hunting team to set off again. Every time this happened, Lin Zhangqing always felt uneasy. Fortunately, Chuwu was following them this year, so he felt slightly more at ease.

Watching the departing team, he could only hope that everyone would return safely.

There were also changes in the space. Lin Zhangqing had already tested that in the space, the Nourishing Origin Catalysis Technique only needed a one-day interval to be cast again. The recovery effect of the space on spirit plants that had been catalyzed was also more than ten times that of the outside world.

Now, three months later, the hundred-year Vermilion Fruit tree had grown to the height of a person. It had entered the fruiting stage, and the 24 small green fruits on the tree looked exceptionally cute and charming no matter how he looked at them.

In just over three months, they should be mature. Just thinking about this made Lin Zhangqing feel incredibly excited and full of anticipation! 24 hundred-year Vermilion Fruits meant 24,000 contribution points! They could mature once every six months and twenty days. It was crazy just thinking about it, but unfortunately, he couldn't exchange them with the family. Otherwise, he couldn't explain the source.

He could only digest them internally within his own family. But this was also good; it could allow his family members to increase their cultivation rapidly and reach the Qi Refining Great Perfection sooner.

Everyone would have a chance at Foundation Establishment. Thinking of this, Lin Zhangqing was incredibly happy; he could finally repay his family a little.

This hundred-year Vermilion Fruit could already be considered a rare treasure. After all, it could at least increase one's cultivation by one layer during the Qi Refining stage, equivalent to shortening several to over a dozen years of cultivation time.

Especially for the 60-year limit of declining Qi and blood in the Qi Refining stage, it was simply too important.

The family only needed 1,000 contribution points to exchange for one, which could be considered a benefit to the clansmen. Moreover, they basically wouldn't be sold to the outside world; they were all digested internally.

The size of the space was still a little over one mu. If planting spirit herbs, he could plant 60 to 70, but if planting spirit fruit trees, he could only plant 6 to 7. Therefore, Lin Zhangqing didn't plan to plant more Vermilion Fruit trees, and he didn't think much of ordinary spirit herbs. He could only leave it empty for now.

(End of chapter)