After resting for half an hour in the spirit field's hut, Chen Jinshu cycled the Chángqīng Jué multiple times, refining her spiritual energy through the lotus-mark on her forehead. Slowly, her depleted reserves began to recover.
Though Vulture Mountain's spiritual vein was of lower grade than Ningyu Mountain—where the Chen family resided—cultivating at its core still granted her faster absorption than she'd experienced at the clan's foothills.
Once sufficiently restored, she returned to the fields and cast the Nourishing Spirit Technique over the seeds, accelerating their absorption of spiritual energy to hasten germination.
Another half-hour passed before she finally finished tending to all three mu.
Pleased with her work, she sealed the protective formation once more—both to deter spirit insects and prevent unscrupulous cultivators from tampering.
"Jinshu! Finished planting already?"
A familiar voice called out. Chen Yongnian, the neighboring farmer, greeted her warmly as she stepped out.
"Yes, Uncle Yongnian!"
She had met him days earlier while inspecting her land and practicing the Spiritual Rain Technique. A seasoned cultivator with over a decade of experience on Vulture Mountain he had generously shared planting tips, allowing her to master the basics in just three days.
"Good timing. Winter's end is near, but Vulture Mountain's climate stays mild year-round—planting's never an issue here."
His sun-weathered face, creased like a mortal farmer's, crinkled further with a smile.
"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle. I'm truly grateful."
"No need for thanks. Seeing you reminds me of my own daughter… though she married young."
"A clan alliance?"
"Aye. A branch family of a Foundation Establishment clan. Not the best match, but the rewards at least secured her cultivation path."
Jinshu exchanged a few more polite words before excusing herself. For many female cultivators, arranged marriages were a means to defy fate—but she trusted her own hands far more.
Back at Plum Blossom Courtyard, she practiced the Golden Needle Technique on the weeds.
"Swoosh!"
A razor-thin golden streak pierced through a thick stalk, severing it cleanly before embedding into the wall with a faint snick. The surface was already riddled with hundreds of such needle marks.
"Not bad. Deadly enough for combat."
Though she had only reached the beginner stage, her progress was hindered by her meager second layer Qi Refining reserves. Even the Spiritual Rain Technique maxed out at six casts per full cycle.
Next, she tested the Revitalization Technique on the severed weed. Under its influence, the stalk's fibers visibly knitted together. Only when her spiritual energy drained completely did she stop. Each exhaustion-recovery cycle thickened her reserves slightly—a slow but steady climb.
Settling into meditation, she swallowed a Lingyuan dan and resumed cultivating with Chángqīng Jué.
The pill dissolved into pure energy, guided by the lotus mark on her forehead. Simultaneously, the earth's spiritual currents converged into her meridians, merging with the refined essence the mark fed back into her dantian. Three hours later, the pill's power was fully absorbed, stabilizing her previously wavering Second Layer foundation.
"Still a ways from the Third Layer."
"With only seven pills left—each lasting three days"—she sighed.
"I need to master alchemy soon."
The beginner's manual she'd acquired contained just three recipes: Bigu dan, Lingyuan dan, and Recovery Pills.
Focusing first on fundamentals—preparation, process, and techniques—she practiced flame control over a spirit-charcoal fire. The weak flickers under her command were pitiful, but persistence was key.
Five days later, Jinshu inspected her fields.
As Uncle Yongnian advised, checking every three to five days sufficed for sprouts, and spaced-out rain spells prevented oversaturation. The moment the formation lifted, her eyes brightened. Tiny green shoots dotted the once-barren soil.
"They've germinated!"
The fastest were the Jade Orchids—six-month harvest cycle—already unfurling thumb-sized leaves. The Wood Spirit Rice sported needle-like blades.
With a wave, she summoned another golden drizzle.
Three days later, her excitement turned to alarm.
A creeping withering aura clung to the sprouts.
"Pests?"
Closer inspection revealed swarms of tiny black insects gnawing on the Golden Vine Flowers' half-palm-sized leaves, riddling them with holes. The Wood Spirit Rice fared slightly better, with fewer invaders.
The creatures resembled caterpillars but were armored in hard, black shells. She immediately sought Uncle Yongnian.
"Blackfrost Swine Lice! Their bristles carry mild venom. Haven't seen these on Vulture Mountain in years. If we don't get rid of it in time, it may eat all the tender shoots of spiritual plants."
His grave tone carried unspoken implications.
"Someone sabotaged my fields."
But how? She'd interacted with barely anyone—just Uncle Yongnian and Elder Huaiyang. The formation was always sealed after inspections.
Then she spotted them—near-invisible white eggs, smaller than rice grains, scattered along the formation's edges.
"So that's their trick."
Wind or her own footsteps must've carried them in each time she opened the barrier.
"Vicious. And subtle."
Gritting her teeth, she scorched the eggs with Fireball Technique, tracing the infestation's perimeter.