Silence.
Before my soul floated a transparent yet tangible sword, its blade perfectly straight, its presence sharp enough to make the surrounding space feel thinner.
A Soul Sword.
I opened my eyes abruptly.
Air rushed into my lungs as if I had been drowning.
My chest rose and fell rapidly. Sweat dripped from my chin onto the floor. My muscles trembled faintly, though I had not moved an inch physically.
But my mind—
My mind felt sharper than ever.
I closed my eyes once more, sensing inward.
The Soul Sword was still there.
Stable.
Responsive.
A weapon that could strike directly at an enemy's soul, bypassing physical defenses entirely.
I let out a long breath.
"This… was worth it."
Only after my soul settled completely did I moved onto the next thing.
I retrieved ten spirit stones from my inventory and placed them evenly around me. The stones pulsed faintly, releasing streams of pure spiritual energy into the air.
I shifted my focus back to the physical body.
And began cultivating the Longevity Breathing Technique.
Inhale.
Spiritual energy flowed in like mist.
Exhale.
Impurities were expelled.
Cycle after cycle, my dantian absorbed the incoming energy greedily. The already-dense spiritual mist inside it churned violently, pressing against invisible limits.
Pressure built.
My meridians hummed.
Then—
Boom.
The barrier shackles shattered.
Qi Refining 6th Layer.
The breakthrough was clean, powerful, and decisive.
Spiritual energy surged wildly, flooding into my body. The spirit stones dimmed rapidly, cracks forming on their surfaces as they were drained dry.
At the same time, my dantian expanded.
Fifteen meters.
Sixteen.
Seventeen.
Finally—
Eighteen meters.
Only then did the expansion stop.
I guided the remaining energy gently, stabilizing my realm and calming the turbulence within.
When everything finally settled, I opened my eyes.
Exhausted.
But deeply satisfied.
After stabilizing my cultivation, I did not immediately immerse myself deeper into training. Instead, I allowed my body and mind to settle naturally. For someone who cultivated both soul and qi, recklessness was far more dangerous than slowness.
So I slept after activating the robe cleaning effect.
-----
Next Morning.
The first thing I did was speak to the village chief.
I went early in the morning, when the mist still lingered low over the fields and most villagers were only just beginning their day. The chief was already awake, as always, sitting outside his house and sorting through a stack of bamboo records.
When he saw me approach, he looked up and nodded.
"You're here early," he said.
I bowed slightly. "I wanted to inform you of something."
His movements paused. He gestured for me to sit.
I did not beat around the bush.
"I've started cultivating properly," I said. "From now on, I won't need assistance from Spirit Rain Practitioners for my fields."
The chief studied me carefully.
This was not the first time cultivators had spoken lofty words in front of him, nor was it the first time promises had failed to materialize. But he had known me since I was young—he knew I did not speak carelessly.
"How confident are you?" he asked.
I met his gaze calmly. "Enough that I won't waste anyone's time."
A long silence followed.
Then the chief nodded once.
"Very well," he said. "I'll inform the others. If anything changes, report immediately."
"I will."
That was all.
No suspicion.
No probing.
Just quiet trust.
The effects of that decision rippled outward faster than I expected.
With no need to assist me, the Spirit Rain Practitioners gradually reduced their visits to my field.
Also the sect envoy, who had come accomplished his purpose has left already. The disciples and spies from other powers and the wandering cultivators, those who had arrived hoping to uncover something hidden—soon found nothing worth their stay.
One by one, they left.
Flying boats departed.
Temporary camps were dismantled.
Suspicious gazes disappeared.
Within a month, the village returned to what it had always been.
Peaceful.
Ordinary.
Almost dull.
And that was exactly how I wanted it.
My days settled into a steady rhythm.
Every morning, just after dawn, I would head to the fields.
The children came with me as usual.
Mo Fan carried a small bucket, Mo ling walking happily at the front occasionally stopping to chase insects or pick wildflowers along the path. they come with me every morning these days play in the nearby creek try to catch some fish or play in the water.
From the outside, it looked like nothing more than a simple farmer tending his land with a group of children in tow.
No one suspected.
When we reached the fields, I would first inspect the crops.
The Jade Spirit Rice swayed gently in the breeze, leaves glossy and full. The Vermillion Blood Rice, planted deeper within the concealed section, stood taller and sturdier, its stalks faintly tinted with a muted crimson hue that was carefully hidden by surrounding growth.
I was meticulous.
Every detail mattered.
I would raise my hands and perform the Spiritual Rain Technique, carefully controlling the intensity. Fine droplets descended evenly, nourishing the soil without drawing excess attention. To anyone watching, it looked no different from what any other spiritual farmer could do.
But beneath the surface—
The soil absorbed far more than it should have.
After watering, I walked slowly between the rows, eyes half-closed, extending my perception. Whenever I sensed something amiss—an insect burrowing too deep, a pest attempting to gnaw at the roots—I would act.
A thought.
A gesture.
A thread of Sword Qi Control.
Invisible blades swept through the air with surgical precision, erasing pests without disturbing a single leaf.
Eventually the spell mastery has increased to proficient stage.
The children never noticed. To them, the plants simply remained healthy.
Sometimes Mo Fan would glance at me with faint awe, as if sensing something he couldn't quite understand.
I pretended not to notice.
Time flowed quietly.
Days became weeks.
Weeks became months.
Another month passed in the blink of an eye.
During that time, my cultivation advanced steadily, though not explosively. With my enormous dantian, progress was slower than ordinary cultivators—but far more stable. Every drop of spiritual energy was refined thoroughly, leaving no impurities behind.
And then—
One morning, as I stood at the edge of the field, I felt it.
A subtle change.
The land at the back.
One mu of soil.
The spiritual energy there was thick, far denser than it should have been.
The Vermillion Blood Rice was ready. It stopped consuming the spiritual energy
I did not bring the children the next day.
Instead, I told them to stay home and help Grandfather with chores. They did not question it—farming days came and went, and it was not unusual for me to work alone occasionally.
Before dawn, I walked to the fields alone.
The world was still asleep.
Mist clung low to the ground, muffling sound and sight. Even the birds had not yet begun their calls.
Perfect.
I stepped into the concealed section.
The Vermillion Blood Rice stood over two meters tall, dense and heavy with life. Up close, the difference was unmistakable. Each stalk radiated vitality, the faint crimson veins along the leaves pulsing softly like living blood vessels.
I reached out and brushed my fingers against one stalk.
Warm.
Alive.
I exhaled slowly.
"So this is it…"
The culmination of two months of careful planning, concealment, burning of spirit stones and patience.
I took out the farmer's sickle provided by the system.
Its blade gleamed faintly.
Without hesitation, I stepped into the field.
The work was methodical.
Focused.
I swung the sickle with controlled movements, cutting through the thick stalks one by one. As each plant fell, the system responded.
Cards materialized at random.
At the end of harvesting I got two types of cards.
Two Blood Energy (White) cards.
One Vitality Drop (Green) card.
The information flowed into my mind automatically—effects, usage, limitations.
I felt my heartbeat quicken.
This alone made everything worth it.
After finishing the Vermillion Blood Rice, I moved on to the Jade Spirit Rice remaining around.
This time, I employed Spiritual Qi Control, guiding the sickle with invisible threads of energy. The cuts were clean, efficient, almost effortless.
More cards appeared.
Three Verdant Dew (White).
One Rapid Growth (Green).
I paused and looked around.
The fields were empty.
No one.
Good.
Without delay, I activated the Rapid Growth Card on the remaining mu of Jade Spirit Rice that still needed another month.
The effect was immediate.
Spiritual energy surged.
The stalks shuddered, then grew rapidly, leaves unfurling, grains filling out in a matter of breaths. What should have taken weeks happened in moments.
I moved quickly, harvesting before anyone could arrive.
More rewards followed.
By the time the sun rose, the field was empty.
Harvest completed.
After that, I began separating the grains from the rice stalks by threshing them with my own hands, while also using two strands of spiritual energy to thresh two more bundle of stalks at the same time.
I completed the process in just one hour of time.
As I gathered the grains, I could not suppress my excitement.
670 pounds of Jade Spirit Rice.
120 pounds of Vermillion Blood Rice.
I couldn't wait to taste these Tier 2 grains or try out those new cultivation rewards.
Even with my Dust-Free Immortal Body, reaching the peak of the 6th Qi Refining Layer in two months was no small feat. The enormous dantian made cultivation slower but also meant my foundation was incomparably solid.
This life...
Farming.
Cooking.
Cultivating.
Resting.
It strengthened my resolve more than any bitter training ever could.
Holding the Vermillion Blood Rice in my hands, feeling its warmth seep into my palms, I smiled faintly.
"Next…"
With these resources and rewards from the System.
Breaking through to the late Qi Refining Stage and starting Body cultivation was no longer a question of if to me.