Chapter 15: The Secret Renovation & The White Beast
Time: 3 Days after Moving In.
Location: Green Willow Courtyard, Meditation Room.
The morning air inside the new house was vibrant. Thanks to the Spirit Gathering Array, the ambient Qi was thick enough to feel like a gentle, humid mist against the skin.
Luo Xia sat cross-legged on a woven prayer mat in the center of the Meditation Room. Her hands rested on her knees, forming the seal of tranquility.
For years, she had been stuck at the bottleneck of Qi Refining Layer 1. In the slums, there was no Qi, no resources, and too much stress. Her meridians had shriveled like dried roots in a drought. She had silently accepted her fate: to age, wither, and die as a mortal wife while her husband sought immortality.
But things had changed.
For the past two weeks, she had been eating High-Grade Spirit Rice every day. She drank Sun & Moon Spring Water. She lived in a sanctuary protected by stone walls and money.
Hum.
A soft white light began to glow around her body. The pores of her skin opened, greedily sucking in the gathered energy from the room.
Luo Feng stood by the door, watching silently. He leaned against the frame, a bottle of Cloud Mist Wine in his hand, ready to rush in if she suffered a backlash. But he didn't move. He sensed the flow.
Inside Luo Xia's body, the stagnant Qi was boiling.
Crack.
A sound like a dry twig snapping echoed from her chest—audible only to them.
Luo Xia gasped, her back arching. A pulse of energy rippled outward from her body, blowing her long hair back and fluttering the curtains. The aura around her shifted—it became denser, heavier, and steadier.
She opened her eyes. They were no longer cloudy with fatigue. They were clear, bright, and swimming with light.
"Husband..." she whispered, looking at her hands in disbelief. "I... I broke through."
She had finally reached the Second Layer of Qi Refining.
Luo Feng walked over and pulled her up, hugging her tightly. She felt stronger. Her skin felt firmer, like smooth jade.
"I knew you could," Luo Feng whispered into her hair. "You aren't talentless, Xia. You were just starved."
Luo Xia clenched her fist, feeling the new vitality flowing through her veins. The deep, aching exhaustion of the last ten years evaporated like mist in the sun.
"I can help now," she said firmly, pulling back to look at him with fierce determination. "I can tend the farm longer without getting tired. I can practice the saber techniques. I won't just be the woman waiting at home."
"You never were just that," Luo Feng smiled, wiping a tear from her cheek. "But now... you're a real cultivator."
The Secret Renovation.
With Luo Xia's breakthrough secured, Luo Feng turned his attention to the physical security of their base.
The Concealing Array outside was good, but it wasn't enough. The Master Bedroom was their gateway to the Farming Space. If a thief broke in while they were inside the Space, they would be defenseless.
"We need a panic room," Luo Feng declared. "A vault."
He spent the entire afternoon working on the Master Bedroom, using his new strength and tools from his Storage Ring.
He stripped the standard decorative wooden door off its hinges and replaced it with a slab of solid Black Iron-Wood. This wood was so dense it was used to build the hulls of warships. He installed a heavy sliding deadbolt on the inside. This door could now withstand a full-force kick from a Layer 5 cultivator without splintering.
Next, he rigged the window. He set up a vicious mechanical trap near the latch. If someone forced the window open without disarming the hidden trigger, a spring-loaded mechanism would fire three poisonous needles—dipped in the sap of the Demon-Blood Thistle—straight at chest height.
Finally, he hung a heavy wooden plaque outside the bedroom door:
[CULTIVATION IN PROGRESS. DO NOT DISTURB. RISK OF QI DEVIATION.]
In the cultivation world, interrupting someone in "Seclusion" was a massive taboo. It was the perfect excuse for them to disappear into the Farm for days at a time.
"Now," Luo Feng dusted off his hands, tapping the iron-hard door. "Even if a Layer 6 cultivator breaks into the house, this room will hold them off long enough for us to sense the attack and exit the Space to fight."
The Livestock Market.
Time: The Next Morning.
Location: Green Willow Livestock Market.
With the home secure, it was time to expand the farm's ecosystem.
Luo Feng and Luo Xia walked through the livestock district of the Mid-City. It smelled of hay, manure, and strange spices. The animals here weren't normal chickens and pigs; they were Spirit Beasts bred for consumption.
"We need something that gives resources continuously," Luo Feng explained as they passed cages of Fire Rabbits. "Meat is good, but once you kill it, it's gone. We need milk, eggs, or wool. Something that converts grass into energy."
They stopped in front of a dirty pen in the corner of the market. Inside was a single, large goat.
It was a striking creature. Its fur was pure white, shimmering like silk. Its horns were curved and translucent, glowing with a faint pearlescent light.
But it looked pathetic. It was lying down, ribs showing through its fur, refusing to eat the dry hay the merchant offered.
Luo Feng narrowed his eyes, activating his Spirit Farm Sense.
The invisible feedback hit his mind instantly.
Target: White-Jade Cloud Goat.
Rank: Half-Step Spirit Beast (Mutated).
Condition: Starving.
Note: Refuses to eat mortal grass. Waiting for Spirit Grass.
Luo Feng's heart skipped a beat. A Half-Step Spirit Beast. That meant it was stronger than a normal animal, bordering on a true monster like the Wind Wolf. But unlike the wolf, this was a domestic breed, capable of producing high-level resources.
"How much for the goat?" Luo Feng asked the merchant, keeping his face bored.
The merchant, a sweaty man with a stained apron, kicked the cage. "This stubborn thing? I've had her for weeks. She won't eat. She kicks anyone who tries to milk her. I'm about to sell her to the butcher for meat."
"I'll take the risk," Luo Feng said casually. "15 Spirit Stones."
"Are you crazy?" The merchant scoffed. "Look at those horns. That's a Cloud Goat. Even if she's sick, the horns alone are worth 20. She's yours for 25 Stones."
Luo Feng frowned, pretending to hesitate. "She looks like she's dying. 20 Stones. Take it or I walk."
The merchant grumbled, looking at the starving goat. "Fine. 20. Get this cursed beast out of here."
Luo Feng paid the money, suppressing a grin. The merchant didn't know he was selling a mutated beast. He just thought it was a picky eater.
Luo Feng couldn't put a living creature in his Storage Ring, so he tied a rope around its neck.
"Come on, girl," Luo Xia whispered, extending her hand. She channeled a bit of her gentle Wood Qi.
The goat's ears twitched. It sensed the Qi. It stood up on shaky legs, shook its silky coat, and allowed Luo Xia to lead it.
The New Companion.
Once back inside the safety of their courtyard, Luo Feng locked the gate and activated the Concealing Array.
"Time for your real home," Luo Feng said.
He placed a hand on the goat's back. [Enter.]
Whoosh.
They appeared inside the Farming Space.
"BAAA!"
The White-Jade Cloud Goat panicked for a split second, stomping its hooves on the black soil. But then, it froze.
It flared its nostrils.
It smelled the sweet, heavy scent of the Star Grass field.
It smelled the pure Sun & Moon Spring Water.
It smelled the thick Spirit Qi that was ten times denser than the outside world.
To a Half-Step Spirit Beast, this wasn't a farm. This was Paradise.
The goat immediately stopped panicking. It walked over to a patch of overgrown, blue Star Grass and took a massive bite.
Crunch. Crunch.
Its eyes practically rolled back in pleasure. A faint white mist puffed out of its nose as the rich spiritual energy hit its stomach. It began to graze with the speed of a machine.
Suddenly, a red shadow swooped down from the white sky.
"Kreee?"
Little Gold landed on the fence post. The Fire Crow tilted his head, his golden eyes narrowing as he stared at the new white intruder.
He had been the only pet. The King of the Farm. The Destroyer of Ants.
Now, there was this big, fluffy thing eating his grass?
Little Gold fluffed up his red metallic feathers and let out a warning croak. "Caw!" (Identify yourself!)
The Goat stopped chewing. It looked up at the Crow.
It didn't run. It didn't bleat.
The Goat simply stomped its hoof. BOOM. A small shockwave rippled through the dirt. Mana gathered around its glowing horns, crackling softly.
Little Gold flinched, taking a step back on the fence. He sensed the power. This wasn't a dumb sheep. This was a Half-Step Spirit Beast, almost his equal in rank.
"Baa," the Goat dismissed the bird with a sound that sounded suspiciously like a scoff, and went back to eating the premium grass.
Little Gold blinked. He looked at Luo Feng, then back at the goat.
'A companion?' the bird seemed to think. 'Or a rival?'
He decided to watch closely. If this white thing tried to steal his Spirit Meat, there would be war. But for now... she only ate grass. That was acceptable.
"We need a pen," Luo Feng laughed, watching the silent negotiation between the bird and the beast. "Before she eats our entire harvest. But look at her... she's recovering fast."
According to his senses, the Goat's milk production would begin tomorrow. And since she was a Half-Step Spirit Beast eating Star Grass, her milk would be rich in pure Yin-attribute Qi—perfect for bone strengthening.
"Milk for breakfast," Luo Feng planned. "Rice for lunch. Meat for dinner. And Wine for cultivation."
He looked at Luo Xia, who was feeding the goat a handful of grain, smiling brighter than she had in years.
"We are becoming self-sufficient, Xia. We have a fortress. We have a farm. We have resources."
He turned his gaze to the Red Clay Area in the south. The weeds were gone, cleared by Little Gold. The hot earth was waiting, pulsing with heat.
"The goat is settled. The renovation is done."
He pulled a small, fiery-red pouch from his Storage Ring. The pouch was warm to the touch.
"Tomorrow," Luo Feng said, his eyes gleaming. "We plant the explosives."
[End of Chapter 15]
— Author's Note —
The Farm Family grows! 🦅🐐
Luo Xia: Finally reached Layer 2! She is no longer just a spectator.
Cloud (The Goat): A Half-Step Spirit Beast. She produces "Bone-Strengthening Milk."
Little Gold: Has realized he isn't the only powerful beast in town. The rivalry begins!
Next Chapter: The Blast Chilies are planted! Luo Feng creates his first "Botanical Weapon." 💣🌶️
Support the farming couple!
1. Add to Library!
2. Power Stones! 💎