Chapter 14: Second Level Qi Training

Upon realizing that the spiritual rice was mature, Fang Yun let out a sigh of relief; this past month had been incredibly tough for him. However, the outcome was perfect. None of the sixty-three plants had been damaged, and they had all grown exceptionally well. The rice ears reached half a meter in length, and each grain was the size of a soybean.

Fang Yun gazed at the spiritual rice in the field, feeling that all his hard work over the past month had been worth it. He then took out the sickle he had prepared in advance. This sickle was a relic passed down from a previous cultivator. It seemed to be made not only of fine iron but also incorporated other metals.

Because of this, the sickle could withstand the infusion of spiritual energy. Otherwise, a regular sickle would find it challenging to harvest these spiritual rice. Fang Yun had tried before; once mature, the rice stalks became exceptionally tough—no less resilient than a large tree. If he used an ordinary sickle, it would likely take him two or three days to complete the harvest. That would be too much of a waste of time!

As spiritual energy flowed into the sickle, its blade immediately shimmered with an exceptionally sharp gleam. With a gentle swipe of his right hand, the spiritual rice fell to the ground. Fang Yun was prepared; he quickly supported the falling stalks with his left hand. At that moment, a rich life energy surged from the spiritual rice towards Fang Yun's body.

Feeling a shift, Fang Yun opened the panel in his mind.

Cultivation: First Level Qi Training

Mana: 12

Life Energy: 1

Control over Plants: Spiritual Rice (62) Astragalus (2536) …

Spell: Earth Force Technique (Proficient 5%)

Seeing that his life energy had increased by one point—equivalent to what would be provided by a hundred acres of rice—Fang Yun felt a sense of achievement. Truly, it was no wonder that this was a food specially for cultivators; the difference compared to ordinary food was immense.

This highlighted the vast disparity between ordinary people and cultivators. It was almost as if they belonged to entirely different species. No wonder that among ordinary people, martial artists at the innate level were no match for even the weakest cultivators.

After this realization, Fang Yun continued to harvest the spiritual rice in the field. In less than an hour, he had harvested all the spiritual rice. Opening the panel again, he saw:

Cultivation: First Level Qi Training

Mana: 12

Life Energy: 63

Control over Plants: Astragalus (2536) …

Spell: Earth Force Technique (Proficient 5%)

On the panel, the only plants he controlled were the medicinal herbs; the spiritual rice was no longer there, and his life energy had increased by 63 points. Next was the time to improve his cultivation.

Shouldering the spiritual rice, he quickly made his way back to the cave. Once back in the cave, he placed the rice in a corner and then sat cross-legged near the spiritual spring in the center of the cave. At that moment, he was eager to refine the life energy in his dantian to elevate his cultivation level.

However, thinking about how hard he had worked over the past month and how his daily routine had been completely flipped, he realized he was utterly exhausted. If it weren't for the spiritual rice harvest, he wouldn't have been able to hold on for so long.

Given his current state, it wouldn't be ideal to practice cultivation. So, suppressing his anxious feelings, Fang Yun decided to take a nap first. After waking up, he organized all the spiritual rice, reserving those with particularly strong life force as seeds for the next stage, while the rest would serve as his daily food.

Once sorted, he placed the spiritual rice outside the cave to dry.

After resting for another two days and fully recovering his energy, he finally began to prepare to refine the life energy in his dantian. Fang Yun quietly sat cross-legged beside the spiritual spring, focusing his mind. He saw his mana in the dantian beginning to rotate slowly like a whirlpool. Then, the mana extended toward the nearby life energy.

The life energy seemed to naturally fit with the mana, merging into it effortlessly. As the life energy continued to flow in, the mana appeared to be nourished like a sprouting seedling, steadily increasing in strength and fullness.

At that moment, Fang Yun's body suddenly shook, and a powerful aura surged from within him, resembling an invisible storm that violently stirred the surrounding air. The shockwave created ripples in the previously calm spring water, which spread out in layers.

He then slowly opened his eyes, a gleam of surprise and excitement flashing in them. He hadn't expected to break through to the second level of Qi training so easily. Considering that including his previous training time, it had only been about two years, he had reached a peak that the cultivators from the Fang family of the past could only aspire to.

Such speed could be described as exceptionally rapid. Although it couldn't compare to the legendary disciples from the major sects, it was still five or six times faster than previous cultivators from the Fang family.

Of course, Fang Yun was very clear in his mind that he didn't think this was solely his achievement. Measured against his aptitude and the cultivation resources he possessed, he didn't have a significant advantage compared to the cultivators of the past. He was just fortunate to have a lucky opportunity that allowed him to grow in strength.

He then opened his panel.

Cultivation: Second Level Qi Training

Mana: 32

Life Energy: 23

Control over Plants: Astragalus (2536) …

Spell: Earth Force Technique (Proficient 5%)

With his cultivation upgraded to the second level of Qi training, his mana had increased to 32 points, almost three times what it was before. However, the consumption of life energy was astonishing, as he had consumed 40 points; it seemed that the life energy he had gathered over the year was not very durable. Nonetheless, being able to advance to the second level of Qi training was a price Fang Yun could bear.

For Fang Yun, this not only provided him with a new spell to practice but also instilled confidence in his future cultivation path. Rarely encountering such a joyful event, Fang Yun initially planned to celebrate. However, looking around his environment, he found it quite frustrating; even if he wanted to celebrate, there were no suitable items to use.

The only good thing was the spiritual rice he had just harvested. Since that was the case, he decided to cook a pot of spiritual rice. After working so hard for so long, he could finally taste the rice made from the spiritual grains. He wondered what it would taste like and whether it would be as stunning as the legends described.

So, Fang Yun took out some of the dried spiritual rice and used the tools left by the previous cultivators to remove the rice husks, turning them from spiritual rice into spiritual grains. After a simple processing, he placed them into a clay pot and added water filled with spiritual energy. Thus began his first cooking experience in the world of cultivation.