Chapter 30: The Seed of Power
Morning mist wrapped around the hills as the spirit fields shimmered under the new sun. The valley that once lay dormant now pulsed with quiet vitality.
Jin Zhen stood at the top of a small hill overlooking his domain, a rare expression of peace on his face. Below, spiritual wheat rippled like golden flames, and qi herbs glowed softly in neat rows. Villagers worked in harmony, and cultivators—real cultivators—now walked among them, guided by formation lines and herb manuals Jin Zhen had issued just days before.
But this peace would not last.
---
[System Notification]
[Passive Qi Harvest: +54/day]
[New Recruits Integrated: +4 Cultivators, +12 Farmers]
[SP Available: 2]
[Optional Upgrade: "Verdant Pulse Array" – Cost 1 SP – Yields +25% growth & recruits cultivation feedback]
Jin Zhen nodded.
"[Use 1 SP – Activate Verdant Pulse Array.]"
A low hum vibrated through the valley. Deep below the surface, spirit lines connected like veins. Symbols flared beneath each farm, barely visible. The very earth pulsed with his power now—life itself flowing through his will.
[System Notification]
[Verdant Pulse Array Active. Qi resonance optimized. Incoming spiritual energy now flows directly into core array node.]
[SP remaining: 1]
---
Later that day, Fang Mu came running, waving a scroll over his head.
"Boss! Boss! We got a letter—from the Cloud Sun Sect!"
Jin Zhen took the scroll and unsealed it. Golden ink shimmered with light qi.
---
> To Sect Master Jin Zhen of the Crimson Sect,
We have received reports of unusual qi resonance, unregulated agricultural power flows, and potential violations of the Spiritual Land Registry Treaty.
A representative will be dispatched within 10 days to assess your cultivation fields and methods. Any violation of natural balance or misappropriation of qi could result in punitive measures.
—Elder Qiao Yun, Cloud Sun Sect (4-Star Affiliation)
---
Jin Zhen folded the scroll calmly.
"They're scared," he said. "Good."
Lan Yuer, sitting nearby on a boulder, raised a brow. "You expected this?"
"I hoped for worse. If they're sending a representative, it means they don't have the strength to stop me directly."
"You sure you can win a legal battle against a four-star sect?"
Jin Zhen turned to her, his gaze calm as ever.
"I'm not going to fight them in court."
He reached into his robes and pulled out a pouch—inside were 100 newly refined spiritual wheat seeds, pulsing with verdant glow.
"I'm going to make them buy from me."
---
That evening, Jin Zhen gathered his sect's inner circle.
A formation was drawn around them, shielding the meeting with mist and sound suppression. A new face joined them—Xue Shan, a former spiritual array master from a fallen sect, who had begged to join after seeing the spiritual growth in the valley.
"We're not building just farms," Jin Zhen explained. "We're building an industry. Qi farming. Life cultivation. Body enhancement through natural consumption."
Fang Mu raised a hand. "So... like farming pills?"
Jin Zhen nodded. "Yes. Except better. And cheaper."
He pointed to the map spread on the ground.
"I need every village within two hundred kilometers to feel the pulse of our fields. Every herb we grow will carry my formation mark. Every buyer will owe us qi—not just stones."
---
[System Notification]
[New Long-Term Objective Unlocked: "Rise of the Crimson Root"]
[Expand influence through qi-cultivation agriculture]
[Rewards: Sect Power Growth, Territory Expansion, Hidden System Upgrade]
---
That night, Jin Zhen stood with Lan Yuer by the spirit spring.
"You don't sleep much," she said.
"I can't afford to," he replied.
She looked at the water, quiet for a moment. "You know, I used to grow herbs with my brother. Before he…" she paused. "Before the poison tide took our village."
Jin Zhen didn't speak. He simply extended his hand.
She took it, her grip firm.
"I'll help you protect this place," she said softly.
"I know."
---
Meanwhile, Fang Mu had cornered a newly arrived cultivator.
"Alright kid, your task is simple: make this herb bloom."
The herb—a strange violet thing with a wrinkled face—spoke in a deep, ancient voice:
"Only the one who understands the Song of Roots shall earn my bloom."
The cultivator blinked. "…Does that mean manure or…?"
The herb grunted.
"Philistines."
---
[Status – Jin Zhen – Updated]
Cultivation: Core Formation (Late)
Talent Grade: Crimson Starfire – Divine Grade
Physique: Infernal Ember (True Sync)
Wealth: 94,000 Spirit Stones
SP: 1
Passive Qi Income: +54/day
Fame Titles: Flame-Lord of the Fields, Root Sovereign (Unofficial)
Influence Zones: Crimson Sect Valley, Three Hills District, Farmer's Guild, Blazewind Market
---
The seed had been planted.
And it was already sprouting rebellion across the land.