Chapter 14: Choosing the Ink Spirit Bamboo, Mastering the Complete Cultivation Technique
Chapter 14: Choosing the Ink Spirit Bamboo, Mastering the Complete Cultivation Technique
"This guy is too reckless!" Chu Ning exclaimed, not dodging and instead quickly performing a set of hand seals, unleashing a Blade Art technique!
"Clang!"
The two blades of qi collided, creating a metallic clashing sound. In the next moment, the blade unleashed by Qiu Shunyi dissipated.
Meanwhile, the blade cast by Chu Ning continued forward, slicing through several stalks of Chi Ling Mi rice plants before vanishing.
Qiu Shunyi heaved a sigh of relief and quickly apologized, his face filled with remorse:
"Chu Ning, I'm sorry! I...I don't know what came over me just now."
However, after witnessing Chu Ning's display of magic, Qiu Shunyi could no longer deny Shang Zhaoxiang's earlier claims. He exclaimed in envy:
"Chu Ning, so you really have reached the second layer of Qi Refining? We underwent Qi Infusion at the same time, yet I haven't even touched the threshold of the second layer."
"It's just luck. Perhaps my cultivation of the Green Wood Eternal Spring Art is more suitable." Chu Ning offered a casual explanation.
Of course, he couldn't tell the other party that he had already reached the threshold of the fourth layer of Qi Refining.
Moreover, his words weren't entirely false. After all, his Yin Wood Spirit Body was more suited to cultivating wood-attribute techniques, making him indeed well-matched with the Green Wood Eternal Spring Art.
Chu Ning's explanation convinced the other three present, as they knew that compatibility with certain cultivation techniques was indeed a real factor.
However, one usually only discovered this after beginning the cultivation process.
They could only sigh in admiration, thinking that Chu Ning was incredibly lucky.
After Chu Ning and Cao Dongxin left, Shang Zhaoxiang also sighed, "Reaching the second layer of Qi Refining in three months. Although he can't compare to disciples with exceptional talent, he's still considered outstanding among the menial disciples.
After the assessment in a few days, Chu Ning should be assigned a decent spirit field, and he might not have to cultivate our Red Spirit Rice anymore."
Hearing these words, Qiu Shunyi's eyes once again flickered with envy.
They now understood that the better the spirit field and spirit plants, the higher the income they could generate.
But for Qiu Shunyi, it was already too late to catch up, as there were only four days left until the assessment.
As the two men sighed, Chu Ning also reflected that he should probably cultivate more magic spells, especially offensive and defensive ones.
Just now, if he hadn't reacted quickly to block Qiu Shunyi's reckless Blade Art with his own, the consequences could have been unpleasant.
However, the Blade Art was not his forte.
He should focus on cultivating wood-based spells, which would be easier and faster for him to master.
The four days passed in the blink of an eye.
The group gathered once more, and He Changyou, who had brought Chu Ning and the others here three months ago, appeared with Zhuang Yunde.
"Elder He!"
Greeted by a chorus of voices, He Changyou nodded and surveyed the nearly thirty people before him.
His gaze then landed directly on Chu Ning and another disciple named Yuan Guang.
"You two have reached the second layer of Qi Refining? Impressive!" A smile appeared on He Changyou's face.
Upon hearing He Changyou's words, the remaining twenty-eight people, including Qiu Shunyi, looked at Chu Ning with envious eyes.
Chu Ning had already noticed that another new disciple had attained the second layer of Qi Refining, and they had undergone Qi Infusion together. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
This way, he wouldn't stand out too much.
It was necessary for him to demonstrate the second layer of Qi Refining, as only then could he obtain the complete Green Wood Eternal Spring Art.
However, Chu Ning had been worried that his progress might be too fast and attract too much attention.
Now, it seemed that things were developing well.
Being one of two, rather than the only one, made a significant difference.
He Changyou spoke again, "Alright, let's begin the test and see how well you've mastered your spells. Start with the Stimulation Technique!"
As he spoke, He Changyou distributed seeds to everyone.
"These are the most basic Red Spirit Rice seeds. You've all planted them before. We've just finished harvesting the early rice, and it's time to plant the late rice. Try stimulating their growth."
Before coming here, he had already decided to showcase his skills in stimulation, cleansing, and perhaps even the Green Wood Changchun technique to a certain extent.
As for the Sweet Dew Art and Blade Art, he was naturally weaker in those areas.
By creating an image of himself as someone highly compatible with wood-based techniques and the "Evergreen" skill, as long as he didn't do anything too unusual, the sect wouldn't be too suspicious. Instead, they might even be inclined to support his future endeavors.
And so, among the group, Chu Ning's Chi Ling Mi seed was the first to sprout and break through its shell, continuing to grow.
"Stop!"
With He Changyou's command, everyone's expressions varied.
Aside from a small minority, most people had successfully stimulated their seeds, but many had only managed to sprout the seedlings.
Chu Ning and Yuan Guang still performed the best. Chu Ning's seedling was almost an inch long, while Yuan Guang's was about half an inch in length.
He Changyou made a mental note of this and then proceeded to test them on several other spells.
Chu Ning remained the top performer in the Cleansing Art, but in the Sweet Dew Art and Blade Art, he fell slightly behind Yuan Guang.
In terms of spellcasting, the two were evenly matched.
He Changyou then announced the final results.
"Out of thirty people, twenty-two passed. Chu Ning, Yuan Guang, Chen Youdao, Zhang Hui, Qiu Shunyi..."
As he recited the names of the 22 successful candidates, the remaining eight had disappointed looks on their faces. He Changyou paid them no mind and waved his hand, dismissing them.
"You can go now. Continue cultivating with your respective senior brothers, and we'll test you again in a year."
"Except for Chu Ning and Yuan Guang, the remaining 20 people will be uniformly assigned 5 acres of spirit fields by the sect. For the lower-grade spirit fields in the Ding District, 3 acres will be for Chi Ling Mi, and 2 acres for middle-grade spirit fields."
"Chu Ning and Yuan Guang will each be assigned 10 acres of spirit fields. For the upper and middle-grade spirit fields in the Ding District, 5 acres each."
He Changyou's announcement naturally sparked envy in the other 20 people.
Not only did Chu Ning and Yuan Guang receive twice as much spirit field area as the others, but they also started with middle-grade spirit fields, which was a significant difference in treatment.
After he finished speaking, He Changyou turned to Chu Ning and Yuan Guang.
"By now, you two should have a certain understanding of spirit plants. What kinds do you plan to cultivate?"
Yuan Guang was clearly well-prepared, and his face lit up with joy as he replied, "Elder He, I plan to cultivate purple sweet potatoes and spirit rice."
He Changyou nodded. These two plants were commonly grown in the upper and middle-grade spirit fields of the Ding District.
He then looked at Chu Ning, "What about you, Chu Ning?"
Chu Ning pondered for a moment before answering, "Elder He, for the middle-grade spirit field, I'll cultivate spirit rice, and for the upper-grade spirit field, I'd like to cultivate Ink Spirit Bamboo."
Hearing this, He Changyou was slightly taken aback. Ink Spirit Bamboo was used as a raw material for ordinary talisman paper, and it was significantly more challenging to cultivate than purple sweet potatoes. Usually, only those with years of planting experience in the Ding District would choose to grow it.
He frowned slightly, "Are you sure about Ink Spirit Bamboo?"
Chu Ning nodded, and He Changyou didn't press the issue further. After all, regardless of what they chose to cultivate, there were standard sect tasks that had to be fulfilled.
He then took out two books from his storage bag and handed them to Chu Ning and Yuan Guang.
"According to the rules, upon reaching the second layer of Qi Condensation, you can obtain the complete version of the Evergreen Skill..."
Chu Ning eagerly reached out and took the book, his eyes lighting up.
The booklet was similar to the one he had received when he first joined the sect, inscribed with the words "Qingmu Evergreen Technique," but it was noticeably thicker.
"This is the complete Green Wood Eternal Spring Skill! It includes the fourth layer of the technique!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
