Chapter 341: Dian Ling Shu – Enthusiastic Selection, Choosing Rice Seeds

"Then it's settled. I’ll go ahead and cultivate Ling Gu." Upon hearing that Ling Gu could be used to forge Xiao Yan’s foundation, Lu Qing made his decision without hesitation.

"However, Elder, how exactly should I go about planting Ling Gu? I don’t have any Ling Gu seeds on hand."

At present, Qi had only just returned to full strength. The world of spiritual treasures had yet to sprout. To cultivate Ling Gu, one needed seeds—otherwise, there was no way forward.

"No Ling Gu seeds? That’s fine—you can grow them yourself. It’s just a bit more laborious. In the Ancient Cultivation Era, the variety of spiritual materials was vast. Not all were born naturally from the earth. Many were cultivated by cultivators themselves. Did you inherit the Li Hua Zong Chuan Cheng? Does it contain the technique known as Dian Ling Fa?"

Lu Qing mentally scanned through the inheritance he had received. He nodded. "Yes, it does."

Yan paused slightly. It had merely been a casual inquiry, but the fact that Lu Qing actually knew of Dian Ling Fa surprised it. Now, it was even more curious—just who had left behind that inheritance? Why would such a rare cultivation method be included?

Still, Yan didn’t press further. Instead, it spoke: "Since you know Dian Ling Fa, this makes things much simpler. This technique is one of transformation—turning the mundane into the spiritual. It involves gathering the essence of spiritual energy from the heavens and earth, then infusing it into ordinary matter. If done properly, you can transform the ordinary into the spiritual. There’s even a chance to turn an ordinary object into a true spiritual item. Legends say that those of the highest cultivation could even transform a piece of stone into a spirit of rock. But such a miracle—turning decay into wonder—is beyond even the greatest spirit-seal masters. In the entire thousand-year history of the Lihuo Sect, no one has ever achieved it. But you only need to transform a single grain of Ling Gu. That should be well within your reach."

As Yan spoke, Lu Qing pondered the Dian Ling Fa within his inheritance. Originally, the inheritance he had gained from the Lihuo Ding was extremely complex. Most of it had been merely skimmed through—he hadn’t delved into any of it in depth. But now, upon closer examination, he realized the technique truly was as Yan described: a method to transform the mundane into the spiritual. Moreover, this art was typically practiced by cultivators specializing in Wood-element combat techniques. After all, Wood represented life and vitality. Those who cultivated the Wood element had a superior grasp of Life-Sustaining Qi, making them especially adept at nurturing spiritual plants. For them, Dian Ling Fa was a fundamental, essential skill.

"Good-quality rice seeds, you said? That’s simple," Lu Qing replied.

He immediately descended the mountain, returning to the village and heading straight to Zhang Da Ye’s home. Fortunately, Zhang Da Ye was at home. Seeing Lu Qing arrive, he lit up with delight.

"A Qing! What brings you here? Come in, come in!"

Since Lu Qing had returned, he’d been buried in endless tasks, mostly staying within the Half Mountain Small Courtyard. Zhang Da Ye hadn’t seen him much at all.

"Zhang Ye Ye, I’ve come to ask a favor of the entire village," Lu Qing said, taking a seat with polite manners.

"A favor? What kind?" Zhang Da Ye blinked, genuinely puzzled. He couldn’t imagine what the villagers could possibly help with.

"I need some high-quality rice seeds. I’d like the village to help gather a little for me. Of course, I’ll pay for them."

Lu Qing knew that villagers typically saved their own rice seeds, rarely buying new ones. And since the recent harvest had been bountiful, everyone should still have some seeds stored at home.

"You’re making it sound too formal!" Zhang Da Ye chuckled. "Just some rice seeds? No problem—I’ll go notify everyone right away and see who’s got good ones."

"Zhang Ye Ye, please make sure they’re the best quality. I have a great purpose for them," Lu Qing emphasized.

"Leave it to me. I’ll make sure they bring out their finest," Zhang Da Ye assured him, patting his chest.

"Then I’ll head back up the mountain. Once the seeds are ready, please let me know. Ten catties should be enough."

"Fine, go ahead. I’ll gather everyone, and once we’ve collected them all, I’ll send them up to you."

After Lu Qing left, Zhang Da Ye paused to think. He first instructed his daughter-in-law to prepare the best rice seeds from their own home. Then, he stepped outside and began visiting neighboring households.

His first stop was with an old friend—Lao Wang.

"Lao Wang! Lao Wang, are you home?"

"Who’s there?" A young man emerged from the house, his expression instantly turning respectful upon seeing Zhang Da Ye. "Ah, it’s Zhang Ye Ye! My grandfather’s inside. Please come in."

Zhang Da Ye sat down. "Where’s your grandfather?"

"He’s napping in the inner room. I’ll go wake him."

Not long after, an elderly man, about the same age as Zhang Da Ye, shuffled out, still rubbing his eyes.

"Old Zhang—what brings you all the way over here? You don’t usually come by just for a chat."

"Can’t I drop by for a visit now and then?" Zhang Da Ye smiled.

"Ha! You’re not here for a visit. It’s the middle of the hottest day, and you’re traipsing over here for no reason. Don’t try to fool me."

Lao Wang squinted, clearly unimpressed. After all these years, he knew Zhang Da Ye’s tricks too well.

"Alright, no beating around the bush. A Qing came to see me earlier."

"A Qing? What did he want?"

Lao Wang’s expression immediately turned serious. While Lu Qing often visited Zhang Da Ye’s house, the fact that he’d come specifically to ask for help meant this was no ordinary matter.

"A Qing said he needs high-quality rice seeds for something important. He wants to ask the villagers if anyone has good seeds they’d be willing to sell. I remember this year, your rice was among the best in the village. Did you save any seeds?"

"Of course I did! I’ve got plenty. A few families even made arrangements with me to trade seeds. My in-laws also wanted some, so I set aside two bags."

Hearing praise for his rice, Lao Wang beamed with pride. But then a frown creased his brow. "But… what does A Qing need the seeds for? Is he planning to farm?"

"I don’t know. But A Qing is a man of great ambitions. If he needs seeds, it must be for a grand purpose. It’d be shameful to let him down."

"Of course! If A Qing asks for help, we can’t hesitate. I’ll have A Qiu bring both bags over right away."

A Qiu was Lao Wang’s younger son—the same young man who had greeted Zhang Da Ye earlier.

"Bring both bags? Won’t you keep any for yourself? And what about your in-laws?"

Zhang Da Ye raised an eyebrow.

"What’s a little rice compared to helping A Qing? I’ll just save extra grain for eating and plant lower-quality seeds next year. As for my in-laws, I’ll explain it to them—no problem."

Lao Wang waved it off with a shrug.

"Fine, as long as you know what you’re doing. Have A Qiu bring the seeds here. I’ll be visiting the rest of the village. We’ll collect everything and send it all up the mountain together."

Over the next few hours, Zhang Da Ye visited every household that had grown rice this year. Upon hearing it was Lu Qing who needed the seeds, everyone responded without hesitation. They immediately pulled out their finest seeds, gathering them at Zhang Da Ye’s house to be delivered to the Half Mountain Small Courtyard.

"Old Zhang! Old Zhang!" Just as they were preparing to head up the mountain, an elderly man—about the same age as Zhang Da Ye—rushed in from outside.

"Are you taking rice seeds up the mountain?"

"Yes. Why? You don’t grow rice this year, do you?" Zhang Da Ye asked, surprised.

"My family didn’t grow rice, but we did grow wheat last year. Ask A Qing—does he need wheat seeds?"

"Wheat seeds?" Zhang Da Ye hesitated. "He only mentioned rice seeds."

"Then how do you know he doesn’t need wheat? Maybe he’s gathering all kinds of seeds."

Lin Lao Tou—so named for his long, thin face—spoke with earnest seriousness.

Someone nearby couldn’t help but tease: "Lin Lao Tou, you’re always so stingy! Even a passing rooster gets a few feathers pulled out. Now you’re rushing to hand over your wheat seeds? What’s gotten into you?"

"Shut up! Shut up! Chen Lao Gui, you call me stingy? What about you? I’ve heard you’ve even taken scraps of chicken manure from your neighbor’s yard to compost your fields when your soil was too weak!"

Lin Lao Tou shot up from his seat, pointing an accusing finger at the old man. "Don’t pretend you didn’t do it! I saw you with my own eyes!"

The man—Chen Lao Gui—flushed, clearly embarrassed. But before he could respond, Zhang Da Ye cleared his throat.

"Enough, enough. We’re all grown men. Stop bickering like children. Lin Lao Tou, I don’t know if A Qing needs wheat seeds. Why don’t you go with us and ask him yourself?"

"Good idea," Lin Lao Tou agreed immediately. "I feel like if he’s collecting seeds, he’d need wheat too."

With that, the group finally set off. Families carried baskets and sacks of rice seeds, making their way up the mountain in a steady procession. Some even brought two bags each, afraid they might not have enough.

Along the way, one man whispered to the grumbling Chen Lao Gui: "Lao Chen, why’d you provoke Lin Lao Tou? You know how sharp-tongued he is. You’re only asking for trouble."

"Hmph. I’m not afraid of him!" Chen Lao Gui snapped.

"Look, I know you two don’t get along. But Lin Lao Tou’s leg trouble flared up a few weeks ago—he could barely get out of bed. It was A Qing who used his magic to heal him. You mocked him, and of course he’d react like that."

Chen Lao Gui fell silent. Deep down, he did regret it. But after decades of rivalry, he couldn’t resist the urge to provoke him.

Still, the mountain path was filled with villagers—everyone who had any rice seeds at all had brought them, eager to help.

When Lu Qing saw the procession of villagers, each carrying baskets and sacks, arriving at the Half Mountain Small Courtyard, he was genuinely stunned.

"A Qing, everyone brought their seeds. Take a look—pick whichever ones you like!" Zhang Da Ye placed his own bag of seeds before Lu Qing.

Lu Qing blinked, recovering from his surprise. Before him lay nearly a thousand catties of rice seeds. He couldn’t help but laugh wryly.

"Zhang Ye Ye… didn’t you tell them I only need ten or so catties? This is far too much."

The truth was, even with his current cultivation level, he couldn’t possibly transform that many seeds.

"I told them, but they didn’t know exactly what kind of seeds you wanted. So they brought everything—let you choose the best."

Lu Qing sighed, but seeing the joyful faces of the villagers, he understood their hearts were in the right place.

He smiled warmly. "Then I thank you all."

"No need to thank us," they chimed in. "It’s only right."

"Yeah, if it weren’t for A Qing’s magic, we’d be eating cold vegetables by now."

"Just a few seeds—nothing special," another added.

"Alright, A Qing, go ahead and pick what you need," Zhang Da Ye urged.

"Right," Lu Qing said. He knew arguing now would only dampen their spirits. So he stopped hesitating and began opening the bags, carefully selecting the seeds.

Lu Qing’s method wasn’t based solely on appearance. He didn’t just look for plump grains—he felt the inner vitality. He focused his mind, drawing a faint green glow from his palm and gently brushing it over each seed.

That green light was an application of Dian Ling Shu.

Meanwhile, while Zhang Da Ye was busy gathering seeds across the village, Lu Qing used the time to activate his inner cultivation abilities, diving deep into the practice of Dian Ling Shu. Within moments, he had mastered the technique completely.

Yan, observing from within, was genuinely stunned.

Dian Ling Shu wasn’t a particularly high-level technique. Nearly every cultivator specializing in Wood-element force could learn it. But Lu Qing had mastered it in mere moments—something Yan had never seen before. The man’s cultivation insight and innate talent were unparalleled.

As the green light swept across the bags, Lu Qing effortlessly identified the seeds with the strongest Yuan Qi and the most vibrant life force. With a slight thought, the finest grains floated up from the sacks, drifting gently into the fine bamboo basket he had prepared.

The sight was nothing short of miraculous—every villager stared in awe, utterly speechless.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end