Chapter 8: Speculations
Chapter 8: Speculations
Regardless, it was always beneficial to cultivate faster. Chu Ning stood up and soon spotted Shang Zhaoxiang and Qiu ShunyI in the distance on the path.
As Chu Ning got to his feet, the two of them noticed him as well.
Shang Zhaoxiang called out to him from afar, and Chu Ning quickened his pace to catch up.
"Old Cao left already?" Chu Ning asked as he drew near.
Shang Zhaoxiang smiled and said, "That old fellow has a peculiar temperament. The new disciples who followed him these past years have endured no small amount of hardship. Not only does he not teach simple spells, but he also demands a lot of their time. So, you better be prepared. Generally, those who follow him can only become independent in cultivating their spirit fields after a year or more."
Both Chu Ning and Qiu ShunyI looked puzzled upon hearing this. Qiu ShunyI, being more outspoken, asked, "Isn't it just three months?"
Shang Zhaoxiang shook his head. "The prerequisite for the three-month timeline is to reach the first layer of Qi Refinement and master a few basic spells for cultivating spirit plants. For example, the Incitation Art to aid seed growth, the Purification Art to remove weeds and impurities, and the Sweet Rain Art to keep the spirit plants well-watered. You don't need to master them perfectly or learn every single one, but you should be able to perform at least one or two. Of course, if you can grasp the Green Wood Spring Art, that would be even better."
"Whether it's cultivating martial arts or spells, it takes time. If you follow Old Cao, your cultivation time will be at most half of what others spend. And since he doesn't really teach spells, do you think you can achieve all that in three months?" Shang Zhaoxiang said, and Qiu ShunyI's eyes now held sympathy as he looked at Chu Ning.
Qi Refinement? Green Wood Spring Art? I already know a bit of that.
Chu Ning's heart stirred, but he promptly displayed a hint of nervousness and asked, "Then, if one fails the assessment, why would it take more than a year?"
Shang Zhaoxiang explained, "Because in another three months, there will be an advancement assessment for disciples in the sect. Disciples from each district will advance to the next level, and the vacant spirit fields will be redistributed. Since all the spirit fields will have been allocated, you'll naturally have to wait another year."
"Won't the sect do something about that?" Chu Ning asked bitterly.
His expression wasn't feigned—he had no issues with reaching the first layer of Qi Refinement or learning the Green Wood Spring Art, but there were other spells to consider.
"Of course, they will!" Shang Zhaoxiang replied. "Every half month, you go to the Technique Transmission Hall to listen to lectures, right? If you're not taught any spells, you can tell the transmitting disciples, and they will teach you. However, when it comes to time management, the sect can't interfere."
Shang Zhaoxiang paused before continuing, "I know you might ask, then, why doesn't the sect gather you all first for cultivation and only assign you to the various halls later?
Chu Ning and Qiu ShunyI nodded, and Shang Zhaoxiang continued, "This has mainly been the case for the past hundred years. In the past, disciples were taught and cultivated together before being assigned to the different halls after a few months. However, in the past hundred years, especially the past five to six decades, the number of menial disciples in the sect has sharply decreased, and many tasks in the Hundred Arts Hall now fall to the new disciples.
For example, in the case of cultivating spirit fields, if you don't follow us to learn for a couple of months first, the sect wouldn't dare to hand over the spirit fields to you."
Chu Ning asked thoughtfully, "Then, Senior Brother Shang, why has the number of menial disciples in the sect decreased sharply in the past few decades? Is it because fewer people are being recruited?"
"The sect only said that there are sect missions," Shang Zhaoxiang replied, hesitating slightly before continuing, "There's also another rumor circulating among the menial disciples. Apparently, the sect found a treasure land elsewhere, a place with even richer spiritual energy than the Qingxi Mountains where we are now. Many disciples were supposedly chosen to develop that place."
"There's such a good thing!" Exclaimed Qiu ShunyI, his eyes lighting up at the news.
Chu Ning also feigned interest at this point, but his instincts made him cautious. There seemed to be something unusual about this opportunity.
"Until we figure out what's going on, it's best to keep a low profile. Even if you reach the sixth or seventh layer of Qi Refinement, don't let others find out easily, or you might get chosen," Chu Ning warned himself inwardly.
Just then, Shang Zhaoxiang's voice interrupted his thoughts once more.
"And not everyone is like Old Cao. Most of us are willing to guide new disciples properly," he said, smiling at Chu Ning.
"I intend to teach ShunyI, and if there's anything you don't understand about cultivation techniques, feel free to ask me. After you've reached the stage of refining Qi into the body, you can also come to me to learn spells."
Chu Ning's face lit up with gratitude as he heard this. "Thank you, Senior Brother Shang!"
Shang Zhaoxiang continued, "Don't worry about it. I'm different from Old Cao, who lives alone. I have a large family outside the sect. I can't curry favor with the higher-ups, so I thought I'd get close to you new disciples and forge a good connection for my family."
With this explanation, Chu Ning and Qiu ShunyI understood the kind-hearted senior brother's motives, and they both expressed their thanks.
Chatting along the way, they soon returned to the courtyard. After bidding farewell to the two, Chu Ning went back to his room.
He started a fire to cook, did some chores, and in the afternoon, he was once again sent to the fields by Cao Dongxin, this time to keep an eye out for pests and birds.
Chu Ning was happy to go, as he could cultivate in the fields.
Initially, he thought that the spiritual energy in the fields was denser, but after carefully sensing it this time, he found that it wasn't the case.
Instead, the spiritual energy in the area around their living quarters, closer to the mountains, was even denser than in the fields.
That made sense, Chu Ning thought. After all, their living area was closer to the mountain range.
Chu Ning chose the same spot as he had in the morning for his cultivation, and to his slight surprise, his progress wasn't as swift as it had been earlier in the day.
He meditated for a longer duration, but his proficiency only increased by one point.
That night, he cultivated in his room and gained another point.
The next morning, Chu Ning woke up early to practice the Nine Yin Body Refining Technique before starting to prepare breakfast.
Perhaps it was because of Shang Zhaoxiang's mocking comment the other day, or maybe it was because Chu Ning had cooked breakfast early, but that day, Cao Dongxin left the house later than usual, almost at the same time as Shang Zhaoxiang from the neighboring house.
When they arrived at the fields, Cao Dongxin first checked on the growth of the spirit rice.
This time, he didn't try to avoid Chu Ning. Instead, he proudly said, "These are the ones I cast the Green Wood Spring Art on yesterday. You can already see the difference in growth after just one day. I'll cast it on the rest of the rice today, and in a couple of months, all of them will be covered. This will improve both the yield and quality of the spirit rice."
As he spoke, Cao Dongxin led Chu Ning forward.
When they reached a corner of the field, he suddenly stopped and muttered in confusion, "Hmm, what's going on with this patch? I remember casting the Green Wood Spring Art here yesterday, but there's no difference in growth at all."
Chu Ning's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.
This particular patch was where he had chosen to cultivate the day before.
"Could it be that my cultivation absorbed the spiritual energy gathered by the Green Wood Spring Art?" Chu Ning wondered silently.
(End of Chapter)
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