CHAPTER 77: CHAPTER 77: MUTUAL AID ASSOCIATION GATHERING

Ji Yuan glanced at the panel.

[Spirit Field: LV2 (Not Achieved)]

[Spirit Effect: Automatic pest-repelling, crop growth cycle shortened by 40%; upon harvest, 20% chance to yield double crops; produces spiritual energy enriched output.]

[Upgrade Requirements: Low-grade Spirit Stone × 60, Black Light Stone × 15 pieces, Spiritual Spring Essence × 3 jars. (Not Achieved)]

Level 1 Spirit Field can shorten the growth cycle by 30%, while Level 2 Spirit Field shortens it by 40%.

At this rate, does Level 3 shorten it by 50%?

Calculating it this way, crops that would originally take a thousand years to mature now take only five hundred years in my Spirit Field?

Level 1 Spirit Field yields produce with faint wood spiritual energy, but Level 2 gives produce with increased spiritual energy.

Meaning, this output is no longer "specialized," but has turned "all-round."

Compared to Level 1, Level 2 Spirit Field also comes with automatic pest-repelling.

[Spirit Field], this thing, is extremely prone to pests, and easily attracts them.

Ji Yuan knows this well—precisely because of it, a profession called [Insect Exterminator] has even sprung up just for purging pests from Spirit Fields.

They’ve mastered the basic "Geng Metal Sword Technique," relying on proficient extermination skills, specializing in de-pesting other people’s Spirit Fields.

My own Level 1 Spirit Field probably needs extermination too, but once it’s Level 2, that won’t be necessary.

Another thing tempting Ji Yuan is this special effect with the double crop yield at harvest.

One gives birth to two.

If I plant spiritual medicine in this [Spirit Field]?

Growing crops doesn’t pay, but growing medicine pays a lot more.

No, with spiritual medicine, maybe a dedicated [Medicine Field] could be opened up... Thinking thus, Ji Yuan looked at his Spirit Field, then at the words floating above it.

He turned and went inside the house, writing the words [Medicine Field] on white paper and placing it on top.

[Spirit Field] didn’t change.

Ji Yuan tried swapping the white paper for a wooden token—still no response. Unwilling to give up, he simply ran to the Wen Family to borrow a medicinal herb.

Wen Lin is an alchemist, and naturally never short on herbs.

Yet, even so, the [Spirit Field] remained unchanged.

Ji Yuan could only give up.

Judging by this, [Medicine Field] must just be merged with [Spirit Field] itself.

After all, the wording for spirit effects uses "output" and "crop."

Spirit rice and spirit plants are crops, so spiritual medicine counts too.

This works—it saves me spending extra Spirit Stones on upgrades.

With this settled, Ji Yuan went back to cultivation.

"..."

The next morning.

Dawn hadn’t arrived yet, but Wu Wenbin, draped in splendid robes, came to Shop #A18 in Zengtou City, taking along the equally finely dressed Wu Yan.

The door here is never locked, but nobody comes calling so early in the morning.

Maybe some did, but once they came, they never came again.

Wu Wenbin and Wu Yan pushed straight through the door—inside the spacious hall, aside from a dozen scattered bamboo chairs, there was nothing else.

The two each picked a seat and sat down.

Wu Yan’s face barely concealed his excitement. "Dad, do you think all the Mutual Aid Association folks will come today?"

"All come?"

Wu Wenbin chuckled. "You really believe they’ve got nothing better to do—and their whole life is just showing up to congratulate you?"

"Well..."

Wu Yan’s face darkened a bit, then he asked, "So how many will turn up, probably?"

Wu Wenbin scanned the room, replying, "If these chairs get filled, that’s good enough."

"Oh right, Dad, I heard Yao Jingfeng and Du Wanyi are coming too?"

Wu Yan knows these two names.

This year’s Water Dragon Sect selection just finished—all those strong Cloud Rain Marsh cultivators have already joined Water Dragon Sect.

Among the remaining late Qi Cultivation ranks, Yao Jingfeng and Du Wanyi are the strongest.

Especially Yao Jingfeng and another named Luo Tian—many thought both would join Water Dragon Sect this year.

Never expected, they skipped the selection and are waiting for three years from now.

"Mm."

Mentioning this, a smile showed on Wu Wenbin’s face.

Yao Jingfeng and Du Wanyi coming—is it for whose sake?

Could it really be for Wu Yan?

Of course, it’s for Wu Wenbin.

Yao and Du are both eighth-layer Qi Cultivators, and so is Wu Wenbin.

Not only that, Wu Wenbin is a Talisman Master... who wouldn’t give him some face?

"Dad, I heard the two of them stopped by the lakeside yesterday—like they went to meet someone. Word outside is, somebody else in Zengtou City broke through to late Qi Cultivation besides me."

Wu Yan probed.

"Heh, this is late Qi Cultivation—it’s not some Spirit Pig for sale in the market."

Wu Wenbin snorted.

"True," Wu Yan nodded along.

Normally, for a market to produce one or two late Qi cultivators in a year is a fantastic year.

As the two spoke, suddenly the doorway darkened and two people entered.

The Wu father and son looked up; Wu Yan quickly greeted with a smile, "Brother Du, Sister Hu, long time no see."

The arrivals were also late Qi Cultivation folks from Zengtou City: Du Kang and Hu Fang.

Both, like Wu Yan, are seventh-layer cultivators and didn’t join this year’s Water Dragon Sect selection.

"Congratulations, Brother Wu."

Du Kang and Hu Fang gave their greetings, then nodded to Wu Wenbin, "Greetings, Master Wu."

"No need to be so formal."

Just as the two found seats, a middle-aged man reeking of fish strode in. He wore plain hemp clothes, bare-chested, a knife scar adding fierceness to his face.

Taian Square cultivator, Zhu Shen, a veteran eighth-layer cultivator from Cloud Rain Marsh.

With his entrance, Wu Wenbin got up smiling.

Zhu Shen nodded—didn’t even look at Wu Yan, just swept his eyes around the room. "Has that old villain Luo Tian arrived yet?"

"Luo Tian is coming too?"

This time it was Wu Wenbin’s turn to be surprised.

Luo Tian... rumor is, he’s about to break through to ninth-layer Qi Cultivation. Among the Cloud Rain Marsh cultivators left, as long as Blind Qin doesn’t intervene, he should be the strongest.

At least, in public view.

Wu Wenbin has never exchanged words with him—and never thought Luo Tian would bother showing him face today.

’Looks like my Wu Family having two late-stage cultivators is putting some pressure on him.’

Wu Wenbin thought to himself.

Zhu Shen said nothing, just found a seat. Soon enough, Qin Long from the Qin Family and that old Third He arrived as well.

They were all acquaintances, so after a quick hello, they took their seats.

After some idle chit-chat, the sound of footsteps outside—looking up, they saw Yao Jingfeng and Du Wanyi, chatting and laughing as they walked in.

"Daoist Yao, Daoist Du—it’s really been years."

Wu Wenbin stood up smiling to welcome them.

"Indeed, Brother Wu is even more impressive than before," Yao Jingfeng said politely.

Wu Yan also offered a smile and greeting; Yao Jingfeng and Du Wanyi didn’t snub him, but their smiles remained lukewarm... just social niceties.

"By the way, Daoist Yao, I heard Brother Luo Tian is coming too?"

Wu Wenbin asked.

"Yeah, he should be arriving soon."

The moment Yao Jingfeng finished, a cold-faced cultivator in black robes stepped inside; as soon as he entered, everyone in the room stood up to greet him.

Luo Tian nodded as acknowledgment, walked straight over to Yao Jingfeng, and asked, "Which one is Number Four?"

"Greetings, Elder Luo."

Wu Yan, as the focus of this gathering, hurried to offer respects.

Luo Tian turned to him and asked directly, "You’re Number Four?"

"No."

Yao Jingfeng answered indifferently.

As Wu Wenbin listened to their exchange, he frowned—but then something occurred to him. He hurriedly asked, "Daoist Yao, does this mean someone besides my son broke through to late Qi Cultivation this time?"

"Of course someone did."

Yao Jingfeng wore his impeccably proper smile.

"Who..."

Before Wu Wenbin finished, Du Wanyi glanced at the doorway, then laughed to Luo Tian, "Number Four you asked about has arrived."

"Oh?"

Luo Tian turned toward the entrance.

There stood a tall man in blue robes at the door, sunlight streaming from behind him, his frame blocking out most of the light, half-hidden in darkness, only his eyes shining brilliantly.