"Hmph, you've learned the 'Fiery Flame Bathing Fire Technique', I want to see how well you can make elixirs with that!"

The two of them chatted and bantered as they arrived at the spiritual fields.

On a closer look, every spiritual field planted with spirit rice and spirit vegetables was guarded by someone.

This not only concerned their future cultivation resources but also the breathing tax to the Green Moon Sect.

The Green Moon Sect doesn't care what you plant or how the harvest turns out; a standard spiritual field must yield 500 jin of spirit rice, 500 jin of spirit vegetables, or 1000 jin of either.

The two of them kept watch for two nights.

On the late night of the second day, atop Spirit Field Mountain, everyone was tensely waiting, and so were Xian'er and Jiang Xiaoyue.

Ground fog swirled around, winding like a snake at their ankles.

When the moon reached its zenith, the hazy moonlight spilled down, and the spirit rice and spirit vegetables grew with visible speed.

"It's happening, it's happening!"

In just a moment, under the moonlight, the spirit rice and spirit vegetables matured.

Xian'er stared blankly at the scene before her, patches of spirit rice and spirit vegetables sparkling like the most exquisite treasure trove.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Jiang Xiaoyue said with a smile beside her.

After watching for a while, the two began harvesting under the moonlight.

It was hard and tiring work.

The spirit vegetables were as tough as cowhide, impossible to tear;

The spirit rice stalks were as tough as iron, and even with a scythe imbued with the 'Golden Radiance Skill', harvesting was extremely exhausting.

"Tell me...," Xian'er panted, exhausted, "why did you learn the 'Fiery Flame Bathing Fire Technique'? I learned the Cloud Rain Skill for irrigation; you should have learned the Golden Radiance Skill for harvesting. Together, we'd be invincible on Spirit Field Mountain!"

Xian'er was starting to talk in the style of Li Changzhou.

"If I can't become a Spirit Plant Master, farming for life is hopeless; mastering alchemy to earn money is the best ability!"

The two worked from the peak of the night till the peak of the day to transport the spirit rice and spirit vegetables back home.

"Come to my place for lunch," Jiang Xiaoyue said.

Soon, the fragrant spirit rice was ready, along with simple boiled spirit vegetables, and a dish of twice-cooked pork with tender green bamboo slices, crispy yellow meat slices, garnished with a bit of chili and garlic slices.

They scooped the twice-cooked pork with the rice into their mouths and followed it with a bite of the refreshing boiled vegetables, eating with great delight.

The spirit rice and spirit vegetables gave off a warm, soothing feeling once consumed.

Not only were they low in impurities and easily absorbed, cleansing the five viscera and six bowels, but they also contained spiritual energy, saving the steps of absorbing and exhaling during cultivation.

After finishing the meal, they immediately sat cross-legged to cultivate, not daring to waste time.

Xian'er had been stuck at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer for over a month.

For her, accumulating spiritual energy in the First Layer, Second Layer, and Third Layer was a natural process, but breaking through the Fourth Layer, where mana liquefies, had remained elusive.

Once at the Third Layer, without a breakthrough, any more spiritual energy inhaled would dissipate.

At this time, after consuming the spirit rice and spirit vegetables, the spiritual energy surged, equivalent to four full strands of spiritual energy.

In the past, she could only refine three strands at most before her heart power was insufficient to continue.

Since she skipped the step of absorbing spiritual energy from the world, she had extra heart power and could refine all four strands of spiritual energy in one go.

She expected it to dissipate again, but suddenly a strong sensation surged in her heart – she was about to break through!

She quickly changed her handprint, and the spiritual energy flowing within her stilled for a moment, then followed her handprint, moving along the energy pathways of the Fourth Layer.

After completing a cycle, she pressed her intertwined hands down to her dantian, transforming the fog-like mana into a droplet of liquid that dripped into her Qi Sea.

Boom!

The spiritual pressure exploded, Xian'er's hair fluttering wildly.

Fortunately, Jiang Xiaoyue had finished refining her four strands of spiritual energy early. Otherwise, this spiritual pressure might have disrupted her, causing a deviation.

The spiritual pressure was like a gale, pressing her clothes tight against her body. Jiang Xiaoyue looked at Xian'er in surprise.

Over three months, she'd come to understand Xian'er's situation. Three months, Qing Qi Fourth Layer – what kind of genius was this?

If she were in the sect, eating spirit rice and spirit vegetables daily and taking Qi Nourishing Pills, she probably would have reached the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer, or even the Seventh, by now.

So, when Xian'er opened her eyes, not yet able to express her joy, she heard Jiang Xiaoyue say:

"Xian'er, you must join the sect!"

"The sect?" Xian'er looked at her in confusion.

"With your talent, it's a waste to farm here. Joining the sect will take you further."

"But, the God told me not to join any sect, saying..."

"Don't listen to him!" Jiang Xiaoyue said excitedly, "Think about it. So far, aside from helping you deceive the ghost (the hanged ghost) and fooling people (the shop clerks), what else has he truly helped you with?"

Xian'er was silent.

"Xian'er," Jiang Xiaoyue grasped Xian'er's hand, "life only happens once; don't joke with your future. Immortal cultivation is not something to hesitate with. I know that branch once saved you, but you don't have to listen to him about everything. Your life is your own."

Xian'er withdrew her hand, shook her head, "Xiaoyue, thank you, but my life was saved by the God. Without him, I'd have been killed by the hanged ghost."

"You—, sigh!"

What started as a pleasant day turned a bit sour because of this exchange.

Xian'er returned to her courtyard, sat under the eaves holding a copy of "The Three Most Common Spells in the Qi Refinement Realm," her eyes on the book but her thoughts elsewhere.

She had finished her first batch of books, sold them back to the bookstore, and used the money to buy this one.

"Flying Arrow Technique," "Hemostatic Technique," "Shield Skill" – these were lowly, unproductive spells, hence their cheap price.

Despite this, she was immensely fond of them, but now she just wasn't in the mood.