The temperature warmed up, and all living things revived.

Jiang Chen stood on the field ridge with his eyes closed, carefully sensing. The free-floating Wood-attributed spiritual energy between heaven and earth continuously increased over time. The Wood Spiritual Root within his body released signals of hunger and thirst.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes. He quickly took out the spring seedlings from his small storage pouch.

Wrapping them with Wood-attributed spiritual power, he tossed them into the Spirit Farm one by one. Immediately after, he activated Vine Bind, controlling all the spring seedlings and drilling them into the black soil.

Time passed minute by minute. As dawn gradually broke in the east, the Wood-attributed spiritual energy became dense between heaven and earth.

The Spiritual Energy Tide had arrived!

The spirit plant seedlings within the farm grew at a visible speed.

Jiang Chen immediately sat cross-legged. First, he gulped down a mouthful of Tier-2 Spirit Wine, then he operated the fifth layer of the Evergreen Art.

Instantly, his body transformed into a vortex, continuously devouring the surrounding Wood-attributed spiritual energy. Under the dual effect of the tide and the wine, the spiritual power within him surged.

Originally reaching seven strands, with a sizzle sound, the spiritual power transformed into eight strands.

They roamed within his body, squeezing excess impurities outside. Gradually, his entire person became clean and pure from the inside out, even emitting a faint fragrance.

This provoked Da Huang and the pearl chickens to actively approach. They seemed to know their master was at a critical moment, thus they didn’t cause trouble. Instead, they stayed nearby, inhaling the scattered fragrant spiritual energy into their bodies. Not long after, their fur and feathers became smoother, and each entered a soundly sleeping state—half-asleep, half-awake, in a daze.

As time passed, the east brightened greatly. Brilliant golden light broke the dawn, dispelling the yin-cold darkness completely.

At this instant, Jiang Chen produced the ninth strand of spiritual power.

Common knowledge dictated that nine strands meant Qi Condensation perfection; logically, he should stop. But he didn’t stop; instead, the process intensified.

They gathered together, no longer roaming. Instead, they followed the route provided by the Evergreen Art.

First, the Small Heavenly Cycle cleared the Ren and Du meridians. After reaching forty-nine cycles, he began to transport the qi and blood within his body. The qi and blood circulated again through the twelve meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians.

Beside Jiang Chen’s ears, the hualala sound of flowing blood rang out. With continuous circulation, continuous transportation, and continuous accumulation…

After reaching eighty-one cycles, the nine strands of spiritual power merged into one, transforming into a torrent that dove downward.

With a pop sound, the sealed Sea of Qi crashed open.

The “Innate Fetal Qi” stored inside surged out like a floodgate opening. Suddenly, Jiang Chen felt as if he had returned to the fetal stage—exceptionally comfortable, relaxed, warm, and safe.

Various injuries and defects were repaired one by one at this moment. His body underwent a second growth and metamorphosis.

Unknown how much time passed, Jiang Chen opened his eyes.

His gaze was like lightning, clear as a spring. His skin was even smoother and more delicate.

Jiang Chen found it unbelievable. “I thought I would stop at Qi Condensation perfection, but I didn’t expect to directly open the Sea of Qi and break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.”

One year in the outer area, two years in the core. Three years to go from early-stage Qi Condensation to early-stage Foundation Establishment.

This speed… if you say it’s fast, it can’t compare to those geniuses who reach Foundation Establishment in a year. Like the triple-spiritual root genius Chen Tian; that person broke through from the Qi Condensation stage to the Foundation Establishment stage in just one year.

But if you say it’s slow… many people join the Spirit Farm and don’t break through for three or four years. Stuck at late-stage Qi Condensation or perfection, they eventually can only exhaust their savings to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Through the fifth-layer Evergreen Art, Expert-grade Spirit Wine, and a large amount of Tier-2 Spirit Rice—even mutated Spirit Rice—Jiang Chen had raised his cultivation speed to the third tier. Without the system or becoming a rogue cultivator, without five to ten years, he absolutely could not have broken through. After all, resources were the biggest problem.

Jiang Chen suddenly realized his range of sensing spirit plants had expanded, and it was more detailed and clearer. It was as if nearsightedness plus astigmatism suddenly turned into perfect 20/20 vision.

And operating the Vine Bind technique brought even more surprises. Originally, at late-stage Qi Condensation, he could control fifty black iron vines. Reaching early-stage Foundation Establishment, it directly doubled, reaching a full 100 vines.

To say the biggest change, it was actually the spiritual power. It began to liquefy. Although nine strands compressed into one drop, the quality was far superior to before.

After sensing the changes in his body, Jiang Chen finally looked at the attribute panel.

[Lifespan: 146,000 days (approx. 400 years)]

(Effect 1: Transcendental Constitution)

(Effect 2: Spiritual Sense Projection)

In a flash, it was the next day.

Jiang Chen was still on the field ridge, but this time not just for cultivation. He was also waiting for someone.

Lin Yu!

He had agreed with her to come and make rain today.

But unexpectedly, when the flying Paper Crane approached, Jiang Chen discovered not one person, but two.

One was a woman. The other was also a woman.

On the left was the petite and young Lin Yu. On the right was someone taller, with a more mature face and a better figure. More accurately, she was hotter—curves in all the right places, lotus-root-like arms exposed, and a beauty mark at the lower left corner of her red lips.

Judging by her attire, she was also a formal disciple. But on her chest was not the Rain Pavilion pattern, but a three-legged cauldron.

Jiang Chen asked curiously, “This is?”

Lin Yu smiled. “Didn’t I say last time that my sister came back from the Eastern Domain?”

Jiang Chen realized, “This is your sister!”

Lin Yu nodded. “This is my sister, Lin Yan of the Alchemy Hall!”

Lin Yan sized Jiang Chen up and down.

She had come along for a reason. As everyone knew, Spirit Farmers lacked Spirit Rice the least. This time, in order to perform brilliantly in the Formal Disciple Competition, she specially followed her sister, wanting to find a Spirit Farmer to cooperate with.

After all, anyone who went to the Harvest Alliance to buy rice now was an idiot. Unless they were very rich, they simply couldn’t afford it.

And on Lin Yu’s side, Jiang Chen’s reputation was very good: First, he never delayed payment. Second, he never looked down on her. Third, fourth, and fifth… he occasionally gave her food.

Lin Yan went straight to the point. “Fellow Daoist Jiang, which formal disciple are you cooperating with?”

Jiang Chen froze for a moment, asking in confusion, “Cooperation? What cooperation?”

Lin Yan raised an eyebrow. “Providing Spirit Rice.”

“Does lending to others count?” Jiang Chen thought of Tie Zhu.

“No.”

Jiang Chen shrugged. “Then none.”

Lin Yan’s eyes lit up. “Perhaps we have a possibility for coop—”

At this moment, Jiang Chen changed the subject. “Formal disciples, none; but there is a core disciple.”

“Possi… huh?” Lin Yan froze mid-sentence.

Lin Yu’s eyes widened even more, thinking she had misheard.

Jiang Chen smiled slightly. “To be honest with you two, I have been cooperating with the Rain Pavilion’s triple-spiritual root genius Chen Tian, supplying him with Tier-2 Spirit Rice long-term!”