Bang! Bang! Bang!

The rhythmic thud of earth manipulation echoed across the hillside. The rugged terrain smoothed out under the concerted efforts of the disciples, stones grinding into powder and weeds disintegrating into dust.

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, the perimeter of the second mu of Spirit Farm was finally established.

Now came the true labor: infusing the soil with Earth Qi.

Compared to simply loosening the dirt, this process was grueling and required a team effort.

“Take a break, everyone,” Jiang Chen called out, setting down a table with a jar of cool spring water.

Wu Guangman and his team paused, wiping sweat from their brows as they gratefully gulped down the refreshing water. They circled the newly demarcated field, channeling the [Earth Pull] technique in unison.

Strands of heavy Earth Qi rose from the surrounding veins, guided by the disciples into the soil beneath their feet.

The dry, yellowish-brown dirt began to transform. Under the constant bombardment of Qi, it grew sticky and darkened slightly, taking on a rich, loamy texture. However, it still lacked the deep, oily sheen of true black soil.

“It doesn’t look like true black soil yet,” Jiang Chen observed, frowning slightly.

Wu Guangman nodded. “You’re right, Senior Brother Jiang. This is just the foundational layer. To get true black soil, you’ll need to employ slash-and-burn cultivation methods, letting the soil absorb nutrients from spirit plants over several years. Regular infusion of Spirit Beast manure is also mandatory.”

Their method was essentially “force-feeding” the land. It created a base, but the soil’s maturity would require Jiang Chen’s patient cultivation over time to match the quality of his first plot.

“Of course,” Wu Guangman added with a hopeful blink, “if Senior Brother wants to speed things up, you can hire us to perform regular Earth Qi infusions. It accelerates the maturation significantly.”

Jiang Chen smiled politely but dismissed the idea internally. Hiring a team was expensive. It was far more economical—and discreet—to simply transplant mature black soil from his secret stockpile in the stone mountain. Even as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, frugality was a virtue, and drawing attention was a vice.

Another hour passed. Night had fully fallen.

Wu Guangman and his crew, citing exhaustion, suggested they retire for the evening and finish the job tomorrow. It was a transparent tactic to stretch the job into another day’s pay, but since the sect was footing the bill, Jiang Chen didn’t object. Building goodwill with the Earth disciples might prove useful later.

Once the team departed, Jiang Chen retreated to his wooden house to prepare dinner.

An hour later, a simple but fragrant meal was laid out.

[Sugar-Tossed Tomatoes] [Tomato Scrambled Eggs]

Tonight was a tomato feast. To celebrate his new land acquisition, he also steamed a pot of the golden Mutated Spirit Rice.

He expected Da Huang and the Pearl Chickens to come running at the smell, but outside remained silent.

“What’s going on?” Jiang Chen walked to the door, peering into the yard.

The dog and the chickens were still exactly where he had left them, deep in a comatose sleep as they processed the massive influx of Spirit Qi from earlier.

Let them rest, he decided. He sat down and dug in alone.

The sugar-tossed tomatoes were perfection. Each slice was cut into a crescent moon, the flesh bright red and bursting with juice. The sugar, initially scattered like crushed snow, had partially melted into the tomato juice, creating a thick, sweet syrup.

Crunch.

The unmelted sugar crystals provided a satisfying texture against the soft fruit. As he chewed, the tart acidity of the tomatoes exploded, mingling with the sweetness.

Saliva flooded his mouth. The sweet and sour combination was incredibly appetizing, and fueled by his good mood, Jiang Chen devoured the meal.

He almost licked the plate clean.

Satiated, he washed up and grabbed a bottle of Top-quality Spirit Wine, heading outside to lounge on his creaky wooden chair.

He crossed one leg over the other, took a slow sip of wine, and looked up at the starlit sky.

Belly full. Spirit Qi humming in his veins. The familiar, comforting chorus of frogs and insects filling the night air.

It was a perfect moment of peace.

He swirled the wine in his bottle, humming a tune under his breath. “I still remember you said home is…”

The next morning broke with the crisp chill of autumn.

Yellow leaves drifted from the trees, signalling the changing season. Jiang Chen stepped out, stretching.

Da Huang was awake. Seeing his master, the dog’s eyes filled with adoration, and his tail thumped frantically against the ground. However, he didn’t get up; his body was still heavy, clearly in the final stages of refining the Spirit Qi.

The Pearl Chickens were still asleep, huddled in a ball. Interestingly, they had started to molt, shedding old feathers for new ones.

Physical transformation, Jiang Chen noted. Good.

He patted Da Huang’s head and began his morning routine.

He cleaned the yard, then moved to the Spirit Farm. He inhaled a wisp of Wood Spirit Qi to jumpstart his circulation, then waved a hand to banish the weeds around his Spirit Rice.

Chores done, he began his rounds of the [Spirit Finger] technique, starting with his three rare plants.

First, the [Green Gourd]. Second, the [Fire Vine]. Third, the [Earth Pull Grass].

However, the moment his index finger touched the vine of the [Green Gourd], a crisp notification rang out.

Ding.

Before his eyes, the plant began to shift rapidly.

Normally, the gourds would grow larger over time. With his constant use of the [Green Lotus Domain] to hasten their growth, the string of green gourds had already reached the size of an adult’s palm.

But now, the process reversed.

The gourds began to shrink. Their color deepened, shifting from a pale green to a vibrant, translucent emerald.

Jiang Chen recalled the three known mutation paths for the Green Gourd:

The Oval Ladle Gourd.

The Small Emerald Gourd.

The Giant Gourd.

This is Type Two.

As he watched, the gourds shrank until they were no larger than a baby’s fist. They hung from the vine like jewels, glowing with the deep luster of high-grade jadeite.

Better yet, the quantity was exploding. There were already over twenty of them, with new buds forming every second.

Jiang Chen did the mental math instantly.

One mutated Small Emerald Gourd has a raw market price of 60 Mid-grade Spirit Stones.

If refined into a spatial storage artifact… the price jumps to 300 Mid-grade Spirit Stones per gourd.

He looked at the vine, his eyes gleaming. He was staring at a fortune.