Before they parted ways, Yu Caiqing mentioned she would visit the Spirit Farm once she wrapped up her duties at the Pill Tower.

She didn’t specify a time. She didn’t say why.

Jiang Chen was mildly surprised by the vagueness, but he knew better than to pry. He simply nodded and returned to his routine.

He spent the following days in his study, buried in the talisman manuals he had acquired from Bai Xiaotian. While he could use his Spiritual Sense to instantly “scan” the books and upload the raw data to his brain, true comprehension required active study. He needed to understand the logic behind the ink, not just memorize the shapes.

Time slipped by unnoticed, until the day of the harvest finally arrived.

Jiang Chen stood at the edge of his fields, gazing out at a sea of gold.

The [Mutated Spirit Rice] had transformed. Aside from the Mutated Mother Stalk, which remained relatively compact, the offspring stalks had shot up to two meters in height. Bathed in the concentrated sunlight and accelerated by the [Green Lotus Domain], they looked far more robust than the stunted wild versions he had found in the mountains.

The stalks were thick and sturdy, glowing with a faint, golden luminescence. A rich, nutty fragrance saturated the air, promising a bountiful yield.

Each stalk of the mutated rice bowed under the weight of six heavy, drooping grain ears. But the batch planted directly around the Mother Stalk was even more impressive, boasting twelve ears per stalk.

This was the Mother Stalk’s second mutation effect: a localized aura that doubled the yield of any Spirit Rice planted within a two-zhang radius.

[System Analysis] Target: Mutated Spirit Rice (Offspring) Status: Mature Condition: Undamaged Qi Density: High

A single mu of Second-Grade Spirit Soil could support 1,081 stalks, including the Mother. Jiang Chen estimated the total yield to be between four and six hundred jin—a staggering amount, largely thanks to the Mother Stalk’s buff.

“Time to reap.”

Jiang Chen summoned his custom-forged sickle. The blade gleamed cold and sharp as he stepped into the golden waves.

Swish. Swish.

The rhythmic sound of cutting filled the air.

[Harvest Complete. Lifespan +29 Years] [Current Remaining Lifespan: 730 Years]

Soon, only the Mutated Mother Stalk remained standing in the center of the cleared field.

Jiang Chen was careful not to damage the root system. He needed this plant alive and thriving for future cycles. With surgical precision, he snapped off the nine golden grain ears, leaving the stalk itself intact.

He straightened up, wiping sweat from his brow. Looking at the empty expanse of the second field, he felt a strange sense of loss. The harvest had happened too fast.

Time really flies when you’re busy.

Unlike previous cycles, he didn’t immediately replant.

First, the soil needed to rest. He would need to perform a “Slash-and-Burn” ritual to clear the chaff and revitalize the earth with ash. Second, the soil nutrients were depleted and needed fertilization. Third, the Lunar New Year was only a few days away.

“I’ll wait until after the New Year,” Jiang Chen decided.

He already had a layout for the spring season:

Field 1: Continue planting Top-Grade Spirit Rice. This was his financial bedrock—guaranteed income to cover the Sect’s annual tax, Chen Tian’s 800 jin quota, Jin Fugui’s dividend, Tie Zhu’s wage, and his own wine-brewing reserves. If he stopped planting this, he’d have to eat into his stockpile.

Field 2: Continue cultivating the Mutated Spirit Rice for evolution and high-end consumption.

Field 3: Melons, Spirit Fruits, and snacks.

The third choice was a strategic pivot. After the Beginning of Spring, the Sect would host the “Formal Disciple Competition.” It was a massive event. Crowds meant hungry cultivators. By mobilizing his franchisees to sell high-quality snacks during the tournament, he could make a killing.

No one ever complained about having too many Spirit Stones.

Spirit Stones weren’t just currency; they contained attribute-less Spirit Qi that any cultivator could absorb to speed up training or replenish energy in battle. They were the lifeblood of the cultivation world.

Jiang Chen cleaned his sickle, his thumb running over the flat of the blade.

“My understanding of runes has deepened significantly over the last few days,” he mused. “It’s time to attempt Artifact Crafting again.”

If he could succeed just once, the System would register the skill. Then, he could use his lifespan—his “kryptonite”—to brute-force the skill to maximum level. He wouldn’t need a Metal Spirit Root to be a master blacksmith; he would just be that skilled.

Resolved, Jiang Chen stored the sickle and headed for the fortress.

He descended to the second basement level. Right: Alchemy Room. Left: Smithy. Center: Cultivation Chamber.

He turned left.

The smithy was cold and quiet. Jiang Chen walked to the center, standing before the furnace. He would attempt the [Greenwood Needle] again. The materials were cheap, and the rune requirements were basic—perfect for a novice.

He activated the [Nine Flames Mystic Art].

Fire Qi surged from his Dantian. His right hand turned a translucent, molten red, radiating intense heat. With a snap of his fingers, a crimson flame ignited in his palm.

Whoosh.

He tossed the fire into the furnace, igniting the special charcoal. He placed a brass crucible on top and watched the temperature gauge. As the heat rose, he dropped an iron ingot into the crucible.

While the metal liquefied, Jiang Chen prepped the core component: a section of Greenwood Vine.

To craft a Greenwood Needle, the vine had to be stripped of its bark, and the bitter, fire-retardant sap within had to be purged. Once hollow and dry, the semi-molten iron would be injected into the vine’s capillaries.

That was just Step One.

Step Two involved placing the composite material into a needle mold and subjecting it to omnidirectional heat—360 degrees of scorching fire until the wood and metal fused perfectly.

Only when the artifact stabilized and a natural “Spirit Pattern” emerged could he proceed to Step Three: Rune Carving.

The Spirit Pattern was the artifact’s veins. The Rune was the blood that flowed through them.

Jiang Chen had failed at the carving stage three times before. But today felt different.

He adjusted the temperature, his movements practiced and fluid. He placed the prepared materials into the mold.

Ten minutes passed. The crimson flames licked the mold, tempering the alloy within.

Jiang Chen opened the casing. Inside lay a dark, slender needle. He leaned in, observing the surface with his enhanced vision.

Slowly, a faint, glowing line appeared on the metal surface—a Spirit Pattern.

One pattern meant it was a Common-Grade Spirit Artifact. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

“Now, the hard part.”

He picked up his green jade carving knife. The tip of the blade hovered over the needle. He needed to refine the natural Spirit Pattern, guiding it to form the shape of the [Wind-Splitting Rune].

If the rune formed a closed loop, the artifact would awaken.

Jiang Chen took a deep breath, slowing his heart rate until the beats were spaced seconds apart.

Focus.

He pressed the knife down.

The metal was soft, yielding to the jade blade. The iron liquid inside was still viscous—perfect consistency.

Jiang Chen’s hand moved with mechanical precision. He had traced this rune thousands of times in his mind. He knew every curve, every hook, every angle.

The silence in the room was absolute.

His eyes were locked on the needle, his pupil dilated. The world outside the smithy ceased to exist. There was only the needle, the knife, and the line.

Curve. Extension. Loop.

The jade knife lifted.

The circuit closed.

Hum!

The Greenwood Needle trembled. A faint, cyan light pulsed along the engraved rune, emitting a sharp, cutting aura.

It was done.

At the same moment, a translucent blue window flashed in his peripheral vision.

[System Alert] New Skill Acquired: Artifact Crafting (Novice)