Jiang Chen took out ten catties of Top-quality Spirit Rice and held it out. “Thanks for your hard work.”

Tie Zhu waved his hand immediately. “It was just fixing a stove. No need for payment.”

Jiang Chen thought for a moment, put the Spirit Rice back, and then took out five catties of Top-quality Spirit Wine instead. “If you don’t want the Spirit Rice, surely you won’t refuse this?”

Tie Zhu’s eyes immediately lit up. “This… this Junior Brother really does need.”

For some reason, the wine Senior Brother Jiang brewed was simply better.

Moreover, once a cultivator entered that slightly tipsy state induced by the wine, everything improved—whether it was the circulation speed of spiritual power, the rate of Spirit Qi absorption, or even the speed of comprehending cultivation techniques. All were greatly enhanced.

Precisely because of this, Tie Zhu had made significant progress during this period.

Jiang Chen turned his head to look at the repaired and reinforced stove, thinking to himself, It seems I need to find a fire-attribute cultivation technique. Only then can I fully control this Fire spiritual power.

He had already deduced the reason for the stove explosion.

Fire Spirit Roots were inherently difficult to control. Add to that the fact that his had a prefix—[Thunder-Fire Spirit Root]. It was not only more volatile but also contained a far more violent energy.

This time, it was only a stove that exploded. If he wasn’t careful, next time it could be the Giant Leaf, or any other artifact requiring Fire spiritual power.

At this moment, Tie Zhu stored the Spirit Wine in a small storage pouch and then asked, “Senior Brother, in a few days I plan to go to the Loose Cultivator market. Do you want to come along? Or can I buy something for you?”

Hearing this, Jiang Chen turned his head with a pleasantly surprised expression. The more he looked at Junior Brother Han, the more pleasing he found him. He immediately said, “If possible, help me buy some books and cultivation techniques.”

“Still books and cultivation techniques?” Tie Zhu nodded.

Jiang Chen said seriously, “I stay in the Spirit Farm all year round and know nothing about the outside world. Only by reading various books can I enrich my knowledge and broaden my horizons.”

Tie Zhu wholeheartedly agreed. “Senior Brother is absolutely right!”

Jiang Chen reached out and patted the other’s right shoulder. “Therefore, after you leave this time, help me buy some books that broaden one’s horizons, or cultivation techniques related to Wood or Fire Spirit Roots.”

Tie Zhu quickly replied, “Alright, Junior Brother will remember.”

Although he didn’t know why Senior Brother Jiang needed to buy cultivation techniques other than those for Wood Spirit Roots, he understood the unwritten rule: everyone had their secrets. Therefore, he shouldn’t inquire or become too curious.

Otherwise, he might never get Top-quality Spirit Rice or Wine again!

Afterward, Tie Zhu took three Mid-grade Spirit Stones and left. As always, the arrangement was the same—any surplus would be returned, and any shortage would be supplemented later.

Next, Jiang Chen started cooking again.

But this time, to prevent the stove from exploding once more, he picked up the Flint he had previously disdained.

Half an hour later, Jiang Chen, Da Huang, and the pearl chickens could finally have a hot meal.

In the following days, everything returned to normal.

Jiang Chen worked from sunrise to sunset every day. His life was very regular. From beginning to end, he didn’t reveal any changes in his routine.

Even when Old Mo invited him to go fishing, he decisively refused. In short, staying in the Spirit Farm was definitely the safest bet.

By the day of Liqiu (Start of Autumn), when others were just starting to plant, the Spirit Rice in Jiang Chen’s fields had already grown tall and robust. It looked like it would be completely mature in at most one month.

A few more days passed. Tie Zhu returned, bringing a pile of books and cultivation techniques from the Loose Cultivator market.

The haul included titles like [Hundred Herbs Record], [Blazing Oil Technique], and over a dozen others.

Because he had bought so much, Tie Zhu mentioned that the shopkeeper had enthusiastically gifted him a pill recipe.

Its name was [Vitality Pill].

It was a supplement that could boost a person’s energy and suppress hunger. Whether within the immortal sects or throughout the entire Azure Realm, this was a very ordinary, even ubiquitous recipe.

Jiang Chen suspected this wasn’t really a “gift” for buying a lot. It seemed more like the shopkeeper had dumped their stagnant inventory on Tie Zhu to avoid waiting for another customer. It earned goodwill and squeezed out a few extra Spirit Stones in the process.

Still, since he now had a Fire Spirit Root and could accumulate Fire spiritual power in his dantian, that meant he could indeed try alchemy.

Moreover, because he had the System, as long as he learned the skill, he could refine top-quality pills.

Although this [Vitality Pill] was one of the most common types, high-quality versions could still fetch a good price. Furthermore, this low-level pill didn’t require an alchemy furnace at all.

A simple Medicine Pot would suffice.

The steps were straightforward: First, process the herbs to alter or enhance their medicinal properties. Next, crush them using a mortar and pestle. Then, moisten the medicinal powder with a wetting agent until it could be kneaded into shape. Finally, form it into honey pills, water pills, paste pills, or wax pills.

It was complex in the sense that there were many steps, but simple in that it didn’t require high-end equipment. For Jiang Chen at his current stage, it was perfect for practice.

But before that, he had to master the [Blazing Oil Technique].

This was a low-level Fire-attribute cultivation technique. After learning it, one could achieve meticulous control over the Fire spiritual power within one’s own dantian.

Therefore, after finishing his daily work, Jiang Chen immediately sat cross-legged on his bed.

Holding the [Blazing Oil Technique] manual in one hand and a jar of Golden Wine in the other, he began his study session.

He would read for a while, then take a sip. Read for a while, then take another sip.

And then… he got drunk and passed out.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already night. Outside, the chirping of insects and the croaking of frogs rose and fell in a rhythmic chorus.

“I actually got drunk.” Jiang Chen stretched lazily, then got up from the bed.

Stepping outside, he saw Da Huang curled up in his doghouse with just his head poking out. His eyes glowed green, scanning the surroundings like laser beams.

The pearl chickens, meanwhile, had their eyes closed, already fast asleep.

At this moment, the moon was bright, and the stars were sparse. The moon was tonight’s protagonist, standing alone at the pinnacle of the sky. The numerous stars were merely supporting characters, barely visible against the pale luminescence that pierced through the dark clouds.

Jiang Chen walked around inspecting the Spirit Farm. Seeing no problems, he returned to the doorway.

Because he had slept earlier, he wasn’t tired now. He simply took a chair and sat at the threshold, feeling the gentle night breeze.

Seeing this, Da Huang immediately crawled out of his doghouse, yawning as he padded over to Jiang Chen’s feet.

Jiang Chen patted the dog’s head, chuckling softly. “I’ll keep watch tonight. You go rest.”

Da Huang, whether he understood or not, just tilted his head, his gaze curious as he looked up at his master.

“What… are you going to keep me company?” Jiang Chen blinked.

This time, Da Huang seemed to understand. He immediately lay down, resting his head on Jiang Chen’s left foot as a pillow.

Not long after, he really fell asleep. From time to time, he made soft yipping noises—who knew what he was dreaming about?

Jiang Chen watched this, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. However, he didn’t wake Da Huang up.

Just like this, while guarding his second-grade Spirit Farm and bathed in moonlight, he continued to read the [Blazing Oil Technique].

Who knows how much time passed; the moon had already moved to the other side of the sky.

At this moment, Jiang Chen seemed to sense something. He checked his attribute panel.

[Blazing Oil Technique (Level 1)]

Effect 1: Flame Perception

Effect 2: Flame Manipulation

The effects of the first layer seemed pretty good.

Therefore, Jiang Chen chose to go all-in.

[Consume 2433 days of Lifespan to raise Blazing Oil Technique to level three?]