Jiang Chen’s shout snapped the two women out of their competitive trance.

They immediately terminated their spiraling spells.

Cut off from the source of Spirit Power, the two heavy clouds above the Spirit Farm began to dissipate.

However, the damage was done. The air hanging over the flooded fields didn’t smell like fresh rain; it carried the distinct, fishy stench of waterlogged rot.

Wang Bing was the first to apologize. “Fellow Daoist Jiang, I am truly sorry. I… I lost control.”

“Um…” Lin Yu fidgeted with the hem of her robe, looking visibly nervous. “I…”

Jiang Chen glanced at their apologetic faces, then at his sodden fields. He frowned deeply. “I appreciate the help, but I have urgent work to do now. I can’t host you any longer. Please return to the Rain Pavilion.”

Hearing the polite eviction order, Wang Bing opened her mouth to speak but found no words.

Lin Yu looked like a kicked puppy, her eyes wide and aggrieved. She was depressed; it was rare for her to get out, and now she was being sent away so soon. But they had clearly messed up, so she had no ground to argue.

“I’m sorry, Junior Sister,” Wang Bing whispered as they walked away. “I shouldn’t have let my pride get the better of me.”

“It’s okay! We’re still best friends!”

With just a few sentences, their relationship was fully restored. Holding hands, they boarded the Paper Crane and flew off, disappearing over the horizon in moments.

Jiang Chen stared at the empty sky, disbelief etched on his face. “They made up just like that?”

He shook his head and turned back to the disaster.

Although the volume of rain had been immense, his drainage ditches were well-dug. Without the constant downpour of the [Minor Rain Spell], the water level began to recede.

Jiang Chen didn’t waste time. He ran into the hut, grabbed several wooden buckets, and mixed a slurry of water and Spirit Beast dung. Then, he sprinted toward the stone mountain.

Thanks to the [Concealment Breath Array], the scent of the Variant Spirit Rice was completely masked from the outside world. But Jiang Chen knew his crops. He could feel the maturity in his bones.

He shoved aside the boulder blocking the hidden entrance and stepped inside.

The moment he crossed the array’s boundary, a rich, grassy fragrance slammed into him.

Even before his eyes adjusted, he saw the golden glimmer.

The mature Variant Spirit Rice didn’t just smell incredible; it emitted a dazzling, almost holy golden light.

The number of rice ears had doubled—from the original six to twelve.

Each stalk was heavy, the sheer weight of the grains bending the “Daughter Rice” plants low toward the earth.

Aside from the central “Mother Rice” which couldn’t be harvested yet, every single stalk was ready.

Jiang Chen sighed. The yield had doubled, but the total planting area was still too small. It wasn’t a massive haul, but it was precious.

He set down the buckets, drew his sickle from his storage pouch, and got to work.

Variant Spirit Plants provided significantly more Lifespan than ordinary ones. If he could, he would replace his entire farm with these mutations.

He moved quickly, his sickle flashing in the golden light.

As he harvested, the cramped interior of the cavern opened up. Soon, only the single Variant Mother Rice remained, standing tall in the black soil.

It bore nine heavy ears, each grain swollen like a golden pearl.

If the Daughter Rice were gold nuggets, the Mother Rice was a string of priceless jewels.

Jiang Chen swept his Spirit Sense over it.

[Fortune-Bearing Variant Mother Rice] Special Effect: Doubles the yield of all Spirit Rice within its domain.

So that’s why.

The increased yield of the Daughter Rice wasn’t a fluke. It was the passive effect of the twice-mutated Mother Rice.

“Doubles yield within the domain…” Jiang Chen muttered, eyes gleaming. “That is absolutely broken.”

Once the Moonlight Grass matured and he cleared the main fields, he could potentially transplant this Mother Rice outside. With some clever camouflage, he could hide it in plain sight and boost his entire farm’s production.

He sheathed his sickle and retrieved a potted sunflower from his bag.

This was a gift from Senior Brother Wang Ze, which had been sitting on his windowsill absorbing sunlight for weeks.

As soon as he placed it down, the temperature in the cave rose. The flower emitted a soft, warm golden glow, mimicking the sun.

“Mother Rice, oh Mother Rice,” Jiang Chen chuckled, patting the stalk. “I have to wrong you for now. Make do with this sunflower. The moment I have a safe chance, I’ll move you to a bigger home.”

He harvested the nine seed-bearing ears from the Mother plant, then carefully tilled the soil around its roots with a hand rake. Finally, he poured the nutrient-rich sludge he had prepared earlier.

Ten minutes later, Jiang Chen packed up.

On his way out, he dug up the [Concealment Breath Array] to check its fuel. The Low-grade Spirit Stone was nearly drained, so he swapped it for a fresh one.

He exited the cave, resealing the entrance with the large boulder.

Back at the main Spirit Farm, the water level had dropped to a safe height. Aside from some fertilizer runoff, there was no permanent damage.

Relieved, Jiang Chen summoned his Companion Green Lotus and tossed it into the first mu.

He had a plan: Cultivate the first mu during the day and the second mu at night.

It was a grueling schedule that would drain his spiritual power to the limit, but that was the point. It was training.

Every time he exhausted his reserves and meditated to recover, his Spirit Power grew slightly denser, and his body refined Qi more efficiently.

Time slipped away. Day turned to night.

As the moon rose, the Moonlight Grass began its work.

Looking across the two fields, the contrast was stark. The right side, planted with the lunar herbs, seemed to glow with a faint luminescence.

The 1,000 stalks of Moonlight Grass acted like nocturnal sunflowers. Instead of chasing the sun, they drank the moon.

The only difference was that they couldn’t store energy like the Mother Rice. Moonlight was their food; the more they ate, the faster they grew.

Jiang Chen had learned his lesson from the previous night.

Instead of standing on the ridge like an idiot, he brought out a comfortable wooden chair. He set up a small table with snacks and tea.

Even Da Huang wandered over, sitting beside him and staring curiously at the glowing field.

Jiang Chen sank into the chair and waved his hand.

The Companion Green Lotus whirled into the air, flying toward the center of the Moonlight Grass field.

As it settled, the [Green Lotus Domain] expanded.

A refreshing, cool breeze swept across the land. Instantly, the Moonlight Grass responded. Bathed in the intensified lunar essence, the field rippled with waves of silver light, shimmering like a sea of stars.