Lu Chi followed Zhou Jinyan to his spirit field and saw those terraced paddies enclosed by low, blue-brick ridges.

  The morning mist had not yet fully dispersed. Spirit?Gathering Talismans were pasted one after another along the ridges, their edges already damp with dew, yet their spiritual light still steadily seeped into the fields.

  The field was not large, planted mostly with spirit rice.

  The rice stalks were much sturdier than mortal grain, with broad, thick leaves tinged with a faint green glow, but now they drooped collectively, the panicles wilted beyond recognition, as if drained of all vitality.

  Zhou Jinyan crouched down, parted a clump of rice leaves with his hand, and sighed. "They were full of vigor last night, but look at them this morning. If we wait another day, the panicles will likely be completely hollow."

  Lu Chi was no expert, but he understood that spirit rice was far more delicate than ordinary rice. If the spiritual energy became even slightly unstable, the roots couldn't absorb it properly, and they could wither like this in just half a day.

  He too bent down for a closer look. The earth veins were indeed in chaos. The spiritual energy that should have flowed gently like a fine stream was now wild and turbulent beneath the field, surging upward one moment and sinking the next, especially disordered near the rice roots, even showing faint signs of backlash.

  A thought stirred within him. This situation somewhat resembled those rain?damaged, pattern?broken talismans, though he didn't yet know the cause. Could it be pests or some malign influence at work?

  "You see it too."

  Zhou Jinyan stood up, brushing the mud from his hands. "I originally wanted to ask you to draw a Vein?Stabilizing Talisman to suppress it. Since you've broken through, why not join me in performing the Mountain?Guiding Technique to settle this?"

  "The Mountain?Guiding Technique sounds grand, but it's actually just a basic method for earth?attuned cultivators to regulate earth veins. My spiritual roots lean toward earth, and after working these fields day in and day out for years, I know them inside out. I'll demonstrate right here."

  After speaking, he formed a hand seal, lightly tapped the ridge with his toe, and let out a low hum.

  Spiritual power surged from the soles of his feet like an invisible plow, slowly pushing through the most chaotic section of the disrupted earth veins.

  The turbulent currents at the field's bottom were gradually parted by him. The originally tangled spiritual energy was forcibly separated into several strands, transforming into finer streams that seeped back toward the rice roots.

  However, the disorder was far from limited to one spot. Where the two major earth veins converged in the center and east of the field, the blockage remained severe. The spiritual energy seemed jammed by something solid, churning restlessly.

  Fine beads of sweat appeared on Zhou Jinyan's temples. When he withdrew his hand, his breathing was slightly labored. Although the field surface had somewhat stabilized, the rice seedlings had only straightened up a little. The green light flickered on and off, far from a full recovery.

  He laughed heartily. "Your turn to try."

  Lu Chi mimicked the hand seal to channel spiritual energy, with Zhou Jinyan offering guidance beside him.

  His spiritual roots were a mixed blend of elements, with water being the most prominent. Earth?element techniques were inherently less compatible with him. The Mountain?Guiding Technique, while "borrowing momentum to shift" rather than directly contesting mountains and rivers, still required some foundation in earth?based arts.

  He tried once. The spiritual power scattered like loose sand, and the field bottom remained utterly still.

  The second time, he barely gathered a wisp, but it fractured midway, agitating the chaotic currents even more violently.

  The third time, the fourth time… He must have tried seven or eight times. Fine sweat beaded on his temples. Only when his fingertips finally grasped that faint thread of "momentum"…

  It was like using a finger to untangle a knot. The spiritual energy slowly returned to its proper course as he willed it.

  Another area of disorder at the field bottom was forcibly smoothed. The rice seedlings trembled in unison, emitting a faint, rustling sound of growth. Though only a small section had revived, it was already much stronger than before.

  Zhou Jinyan's eyes lit up. He scratched his head and chuckled dryly twice. "…Not bad. Water and earth harmonizing—you've touched the doorway."

  "Ahem… To be honest, I thought you, kid, had already stepped onto the path of a Talisman Master. Even with poor spiritual root quality, you should be stronger than me. Who knew your execution would be so…"

  "But never mind. You've become a Talisman Master, making talismans come alive with a flourish. I'll just have to keep digging in my few acres of fields. Haha, we're brothers after all—who doesn't have their shortcomings?"

  Is this supposed to be consolation? Tsk, this matter of innate talent really is a hard injury…Lu Chi withdrew his hand, sighing inwardly.

  However, the Mountain?Guiding Technique, though seemingly plain and unadorned, had extremely broad applications. Regulating earth veins was its primary function, but in combat, it could also summon earthen spikes, mud swamps, or even directly fracture the ground beneath an enemy's feet—a profoundly sinister art.

  "My aptitude is still lacking…" he thought with self?mockery. "If there's a chance, I must seek out those heaven?sent materials and earth?born treasures that can refine spiritual roots and enhance comprehension."

  Seeing his thoughtful expression, Zhou Jinyan clapped him on the shoulder. "The earth veins are sorted, but they still need watering. Let me teach you another minor—"

  Zhou Jinyan saw his expression shift and patted him on the shoulder.

  “The earth veins are sorted, but they still need watering. Let me teach you another minor technique—the Minor Cloud?Rain Art.”

  This art had an even shorter incantation, consisting of only two forms: Cloud?Gathering and Rain?Falling.

  It matched Lu Chi’s spiritual roots perfectly, so unlike the Mountain?Guiding Technique, he picked it up extremely quickly.

  With a point of his fingertip, a small dark cloud gathered at the horizon.

  With another thought, the cloud drifted over the field and began to drizzle down a fine, steady rain.

  The raindrops carried a faint trace of spiritual vitality.

  Falling upon the rice leaves, they made crisp, clear sounds.

  A thin mist soon rose from the field surface, and the air grew noticeably fresher.

  For cultivators, reaching the middle stage of Qi Refinement allowed them to summon wind and rain.

  In the mortal world, such a person would be considered a living deity—no wonder rogue cultivators loved to wander down the mountain, styling themselves as “Paragons” or “True Lords.”

  Overnight, they could alter a river’s course or raise embankments for an emperor, and by the next day be appointed State Preceptor.

  Lu Chi withdrew the cloud and rain.

  The spiritual energy in the field had become much more nourished.

  The rice seedlings stood straighter, and the panicles showed signs of filling out once more.

  Zhou Jinyan grinned broadly and worked with him to sort out the remaining chaotic currents on the eastern side.

  The two of them pushed and guided for nearly an hour.

  Finally, the spiritual energy at the bottom of the field fully settled.

  Fine streams spread out evenly like a net, and the entire spirit field revived with fresh vitality.

  The rice leaves gleamed with a greenish light, and a faint, continuous rustle of growth could be heard.

  Zhou Jinyan let out a long breath and patted Lu Chi’s shoulder again.

  “Done! Come on, let’s go back and have a drink to celebrate.”

  Lu Chi nodded with a smile, but inwardly he quietly summoned the Career Panel.

  Today he had personally sorted earth veins and summoned clouds and rain—truly experiencing a day in the life of a Spirit Farmer.

  Would the panel respond?

  The next moment, a light screen appeared.

  [Career Panel]

  [Name: Lu Chi]

  [Realm: Qi Refinement – Fourth Layer]

  [Profession: Talisman Master Lv.2 (5/50)]

  [Currently Unlockable: Spirit Farmer (Unlocking…)]

  Lu Chi’s gaze sharpened. He scrolled down, and the mission list clearly emerged:

  [Unlock Mission: Spirit Farmer]

  [Objective 1]: Sort earth veins once by hand (Completed)

  [Objective 2]: Cast a water?element nourishing art once (Completed)

  [Objective 3]: Plant three types of spirit plants by hand (0/3)

  Just as expected—every art of cultivation could be turned into a profession on the panel.

  Talisman Master was already established; Spirit Farmer was next.

  In the future, if he tried alchemy, artifact?forging, formations, beast?taming… could those also be… unlocked?

  A flicker of eagerness and anticipation lit in Lu Chi’s eyes:

  This Career Panel truly was a broad and smooth path.

  As long as he worked diligently and without pause, what did it matter if he had a lower?grade spiritual root? Why fear a long and winding road ahead?

  As this thought crossed his mind, it settled on that final unlock objective.

  [Objective 3]: Plant three types of spirit plants by hand (0/3)

  Plant three types of spirit plants…

  His heart stirred, and his gaze involuntarily shifted toward Zhou Jinyan.

  As a Spirit Farmer, the other man likely had no shortage of various spirit seeds on hand.