Chapter 19 – Mission Complete, Apprenticing Under Qingyunzi

Chapter 19 – Mission Complete, Apprenticing Under Qingyunzi

This wasn’t the first time Su Xing had entered an instance, but never had one left him so awestruck.

At this moment, Su Xing stood atop a mountain peak. He had no idea how high it was, but everywhere he looked was a sea of clouds, as if immortal energy drifted through the air.

On the mountain were several mu of farmland, planted with lush green spirit grain, along with quite a few medicinal herbs he couldn’t name.

About a hundred meters from Su Xing stood a thatched cottage, with a well outside it.

Su Xing took a deep breath. He could feel the spiritual energy drifting through the air and involuntarily began circulating his cultivation art. The energy continuously nourished his body.

“Truly a blessed land of immortals!”

Su Xing marveled briefly, unable to contain his excitement.

Jin Congxue also looked somewhat puzzled, and said:

“I’ve never encountered an instance like this before. There might be monsters hidden nearby… let’s be careful!”

With that, Jin Congxue began scouting the surroundings. Su Xing didn’t stop her.

Before long, Su Xing pointed toward the thatched cottage ahead and said:

“How about we go check out that thatched cottage?”

Jin Congxue wanted to refuse, but after a moment’s hesitation, she nodded in agreement.

Su Xing walked up to the thatched cottage and knocked on the door a few times, then waited quietly.

Shortly after, an elderly man in Daoist robes pushed open the door. He had an immortal bearing—youthful face despite his crane-white hair—and his expression showed surprise.

“How did you two find my secluded dwelling?”

Su Xing and Jin Congxue exchanged a glance, both explaining that they had stumbled upon this place by accident.

The elder nodded slightly after hearing this and said:

“It seems you two are people of deep fortune, destined to cross paths with this poor Daoist!”

“Since fate has brought us together, this poor Daoist wishes to bestow upon you both a stroke of good fortune. What say you?”

Su Xing and Jin Congxue nodded in agreement.

“May I ask what sort of good fortune the elder speaks of?” Su Xing asked, feigning ignorance.

The elder glanced at Su Xing, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before his expression returned to calm. He spoke slowly:

“You two—the spirit fields on my mountain haven’t been tended for several months now. Why don’t you help me get them in order first? What do you say?”

Su Xing and Jin Congxue were then led to a stretch of spirit fields.

The elder pointed to a smaller plot and said:

“Young lady, I’ll entrust this spirit field to your care. How does that sound?”

Though thoroughly confused, Jin Congxue still nodded in agreement.

“Yes, elder!”

The elder then turned to Su Xing and said:

“Young friend, I’ll leave that larger spirit field to you. How does that sound?”

Su Xing looked toward the field and raised an eyebrow.

At a glance, that spirit field was clearly more than one mu—probably a full two or three mu.

This was different from the spirit field size in the simulation… what exactly had changed?

Su Xing’s mind stirred—the biggest change about him was his cultivation level!

Being assigned more land to farm was perhaps a greater test?

Su Xing cupped his hands and said, “Yes, elder!”

The two then each collected farming tools and began tending the spirit fields.

Su Xing had grown up in the countryside after all. He’d done plenty of farm work as a child, and had spent the previous month cramming knowledge about farming, so he picked it up fairly quickly.

Jin Congxue, on the other hand, was a different story entirely. It wasn’t quite that she couldn’t tell the five grains apart, but she genuinely couldn’t distinguish weeds from spirit grain.

So Su Xing first finished his own work, then patiently guided Jin Congxue, teaching her how to weed and how to irrigate.

Fortunately, spirit grain didn’t require fertilizer—otherwise Su Xing would have had to teach her how to spread manure… now that would have been truly awkward!

After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, Su Xing’s Eternal Spring Art had also broken through to the second layer, and the wood-attribute spiritual energy within him was even more abundant.

Even tending two or three mu of land simultaneously, Su Xing didn’t feel tired. He even had time to infuse Jin Congxue’s spirit grain with spiritual energy. The so-called art of farming with spiritual energy was the process of absorbing spiritual energy from the air and then channeling it into the spirit grain.

Through this process, Su Xing’s control over spiritual energy and mana became even more proficient.

“The water from this well is remarkably sweet~”

After finishing the farm work, Su Xing sat by the well and took a sip of the cool, crisp well water.

This well water also contained considerable spiritual energy—it could truly be called a spirit well.

“Su Xing… do you think there’s any point to us farming like this?”

After a hard day’s work, Jin Congxue rubbed her aching shoulders and complained.

She’d grown up in the city. At first she’d had a bit of interest, but after a full day of getting tired and dirty, she was naturally somewhat fed up.

Su Xing shook his head slightly and said:

“I don’t know what the reward will be either… but this instance has beautiful mountains and clear waters, overflowing with spiritual energy. Farming can also cultivate one’s character and temperament.”

Jin Congxue rolled her eyes, her expression full of charm:

“Oh, give me a break! But the harder the mission, the richer the reward should be… if the instance mission is just farming, how good could the reward possibly be?”

Despite her words, Jin Congxue had no intention of leaving the instance.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye. Su Xing’s two or three mu of spirit grain were growing exceptionally well, and the weeds in the fields had all been cleared.

As for the one mu of spirit field under Jin Congxue’s care, thanks to Su Xing’s help, the growth there was also quite impressive.

On the evening of the seventh day, the elder called Su Xing and Jin Congxue into the thatched cottage.

The elder first produced a bag of spirit rice and a small pouch of spirit stones, handing them to Jin Congxue as he said:

“Your spirit field grew well. Here are fifty jin of spirit rice and fifty spirit stones—consider them your reward.”

Jin Congxue accepted the reward, glancing toward Su Xing with some embarrassment.

She couldn’t farm at all. For the spirit field to have grown so well, Su Xing deserved at least sixty percent of the credit!

“Thank you, elder!”

After Jin Congxue gave her thanks, the elder waved his hand and sent her out of the instance.

The elder then looked Su Xing up and down, drew a transparent stone from his robe, and said:

“Young friend, would you place your hand on this?”

Su Xing’s heart pounded. Though he’d simulated this moment several times, he couldn’t help feeling nervous now.

He slowly placed his hand on the stone, and it flashed with red and green light.

The elder nodded with satisfaction and said:

“Not bad—dual wood-fire spiritual roots. While they can’t compare to a top-grade single spiritual root, they’re still sufficient to walk the path of immortal cultivation…”

After a word of praise, the elder asked:

“I notice you already possess cultivation. Do you already have a master?”

Su Xing’s heart raced—this was it! Was the elder about to take him as a disciple?

So Su Xing shook his head and said:

“I have no master. I happened to obtain a cultivation art previously, and so I stumbled my way onto the path of immortal cultivation…”

The elder nodded slightly and said:

“To have reached the foundation establishment ninth Layer through self-study alone—your talent and fortune are truly exceptional! Moreover, you worked diligently in the fields without a single complaint. Your temperament is excellent as well.”

“To encounter this poor Daoist amid the vast three thousand worlds—surely you and I share a deep connection…”

The elder paused for a moment, then continued:

“I see that the art you practice is the Eternal Spring Sect’s Eternal Spring Art. Though this art has a limited ceiling, it is of great benefit to cultivators just embarking on the path of cultivation!”

“Furthermore, wood-attribute arts draw upon the vitality of all things and can return to nature… making them well-suited for learning the Dao of spirit planting!”

At this, a flicker of hesitation crossed the elder’s face. In the end, he let out a soft sigh and said:

“So be it—to meet is fate~”

“This poor Daoist is but an old farmer of the Azure Cloud Sect, known by the Daoist name Qingyunzi. Would you be willing to take me as your master?”

“This poor Daoist would accept you as a registered disciple…”