Chapter 24

In the southeastern part of the inner region of the Qingling Mountain Range, there stands a peak named Lingxiu, one of the ninety-nine peaks of Qingling.

Lingxiu Peak has always been the place for training new inner disciples and is also known as the First School of Qingling.

Palaces and pavilions stretch across the peak, faintly visible through the auspicious clouds, giving it a rather ethereal appearance.

On a small square within, three people knelt on the ground, not daring to make a sound.

A rather unremarkable, slender young man stood a丈 away from the three, looking at them coldly. After a long while, he finally spoke, "Truly disgraceful, a Seventh Stage Qi Cultivator actually being at a disadvantage against a Fifth Stage. It seems I, Luo Xuyu, am truly incapable of teaching my disciples."

Wu Hai, upon hearing this, bowed his head to the ground and said loudly, "It's the student's fault. Please punish me, Instructor."

Luo Xuyu snorted lightly and said, "Why punish you? Where you fell, you must rise. You lost face, so you must earn it back yourself. Just a mere Spirit Farmer apprentice, hmpf!" With that, he flicked his sleeves and left, leaving the three somewhat stunned.

After a while, the three who had risen from the ground looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

After a long while, Zhao Youlu spoke, "Instructor's meaning is..."

Luo Wu's lips curled into a sinister smile, and he said fiercely, "Do I need to say it? My uncle's meaning is clear: a mere Spirit Farmer apprentice, with no background, even if he is favored by the instructor and has some talent, compared to us, he is just a little ant. Leave this to me, I'll handle it beautifully and vent our grievances."

Wu Hai frowned and said, "The rules of the sect are as solid as a mountain. Don't cause trouble within Qingling Mountain. Everyone knows how the Punishment Hall operates. If something happens, no one can guarantee your safety, not even your uncle!"

Luo Wu shook his head and said, "Senior Brother Wu, you're overthinking it. There's no need for us to act directly. As the saying goes, money can make the devil grind the mill..."

Wu Hai and Zhao Youlu listened to his detailed explanation, their faces gradually brightening, and they couldn't help but nod in approval.

After listening, Zhao Youlu clenched his fist and said fiercely, "Forget giving him a good beating, even if we cripple him or kill him, what's the big deal? He entered as a wandering cultivator, doesn't know his place, and has no talent. Provoking us is asking for death."

While they were listing Chu He's faults, they forgot that it was they who had come to him first, stirring up this trouble.

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Regarding the planting on the spirit field, Chu He chose Qingling Grass. The market demand for Qingling Grass is not low, and its price has always been stable and rising. Moreover, it is currently the right season for planting Qingling Grass, which can yield a high output, making it a good choice. All future cultivation expenses will depend on these Qingling Grasses.

After the season suitable for planting Qingling Grass passes, he can switch to planting Qing Rice. Qing Rice is an eighth-grade spirit grain that can also be planted on a lower-grade spirit field, and it is not picky about the season. It is a common spirit grain on the Hao Yuan Continent, and the rice Chu He usually eats in the spirit garden is cooked from Qing Rice.

While Qing Rice may be slightly inferior in terms of profit and the time required for maturity, it is still a good choice for supplementation.

On the third day, Chu He suddenly received a message from Gu Han, inviting him to take a walk in the Qinghe Market.

Despite his message being filled with passionate longing, Chu He could see through the words to his true intention: "Good partner, let's go earn some pocket money!"

Since the spirit field still needed about three to four days to be nourished before it could be used, Chu He had the time. Going out to try his luck was also good, as the spirit stones in his storage bag were not many. He then applied to the garden master for a trip out.

The garden master was very generous, approving it immediately and giving him a signal talisman, instructing him to use it if he encountered danger, and the fellow disciples responsible for guarding Qingling Town would come to his aid in the first instance.

Chu He thanked him repeatedly. Since he had broken the record to obtain the Spirit Farmer qualification, the elders in the spirit garden had become much warmer and more caring towards him, which felt great.

He finally understood why so many classmates in the past had worked hard to become the few top students. Being the center of attention and affection was truly wonderful.

This time, the two of them were going out together without the accompaniment of an instructor, which posed some risks. Having this communication talisman was undoubtedly an added layer of security.

When he met Gu Han again, the latter was already at the Sixth Stage of Qi Cultivation. However, Chu He did not feel jealous this time; instead, he felt a surge of determination: "I will catch up to you and surpass you, sooner or later!"

When Gu Han saw him, he was startled and exclaimed, "Heavens, you're already at the Fifth Stage of Qi Cultivation? That's terrifying! Did you eat a thousand-year-old ginseng? Or did you practice some supreme secret technique?!"

To advance two stages in just over two months with a lower-grade spirit body was indeed astonishing.

Chu He didn't want to explain and hurriedly headed for Qingling Town, eager to earn money and not in the mood for idle chatter.

Gu Han's mode of transportation was the same as Chu He's, a lower-grade talisman crane. The two flew side by side towards Qingling Town, which was only a hundred miles from the mountain gate. If they traveled at full speed, they could reach it in less than an hour.

The Qingling Mountain disciples responsible for guarding the mountain gate, after opening the array to let the two out, sneered and took out a jade token, sending a message.

At the foot of Qingling Town, the two were just about to put away their talisman cranes when a group of "flying taxis" surrounded them. Unexpectedly, Gu Han took out a black-red magic sword, spat a mouthful of magic light onto it, transforming it into a broad sword several feet long, and then pulled Chu He up, flying away amidst the crowd's exclamations.

"Awesome! When did you get that?" Chu He was still curious, as a lower-grade magic sword should be suitable for Gu Han.

"I've always wanted a flying sword, so I saved up materials for a long time. Of course, I don't have the power to use it yet, so the instructor refined it for me for self-defense. Haha, 'awesome' is a fitting description," Gu Han said with a smug look.

Then Gu Han suggested, "You're now at the Fifth Stage of Qi Cultivation, which is enough to control a lower-grade magic tool. Why don't you go to the Qingling Hall today and pick one? After all, you can get an 85% discount."

"Let's talk about that later. Today, the main goal is to earn spirit stones. My distant relative has been urging me several times, saying that the materials from the last time were very good," Chu He spoke confidently, once again mentioning a non-existent relative. With the talisman in hand, he didn't think a magic tool was an urgent need.

"Be careful, today might not be so lucky. The eyesight of a Pre-Heaven instructor is not something a Sixth Stage Qi Cultivator like me can compare to," Gu Han was a bit nervous, fearing he might fail in his task.

"Don't worry about that. We'll find someone you often deal with, so we won't make a mistake. Even if we do, it's just a matter of earning a bit less."

In the midst of this conversation, the flying sword had already carried the two to the city gate.

Qingling Town was as bustling as ever, with people coming and going everywhere.

This time, the two headed straight for the Qinghe Market, sweeping through the scattered market first.

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