Starting as a Talisman Master

Lu Chi followed Zhou Jinyan to the location of his spiritual field and saw the terraced fields surrounded by blue brick ridges.

The morning mist had not completely dissipated, and the spirit-gathering talismans pasted on the ridges of the fields were one after another. The edges of the talisman paper were wet with dew, but the spiritual light still steadily seeped into the fields.

The fields are not large, and most of them are planted with glutinous rice.

The rice stalks were much thicker than those of ordinary rice, with broad leaves that shimmered with a faint green hue. Yet, they all drooped at this moment, their ears of rice wilted beyond recognition, as if their very essence had been drained away.

Zhou Jinyan squatted down, reached out and parted a clump of rice leaves, and sighed: "They were quite energetic last night, but they're like this this morning. If this continues for another day, the ears of rice will probably be empty."

Although Lu Chi was an outsider, he knew that spirit rice was very delicate and different from ordinary rice. If the spiritual energy was not properly balanced, the roots would not be able to absorb it and the rice would wither like this in half a day.

He bent down to examine it closely and found that the earth's veins were indeed in disarray. The spiritual energy that should have flowed slowly like a stream was now colliding wildly at the bottom of the field, sometimes rushing to the top and sometimes sinking to the bottom. The area near the rice roots was particularly chaotic, and there were even faint signs of backlash.

He felt a slight unease. This situation was somewhat similar to those ruined talismans that had been soaked in rain and had broken patterns. However, he did not know the reason. Could it be the work of insects?

"You saw it too."

Zhou Jinyan stood up, brushed the mud off his hands, and said, "I originally wanted you to draw a talisman to suppress the problem, but since you've broken through, why don't we use the Mountain-Driving Technique together to settle this matter?"

"Although the Mountain Driving Technique has a grand name, it is actually just an introductory method for earth-elemental cultivators to regulate the earth's veins. My spiritual root is biased towards earth, and I have been spending my days with the fields for many years, so I have long since mastered it. I will demonstrate it to you right now."

After he finished speaking, he made a hand seal with both hands, lightly touched the edge of the field with his toes, and gave a low shout.

Spiritual energy surged from the soles of his feet, like an invisible hoe, slowly pushing along the most chaotic part of the earth's veins.

He gradually parted the turbulent currents at the bottom of the field, and the originally tangled spiritual energy barely separated into a few strands, turning into thin streams that seeped back into the vicinity of the rice roots.

However, this chaos was not limited to one place. The area where the two ley lines in the middle of the field and on the east side intersected was still severely blocked, with the spiritual energy seemingly being forcibly blocked and churning endlessly.

Zhou Jinyan's forehead was already covered in fine sweat. When he withdrew his hand, his breathing was slightly heavier. Although the surface of the field had calmed down somewhat, the rice seedlings had only straightened up a small portion. The green light brightened and then dimmed again, far from being fully recovered.

He laughed heartily: "You give it a try."

Lu Chi followed suit, performing hand seals to summon the spirit, with Zhou Jinyan providing guidance from the side.

His spiritual roots are a mixture of the five elements, with water being the most prominent. Earth-based magic is inherently incompatible with him. Although the Mountain-Moving Technique is "borrowing momentum" rather than directly confronting mountains and rivers, it still ultimately requires some earth-based foundation.

He tried it once, but his spiritual energy scattered like sand, leaving the bottom of the field completely still.

The second attempt managed to gather a wisp of water, but it broke off midway, causing the turbulence to intensify even further.

The third time, the fourth time... I tried seven or eight times in total, and beads of sweat appeared on my forehead before my fingertips finally managed to grasp that faint "momentum".

Like gently untangling a knotted mess with your fingers, the spiritual energy slowly returns to its place according to your intention.

Another disordered area in the field was barely smoothed out, and the rice seedlings shook in unison, making a soft "rustling" sound as they grew. Although they had only recovered a little, they were already much stronger than before.

Zhou Jinyan's eyes lit up, then he scratched his head and chuckled twice: "...Not bad, you've figured out the trick to it, using the right water and soil."

"Ahem... To be honest, I thought you'd already mastered the basics of talisman mastery, and even with a poor spiritual root aptitude, you should be better than me. Who knew you'd pick it up so quickly..."

"But so be it. You've become a talisman master, drawing talismans with great skill, while I can only toil on a few acres of land to make a living. Haha, we're brothers, who doesn't have their shortcomings?"

Is this considered consolation? Tsk, aptitude is such a fatal flaw... Lu Chi withdrew his hand and sighed inwardly.

However, the Mountain Chasing Technique, though seemingly simple, has a wide range of uses. Its primary function is to manage the earth's veins, and when fighting enemies, it can also summon earth spikes, swamps, or even directly crack the ground beneath one's feet, making it extremely ruthless and unpredictable.

"My aptitude is still a bit lacking..." he thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile. "If I have the chance, I'll definitely want to see some rare and precious materials that can help me improve my spiritual roots and comprehension."

Seeing a slight change in his expression, Zhou Jinyan patted his shoulder: "Now that the earth's veins are straightened out, they still need watering. I'll teach you a little cloud and rain technique."

This technique has a shorter incantation, consisting of only two moves: "Drawing Clouds" and "Drowning Rain." It is perfectly suited to Lu Chi's spiritual root, so unlike the Mountain-Chasing Technique, he can learn it very quickly.

With a flick of the finger, a small cloud gathers on the horizon; with another thought, the cloud moves over the fields, and a light drizzle begins to fall.

The rain, carrying a faint glimmer of light, fell crisply on the rice leaves, and a thin mist quickly rose from the field, making the air feel fresher.

Those who cultivate Tao can summon wind and rain in the middle stage of Qi Refining. In the mortal world, they would be living immortals. No wonder those rogue cultivators love to run down the mountain, calling themselves superiors or true lords... They help the emperor change the river course and build dams in one night, and are appointed as national teachers the next day.

After Lu Chi withdrew the clouds and rain, the spiritual energy in the field had become much more abundant, the rice seedlings were gradually showing signs of growing taller, and the ears of rice were once again showing signs of fullness.

Zhou Jinyan beamed and then worked with him to sort out the remaining turbulent currents on the east side.

The two worked together to push the field for about half an hour until the spiritual energy at the bottom of the field finally returned to its original state. The streams spread out evenly like a net, and the entire spiritual field was revitalized. The rice leaves were green and shiny, and the sound of growth could be heard faintly.

Zhou Jinyan breathed a sigh of relief and patted Lu Chi on the shoulder: "It's done! Let's go back and have a drink to celebrate."

Lu Chi nodded with a smile, but in his mind he had already quietly summoned the profession panel.

Today I personally worked on the earth's veins and brought rain, which was a real experience of a day's work as a spiritual farmer. I wonder if the panel reacted.

The next moment, the light screen appeared.

[Job Panel]

Name: Lu Chi

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Level 4]

【Profession: Rune Master Lv.2 (5/50)】

[Currently Unlockable]: Lingnong (Unlocking in progress)

Lu Chi's gaze sharpened, and he swiped down again, revealing the task list clearly:

[Unlock Quest: The Ginja]

[Objective 1]: Personally comb through the ley lines once (Completed)

[Objective 2]: Cast the Water Nourishment spell once (Completed)

[Goal 3]: Personally plant three kinds of spiritual plants (0/3)

As expected, all the various arts of cultivation can be transformed into professions on the interface.

Having mastered the art of talisman making, and on the verge of becoming a spirit farmer, will one day be able to unlock skills such as alchemy, weapon crafting, formations, and beast taming?

Lu Chi's eyes flickered slightly, revealing a hint of eagerness and anticipation: This career panel is indeed a broad road ahead. As long as one is diligent and persistent, even with a low-grade spiritual root, what is there to fear about the long road ahead?

The thought had barely crossed my mind when it landed on the last unlocking task.

[Goal 3]: Personally plant three kinds of spiritual plants (0/3)

He planted three kinds of spiritual plants... His thoughts stirred, and his gaze involuntarily swept towards Zhou Jinyan.

Since the other party is a spirit farmer, they must have a lot of spirit seeds in their possession.