Starting as a Talisman Master

"Brother Zhou, the spirit rice has stabilized now, but I see that besides spirit rice, you seem to have planted other spirit plants in your field?"

Lu Chi asked calmly.

Zhou Jinyan was bending down to inspect a rice stalk when she heard this, so she looked up and grinned.

"Of course, how can a spirit field only grow one thing? Last year I also tried planting a few green grass and purple calyx flowers. The former is an auxiliary material for refining Qi-nourishing pills, and the latter can be put into sachets to ward off evil and calm the mind. Although it didn't turn out very well, I managed to harvest some seeds."

"Those seeds...are they still there?"

Zhou Jinyan was taken aback for a moment, then realized what was going on, burst into laughter, stood up and patted Lu Chi on the shoulder, his eyes filled with a hint of teasing: "You kid, after going around in circles, it turns out you were after my little seed!"

"Tsk tsk, I saw you staring at the field with a gleam in your eye just now. Could it be that you're tired of being a talisman master and, seeing the beauty of my spirit field, have suddenly become interested in digging and farming with me?"

"Brother Zhou, you flatter me. I just... after witnessing the Mountain-Driving Technique and the Lesser Cloud Rain Technique, I felt that the Spirit Farming Method was quite ingenious, and I just wanted to try it out."

Zhou Jinyan squinted at him for a moment, then suddenly stopped smiling, her tone becoming serious:

"Try your hand? Hmph, spiritual farming isn't as simple as drawing a talisman. Sowing seeds is easy, but nurturing spiritual plants takes at least several months, and sometimes three to five years."

"Wind and sun, insects and diseases, changes in the earth's veins, the ebb and flow of spiritual energy... which one doesn't require careful attention? If you're not careful, all your previous efforts will be wasted, which is much more painful than ruining a talisman."

He paused, then saw that Lu Chi's eyes remained firm. He sighed and waved his hand, "Alright, alright, since you've asked, how could I keep it a secret? It's good to have a taste. Come on, let's go home and get the seeds."

Zhou Jinyan led Lu Chi back to his own courtyard, pushed open the wooden door, and went straight to a wooden cabinet in the corner of the main room, from which he took out three small jade bottles.

The bottles are covered with fine, intricate patterns, and small preservation charms are affixed to the seals, emitting a faint glow.

"Inside, one bottle contains green grass seeds, one bottle contains purple calyx flowers, and another bottle..."

"Yes, these are Moon Dew Vine seeds that I bought from the market a few days ago. Although they are only a low-grade first-level spiritual plant, they can condense dew into pearls after they grow, which is quite beneficial for Qi Refining cultivators to nourish their meridians."

He shoved the three bottles of seeds into Lu Chi's hands all at once, his tone both cheerful and tinged with a hint of caution:

"Take it. If you are truly interested in learning spiritual farming, these three items are just enough for you to practice. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime."

Lu Chi took the jade bottle, and his fingertips touched the cool touch of the bottle, which warmed his heart.

With the three kinds of spiritual plant seeds in hand, the final step of the mission is almost here.

He cupped his hands in greeting and said solemnly, "Brother Zhou's kindness is appreciated."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jinyan was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter and patted his shoulder heavily:

"Enough with the nonsense! When I first saw you come out of the Luo family's talisman shop, I was already thinking of getting you to come and farm. Now that you've taken these three kinds of seeds, you'd better cultivate them properly from now on."

"Cultivating spiritual plants takes anywhere from a few months to three to five years. If you start strong but finish weak and give up halfway, don't blame me for laughing at you later for being indecisive and lacking resolve!"

After saying that, Zhou Jinyan turned around and took out a jar of spirit rice wine from the wine jar in the corner of the main room. He broke the mud seal, and the aroma immediately spread out.

"Come on, let's have a drink to celebrate. You've been a great help today, so it's on me. Plenty of Ling rice wine!"

Lu Chi smiled as he accepted the wine bowl, already making plans in his mind: Once he unlocks the Spirit Farmer profession after personally planting three kinds of spiritual plants, he wonders what new talents and aptitudes he will gain.

The two drank a few cups together and chatted casually for a while.

Lu Chi mentioned that he had joined the Moon Concealment Pavilion and become a talisman master there, thus being affiliated with the Qixia Sect. He told them that if they needed to purchase talismans in the future, they could simply mention his name.

Zhou Jinyan sighed with emotion upon hearing this. He had not yet heard about the turmoil at Yueyin Pavilion yesterday, but he felt that his friend had suddenly found a place that was much more respectable than his own as a spirit farmer, and he couldn't help but sigh a few times at the impermanence of life.

Lu Chi simply smiled faintly and said nothing more. He quickly got up to take his leave, and by the time he returned to his own courtyard, it was already afternoon.

Sunlight streamed obliquely into the courtyard, casting a faint warmth on the bluestone slabs. The courtyard was not large to begin with; one corner was piled with miscellaneous items, while the other corner was empty, just enough to carve out a small plot of land.

Lu Chi rolled up his sleeves and first used the Mountain-Driving Technique to slightly regulate the earth's veins in the courtyard.

Although it lacked the foundation of Zhou Jinyan's spiritual field, it wasn't too mixed up. He then took out three jade bottles from his storage bag and carefully poured out the seeds.

The seeds of the green grass are as small as grains of rice, with a light bluish tint; the seeds of the purple calyx flower are slightly larger, with fine purple veins on the surface; the seeds of the moon dew vine are oval, with a faint shimmering effect.

He found a shady corner in the courtyard that was still exposed to sunlight, made a hand seal to draw out a wisp of spiritual energy, which transformed into a small shovel, and dug out three shallow pits.

The soil was loose and had a slightly earthy smell, lacking any special spiritual nourishment.

Spiritual plants actually have some requirements regarding soil and spiritual environment.

For example, Zhou Jinyan's field was originally made from specially prepared spiritual soil purchased from "Yangyuanju" in the market. On a regular basis, he had to affix spirit-gathering talismans and draw on the earth's veins to ensure that the spiritual rice could grow strong.

But right now, Lu Chi is only focused on unlocking a new profession, so he doesn't care about all the finer points. He'll just plant the seed randomly, and whether it succeeds or not is entirely up to fate.

He placed the three kinds of seeds into the pits, covered them with a thin layer of soil, and with a light touch of his fingertip, a wisp of water-based spiritual energy transformed into a fine rain, which fell evenly.

After planting three seeds, Lu Chi stood still for a moment, and only stopped when he confirmed that there was no unusual movement.

With everything in order, he took a deep breath, and with a thought, summoned the job panel.

The light screen appeared, and sure enough, things changed.

[Job Panel]

Name: Lu Chi

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Level 4]

【Profession: Rune Master Lv.2 (5/50)】

Current Class: Spirit Farmer (Unlocked)

【Lin Nong Lv.1 (0/30)】

[Root Nature: Listening to Plants]: One can listen to the language of plants and perceive their joy, anger, desires, illness, and growth. The stronger the plant, the clearer the listening.

[Talent: Dew Condensation]: Can collect the essence of the sun and moon and condense it into spiritual liquid. When dripped onto spiritual plants, it can accelerate growth, stabilize roots, and improve their grade.

Lu Chi's eyes lit up, and his heart trembled slightly. The new professional bonus he sensed first came from his inherent nature.

He looked down at the three patches of fresh soil in the corner of the courtyard. Although the three spiritual plants had only just been planted, he could already vaguely feel a slight tremor, like three thin, nascent thoughts coming from the soil, carrying a longing for sunlight, rain, and spiritual energy.

Lu Chi closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to slightly loosen the root nature of [Listening to Plants]. The three strands of thought immediately became clearer, like three babies who had just opened their eyes, babbling in the soil.

"Thirsty...so thirsty..."

"It's so stuffy... the soil is so heavy... I need light... I need the sun... to shine on me... to make me grow... to grow taller..."

"...So dark...so dark...I'm scared...scared of the cold...flowers...want to bloom...want to be purple...purple..."

Three strands of thoughts intertwined and chaotically entered Lu Chi's sea of ​​consciousness, like three little children tugging at his clothes at the same time, crying and fussing, acting cute and fighting over each other.

Lu Chi opened his eyes, a vein throbbing on his forehead, and muttered with a wry smile, "...These aren't spiritual plants, they're clearly three babies who haven't been weaned yet."

He shook his head helplessly, yet couldn't help feeling a sense of relief.

This "listening to the root" nature may seem like a useless thing at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it turns out to be an immense convenience.

Ordinary spiritual farmers need to observe the leaf color, soil moisture, and spiritual energy flow every day when cultivating the land. They may even need to ask a talisman master to draw a spirit-gathering talisman or an alchemist to refine a growth-inducing pill in order to roughly guess what the spiritual plants lack or need.

One wrong move and you'll end up watering too much or too little, or getting too much or too little sun, ruining the whole plant.

But with [Listening Plant], he can directly hear the inner voice of the spiritual plant itself.

When thirsty, ask for water; when stuffy, ask for fresh air; when cold, crave warm sunshine; when flower buds feel suffocated, urge them to open... There's no need to memorize those tedious cultivation tips, nor to worry about misjudging their needs.

Wouldn't this save Ling Nong 99% of the trial and error and exploration?

Then Lu Chi became extremely interested in the new talent [Condensed Dew]. So he sat cross-legged, his hands naturally hanging on his knees, closed his eyes and focused inward. With a thought, he quietly activated this new talent.

In an instant, Lu Chi felt a strange coolness rising from between his brows, as if invisible threads were drawing the essence of the sun and moon that were drifting between heaven and earth, slowly converging into his palm.

His mind sank slightly, and it seemed as if the pores of his body opened up into countless tiny mouths, greedily swallowing the thin glimmer of sunlight and the lingering moonlight of the night.

These essences, originally scattered and formless, are now like rivers flowing into the sea, drawn together, compressed, and condensed by an invisible force...

Time seemed to slow down dramatically at that moment.

Lu Chi's forehead gradually beaded with sweat, and his fingertips trembled slightly.

He dared not be distracted, only feeling the pulling force growing stronger and stronger, the essence of heaven and earth flowing into the void above his palm like silk threads.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

In the void, a crystalline point quietly took shape.

First came a faint mist of light, then condensed into a drop of water-like liquid, hovering three inches from his palm. It was crystal clear, with faint golden and silver glints intertwined and flowing within, radiating a vitality so rich it was almost tangible.

Lu Chi opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the single drop of suspended spiritual liquid. He carefully extended his finger, guiding the liquid toward the nearest Moon Dew Vine seed.

The moment the elixir touched the soil, it was like snow falling into boiling water, instantly seeping into the mud.

next moment.

"Snap!"

The soil trembled slightly, and a tiny crack appeared.

Immediately afterwards, a tender green sprout broke through the soil at a speed visible to the naked eye!

The buds first peek out half an inch, then the stems and leaves quickly unfold, growing to about three inches tall in the blink of an eye. The vines are soft yet resilient, and the leaves are covered with glistening dewdrops that refract a rainbow of colors in the morning light.

"Breaking through the soil...it actually broke through the soil directly?"

Even though he had expected it, Lu Chi was still stunned and speechless.

Moon Dew Vine is a low-grade first-tier spiritual plant. Ordinary seeds planted in the soil will take anywhere from three to five days to half a month to a month to germinate. It requires careful watering, gathering of spiritual energy, and protection to slowly grow.

But now, with just a drop of spiritual liquid, it has saved months of effort and broken through the soil directly!

Lu Chi stared blankly at the Moon Dew Vine that had already sprouted, feeling shocked yet also experiencing a familiar sense of absurdity.

Isn't this Han Laomo's little green bottle?