Immortality and cultivation: Heaven rewards diligence, and success is inevitable.

Unlike other courtyards, Courtyard A is composed of individual courtyards.

The forest ranger's courtyard is in the middle, while the other courtyards are scattered around.

Led by a senior servant, Jiang Shi chose a courtyard located on the outer side.

"Junior Brother Jiang, now that you've come to this Academy, we're all on the same side. Don't hesitate to ask if you need any help," the senior servant said warmly.

Jiang Shi didn't take it seriously. These senior servants all had their own ulterior motives and were unreliable.

After the two left, Jiang Shi went inside, went to the bed, and sat cross-legged.

He first placed the stone tablet on his forehead.

[Learned the Yellow-Rank Low-Grade Technique, "Water Spirit Technique".]

Then they couldn't wait to start practicing.

Half an hour has passed.

[Proficiency +1]

【Water Spirit Technique: Beginner (1/500)】

As expected, cultivation was extremely slow.

If one simply buries oneself in hard work and tries to reach the fourth level of Qi Refining within three years, that is simply impossible.

Felling trees can obtain wood spirit energy, which can accelerate the cultivation speed of the "Wood Spirit Technique". How can the "Water Spirit Technique" be accelerated?

Where can we obtain water elemental energy?

Just as Jiang Shi was racking his brains.

A cheerful voice came from outside the door.

"Junior Brother Jiang, how have you been?"

Upon hearing the noise, Jiang Shi quickly went outside.

He saw that Senior Brother Li, who had led him into the school, was standing at the door.

"Senior Brother Li, please come in, please come in!"

Li Ze laughed and walked in.

"I just introduced Junior Brother Jiang to the academy last year, and I never expected that he would have already entered the top-tier academy today. Congratulations!"

Li Ze was very enthusiastic, partly because Jiang Shi had given him a five-year-old spiritual herb, which greatly increased his cultivation after he consumed it.

Secondly, Li Ze was also taken under the wing of Steward Lin.

The two are now fellow disciples, so their relationship is naturally closer than before.

"Congratulations! Senior Brother Li's cultivation is at its peak. He will probably break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining soon and enter the outer sect."

Upon seeing Li Zechun's radiant face and gleaming eyes, Jiang Shi knew that Li Zechun's cultivation must have improved significantly.

"Haha, this is all thanks to the spiritual herbs that my junior brother gave me earlier."

"I wonder if my junior brother has any left?"

Only after consuming the spiritual herb did Li Ze realize the preciousness of this five-year-old herb.

The pure spiritual energy within is something that is difficult to cultivate even through arduous practice.

"Those two spiritual herbs were obtained by chance, it was just luck."

"My junior brother doesn't have it yet, and he's still worried about the slow progress of cultivating the Water Spirit Technique."

Jiang Shi spoke the truth and did not hide anything.

"The Water Spirit Technique?" Li Ze was full of doubt upon hearing this. He had practiced this low-grade Yellow-level technique when he first started learning it.

By the time they reached the level of senior handyman, they had already spent money to change their cultivation method with Manager Lin.

Recently, he became a disciple of Steward Lin and was even taught a high-grade Yellow-level martial arts technique.

"As the name suggests, the Water Spirit Technique is a water-attribute cultivation method, so cultivating in this courtyard will naturally be slow. However, in the shallow waters near the shore of Falling Dragon Lake to the south, one can accelerate the cultivation process."

Li Ze had been living in the miscellaneous courtyard for many years, and the earliest thing he practiced was the "Water Spirit Technique," so he naturally knew the suitable place to cultivate.

Jiang Shi's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Li. I will go and take a look today. I will definitely treat Senior Brother Li well when I have time in the future."

Upon hearing that there was a suitable place for the "Water Spirit Technique," Jiang Shi was unwilling to waste time and decided to go and take a look.

Li Ze shook his head helplessly at Jiang Shi's impatient appearance.

"Junior brother, remember never to go into deep water."

Li Ze cautioned that Luolong Lake was of unknown depth, and that a former handyman disciple, relying on his excellent swimming skills, had ventured deep into the water to cultivate, only to never return.

Jiang Shi didn't hear those words; he had already run far away.

Luolong Lake is located at the foot of Qingyunmen Mountain.

Jiang Shi had been there several times before, and soon arrived at the lakeside.

Jiang Shi found a shallow spot and jumped in.

Jiang Shi sat cross-legged, the lake water reaching his chest.

[Proficiency +2]

Half an hour later, the proficiency level of the Water Spirit Technique increased by two points.

It is indeed twice as fast as cultivating on land.

But this speed is still not enough. Even if it were twice as fast, it would still take a lot of time to cultivate the Water Spirit Technique to perfection.

Jiang Shi took a few steps and came to a slightly deeper part of the water, where he sat cross-legged to cultivate.

[Proficiency +3]

Half an hour later, the proficiency level of "Water Spirit Technique" increased by three points.

"It seems that the deeper the water, the faster the cultivation."

"But going deeper in might be dangerous," Jiang Shi thought to himself.

The lake is of unknown depth; if one ventures too deep, one might not be able to return.

[Proficiency +1, Proficiency +1]

[Water-based: Beginner (2/500)]

Jiang Shi swam in the water a couple of times and surprisingly, he was able to improve his swimming skills.

Just like logging back then.

Jiang Shi's eyes lit up instantly. If he could master this water skill, would he be able to enter the deep water area?

With this in mind, Jiang Shi began to practice swimming diligently.

Jiang Shi practiced swimming in this shallow area, and when he got tired, he would sit down cross-legged to meditate.

When they got hungry, they would pick some wild fruits in the woods to fill their stomachs.

When I feel like eating meat, I go back to the canteen in the courtyard for a hearty meal.

And so a month passed.

[Water Element: Perfect]

He practiced diligently day and night, and finally mastered swimming skills.

Jiang Shi, in Luolong Lake, was like a fish, freely tumbling up and down.

Then he plunged into the deep water.

He began practicing the "Water Spirit Technique" in the water.

The deeper one goes, the faster one can cultivate the Water Spirit Technique.

Jiang Shi found a place that wasn't too deep or too shallow and began to cultivate.

When his swimming skills are perfected, he can hold his breath underwater for an hour and a half.

He had to rise up to breathe every hour he cultivated.

[Proficiency +5, Proficiency +5]

With the hint, he won't exceed this time limit.

More than a month later.

[Proficiency +5, Proficiency +5]

[Water Spirit Technique: Mastery (5/3000)]

As Jiang Shi mastered the Water Spirit Technique, his cultivation level also broke through.

He is now a cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining.

He cultivated for seven months in the hemlock forest and for two months in Luolong Lake.

This is why Jiang Shi, with his destiny of "Heaven rewards diligence," was able to cultivate so quickly.

For others, it is extremely difficult to cultivate their techniques to perfection.

Two months of intensive training left Jiang Shi physically and mentally exhausted.

Cultivating oneself in the lake is ten times more arduous than cutting down trees in a hemlock forest.

He's already at his breaking point.

There happens to be one opportunity per month to practice in the forest ranger's training room.

The burning incense can relieve fatigue, and now he can use it.

I wonder what kind of conspiracy this Manager Lin is plotting.

After all, you can know a person's face but not their heart. No matter how well Manager Lin speaks, Jiang Shi doesn't trust him.

Even though I don't trust him, I still have to take the benefits I'm entitled to.

As for what will happen in the future? That's a matter for the future.

Jiang Shi's [Destiny: Heaven Rewards Diligence] panel allows him to check his own status.

According to the [Destiny] analysis, the incense from Manager Lin was not poisonous.