Chapter 8 - Passing on Techniques

 "In the same courtyard as Xu Hu, there are four young men from prominent cultivation families. That's why I suspect Xu Hu was harmed by them. He's just a hunter's son and doesn't understand the taboos of cultivation. Once he tasted some benefits, he became greedy for power and took reckless actions. It's common for one's emotions to get messed up with a few instigating words."

"What do you mean it's not that serious? My family has been serving the Lu Clan for generations, and we have witnessed many sinister and terrifying things! It's not uncommon for someone's life to be taken for the sake of a pill, not to mention Xu Hu, who shines brightly, and no one can surpass him."

Jiang Yuebai was in a daze, her mind filled with Lu Ying's voice. She stumbled back to her small courtyard, only to collapse upon entering the gate.

Sitting on the ground, she couldn't stop feeling scared.

Just imagine if it were her, let alone what others would do to her, even Lin Suiwan wouldn't let her off easily.

In the past, at the Lin family, she was praised by the female instructor for secretly learning to read, and Lin Suiwan directly sold her off.

In the mortal realm, only with Lin Suiwan's support, she could have been sold; here, with Elder Lin Xiangtian's backing, she could directly take her life.

Jiang Yuebai was grateful that her grandfather stopped her that day.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, but Tao Fengnian returned from outside and sighed when he saw her.

"Get up and go wash the rice."

Tao Fengnian placed the hoe against the wall, took off his bamboo hat, and fanned himself.

"Grandfather, do you... know about it?" Jiang Yuebai asked tremblingly.

Tao Fengnian hung up the bamboo hat. "It's not something that happens often, but it's not surprising either. I've heard about it."

"Grandfather, I still don't understand. Xu Hu didn't harm anyone, can't he work hard to cultivate by himself?" Jiang Yuebai asked.

Tao Fengnian helped Jiang Yuebai up from the ground and squatted down to use a purification technique to clean the dust off her body.

"In this world, when others see you in a sorry state and extend their compassion, helping and giving to you. The same people can't stand it if you have something they don't. Even if it is just a little bit. It would arouse jealousy," Tao Fengnian said.

"Children raised in cultivation families have been scheming against each other since childhood. If they fall behind, they lose the resources of the family and face neglect and contempt. They can't stand someone else being stronger, especially those from humble backgrounds."

"And the sects? Do they turn a blind eye and allow others to be harmed?" Jiang Yuebai asked.

"The sects naturally don't allow random killing, but Xu Hu's mishap was his own mistake in cultivation. Who has evidence to prove that he was harmed by someone else? He has no background, so who will thoroughly investigate the matter for him? In any case, the sect has given a minor punishment as a warning. They publicly punished the children in the same courtyard as him and strictly ordered other young cultivators to consult the disciples of the Lecture Hall before practicing. It can be considered as a remedy after the act."

"You don't have to worry either. People in this world have diverse attitudes and myriad personalities. There are genuinely kind and good-hearted individuals. As you experience more, you'll learn to distinguish. For now, just remember that the tallest tree in a forest would attract strong winds. It's good to be cautious of others' intentions."

Jiang Yuebai felt tense all over. "Does that mean I have to hide and suppress myself for the rest of my life? I feel suffocated and uncomfortable!"

Jiang Yuebai felt that Tao Fengnian's words were incorrect. She knew that if she hadn't fought for herself, she would have died last winter. If she hadn't fought, she would still be a fledgling in the kiln. If she hadn't fought, how could she enter the immortal sect?

Tao Fengnian rubbed Jiang Yuebai's head and spoke gently, "If you want to fight, you must first stay alive. At this moment, I'm advising you to be patient and keep a low profile because you can't fully protect yourself yet. But I haven't asked you to stop cultivating."

"As long as you still want to learn, once you have enough strength, you won't need to hide anymore. Just like the founder of the Tianyan Sect, Lu Xingyun, before forming her Golden Core, no one knew her name. But after forming the Golden Core, she became famous throughout the world."

Jiang Yuebai clenched her fist and pondered, her eyes gradually shining.

"I want to learn, I want to cultivate, and I want everyone to dare not bully or harm me."

Tao Fengnian nodded with satisfaction. "Last time, you asked me about Spirit Farming Master, right? Let's eat first, and after you're full, I'll teach you."

"Okay!"

As the sun set, the elderly and the young sat in the courtyard. Tao Fengnian smoked his pipe and pushed a jade token in front of Jiang Yuebai.

Without any hesitation, Jiang Yuebai used a small knife to cut her finger and let the blood drip onto the jade token.

With the contract established, Tao Fengnian put away the jade token.

The rules of Tianyan Sect stated that sect cultivation methods and techniques could not be privately taught, but Spirit Farming Masters were responsible for supplying rations and spiritual herbs to tens of thousands of disciples of the sect.

To ensure an adequate number of Spirit Farming Masters, any of them could take apprentices and teach cultivation and planting techniques, receiving considerable rewards.

The apprenticeship lasted for three years, with no salary or contribution points required, and they didn't have to complete sect tasks. However, they had no income and needed to obey orders to help with planting and work.

After three years of apprenticeship, they could lease spiritual fields and keep thirty percent of the harvest each year, turning in the rest.

Compared to other menial tasks, being a Spirit Farming Master was more liberating. As long as they worked hard, they would reap rewards. It had always been the most popular occupation within the sect. However, one needed connections to become an apprentice.

The difference between a Spirit Farming Master and a Spirit Farmer was only a single character, but the essence was worlds apart.

Anyone who could plant was called a Spirit Farmer, but a Spirit Farming Master had to master three planting techniques and reach the fourth layer to ensure maximum output from the spiritual fields.

Once they passed the assessment, they would receive a special token with a status equivalent to that of an outer disciple.

Not only were they exempt from renting spiritual fields, but they could also receive a monthly salary and had three opportunities to exchange for cultivation methods and techniques at the Hidden Books Courtyard.

Though there were nearly ten thousand Spirit Farmers within the Tianyan Sect, there were only thirty-six Spirit Farming Masters. Each one was a master at cultivation, in charge of at least one spiritual field. Whether it was spiritual grains or spiritual herbs, the quantity and quality were excellent, earning them recognition from the sect and various alchemy elders.

Tao Fengnian was the only Spirit Farming Master in the Huaxi Valley. In his early years, he cultivated spiritual herbs and commanded over a hundred Spirit Farmers in the Huaxi Valley. In recent years, due to limited energy, he only cultivated a few acres of spiritual grains and couldn't be bothered with the other Spirit Farmers.

With smoke swirling around them, Tao Fengnian leisurely explained various common knowledge to Jiang Yuebai.

"Hong Tao brought you here because he naturally hopes you can become a Spirit Farming Master rather than an ordinary Spirit Farmer. To become a Spirit Farming Master, you must have three or more spiritual roots."

"Each spiritual root contains different spiritual qi attributes, and you need corresponding techniques to activate the corresponding spiritual qi. So, the more spiritual roots you have, the more techniques you need."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuebai couldn't help but be surprised. "Then, with my five spiritual roots, do I need five sets of techniques?"

Tao Fengnian nodded, and Jiang Yuebai was dumbfounded.

"Then... are these techniques expensive?"

"In the cultivation world, whether it's cultivation methods, pills, or magical tools, they range from ninth-grade to first-grade. When outer disciples reach the Foundation Establishment stage, they have one chance to exchange for a ninth-grade technique. After that, they need to use contribution points for exchanges."

"Even the worst ninth-grade technique requires one hundred contribution points, equivalent to one hundred pieces of low-grade spiritual stones or one thousand kilograms of spiritual rice. An internal affairs hall D-rank sect task gives you a maximum of ten contribution points."

Jiang Yuebai widened her eyes, getting a vague idea of the prices in the cultivation world.

One low-grade spiritual stone could be exchanged for ten kilograms of spiritual rice, and she needed around four or five liang (two to two and a half kilograms) of spiritual rice per day. Ten kilograms wouldn't even be enough for a month.

One thousand kilograms would exchange for one technique, and she needed five thousand kilograms of spiritual rice for her five spiritual roots. It would take her years to accumulate that amount.

Her entire wealth now amounted to just ten pieces of low-grade spiritual stones and five Qi-gathering pills.

Feeling ashamed, Jiang Yuebai lowered her head. "Grandfather, I'm sorry. I didn't know spiritual rice was so expensive. I'll eat less and work harder in the future..."

Tao Fengnian chuckled as he knocked his pipe. "An old Spirit Farming Master like me, if I can't even support a little girl like you, wouldn't that be a joke? As for the problem of cultivation techniques, don't worry. You're my apprentice, and I'll naturally teach you."

After saying that, Tao Fengnian handed a palm-sized, octagonal jade stone to Jiang Yuebai.

"This is the ninth-grade technique 'Geng Metal Art.' After you pass the entry stage, you can use this technique to improve your cultivation. Start learning the 'Edge Sharpness Formula,' one of the five Spirit Farming techniques, which is mainly used for removing pests from spiritual plants."

"Besides that, there are some basic spells in the jade slip, such as the Purification Spell, Wind Control Spell, and Beast Taming Technique. Read them more and try to comprehend them."

"Many cultivators with multiple spiritual roots focus on one root in the early stages to improve their cultivation and learn the corresponding techniques. After reaching the later stages of Foundation Establishment, they can then catch up with the cultivation of the other roots and proceed to the Core Formation stage."

"You'll start by learning this Metal Element technique. If you can reach the first layer of 'Geng Metal Art' and the Edge Sharpness Formula within a month, I'll then teach you the Water Element technique 'Gui Water Art' and the Cloud Rain Formula, which you want to learn."

Tao Fengnian finished speaking and couldn't help but chuckle self-deprecatingly. It had taken him three months to break through the first layer of these techniques, and now he was asking this little girl to do it in a month.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he felt that she could do it, even before the deadline.

Unaware and unafraid, Jiang Yuebai nodded eagerly, taking the jade slip curiously and flipping through it.

"The jade slip is placed on the center of your eyebrows, and you can sense the spiritual qi inside. From now on, you will practice 'Geng Metal Art' in the morning and at night after meals. After breakfast, you will study scriptures and read for an hour with me. In the evening, you will learn acupoint recognition and meridian identification for an hour."

'll also teach you a low-grade martial skill, the 'Chasing Star Steps,' and the 'Chopping Wood Sword Technique,' which you can use for self-defense until you become proficient in your spells. I usually work in the field, so you can arrange your cultivation time yourself. Now, let me guide you on the path of cultivation and Qi circulation..."

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