82: Master bestowed a treasure, a jade pendant for transmitting messages.

"Boss, you handle things here first! I'm going to see my parents!"

Wang Tiezhu was eager to return home. He gave a quick shout to Li Qingfeng and nodded casually to the two Outer Sect Deacons before rushing off toward his house like a whirlwind, his excitement not diminishing in the slightest.

Li Qingfeng shook his head helplessly and led the two Outer Sect Deacons to the Spiritual Fields for inspection.

The group soon arrived at the Spiritual Fields. The two mu of Spiritual Rice were a sea of gold, the ears of grain so full they nearly bent the stalks. A rich fragrance wafted toward them, and several Spiritual Fruit trees were also laden with fruit, their scent filling the air.

A flash of surprise crossed the eyes of the two deacons. They clearly hadn't expected the Spiritual Fields in this remote New Town to be cultivated so well, but they didn't ask questions. They professionally took out specialized storage Magical Artifacts: two jade buckets engraved with runes.

“Senior Brother Li!”

Zhao Ming spoke up:

“By Sect decree, for the Spiritual Field tribute under our jurisdiction, we collect seventy percent and leave thirty percent for personal use. Please assist us in the collection, Senior Brother.”

“As it should be.”

Li Qingfeng nodded and signaled several stewards who had been waiting nearby to step forward and assist.

The harvesting process was swift. The specialized jade buckets seemed to have an invisible suction; the mature Spiritual Rice ears and fruits detached from their stems and were precisely sucked into the buckets.

Watching the plump rice ears and Spiritual Fruits being taken away, Li Qingfeng remained calm on the surface, but his heart couldn't help but twitch a little.

Seventy percent of the harvest from the two mu of land was soon packed into the two jade buckets. Spiritual light flowed over the surface of the buckets; they clearly contained a pocket dimension within and could preserve the spiritual nature of the items without it dissipating.

Deacon Qian Tong carefully inspected the jade buckets. After confirming everything was correct, he took a slightly smaller jade box from his Storage Pouch and handed it to Li Qingfeng:

“Senior Brother Li, this is the new spiritual seed for the coming year bestowed by the Sect. This seed is the 'Green Harvest No. 3', newly cultivated by the Sect's Agriculture Hall. It is resistant to cold and drought, and its Spiritual Qi nourishment is even better. We hope you will cultivate it well, Senior Brother, in anticipation of a bountiful tribute next year.”

Li Qingfeng solemnly accepted the jade box:

“I thank the Sect for the reward and will certainly do my best.”

With the task completed, Zhao Ming and Qian Tong did not linger and clasped their hands in farewell:

“Senior Brother Li, our duty is done. We must rush to the next location. Farewell!”

“Safe travels.”

Li Qingfeng clasped his hands to see them off. The Flying Shuttle rose into the air and quickly disappeared into the horizon.

After seeing off the two Outer Sect Deacons, he instructed the stewards to carefully store the remaining harvest in the warehouse, while he himself returned to the Town Guardian Residence with the newly acquired Green Harvest No. 3 spiritual seeds.

He had just sat down in his study and hadn't even had time to take a sip of tea when Wang Tiezhu rushed in like a gust of wind. The excitement on his face hadn't faded; he was clearly on a high after just reuniting with his family.

“Boss! Hehe, my parents are doing great! They were thrilled to see that I've achieved a Breakthrough in Qi Refining!”

Wang Tiezhu rubbed his hands and plopped down across from Li Qingfeng, impatiently beginning to recount his experiences at the Sect.

“Boss, you have no idea! I went back to the General Affairs Hall to report! As soon as I returned to Blade Path Peak, I was summoned directly by Revered Master Iron Yama himself!”

“Normally, for a candidate Inner Sect member like me applying for Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi for a Breakthrough, the Sect would at most give a Grade 2 non-attributed Azure Profound Upright Qi, and that would be the limit. That stuff is mediocre; it allows for a Breakthrough, but there are no extra benefits.”

“But our Revered Master is amazing!”

“Revered Master himself got me Grade 2 Golden Sand Spiritual Qi with Geng-Metal attributes! Once that Qi entered my body, man, it was a perfect match for our Blade Path Peak's Cultivation Technique! The Breakthrough was incredibly smooth!”

Li Qingfeng’s eyes lit up as he listened. A Breakthrough using attributed Spiritual Qi meant a more solid Foundation and greater potential. This kid Iron Pillar had indeed found a great Opportunity.

Wang Tiezhu slapped his forehead:

“Agh! I was so busy talking about the Breakthrough that I almost forgot the main business! After my Breakthrough, I remembered the letter you asked me to bring to Revered Master, so I hurried over to deliver it to him.”

“After Revered Master finished the letter, his expression—tsk tsk, Boss, you should have seen it—he was so gratified! He even praised your unique vision and said you know how to manage things and haven't embarrassed him!!”

He mimicked Iron Yama's tone:

“Revered Master asked me: 'Iron Pillar, now that you have broken through to Qi Refining and officially become an Inner Sect Disciple, do you plan to return to serve under your Senior Brother Li Qingfeng, or do you want me to arrange a new post for you within the Sect?'”

“I immediately beat my chest:”

“'Reporting to Revered Master! This Disciple fought hard for this Breakthrough just so I could return to my Senior Brother's side sooner and lend him a hand!'”

As Wang Tiezhu spoke, he began pulling things out of his Storage Pouch:

“Revered Master was very happy to hear that! Without a second word, he first took this out!”

He pulled out a neatly folded piece of armor that shimmered with a dark gold luster, its surface inscribed with complex defensive runes, and handed it to Li Qingfeng.

“Here, this is from Revered Master for you! A Grade 2 High Grade defensive Magical Artifact, the golden scale armor! Revered Master said that since you are guarding a region outside, safety comes first!”

Surprise flashed in Li Qingfeng's eyes as he solemnly accepted it.

The armor felt heavy in his hand and cool to the touch. Its surface contained powerful fluctuations of spiritual power; it was clearly no ordinary item. He carefully placed it into his own Storage Pouch.

Wang Tiezhu then pulled out a long spear that was dark silver throughout, its tip flickering with cold light and its shaft wrapped in sharp golden patterns. He performed a flourish with the spear proudly:

“This one is for me! Revered Master said there were some Grade 2 xin metal Materials left over from forging your golden scale armor, so he added some precious Geng-Metal and specially forged this Peak-Breaker Spear for me! Although it's only Grade 2 Low Grade, the Materials are solid, and its attributes perfectly match my Cultivation Technique. It'll be enough for me to use for a good while!”

Finally, Wang Tiezhu's expression turned serious as he carefully took out a green jade pendant and handed it to Li Qingfeng:

“Revered Master took this out last and urged me to hand it to you personally. He said it contains words he wants to say to you and told you to activate and view it yourself.”

Li Qingfeng’s expression became solemn as he accepted the jade pendant with both hands.

The jade pendant felt warm and cool in his hand, containing pure spiritual power. He took a deep breath, channeled the spiritual power within his body, and slowly injected it into the jade pendant.

“Hum—!”

The jade pendant instantly burst with light. Azure-black light converged, projecting a clear figure in the center of the study—it was Iron Yama! He was still dressed in a simple green robe, his face resolute and his gaze like lightning. Even though it was just a projection, an overbearing Aura of natural authority rushed toward them.

Li Qingfeng and Wang Tiezhu instinctively moved to bow in greeting.

“That's enough, no need for that.”

The projected Iron Yama seemed to have anticipated this. He waved his hand casually, and his voice transmitted directly into their minds with a strange sense of resonance.

“This is but a recorded transmission. Qingfeng, Iron Pillar, I presume only the two of you are present. I have some private words that you two must keep in mind and never reveal to others.”

The projection of Iron Yama's gaze swept over the two of them, and his tone became low and serious:

“What I am about to say is of great importance. It comes from my mouth and enters your ears; it must not be told to a third person. Remember this!”