3: Catalyst rice

This world is called the Canglan Realm, and the Sword Pavilion is one of the The Seven Great Dao Lineages of the Human Race.

Unlike ordinary small Sects and factions, after tens of millions of years of Legacy, the Sword Pavilion has developed into a colossal organization.

Just how large the Sword Pavilion is, even Zhao Qiyang, who was born and raised within it, couldn't say for sure.

In terms of geographical scope, the Sword Pavilion directly governs three secular nations, and the areas it indirectly controls are even vaster.

The Sword Pavilion's composition is also extremely complex.

The Sword Pavilion's inner Sect is divided into five lineages: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Lin Yan and the others belong to the Spirit Herb Hall, a branch of the Wood Lineage, as Utility Disciples.

Besides the Spirit Herb Hall, the Wood Lineage also has branches like the Spirit Medicine Hall, Spirit Beast Hall, and Spirit Wood Hall.

As the name suggests, halls like the Spirit Medicine Hall are far more important than the Spirit Herb Hall, and their status is also higher.

In short, the Sword Pavilion is so vast that Utility Disciples can only glimpse a fraction of it.

Lin Yan has been growing Spirit Rice in the Spirit Herb Hall for three years, and he still hasn't fully grasped the size of the Spirit Herb Hall.

...

"Don't mind that fellow. Time is short, so quickly focus your minds and prepare to catalyze the Spirit Rice," Zhao Qiyang instructed the two.

"Yes, Brother Yang!" Tu Lei and Xu Shuangyuan responded in unison.

Although the Outer Sect Disciple assessment lasts for a year, it's unlikely for Spirit Rice to mutate after it matures.

Therefore, while the assessment time seems to be only halfway through, in reality, most of it has already passed.

Because of this, Zhao Qiyang felt increasingly pressured, which was also the reason for his conflict with Lin Yan today.

Catalyzing Spirit Rice helps to enhance its vitality.

With increased vitality, not only can the growth rate of the Spirit Rice be accelerated, but the probability of mutation can also be raised.

All of them are only at the Early Stage of Qi Refining, so they can only catalyze a few stalks of Spirit Rice each day.

More people mean more effort and a greater chance of success.

But Lin Yan was unwilling to submit to Zhao Qiyang, and as the assessment time passed, Zhao Qiyang became increasingly annoyed by this.

...

"Work hard. When I become an Outer Sect Disciple, I will not forget you two," Zhao Qiyang encouraged them, saying:

"At that time, you two will stay here and continue to help me manage the Spirit Field, and you'll also get a share of the annual harvest."

After becoming an Outer Sect Disciple, one receives fixed land as a reward.

To be precise, it's the Spirit Field they are currently cultivating.

Whoever passes the assessment will gain ownership of these four acres of Spirit Field.

"Brother Yang is generous!" Tu Lei quickly put on a smiling face, as if he had received a great blessing, and gloated:

"That Lin Yan doesn't know what's good for him. By then, he'll only be able to Cultivate fields for the Sect and never get ahead in life."

"How can an ordinary person Cultivate Mutated Spirit Rice? Only a scion of a prominent family like Brother Yang has a chance. Lin Yan is too overconfident."

...

Little Fatty Xu Shuangyuan didn't respond, his complex gaze inadvertently sweeping over his own Spirit Field.

Tu Lei's words certainly held some truth. Disciples from the secular world like them started their Cultivation late, and after just learning to Cultivate Spirit Rice upon entering the Sect, they were immediately arranged for the Outer Sect Disciple assessment. It was indeed difficult to pass successfully this way.

They are Disciples from the secular world, starting their Cultivation late. After just learning to Cultivate Spirit Rice upon entering the Sect, they were arranged for the Outer Sect Disciple assessment, making it very difficult to pass.

However, when it comes to cultivating the Dao for longevity, who would willingly give up this sliver of Opportunity?

Sighing softly, the Little Fatty composed himself and began today's catalysis of Spirit Rice.

...

On the other side, Lin Yan also began to catalyze the Spirit Rice.

Lin Yan held his breath and concentrated, a faint azure glow appearing on his fingertips, as the Spiritual Qi within his body flowed like a stream towards his fingertips.

The Cultivation Technique he practiced was the Azure Wood Technique, the standard for Utility Disciples of the Spirit Herb Hall, which could only be Cultivated up to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Although the upper limit of the Cultivation Technique was not high, it was easy to learn and highly efficient in Cultivation, making it very suitable for Utility Disciples with less talent.

Moreover, this Azure Wood Technique was said to be derived from the renowned Azure Emperor Longevity Art.

Legend has it that the Azure Emperor Longevity Art was created by the ancient mighty figure, the Azure Emperor, and this Cultivation Technique possessed many miraculous aspects.

Among them, the most influential on later generations was the unique Mind-Cultivation Technique for catalyzing spirit plants within the Cultivation Technique.

Later generations of spirit plant Cultivation Techniques more or less drew inspiration from it. It can be said that the Azure Emperor pioneered an era of spirit plants, leaving a Legacy for tens of thousands of generations.

...

The 'Qi Condensation Vitality Art,' the catalyzing Mind-Cultivation Technique from the Azure Wood Technique, quietly began to operate. As the art deepened, Lin Yan's entire mind focused on the Spirit Rice in front of him.

The azure-green wood Spiritual Qi on his fingertips also clung to the Spirit Rice plant like Meridians.

Everything has its own breath, and spirit plants do too; it's the rhythm of vitality. Through the Spiritual Qi at his fingertips, Lin Yan could feel the Spirit Rice's "breathing."

Lin Yan deliberately slowed his heartbeat, attempting to synchronize with the Spirit Rice's vital rhythm.

Unlike human breathing, the flow of the Spirit Rice's vitality was as chaotic and elusive as tangled threads. However, Lin Yan did not forcefully rush it; instead, he used his own wood Spiritual Qi as a guide, gently channeling it like spring rain moistening the earth.

Gradually, he felt a faint resonance; the trembling of the spirit plant's leaves and the rotation frequency of his Dantian's Qi vortex gradually converged, as if the two had become one.

When the resonance reached its Peak, Lin Yan guided a wisp of pure wood Spiritual Qi from his Dantian's Qi vortex and injected it into the core of the Spirit Rice.

After circulating once, the vitality of the Spirit Rice noticeably increased by several points.

And that pure Spiritual Qi flowed back from his fingertips into Lin Yan's Meridians.

One full cycle of catalyzing the Spirit Rice was complete.

During this cycle, not only did the Spirit Rice's vitality improve, but Lin Yan also absorbed the pure essence of vegetation that dissipated during the Spirit Rice's vitality enhancement.

This essence flowed into his Meridians like a cool, sweet spring, merging with his own Spiritual Qi.

He felt that the Spiritual Qi in his Meridians had noticeably strengthened by a fraction.

This is the power of the spirit plant catalyzing Mind-Cultivation Technique!

It's not simply nourishing spirit plants with one's own Spiritual Qi, but rather the Cultivator and the spirit plant becoming one, improving and benefiting together.

Every time he catalyzed Spirit Rice, Lin Yan couldn't help but marvel at the greatness of the Azure Emperor who created this method.

Cultivating fields and Cultivating simultaneously!

Without stopping, Lin Yan continued to catalyze this mutating Spirit Rice, cycle after cycle.

The stronger the vitality and the better the growth condition, the higher the probability of a spirit plant mutating.

This is experience summarized by countless generations of Cultivators who cultivated spirit plants.

If he hadn't known that this particular Spirit Rice had begun to mutate, Lin Yan would have, like other Cultivators participating in the farming, selected several Spirit Rice plants that appeared to be growing well and catalyzed them in rotation, spreading the benefits evenly.

But with the System's advantage, there was no need to cast a wide net.

Like Zhao Qiyang and the other two next to him, they were like headless flies, catalyzing a bit here and a bit there.

This approach is actually very inefficient because it requires interrupting the Mind-Cultivation Technique from time to time.

But this is also a helpless move; it's the only clumsy method.

If one were to randomly choose a spirit plant and catalyze it every day, it would most likely not succeed—this is the experience of those who have come before.

Vigorous growth increases the probability of mutation, but it's only a probability, not a certainty.

Some spirit plants simply won't mutate, no matter how much you catalyze them or how much Spirit Spring and spirit fertilizer you pour on them daily; it's all in vain.