9: Successive transformations

At this moment, the morning mist had not yet dispersed.

Lin Yan slowly opened his eyes, and the Mutated Spirit Rice before him came into view.

Its stalk was slightly different from ordinary Spirit Rice, but it hadn't changed too much.

The biggest change was in the grains on the stalk.

Each grain of rice had transformed into a small crescent moon, appearing exceptionally exquisite.

This was just the beginning; the further it progressed, the greater the difference between the appearance of this Crescent Rice and ordinary Spirit Rice would become.

Looking at its panel information again:

【spirit plant Name: Crescent Rice】

【growth progress: 93/100】

【Growth status: None】

The entry "mutation progress" had disappeared, and the spirit plant name was no longer "Spirit Rice," but "Crescent Rice."

This was a Mutated Spirit Rice in the true sense.

"Hoo……" Lin Yan let out a long breath of stale air.

Since his Transmigration, this was the first time he felt unprecedented stability and peace of mind.

It wasn't just the Spirit Rice that had transformed; he himself had also undergone significant changes.

First, his Cultivation level had increased by a notch; originally just entering the second level of Qi Refining, he was now approaching the third level.

More importantly, his Cultivation Technique, the "Azure Wood Technique," had improved from Introductory to Minor Achievement.

This was a qualitative change; many Utility Disciples struggled for ten years only to barely reach Minor Achievement.

From now on, Lin Yan's speed of Cultivation would increase, and the effect of catalyzing spirit plants would also significantly improve.

"I didn't expect that catalyzing Spirit Rice to complete its mutation would bring such great benefits to my own Cultivation."

Catalyzing spirit plants was equivalent to Dual Cultivation between person and plant, where both could gain benefits.

But at the moment of catalyzing the spirit plant's transformation, one would receive an extra insight compared to usual.

That feeling was like entering a state of enlightenment, causing Lin Yan's understanding of his Cultivation Technique to rise by a level.

Lin Yan felt that this was not a special case for him.

It was estimated that if other Cultivators catalyzed a spirit plant to complete its transformation, they would also gain insights.

But one could imagine that this situation was certainly extremely rare.

Ordinary Utility Disciples only cultivated one or two Mutated Spirit Rice plants a year.

Without a System, they couldn't see which Spirit Rice would mutate, let alone when it would mutate.

Often, by the time a Spirit-Plant Cultivator discovered a mutated plant, the essence of the mutation was already complete, and what followed was merely an external transformation.

Of course, although the probability of a Spirit-Plant Cultivator catalyzing a spirit plant to complete its transformation was very low, such events certainly existed.

There were always a very small number of lucky guys.

It was just that Lin Yan's understanding of immortal cultivation was still too little; he hadn't heard of it, so it belonged to a blind spot in his knowledge.

"The gold content of this System is still rising……"

At this moment, Lin Yan was full of confidence in the future.

In the following days, Lin Yan did not continue to catalyze that Crescent Rice, but instead catalyzed the second Mutated Spirit Rice he had discovered.

After many days of precise watering with spirit fertilizer, its mutation progress had already increased significantly:

【spirit plant Name: Spirit Rice】

【growth progress: 85/100】

【mutation progress: 58%】

【Growth status: None】

Catalyzing Crescent Rice could increase his Cultivation level faster, but catalyzing Mutated Spirit Rice could grant a precious insight, improving his Cultivation Technique.

With his level of understanding of the Cultivation Technique raised, his speed of Cultivation was faster.

Sharpening the axe would not delay the wood-cutting; furthermore, he could also obtain a precious Mutated Rice plant.

Lin Yan had once heard other Utility Disciples say that one Mutated Crescent Rice plant was worth as much as a season's harvest from an acre of ordinary Spirit Rice.

On that day, after finishing the catalysis of the second Mutated Spirit Rice, Lin Yan found that he had only used half the usual time.

After the "Azure Wood Technique" reached Minor Achievement, his catalysis efficiency had roughly doubled.

Each Spirit Rice plant had a limit to how much catalysis it could withstand.

After reaching this limit, continuing to catalyze would have no effect; one had to wait for a period of time.

It was just like needing time to digest after a full meal.

In other words, Lin Yan could now catalyze two Spirit Rice plants a day.

He decisively added the third Mutated Spirit Rice to his catalysis schedule; the progress of this Spirit Rice was similar to the second one:

【spirit plant Name: Spirit Rice】

【growth progress: 84/100】

【mutation progress: 57%】

【Growth status: None】

With catalysis and spirit fertilizer watering both being used, the mutation speed of the two Spirit Rice plants was extremely fast, approaching 10 percentage points per day.

Five days later, the mutation progress of the two Spirit Rice plants approached 100%.

Lin Yan slowed down the pace and stopped the spirit fertilizer completely.

He had to let the Spirit Rice complete its final mutation while he was catalyzing it; only then could he reap the insights of spirit plant growth.

This process was really hard to control.

After the mutation progress exceeded 95%, the Spirit Rice could complete its final transformation at any time.

And the best time point for Lin Yan to start catalyzing was between 97% and 99%.

Below this range, it wasn't very stable; it was very likely that he would catalyze it to the limit, and the Spirit Rice still wouldn't have transformed, getting stuck at 99%.

In order to grasp this window period, Lin Yan had to change his schedule, waking up in the middle of the night to check the panels of the Mutated Spirit Rice.

Hard work pays off; after persisting for two days, Lin Yan finally waited for the best opportunity in one night.

At this time, the mutation progress of the second Mutated Spirit Rice was 98%:

【spirit plant Name: Spirit Rice】

【growth progress: 91/100】

【mutation progress: 98%】

【Growth status: None】

The progress of the third Mutated Spirit Rice was 97%:

【spirit plant Name: Spirit Rice】

【growth progress: 90/100】

【mutation progress: 97%】

【Growth status: None】

This was a rare window period; he wouldn't miss the transformation moments of either of the two Spirit Rice plants.

Although it was the middle of the night, the excited Lin Yan did not have the slightest bit of sleepiness.

The moonlight poured down like quicksilver, plating the entire rice field with a layer of flowing silver scales.

The greenish-yellow rice grains seemed to have turned into translucent jade pendants, quiet and full of vital power.

Lin Yan sat cross-legged in the Spirit Rice field, his body completely hidden beneath the tall rice stalks, as if he had merged with the rice field.

Cyan Spiritual Qi climbed from his fingertips onto the upright stalks of the Spirit Rice, continuously spreading until it merged with the entire Spirit Rice plant.

He quickly entered the state, coordinating his breathing with the rhythmic vitality of the Spirit Rice.

Person and Spirit Rice reached a state of resonance, with spiritual power flowing rapidly between them.

The "Azure Wood Technique" circulated, one cycle after another.

The aura on Lin Yan's body slowly strengthened; although this speed was slow, it was steady and powerful, never stopping.

And under this catalysis, the Spirit Rice also received pure vital force, thereby prompting itself to undergo a certain mysterious transformation.

Time flowed slowly like water.

At a certain moment, the Spirit Rice seemed to undergo a deep qualitative change, and its latent functions were activated; a more intense vital force erupted from within its plant.

Its grains curved slightly at a speed almost visible to the naked eye, turning into a crescent moon.

The moonlight fell, and the crescent-shaped grains reflected the moonlight, emitting a unique luster and fragrance, beautiful and magnificent.

As if it were a thank-you gift to a friend, Lin Yan also harvested the insights transmitted by this Spirit Rice at this moment.

He felt a cool, spring-like energy inside the Crescent Rice, which, as the rice ears swayed slightly, slowly poured into his Meridians.

This energy was different from ordinary plant Spiritual Qi; it carried a tranquil and resilient characteristic, as if it were the vital force growing silently under the moonlight.