12: Chapter 12 Things are gradually getting out of control.

"Not seed-sterile? Are you bullshitting me?"

Zhao Mo brushed Ding Xin's hand away and pinched it twice; it was a bit tender.

"Let me answer one by one."

"My Qi Refining Sixth Layer cultivation is just something I broke through to recently while in seclusion."

"As for the hybrid spirit rice, it's hard to say, but there is a possibility that it is seed-sterile."

"Why don't you try it?"

"I still have a few catties left that I haven't finished eating."

"Tch, I don't want that. I'm just waiting for the seedlings in that little shed of yours." Ding Xin had seen Zhao Mo raising seedlings in the transparent shed.

Zhao Mo praised him: "Smart."

"By the way, why are your hands so soft?"

The answer Zhao Mo got was, "Go to hell."

The rice shop.

Liu Daqiang had been in high spirits recently. Out of the 2,800 catties of divine rice, he had already sold 1,400 catties, harvesting 1,400 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

And he had only paid 28 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. In one month, his investment had multiplied fifty times.

"Hmph, it's a pity. This place is too close to the Xuan Sect, so I can't play dirty. Otherwise, I could have saved those 28 Spirit Stones as well."

"But things aren't bad right now."

Now, within the entire Liu Family, who wouldn't acknowledge that Liu Daqiang has a unique eye and is decisive in his actions?

Just as Liu Daqiang was feeling smug, a servant outside suddenly ran in in a panic and said, "Young Master, it's bad."

"There are rumors outside now that our family's divine rice is seed-sterile, and people at the rice shop are clamoring for refunds."

Liu Daqiang frowned.

"Seed-sterile?"

"Who said that? Damn it, spirit rice is a herbaceous plant. How the hell could it mutate? If it doesn't mutate, how could it be seed-sterile?"

"This must be someone causing trouble."

"Go investigate and see where the rumor originated."

"Also, beat anyone causing trouble at the rice shop and throw them out."

"Refunds? When has my rice shop ever accepted a return?"

Hearing about it being seed-sterile, Liu Daqiang didn't take it to heart at all. As one of the big farming families of the Xuan Sect, the Liu Family had handled thousands, if not tens of thousands, of spirit rice seeds. When had they ever seen spirit rice that was seed-sterile?

Not just Liu Daqiang, but the other members of the Liu Family held the same view.

Seeing the Liu Family so calm, the people causing trouble at the rice shop became diffident, holding the divine rice in their hands, feeling caught in a dilemma.

Half a month later, news came from the rice shop that the divine rice would no longer be sold; all of the Liu Family's divine rice would be used as seeds. Only then did the heat of the situation die down.

Those who had bought the spirit rice were now feeling fortunate.

Thanks to acting early, otherwise, the spirit rice with a yield of a thousand catties per mu would have belonged to someone else.

【You have completed tilling the spirit field, EXP + 10.】

With winter approaching, Zhao Mo naturally began tilling the soil in advance again; this had already become his habit.

As for the spirit rice straw, it had also been sent to the Spirit Beast Valley early on.

What was laughable was that the manure of the Big-Eared Fragrant Pig had now actually become a hot commodity. The price per catty had unexpectedly exceeded that of the Big-Eared Fragrant Pig meat, which truly left Zhao Mo dumbfounded.

For the price of pork to be lower than the price of pig manure—he had lived long enough to see everything.

"My two brothers, it's all in the wine."

Today, Liu Yue was treating. There was no other reason; it was just that Liu Yue had made a fortune. He had never imagined that a person guarding the Spirit Beast Valley would actually have a chance to turn things around.

On the table were Big-Eared Fragrant Pig meat and Four-Colored Spirit Feather Chicken.

"If we had known you were going to leave the Spirit Beast Valley, we wouldn't have sent so much spirit rice straw. It all went to those bastards."

Liu Yue said, "Sigh, I didn't expect it either. For a gatekeeping position, they were actually willing to trade the management of the Scripture Pavilion. What was there for me to hesitate about?"

"It's just a pity for you two brothers' good intentions."

"I'm sorry."

"Forget it, forget it. Since it's sent, it's sent."

None of the three could predict the future. Who could have imagined that Zhao Mo's hybrid spirit rice would also make the Spirit Beast Valley popular?

"In the future, if you want to find any Secret Manuals, just come to me. I guarantee I won't waste your time." Liu Yue patted his chest and promised.

The management of the Scripture Pavilion was mainly responsible for borrowing, returning, and organizing Cultivation Techniques and Secret Manuals.

Winter passed and spring came.

The annual busy farming season was coming again.

Ding Xin, who had just come out of seclusion, had been frowning lately. "Senior Brother Zhao, I don't think this situation is right."

It turned out that in other parts of Xiao Ji Village, transparent sheds exactly like Zhao Mo's were appearing one after another.

"Let's go take a look."

"Senior Brother Zhou Shen, Steward Liu already said that my hybrid spirit rice might be seed-sterile. Why are you still using it as seeds?"

That Zhou Shen was soaking spirit rice seeds. Seeing Zhao Mo and Ding Xin arrive, his expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly hid the rice seeds.

But Zhao Mo had seen it from afar; those large rice grains were indeed his hybrid spirit rice.

"What hybrid spirit rice? This is the divine rice from the rice shop, not your hybrid variety."

"It's over. Even a person as honest and cautious as Senior Brother Zhou has started using hybrid spirit rice as seeds. He really is beyond saving."

"2,800 catties of hybrid spirit rice! How many mu of spirit fields will that plant?"

"No, I have to go find Steward Liu."

Zhao Mo had underestimated the temptation of a thousand-catty yield per mu for farmers.

After using all his might to find Steward Liu's residence, it turned out Steward Liu was in seclusion.

A Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator in seclusion could take three, five, or eight years. Besides, was Steward Liu really in seclusion?

Zhao Mo completely gave up.

"Forget it, if they want to court death, I can't blame anyone else."

【You have completed sowing, EXP + 10.】

Inside the transparent shed, Zhao Mo sowed the seeds left from the year before last; these were all hand-hybridized by him.

"Done."

"The rest is just watering and ventilation."

"If the seedlings turn yellow, I'll need to fertilize them."

Fortunately, he had been hauling pig manure for two years, so there was still some stock left.

【You have completed watering the seedlings, EXP + 10.】

【You have completed fertilizing the seedlings, EXP + 10.】

During this period of raising seedlings in the transparent shed, Zhao Mo miraculously accumulated enough EXP to break through to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

"During this time, I'll trouble you to watch the transparent shed. I'm going into seclusion."

Ding Xin: "What kind of seclusion?"

Zhao Mo said: "I had some insights, and I am about to break through to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer."

"What?"

"How is that possible? Didn't you just break through to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer before the new year?"

"Three to four, six to seven—these are both major hurdles."

"Are you sure you aren't joking?"

Zhao Mo waved his hand and didn't speak. It wasn't him acting cool; after he came out of seclusion, the facts would be more convincing than any words.

In the small courtyard, it took Zhao Mo half a day to calm himself down. He stopped thinking about the seedlings in the transparent shed and instead silently recited the Five Elements Qi Refining Technique.

After his mood calmed down, he summoned the System.

【Farmer: Zhao Mo】

【Cultivation: Qi Refining Sixth Layer (Can be upgraded)】

【EXP: 210 / 200】

【Rewards: None】

"Upgrade."

Zhao Mo was already familiar with the routine of breaking through in the Qi Refining Stage: the first step is to increase True Qi, the second step is to let the increased True Qi fuse with the original True Qi, and the third step is for the True Qi to impact the Acupoints until the True Qi is exhausted.

This time was the same, except when the True Qi began to circulate, Zhao Mo discovered that this time, the True Qi seemed to have a feeling of surging like a rainbow. The outcome was naturally the same.

The unimpeded True Qi directly burst open Zhao Mo's blocked Extraordinary Meridians, including the Ren and Du Meridians.

"No wonder the Qi Refining Seventh Layer is called the entry ticket to Foundation Establishment. So, the Qi Refining Seventh Layer is about clearing all the Meridians in the body."

"Come to think of it, how could a Qi Refining Sixth Layer Cultivator who hasn't cleared their Meridians break through to Foundation Establishment?"

"Also, after breaking through from the Qi Refining Sixth Layer to the Seventh Layer, the EXP requirement increased. But it's okay, it only increased by 100 points, which is acceptable."

【Farmer: Zhao Mo】

【Cultivation: Qi Refining Seventh Layer (Insufficient EXP, cannot be upgraded)】

【EXP: 10 / 300】

【Rewards: None】

It took a day and a night for Zhao Mo to completely stabilize his Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivation and officially come out of seclusion.