2: Chapter 2 is about to take off.

"Wait a few more days, and then I can let the water in."

After repairing the irrigation channel, Zhao Mo went to the spirit field and grabbed a handful of the black soil; it was still a bit damp.

However, there was no other way. Logically, this spirit field should have been tilled right after last year's harvest. After freezing through a winter, the parasites in the soil would have died, reducing pest problems.

But since this was his first year, he had to make do.

Even so, Zhao Mo waited stubbornly for over ten days before he started letting the water flow.

As the water slowly flowed through the channel toward the spirit field, Zhao Mo suddenly realized that he didn't have any seeds.

"Well, this is hilarious."

Zhao Mo scratched his hair, suffering the consequences of his lack of experience.

Xiao Ji Village wasn't particularly large or small, but there was no one selling seeds in the village.

With no other choice, Zhao Mo had to set out for the market on the outskirts of the Xuan Sect. Fortunately, it wasn't far—about a hundred li—so he should be able to return the same day.

"Finally back."

It took Zhao Mo two days, but he finally managed to get the spirit rice seeds back.

Lately, he felt much busier than he had been at the Xuan Sect. There was no leisure time at all; every day he was either busy working or on the way to being busy.

After returning, he hastily grabbed a bite to eat in his thatched shack, then put the seeds in water to soak, planning to officially sow them tomorrow.

[You have completed seed soaking. Experience +10.]

"50 experience points now. I'm halfway there."

Inside the thatched shack, Zhao Mo gazed at the sky, his heart filled with hope.

Early the next morning before dawn, the spirit rice seeds had already been sown by Zhao Mo.

[You have completed sowing. Experience +10.]

Zhao Mo looked at the fruits of his labor with satisfaction. Since descending the mountain, his entire mind had been focused on these three mu of spirit fields. Now that the seeds of hope had been planted, the next step was to care for them meticulously.

"I hope for a good harvest."

Zhao Mo muttered to himself.

"Are you Senior Brother Zhao?"

"And you are?"

Zhao Mo looked at the newcomer, who wore a straw hat. One pant leg was rolled up while the other wasn't; the flash of snowy white skin from the rolled-up leg almost blinded Zhao Mo's eyes.

Moving further up, the bulging chest also caused Zhao Mo's gaze to linger for a few seconds.

Finally, there was an ordinary face, with jet-black long hair tied straight back and pinned behind her head.

"Who are you?"

It wasn't that Zhao Mo was face-blind, but he truly had no impression of this girl.

"Senior Brother Zhao truly has a short memory. I am Luo Yan."

"Luo Yan?"

Zhao Mo searched through his mind and confirmed he didn't know her, but since someone had come to greet him, he had to respond.

He could only manage a polite reply: "Junior Sister Luo, is something the matter?"

Luo Yan said, "Senior Brother is truly a skilled hand at farming. Just look at how well this spirit field is maintained."

As she spoke, mist appeared in her eyes.

"I'm not as capable. I've spent ten days and haven't even finished tilling the land. I'm about to miss the planting season. What should I do?"

As she spoke, large tears began to fall. That sort of pitiful appearance—good heavens, how could a single dog like Zhao Mo possibly resist?

"Junior Sister Luo, it's a small matter. Don't you have your Senior Brother?"

"Come, Senior Brother will help you."

In Zhao Mo's heart, helping Luo Yan was a minor thing; he wanted to test the System to see if working in someone else's spirit field also granted experience points.

...

Because the Spiritual Vein fluctuated, the distances between the spirit fields naturally varied.

For instance, Luo Yan's spirit field was only fifty meters away from Zhao Mo's, which was considered quite close. Other spirit fields were over a hundred meters away.

"Senior Brother Zhao, this is my spirit field. It's only a bit over five mu."

Zhao Mo looked at the small corner of the spirit field that had been tilled and frowned. His seeds were already sown, yet Luo Yan hadn't even finished tilling her field.

"Hurry up then, let's not waste time."

Zhao Mo gripped his Iron Shovel and went straight into the field. As for Luo Yan, she also held an Iron Shovel and followed behind Zhao Mo.

However, looking at that miniature shovel, Zhao Mo almost cursed. Are you sure you're not just here to play?

Five days. Zhao Mo spent a full five days finishing the tilling of Luo Yan's spirit field. After completion, the pleasant sound did not come. Zhao Mo felt as if he had been struck by a club and was stunned on the spot.

It turned out that working for others didn't grant experience points. It meant he had been busy for nothing for several days.

Well, it wasn't entirely for nothing; at least he had gotten to know Luo Yan inside and out.

Although something felt a bit off, at least it could be considered each getting what they needed.

Since the work was done, Zhao Mo didn't back out; he even finished planting Luo Yan's spirit field for her.

In the blink of an eye, ten or so days passed, and his own spirit field began to sprout. The field was now a lush, vibrant green.

Luo Yan went out early and returned late every day, her face flushed red upon her return. Zhao Mo knew he shouldn't come back here in the future.

"Dammit, what is all this?"

Zhao Mo felt that these few days would be the greatest stain of his life. Just to test the System, he had actually gotten himself entangled. A huge loss!

[You have completed watering the spirit field. Experience +10.]

[You have completed weeding the spirit field. Experience +10.]

In August, the weather was so hot that Zhao Mo went shirtless all day, and his skin had been tanned dark.

After several months, the harvest was looking bountiful. The spirit rice in the field had begun to head. At this time, the greatest fears were water shortage and pests.

Because of this, Zhao Mo basically circled the spirit field every day so he could discover any problems in time.

The anticipated pest infestation did not occur, and the spirit rice that Zhao Mo had meticulously cared for for several months finally began to be harvested.

[You have completed the spirit rice harvest. Experience +10.]

[Reward: After one hundred and fifty-eight days of meticulous care, your spirit field has yielded a bumper harvest. Experience +50. Special reward: hybrid spirit rice cultivation technique.]

"This?"

Zhao Mo, who was about to thresh the spirit rice, stopped his work.

"System."

A transparent panel slowly appeared, and Zhao Mo examined it carefully.

[Farmer: Zhao Mo]

[Cultivation: First Layer of Qi Refining (Can be upgraded)]

[Experience Points: 140/100]

[Reward: hybrid spirit rice cultivation technique (Claimable)]

Seeing the words 'Can be upgraded,' Zhao Mo couldn't react for a moment.

But his mouth had already made the decision for him.

"Upgrade."

A warm current appeared out of thin air within his body. The True Qi, which was originally like an embroidery needle, rapidly thickened and lengthened, turning into a knitting needle in an instant.

"I'm at Qi Refining Second Layer just like that?"

Zhao Mo still found it hard to believe.

The problem that had troubled him for twenty years was solved just like this?

But the air current circulating endlessly in his body told him that all of this was real.

"Hahaha."

Zhao Mo laughed toward the sky, and as he laughed, he began to cry.

"This is great."

Thump.

This was the sound of spirit rice hitting the wooden board. Without a threshing floor or livestock, Zhao Mo could only thresh the grain manually.

Fortunately, having broken through to the Qi Refining Second Layer, his strength had increased significantly. Work that was originally expected to take three days was finished in two.

[You have completed spirit rice threshing. Experience +10.]

[You have completed spirit rice drying. Experience +10.]

Only when all the spirit rice was dried and stored in the granary did Zhao Mo breathe a sigh of relief.

And his experience points had reached sixty again.

"System."

Because he was afraid of rain, Zhao Mo had been busy with farm work lately, sometimes even sleeping next to the spirit rice at night for fear of accidents. Now that all the spirit rice was in the granary, he finally had time to check the System.

[Farmer: Zhao Mo]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Second Layer (Insufficient experience, cannot be upgraded)]

[Experience Points: 60/100]

[Reward: hybrid spirit rice cultivation technique (Claimable)]

"It's still only a hundred experience points. Doesn't this mean I can break through to the Qi Refining Third Layer next year?"

Looking at the experience requirement on the panel that hadn't increased, Zhao Mo felt a bit dazed.

"It seems cultivation isn't that difficult after all."

"Am I about to take off?"