6: Chapter 6 Qi Refining Level 4

"Holy crap, Senior Brother Zhao, did you really go buy shit?"

Zhao Mo hadn't even finished his bath when Ding Xin arrived.

As fellow diners who had shared meals from the same pot, Ding Xin had been coming around more frequently lately.

Of course, he didn't do any less work.

For instance, he had put in a lot of effort for that deep pit.

"Don't talk nonsense. What do you mean 'buying shit'? That's called fertilizer, it's for farming."

Ding Xin looked as if he had seen a ghost.

"Using manure for the fields? Does it work?"

Zhao Mo smiled.

"Just wait and see."

Ding Xin muttered, "Spirit fields are formed by the nourishment of Spiritual Qi leaking from the Spiritual Vein. Why would you need fertilizer?"

"And using manure at that?"

Ding Xin shook the strange images from his mind; anyway, he wouldn't use it.

...

As winter approached, Zhao Mo took some time to turn the soil in the spirit fields.

"Hmm, burning the spirit rice stubble makes it much easier to turn."

"Of course, it would be even better if there were a ploughing ox."

One could only say Zhao Mo was a lost cause. While others were focused on raising their cultivation as quickly as possible to escape their status as a Farmer, he was single-mindedly thinking about a ploughing ox, even becoming a bit obsessed.

[You have completed turning the soil in the spirit field, Experience +10.]

"Experience again?"

"Can I level up now? Another year has passed in the blink of an eye."

"System."

Returning to the wooden hut, Zhao Mo called out the System and looked at the panel.

[Farmer: Zhao Mo]

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

[Experience Points: 100/100]

[Reward: None]

"Upgrade."

Aside from the initial excitement of breaking through from Qi Refining First Layer to Qi Refining Second Layer, Zhao Mo was now quite calm.

It wasn't a big deal; it was just a hundred experience points.

Zhao Mo had forgotten that the Breakthrough from Qi Refining Third Layer to Qi Refining Fourth Layer was known as the second major hurdle of the Qi Refining Stage.

The first major hurdle was naturally the initial entry and the birth of True Qi; the second major hurdle was exactly what Zhao Mo was facing now—the transition from the third to the fourth layer. Countless people were stuck at this stage, wasting over a decade.

Zhao Mo, who wasn't worried at all, didn't sense that this Breakthrough was different from previous ones.

Inside his body, the originally docile True Qi suddenly began to surge toward Zhao Mo's Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Unfortunately, his Eight Extraordinary Meridians were not connected due to blocked Acupoints.

Consequently, the violent True Qi repeatedly struck these Acupoints, once, twice, one after another.

Every time an Acupoint was forced open, Zhao Mo felt a massive tremor. He didn't know how many times he shook or how many Acupoints were cleared, but he only stopped once his True Qi was exhausted.

"This is...?"

"Is it already dark?"

"What do you think?"

"You're too bold. Setting aside not buying a Formation for your cultivation, you should at least close the door. Look at you, door wide open and completely defenseless." Ding Xin sat on the threshold, looking at Zhao Mo resentfully.

This was the first time he had seen someone as thick-headed as Zhao Mo.

Zhao Mo: "Ah?"

He couldn't be blamed. The previous Breakthroughs only took a few breaths; how could he have known this one would take so long?

"Qi Refining Fourth Layer?"

Zhao Mo felt his state and nodded.

Ding Xin patted his own butt.

"Keep it up. I'm a Qi Refining Fifth Layer expert."

"Also, go wash up quickly. You stink."

Zhao Mo...

Looking at himself covered in black mud, he finally realized.

"I freaking went from the third to the fourth layer, and it succeeded in one go?"

He completely forgot this was the System's doing. If it were up to him, he probably wouldn't have broken through in his next life.

Qi Refining Fourth Layer, the first instance of Cleansing the Marrow and Expelling Impurities.

After bathing, Zhao Mo felt like his eyes could see further, and even the sound of the wind outside the door seemed clearer.

"Hehe, great. Breaking through to Qi Refining Fourth Layer in two years, I'm truly a Genius (cheater)."

"System."

"Hmm?"

"Advancing from Qi Refining Fourth Layer to Qi Refining Fifth Layer actually increased the requirement by a hundred experience points?"

[Farmer: Zhao Mo]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Fourth Layer (Insufficient experience, cannot upgrade)]

[Experience Points: 0/200]

[Reward: None]

"No matter, it's all just experience points anyway."

"As long as there's farming, what's there to fear?"

Zhao Mo's mood was exceptionally good now.

...

With the New Year approaching, the Big-Eared Fragrant Pigs in Spirit Beast Valley had all been slaughtered. The new piglets wouldn't arrive until March of the next year, so Zhao Mo naturally didn't need to go to Spirit Beast Valley anymore.

Speaking of which, the previously obscure Zhao Mo had actually become famous in Xiao Ji Village after hauling pig manure a few times. He was known as the Manure-Hauling Little Prince, and along with Ding Xin, they became known as the Big Fool and the Second Fool.

"I say, Xiao Ding, it's fine calling me the Second Fool, but where did your title of Big Fool come from?"

The pot was bubbling with steam, and a unique fragrance filled the entire room.

Ding Xin stared at the pot and said dismissively, "Just because I gave all the spirit rice I grew to my younger sister, they call me a fool. Hmph, a bunch of petty people. How could they understand my sister's talent? When my sister succeeds in her cultivation and confers a godhood upon me, they'll be green with envy."

Zhao Mo: "Oh, conferring godhood? If she doesn't achieve Immortal Ascension, how can she confer anything?"

"So, that's the reason you're so wholeheartedly supporting your sister? You give her all the spirit rice you grow and then sponge off me. Xiao Ding, I think you're the real fool."

"Also, it's the New Year. What's the meaning of you loitering here at my place?"

"Hmph, my sister will definitely achieve Immortal Ascension." Ding Xin looked confident, then immediately changed his expression.

"You have meat, I have wine. Isn't that just perfect?"

"Big-Eared Fragrant Pig meat! I've heard so much about it but never tasted it."

Indeed, what Zhao Mo was cooking in the pot was Big-Eared Fragrant Pig meat. As for the source, it was simply from a pig that died of illness, which just happened to be seen by Liu Yue and Zhao Mo.

Zhao Mo had only obtained a piece of pig trotter. Just as he put it in the pot to boil, Ding Xin followed the scent and arrived, bringing along some fine wine said to be sent by his sister. Of course, it wasn't spirit wine, just ordinary wine; spirit wine was not something they could afford.

The meat was gone.

The wine was finished.

For the first time in over twenty years, Zhao Mo spent a New Year that wasn't lonely.

Surprisingly, this big fellow Ding Xin really smelled quite good.

After the New Year, spring returned to the land.

A year's plan starts with spring; Zhao Mo had already begun working.

Meanwhile, Ding Xin stood on the ridge of the field like a fool, watching Zhao Mo bustle about.

"What kind of strange hobby is this, liking farm work?"

Originally, he had come to help Zhao Mo with the fertilization. He didn't mind Zhao Mo's pig manure, but he was rejected by Zhao Mo.

Zhao Mo was also helpless; what if someone helping caused experience points to be deducted? Therefore, it was better to do everything personally.

With a cultivation of Qi Refining Fourth Layer, it really wasn't strange to be called a strongman. Zhao Mo carried his shoulder poles and still walked as if flying. In less than half a day, he had already spread a layer of black fertilizer over the spirit field.

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

When the pleasant sound reached his ears, Zhao Mo became even more convinced of his correctness.

"Are you sure this is useful? Wouldn't it be fine to just plant directly?" Ding Xin watched and shook his head.

Zhao Mo had already poured the fertilizer into the spirit field, but he was still skeptical. After all, he only used some plant ash; unlike Zhao Mo, who went straight for Yao Beast manure.

Days passed one by one, and farm chores were done one after another.

[You have completed sowing, Experience +10.]

[You have completed watering, Experience +10.]

[You have completed weeding, Experience +10.]

"My goodness, the weeds have grown so thick. Senior Brother Zhao, are you trying to be Heaven-Defying?"

In mid-July, during the Dog Days of summer, Ding Xin hid under a tree and shouted as he watched the weeds Zhao Mo kept tossing up.

Zhao Mo also showed a look of joy. This year's spirit rice seedlings were significantly thicker and stronger than last year's.

While weeding, Zhao Mo stole a glance at a few special rice seedlings nearby. Those were his hybrid spirit rice, and they were also growing well.

"In another half month, it'll be time for artificial pollination. Time really flies."