Chapter 49: Everyone's Cultivation Progress
Leaving the small hut, Gu Mo looked at the flourishing Water Spirit Rice in the spiritual field and nodded in satisfaction. However, since Water Spirit Rice was a crop that matured once a year, it was clear that he wouldn't be able to harvest it before leaving this time.
Gu Mo had anticipated this situation and had made some preparations in advance. This time, he would take ten Sunflowers with him, while leaving the Peashooters and Potato Mines to guard the spiritual field.
Of course, the koi in the water field would also stay. This koi had eliminated many hidden spiritual insects in the water, playing a significant role in ensuring the healthy growth of the Water Spirit Rice.
In recognition of its efforts, Gu Mo had generously rewarded the koi with Sun Essence. Now, the number of golden scales on its body was increasing, and he eagerly awaited the day when all its scales would turn completely gold.
After instructing the koi to watch over the field, Gu Mo left and activated the illusion array to its maximum effect, also hanging a sign outside indicating his absence.
If someone still managed to break in under these conditions, they would undoubtedly be an enemy. The Peashooters would not hesitate to attack, and if the intruder continued advancing toward the hut, the Potato Mines would teach them a painful lesson.
Only a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator might be able to break in. For those in the early or mid-stage, trespassing into Gu Mo's spiritual field would mean certain doom.
Taking out a paper crane, Gu Mo leisurely flew toward the valley's exit. Although he had obtained a mid-grade magical sword from Yuan Niya and had exchanged sect contribution points for a corresponding sword-riding technique—already practiced to a proficient level—using a mid-grade magical artifact so openly was still a bit too conspicuous for him. To keep a low profile, he decided to continue using the paper crane, as he wasn't in a hurry anyway.
A Passing Encounter
"Senior Brother Gu Mo!"
As he flew over a patch of spiritual farmland, a voice called out. Gu Mo glanced over and saw a newly admitted servant disciple greeting him. He remembered this disciple as one of the people he had recruited back in the servant disciples' quarters.
The fact that this person was now farming here meant he had passed the entrance assessment. His plot of farmland was larger than Gu Mo's, but its grade was only first-rank inferior.
The growth of the Spirit Jade Rice in his field didn't seem too promising.
"Which spiritual farming technique did you start with?" Gu Mo asked.
"I learned Minor Geng Metal Sword Qi!"
The disciple answered quickly, as he had heard that Senior Brother Gu Mo was already proficient in two spiritual farming techniques.
"The spiritual energy in your field is uneven, causing the Spirit Jade Rice to grow inconsistently. You should have started with Minor Cloud Rain Technique instead. The first planting cycle of a spiritual field rarely faces pest issues." Gu Mo advised.
Since this disciple had joined the Spirit Planting Hall due to Gu Mo's recruitment, there was some connection between them. Offering a bit of guidance was a small act of goodwill—one that might prove beneficial in the future. Perhaps, in Gu Mo's absence, he could keep an eye on the area near his field. Their plots weren't far apart, after all.
"Then… what should I do?"
The new disciple looked utterly clueless. Clearly, this problem was beyond his understanding.
"I'll cast Minor Cloud Rain Technique for you once to adjust the energy balance. After that, water it carefully with spiritual spring water, and the situation should improve significantly."
As he spoke, Gu Mo waved his hand, and instantly, a dark cloud formed in the sky. Soon, a gentle spiritual rain began to fall.
With his mastery of Minor Cloud Rain Technique at the proficient level, Gu Mo could now cast it effortlessly. The version he had just used was only at the entry level, but it was sufficient for this situation.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Gu Mo!"
Seeing Gu Mo personally intervene, the servant disciple was overjoyed. This was a kindness he had never experienced before.
The cultivation world was harsh. Although sect life wasn't as ruthless as the outside world, competition was constant. A senior brother willing to lend a hand like this was a rare find.
A Year Later, A Reunion
After this brief interlude, Gu Mo arrived at the marketplace outside the sect. Since he had no spirit rice to sell this time, he didn't visit Gou Youyu's tavern and instead went straight to the meeting place.
When he arrived, Wu Jinfeng, Hu Hai, and Chu Feifei were already there.
Seeing them again after a year, Gu Mo immediately noticed a significant change in their demeanor. They no longer appeared as exhausted as before. Clearly, after two years, they had grown more accustomed to handling their respective peak's assignments.
However, the most notable transformation was in Chu Feifei. With his Qi Refinement fourth-layer cultivation, Gu Mo instantly discerned that she had reached the second layer of Qi Refinement.
Reaching Qi Refinement second-layer within two years was slightly slower than those with true mid-grade spiritual roots but was still on par with lower-grade spiritual root disciples—comparable to outer disciples.
And this was despite Chu Feifei not yet fully awakening her special physique. If she had, her cultivation speed would have been even faster.
It was clear that she was deliberately hiding her progress. After all, for someone with a low-tier spiritual root, advancing to Qi Refinement second-layer in two years was rather conspicuous.
While Gu Mo was observing the others, Chu Feifei and the others were also scrutinizing him. However, Wu Jinfeng and Hu Hai quickly looked away, as Gu Mo appeared unchanged from a year ago.
With their cultivation levels, they couldn't see through Gu Mo's concealment technique, Veil of Concealment, which he had mastered to proficiency. In fact, even without it, his Qi Refinement fourth-layer cultivation was beyond their ability to discern.
However, Chu Feifei's gaze was filled with curiosity. She knew some of Gu Mo's secrets, and in her eyes, it was unlikely that he had made no progress in a year.
An Unexpected Breakthrough
"Sorry for the delay."
Not long after Gu Mo's arrival, Yao Shifeng rushed over. As soon as he appeared, everyone could clearly sense the spiritual energy fluctuations of someone beyond Qi Refinement first-layer.
"Boss Yao, you broke through?!"
Wu Jinfeng was the first to react, exclaiming in shock.
"Just a bit of luck."
Yao Shifeng smiled faintly. In truth, he had arrived earlier but had deliberately waited until everyone was present before revealing his new cultivation level. He enjoyed the stunned expressions of Wu Jinfeng and Hu Hai. Even though Chu Feifei and Gu Mo weren't as visibly shocked, he still caught the hint of surprise on their faces.
Gu Mo was indeed a little surprised. Chu Feifei's breakthrough made sense, as she had a special physique accelerating her cultivation. But how had Yao Shifeng advanced so quickly?
It couldn't be just because of the 100 spirit stones they had pooled together for him. While those stones could accelerate his cultivation, they shouldn't have been enough for such a rapid breakthrough.
Had Yao Shifeng encountered some fortuitous opportunity?
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