Chapter 131: Farmer: 9th Grade
Inside his spiritual sea, Xiang Yu immediately noticed the continued expansion of the sea. Without hesitation, he jumped in, allowing the rejuvenating energies to wash away his mental fatigue. As the tension melted from his consciousness, he experienced that rare moment of complete relaxation that had become increasingly precious during his intense cultivation regimen.
His peaceful interlude was interrupted by an unexpected presence. The soul infant, usually dormant and unresponsive, had awakened and was now circling him with surprising vigor. Its tiny form bobbed through the spiritual currents, orbiting him.
âIt seems this little guy has matured a bit,â Xiang Yu thought with mild amusement.
Before he could contemplate further, the infant abruptly collided with him, the impact sending a sharp âOuch!â through his awareness. The miniature being began jumping energetically, its small mouth working as it struggled to produce sounds, its frustration evident in its exaggerated movements.
âAre you trying to speak?â Xiang Yu asked, genuinely curious about this development.
The infant continued its frantic gesticulation. Though it couldnât form words, Xiang Yu felt a peculiar resonance through their connection. Concentrating on this subtle link, he finally understood what the infant was trying to say.
âYouâre telling me not to be lazy?â he asked incredulously.
The infant nodded vigorously, its tiny features taking on a serious expression.
Xiang Yu couldnât help but laugh. Heâd only wanted to relax a bit, but it seemed he couldnât do that.
âThanks for reminding me,â he conceded, patting the infantâs head with gentle affection.
Surrendering to the infantâs persistence, Xiang Yu assumed his meditation posture. To his surprise, the soul infant immediately mimicked him, its diminutive form settling into a perfect replica of his lotus position.
Together, they began circulating energy through harmonized patterns, their synchronized cultivation continuing uninterrupted until Xiang Yu finally opened his eyes when dawn arrived.
âAlright, itâs time for me to leave,â he announced, preparing to withdraw from his spiritual sea.
Unlike previous sessions where the infant would collapse from exhaustion, it remained alert despite visible fatigue. It floated upward, tiny hands grasping Xiang Yuâs fingers.
âYou donât want me to go?â he asked.
The infant nodded, its expression plaintive.
âWerenât you the one who said we shouldnât be lazy?â Xiang Yu reminded it with a bemused smile. âJust be good. Iâll come back later.â
Gently, he placed the infant in its usual resting spot within the spiritual sea. The moment he set it down, the small being instantly fell asleep, its energy finally depleted from their prolonged cultivation.
Watching its peaceful slumber, a strange sentiment washed over Xiang Yu. âWhy do I feel like Iâve become a father?â he wondered, shaking his head as he retreated back to his physical form.
Xiang Yuâs eyes snapped open as consciousness returned to his body. Reflecting on the soul infantâs rapid development, he realized he might have underestimated its potential. At this pace, employing it for soul attacks might become viable sooner than anticipatedâthough using what was essentially a child for combat struck him as somewhat disturbing. But that could waitâheâd cross that bridge when he got there.
With a single fluid movement, he leaped from the spirit spring, and donned fresh robes. His attention turned to the small garden he had nurtured so diligently. After days of careful tending, it was finally time to see if his efforts would bear fruit.
Retrieving a knife from his spatial ring, Xiang Yu approached the herbs, ready to harvest. Each plant required specific harvesting techniques to preserve their medicinal propertiesâsome valued for their leaves, others for flowers, buds, or fruits. The specimens before him needed their buds collected at precisely this stage of growth.
Working with meticulous care, he harvested each bud without damaging the vital parts of the plants as they could grow other buds if the ârootâ is not damaged. This precision wasnât merely out of concern for these relatively common herbs; he just believed that adhering to textbook protocols would increase his chances of officially gaining the Farmer profession.
After completing the harvest, Xiang Yu settled down and accessed his system interface. Bracing himself for disappointment, he closed one eye, though it was pointless since the system displayed directly in his mind. To his satisfaction, the results werenât disappointing at all:
[Farmer: 9th Grade (10/100)]
âŠ
Xiang Yuâs face lit up with genuine delight. Obtaining the Farmer profession had been his goal, but seeing it materialize left him pleasantly surprised. As the initial excitement subsided, he tempered his expectations. Though heâd successfully acquired the profession, heâd done so through his own efforts so he didnât gain the system-assisted insight.
The ninth-grade classification offered limited benefit. He needed to wait until the next reset when his experience would double, granting him the comprehensive understanding that came with system-assisted breakthroughs.
He thought to himself that once he gained those ninth-grade insights, he might finally be able to cultivate herbs at a sustainable pace.
Conscious of the passing minutes, Xiang Yu refocused on his carefully structured schedule. Heâd already devoted considerable time to this new professionâtime he couldnât afford to waste with the sectâs precarious situation.
He quickly summoned his alchemy furnace and arranged his workspace.
Since his personal supply of healing pills remained sufficient, he focused on refining ninth-grade pills for the sect. He noticed that he had yet to deliver yesterdayâs production since Elder Huang hadnât collected them as usual. No matter, he would deliver both batches when he installed the protective formations later today.
The pill refining proceeded smoothly, his enhanced success rate allowing him to produce substantial quantities in minimal time. Finished with alchemy, he transitioned seamlessly to weapon crafting. His spiritual energy flowed precisely where needed as metal took form beneath his careful manipulations. By lunchtime, he had refined several hundred high-level magical weapons.
Storing his creations carefully, Xiang Yu departed the spirit vein to prepare lunch. Just as yesterday, only Elder Guo appeared for lunch, the others still occupied with preparations for Li Yaoâs imminent departure.
As they settled into their meal, Xiang Yu couldnât help but notice a peculiar pattern in his masterâs endless stories.
âMaster, why do all your tales always involve women?â he asked with genuine curiosity. Though undeniably entertaining, each narrative inevitably featured a different female cultivator in distress or alliance. Had his martial aunt been scammed?
âHmph, what do you know?â Elder Guo responded with mock indignation, his chest puffing slightly. âThis elder was quite popular with women back in the day.â
Without waiting for Xiang Yuâs reaction, Elder Guo launched into yet another elaborate story. Xiang Yuâs expression suddenly frozeâover the elderâs shoulder, he spotted Elder Huang and Li Yao approaching silently, their arrival completely unnoticed by his enthusiastically reminiscing master.
â
Cough, cough
,â Xiang Yu attempted to alert him discreetly, but Elder Guo continued unabated.
ââŠat that time, Mei Mei had been poisoned by the qi-eating flowerâŠâ the elder continued, completely oblivious to the danger looming behind him.
â
Ahem
,â Xiang Yu tried again, more forcefully this time, tilting his head significantly toward the approaching women. Still, his master failed to grasp these desperate warnings.
ââŠthe only way to detoxify the poison was throughâŠâ Elder Guo continued, clearly heading toward dangerous narrative territory.
Before catastrophe could unfold completely, Xiang Yu abruptly stood, interrupting the tale. âMartial Aunt, youâre here!â he announced with deliberate volume.
Elder Guo finally paused, his storytelling momentum broken. âJunior Sister?â he questioned, slowly turning his neck.
What greeted him wasnât Elder Huangâs usual pleasant expression but a darkened countenance that promised imminent reckoning. With terrifying gentleness, she placed her hand on his shoulder, gripping with subtle but unmistakable force.
âCan I talk to you for a second?â she asked, her tone making it abundantly clear this wasnât a request but a command. Her fingers tightened imperceptibly, causing Elder Guo to wince slightly.
âUmm, yes,â he agreed meekly, rising from his seat with obvious reluctance.
Li Yao observed the situation with concern. âSect Master, I wonât accompany you anymore. Something just came up,â Elder Huang stated flatly, never taking her eyes off Elder Guo.
Li Yao nodded mutely, silently hoping the martial aunt wouldnât eliminate him completely. The sect truly couldnât withstand losing another elder so soon.
With ease, Elder Huang grabbed Elder Guo as though he weighed nothing and soared into the sky, his form dangling helplessly in her grasp. As they ascended, the elder shot Xiang Yu a pitiful glance, silently begging for intervention. Xiang Yu deliberately averted his gaze, pretending not to notice this desperate plea for help.
âI tried to warn you,â Xiang Yu thought with a mixture of sympathy and self-preservation. âNow all I can do is say a short prayer for you. If you donât make it, Iâll definitely light some incense in your memory.â
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