"Congratulations!"
As he looked at Ning Xin, who had just walked out of the kitchen, Chen Xuan quickly said with a smile.
"Thank you!"
Today, it was rare to see a light smile on Ning Xinâs face.
After placing a plate of green vegetables on the table, she said, "Everythingâs ready, letâs sit down and eat! Iâll go serve the rice!"
"Finally, itâs time to eat!"
"Iâm starving!"
Ning Feng and Ning Long stared at the food on the table, their mouths already watering, looking genuinely like children.
Chen Xuan sat down on the bench.
On the table, there were five dishes in total. Besides the green vegetables, there were three fish dishes and one plate of what seemed to be some kind of beast meat, which he didnât recognize.
Yet he wondered where Ning Xin got her seasonings from.
The dishes were colorful and flavorful; itâs impossible to make such dishes without seasonings, no matter how skilled the cook.
After a moment, Ning Xin came out of the kitchen holding four small bowls, filled to the brim.
A fragrant aroma immediately wafted over.
Chen Xuan looked over and instantly couldnât take his eyes off it.
Each grain of rice was crystal clear, containing astonishing spiritual qi within.
"This is...?"
"Celestial Spirit Rice!" Ning Xin placed one of the bowls in front of him and said softly.
Chen Xuan bowed his head and sniffed it, suddenly feeling much more energetic.
It truly lived up to being high-grade spirit rice, used by Immortal Grade experts.
"Every year on Sister Xinâs birthday, the village chief grandpa gives her some, and each time Sister Xin cooks it for us to eat!"
Ning Feng couldnât wait and took a bite of Celestial Spirit Rice, smiling as he spoke.
Even though the village chief usually seemed very stern,
but,
the entire village, including the village chief, didnât often indulge in it, which showed how much the chief cherished Ning Xin.
"Even eating doesnât shut your mouth, hurry up and eat, if it gets cold, it wonât be as effective!"
Ning Xin glared at him.
Then she looked at Chen Xuan and explained, "You know the island has to annually submit a full amount of Celestial Spirit Rice, but on the island, besides you and me, only the village chief can cultivate it."
"Mm!"
Chen Xuan nodded, "Donât worry, Iâll take meticulous care of that plot of land, it should yield more than a thousand jin!"
"Thank you!"
Ning Xinâs face relaxed a lot, there was still more than half a year until the next handover.
If he could yield a thousand jin, this yearâs task would be completed, so she was relieved, and the village chief wouldnât have to worry.
"No need to be polite, Iâm now part of the island too, itâs my duty!"
Actually, Ning Xin was somewhat like Ye Jincen before, cold on the outside but a really good person inside.
At least during this time, the two of them got along quite well.
Even if they didnât speak much, she often helped Chen Xuan with washing his clothes and such.
"Try it, the food is quite ordinary, but this Celestial Spirit Rice is really good!"
"Alright!"
Chen Xuan nodded with a smile, then picked up the chopsticks on the table and took a bite.
"Delicious!"
With just one bite of the rice, the fragrance filled his mouth.
As he breathed,
the rice in his mouth seemed to melt, sliding down his throat into his body, instantly causing his spiritual power to surge.
Just with one bite, Chen Xuan felt a slight increase in the spiritual power within him.
Although it was very faint.
"How is it, Brother Xuan! This Celestial Spirit Rice is amazing, isnât it?"
After eating several mouthfuls, Ning Feng couldnât help but leak a trace of second-grade aura.
Seeing this, Chen Xuan reached out with his finger and gently tapped him, instantly restoring him back to normal.
"Eat well, absorb well! Your foundation is too shallow!"
Although Ning Feng was a genius among geniuses, mature beyond his years, he was still a child, and although his level was indeed second-grade.
However, his real strength was inferior even to those poor second-grade practitioners in the Human Realm.
Ultimately, it was due to the lack of time, and he hadnât established a solid foundation.
"Yes!"
Ning Feng dared not neglect and began to absorb the pure spiritual qi contained in the Celestial Spirit Rice.
Seeing this, Chen Xuan nodded in satisfaction.
This was what he liked about Ning Feng; as long as you pointed out his shortcomings in cultivation, he would immediately correct them.
Then he looked at Ning Long, "You too, eat while absorbing! Your strength is weaker, donât rush things too much!"
"Got it, Brother Xuan!"
Ning Long nodded obediently.
Then he did as Chen Xuan said, eating the Celestial Spirit Rice while cultivating.
However, his eating pace was noticeably slower compared to Ning Feng.
This dinner took about two hours, though it was primarily the two little ones who took up the most time.
...
At this moment,
the two little ones had already returned to their stone house.
While Chen Xuan and Ning Xin were on the rooftop, sitting a personâs width apart, gazing up at the sky.
"Thank you so much for teaching Xiaofeng and Xiaolong with such care!"
Ning Xin said softly, her gaze turned towards the crescent moon in the sky.
"No need, I like these two little ones too!"
Chen Xuan lay down simply and then turned his head to look at her, asking, "By the way, Xiaofeng said he wants to break through to first-grade within a year, is there a reason to rush? With his current condition, it would still be better to lay a solid foundation first!"
It wasnât the first time Ning Feng mentioned this to him.
Of course, Chen Xuan asked him, but Ning Feng said he didnât know, it was all Ning Xinâs idea.
Today, seeing him even more unstable, he finally voiced his doubts.
"Sigh!"
Ning Xin sighed softly, her expression somewhat helpless.
She well knew Ning Fengâs foundation was unsteady, but....
"Because in a yearâs time, he and Xiaolong must leave Huaining Island, but they must reach first-grade to have their greatest chance to leave the island."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan furrowed his brows deeply.
What does this mean?
Does she mean we canât just leave this island at will?
Of course, Ning Xin knew about the doubts in his heart.
She took a long breath, showing bitterness on her face, "Our Ning family is guilty. I donât know the specifics, but I only know that reaching the first rank before the age of ten, and Immortal Grade before the age of twenty, would allow one to leave Huaining Island!"
Guilty?
"Did we offend someone? Or....."
Chen Xuan began to speculate inwardly.
At this moment, he really wanted to use Telepathy to observe her.
Itâs not because he feared she was lying, but he felt that Ning Xin actually knew the truth but didnât seem to want to tell him.
However, thinking about it made him feel it wasnât right, so he gave up the idea.
"So please, the village chief has no time, I... you know, although you are of Immortal Grade, you have no experience in teaching! As long as you can help Xiaofeng and Xiaolong reach the first rank, I would be eternally grateful!"
She could have left the island long ago, but she stayed because she couldnât rest assured about these two children, and also because of the village chief.
There are still other ordinary people here that he couldnât ignore!
After all, the ancestors of these people were initially.....!
He canât just leave these people and leave the island.
"Donât worry!"
At this moment, Chen Xuan sat up straight. Although he didnât know the details, this concerned the twoâs lives, so he assured Ning Xin, "I will do my utmost!"
"Thank you!"
Besides these two words, Ning Xin didnât know what else to say.
If it wasnât for the village chiefâs suggestion at the beginning, she wouldnât have allowed Chen Xuan to stay on the island.
Now that she thinks about it, maybe this is the opportunity the village chief mentioned.
The two chatted idly until late at night!
Chen Xuan talked about affairs in the Human Realm, and Ning Xin listened as if hearing a story, sometimes even interjecting.
And Ning Xin also talked about some matters on the island.
Also, why she had shown such great hostility towards him before.
Tonight,
The two somewhat opened their hearts, and could be considered genuine friends now.
...
Inside the stone house.
Chen Xuan sat cross-legged on the bed.
"System!"
He called softly in his heart.
....
[Fortune: Great Zhou (95) (Weakened (50)), Great Xia (95) (Weakened (50))]
[Spouse Binding: Su Yun (Human Realm)]
[Realm: Martial Cultivator: Immortal Grade (Early Stage), Spirit Cultivator: First Rank (Soul (Seventh Rank))]
[Cultivation Technique: Nine Elements Dao Skill (Immortal Grade) (Seventh Layer (85K/6.4M)), Myriad Manifestation Skill (Tenth Layer (555K/4.08M))]
[Skill Points: 3.162M]
....
Ever since coming to the Supreme Domain, the fortune of Great Zhou and Great Xia weakened by half.
His cultivation speed also correspondingly slowed down significantly.
As for other things, there was an extra âHuman Realmâ note behind Su Yun in the spouse column.
Additionally, during this period relying on his own cultivation, regardless of whether itâs the Nine Elements Dao Skill or Myriad Manifestation Skill, the progress has been very slow.
And,
The skill points havenât moved at all.
"This wonât do!"
Chen Xuan mumbled to himself.
He needed to find a woman quickly. At this rate, who knows when he could upgrade his cultivation techniques.
Each of them is like a money-consuming beast, waiting to be fed!
But on this island, it seems only Ning Xin meets the requirements.
But how should he bring this up?
Chen Xuan had a headache!
After all, they had only known each other for a bit over three months.
...
On the bed!
Ning Xin tossed and turned, unable to sleep. As for why she couldnât, she couldnât say.
Since she returned, Chen Xuanâs image kept involuntarily appearing in her mind.
On the island, except for talking with Ning Feng and Ning Long, she rarely speaks, mostly spending time cultivating.
The words she spoke with Chen Xuan tonight probably outnumbered all the words she had spoken in her life combined.
Of course, they both enjoyed their conversation.
As she listened to his stories about the Human Realm, the people he met, and his wives, her face was full of curiosity for someone who never left Huaining Island.
In her heart, there was a slight yearning as well.
Tonight, for the first time in her life, Ning Xin was sleepless!
...
Time passed quickly, and three more months went by.
At this moment, Chen Xuan, as usual, was in the fields clearing Spirit-Extinguishing Grass!
In these six months, the Celestial Spirit Rice stalks had grown as tall as a person, as thick as Chen Xuanâs forearm, with green ears of rice already formed at the top, almost ready for harvest.
"Phew!"
Chen Xuan panted slightly, sitting in the field, looking up at the green ears of rice.
"Truly worthy of being Celestial Spirit Rice!"
He couldnât help but marvel in his heart at how tall and thick they grew.
Butâ
Looking down at his slightly reddened palm.
This was the result of the Spirit-Extinguishing Grassâs work, as the Celestial Spirit Rice stalks grew taller, the Spirit-Extinguishing Grass grew along with it, becoming tougher than before by many times.
Even with his Immortal Grade power, removing these Spirit-Extinguishing Grasses took some effort.
After all, a slight touch on the Celestial Spirit Riceâs stalks would cause huge trouble.
"Brother Xuan...."