Wearing a straw hat, Ning knelt behind the plot of land.

  He was currently planting four acres of basic spiritual grain. For now, he planned to dedicate an acre to Frozen Spirit Grain. Once he became more proficient, he could gradually convert all the crops to Frozen Spirit Grain, greatly increasing his yield and income.

  Ning gently brushed the soil with his hands. He opened the small satchel containing the seeds, their crystalline husks glinting faintly in the sunlight. Each seed radiated a faint chill.

  "Alright," he muttered to himself. "Let's do this properly."

  He began the meticulous process. First, he lightly tilled the soil, loosening it without disturbing the spiritual energy too much. Then, he sprinkled a mixture of crushed used spirit stones, cinnabar wood ash, and composted spirit-beast manure, exactly as the guide had instructed. The soil absorbed it eagerly, its spiritual energy brightening subtly under his careful touch.

  Planting the seeds was no simple task. Each one needed to be positioned at a precise depth and spacing to allow its ice attributes to flourish. Ning worked slowly, measuring, counting, and double-checking every placement. His fingers, nimble from experience, made the process smooth and precise.

  Once the seeds were in the soil, he stepped back and surveyed his work. Every seed was perfectly positioned; every inch of soil infused with energy.

  Now came the most crucial part: nurturing the seeds with the Small Cloud Rain Technique.

  This spell was the foundation for any competent spiritual farmer. It called upon the spiritual energy gathered by the formation and guided it into rain infused with Qi. The better one controlled it, the more refined and potent the rainfall became. At its peak, it could nourish acres of crops and even work as a fertilizer.

  Ning took a deep breath, centering his spiritual energy. Normally, casting this spell required a lengthy incantation:

  “Spiritual essence of heaven and water, gather upon my call…”

  Too wordy. Too inefficient. It demanded both mental focus and verbal rhythm to align the spell’s structure.

  To reach great accomplishment, one could modify the incantation, but only without weakening its effect. Simply put, one has already gotten extensive mastery over a technique in great accomplishment, and they add their own unique spin on it.

  For Ning, it was incantations. Words were unnecessary. He replaced them with images.

  In his mind, the chant became a simple equation: Moisture + Spiritual Qi = Cloud Formation. Each line of the incantation became a visual trigger, a hand seal, a breath pattern, a mental cue. Where others needed a full sentence, Ning required only a brief thought. With the countless hours he had spent on this technique and his improved mental stability due to the inner demon, this became possible.

  The effect was immediate.

  Thin wisps of vapor coiled above his palms, gathering faster than ever before. The spiritual energy in the air responded eagerly, like how Goku pulls up suddenly when hearing someone is strong.

  The chant continued silently in his mind, rhythmic and precise. Qi flowed upward, and the air shimmered faintly. Wisps turned into fog, fog into cloud. Within moments, a gray mass hung over the field, dense with spiritual energy.

  Ning formed the final seal, pressing two fingers together.

  “Small Cloud Rain Technique.”

  A soft drizzle began to fall, droplets glimmering faintly with spiritual light. The rice leaves shivered, absorbing the essence eagerly. The dull green of the stalks grew vivid, alive, pulsing with Qi.

  But Ning didn’t stop there.

  He refined the circulation further, feeding more Qi into the clouds. The drizzle thickened into a steady rainfall, rippling outward like a heartbeat, ten meters, thirty, fifty… a hundred.

  [Small Cloud Rain Technique: Minor Accomplishment → Great Accomplishment]

  Ning smiled.

  “Finally, my first spell to reach great accomplishment.”

  After all, this was the one he had spent the most time on. Now, he could reap the benefits.

  ...

  "Now, we have less than four years left until the outer sect competition. Anyone who ranks among the top ten can enter the inner sect immediately, even without reaching the required cultivation level," Wei Zhusang announced. "So, let’s do our best, everyone."

  "Yes!" Everyone nodded.

  After Wei Zhusang and the others became outer sect disciples, their meetings had shifted from every fifteen days to once a month.

  Most of the members had only reached the third stage of Qi Condensation, so naturally, a gap was forming.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Ning noticed how some members had become more respectful toward him upon seeing his outer sect robe. In the association, besides the Wei trio and Su Fan, he was the fastest to reach mid-stage. Since all of them had similar spiritual roots, Ning’s steady progress naturally stood out.

  Still, he noticed how, after a year, most of the members had become aware of the subtle distinction in status. Even those who were once unfamiliar with him now treated him with greater warmth.

  'No wonder every xianxia protagonist desperately tries to raise their cultivation,' Ning mused.

  Protagonists in such tales were usually the most disrespected individuals. When they improved their cultivation and saw those who once looked down on them become subdued, or even fearful, it must have been quite invigorating. Such experiences naturally shaped their Dao hearts, strengthening their will to ascend.

  Of course, Ning wasn’t like that. While he wasn’t overly friendly due to frequent absences, he wasn’t isolated either. He was a chill guy; if someone ignored him, he simply didn’t care. He preferred to mind his own business.

  After the meeting ended, Ning moved quickly to speak with the Wei trio. If he didn’t act fast, either one of Wei Zhusang’s suitors or other disciples would occupy their attention.

  "Brother Wei, Brother Zhang, Sister Lang, I wanted to return some of the spirit stones I borrowed from you," Ning said swiftly.

  "Hm? So soon?" Zhang Feng asked, surprised. He was well aware of how much they had lent Ning.

  "Yes. But I can only return half today." Ning knew that relationships required balance. Even if the trio didn’t care about the repayment yet, not offering to return any would create an imbalance over time.

  Relationships needed effort from both sides.

  "But you might still need them, " Zhang Feng began, but Wei Zhusang interrupted.

  "No need, Feng. If Brother Ning wants to return the stones, we’ll accept them," Wei said firmly. Then he turned to Ning. "Still, congratulations on reaching the fourth stage so swiftly."

  Wei Zhusang was genuinely impressed by Ning’s cultivation speed and diligence. Despite lacking resources, Ning had advanced quickly, and the fact that he hadn’t forgotten his debts spoke well of his character.

  "It’s thanks to your help," Ning said with a smile.

  Zhang Feng and Wei Zhusang returned the smile, while Lang Rulang merely hmphed, as usual.

  Ning was used to her attitude by now. Saying nothing, he handed over the spirit stones.

  "I’ll pay the rest soon," he said, giving fifty each to Wei Zhusang, Zhang Feng, and Lang Rulang.

  His recent mission from the Scripture Pavilion had rewarded him with a hundred spirit stones. It was a low sum, considering the mission was issued by a foundation establishment elder, but the old man lived paycheck to paycheck and spent most of his salary on booze.

  Still, Ning’s latest harvest gave him enough to repay part of his debt. He preferred to keep some spirit stones in reserve for emergencies.

  Besides, a debt between friends also served as a bond.

  "Also, I made some cakes as thanks. Please don’t refuse." Ning handed over several small boxes.

  "I won’t," Zhang Feng said cheerfully, taking one. "Your cakes last time were pretty unique and delicious!"

  Back when he had borrowed the stones, Ning hadn’t gone empty-handed either.

  "I’ll accept as well," Wei Zhusang said, taking his box.

  Then all eyes turned to Lang Rulang. As usual, she hesitated. Despite secretly liking the taste, she maintained her prideful facade.

  Finally, under the weight of their stares, she relented. "I’ll just consider this interest," she muttered.

  The others laughed.

  Before Lang Rulang could get annoyed, Ning changed the subject. "I wonder if you’ve seen Brother Su Fan. I wanted to talk to him about something."

  As someone in the know, Wei Zhusang raised a brow. "Have you reached great accomplishment in the Small Cloud Rain Technique?"

  "Yes, I was lucky," Ning replied modestly.

  "As expected, your talent with spells is not to be underestimated," Wei said, eyes lighting up.

  "Yeah, that’s amazing," Zhang Feng added. He himself hadn’t yet reached great accomplishment in any spell.

  Even Lang Rulang glanced at him in surprise.

  A year and a few months to reach great accomplishment, that was impressive.

  Ning simply smiled. He didn’t mind showing his progress. Though his talent was notable, the trio’s backgrounds were far superior, so envy wasn’t an issue. If anything, they would value him even more.

  "Still," Wei said, "I heard Senior Brother Su Fan went on a mission with his sister. We haven’t seen him lately. If I get in touch with him, I’ll let him know you’re looking."

  Ning cupped his hands in thanks.

  ...

  Later, at home, Ning held a jade slip in his hand, the one given to him by the Elder.

  Infusing it with Qi, he unlocked the contents.

  He had a lingering suspicion about the so-called “supernatural powers,” and now he wanted to confirm it.

  The slip contained details similar to what the elder had explained, followed by a ranked list of supernatural powers. The stronger the power, the higher its position.

  Ning scanned the first few entries.

  [Eyes of Heaven]: See through Yin and Yang. Those born with this power can learn spells and martial arts at a single glance. Possessors often lead their era, their insight allowing them to surpass others quickly. It is said they can even control space and time.

  [Supreme Bones]: Grants inborn divine skills and abilities. The wielder can use these powers anytime, anywhere, unrestricted by cultivation level or spiritual energy. Such individuals excel in combat, even against far stronger foes. These bones are said to be the legacies of ancient cultivators.

  "As expected of a cultivation world, these powers are ridiculous," Ning murmured. The elder had warned that most descriptions were exaggerated, but there was surely some truth to them.

  He continued reading.

  [Void Tongue]: Allows communication with spiritual beasts and even elemental spirits. With this ability, one can negotiate, tame, or summon creatures with ease, often turning the tide of battle.

  [Bodhi Mind]: Greatly enhances comprehension. Such people are born wise and grasp truths instinctively. They can master any technique with ease.

  Finally, around the twentieth entry, Ning found the supernatural power of the sect leader.

  [Sword Bones and Intent]: Born to wield a sword. Can learn most sword techniques with half the effort and double the effectiveness. Possess a unique sword intent even at the Qi Condensation stage, enabling cross-realm combat. Doubles cultivation speed for sword-related techniques. Sword intent also aids in resisting inner demons.

  "No wonder the sect leader sounds so badass," Ning muttered. "This power really does make someone unrivaled in their realm."

  He scrolled further, reaching more modest powers.

  [Ape Bones and Snake Tendons]: Increases a cultivator’s physical strength and flexibility, making them suitable for body refinement arts.

  [Quick]: Doubles movement speed.

  [Four Arms]: Grants four fully functional arms.

  Unlike the higher-ranked powers, these could be imitated through martial arts or spells.

  Finally, in an inconspicuous corner, Ning found one that caught his attention.

  [Know Thyself]: Grants real-time awareness of one’s physical and spiritual condition. Seems to have some effect in maintaining one's spirit.

  ...

  Thanks for reading~