Chapter 410: Sharing Rain and Dew Equally

Chapter 410: Spreading the Blessings Evenly

Although Chen Mobai knew that cooperating with Celestial Dining Tower would definitely allow him to earn more spirit stones, for him, with access to channels in both realms, a puppet factory continuously producing talismans, and the spirit rice cultivated by the sect, his annual income of tens of thousands of spirit stones was already more than enough. Furthermore, in the foreseeable future, his annual income would only increase over time. The spirit wine was originally for his personal consumption and for entertaining friends. Zhuo Ming's energy would primarily be focused on the five hundred acres of spirit fields going forward, which meant future wine production was bound to decrease. If he were to sign an exclusive contract with Celestial Dining Tower, wouldn't that just burden Zhuo Ming even more? Chen Mobai still cared deeply for his disciple and refused without a second thought.

"Yes, Master."

Liu Wenbo naturally nodded in compliance.

After all the talismans were transported, Chen Mobai felt inclined to go down the mountain and inspect his territory. Zhuo Ming and Luo Yixuan were overseeing the harvesting of various spirit rice and spirit plants at the foot of Mount Xiaonan. These sixty mu were their lineage's private plots, where many types of spirit rice were experimental varieties used to test new strains. However, Chen Mobai's greatest concern was the new second-tier spirit rice planted in mid-year. This hybrid of Qingke and Yuya spirit rice, meticulously nurtured by Zhuo Ming, was now robust enough to withstand the life-giving irrigation of the Azurewood Divine Lightning.

Soon, the master and his three disciples arrived at this one-mu spirit field. Liu Wenbo, seeing the marvels of the Azurewood Divine Lightning for the first time, was particularly astonished and felt even greater reverence for his Master. After Chen Mobai painstakingly ripened all the spirit rice in this one-mu field with the Azurewood Divine Lightning, Zhuo Ming, wearing a straw hat, plunged her hands into the soil, closed her eyes, and carefully sensed the earth energy and the mature rice stalks planted within using her cultivated Earth Mother Art. A moment later, she happily opened her eyes.

"Master, over one-third of these are second-tier. After two more cycles, we should be able to select pure second-tier spirit rice seeds."

Chen Mobai's face lit up with joy upon hearing this. He picked a rice stalk, felt its plump grains, peeled back the green husk and needle-like florets, and looked at the long, crystalline spirit rice with a milky white sheen inside, then scattered them into the soil with satisfaction.

"Master, this new spirit rice doesn't have a name yet. Why don't you name it?" Luo Yixuan, seeing Chen Mobai's delight, offered a suggestion.

"This spirit rice is a hybrid of Qingke and Yuya, so let's call it 'Azure Jade Spirit Rice'." Chen Mobai, being laid-back, took one character from each and named the new second-tier spirit rice.

"Master is wise," the three disciples said in unison.

This was the prevailing custom in the Eastern Barrens, and Chen Mobai had grown accustomed to it over time. "Ming'er, please put in a bit more effort. Plant two more cycles of this Azure Jade Spirit Rice to select the seeds. Once all the sprouts are confirmed to be second-tier, then propagate them across all the second-tier spirit fields."

Zhuo Ming had worked incredibly hard this past year. Besides carving out terraced fields, she also had to lead the newly relocated mortals in cultivating spirit rice, oversee the sixty mu of distinctive hybrid spirit rice at Mount Xiaonan that required individual attention, and manage the first and second-tier tea trees on the mountainside. She had visibly thinned down, her previously round face no longer quite so round.

"Yes, Master." Despite her busy schedule, Zhuo Ming felt a sense of her own worth, no longer feeling like a burden to the Mount Xiaonan lineage. After all, their lineage was quite renowned within the Divine Wood Sect. Chen Mobai, needless to say, was the Divine Wood Sect's foremost genius since its establishment, hailed as the sect's top sword cultivator. His combat prowess was second only to the two Old Ancestors. Senior Disciple Liu Wenbo, a scion of an aristocratic family, had once again rejoined the ranks of true disciples this year and managed the sect's various market stalls and shops outside, making him an honored guest of many factions. Junior Disciple Luo Yixuan was even more exceptional. Not only was she beautiful with an excellent physique, but since joining Mount Xiaonan, she had ranked third among true disciples for two consecutive years, regarded as a fairy by many Qi Condensation disciples of the Divine Wood Sect. Among this generation's true disciples, Luo Yixuan was also considered one of the most promising talents for Foundation Establishment. Her status was somewhat equivalent to that of E Yun back then.

In comparison, Zhuo Ming seemed somewhat ordinary. Many Divine Wood Sect disciples, when discussing the Mount Xiaonan lineage, would often remark that she was very lucky. Without background or outstanding talent, she had still managed to become a disciple of the Divine Wood Sect's top sword cultivator. This kind of talk became even more prevalent, especially after Zhuo Ming was eliminated in the fourth round of this year's sect grand competition. Some even suggested that while Chen Mobai was powerful, his judgment in taking on disciples was lacking.

Zhuo Ming, having come from a rogue cultivator background, had endured much hardship and generally didn't pay much attention to others' criticisms of her. However, slandering her Master was something she could not tolerate. Nevertheless, they were all fellow disciples, and many of these remarks stemmed from envy of her ability to join Mount Xiaonan, rather than being direct attacks on Chen Mobai. Thus, Zhuo Ming could only suppress her frustration. All she could do was strive to prove her worth and improve herself. While farming, she diligently cultivated the Nine-Ren Dharma Body, aiming to master this body-refining technique as soon as possible to vindicate herself and her Master in future sect grand competitions.

Chen Mobai was unaware of these matters, but he still felt Zhuo Ming had too many responsibilities. So, he instructed Luo Yixuan to take over the management of the relocated mortals next year, and also transferred the Mount Xiaonan shop in Divine Wood City to Liu Wenbo. From now on, Zhuo Ming would only need to focus on reclaiming terraced fields and cultivating spirit rice, perhaps brewing some wine when she had free time. This significantly reduced her workload.

After assigning duties to all three disciples, Chen Mobai took them to inspect the newly opened spirit fields. Thanks to the efforts of Zhuo Ming and Luo Yixuan, along with six cultivation-type puppets, both Miaoshan and Tingshan had been completely reclaimed this year. However, the terraced fields had hard soil, so spirit oil yellow vegetables were currently planted across the mountains to improve the soil quality. Standing atop the Red Cloud Mist Gauze in the air, Chen Mobai gazed at the expanse of yellow vegetable flowers below, resembling continuous golden waves. He felt utterly relaxed and content. As the mountain breeze swept through, this golden expanse dotted with tender green blossoms seemed to surge with countless layers of golden waves, emitting ten thousand rays of light and a refreshing fragrance, leaving him completely engrossed.

"Next year, these more than one hundred mu of terraced fields will also be able to grow Fire Spirit Rice." Chen Mobai descended and touched the soil. After sensing the earth energy and spiritual power within, he nodded with satisfaction.

"Senior Disciple's Yishan is also almost fully reclaimed. Next year, it will be planted with spirit oil yellow vegetables and should be ready for use by the second half of the year. Only Shuyang Mountain might have to wait until the end of next year." Zhuo Ming reported on the situation of the other two hilly slopes. Chen Mobai nodded and then flew them over to those locations.

"Wenbo, are you satisfied with this mountain peak your Master has given you?" In mid-air, Chen Mobai pointed to Yishan, which had just been fully reclaimed this year, its terraces extending upwards like continuous steps.

"Master's great kindness, this disciple is eternally grateful. And thank you, Junior Sisters, for your hard work." Liu Wenbo had been away for a long time, so the terraced fields on Yishan were entirely the result of Zhuo Ming and Luo Yixuan's efforts. The two girls merely gave a slight bow, not claiming credit.

The method of terracing does not involve reclaiming the mountaintop; at most, it extends to the mid-slope. This allows the rich moisture from the mountaintop forests to irrigate the terraced fields through a water cycle. In the mortal world, residential areas would even be established between the mountaintop forests and the terraced fields, forming an even more complete cycle. However, for cultivators, these arrangements were unnecessary and would instead disturb their peaceful cultivation. All the relocated mortals had been arranged by Zhuo Ming and Luo Yixuan to live at the foot of the mountain. Seeing that Liu Wenbo still lacked a residence on Yishan, Chen Mobai casually drew a wooden house talisman, instantly conjuring a luxurious three-bedroom, one-living-room wooden house for his eldest disciple.

After inspecting all his territories, Chen Mobai found that he now commanded four hundred and sixty mu of spirit fields. If Shuyang Mountain were reclaimed next year, the total would likely reach around five hundred and twenty mu, slightly exceeding the initial estimate of five hundred mu. Since there were no cultivators on Shuyang Mountain, more land could be reclaimed higher up the slopes. Excluding the sixty mu at Mount Xiaonan, if the remaining four hundred mu were entirely planted with Fire Spirit Rice next year, at two cycles per year and a yield of 150 catties per mu, it could exchange for twelve thousand low-grade spirit stones or contribution points from the sect. By this calculation, agriculture indeed still couldn't compare to commerce. However, Chen Mobai wouldn't forget that his original intention was still farming.

After completing their inspection, the master and his three disciples returned to Mount Xiaonan.

"You three have also worked hard this year. Feel free to ask your Master if you have any questions regarding your cultivation." In front of the wooden house on the mountaintop, Chen Mobai sat cross-legged on the ground, while his three disciples knelt respectfully before him, beginning a rare teaching session. As the senior disciple, Liu Wenbo was the first to speak, detailing his difficulties with cultivating the Two Phases Art and the two supplementary cultivation methods he practiced. Given Chen Mobai's cultivation realm, his disciples' confusions regarding their practice were merely trivial matters for him. Even though he hadn't personally cultivated Zhuo Ming's Earth Mother Art or Luo Yixuan's Blackwater Art, the Formless Golem was right there in the wooden house. For anything he didn't know, he could simply use spirit stones for divination and easily arrive at the correct answers, providing the most suitable responses for the three of them. After this session of imparting knowledge and resolving doubts, the three disciples held Chen Mobai in even greater reverence.

"These are Purple Flame Sword Talismans I have drawn. Each of you take one as a life-saving item." After the lecture, Chen Mobai took out three already prepared purple talismans from his storage bag and flicked them to his three disciples.

"Thank you, Master!" This time, Liu Wenbo and the other two did not decline. In the Eastern Barrens, it was customary for masters to give gifts to disciples after teaching sessions, making it the day disciples looked forward to most each year. However, some masters of poor character would simply not impart knowledge or teach for decades.

"Be careful when using them, and make sure you aren't caught in the blast yourself." Chen Mobai then carefully instructed them on how to use the Purple Flame Sword Talisman before adding a warning.

Ostensibly, he cultivated the Immortal Longevity Scripture and the Scarlet Flame Sword Art using the Two Phases Art. Precisely because of this, many in the Divine Wood Sect believed Chen Mobai was the most likely candidate to form a Golden Core. Among the Foundation Establishment geniuses, Hong He, E Yun, and Yin Qingmei had not cultivated the Two Phases Art. Only Chen Mobai and Zhou Wangshen had. However, the latter primarily relied on an accumulation of resources, and his innate talent was widely recognized as inferior to Chen Mobai's. The Scarlet Flame Sword Art was a talisman-sword technique. Chen Mobai had relied on Scarlet Flame Sword Talismans multiple times during his Qi Condensation stage. His ability to pass the entrance exam for the Weapon Dance Academy back then was largely thanks to a Scarlet Flame Three Swords Talisman. The Purple Flame Sword Talisman was an upgraded version of the Scarlet Flame Three Swords Talisman, a mid-low grade second-tier talisman, making it a formidable weapon for Qi Condensation cultivators. The ones he gave to his disciples were three low-grade second-tier talismans, each sealed with Chen Mobai's significantly weakened Purple Flame Sword Light. Only talismans drawn in this manner could barely be activated and controlled by his three disciples. If they contained the full power of Chen Mobai's Purple Flame Sword Light, they would be mid-grade second-tier. Going further, if it were the Azure Yang Fire Sword Light, the sword talisman would be high-grade second-tier. If Chen Mobai poured his heart and soul into drawing it, it could even reach low-grade third-tier. But Chen Mobai would certainly not do that. It was not his style to expend vital essence just to draw a single sword talisman. He'd rather directly draw a third-tier Azure Blight Sword Talisman. Although it would mean losing one strand of Azure Blight Sword Qi, Chen Mobai possessed the Pure Yang Scroll, which, with sufficient spiritual energy and time, allowed him to continuously generate Azure Yang Fire. Compared to expending vital essence, losing some external resources was more acceptable to him.

"Thank you, Master." Upon receiving the Purple Flame Sword Talismans, the three disciples solemnly took them with both hands and placed them into their storage bags.

"Right, Wenbo, next year, when you visit the market in the Snow Country, while expanding our market, also inquire if there's a spiritual item called Water Mist Ice Crystal. Also, if there's an opportunity to exchange for high-grade spirit stones, even if it means a premium of ten or twenty percent, please help your Master exchange for some." Since Chen Mobai didn't know the local name for Water Mist Ice Crystal in the Eastern Barrens, he described its general effects to Liu Wenbo, who diligently noted it down.

"Ming'er, do you still have your Five Transformations Umbrella?" Zhuo Ming nodded with a puzzled expression, then retrieved the magical artifact Chen Mobai had bestowed upon her from her storage bag and respectfully handed it to him with both hands.

"Your Master possesses a 'Peach Blossom Malice,' which isn't very useful to me. I was thinking of upgrading your Five Transformations Umbrella with it. I will return this artifact to you after the New Year." This thought had actually been in Chen Mobai's mind for a while, but he had been somewhat busy this past year and had forgotten about it. Now, seeing Zhuo Ming and remembering his second disciple's diligent service, the idea resurfaced.

"Master's kindness, this disciple doesn't know how to repay it." Zhuo Ming's face became flushed with excitement upon hearing this. Her Five Transformations Umbrella was already a high-grade first-tier artifact. If the Peach Blossom Malice were refined into it, it would essentially upgrade to a top-grade first-tier artifact, making its power even greater. In this year's sect grand competition, she had barely managed to enter the fourth round by relying on this Five Transformations Umbrella. If it truly could be upgraded, she might even hope to enter the top hundred next year, or even become a quasi-true disciple.

"Xuan'er, give your defensive leather armor to your Master as well. Your Master will draw a defensive talisman on it for you." Chen Mobai always distributed his favors equally among his disciples. Seeing Luo Yixuan's envious expression nearby, and remembering how well-behaved she had been this year, he also spoke of the second-tier beast hide he had given her previously. To his surprise, Luo Yixuan's pretty face flushed slightly, and she looked a little embarrassed.

"Master, I'm wearing this inner armor right now. I will bring it to you tomorrow."