Chapter 1070: Wang Yingjie

Red Moon Sea, Silver Serpent Island.

On a lush green peak, there was a three-mu courtyard.

To the left of the courtyard was a one-mu plot of spirit peach trees, each laden with dozens of pale yellow peaches, their fragrance filling the air. Beside the spirit peach trees lay a one-mu small lake, where a large school of light golden spirit fish swam playfully on the surface. To the right was more than one mu of spirit farmland, covered with a vast expanse of golden-yellow wheat, each grain plump and vibrant in color. A stone house, about a *zhang* in length, width, and height, stood right next to the courtyard gate, with dozens of green radishes growing on its roof.

Under the spirit peach trees, a large bed of spirit flowers bloomed, where a swarm of crimson spirit bees collected nectar. A beehive the size of a door panel hung from one of the peach trees.

Inside the stone house, the furnishings were simple: a stone bed half a *zhang* long. In a corner was a magical formation half a *zhang* in size. There was no other spare space.

A young man in his early twenties, dressed in a green robe, sat cross-legged on the stone bed. A faint azure spiritual glow enveloped him.

The young man had ordinary features and somewhat dark skin.

After a while, the young man opened his eyes, a look of delight on his face, and murmured to himself: "Ancestors be praised, I've finally reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement!"

The young man in green was Wang Yingjie, a descendant of Wang Qingling. He was a Five-Spirit Root cultivator, twenty-two years old, and at the sixth level of Qi Refinement.

Wang Yingjie's parents died young, killed by demonic beasts. He was only eight years old when they perished, but fortunately, with the family's care, he grew up safely.

As a Five-Spirit Root, his cultivation speed was exceptionally slow. Had it not been for the annual stipend provided by the family, he would have struggled to reach the sixth level of Qi Refinement.

Wang Qingling had over a hundred descendants, and Wang Yingjie had never met Wang Qingling. There were dozens of Five-Spirit Root descendants like Wang Yingjie, making it impossible for Wang Qingling to personally look after them all.

The chances of Five-Spirit Root cultivators advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage were extremely low. The family encouraged Five-Spirit Root members to marry early and have many children.

Wang Yingjie's great-great-grandfather was a Five-Spirit Root cultivator. He had over a hundred children, but only three of them possessed spirit roots: two Four-Spirit Roots and one Five-Spirit Root.

His father had taught Wang Yingjie from a young age that human will could conquer destiny, and that aptitude only determined early cultivation speed, not future potential. He cited Five-Spirit Rogue Cultivator, one of the Five Immortals of the Overseas, who was a Five-Spirit Root cultivator yet managed to form a Nascent Soul through diligent cultivation, becoming famous throughout the South Sea cultivation world.

His father named him Wang Yingjie, hoping he would distinguish himself and reach the Foundation Establishment stage in the future, rather than following the old path of his elders. His father had only married one wife, and the couple worked hard, pouring all their cultivation resources into Wang Yingjie. Unfortunately, they died at the hands of demonic beasts.

Wang Yingjie had vowed before his parents' graves that he would cultivate diligently and reach the Foundation Establishment stage. Many of his cousins were Five-Spirit Roots, with the highest cultivation at the third level of Qi Refinement. They indulged in pleasure, took multiple wives and concubines, lived comfortably, and focused on procreating. Wang Yingjie did not want to become such a "breeding machine."

No Foundation Establishment cultivator had appeared in Wang Yingjie's lineage for five generations. He hoped to reach the Foundation Establishment stage and bring glory to his ancestors.

He knew his aptitude was poor, but he believed diligence could compensate for shortcomings. He took on several planting tasks, which gave him ample time for cultivation.

Of the four essentials for cultivators (Wealth, Companions, Techniques, and Land), wealth ranked first. Wang Yingjie was frugal, saving up spirit stones to purchase cultivation resources and aid his training. This allowed him to reach the sixth level of Qi Refinement at the age of twenty-two. Several clan elders held him up as an example, encouraging clan members with poor aptitudes to learn from him.

Wang Yingjie stood up and walked out. He was known within the clan as a "planting fanatic." His residence had no spare space; if a guest visited, they could only be entertained on his simple stone bed. Over time, fewer and fewer clan members bothered to visit him.

The wheat had matured. With a flick of his wrist, three golden lights flew out from a spirit beast orb. They were three golden earthworms, each about a *zhang* long, with some golden scales on their bodies.

These were Golden-Scaled Earthworms, descendants of Earth Dragon Earthworms, and first-tier spirit insects. They were skilled at tilling spirit farmland, enriching the soil, and also assisting with wheat harvesting.

Influenced by Wang Qingling, Wang Yingjie raised two types of spirit insects: Golden-Scaled Earthworms and Four-Winged Fire Bees. The Four-Winged Fire Bees could collect nectar to brew spirit honey and also cast fire spells to harm enemies. The Golden-Scaled Earthworms, besides tilling spirit farmland, could also harm enemies, allowing him to earn spirit stones and engage in combat simultaneously.

The three Golden-Scaled Earthworms burrowed into the ground, causing three small mounds of earth to rise in the spirit farmland. Stalks of wheat progressively fell. Wang Yingjie summoned a storage orb and collected all the wheat. He then walked into the field to check for any fallen grains, ensuring not a single one was wasted.

After picking up the scattered grains, Wang Yingjie instructed the three Golden-Scaled Earthworms to till the spirit farmland. He then walked to the peach trees, gazing at the orange-yellow spirit peaches and swallowing.

He had cultivated these spirit peaches for so many years but had eaten very few, exchanging them all for cultivation resources. He harvested all the spirit peaches and then caught the spirit fish from the lake.

Having completed all tasks, Wang Yingjie summoned a leaf-shaped flying magical artifact and ascended into the sky.

Half an hour later, Wang Yingjie controlled his flying artifact and landed on a bluestone plaza spanning over ten *mu*. Towering over the plaza was a thirty-plus *zhang* tall azure giant pagoda. Its plaque bore the three golden characters "Azure Lotus Pagoda." Numerous Wang family cultivators moved in and out, making the place exceptionally bustling.

The Azure Lotus Pagoda had nine floors in total. The first floor was where clan members submitted cultivation resources; Wang family cultivators could hand in any resources they acquired in exchange for merit points. The second floor was for external assignments; the family dispatched tasks based on members' specialties, with completion earning contribution points. The third floor was where tasks could be issued by any clan member. The fourth floor was for exchanging cultivation resources; accumulated merit points could be used to acquire resources, even Core Formation spiritual items, given enough points. The fifth floor was for clan members to spar, stopping before serious injury, overseen by clan elders. The sixth floor was a place for clan members to exchange cultivation insights; daily, members gathered here to discuss cultivation experiences and combat techniques, with Core Formation cultivators occasionally appearing to guide the younger generation. The seventh floor also issued tasks; however, these tasks were more dangerous and could only be undertaken by Core Formation cultivators.

Wang Yingjie entered the Azure Lotus Pagoda and submitted all his spirit fruits, wheat, and spirit fish, earning three thousand contribution points. This was the fruit of several years of diligent labor.

Arriving on the second floor, dozens of clan members gathered around a long counter. Behind the counter, a team of steward disciples was distributing tasks to clan members. Most of those present were Wang family cultivators at the Qi Refinement stage. The tasks they chose were relatively simple and low-risk, such as patrolling islands, planting spirit herbs, constructing palaces, or raising spirit fish.

Wang Yingjie walked to a section of the counter and spoke to an elder in a green robe, who appeared to be in his fifties: "Fifth Granduncle, I'm here to turn in my task. The assignment to care for fifty *mu* of spirit farmland has expired, and I'd like to take on a new one."

The green-robed elder nodded and said kindly: "Yingjie, you've come at a good time. Golden Clam Island has thirty *mu* of Red Moon peach trees that no one is looking after. This task would suit you well."

Wang Yingjie shook his head and said seriously: "Fifth Granduncle, I don't want to continue farming. I want to join the demon hunting team and go out to sea to hunt demonic beasts."

As a Five-Spirit Root, a single Foundation Establishment Pill would never be enough for him to break through. For his future cultivation path and to fulfill his parents' dying wishes, Wang Yingjie had to take a risk.

The clan had a dedicated demon hunting team responsible for going out to sea and slaying demonic beasts. The demon hunting team was dangerous, but the rewards were immense. One of Wang Yingjie's female cousins, a Four-Spirit Root, joined the demon hunting team. After over a decade of struggle, she accumulated enough contribution points to exchange for two Foundation Establishment Pills. With her parents' help, she obtained a total of three Foundation Establishment Pills and successfully advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Wang Yingjie had made ample preparations for going out to sea to hunt demonic beasts. In his spare time over the years, he frequently trained in the Illusory Demon Pagoda, battling illusory beasts to enhance his combat experience. He had been waiting for this day for over a decade.

Ten years forging a blade, solely for Foundation Establishment.

"What? You want to join the demon hunting team? Have you passed the assessment?"

The green-robed elder frowned and said, "Not just any clan member can join the demon hunting team. One must pass an assessment and possess a certain level of combat experience to be accepted. Otherwise, if a clan member with no prior combat experience were to join, others would be distracted by having to look after him during actual demonic beast hunts."

"I have passed. This is the token granted to me by Ninth Granduncle Gao."

Wang Yingjie took out a square token. Its surface was engraved with a red lotus pattern, and the character for "demon" was on its reverse side.

"Yingjie, have you thought this through? The demon hunting team is very dangerous. Your parents died at the hands of demonic beasts. You are the only son in your family. Wouldn't it be better to marry first, have descendants, and then go out to sea to hunt demons? It wouldn't be too late."

The green-robed elder advised kindly.

"Fifth Granduncle, there's no need to persuade me further. Your grandnephew has already made up his mind. I hope you will grant my request."

Wang Yingjie shook his head, his expression resolute.