Cultivation: Starting with Farming in the Spiritual Pivot Grotto

Chapter 9: Success in pest control earns the recipient of a cultivation technique.

Xie Daoyun was feeling troubled. Although she had the status of an outer disciple, there would be no punishment within the sect for not completing the monthly assessment.

However, the many servants in the medicinal field will be punished, and their salaries will be reduced.

Several methods flashed through his mind, but they were either extremely costly or would damage the very essence of the spiritual herbs.

Just as Xie Daoyun was about to get up, she saw Xie Lingji and an unfamiliar face at the courtyard gate.

Seeing his nephew's beaming face, could it be that there was some good news?

He then said something to the maid beside him.

"Let them come in and talk."

Upon entering the inner hall, Li Ya bowed his head and stepped forward, offering a respectful salute.

"Greetings, Uncle Xie."

Although he had seen many women in the past, the appearance of this senior uncle in front of him was indeed extremely handsome, and he also had a broad mind.

Xie Lingji immediately spoke:

"Aunt... Martial Uncle, Junior Brother Li Ya just told me that there is a way to cure the pests in the Cloud Mist Grass."

Upon hearing this, Xie Daoyun immediately sat up, her long dress swaying in the breeze.

Even I am somewhat at a loss, how could this lowly servant possibly come up with a better solution?

"Tell me! If you can truly rid this pest of its infestation, I will be generous with my reward."

Li Ya bowed respectfully, his tone calm and respectful.

"Replying to Martial Uncle, I saw yesterday that the pest infestation was truly severe. In addition, the demand for alchemy has increased this month. If it is not dealt with as soon as possible, it may delay the alchemy workshop's pill refining."

"If everyone had Brother Zhao's skills and put in some effort, this pest problem could be eliminated."

Xie Daoyun stopped fiddling with the beads, already feeling somewhat displeased.

I felt like I'd just encountered another empty-headed, good-for-nothing.

Seeing that he had laid enough groundwork and any more would get him kicked out, Li Ya changed the subject.

"When I was a child, I heard a peddler at a pharmacy say that the sap of the honey heart vine could attract insects, and that the powder of the centipede could promote growth."

Xie Daoyun continued to fiddle with the beads, leaning forward, which made the sense of oppression even more intense.

"Go on!"

Li Ya then recounted the various experiments conducted the previous night in detail:

"...Last night I followed this method to boil it, and all the aphids in the bottle were lured out..."

Xie Daoyun immediately understood the key to this method. This method does not harm the spiritual herbs and is not bound by human effort or time. As long as it is arranged properly, the pest infestation can be stopped in just a few days.

"Lingji, withdraw the men and give the order to do it this way."

"Yes, sir!"

Xie Lingji cupped his hands in greeting, turned and left. Li Ya followed him, but was stopped as soon as he took a step.

"You wait here!"

Xie Daoyun stood up. She was extremely tall, even taller than Li Ya, and exuded a strong sense of pressure.

Li Ya couldn't help but think: If I were to marry her, wouldn't I be inferior to her?

"You are the handyman that Lingji begged me to take in."

"Replying to my senior uncle, I am deeply grateful for your high regard..."

She waved her hand dismissively: "Value him? He's obsessed with money, all he thinks about is money!"

He stopped in front of Li Ya again: "Tell me, how much money did you give him?"

A fragrant breeze wafted by, and Li Ya's breathing became somewhat disordered. He could only look down at his nose and focus on his mind.

"Does it smell good?"

Li Ya did not answer, but instead explained the reasons why he entered the medicinal field.

After he finished speaking, Xie Daoyun simply snorted and leaned back on the couch, closing her eyes to rest. Li Ya could only stand below the hall like a lackey.

After a long while, Xie Lingji ran back with a look of surprise on his face, his usual demeanor gone.

"Auntie, it worked!"

Xie Daoyun opened her beautiful eyes, and a glimmer of light appeared.

Then her body floated up and soared into the air, her figure graceful and stunning.

Li Ya and Xie Lingji locked eyes and immediately ran after him.

When the two arrived at the medicinal field where the Cloud Mist Grass was located, they saw swarms of aphids crawling towards the wooden basin. A layer of aphids had already floated on the medicinal liquid in the basin, which was quite unsettling.

Xie Daoyun landed slowly, a rare smile appearing on her face.

"Li Ya, you've solved a problem for me. Tell me, what do you want?"

Li Ya breathed a heavy sigh of relief, his face revealing undisguised excitement.

But for a moment he didn’t know how to start. In the eyes of this Uncle Xie, he was nothing more than someone struggling in the mud. If he said that he didn’t ask for any reward, he was afraid that he would offend this Uncle Xie.

"In reply to your question, Uncle, I am ignorant and inexperienced. I like anything that you bestow upon me."

"Alright!" Xie Daoyun smiled knowingly, "Then I won't reward you."

"Uncle-Master, please give me some reward points."

"I dislike hypocrisy. Just say what you want as a reward; there's no need to beat around the bush, which only annoys people."

Li Ya stood up straight, his face calm, his eyes shining brightly.

"Thank you, Uncle-Master. I sold my family property to join the Yunfu Sect. I thought I could embark on the path of immortality and achieve physical success through diligent cultivation. I never imagined that the path of immortality is like a series of steps, and even the first step is difficult to climb."

"Bound by worldly affairs, unable to find liberation."

"I beg you, Martial Uncle, grant me a chance to witness the beauty of the Immortal Realm. Even if I end up shattered to pieces, I will have no regrets!"

Li Ya's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a hint of determination. Everyone present was taken aback, not expecting him to have the audacity to say such things.

After listening, Xie Daoyun spoke calmly, leaving no room for anyone to guess her thoughts.

"You are trapped in worldly affairs and cannot find liberation. Who among us is not trapped in worldly affairs? Even I, am I not trapped in worldly affairs?"

Xie Daoyun turned and left, stopping slowly after a few steps: "Lingji, go to my study and retrieve the 'Azure Mist Condensing Wood Nourishing Essence Technique,' within half an hour."

"The opportunity has been given to you; how much you grasp depends on your own destiny."

After saying that, he soared into the sky.

Li Ya bowed deeply: "Li Ya thanks you, Martial Uncle!"

When he got up, he was surrounded by congratulatory voices.

Xie Lingji and Zhao Zhenping never expected that this lowly servant would have such an opportunity upon his arrival.

It should be known that a ninth-grade martial arts technique is not something a lowly servant can obtain; Xie Lingji was only able to teach it because of their blood relationship.

For him, a lowly servant, to obtain this skill was no less significant than taking a giant leap forward on the path of cultivation.

"Junior Brother Li, come with me!"

Xie Lingji went to the study, and then the two of them returned to Qingmu Pavilion together.

"Junior Brother Li, Auntie said half an hour. If half an hour isn't enough, I can stall you for another half hour. That shouldn't be a problem."

"I will never forget my senior brother's great kindness!"

This Senior Brother Xie is indeed tactful in his dealings with others, yet he is not annoying.

"I heard your friend call you Brother Xiaoya. Since we're not being formal, I'll call you Brother Xiaoya from now on, okay?"

"That's wonderful!" Li Ya was taken aback at first, then cupped his hands in greeting: "Senior Brother Lingji, I hope you'll help me out in the future!"

Senior Brother Lingji nodded: "Take a look, and write down anything you don't understand. I also practice this technique, so I can help you with your questions."

Li Ya no longer stood on ceremony. He knew his own aptitude; it would be difficult to memorize the entire thick book, let alone comprehend it.

"If only I had a jade slip, I could just press it on my head and memorize it!"

However, this is just wishful thinking; only methods of the seventh rank and above are recorded using jade slips.

"The way of heaven and earth is that yin and yang give rise to each other, and the five elements circulate and generate endlessly..."

"Wood resides in the east, representing the nature of growth and development, receiving the benevolence of heaven, and embodying the blessings of the earth, with green mists swirling around the forests in the mountains..."

"The grass and trees, glistening with dew as they sprout, all contain the spirit of perfect harmony between heaven and earth, and the subtle vitality of life..."

Every key point in "Qinglan Ningmu Yangyuan Jue" is annotated in beautiful handwriting, and the blank spaces are filled with insights from cultivation.

If I'm not mistaken, this was all done by Xie Daoyun.

"Please help me, Ling Shu, to collect the 'Qinglan Ningmu Yangyuan Jue' and translate it into a language I can understand."

[As requested by fellow Daoist, Ling Shu will first record and then translate the "Azure Mist Condensing Wood Nourishing Essence Technique"]

[Spiritual Energy Consumption: 800 strands of True Qi]

[Time required: Twelve two-hour periods]

Those scions of aristocratic families and sects, having been well-versed in the Daoist canon since childhood and having renowned teachers interpret it word by word, could, if not understand it at a glance, at least have a general grasp of how to practice the techniques.

Unlike cultivators like myself, who are often bewildered and unable to grasp the profound and difficult words, this is a different story.

Not to mention that many of the texts used in the practice are selected from Taoist classics or interpretations by predecessors.

The same word can have different interpretations in different places. If you don't understand this, you might misunderstand the meaning of the exercise.

A slight misinterpretation can lead to vastly different outcomes.

Take "flowing pearls as elixir" as an example. In orthodox doctrine, flowing pearls refer to persistent thoughts. In the southeastern part of the Central Plains, the lineage believes that flowing refers to mercury. In the north, the feeling of qi rolling like pearls in the meridians is regarded as flowing pearls.

"Resources and cultivation techniques are all controlled by them, like an insurmountable barrier. How can those rogue cultivators possibly shake it?"

Li Ya did not pretend to be knowledgeable just because he had the help of Ling Shu. Instead, he studied it carefully and memorized all the parts that were difficult to understand and whose true meaning he could not grasp.

The Spiritual Pivot cannot replace one's own cultivation; it can only point out the direction. In practice, one still has to take it one step at a time and proceed steadily.

Half an hour later, Li Ya closed the cultivation technique and let out a long breath.

"how?"

Li Ya nodded: "It's all in my heart!"

Xie Lingji didn't take it seriously, but advised, "Brother Xiaoya, don't be reckless. Take a closer look. Cultivation is different from other things. If you go astray, at best you'll experience a temporary clash of qi and blood, and at worst you'll damage your foundation."

He simply shook his head, but his tone was firm.

"Senior Brother Lingji, Ya Duan would never treat cultivation as a game. However, there are some difficulties involved, and I will need your help to resolve them in the future."

"Sure, sure!"

Suppressing his joy, Li Ya's thoughts wandered elsewhere.

"Senior Brother Lingji, there is a problem at the cliff, and I need your help."

"Just tell me. If it's something I can do to help, I certainly won't stand idly by!"

Li Ya cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Senior Brother!"

He then confessed in detail to borrowing money from Wang Wu at exorbitant interest rates.

Xie Lingji frowned upon hearing this. Many people in the sect had shares in the loan business, and he was afraid that if he took the lead, he would offend some people.

Li Ya naturally noticed Lingji's predicament and quickly explained before he could.

"It's not about what you want, senior brother. The amount owed is clearly stated in black and white on the contract. I will definitely not renege on the debt, nor will I do such a despicable thing."

"The necessary funds have been prepared. I only ask that Senior Brother Lingji come with me to bolster my reputation and prevent Wang Wu from demanding exorbitant sums."

Senior Brother Lingji breathed a slight sigh of relief: "Since we have nothing else to do, let's settle this matter now."

"good!"