Chapter Three: One Month

Just a single day!

In only a day, he had successfully mastered Spirit Rain, one of the two spells recorded in "Techniques for Spiritual Planting."

Although Spirit Rain was merely an entry-level spell for spiritual planters, with exceptionally low difficulty, most practitioners required ten days or half a month to perform it perfectly.

But him? He had succeeded after merely one day.

Though the Spirit Rain he cast was no more than a palm-sized cloud, this progress left He Song both astonished and delighted.

His predecessor, when practicing spells, had never reached such a pace.

Could it be, because he had traversed worlds, that his soul was stronger than his predecessor's, thus allowing him to advance faster in spellcraft?

This conjecture flashed through his mind.

He Song's gaze toward "Techniques for Spiritual Planting" shifted subtly.

If this were truly the case, then his path of cultivation might prove far smoother than he had ever imagined!

"Best to eat first. I’ve worked hard these days to learn these two spells. When I’ve fully mastered them, I’ll go to Bamboo Mountain Market and apply to become a spiritual planter."

"Only after becoming a spiritual planter can I truly settle down."

Placing the book aside, He Song turned to prepare a meal.

...

Time passed swiftly; in the blink of an eye, twenty days had quietly slipped by.

Morning.

Golden sunlight spilled through the window, bathing He Song in its warmth.

As his body grew comfortably warm, He Song opened his eyes just at the right moment.

"Spirit Arrow!"

A glint of spiritual light flickered in He Song’s eyes; forming a spell with his fingers, he summoned spiritual power within his body, producing a rod of spiritual light the thickness of a chopstick between his fingers.

The spiritual glow flickered, sharp as a sword’s edge.

This was a Spirit Arrow, condensed from He Song’s own spiritual energy.

With a mere thought, the Spirit Arrow shot forth from his fingertips.

Like a mundane arrow, the beam of light shot straight out, piercing through the floor of the room in the blink of an eye, leaving a deep, bottomless pit in the earth beneath.

A soft sound echoed.

He Song gazed at the pit, secretly clicking his tongue in amazement.

Such power.

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Could it rival a handgun?

If it struck a person, it would surely leave a gaping wound.

Moreover, once Spirit Arrow was practiced to proficiency, it consumed little spiritual energy; truly, this spell was perfect for driving pests from the fields—able to be cast repeatedly in a short span.

Though Spirit Arrow’s power was modest compared to other spells, it sufficed for pest control and not for combat.

Having witnessed the spell’s effectiveness, He Song rose in satisfaction.

At this point, twenty days had passed since He Song secluded himself to practice Spirit Rain and Spirit Arrow.

Over these twenty days, He Song had assumed his speed in mastering spells would far outpace his predecessor.

Yet, after careful comparison, He Song had to accept a simple truth.

His spell mastery was indeed faster than his predecessor’s—but not by a wide margin.

For either Spirit Rain or Spirit Arrow, it took the average cultivator nearly half a month to perform them properly, without loss of power.

His predecessor had been within this range.

However, He Song himself needed only twenty days to master both spells to full proficiency.

All things considered, He Song found his talent had improved, but only within reasonable bounds.

"Perhaps it's because I am a traverser, and having absorbed my predecessor’s memories, my soul is stronger," He Song mused.

A powerful soul did indeed confer great advantages in learning spells.

Even in the traditional hundred crafts of cultivation, a strong soul meant faster progress—whether in alchemy, talisman-making, artifact crafting, or formations.

Those with sharper senses due to a stronger soul always held the upper hand.

Yet He Song had not yet studied these arts, so he could only speculate, unable to test his theory.

...

After breakfast, He Song gathered all his belongings and, for the second time, opened his door.

The morning sun brought gentle warmth to his body.

The rows of houses, lined up like matchboxes, weighed slightly on He Song’s mood.

But soon, the heaviness faded.

Clenching his fist, feeling the readiness to unleash Spirit Arrow and Spirit Rain at any moment, He Song allowed a smile to touch his face.

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Today he ventured out for only one purpose.

To apply for the position of spiritual planter at Bamboo Mountain Market.

Once he became a spiritual planter there, he would be counted as one of their own.

Such a change of status would greatly increase He Song’s safety within Bamboo Mountain Market.

At the very least, so long as he avoided offending others, no one would trouble him without cause.

Closing the door behind him, He Song followed the memories of his predecessor, quickly choosing the right direction and heading toward the place where one applied to become a spiritual planter.

The Spiritual Medicine Pavilion.

Arriving according to his predecessor's memories, He Song found only a single elder on duty inside.

At that moment, the elder was engrossed in a book; upon seeing someone enter, he set it aside.

"Master Meng, I have learned Spirit Rain and Spirit Arrow, and have thoroughly studied 'Techniques for Spiritual Planting.' Today, I am here to apply to become a spiritual planter."

He Song bowed respectfully to the elder, addressing himself as junior.

Meng Guan, a cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, was one of the managers of the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion under Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.

He was responsible for recruiting spiritual planters and distributing seeds of spiritual rice and golden bamboo.

According to his predecessor’s memories, the copy of "Techniques for Spiritual Planting" had come from Meng Guan’s hands.

This path as a spiritual planter was granted by Meng Guan.

Otherwise, with only the first level of Qi Refinement, his predecessor would have had little hope of obtaining "Techniques for Spiritual Planting."

"So it’s you. Not bad—here already after just a month. Clearly you did not slack off in your practice; my intentions were not wasted," Meng Guan said, nodding with approval after studying He Song’s respectful salute.

But then his tone shifted.

"Come, demonstrate Spirit Rain and Spirit Arrow with all your strength. If you qualify, you will become a spiritual planter under the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion."

Naturally, one had to be tested in Spirit Rain and Spirit Arrow to become a spiritual planter.

Only those who had truly mastered these spells—able to cast them properly and without diminished effect—could be accepted.

Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market’s Spiritual Medicine Pavilion was no charity; entry required skill.

"Yes, elder," He Song replied, bowing again.

A gleam of spiritual light flashed in his eyes as he formed the spell.

Soon, a cloud of Spirit Rain large enough to cover several acres of spiritual fields condensed above.

As the gentle rain fell, threads of spiritual energy were drawn in, merging with the rain, soaking into the earth, and ultimately permeating the soil.

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