Longevity: Starting as a menial servant in the Green Wood Sect

Two days have passed in the blink of an eye.

The frenzy of the manhunt was like a summer thunderstorm—it came fiercely and went quickly. Field No. 7 of the Bingzi area was turned upside down, and several litters of stray dogs from the mass grave were driven away, but Xun Meng seemed to have vanished into thin air. He was nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead.

Zhao Feng flew into a rage, gave a beating to several of Xun Meng's close henchmen, and then left with a dark face.

After all, he was just a menial servant and not qualified for the Enforcement Hall to use high-level resources like "Spirit Inquiry Talismans".

Rumors began to spread like wildfire. Some said Xun Meng stole the spirit stones from Steward Zhao and absconded with the money; others said he eloped with a senior sister from the outer sect; still others claimed to have seen him in a mortal town a hundred miles away.

All this commotion was kept outside the barrier of Field No. 4, Grade C by Gu An. As long as he wasn't implicated, there was no need to panic; if the sky fell, there were tall people to hold it up.

Right now, Gu An only had one thing on his mind—the control panel.

The midday sun was scorching, and most of the Lingnong people sought refuge in the shade of trees to cool off, or gathered in small groups to gossip about Xunzi and Mengzi.

Only Gu An, like a tireless fool, stood in the middle of the field ridge.

He formed hand seals, his ten fingers flying across the paper, each movement so precise it was as if measured with a ruler.

"Rise." With a low shout, a cloud of white mist the size of a washbasin slowly condensed three feet above Gu An's head. That was the process of spiritual energy transforming into water vapor.

"fall."

With a change of gesture, the white mist trembled and transformed into fine drizzle, sprinkling onto the yellow rice plants below.

[Minor Cloud Rain Technique Experience +1]

The rain was sparse and unevenly distributed. Some leaves were soaked through, while others only had a few drops on them. This was the Lesser Cloud Rain Technique at the "Proficient" level—it was usable, but not easy to use, and extremely energy-consuming.

Gu An's face was slightly pale, and the vortex of energy in his dantian had dimmed.

This is the fifth time he has used the Minor Cloud Rain Technique today.

For anyone else, the tedious repetition would have worn down their will long ago, but looking at the line of data jumping on the panel, he felt only an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

[Small Cloud Rain Technique: Proficient (197/200)]

Two more tries to go.

"Gu boy, stop practicing!" On the ridge next to the field, Old Zhang tapped his pipe and shook his head at Gu An's desperate posture. "In this blazing sun, be careful not to get sunburned. No matter how hard you practice this magic, with our aptitude, at best we can only reach the level of proficiency, not actually turn into flowers."

"Besides, no matter how well you master this kind of thankless spell, it's not as practical as saving up some spirit stones to buy a cultivation manual to practice."

Gu An wiped away the salty sweat that had gotten into his eyes and smiled憨厚ly: "Uncle Zhang, I'm a slow bird that flies early. It's always good to practice more. Maybe I can harvest dozens of kilograms more next year."

"Stubborn," Old Zhang muttered, then rolled over and dozed off in the shade of a tree.

Gu An didn't stop. He swallowed a low-quality Qi-restoring pill, the medicinal power transforming into a trickle of water to nourish his parched meridians. This method of forcibly squeezing out potential was very harmful to the body, but in the face of a survival crisis, this damage was nothing.

If he doesn't become stronger as soon as possible, once Zhao Feng realizes what's going on or discovers the token he hid underground, it won't be Xun Meng who dies, but Gu An.

One hundred and ninety-eight, one hundred and ninety-nine.

As the sun sets in the west, the evening glow is as red as blood.

The farmers in the fields gradually finished their work and went home, and the noisy fields returned to silence.

Gu An stood in the most remote corner of the one-acre spiritual field, where there were a few "weak seedlings" that were always short of water due to the high altitude, and they were the weakest.

He took a deep breath, cleared his mind of all distractions, and focused all his attention on his dantian.

This last time, he didn't rush to act. Instead, he closed his eyes and recalled the sensations of each of the thousands of spells he had cast: the condensation of water vapor, the guidance of spiritual energy, the falling raindrops…

"Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger, and rain nourishes all things."

A mysterious feeling came to my mind.

Gu An suddenly opened his eyes. His hands did not form complicated hand seals; he simply put two fingers together and made a light stroke in the air.

"Gather!"

This sound was no longer the dry, harsh one of before, but carried a unique rhythm.

The previously scattered water elemental energy seemed to have received a royal decree and instantly swarmed in.

No longer a pale, thin mist, a cloud tinged with a faint bluish-green hue instantly formed above my fingertips. The cloud solidified, and I could vaguely see the churning water vapor inside.

"fall!"

The clouds burst open silently. This time, there was no gale, no splashing water.

It was a fine drizzle, like cow's hair or flower needles, dense and gentle, carrying a refreshing coolness and vibrant life, precisely covering those few seedlings.

Every drop of rain that falls is instantly and greedily absorbed by the leaves and soil, with not a single drop wasted or lost.

Gu An felt a sudden boom in his mind, as if an invisible barrier had been pierced.

The light screen in front of me suddenly shone brightly.

[Minor Cloud Rain Technique Experience +1]

[Congratulations! Your Little Cloud Rain Technique has broken through to: Mastery (1/600)]

[Understanding Trait: Spiritual Charm (Rainwater contains a faint wood elemental energy, which can stimulate plant growth)]

Gu An looked at his still dripping hands, his eyes filled with shock.

It's just a leap in one level, but the effects are worlds apart!

The "proficient" Cloud and Rain Technique I just used only consumed 70% of my previous spiritual power, but the amount of rain it produced was twice as much as before. More importantly, it contained the so-called "spiritual essence".

Ordinary cloud and rain spells simply transport moisture from the air for irrigation.

Those at the master level can even perfectly integrate the spiritual energy of their own wood-type techniques into the rainwater!

This was a qualitative change. Gu An squatted down to examine the few seedlings that had just been nourished.

The originally withered and curled leaves are now unfolding at a speed visible to the naked eye, and a touch of tender green has reappeared in the veins, as if the dead wood has just come back to life.

"That's the value of technology."

Gu An suppressed his overwhelming joy. In the world of cultivation, combat power is certainly important, but his skill in farming is the foundation for a low-level cultivator like him to make a living and even defy fate.

With this skill, he can grow high-quality spirit grains, exchange them for more spirit stones, and buy better cultivation techniques and pills.

This is a positive cycle and a good start.

Night completely enveloped the fields.

Gu An didn't rush back. Under the cover of night, he quietly arrived at his "private plot" that he had enclosed with a concealment array (which was actually just a few piles of rocks and weeds).

Here are ten of the strongest yellow-sprout rice plants that he specially selected for seed saving.

"Since the results are so good, let's try it to the limit."

Gu An sat down cross-legged, waiting for his spiritual power to recover to its peak.

Half an hour later, he stood up and flicked his fingers, performing the Minor Cloud Rain Technique three times in succession at the master level.

The bluish-green rain and mist completely enveloped the ten rice stalks.

After doing all this, Gu An dragged his extremely tired yet unusually excited body back to the thatched hut.

He slept soundly that night.

……

The next morning, the rooster crowed at dawn.

As usual, Gu An carried a hoe to the field.

As he approached the vicinity of that "private plot," his steps abruptly halted, and his pupils contracted sharply.

Through the gaps in the rocky enclosure, several yellow rice plants had grown taller than they had yesterday!

Originally, the rice had just begun to sprout ears, but now the ears were drooping slightly, the grains so full they seemed about to burst through the husks, emitting a strong, almost pungent, rice fragrance.

One night's work is equivalent to nearly ten days of growth!

"broken."

Gu An was not delighted; instead, he broke out in a cold sweat.

The effect is too strong, almost ridiculously so.

If it were a slow and gradual process, one could attribute it to good luck or fertile soil. But such immediate results, if seen by someone with ulterior motives, would make it obvious to anyone that there's a secret at play.

Every husband is not guilty, and he is guilty of his crime.

In this cannibalistic sect, if a lowly servant with no background suddenly acquires skills comparable to an inner sect plant master, his fate will definitely not be to be given an important position, but to be captured and studied, or to be used as a slave for high-level cultivators and imprisoned for life.

"These clues must be covered up."

Gu An looked around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly disappeared into the pile of rocks.

Without the slightest hesitation, he reached out and snapped off the best-growing rice stalks!

"Click."

The cracking sound was particularly jarring in the early morning.

Looking at the heavy, vibrant ears of top-quality rice in his hand, Gu An's heart was bleeding, but his eyes remained unusually cold and hard.

He crushed the broken rice stalks, mixed them with soil, and buried them deep in the ground. He then grabbed a handful of dry weeds and covered them with the mixture, making the scene look like a messy place that had been gnawed by wild animals.

Only after doing all this did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"It seems that in the future, when using the Proficient-level Cloud Rain Technique, I will have to control the amount and can only do it at night."

Gu An stood up, patted the dirt off his hands, and prepared to leave.

Suddenly, a sinister voice came from behind.

"Gu An, what are you doing sneaking around that pile of rocks so early in the morning?"

Gu An froze, then slowly turned around.

On the ridge of the field not far away, a tall, thin man dressed in black from the Law Enforcement Hall stood staring intently at him with the eyes of someone scrutinizing prey.

That person was none other than one of the law enforcement disciples who had followed Zhao Feng yesterday.

In his hand, he held a compass-shaped magical artifact, its pointer trembling slightly, pointing to Gu An's location.

Gu An's fingers instantly formed a hand seal within his sleeve, becoming alert.

Could it be that the Xun-Meng token buried underground has been discovered?

Or did the fluctuation of spiritual energy just now give it away?

Regardless of the reason, in this deserted corner in the early morning, he had to find a way to get through this unsuspecting situation.