Chapter 16: Mystic Arts, Shen Nong Cultivation Technique!

"In the bountifully spiritual instance, you deeply inhale, sensing the delightful resonance from every cell in your body."

"Accompanied by Jin Congxue, you both proceeded towards a thatched cottage. Upon knocking the door, an elderly yet youthful-looking man appeared."

"The elder praised both of you as individuals blessed with profound fortunes, assigning the task of cultivating spirit fields."

"You and Jin Congxue received separate plots of land for cultivation."

"Due to your breakthrough to the fifth stage of Qi Refinement, your body harbored more abundant spiritual energy, resulting in exceptional growth of your spirit field."

"In your leisure moments, you imparted knowledge about farming to Jin Congxue and aided in ripening spiritual grains."

"A camaraderie gradually blossomed between you and Jin Congxue."

"On the day of task submission, the elder rewarded Jin Congxue with 20 spirit stones and 20 pounds of spiritual rice."

"After Jin Congxue left the instance, the elder called you aside."

"The elder presented a qualification assessment stone and asked you to place your hand upon it."

"As your hand touched the stone, it emitted alternating green and red radiance."

"The elder nodded with a faint smile, commending your exceptional aptitude and the potential to embark on the path of immortality."

"He handed you a jade slip and a bag of seeds, stating that your Wood elemental spiritual energy suited the cultivation of spirit fields. He mentioned a likelihood of your initiation into the alchemical path if you acquired Fire elemental techniques."

"Instead of accepting the elder's rewards, you sought to become his disciple."

"Regrettably, the elder shook his head, mentioning your failure to fulfill his tasks and commencing your cultivation too late in life, missing the prime years for immortality cultivation."

Helplessly, you accepted the jade slip and the seeds, departing from the instance.

Staying in Jinling City for a few days, you forged a deep friendship with Jin Congxue.

After some days, you returned to Kyoto University and delved into researching the jade slip and the seeds bestowed by the elder.

Infusing spiritual energy into the jade slip revealed the existence of the 'Shen Nong Cultivation Technique,' detailing cultivation methods for thousands of spiritual plants and their various uses, containing thirteen minor cultivation techniques for nurturing these plants.

Despite months of study, you barely scratched the surface, realizing the exceptional nature of the 'Shen Nong Cultivation Technique.'

In the following days, you simultaneously studied this mystical art while continuing your cultivation.

After a year, your Qi Refinement progressed to the First Stage of Foundation Establishment.

Having gleaned insights into the 'Shen Nong Cultivation Technique,' you learned the cultivation method for spiritual grains.

In the second year, you voluntarily withdrew from school, returning to your rural hometown.

With limited savings, you purchased a mountainous area in the countryside, believing the fresh air in the depths of the mountains suited spiritual plant cultivation.

You cultivated two acres of uncultivated land, commencing the cultivation of spiritual grains.

Attempting to learn the 'Gathering Spiritual Formation' from the thirteen minor cultivation techniques, you failed in your endeavors.

Helplessly, you resorted to burying spirit stones in the fertile land to gradually enhance the soil quality.

Three years passed swiftly.

In the fifth year, through diligent cultivation, the once barren land transformed into a spirit field, albeit requiring the monthly expenditure of ten spirit stones, causing you considerable distress.

The variable quality of the spirit field resulted in varying grades of spiritual grains, still yielding a substantial amount of spiritual rice.

In the sixth year, you reaped the harvest from the two-acre land, converting it into spiritual rice, acquiring a thousand pounds of second-rate spiritual rice.

Despite being second-rate, this spiritual rice aided in your cultivation breakthroughs.

Devoting a year to relentless cultivation, consuming over a hundred pounds of spiritual rice, your bodily cultivation reached the Seventh Layer of Body Tempering.

In the seventh year, you attended the funeral of your younger sister, Su Nian'an.

Shortly after the funeral, you returned to the mountains, continuing to cultivate the spirit field, resembling an aged farmer amidst the mountains.

Every day, you toiled with a hoe, working from sunrise to sunset, often engrossed in the mystical arts, neglecting sleep and sustenance.

By the eighth year, the number of spirit stones in your possession dwindled to just a dozen.

You attempted to bury the husks of the spiritual grains in the spirit field to maintain its spiritual essence, but the results were meager.

You reduced the land from two acres to half an acre, occasionally using a spirit stone to replenish the field's spiritual essence.

Your proficiency in cultivating spiritual plants rapidly increased, providing you with a glimpse into the 'Gathering Spiritual Formation.'

In the tenth year, you attended the funeral of Yu Yan.

Upon finishing the funeral, instead of rushing back, you sought out Jin Congxue.

Trading a hundred pounds of second-rate spiritual rice with her, you acquired 20 spirit stones.

Despite Jin Congxue's attempt to persuade you to stay, your determination for farming prevailed, and after a few days of entanglement, you returned to your hometown.

Five more years elapsed, arriving at the fifteenth year.

During these five years, you mastered the cultivation methods for spiritual grains and several spiritual medicines. Through unwavering efforts, you finally grasped the rudiments of the 'Gathering Spiritual Formation.'

Due to your continuous consumption of spiritual rice over these years, pushing the limits of your physical body, your Qi Refinement advanced to the Third Stage of Foundation Establishment, while your bodily cultivation reached the Seventh Stage of Body Tempering.

One day, while tending to the fields, you noticed the sky darkening.

Raising your head, you beheld a colossal beast obscuring the heavens.

In defiance, you gestured a raised middle finger toward the beast, a glimmer of hope lingering in your eyes.

"You have died!"

Activating your 'Die Without Regret' talent...

"Ding, simulation concluded!"

"You may choose one reward from the following: Dual Wood-Fire Spiritual Roots (Talent), Third Stage of Foundation Establishment (Cultivation), Seventh Stage of Body Tempering (Cultivation), Shen Nong Cultivation Technique (Mystic Art), Fifty Pounds of Second-rate Spiritual Rice (Item), Insights on Farming from the Simulation (Insight)."

"Dual Wood-Fire Spiritual Roots: Green-tier talent, priced at 10,000 energy points."

"Third Stage of Foundation Establishment: Cultivation, priced at 2,700 energy points."

"Seventh Stage of Body Tempering: Cultivation, priced at 7,500 energy points."

"Shen Nong Cultivation Technique: Mystic Art, priced at 1 billion energy points."

"Fifty Pounds of Second-rate Spiritual Rice: Item, priced at 25,000 energy points."

"Insights on Farming from the Simulation: Insight, priced at 10,000 energy points."

After a prolonged silence, Su Xing finally returned from the simulation, murmuring:

"This simulation... truly offered abundant gains!"

Undoubtedly, in this simulation, Su Xing embarked on a radically different path from his previous pursuit of wealth and prosperity.

He became wholly engrossed in farming, cultivating spiritual plants madly, paving a new path for exploration.

However, what astounded Su Xing the most was acquiring a mystical art, the Shen Nong Cultivation Technique, within this instance!

Although not a means to enhance his strength like techniques or divine abilities, this cultivation technique held exceptional value for Su Xing.

Previously limited to spiritual energy and lacking in mystical abilities, this Shen Nong Cultivation Technique proved immensely precious, even at the staggering price of 1 billion energy points.

"This cultivation technique is indeed exorbitantly priced, but the greater the price... the more apparent its immense power!" thought Su Xing.

Furthermore, what surprised him even more was the appearance of a completely new reward in this simulation—an insight!

This implied that Su Xing could spend a significant amount of time studying a particular technique and subsequently bring out the insights gained from the simulation, saving him a substantial amount of time in understanding mystical arts.

"In the end, I must choose this!" Su Xing's lips curled slightly upwards.

(End of this Chapter)