Chapter 322: Breaking the Record Again |
Instead of heading for the outer Spirit Farms, Jiang Chen flew home first.
His menagerie was waiting. Da Huang, Gege, the flock of Pearl Chickens, and even the turtle and carp in his pond—none of them had been fed. It wasn’t as if missing a meal or two would kill them, but Jiang Chen felt a sense of responsibility. They had thrown their lot in with him; it was his duty to care for them properly.
The journey was swift and without incident. He soon touched down in his own Spirit Farm.
The moment Da Huang saw his master return from the “hunt,” he went wild. Though Jiang Chen’s hands were empty, the dog’s tail whipped back and forth like a metronome on overdrive as it bounded forward, throwing itself enthusiastically into his arms.
Looking at the beast, now nearly the size of a calf, Jiang Chen couldn’t help but smile. He compared the dog to the tiny puppy it once was and realized that, at its core, nothing had changed. It was still the same lovable, energetic furball.
After a vigorous ruffling of Da Huang’s head, Jiang Chen produced the Jade Green Gourd and poured out some Top-quality Spirit Rice. He fed Gege first, then the twenty Pearl Chickens and five Fire Crows. Last came the inhabitants of the pond.
Ever since the Dragon Carp had vanished, the once-lazy Light Spirit Turtle had undergone a personality shift. It had abandoned its lethargy and established itself as the undisputed tyrant of the small pond, leaving the Red-tailed Carp to tremble in its wake.
Jiang Chen clicked his tongue, amused. “Well, well. I never took you for the ambitious type.”
Once all the animals were fed, he gave the poplar tree a quick inspection. Seeing nothing amiss, he entered his stone house to prepare his own breakfast and lunch.
He already had a good estimate of how many outer disciples would be promoted this season. Besides Miao Huayu, who had earned an early promotion for cultivating a mutated spirit plant, he didn’t expect more than fifteen others to make the cut by the end of summer. Jiang Chen’s frequent patrols of the outer area kept him well-informed.
When he finally arrived at the outer Spirit Farms, he was met with a surprise. The full disciple sent to oversee the harvest wasn’t Luo Tie with his Gold Toad. It was a complete stranger, someone who wasn’t even from Beast Mountain.
The man was a Metal Spirit Root disciple from Fire Peak. He was clearly a full disciple, but looked to be in his forties or fifties. Tall and rail-thin, he was silent and severe, clearly not one for small talk.
The moment Lin Ya spotted Jiang Chen, a wave of relief washed over her. “You’re finally here!”
“With all of you holding down the fort, it hardly matters if I show up or not,” Jiang Chen replied with a half-smile.
Lin Ya glanced at the stern-faced man beside her before making the introduction. “Senior Brother Jiang, this is Senior Brother Luo Tan from Fire Peak. He’s in charge of this summer’s harvest.”
Jiang Chen cupped his hands. “Fellow Daoist Luo.”
Luo Tan had no intention of wasting words on a group of juniors, but then his eyes caught the token hanging from Jiang Chen’s waist—the emblem of a Spirit Farm Cultivation Envoy. His expression shifted instantly, and he scrambled to return the salute. “So it’s Fellow Daoist… ah, Envoy Jiang!”
Jiang Chen’s smile didn’t waver, but his eyes held a cool understanding. He had assumed the man was simply aloof. Now he saw the truth: he was just another cultivator who judged a man by his rank.
“Let’s begin the harvest,” Jiang Chen said, his tone even.
This time, the outer disciples merely watched. Luo Tan handled the work himself. He channeled the Metal spiritual power from his Qi sea, unleashing the Gengjin Divergence Technique.
In an instant, his spiritual power fractured into dozens of fine golden streams. They descended like a metallic rain upon the plot of spirit rice, each stream precisely targeting a single stalk and severing it with a flash of razor-sharp energy.
Jiang Chen nodded slightly. At this rate, we’ll be done early.
Just then, an outer disciple in a white robe approached him. “Senior Brother Jiang!”
Jiang Chen glanced over and recognized him immediately. “Miao… Huayu, right?”
His memory of this particular disciple was sharper than most. The reason was simple: the young man possessed an absurd amount of luck and a remarkable talent for cultivation. He had somehow managed to nurture a mutated spirit rice plant in a mere first-grade Spirit Farm.
How could anyone forget something so ridiculous?
Miao Huayu asked shyly, “Senior Brother Jiang, I heard from the others that after we’re promoted, we get to choose the location of our second-grade Spirit Farm?”
“That’s right,” Jiang Chen confirmed.
“They all said that the moment we’re promoted, we should choose a plot closest to you. Why is that?”
Jiang Chen considered the question for a long moment, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Perhaps,” he finally said, his tone perfectly deadpan, “it’s because I’m a decent guy?”
Miao Huayu pressed on eagerly, “Then… can I also choose a plot near you?”
Jiang Chen’s lips curved into a genuine smile. “Of course.”
Miao Huayu’s eyes lit up. “That’s wonderful!”
The harvest continued steadily, lasting from morning into the afternoon. Luo Tan, with his Metal Spirit Root, was far more efficient than Luo Tie from Beast Mountain. What usually took until dusk was now finished an hour ahead of schedule.
As for the promotions, Jiang Chen’s prediction had been spot on. Besides Miao Huayu, exactly fifteen other outer disciples had successfully advanced.
During the last harvest in spring, thirteen had been promoted. This time, it was sixteen including Miao Huayu. While only an increase of a few people, it was enough to break the record once again, and in the span of a single season.
Lin Ya couldn’t help but marvel, “By the winter harvest, we’ll probably break twenty.”
Luo Tan, who had only visited the Spirit Farms a handful of times, was unfamiliar with these trends. “So, do I need to escort the newly promoted disciples to the core area?”
Jiang Chen waved a hand dismissively. “No need. I’ll take it from here.”
Luo Tan gave a curt nod. “Very well. My task is complete. Farewell, Envoy Jiang.”
“Farewell, Fellow Daoist Luo,” Jiang Chen replied, cupping his hands.
The moment Luo Tan departed, the newly promoted disciples swarmed Jiang Chen, their faces beaming. They were all familiar to him, having followed his guidance since the spring.
“Senior Brother Jiang, I finally did it! I’m a full disciple!”
“Thank you for everything, Senior Brother Jiang!”
“If you ever need anything, just say the word! We’ll do our best!”
Their young faces were flushed, eyes gleaming with a mixture of triumph and adoration. Becoming full disciples was one victory, but not letting down Senior Brother Jiang’s trust was another, greater one.
Normally, Jiang Chen would have to take them to collect their small Storage Bags and official disciple uniforms before reporting to the core area. But with the hunt for the Spirit-Eroding Fungus King scheduled for that night, he had no time to waste.
He told them to go pack their belongings immediately; they would be reporting ahead of schedule.
The group turned and ran for their rooms, buzzing with excitement. Only Miao Huayu remained, having already packed his things in the Storage Bag he’d received earlier.
About ten minutes later, the others returned, their arms laden with their meager possessions. There were too many of them, and they had too much baggage for the Giant Leaf.
So, Jiang Chen summoned something else.
With a wave of his hand, the Demon Dragon Water-Avoiding Boat materialized before them.
Jaws dropped. The sight of the monstrous, dragon-boned vessel sent a ripple of shock through the crowd. A few of the disciples even stumbled back, their faces paling in fright.
Jiang Chen leaped gracefully onto the deck. He landed with a soft thud, then turned and waved down at the nervous group below.
“Don’t just stand there,” he called out, a grin playing on his lips. “Come aboard!”