Li Mu formed a hand seal with his right hand, gathering the earth-gray spiritual power between his fingers and releasing it into a barren land.

With a "boom", the barren land split open as if an Earth Dragon had passed through, the ground cracked, soil flew, and in the blink of an eye, three zhang of barren land was turned over, exposing numerous weed roots.

"This Earth Flipping Technique is really useful!"

Looking at the effects of the Earth Flipping Technique, Li Mu gleefully exclaimed; this was just the result of initially learning the technique, and its effects would surely be stronger when upgraded.

If he had learned the Earth Flipping Technique earlier, he wouldn't have struggled so much when opening the Spirit Field.

Li Mu used up all the Free Skill Points to upgrade the Earth Flipping Technique to level one, and then picked up another Jade Scroll to continue learning.

...

Time flew by, and the sun set in the west.

Li Mu glanced at the log, feeling a great sense of achievement, having learned a bunch of technique inheritances throughout the afternoon.

Withering and Flourishing Technique, Spirit Transformation Technique, Soil Testing Technique, Earth Flipping Technique, Harvesting Technique, Drying Technique, ... all thirteen auxiliary techniques for Spirit Plant Cultivators were learned. From now on, farming would be done through techniques, without personally tending the fields.

Not only did efficiency improve, but it was also greatly beneficial to the Spirit Plants.

In addition, Li Mu learned the Skin Stripping Technique for making talisman paper, Skin Making Technique, and a Profound-level Top-Grade Body Technique Inheritance - Five Elements Illusion Body Technique.

Unfortunately, all Free Skill Points had been exhausted, so the Five Elements Illusion Body Technique couldn't be upgraded.

Nevertheless, even at entry level, Li Mu deeply felt the extraordinary power of this Profound Level Cultivation Technique.

With the Five Elements Escape Minor Divine Techniques grasped through the Five Elements Technique, when the Five Elements Illusion Body Technique was used, its effects were remarkable, capable of illusion and escape, increasing power several times over.

...

Night fell quietly, and Li Mu paused, his body suddenly transformed into a mass of soil, falling to the ground and disappearing.

In the courtyard, Li Mu's figure split from the wooden door, the wood-like body transforming into living flesh, a wondrous sight.

Li Mu combined Five Elements Escape to try the Five Elements Illusion Body Technique, its effects were miraculous.

With this Body Technique mastered, combined with Sword Array, Array, and Puppet Dao's Puppet Army, Li Mu was confident he could stand his ground even against a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Li Mu smiled contentedly, walked to the stove, and began to light a fire to cook.

Soon, the fire was roaring in the stove, steam billowing from the pot lid, emitting the aroma of Spirit Rice.

With the absence of the Red Wolf's commotion, Li Mu noticed Little Liang Mountain was too quiet, somewhat unsettling.

However, for now, Li Mu couldn't bring the Red Wolf back; first thing tomorrow, he needed to go to Qing'an Town to pay the sect's tenant rent, then hurry to Qingshui Town for his new post, unaware of what might await him.

Li Mu sighed, "I can only wait until things are settled in Qingshui Town before bringing the Red Wolf back."

The next morning, bright and early.

Li Mu rose by Sword Control and in less than three hundred breaths, he landed at Qing'an Town's gate, paid a Broken Spirit for entry fees to the guard, and headed straight to the sect's residence.

Qing'an Town, Residence Courtyard

"Senior Brother Wang, Senior Brother Wang, something's wrong! That guy arrived early from Little Liang Mountain!" Lin Qiu Hai ran to the inner hall, found Wang Feng, and said quietly.

"What, the rent payment day hasn't arrived yet, why is he here!" Wang Feng exclaimed in surprise and confusion.

"He came to pay his rent early, having passed the Outer Sect's assessment, he's now an Outer Disciple, and he's going to Qingshui Town for a post." Lin Qiu Hai quickly explained.

"What!" Wang Feng's expression turned serious, and he felt enraged.

"Senior Brother Wang, what should we do now? Should the plan continue?" Lin Qiu Hai asked hesitantly, looking at Wang Feng.

"Isn't he going to work in Qingshui Town? It's just the opportunity we need. Go, notify Miss Yan, I'll handle him," Wang Feng signaled Lin Qiu Hai.

Having spoken, Wang Feng walked straight to the main hall to personally face Li Mu, the one who caused him great losses.

In the main hall stood a young man, about eighteen, dressed in an Outer Disciple Robe, with a seemingly smiling expression, meeting his gaze.

Keeping a stern face, Wang Feng stepped forward and approached Li Mu woodenly.

"Senior Brother Wang, you've finally arrived; there's fourteen hundred jin of White Jade Spirit Rice, the rent I owe this year, please have Senior Brother Wang verify it," Li Mu pointed to a corner stacked with Spirit Rice Bags.

Following Li Mu's indication, Wang Feng looked towards the hall's corner to find a stack of Spirit Rice Bags piled up at some point.

"This isn't urgent, when did you pass the Outer Sect assessment?" Wang Feng looked briefly before focusing on Li Mu's Outer Disciple Robe, asking in a deep voice.

Wang Feng had achieved the Late-Stage Eighth Layer of Qi Refining by dubious means to pass the Outer Sect assessment himself, so he was quite astonished that this kid, only at the Early Stage of Qi Refining Seventh Layer, managed to pass.

"A few days ago! Just returned from Gangyang City," Li Mu replied casually to Wang Feng's scrutinizing gaze, hinting, "I'll continue renting the two mu of Spirit Field on Little Liang Mountain, and ask that Senior Brother Wang keep taking care of them."

Upon hearing this, Wang Feng frowned, asking Li Mu, "Aren't you going to Qingshui Town for your post? You still want to keep renting the Spirit Field on Little Liang Mountain? Can you manage them all?"

For the ten mu of Middle-Grade Spirit Field on Little Liang Mountain, Wang Feng had paid a heavy price, lost all his savings, and assumed this guy, after getting promoted to Outer Disciple, would sensibly leave. But unexpectedly, he clung to it tenaciously.

"Qingshui Town is only sixty li away from Qing'an Town, with Sword Control, it's just a brief time to make tea, not far at all!" Li Mu smiled, explaining, "Moreover, I've arduously opened several Spirit Fields on Little Liang Mountain, set up several arrays, invested much effort, how could I abandon it! Even if I can't manage it entirely, I have to do my utmost!"

Hearing this, Wang Feng's face darkened, his intent to kill Li Mu intensified.

Previously, the guy hid on Little Liang Mountain, and the assassins from Tingyu Tower couldn't bypass the mountain's arrays. Now, he had to go work in Qingshui Town yet couldn't part with Little Liang Mountain—often traveling between Little Liang Mountain and Qingshui Town, offering plenty of assassination opportunities. If Tingyu Tower failed again, that wouldn't be acceptable!

Realizing that this guy was heading to his own demise, bound to fall at the hands of Tingyu Tower's assassins, Wang Feng couldn't help but smile, pleased at the thought that eventually, all the opened Middle Grade Spirit Field on Little Liang Mountain would belong to him.

Seeing Wang Feng's face sometimes darken and sometimes spread into a smile, Li Mu furrowed his brow, remaining vigilant.

"Senior Brother Wang, please verify the Spirit Rice; if there's no issue, I must leave!" Li Mu urged, looking at Wang Feng.

"Alright, hold on," Wang Feng replied with a smile, walked to the stack of Spirit Rice Bags, opened one bag, and meticulously checked each.

After dawdling for a quarter of an hour, Wang Feng finally completed the verification, recording it in the rent book.

"Senior Brother Wang, I have other matters, I'll take my leave!" Seeing Wang Feng record his rent payment, Li Mu promptly bid farewell.

"Mm! Safe travels, Junior Brother!" Wang Feng chuckled, bidding farewell with a meaningful tone.

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