Eternal Life: Starting with Refreshing the Farmland

The Spirit Feather Sect's land reclamation area was located in the Yunze Wilderness, deep in the southwestern region of the Southern Wilderness cultivation world, a place rarely visited by humans.

The winters here were particularly harsh.

If Qin Ming hadn't transmigrated to this cultivation world, he wouldn't have known that even cultivators could feel the cold.

They still needed to eat, drink, and take care of their basic needs.

At the break of dawn, light snow began to fall over the shantytown.

The alley was eerily quiet, with only a few sparrows pecking at the garbage piles for food.

After winter set in, spirit farming entered a brief two-month rest period.

The next season's spirit rice would be sown before the Qingming Festival; otherwise, the frosty winds would lead to a high rate of hollow grains.

Though the winter was cold, the chill brought a sense of peace.

The changing seasons reminded Qin Ming that the warmth of early spring was drawing near.

Qin Ming was clearing the snow from his doorstep when the wooden door of his neighbor, Li Yanli, creaked open.

She stepped out, dressed in a peach-colored padded jacket, exuding charm and a faint scent of rouge. She carried a wooden basin to dispose of her washing water.

"Good morning, Sister Li."

Seeing her, Qin Ming smiled and greeted her.

"Good morning, Brother Qin. You're such a hard worker!" Li Yanli replied with a coy smile.

"I heard your last season's spirit rice yield was astonishing. You must have made quite a bit from selling it, right?"

"Ah, it was just luck," Qin Ming said modestly.

After exchanging pleasantries, Qin Ming was about to head back inside when Li Yanli called out to him.

"Brother Qin, wait a moment."

She looked slightly embarrassed, a hint of shyness on her face. "I know I've been a bit noisy lately, disturbing your rest. If you don't mind, why don't you come inside? I can offer you a free session."

Qin Ming was stunned, his face turning red.

Honestly, as a young man full of vigor, how could he resist such a temptation?

'Is the warmth of spring coming too soon?'

'Or is the economic situation really that bad?'

'Starting morning exercises this early?'

'Stay calm, stay calm!'

He suspected that what she was after wasn't his life, but the spirit stones in his pocket.

Qin Ming's Dao heart wavered once more.

Suddenly, the image of a robust figure flashed in his mind—Brother Long, a late-stage eighth-level Qi Refinement cultivator.

'Better not mess with him. Let's just forget it.'

Qin Ming quickly cooled down and regained his composure.

"Uh, thank you for the offer, but I've been working hard in the fields lately, and my back has been acting up."

With that, he hurried back inside without looking back.

"Sigh, beauty is a skeleton that disturbs the Dao heart!"

Qin Ming quickly washed his face, trying to clear his mind.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

There was a knock at the door.

'Could it be her? Did she come to me?'

'This is too much!'

'If that's the case, I'll just have to face it head-on!'

Qin Ming opened the door, only to find Old Jiu standing there.

He glanced around, making sure no one else was there, and casually said, "Oh, it's you."

Old Jiu was holding two packages, a cheerful smile on his face. But upon hearing Qin Ming's words, he froze.

He looked around, then frowned. "What do you mean, 'it's you'? Who else were you expecting?"

"I brought you a bottle of homemade sweet potato wine."

"Fine, I'll just leave then." Old Jiu turned to go.

Qin Ming quickly apologized, "Wait, wait, I didn't mean it like that. Come on in."

Old Jiu handed Qin Ming the bottle of wine, still annoyed. "What's there to sit for?"

"Did you know we have a new neighbor?"

Qin Ming took the wine, looking puzzled. "A new neighbor?"

Old Jiu sighed, realizing Qin Ming had been cooped up for too long and was out of the loop.

He pointed at Qin Ming and said, "I don't even know what to say about you."

"A few days ago, a new cultivator moved into the alley. He's a genuine alchemist!"

"An alchemist?"

Among the various arts of cultivation, alchemy, artifact forging, talisman-making, and formation-setting were the most prestigious.

Pills were an essential resource for cultivators, whether for daily cultivation, breaking through bottlenecks, healing injuries, or even extending life and preserving youth.

Sooner or later, everyone would need an alchemist.

Building a good relationship with one could prove useful someday.

"But... why would an alchemist move to the shantytown?" Qin Ming asked, confused.

After all, learning alchemy was a costly endeavor. Even the most talented alchemists needed vast amounts of resources to hone their skills, something only major sects could afford.

Poorer sects couldn't sustain such expenses.

"He's probably just an unranked alchemist, right?"

"I heard he's only staying for a year. He didn't say why, though."

"Hurry up and prepare a gift. Let's go pay him a visit and get acquainted."

Old Jiu urged impatiently.

"So you only brought me wine as an afterthought? I'm just tagging along for the alchemist's sake," Qin Ming said, feeling a bit exasperated.

Soon, the two of them made their way through a few alleys and arrived at the new neighbor's door.

Old Jiu knocked, and after a moment, the door opened.

A young man in his twenties, dressed in white and at the fifth level of Qi Refinement, greeted them.

Neither Qin Ming nor Old Jiu had expected the alchemist to be so young.

"We heard that an alchemist has moved in, so we came to pay a visit and get acquainted. We're neighbors now, after all," Old Jiu said cheerfully.

After exchanging greetings and introducing themselves, the two presented their gifts.

Qin Ming offered five pounds of spirit rice, while Old Jiu added a bottle of homemade wine to his gift.

"Just a small token of our respect."

The young alchemist accepted the gifts and invited them inside.

"Please, come in. No need to stand on ceremony."

"My name is Su Yuqing. Here's a little something in return." The young alchemist handed each of them a small jade vial.

Qin Ming politely accepted the vial and glanced inside.

It contained a Qi Restoration Pill, which could help cultivators quickly recover their spiritual energy.

A low-grade Qi Restoration Pill was worth about five spirit stones.

As expected of an alchemist, his gifts were generous.

In contrast, Qin Ming and Old Jiu exchanged awkward glances, feeling their gifts were rather meager in comparison.

'It feels like we came here just to mooch pills.'

Fortunately, Alchemist Su didn't seem to mind.

"I am indeed an alchemist. I recently advanced to a first-tier mid-grade alchemist and decided to take a break," Su Yuqing said with a hint of pride.

Alchemists held a prestigious status. Even an unranked alchemy apprentice who could brew basic pills could earn a decent income.

A first-tier mid-grade alchemist like Su Yuqing would be welcomed as an honored guest by any faction.

Given his youth, Su Yuqing likely had exceptional talent and the potential to advance further.

His future was bright, and he was undoubtedly a target for recruitment by major factions.

People like Qin Ming and Old Jiu, small fry in comparison, couldn't hope to form meaningful connections with someone of his stature.

Their destinies were simply on different levels.

"So Alchemist Su is a first-tier mid-grade alchemist!"

"Our apologies for the earlier informality."

Old Jiu and Qin Ming quickly bowed in respect.

Alchemist Su sat comfortably in his chair, sipping tea as if their reverence was only natural.

Just then, someone else entered the room.

The three turned to see none other than Brother Long.

Alchemist Su stood up to greet him, and Brother Long returned the gesture with a respectful bow.

After exchanging pleasantries, Brother Long presented two jade boxes to Alchemist Su as gifts.

"A first-tier mid-grade demon beast core and some Xuanling Grass!" Alchemist Su smiled.

He reached into his storage pouch and pulled out an exquisite jade vial, handing it to Brother Long in return.

"Two Spirit Gathering Pills."

"They can enhance Qi Refinement cultivation and are effective even for late-stage cultivators."

Brother Long and Alchemist Su then engaged in lively conversation, completely ignoring Qin Ming and Old Jiu.

...

Half an hour later, Qin Ming and Old Jiu took their leave, both looking somewhat disheartened.

"That was too presumptuous of us."

"Why didn't you tell me Alchemist Su was so young? And a mid-grade alchemist at that!"

"How was I supposed to know?"

"Next time there's something like this, don't invite me."

...

(End of Chapter)