Chapter 512

Chapter 512: Clearing Land and Farming (Part 2)

Hovering above the spirit fields, Wang Chen deftly formed a spell with his hands.

As his magical energy surged, the mist enveloping the surrounding space swiftly coalesced, transforming into billowing clouds.

A gentle drizzle began to fall.

Though the rain bore no trace of spiritual energy, its pure dark energy served as the finest nourishment for the Three-Ying Grain.

In truth, the Three-Ying Grain should be called the Three-Yin Grain, as it thrives on the yin essence of water, air, and soil for its growth and propagation.

The spell Wang Chen had just cast was the Spring Breeze and Rain Fertilization Technique, a method he had mastered long ago but rarely employed since.

Due to its infrequent use, the technique remained at a basic level of proficiency.

Yet, it sufficed.

Each seed, now moistened by the rain, silently sank into the earth.

Slender white roots broke through their shells, delving deeper into the soil layer.

Tender green sprouts began to emerge!

In the span of an incense stick’s burn, the hundred acres of spirit fields were already blanketed with young grain shoots.

These verdant sprouts brought a vivid splash of color to the otherwise dreary landscape.

However, Wang Chen was acutely aware of their delicate nature.

Planting was merely the first step.

Next, Wang Chen scattered thumb-sized thorn seed pods around the perimeter of the spirit fields.

These seeds, pointed at both ends and rounded in the middle, were covered in sharp black thorns, making them quite prickly to handle.

These were the seeds of black iron thorns.

This time, Wang Chen applied the Decay and Flourish Technique to each seed he sowed.

Compared to the Spring Breeze and Rain Fertilization Technique, Wang Chen’s command over the Decay and Flourish Technique was far superior.

As soon as a black iron thorn seed touched the soil, it began to grow, rapidly sending out long vines that extended outward.

It voraciously absorbed nutrients from the soil and the surrounding dark energy, swiftly becoming robust.

The green vines turned black in an instant, their surfaces toughening and sprouting sharp spines.

Within half a tea time, vibrant flowers blossomed among the thorns.

These flowers boasted thick petals adorned with purple, blue, and pink spots.

Their cores exuded a rich, sweet fragrance.

A small insect, drawn by the floral scent, flew in from nearby and alighted on a flower core.

In an instant, the petals snapped shut.

When they reopened, the insect had disappeared without a trace.

Under Wang Chen’s guidance, each black iron thorn plant unfurled its vines and bloomed, reaching its peak state.

They intertwined with one another, forming an impenetrable barrier around the spirit fields.

This defensive line could not prevent evil spirits and monsters, but it could intercept and lure small creatures that damaged the spirit fields and spiritual grains.

The West Sea Sect had developed practical farming methods over hundreds of years in the Underworld Realm.

The Three-Ying Grain that Wang Chen had previously sown, along with the current black iron thorns, were both the results of the sect’s continuous cultivation efforts!

However, while the Decay and Flourish Technique was excellent for cultivating black iron thorns, allowing for the rapid establishment of a defense line, it was unsuitable for planting Three-Ying Grain—spiritual grains that were hastily matured contained little spiritual energy.

Finally, Wang Chen placed several scarecrows around the spirit fields.

These scarecrows were puppet-grade magical tools, designed to provide a warning.

If the spirit fields were threatened, the scarecrows would immediately alert Wang Chen at the Wei Hall, enabling him to respond promptly.

After completing the setup, Wang Chen returned to the Wei Hall.

In the quiet room, he retrieved the Purple Qi that Changhe Zhenren had bestowed upon him.

Wang Chen carefully opened the stopper of the jade bottle containing the Purple Qi, drew out a strand finer than a hair, and inhaled it deeply through his nose.

This pure Purple Qi, upon entering his body, swiftly descended to his dantian, circulating throughout his body and eventually being refined into a part of his cultivation level.

Compared to the ordinary great sun’s purple energy, the cultivation effect of the Purple Qi was exceptional.

Essentially, after one heavenly cycle, Wang Chen’s Preheaven Five Element Technique would gain 1 experience point.

At this rate, his ascension to the fifth layer of the Purple Palace was imminent.

However, a single strand of Purple Qi could not sustain such consumption. Wang Chen could only strive to maximize the effects of this precious heavenly material and treasure, enhancing his foundation and depth.

In contrast, breakthroughs in cultivation level became less significant.

In the following days, apart from regularly inspecting the spirit fields and removing weeds that grew in the fields, Wang Chen spent most of his time in the Wei Hall practicing.

Periodically, he received talismans from Mou Guangji, keeping him informed about external events and the situations of other disciples.

Curiously, Wang Chen found that life in the areas for expansion of the Underworld Realm was even more stable and quiet than in the West Sea Sect.

But his intuition told him that it was merely an illusion.

If the Underworld Realm were truly so harmless, it would have been fully conquered by the West Sea Sect long ago!

One day, while meditating in the quiet room, Wang Chen suddenly felt a jolt.

He opened his eyes and swiftly summoned a sword light, soaring out of the Wei Hall and arriving over the spirit fields in an instant.

Just then, one of the scarecrows had sent him a warning.

In the hundred acres of spirit fields he cultivated, all the grain seedlings had already grown to half a foot tall, thriving remarkably.

Within the bounds of the spirit fields, dark energy had been greatly weakened, replaced by abundant breath of living beings.

It was a sight that pleased the eye.

Surrounding the spirit fields, the thorny defense made of black iron thorns spanned over ten yards wide.

Wang Chen noticed that in front of the black iron thorns, dozens of magical spirits resembling wild boars had appeared!

In the Underworld Realm, there were no magical beasts; instead, there were magical spirits and evil spirits born of dark energy, possessing various forms and strange abilities.

The magical spirits Wang Chen saw ranged in size from as large as water buffaloes to as small as dogs. They clustered together, their enormous eyes glowing with scarlet ghostly fire, charging through the black iron thorns towards the spirit fields.

Seeing the greedy expressions on these magical spirits made Wang Chen realize that it was the breath of living beings from the Three-Ying Grain that had attracted them!

Without any hesitation, Wang Chen immediately thrust out his sword finger.

Crack!

A bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the sky, striking the leading magical spirit.

This magical spirit, fierce and the largest among them, transformed into a wisp of black smoke the moment it was hit by the Sky Thunder, and then disappeared without a trace.

Boom!

Following that, bolts of lightning struck down, obliterating each evil spirit one by one.

In just a moment, all the evil spirits were gone!

However, after dispatching the invading enemies, Wang Chen fell into deep thought.

He had just killed dozens of evil spirits in one go, but received not a single point of Virtue.

It seemed that the Cultivation Panel determined that killing these creatures yielded no rewards.

The question was whether all evil spirits were excluded or just some of them?

This required constant battles to verify.

Wang Chen felt somewhat regretful.

He had consumed so much magical energy for nothing!