NOVEL WEB Chapter 14: The Three Moves of a Farmer
In the southeast corner of Shanhai Village, a pond of lotus flowers swayed gently in the breeze, exuding a light fragrance.
On the shore, Ling Yi lay on a large bluestone, his eyes slightly closed, as if asleep yet not really.
A few paces away, Zhang Lei stood with his Spirit Weapon "Hoe" in hand. His feet were slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. The toes peeking out from his woven grass sandals suddenly clutched the ground, as he raised his "Hoe" high in the air.
At this moment, Zhang Lei's waist, steps, hands, and eyes aligned perfectly. A force surged from the soles of his feet. His soles propelled his calves, which then moved his thighs. This upward force transmitted to his waist, which smoothly twisted, transferring the power to his arms. The arms formed a circle, and his body turned into a half-arc.
“Hiss——!”
The edge of the hoe blade deeply cut into the earth. Utilizing the rebound force from the ground, Zhang Lei lifted the handle upward, flipping the entire clod of earth. With a quick step and a turn of his feet, he rotated the hoe to bring the blade back down, crushing the freshly turned clod.
Ling Yi, who had opened his eyes at some point, quietly observed this scene, a thoughtful expression on his face.
‘Two and a half years have passed, observing the evolution from the five of us from the Ling and Zhang families to the over twenty people in Shanhai Village, and then the three hundred-plus people from surrounding villages, all while observing their farming movements…’
‘Breathing, stance, waist twisting, arm swinging, muscle exertion…’
"Finally, I've managed to consolidate the 'Hoe Swing' from the 'Farmer's Three Techniques.'"
Ling Yi whispered to himself. "I'm just a bit short on mastering the 'Scythe Swing' for reaping wheat and the 'Axe Swing' for chopping wood."
"Guess I'll have to wait a bit longer,"
Ling Yi murmured softly, "Once my martial spirit awakens, I'll find a way to obtain a method for cultivating soul power and then continue my research."
For Ling Yi, the most important thing right now is the upcoming martial spirit awakening ceremony in two days.
Just over two months ago, Ling Yi celebrated his sixth birthday. This year, the unified martial spirit awakening ceremony for the surrounding regions is scheduled to start in two days.
"Whew—"
Zhang Lei, his martial spirit, the 'Hoe,' supported on the ground, let out a long breath. His face was slightly flushed, and his forehead glistened with sweat as he panted softly.
"Ah Yi~"
With a faint gray light flickering in the palm of his right hand, Zhang Lei retracted his martial spirit back into his body.
He stepped over to the big green rock and plopped down, a smile in his eyes, and said in a low voice, "I feel like my soul power has increased again~"
With a glance, Ling Yi shifted his gaze from the small half-acre of cultivated land back to Zhang Lei, examining him from head to toe.
Approaching his ninth birthday, since his martial soul had awakened in the winter of Douluo year 2594, Zhang Lei had grown significantly more robust, now similar in stature to the average twelve or thirteen-year-old in the village. The muscles on his arms and chest, revealed by his short-clothed shirt, faintly emerged, making him look like a young leopard.
For years, he had worked the fields alongside adults, spent his leisure time fishing with Ling Yi in the pond, and hunting birds and chasing wild rabbits in the northern woods of the village. The ample sunlight had given his skin a healthy wheat-like hue.
Meanwhile, despite equally sunbathing with Zhang Lei, Ling Yi's complexion remained fair and smooth.
Listening to Zhang Lei's hushed words about his increased soul power, Ling Yi did not show surprise.
Though if others from the village heard, it would surely be as shocking as a sudden clap of thunder on a clear day.
During the martial soul awakening ceremony three years ago, tests clearly indicated that Zhang Lei had no innate soul power and lacked the talent to become a Soul Master.
"The stronger the body, the firmer the foundation, the more nourishment it can absorb from the outside world."
"Even though we do not practice the Soul Master meditation, with effective physical training and nutritious meals, your soul power will naturally grow step by step."
"Lei Ge~"
Ling Yi withdrew his hand and looked Zhang Lei in the eye. "Ultimately, given your natural potential, your innate soul power is only 0.1 level, maybe even 0.01 level. Even if you follow step by step like those in the junior Soul Master Academy, your progress might still leave much to be desired—”
"I understand that~" Zhang Lei sat on a large boulder, supporting himself with both hands as he leaned back and looked at Ling Yi sideways, smiling. "Last year, when I went to the Bei Kou River Town market with my father, there was a student from that so-called junior Soul Master Academy, only a level seven Soul Practitioner, and weaker than me... he struggled just to lift two barrels of wheat ale..."
"Don't compare yourself with others~" Ling Yi shook his head at his words, his expression turning serious as he advised, "Remember, we're just a bunch of farmers living in the countryside, with nothing but raw strength. We mustn't have the mindset of competing with others!"
"Besides, that person, I've inquired along with my uncle, is the young master of the Ethan family in town, with an innate soul power of one level and a spirit of 'Green Feathered Bird'. Though it's a beast spirit, it doesn't have any significant advantages in terms of strengthening the body."
"As for you~" Ling Yi's tone was steady and measured. "You're not only a year older than him, but in the past two years, you've been working in the fields with your grandpa and uncle, honing your physique and strength with the hoe style, so it's nothing to boast about having more strength than him."
"Remember, don't compare yourself with others, your real competition is yourself." Ling Yi repeated.
"Oh, I got it~" Zhang Lei replied somewhat grudgingly.
Seeing Zhang Lei's expression, Ling Yi didn't wish to further dampen his spirits, so he changed the topic, "Since it's the farming off-season and there's nothing to do this afternoon, why don't you accompany me for a stroll in the old forest then—"
Zhang Lei lifted his head, his face immediately filled with delight. "Really?!"
"Recently, I feel that as my spiritual power increases, my eyes, ears, and nose seem to become more enhanced. Combined with my current strength, I can now fully draw the slingshot made from 'iron birch tree' branches. Whether it's wild chickens or wild rabbits, I hit them with every shot!"
"Even if we encounter a wild wolf or something, it's not impossible to hunt one!"
Saying this, Zhang Lei looked eager to try.
Ling Yi shook his head helplessly and said, "If you really encounter a wild wolf, safety first. Those creatures act in packs, and with just two slingshots, we can't handle them..."
"But we still have Ah Huang and Meow Meow~" Zhang Lei said dismissively.
Hearing this, Ling Yi raised his eyebrows but said nothing more. Nowadays, Ah Huang and Meow Meow, both at the age of five, were not as weak as a human child of the same age. With the growth speed of a local dog and a tabby cat, they had long reached adulthood and were in peak condition in the mystical world of Douluo Continent.
Ever since Ling Yi used his mental energy to influence and develop their intelligence, and given their ample food supply, strong digestion, and innate animal physique, Ah Huang could now compete for the alpha position among a pack of small wolves, while Meow Meow might not be as mighty as a tiger, but is definitely not weaker than a leopard!
These two little creatures are now the formidable guardians of Shanhai Village. Wild animals like boars, leopards, or venomous snakes that occasionally stray in from the old forest have never stood a chance against them. The moment they are spotted, the two easily take them down.
With these two growing to such an extent, the families who originally traded them for just a river fish now treasure the remaining cats and dogs at home, hoping that they might grow to match the prowess of Ah Huang and Meow Meow.
(End of Chapter)
