You Cultivate, I Farm

"Uncle Lu, I've gathered some information."

"They say that the infestation at his place was resolved by that chubby cultivator. The impression of the cleaned-up larval bodies isn't vivid; seems the cultivator took them away."

Before long, Zhang Xiu Yuan rushed out, breathless, his words tightening Lu Xuan's chest involuntarily.

"Keep investigating!"

He exhaled deeply, resolute.

Two more independent cultivators were approached, yet the answers remained the same.

After Qin Ming dealt with the infestation, he casually took away the larvae bodies.

Instantly, a flurry of thoughts surged through Lu Xuan's mind, a thread of connection becoming clearer.

"Why does Qin Ming charge lower than Fairy Lingyun or sword cultivator Li Xu for the same service, despite all being at the fourth cultivation stage?"

"Why would he take away the larvae bodies after dealing with the Dark Marrow Fungus?"

"Why am I, a second-stage cultivator, not even qualified to earn a bit of spirit stone?"

"Because those Dark Marrow Fungus larvae were his doing!"

"He releases the matured Dark Marrow Fungus into the fields of independent cultivators, lets them lay eggs using the vitality of the plants, then, under the guise of pest control, retrieves the larvae."

"That explains why hiring Qin Ming costs less than other cultivators of the same level."

"His mastery in ice elemental techniques allows him to separate the larvae without harming the plants."

"He can freeze the larvae without killing them, retrieve them, and thaw them later."

"In this way, he earns spirit stones and easily reclaims the larvae parasitizing the plants, a double benefit."

Lu Xuan suddenly realized why Qin Ming had been so assertive.

He not only earned his spirit stones but also eliminated the larvae parasitizing him.

More importantly, Lu Xuan was just a second-stage independent cultivator.

"So, the infestations I dealt with previously and the matured insects I killed at night were all secretly placed in my spiritual field by him."

Realizing this, Lu Xuan couldn't help but grit his teeth.

It meant he used his plants to rear Qin Ming's larvae and even paid him to take back the grown larvae...

If not for the appearance of the white orb and the timely purchase of protective formations and the Metal Sword Technique, his spiritual field would have suffered repeated infestations until he, a mere independent cultivator, was ruined.

"Indeed, the weak prey on the weaker."

However, thinking he was merely weak and easily manipulated was a grave mistake.

A faint smile curved Lu Xuan's lips, his eyes bright.

Returning home, Lu Xuan meticulously inspected every part of the protective formations around his courtyard.

The grass puppet sensed its master's presence, extending a grey grassy tendril, following him like a small serpent.

Ensuring the formations were intact, Lu Xuan approached the grass puppet, placing a broken spirit into the massive lump formed by the grey grass on its head.

"The obvious power gap and conflicting interests indicate that Qin Ming won't let me off."

"Well, I don't intend to let him off either."

"However, although my cultivation, techniques, elixirs, and talismans have greatly improved recently, Qin Ming is still at the fourth cultivation stage. I'm unsure of my chances in a direct confrontation."

"The priority now is to enhance my strength, postponing pest control to avoid giving him an opening."

Thinking it over, Lu Xuan decided to stay at home for the time being, boosting his abilities while preparing for a potential intrusion by Qin Ming.

Over the next few days, he devoted himself to nurturing spiritual plants at home, instructing Zhang Xiu Yuan not to venture outside carelessly.

The remaining fourteen Lunar Erosion Fruits, matured after the last harvest, comprised twelve good-quality and two top-quality fruits.

Lu Xuan collected the fourteen faintly shimmering white orbs.

"Harvested one Lunar Erosion Fruit, obtained a first-grade artifact, Fractured Silver Blade (Damaged)." *3

"Harvested one Lunar Erosion Fruit, obtained a talisman." *6

"Harvested one Lunar Erosion Fruit, obtained a Primordial Nourishing Pill." *3

The rewards from the twelve good-quality Lunar Erosion Fruits didn't surprise Lu Xuan.

Three pieces of silver-white Fractured Silver Blade fragments pieced together the missing parts of the sword.

A thin blade appeared before Lu Xuan, faintly silver-white, incredibly concealed both day and night.

Guiding his spiritual power, the silver-white blade moved freely in the air, incredibly swift and sharp.

Testing it on a piece of decaying spirit wood, the blade sliced through effortlessly, akin to cutting tofu, severing the sturdy wood effortlessly.

With a thought, the silver-white blade split into dozens of varied-shaped thin pieces, resembling a swarm of silver butterflies, swiftly swirling around Lu Xuan.

Then, the pieces converged, seamlessly forming a complete and flawless short blade.

"Finally, I've collected all the fragments of the Fractured Silver Blade."

Lu Xuan sighed in relief; the intact Fractured Silver Blade was even sharper, capable of instantly splitting into several fragments.

Earlier, despite controlling all the fragments, there had been a hint of sluggishness. Now, despite a greater number, control was smooth and natural, incredibly fluid.

"The primary value of this first-grade artifact, Fractured Silver Blade, lies in its ability to split into fragments."

"While it's a fine first-grade artifact in blade form, its value jumps two levels higher when it unexpectedly splits into multiple pieces during combat."

Lu Xuan controlled the silver-white blade, twirling it several times, reluctant to let go. It was his best current method to deal with Qin Ming.

All six talismans were first-grade, no new types appeared.

Lu Xuan stored them carefully; a first-grade talisman already had the ability to harm a mid-stage Qi cultivation practitioner. With enough of these...

"All fear stems from insufficient firepower!"

Lu Xuan looked at the numerous talismans he'd collected recently, feeling somewhat relieved.

Additionally, there were three first-grade Primordial Nourishing Pills.

The two top-quality Lunar Erosion Fruits yielded two first-grade Primordial Nourishing Pill recipes from the orbs.

After consuming them, Lu Xuan felt extremely knowledgeable in refining Primordial Nourishing Pills.

It was as if despite not having practical experience, he'd seen countless examples, making his theoretical foundation remarkably solid.

Over the next ten days, everything was calm, no ripples occurred.

It seemed Qin Ming had almost forgotten about Lu Xuan.

However, Lu Xuan didn't dare to be complacent, staying cautious every day.

Apart from tending to the spiritual plants in the courtyard, he stayed indoors, avoiding going out.

The Firefly Grass in the spiritual field had been growing for a considerable period. Under his meticulous care over these ten days, some had entered the mature stage.

Lu Xuan harvested six Firefly Grass plants, four of good quality and two of top quality.

Ever since he planted them, Lu Xuan provided the best conditions, resulting in a higher probability of producing top-quality grasses.

Among them, three of the orbs yielded months of cultivation.

"Harvested one Firefly Grass, obtained six months of cultivation." *2

"Har

vested one Firefly Grass, obtained nine months of cultivation."

A surge of thoughts rushed through him, his spiritual power skyrocketing, raging through his meridians.

As if breaking through a non-existent barrier, his energy gradually settled.

"Finally broke through to the fourth cultivation stage."

Lu Xuan's face lit up with a contented smile.

After reaching the third cultivation stage some time ago, combined with the recent three orbs, he gained nearly two years of cultivation, propelling him into the mid-stage Qi cultivation realm.

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