You Cultivate, I Farm

From a distance, Lu Xuan watched as Qin Ming's body lay separated, covered in fragments of a fractured silver blade.

Several gray grass ropes extended from the wooden bed, binding Qin Ming's remains.

Lu Xuan chuckled wryly, lifting the covers only to find a grass puppet with a gaping hole in its chest, diligently attempting to trap intruders entering the courtyard.

"Thankfully, this grass puppet has some self-recovery abilities. With enough spirit stones, it can restore itself. Considering it shielded me from that strike, it will surely regain its integrity."

Lu Xuan observed the slightly lagging and wholeheartedly devoted grass puppet, offering reassurance.

Channeling his spiritual energy, a fist-sized fireball landed on Qin Ming's remains.

The flames swiftly engulfed the corpse, reducing it to a pile of black ash in no time.

Next, he retrieved a peculiarly inscribed talisman from his possession, depicting a suppressed malevolent spirit in its center.

Flashing the talisman, a white light swept across the entire room.

It was a ward he obtained earlier, capable of detecting and purifying low-level malevolent spirits.

Lu Xuan was concerned that Qin Ming, dying at the hands of a mere Qi cultivation stage two spiritual plant practitioner like himself, might hold resentful spirits, potentially spawning malevolent entities.

Despite erasing the remains with fireball sorcery, he still felt uneasy. Thus, he invested in another ward to prevent any malevolent entities from arising.

Since he had already used so many sword qi talismans, one more wouldn't make much of a difference.

As the white light faded, the room returned to darkness, with only faint silver moonlight seeping through the puncture left by the ice spear.

Only then did Lu Xuan feel completely at ease. He lit a candle on the wooden table and swept the black ashes together.

Guided by his controlled spiritual power, dozens of fragmented pieces of the fractured silver blade reformed, merging into a silver-white sword blade.

With the weapon in hand, Lu Xuan's confidence grew. Carrying the ashes, he headed to the spiritual field and scattered them on the spirit soil.

"This is the fertilizer formed by mid-level Qi cultivators. You all must strive to grow; don't disappoint their nurturing efforts."

He murmured softly, gazing at the numerous spiritual plants in the field.

In the courtyard, the moon hung serene, enveloping a tranquil silence.

The intense skirmish that just occurred seemed to have gone unnoticed by the nearby practitioners.

Those dwelling here, scattered cultivators, had long adopted the habit of minding their own business. They refrained from interference, lacking both the inclination and the authority.

"Lu brother, Lu brother..."

A slightly anxious female voice echoed from outside the courtyard, calling out for Lu Xuan.

He recognized it as Xu Wan, a resident nearby.

"I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Sister Xu."

Hearing that familiar voice warmed Lu Xuan's heart.

Xu Wan, merely a Qi cultivation stage two practitioner, took a risk venturing out just to inquire about his well-being, even if from a distance.

"That's good. I was worried you might have been injured. But with my limited strength, I could only ask from a distance."

Upon hearing Lu Xuan's words, Xu Wan's voice drew closer.

"A petty thief with no sense tried to sneak in and steal my spiritual plants. I found them and took care of it."

Lu Xuan fabricated a reason to placate Xu Wan.

"Sister, it's late. You should return home and rest. You worry too much about little Xu from your family."

"I'll always remember your concern."

"Alright, take care of yourself."

Seeing that Lu Xuan was unharmed, Xu Wan returned to her own home.

"It's a shame about this protective formation. It hasn't been long since I set it up, and Qin Ming just forcefully broke it."

Lu Xuan lamented as he returned inside.

Only after handling everything did he finally relax, slumping wearily onto a wooden chair.

Although he had effortlessly dealt with Qin Ming without a scratch, the reality was far from easygoing.

And Qin Ming, true to his status as a Qi cultivation stage two practitioner, was formidable, whether it was the jade talisman that blocked his fatal strike or his adeptness in ice-based spells using his flying sword artifact. They all showcased his tenacity.

Fortunately, Lu Xuan had accumulated enough during this period.

With his cultivation at Qi cultivation stage four, on par with Qin Ming, coupled with the intermediate-grade Golden Sword Technique and numerous top-tier talismans without relying on spirit stones, the intact top-tier fractured silver blade played a crucial role.

Combined with thorough preparation, catching Qin Ming off guard was what led to his demise without much risk.

Whether it was artifacts, spells, or talismans, they were all superior to Qin Ming's. What did he have to compete against him?

"I wonder, how much of my losses can this storage pouch compensate for?"

Lu Xuan glanced at the gray storage pouch he retrieved from Qin Ming's waist, sighing.

Having used up most of the talismans, he still lamented, hoping that the storage pouch left by Qin Ming could make up for it.

"Thank you for the pouch, old friend."

He had wanted to purchase a storage pouch for a while. Unexpectedly, Qin Ming, in his generosity, provided one ready-made.

The gray storage pouch was of a lower grade, lacking any restrictive measures. Lu Xuan effortlessly extended his spiritual power inside.

The space within was quite expansive, about half a yard in all dimensions, with some items left by Qin Ming piled up in one corner.

Lu Xuan cheerfully controlled the items inside the pouch with his spiritual power.

A rough count revealed about two hundred spirit stones.

There were also seven or eight bottles and jars, made of jade and stone. Lu Xuan hesitated to open them immediately, fearing they might contain toxins, so he set them aside for the moment.

In addition, there was a manual detailing the cultivation methods of several low-grade ice-based spells. It held little value for Lu Xuan.

Three talismans: two dispelling talismans and one haste talisman.

Lastly, there was a flying sword artifact left outside—a grayish-white one emanating a chill. Lu Xuan briefly compared it to his fractured silver blade and found it to be much inferior.

"He was truly generous. I didn't have a storage pouch, and he brought me one. Lacking spirit stones, he sent over two hundred."

"Even in death, he continued to support the spiritual plants in the field with his own essence."

"He truly..."

Lu Xuan, thinking of Qin Ming's significant contributions, was overcome with sorrow, bowing his head in mourning for a moment.

"Indeed, a man of great generosity."

Lu Xuan gazed at the pile of items on the wooden table, unable to contain his admiration.

All the effort he had put into growing these plants seemed to pale in comparison to what taking down Qin Ming had brought him.

However, that thought vanished in an instant.

He understood that such immense gains often came with greater risks. It wasn't possible to profit every time without taking on some risks.

Qin Ming's case appeared to carry minimal risk, yet he still met his end at Lu Xuan's hands.

Therefore

, it was best to tend to the fields peacefully—small investments, negligible risks, and potentially massive returns.

After tallying everything, dawn broke.

Lu Xuan stepped out of the house, reaching the spiritual field.

Traces of spiritual rain seeped into the remaining dozen or so Spirit Firefly Grass. The verdant Firefly Grass lazily extended its leaves, appearing more robust than yesterday.

Next, a fireball spell flew out, transforming into wisps of flames before merging into the fine red needles of the Crimson Cloud Pine.

Golden sword energy fell onto the straight Sword Grass, leaving behind golden lines.

Under the Dark Marrow Fungus, the scent of decay grew stronger, causing more dark red mycelium to sprout from the shadows.

Today was a day of tranquility, cultivating in the spiritual field.

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