Cultivation Starts from Farming Chapter 5: Booming Business

High in the sky, the moon gleamed!

Bedroom.

"Puff... puff... puff!"

Amid those soft noises, beams of golden radiance burst from his fingertips, plunging instantly into the floor.

Moments later, the golden light's intensity surged wildly, carving a deep crater right into the ground.

"Did... did I break through?"

Xu Ping's eyes sparkled. Eagerly, he pulled up the panel.

[Name: Xu Ping]

[Lifespan: 28/98 years]

[Realm: Qi Cultivation Level Three: 71/100]

[Cultivation Technique: Five Elements Skill Proficient (Level Three): 160/200]

[Skills: Spirit Rain Skill Proficient: 21/200; Geng Metal Finger Mastered: 1/400]

"I really broke through!"

Thrilling excitement surged through Xu Ping.

Mastering Geng Metal Finger greatly boosted his self-protection in this treacherous world.

Though still unable to fully defend himself, every bit of added strength sparked boundless joy.

Furthermore, Geng Metal Finger at mastery vastly outpowers its entry and proficient stages, bordering on a total leap.

Quicker speed, farther reach, fiercer destruction!

Xu Ping sensed his command and insight into the spell had deepened profoundly, without much extra mana drain.

"The proficiency of Geng Metal Finger increased so quickly!" he marveled aloud. "In just five days, I’ve already mastered it. This speed far surpasses the Spirit Rain Skill."

Still, the training demands for the two vary hugely.

Geng Metal Finger casts almost instantly with minimal mana use, letting him train it dozens of times daily no problem.

Spirit Rain Skill, however—a spell to command weather—guzzles more mana and requires longer casts.

"At this rate, I believe it won’t take long before Geng Metal Finger breaks through again!" Xu Ping brimmed with eager hope.

A mastered Geng Metal Finger already wields impressive might. Another breakthrough? Its power defies imagination!

Could it take on mid-stage Qi Cultivation?

…

…

The next morning at dawn.

Knock knock...

Urgent, steady knocks hammered the door, paired with Old Man Lu's shout: "Fellow Daoist Xu, open the door!"

Xu Ping climbed from bed, threw on some clothes, and swung the door open.

Old Man Lu beamed with excitement. "Fellow Daoist Xu, business arrived! The Zhou family—and I’ve sealed the deal."

That was swift!

Old Man Lu truly shines as a go-between!

Delight filled Xu Ping's heart.

"Let’s go," he shut the door and followed Old Man Lu to the Zhou family home.

Though skipping breakfast, business came first.

The Zhou family dwelt three miles from Xu Ping’s spot.

Like Old Man Lu, they tended ten acres of spirit land.

Upon reaching the Zhou place, Old Man Zhou welcomed them smiling: "Fellow Daoist Xu, you’re a true young prodigy, mastering Spirit Rain Skill at such a tender age."

Without Old Man Lu’s visit yesterday, insisting Xu Ping’s Spirit Rain Skill had broken through, he’d struggle to accept it and never request watering for his spirit fields.

"Just luck, just luck," Xu Ping replied with a humble grin.

"Let’s not waste time with pleasantries, it’s better to let Fellow Daoist Xu water the spirit fields first." Old Man Lu chuckled, yanking Old Man Zhou aside to clear the way for Xu Ping.

"Then I trouble you, Fellow Daoist Xu." Old Man Zhou cupped his hands.

"You’re too kind."

Xu Ping returned the salute and strode into Old Man Zhou’s spirit field.

Sunlight bathed the lush soil, draping the vibrant green spirit rice in a golden sheen.

Aroma of fresh earth mingled with spirit rice fragrance in the air, refreshing and easing all who inhaled.

"I believe Xu Ping has broken through in Spirit Rain Skill, but claiming it surpasses Elder Yan’s feels overstated." Once Xu Ping entered the fields, Old Man Zhou muttered to himself, doubt flickering in his gaze.

"You’ll know when you see it, then you’ll grasp what a steal you scored," Old Man Lu declared assuredly.

"Really?"

Old Man Zhou felt skeptical but partly swayed upon hearing this, though doubt lingered strongest.

By now, several neighbors clustered along the field ridges to spectate, murmuring softly.

"Old Zhou invited Xu Ping to water the spirit fields?"

"It seems so."

"Yesterday, Old Man Lu also came to me, saying Xu Ping’s Spirit Rain Skill had broken through to proficiency, even stronger than Elder Yan’s!"

"Really?"

"Who knows!"

The skepticism and murmurs from the spectators failed to disturb Xu Ping in the slightest. He remained stationed amid the spirit fields, forming the hand seal while channeling the mana from within his body.

As he executed the technique, the Spirit Rain Skill activated smoothly. Clouds in the vicinity rapidly converged, birthing a massive dark cloud in the heavens that swelled enormously, as though it alone claimed the whole sky.

Little by little, the chatter surrounding Xu Ping died down, with every eye now riveted upon his figure.

Their jaws dropped gradually in sheer disbelief.

Stupefaction gripped them all.

This marked the proficient level of Spirit Rain Skill!

Countless spirit farmers fail to even graze the edge of proficiency over lifetimes!

'Perhaps the dark cloud is merely somewhat larger!'

In their hearts, reluctance lingered to accept that Xu Ping, so youthful, had attained proficiency in Spirit Rain Skill.

In contrast, their own accumulated years appeared utterly squandered.

Merely the descent of the soft spiritual rain demolished that final illusion.

Inwardly, they could only curse: May such geniuses meet ill ends!

"This is genuinely proficient level, surpassing even Elder Yan's Spirit Rain Skill!"

Old Man Zhou brimmed with delight; he'd sought mere savings, yet stumbled upon an extraordinary windfall.

Old Man Lu, wearing a smug expression, addressed the dumbfounded onlookers: "If any of you wish for your spirit fields to be watered too, speak up quickly, lest arrangements become impossible."

"How much per acre?" one person asked.

"One Spirit Crystal per acre," Old Man Lu responded.

"That inexpensive?" Astonishment swept the crowd as they traded glances.

Elder Yan demands two Spirit Crystals per acre, yet Xu Ping's evidently superior Spirit Rain Skill costs only one per acre?

"Count your blessings!" Old Man Lu shook his head, acting like they'd snagged a massive steal, "Those needing watering, move fast or forfeit the opportunity."

"I want it, I want it!"

"My family as well!"

...

Several neighbors hurried over to Old Man Lu to register.

Fools alone would ignore such a golden opportunity!

"One by one—signups demand an upfront deposit!" With multiple folks queuing up, Old Man Lu grinned ear to ear. Effortless profit!

Even a mere twenty percent commission promised hefty gains.

The clamor along the field edges left Xu Ping utterly unaffected.

[Spirit Rain Skill·Experience +1], [Spirit Rain Skill·Experience +1], [Spirit Rain Skill·Experience +1] ...

Accompanied by the system prompts, the ten acres of spirit fields received complete irrigation from him at last.

Having skipped breakfast, exhaustion and hunger now plagued him, alongside near-total depletion of his inner mana.

"If only breakthrough to Qi Cultivation Level Four were possible!" he sighed inwardly.

Alas, dozens of experience points still separated him from advancement, leaving a sense of helplessness as he pondered its arrival.