As Chu Ning finished harvesting all the rice and carried it back to Cao Dongxin's courtyard, it was already nearing dusk.
Chu Ning cooked the meal, skillfully completed all the other chores, then took a bath and returned to his room.
After more than two months, Chu Ning had become adept at handling all of Cao Dongxin's difficult tasks, mastering time management with great precision.
He performed all the chores very neatly, without allowing Cao Dongxin to find any fault.
Cao Dongxin, seeing Chu Ning cooperate so well with all the tasks he had assigned, did not take undue advantage of him.
Therefore, Chu Ning generally still had relatively ample time for cultivation in the evenings.
After adjusting his state slightly upon entering the room, Chu Ning sat cross-legged on the bed and began cultivating the Cyan Wood Evergreen Technique.
He didn't employ the support of the Cyan Skill Spring Blossom Skill's spirit plants, but now at the Third Layer of Qi Refining, Chu Ning's speed of absorbing spiritual qi was faster than before.
As the cultivation technique circulated, strands of invisible wood attribute spiritual qi drilled into Chu Ning's body, entering his dantian.
At this moment, Chu Ning's dantian housed three layers of magical power rings.
The lower two layers were very solid, and the top layer was nearing that state.
As strands of spiritual qi poured in, the top magical power ring became even more solid.
Until a certain moment, this layer of magical power ring could no longer contain so much spiritual qi, seeming to separate upwards.
Chu Ning also felt a tremor in his heart spirit, directly withdrawing from the cultivation state.
Qi Refining Third Layer Perfection!
Without a Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivation technique, he could no longer advance further, which left Chu Ning a bit regretful.
He could feel that he didn't have any bottlenecks; with a Qi Refining Fourth Layer technique, he could directly break through to the Fourth Layer in one go.
"I've heard that as long as I gain the qualification to tend a spirit field independently and cultivate to the Second Layer of Qi Refining, I can request the complete Cyan Wood Evergreen Technique from the sect for future needs."
Thinking of this, Chu Ning felt much more at ease.
In six days, it would be the assessment period, and getting the complete Cyan Wood Evergreen Technique would no longer be an issue by then.
Then, Chu Ning thought of something, and his heart spirit instantly immersed into his mind, the next moment, he showed a smile of joy.
[Cyan Wood Evergreen Technique (Yellow Tier Lower Grade), First Layer (300/300)]
[Talent Refreshed, Reward Talent "Talismanic Spirit Body":
1. Greatly increases insight and cultivation talent for Talisman Technique;
2. Improves success rate and quality of talisman making.]
The talent had refreshed again!
Seeing this newly appeared talent, Chu Ning's gaze became fervent.
Among the hundred arts of cultivation immortality, formation, instrument, alchemy, and talisman are the most common. Each of these four is complex, but excelling in any one can help establish a firm foothold in the cultivation realm.
And clearly, the talent refresh reward of Talismanic Spirit Body is related to talisman making.
This means that with a bit of cultivation, I already have a craft to stand by!
"But what about my previous talent?" Suddenly, this crucial question occurred to Chu Ning, and upon regaining focus, he breathed a sigh of relief.
[Nine Tigers Body Refining Art (100/100)]
[Cyan Wood Evergreen Technique (Yellow Tier Lower Grade), First Layer (300/300)]
[Talent: Yin Wood Spirit Body, Talismanic Spirit Body]
The display in his mind had changed, clearly indicating that the previous talent, Yin Wood Spirit Body, was still there.
"The talent for cultivation is still present; there's a great chance of mastering talisman making. The path to the grand dao has cleared!"
...
The next morning, as usual, Chu Ning got up early. Of course, he couldn't reveal his talents, but appropriately displaying his cultivation was acceptable.
In nearly three months, advancing to the Second Layer of Qi Refining isn't considered excessive.
After all, the first three layers of Qi Refining are relatively basic; beyond that, the difficulty doubles or even triples, and during the initial three layers, those with good talent can even reach the Second Layer in a month.
Chu Ning now having "spent" nearly three months is very reasonable!
However, what Chu Ning considered reasonable presented a different picture in Cao Dongxin's eyes.
"You... you've reached the Second Layer of Qi Refining?"
Cao Dongxin perceived the change in Chu Ning's aura, suddenly looking as if he'd seen a ghost.
While having a four-attribute pseudo spirit root reach the Second Layer of Qi Refining in three months isn't unheard of, it's admittedly not very common.
But Chu Ning now has become one of them; how could this not shock him?
Being able to reach the Second Layer in three months, even if Chu Ning's spell cultivation isn't exceptional, the sect will definitely grant him the qualification for a spirit field, perhaps even giving him a decent spirit field in Zone D.
It's important to know, even within Zone D, although it's a low-level spirit field, there are distinctions between high, medium, and low grades.
With this thought, the joy from yesterday vanished from Cao Dongxin's mind.
Because he suddenly realized that if what he's now thinking turns out to be true, once the assessment period ends in a few days,
though Chu Ning's cultivation might temporarily not surpass his, yet his standing in the upper ranks of the Spirit Plant Room might be higher than his own.
Realizing this, the complexity in Cao Dongxin's heart is imaginable.
His mindset started changing subtly.
Although he said nothing, after breakfast, Cao Dongxin didn't just walk away but instead cleaned up his dishes.
Then, when Chu Ning went to wash the dishes, Cao Dongxin stopped him, using a Cleaning Technique to effortlessly clean the dishes.
Feeling this change in Senior Brother Cao, Chu Ning naturally understood the reason, but he didn't choose to expose it.
At the same time, it deepened Chu Ning's sentiment.
Indeed, the cultivation realm honors strength.
By simply showing a slightly stronger talent than a typical pseudo spirit root disciple, Cao Dongxin realized Chu Ning's potential growth might surpass his own; thus, he immediately adjusted his attitude.
To survive better in this world, one must initially develop low-profile growth, becoming stronger.
But sometimes, it's necessary to reveal oneself, as Chu Ning did now.
Chu Ning felt a wave of emotions.
Later, when he went to the fields, Cao Dongxin didn't assign tasks like before.
Chu Ning, in turn, found a patch of field on his own and started using Blade Skill for harvesting. He didn't want to miss such excellent opportunities to practice Blade Skill.
Moreover, he couldn't advance his realm temporarily, so practicing spells with magical power and then meditating for recovery could precisely refine his magical power and spells.
Wasn't it expected that Chu Ning had made more progress with Blade Skill since yesterday's breakthrough?
Of course, Chu Ning still understood the importance of modesty, so when using magical power, he maintained the strength of the Second Layer of Qi Refining.
His Blade Skill wasn't particularly advanced, so its effectiveness was still noticeably inferior to Cao Dongxin's, thus not arousing much suspicion from him.
So, with Chu Ning and Cao Dongxin both performing "normally," the remaining patches of the field from yesterday were quickly harvested, making for an early finish.
Once they came ashore, Shang Zhaoxiang and Qiu Shunyi, from across the road, were still toiling away at harvesting rice.
As Shang Zhaoxiang reached the part of the field close to the road, he saw Cao Dongxin and Chu Ning carrying their rice back, and he was quite surprised.
When did Cao Dongxin change, now even voluntarily carrying the rice?
Moreover, did they finish the harvest so early?
Thinking this, he couldn't help but ask, "Hey, Old Cao, how come you finished the harvest so quickly this time?"
Speaking here, Shang Zhaoxiang glanced at Chu Ning, and the next moment, exclaimed in surprise again:
"Wow, Chu Ning, you've reached the Second Layer of Qi Refining?"
Hearing this, Qiu Shunyi, who was about to use Blade Skill to harvest rice, looked up, and his spell instinctively released in the direction of his gaze, even aiming toward the road!
And for some reason, Shang Zhaoxiang and Cao Dongxin didn't intervene, allowing the blade formed by Blade Skill to fly directly toward Chu Ning.
"Oh no, dodge!"
At that moment, Qiu Shunyi belatedly shouted.