Today was harvest day.
I lay on the wooden bed, staring at the faint glow of the system screen hovering before my eyes. My heartbeat was a little faster than usual.
Outside, the fields were the same as always—quiet and undisturbed—but I knew better.
Today, I would finally see whether this system truly lived up to its name.
First things first.
System, I said in my mind, open the Newbie Package.
The screen flickered.
"Newbie Encouragement Package opening…"
One message appeared after another.
"You have received: Random Physique Card."
"You have received: Spirit Farmer Robe (Growth Type)."
Effects:
– Qi Concealment
– Appearance Alteration
– Cleaning Effect
– Can withstand one full attack from a cultivator one major realm above the host
– Cooldown: One month (after activation)
"You have received: Spirit Farmer Long-Handled Crescent Sickle (Growth Type)."
Effects:
– Appearance Alteration
– Qi Concealment
– Further effects will unlock upon leveling up
"You have received: Tier-1 Spirit Farmer Encyclopedia Card."
"You have received: 2,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones (Investment Reward)."
"All rewards are stored in an independent space separate from the inventory. The host may retrieve them with a thought."
I took a slow breath.
…That was a lot.
I focused my will.
The first thing to appear was the robe.
A simple piece of clothing floated before me, woven from faintly glowing fabric that carried a soft spiritual aura. I removed my outer shirt and draped it over myself.
Activate cleaning effect.
Coolness washed over my body.
The fatigue of the previous day vanished instantly. Sweat and dust dissolved into nothing, my pores opening as if I had just soaked in a mountain spring.
Comfortable.
Very comfortable.
With another thought, the robe's appearance shifted, turning into my usual plain farming clothes—rough cloth, dull colours, nothing eye-catching.
Perfect.
Next, I retrieved the sickle.
The long-handled crescent blade gleamed faintly in the morning light. It felt light in my hand, yet when I swung it slightly, the air itself seemed to part.
I picked up a wooden stick nearby and cut down casually.
Shhk.
The stick split cleanly in half, smooth as if sliced through butter.
"…Sharp."
Its original form was far too conspicuous, so I altered its appearance as well, making it resemble the ordinary sickle I had been using for years.
Then came the spirit stones.
With a thought, a small pile appeared in front of me.
Two-inch blue crystals stacked together, each filled with condensed spiritual energy, glowing faintly like a small hill of treasure.
My scalp tingled.
Spirit stones were valuable—even low-grade ones. Ordinary farmers might only see a few in their entire lives.
I quickly stored them away.
The inventory interface appeared clearly.
Low-Grade Spirit Stone ×2000
Just like a game.
Curious, I retrieved one stone and stored it again.
It worked flawlessly.
"So identical items can stack," I murmured. "That'll save a lot of space."
Inventory expansion could wait.
Finally, I turned to the Spirit Farmer Encyclopedia Card.
I hesitated only briefly before activating it.
The instant I did—
Pain exploded in my head.
Information surged violently into my consciousness—plant classifications, spirit soil properties, weather influences, farming techniques and spells, pest control, spirit fertilizer formulas, and countless diagrams and annotations.
My vision went white.
I couldn't even scream.
The pain crushed me, and before I could process anything further, darkness swallowed my consciousness.
When I woke up, sunlight filtered through the window.
My head throbbed faintly.
"Haa…" I rubbed my temples, wincing.
It hurt—but I was smiling.
Five years.
I had waited five long years.
No amount of pain could suppress my happiness today.
After activating the robe's cleaning effect once more, I stepped outside.
The morning sun had fully risen.
My grandfather was already awake, sitting on a low wooden stool in the courtyard, slowly repairing a broken basket. His hair was white, his back bent with age, but his eyes were still sharp.
"You're up early," he said, glancing at me.
"Happy birthday, Yuan'er. You've turned ten today."
"Thank you for your blessings, Grandfather."
He stood and patted my shoulder gently.
Birthdays weren't celebrated grandly here. In a cultivation world, years passed quickly, and only the rich or powerful bothered with banquets. For a poor spirit-farming family like ours, this was more than enough.
I didn't complain.
I liked this warmth.
I was grateful.
"I'll prepare something to eat," I said.
I boiled some porridge, sliced pickled vegetables, and reheated yesterday's steamed buns. The meal was simple—but warm.
After eating, I told my grandfather I was heading to the fields.
He nodded. "May you have a bountiful harvest."
I picked up my sickle and walked toward the farmland.
Along the way, I greeted fellow villagers heading to their own lands.
No one noticed anything different.
But I knew.
Last night had changed the course of my life.
Our farmland lay north of the village, at the edge of the cultivated area, backed by a small hill that blocked the northern wind.
It was remote.
Few people came here.
Perfect.
Our family owned two mu of spirit land.
It wasn't much, but it had been earned through my grandfather's blood and sweat when he first settled here. Back then, he had been strong. Now, age and old injuries had caught up to him.
Last year, when his health worsened, I took over the farming completely.
As for my parents—
They had died when I was very young, during a beast tide. After that, my grandfather brought me south, away from the chaos, seeking shelter under the Sun Moon Spirit Sect.
He had told me all this after my memories from my previous life awakened.
I had felt something was… off.
But what could I do?
This was a cruel world where strength was the ultimate truth—and the only real currency.
I stepped into the fields.
The jade spirit rice had matured well. Pale green stalks swayed gently in the breeze, faint spiritual energy lingering around them.
I raised the sickle.
The moment I cut down the first plant, a system prompt appeared.
"You have harvested one Jade Spirit Rice plant."
"You have gained: Verdant Dew (White)."
I paused.
A reward?
I checked the details.
Verdant Dew (White)
After use, the host gains a small amount of spiritual energy.
I frowned slightly.
Better not use it blindly.
I continued harvesting. The next plant gave no reward. Comparing them, I found no difference.
So it was random.
With the Spirit Farmer Sickle, cutting rice became effortless. There was no strain, no fatigue. The blade moved smoothly, almost eagerly, through stalk after stalk.
By the time I finished harvesting all two mu of land, the system had granted me two more Verdant Dew (White) cards and one Rapid Growth (Green) entry.
Rapid Growth (Green)
Can be used on up to 1 mu of land
Increases plant growth by up to 30%
Actual effect varies based on plant type and tier
All rewards were stored in a separate system space, retrievable at will.
After cutting, I began threshing.
Grains and stalks were separated and piled neatly. When everything was done, I took out rice bags from the spirit pouch at my waist—something my grandfather had passed down to me.
Total yield: 430 pounds of spirit rice.
I sighed softly.
Low.
Very low.
Normally, one mu could yield three to four hundred pounds.
But without cultivation—and with my grandfather too sick to perform Spirit Rain—I had no choice but to rely on others. Most Spirit Rain practitioners demanded twenty percent of the harvest, seeing me as an easy target.
In the end, the village chief mediated.
Watering once every two days.
Five percent of the yield.
I had accepted reluctantly.
After storing the rice and stalks, I headed straight to the village chief's office.
Inside, Old Zhang was busy collecting grain taxes for the Sun Moon Spirit Sect. One by one, farmers handed over their shares.
When it was finally my turn, he glanced at his ledger.
"Two mu of land," he muttered. "Standard yield—three hundred pounds per mu."
He calculated quickly.
"Forty percent sect tax—two hundred and forty pounds."
"Spirit Rain practitioner fee—five percent. Thirty pounds."
He looked up.
"A total of two hundred and seventy pounds, Little Shen."
I handed over the rice bags without a word.
After storing them away, Old Zhang nodded.
"Little Shen, you're ten this year, right?"
I nodded.
"Yes, Chief"
"Go to the next room. There are other children there already. After I finish here, I'll test your spirit root."
I cupped my hands respectfully.
"Okay, Chief."
I entered the side room.
Four other children were already seated inside. I found an empty spot, sat down cross-legged, and closed my eyes.
Whatever the result—
I was ready.
----
The moment I sat down, the quiet in the room subtly shifted.
The four children present all looked around ten years old—two boys and two girls. Before I arrived, they had been sitting awkwardly apart, but my entrance seemed to give them something to talk about.
"That's Shen Yuan, right?" one of the girls whispered, not even bothering to lower her voice.
"The one who farms by himself?"
"I heard he's really smart," the other girl said, eyes shining as she looked at me. "Even the adults praise him."
"Brother Yuan is so clever, maybe he'll awaken a Heavenly Spirit Root," the first girl added excitedly. "That would be amazing!"
The second girl softly added. "If he really has a good spirit root, he could join the sect."
Their gazes kept drifting toward me, curiosity and admiration mixed together. I could practically feel it on my back.
I kept my eyes closed, pretending not to notice.
Across the room, one of the boys snorted.
"Hmph. Heavenly Spirit Root? Don't joke around," he said loudly.
He was tall for his age, shoulders broad, arms thick with muscle—clearly someone who did heavy labor often. His clothes smelled faintly of blood and iron.
The butcher's son.
I remembered him. His name was Liu Hu.
"My father says spirit roots aren't decided by clever words or book knowledge," he continued, folding his arms. "Strength matters. Blood matters."
He glanced at me sideways, his eyes sharp with undisguised jealousy.
"Some people just talk well," he added. "That's why adults like them. Doesn't mean they're anything special."
The room fell quiet for a moment.
The girls frowned.
"That's rude," one of them said. "Big Brother Yuan has always helped everyone."
"Yeah," the other added. "He even taught us how to catch fish."
Liu Hu's expression darkened.
"Tch. You girls only know how to chatter."
I could feel the resentment rolling off him.
In this small village, I had always been called intelligent.
And he—
He had always been called a brute.
I understood his feelings.
But I didn't open my eyes.
Arguing now would be meaningless.
In this world, words carried no weight without strength to back them.
I steadied my breathing and focused inward.
Spirit root testing…
Whether I awakened trash or treasure—
I would walk my own path.
The room slowly quieted again, tension lingering in the air as footsteps approached outside.
Old Zhang would arrive soon.
---