Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Improved Spirit Rice

Chapter 22 Falling Down

"call!"

Zhao Jinglong slumped into his chair, waved his hand, and the eunuchs and maids below bowed and quietly withdrew.

Empress Shangguan stood aside, and seeing Zhao Jinglong's exhausted appearance, her heart sank.

Scenes from the past flashed before my eyes, almost startling me.

Her eyes were red and filled with tears, and her voice trembled noticeably.

"Your Majesty, has the front line completely fallen?"

Lady Shangguan had already prepared for the worst.

But she suddenly noticed that Zhao Jinglong was looking at her with a strange expression.

Zhao Jinglong looked puzzled.

Why are you crying?

"Great news! This is fantastic news!"

Once Zhao Jinglong caught his breath, an excited expression appeared on his face, and he sat up straight.

Now it was Shangguan who was somewhat puzzled.

Although she was a woman, she came from a powerful and wealthy family and had some understanding of the situation at the front. She really couldn't think of anything that could make Zhao Jinglong so happy in the current situation of internal and external troubles.

Zhao Jinglong simply handed the letter in his hand to Shangguan Shi without offering any further explanation.

Shangguan took the letter and read it carefully. A happy expression immediately appeared on her face.

"It's news from Cheng'an. He's doing very well at the Imperial Academy, which is wonderful."

Zhao Cheng'an was the youngest son of the Shangguan family, and he traveled a long distance to study.

Previously, due to the intense war situation, she hadn't received any news for months, and Shangguan was so worried that she couldn't sleep well. Now that she was certain that Zhao Chengan was alright, the heavy weight in her heart finally lifted.

However, she soon became doubtful again.

"What exactly is the Imperial Academy, and why does the letter claim it possesses the power to change the entire Seven Kingdoms?"

Zhao Jinglong did not explain directly, but instead asked a question in return.

Do you believe in the existence of immortals?

"Isn't that something that only exists in vernacular novels or in the mouths of storytellers?" Shangguan replied matter-of-factly.

Zhao Jinglong shook his head, his tone very firm.

"I am convinced that immortals exist in this world. The ancestors of the Great Yin Dynasty were once cultivators. And the Imperial Academy is a place specifically for selecting and nurturing those with the aptitude for cultivation."

Shangguan stared at him blankly.

"Does that mean Cheng'an can also become an immortal?"

"yes."

Zhao Jinglong nodded, a look of emotion on his face.

He rose from his seat, walked to the window, and opened it. The sky outside was dotted with countless stars, vast and dazzling. Zhao Jinglong casually put his arm around Shangguan's waist and couldn't help but say, "Since the start of the war, my wife and I haven't looked at the stars together for a very long time."

"It feels like a lifetime ago."

"Many years later, when Cheng'an leaves this land, he will surely be able to see a much wider starry sky."

Zhao Jinglong sighed repeatedly.

Thinking of this, he turned around and walked back to the table, picking up the wooden box.

The lid was opened, and inside lay a golden rice stalk.

Thinking of the specific instructions in the letter, Zhao Jinglong realized that this rice plant might hold the key to turning the tide of battle. His previous imperial majesty gradually returned to his face.

"Someone come here!" he shouted.

……

"Sigh, another failure."

The Imperial Academy, nestled in a tranquil bamboo building.

Outside, a heavy rain was pouring down, the raindrops pattering against the bamboo leaves. Zhao Cheng'an sat cross-legged on the bamboo bed, opened his eyes, and a hint of helplessness appeared on his face.

When he first obtained the "Yi Mu Chao Yang Jing" (乙木朝阳经), Shen Yanshan specifically told him that the only drawback of this cultivation method was that it was very difficult.

At that time, Zhao Cheng'an had no concept of the word "difficult". Now it seems that Shen Yanshan was really an honest person.

If when inscribing the three runes of the Azure Wood Spirit Scroll, both hands worked simultaneously, now, inscribing the second stage, Rising Sun Ignition, the two hands not only cannot cooperate but also conflict with each other, as if two magnets were placed in the dantian, repelling each other.

The middle scroll, depicting the rising sun igniting a fire, also has three runes.

These are the Rising Sun Pattern used to absorb fire-attribute spiritual energy, the Returning Fire Pattern used to form a cycle, and the True Qi Pattern used to stabilize fire and wood energy and prevent them from conflicting.

Zhao Cheng'an tried to inscribe the sunrise pattern, but after a whole night of effort, he failed completely and made no progress.

Fortunately, the spirit rice he had cultivated earlier, along with the spirit stones awarded by the libationer, allowed Zhao Cheng'an to maintain a relatively rapid rate of cultivation growth during this period.

He now feels that the spiritual energy within him is growing stronger.

At first, it was just wisps of mist, then it condensed into water droplets, and then transformed into a babbling brook. Once this spiritual energy gathered within his body into a rushing river, it meant that his cultivation had finally reached the first level of Qi Refining.

Although this is the lowest level among all cultivators, it is still of great significance to Zhao Cheng'an.

On the one hand, successfully refining the first strand of spiritual energy means that he is no longer an ordinary person, but a true cultivator.

On the other hand, this also means that he can start learning some simple spells.

For example, the Lesser Cloud Rain Technique, the Crimson Sand Technique, the Grass Sword Technique, and so on.

Although it is the simplest and most basic technique, it can still injure people from a distance, and its power is enormous. If it hits the target directly, it can kill even a so-called master with one blow.

The first level of Qi Refining is the starting stage for every cultivator, while the Grandmaster is the pinnacle among ordinary martial artists.

The gap between immortals and mortals is undeniably enormous.

Zhao Cheng'an happily imagined it in his mind.

The continuous attempts throughout the night had left him mentally and physically exhausted, and his head was now slightly throbbing and aching.

Listening to the heavy rain outside, Zhao Cheng'an decided to give himself a short break and get some rest for the night, deciding to fight again tomorrow.

Amidst the sounds of wind and rain, the entire night passed by.

……

the next day.

After the rain, a rainbow appeared in the misty mountains.

After washing up and having breakfast, Zhao Cheng'an was about to summarize the results of his cultivation over the past period.

At this moment, Xiao Wu hurriedly ran in from the outer courtyard.

"What happened?" Zhao Chengan asked.

Xiao Wu, panting heavily, wiped the rain off his face.

"It's terrible, Your Highness. The rice you had planted outside was flooded by last night's heavy rain. Many of it has also collapsed, which will greatly affect the harvest. I'll have to trouble you to go and take a look yourself."

"what?"

Zhao Chengan was taken aback when he heard the news.

However, he didn't show any panic on his face; he simply nodded.

"Then let's not delay, let's go and take a look now."

We arrived at the scene.

A large swath of golden rice stalks lay flattened in the field, most of them submerged in mud and water. Several farmers were frantically trying to straighten the stalks.

Hearing footsteps approaching, the farmers straightened up, their gazes towards Zhao Chengan filled with an indescribable restraint.

Zhao Cheng'an raised his hand and pressed it down twice, indicating that they didn't need to be nervous.

He rolled up his trousers and stepped into the mud himself.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the situation was far worse than he had anticipated.

Because the hybrid rice contains the phrase "many children, many blessings," the rice ears become extremely heavy after they fill out. Last night, a strong wind blew, and entire stalks of rice could not bear the weight and collapsed directly into the water.

And it's not just a problem of lodging.

Zhao Chengan also found many traces left by aphids on the leaves and stems, and some rice plants were even infected with rice blast, with brown spots covering the leaves.

Although the terms "PUBG" and "sick" cancel each other out, it does not mean that the rice will not get sick, nor does it mean that it will not attract various pests.

Zhao Cheng'an sighed as he watched this scene.

"The current hybrid rice is barely usable. It contains little spiritual energy and is easily wiped out by any natural disaster or pest."

"Cultivating superior rice varieties is truly a long and arduous task."

"However, I'm still at the stage where I know what it is but not why it works. Even with a powerful weapon like the Qiankun Cauldron, I can hardly unleash its true potential. It seems I need to systematically learn about the relevant knowledge within it."

Zhao Cheng'an secretly made plans in his heart.

At the same time, the image of his agronomy teacher, Qi Weizhao, squatting on the edge of the field complaining flashed through his mind.