"Chenn'er, at your age, you don't need to be worrying about Spirit Stones. It's better to go out and play with the other children in the clan, or practice your basic Five Elements Magic."
Bai Jiu'an found his nephew to be a bit too mature for his age. When he himself was that young, he was still playing in the mud and snatching toys from the kid next door. Even after his Spiritual Root was discovered, his young mind couldn't stand the tedium of cultivation, and he would slack off at every opportunity.
It wasn't until he was fifteen or sixteen that his temperament settled, and he began to understand the importance of cultivation and take it seriously.
Today, Bai Zichen was dressed in a brand-new, standard-issue green Daoist Robe. On the chest was an emblem of a thriving stalk of Ink Bamboo, one of the benefits every cultivator in the Bai Family was entitled to receive from the clan.
The robe was made of ordinary material, but it was embroidered with Silk Runes that automatically cleaned it and mended small tears. If sold in the Market outside, it would fetch at least five Spirit Stones.
A new Brocade Bag hung from his waist. Inside were two Spirit Stones and a stack of Talismans—the former was his annual stipend as a cultivator at the first layer of the Qi Refining Stage, and the latter was a gift from his uncle, Bai Jiu'an, to celebrate his achievement of Qi Refining and Body Integration.
Spirit Stones were the universal currency of the Cultivation Realm and an indispensable aid for cultivation; their importance was self-evident. Although Bai Zichen didn't yet understand the pricing systems of the Cultivation Realm, he knew from the miscellaneous records he had read that two Spirit Stones wouldn't get him very far.
"Uncle, the books say that among the Hundred Skills of Cultivation, Artifact Refining, Alchemy, and Talisman Painting are the three easiest professions for earning Spirit Stones. Why did you become a Spirit Plant Master?"
Though still young, Bai Zichen had already decided he must learn a profitable trade. His own uncle was naturally the best person to learn from, but unfortunately, his uncle was completely unskilled in the most highly-regarded professions.
"Those three professions have extremely high talent requirements, and they demand a massive investment of resources in the early stages. Aside from a large Sect like the Qingfeng Sect, what clan would specialize in training such people?"
Bai Jiu'an reached out and patted his young nephew's head, not at all angered by the boy's naive question.
"Take Alchemists, for example. Even for the most basic Elixirs, a single attempt at refinement can cost over a hundred Spirit Stones in materials. A few dozen failures would be enough to deal a crippling blow to a small clan."
"Besides, don't look down on Spirit Plant Masters. This line of work doesn't require much of an investment, and if just one or two of the Spirit Plants you're cultivating manage to evolve, the rewards will be substantial."
'No matter how he spins it, the future of a Spirit Plant Master can't compare to an Alchemist or an Artifact Refiner,' Bai Zichen grumbled to himself. 'The main advantage is just the low investment.'
He didn't really have anything against the profession, though. He was still young, and he had no way to learn those other high-end skills anyway. Starting as a Spirit Plant Master was fine.
Bai Jiu'an led Bai Zichen to a bamboo grove. He formed a seal with his fingers and cast a technique. A few specks of faint green light danced at his fingertips before flying into a nearby bamboo stalk. The bamboo leaves rustled, and in an instant, the plant visibly perked up, its branches and leaves seeming to grow lusher.
"This is the Wood God Skill, a unique technique passed down by our ancestors. It's one of a kind in the entire Black Mountain County. It's incredibly beneficial to all forms of plant life. Not only can it promote growth and restore vitality, but it can also refine their essence and improve their fundamental nature. It is precisely because of this technique that the Spirit Plants cultivated by our Bai Family have a bit of a reputation throughout Black Mountain County. They are the clan's most important source of income."
Bai Jiu'an continued to cast the technique as he spoke, successfully treating several acres of bamboo in a short time.
"Hey, isn't this the same Ink Bamboo that's planted outside of town? Is it a type of Spirit Plant, too?"
Bai Zichen took a closer look. Other than having a deeper color and appearing more vibrant, these bamboo stalks didn't look much different from the vast groves planted all over Ink Bamboo Town.
"Haha, you guessed right, my boy. This is Ink Bamboo, but it's still a long way from being a Spirit Plant!"
It turned out that when the Bai Family's ancestor first settled in the Black Mountain Range, he had received a bag of Tier One Low Grade Profound Ink Bamboo seeds from a senior's legacy. He later succeeded in planting them, and the bamboo grove grew larger and larger over time.
However, as the years passed, most of the newly grown Profound Ink Bamboo degenerated into ordinary Ink Bamboo, which was only slightly tougher than the Mortal Grade variety. But with the careful tending of a Spirit Plant Master and the cumulative effect of the Wood God Skill applied hundreds or thousands of times, it was possible for them to be promoted and become Profound Ink Bamboo once again.
The vast groves of Ink Bamboo planted outside the mortal town were, of course, planted on the orders of the Bai Family cultivators to ensure they had a sufficient reserve.
"Our family controls dozens of nameless mountain peaks like this one. Once you reach Mid-Stage Qi Refining, which is the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, you can apply to the clan for one of your own to open up a Spirit Field and cultivate Spirit Plants. For now, you can just pick a spot here on my Fufeng Ridge and get some practice."
Bai Zichen's face lit up. 'The clan's benefits are pretty good!' he thought. A small mountain like this could house hundreds of mortals. It was a territory he could never have dreamed of in his past life.
A grove of roughly two to three hundred Ink Bamboo stalks occupied the spot on Fufeng Ridge with the richest Spiritual Qi. Behind it was a sheer cliff face covered in climbing vines, and looking down, one could see a pool of water only a few meters wide.
On the other side, a flat area about a hundred zhang square had been cleared. It was planted with a crop of fiery red plants, so brilliant they were dazzling. Their stems and leaves were long and thin, growing to about waist height.
A gentle breeze blew, and the plants bent in unison before straightening up again, resembling ripples in a sea of fire. It was the first time Bai Zichen had seen such a sight, and he stared, captivated. At the edge of the flat land stood a low wall, and behind it were three lonely, gray, dusty houses.
Bai Jiu'an was much more casual with the red crop. He cast a single Wood God Skill that covered a large section of the Spirit Field. The green light was so faint it was barely visible, and he finished the task in a flash.
"This is Yang Flame Grass. Once it's mature, it can be made into Talisman Paper for Tier One Low Grade Fire Element Spirit Talismans. It's not worth much; a field this size would probably only sell for a dozen or so Spirit Stones. But its advantage is that it doesn't require much Spiritual Qi and is extremely easy to grow. It doesn't take much effort to care for it, so almost every Low-Tier Cultivator will plant some."
Bai Jiu'an had already realized that he couldn't treat his nephew like an ordinary child. Throughout the day, the boy had paid serious attention to every detail of tending the Spirit Plants. Whenever he didn't understand something, he would ask questions relentlessly, showing no sign of impatience or boredom. Seeing this, his uncle took the initiative to explain things to him.
"I usually only come here when I need to tend to the Spirit Plants. I spend less than half a month a year living here, so I just built some simple houses back then. In a few more years, when your uncle reaches Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivation, I can bring a few mortal servants up the mountain to take care of our daily lives and handle miscellaneous chores."
In the very beginning, the Bai Family's cultivators and mortals lived together. But after a few generations, as the clan's population grew, some cultivators raised objections. The Clan Leader of that generation simply established a new rule: a town would be built at the foot of a nearby mountain, and all the Bai Family mortals without Spiritual Roots would be moved into it.
Only cultivators who reached Late-Stage Qi Refining could apply to bring a certain number of mortals up the mountain.
This was done for ease of management and also to prevent an overabundance of people from disturbing the Spiritual Qi on the mountain.
However, this rule made life difficult for the Low-Tier Cultivators. Qi Refining Cultivators had not yet reached the Grain Avoidance Realm, so they still had to prepare their own meals, do their own laundry, and clean. This led to endless complaints from many cultivators who, upon discovering their Spiritual Roots, thought they had soared to the heavens and were no longer mortals. Those with flighty temperaments who loved leisure and hated labor couldn't bear such hardship and would sneak down to the town for a few days of fun whenever they got the chance.
Of course, the main reason Bai Jiu'an didn't live on Fufeng Ridge was because of his clan duties, which required him to travel frequently to gather Cultivation Resources. Otherwise, with his Four Spirit Root Talent, it would have been impossible for him to be just one step away from Late-Stage Qi Refining.
That evening, after sharing a Spiritual Cuisine with his uncle, Bai Zichen returned to his room. The "Spiritual Cuisine" was, in reality, just some ordinary rice and vegetables grown in a one-mu Spirit Field his uncle had casually tilled. It only occasionally received a nourishing dose of the Wood God Skill and provided no help whatsoever for cultivation.
Coupled with Bai Jiu'an's poor cooking skills and the lack of good ingredients, the meal was like chewing wax for Bai Zichen, who had been a carnivore in both his lives. He could only hope his uncle's cultivation would advance quickly so he could find a first-rate cook.