Chapter Seventeen: Blood Locust Rice

The incident of Fellow Daoist Long's demise hung over the tenement district like a lingering gloom, refusing to disperse. For several days in a row, every household nearby kept their doors tightly shut; the once lively alleys were now cold and deserted. At night, no one dared set foot outside. Even with the Feathered Spirit Sect increasing its patrols, the tenants only ventured out in groups. Qin Ming was no exception—whenever he went to work in the spirit fields, he always joined the others.

These days, the spirit fields felt far safer than the world outside. The reason was simple: in recent days, Steward Gu himself had been leading disciples to patrol around the fields. Every three days, his massive magic boat would hover above the fields for half a day, giving Qin Ming a sense of reassurance. Clearly, the Feathered Spirit Sect had no intention of letting anything else happen within the fields—they couldn't afford to, since the supply lines to the frontline camp depended on them.

Within the three acres of Yin-Congealing Flower spirit fields, Qin Ming had already used the "Accelerated Growth" attribute. Two days later, tender green shoots emerged. With his heart pounding, Qin Ming gazed into the field. Three golden attributes gleamed before his eyes!

[Name]: Yin-Congealing Flower [Attribute]: Bee Command Art (Ripeness 2%)
[Name]: Yin-Congealing Flower [Attribute]: Accelerated Growth x5 (Ripeness 3%)
[Name]: Yin-Congealing Flower [Attribute]: Bloodline Reversion x1 (Ripeness 1%)

"Unbelievable!" Qin Ming stared, wide-eyed, at the attributes shimmering in the field, unable to recover for quite some time. "So this is what true fortune looks like!" He burst into hearty laughter in the middle of the spirit field. "Right on the first try!"

[Bee Command Art]: A spiritual plant technique that, when performed, guides spirit bees to pollinate spiritual plants.
[Bloodline Reversion]: When used, the spiritual plant evolves into an ancestral form.

Although the "Quality Enhancement" attribute hadn’t appeared, one even more impressive had taken its place. Qin Ming immediately pulled out a spirit plant compendium, written by the legendary cultivator Shi Yefarmer, titled "A Record of Spiritual Plants and Curiosities." Not only did it catalog rare flowers and grasses of the cultivation world, but it also introduced the origins of many spiritual plants and herbs—including the Beast Fang Rice.

The ancestor of Beast Fang Rice was a top-grade first-tier spiritual plant: Blood Locust Rice. It fell just short of reaching the second tier—a testament to its rarity. Blood Locust Rice resembled a leech, its grains dark red as blood, hence its name.

Its effects were straightforward: consumption could greatly enhance a cultivator's vital energy and blood. However, those whose essence and blood had not yet consolidated were cautioned against using it. This spiritual rice was a dream come true for body-refining cultivators and a sacred treasure for practitioners of blood-path arts—something to encounter by chance, not by seeking. According to the compendium, Blood Locust Rice had nearly vanished from the cultivation world centuries ago, with only a few plants occasionally found in uninhabited areas. Its growing conditions were even more demanding than those of Beast Fang Rice, requiring constant irrigation with demon beast blood and an abundance of spiritual energy. Its maturation took ten years. The older it grew, the stronger its effect on vital energy and blood.

Qin Ming stared fixedly at the "Bloodline Reversion" attribute, marveling to himself, "Master Su Dan truly is my benefactor." However, with no "Accelerated Growth" attribute remaining, he could only wait for the next harvest of Golden Spirit Rice.

Three months passed in anxious anticipation. Perhaps Lady Luck truly favored Qin Ming—he gained another "Accelerated Growth" attribute from the Golden Spirit Rice field. Now, all he lacked was the blood of a demon beast.

"But where to obtain it?" Qin Ming stroked his chin, pacing back and forth in thought. "Hunting demon beasts is out of the question. I won’t take unnecessary risks—not even a little." After much deliberation, he decided to buy it with spirit stones. Though expensive, if it meant growing Blood Locust Rice, it would be worth every coin.

Two days later, Qin Ming spent 150 spirit stones at a butcher’s shop in Qingyang Market that specialized in demon beast meat, purchasing ten jin of first-tier demon beast blood. "That should be enough," he thought.

He then used the "Accelerated Growth" attribute obtained from the Golden Spirit Rice field to quietly accelerate the growth of the three Yin-Congealing Flowers with attributes. Instantly, three attribute leaves appeared in his sea of consciousness—two green and one blue. "Being able to induce a regression to an ancestral form—this blue attribute truly is extraordinary," Qin Ming exclaimed.

To ensure nothing went awry, Qin Ming visited Gathering Pavilion and spent over a hundred spirit stones with Manager Liao for a small-scale concealment array. This time, he was gambling not only his spirit stones, but also his precious attributes. He even planned to use "Advanced Spirit Rain Art" as well. After all, the sharpest blade should be saved for the hardest task.

Once everything was ready, Qin Ming began by accelerating the growth of premium Beast Fang Rice. When the rice started sprouting, he applied the "Bloodline Reversion" attribute. In an instant, the spiritual plants before him began to grow wildly—hundreds of exotic stalks shot up. A golden attribute appeared:

[Name]: Blood Locust Rice [Attribute]: Abundant Vitality (Ripeness 30%)

The original leaves of the Beast Fang Rice withered away, replaced by bamboo-like stalks that bore blood-red, leech-shaped grains. Qin Ming pressed on, using the "Accelerated Growth" attribute three times in succession before the Blood Locust Rice finally matured to ten years. He then used the "Advanced Spirit Rain Art" together with demon beast blood to irrigate the crop.

The moment the advanced rain art was enacted, half of Qin Ming’s spiritual power was instantly drained. "No wonder only mid- to late-stage Qi Refining cultivators can perform this technique," he muttered, gritting his teeth as he used two "Weak Spiritual Power" attributes to recover.

Thunder rumbled as dark clouds gathered overhead, swirling and sparking with lightning. And that was with Qin Ming intentionally shrinking the spell’s range—had he cast it outside, the spectacle would have been even grander. Thankfully, Manager Liao’s concealment array worked better than expected, shielding everything within the courtyard. Unless a high-level cultivator deliberately probed, the secret was safe. This knowledge allowed Qin Ming to breathe easier.

When the Blood Locust Rice encountered the rain of demon beast blood, the plants began to writhe grotesquely, as if coming alive, greedily drinking in the blood. A crimson mist emanated from the rice, swirling and refusing to disperse. Under the advanced rain art, all the spiritual energy in the area was drawn in, nourishing the hundreds of spiritual plants with unmatched fertility. New, bountiful rice clusters formed at the joints of the Blood Locust Rice.

Qin Ming did not neglect the opportunity to experience casting the advanced rain art—his mastery of the intermediate version was already flawless, and now he was at the threshold of the advanced form.

After nearly half a month of tireless, sleepless care, the Blood Locust Rice was fully ripe. All that remained in Qin Ming’s sea of consciousness was:

Bee Command Art
Weak Vitality x2
Abundant Vitality x1

Once the harvest was complete, Qin Ming meticulously erased all traces of cultivation from his courtyard—this treasure absolutely could not be discovered by others. Only when everything was tidied up did he allow himself to relax.

Gazing at the Blood Locust Rice stored in his bag of holding, excitement surged within him. Licking his lips, he smiled and murmured, "Now, let’s see what this legendary Blood Locust Rice really tastes like."