Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Improved Spirit Rice

Chapter 30 Second Generation Hybrid Rice

Judging from their expressions, Shen Yanshan could guess what the two were thinking.

Although Shen Yanshan didn't show anything on his face, he sighed inwardly. Of the five students from the Imperial Academy, Chen Heng and Zhao Cheng'an had a higher probability of passing the Daoist Court's selection process and entering the formal Daoist lineage. Xiang Yunyuan also had a chance if he worked hard.

Only Sun Fuli and Xu Baiheng saw almost no hope.

While the Seven Kingdoms region is indeed barren due to its low spiritual energy, this also means less intrigue and backstabbing, allowing for peaceful cultivation. In the outside cultivation world, although things have improved considerably since the establishment of the Daoist Court, it remains quite brutal overall.

For those independent cultivators outside the established traditions, family forces are even more determined to squeeze every last bit of profit from the lower-level cultivators.

While at the Imperial Academy, you don't notice anything amiss when you're together day and night. But after a few years, the difference in treatment between those who enter different schools of thought is like night and day, and the gap widens rapidly.

As a teacher, Shen Yanshan still had some compassion in his heart.

However, he was just a small, unassuming old man living in a remote corner, and he didn't have any way to change the situation. He could only offer a few words of simple comfort to the two of them, telling them not to be impatient and to continue their cultivation in peace.

Then Shen Yanshan spoke up, bringing up the second matter of the day.

"I will be leaving the Imperial Academy for a while to go to Fulin Cave Heaven."

"One reason is the need to replenish some cultivation resources, and another reason is that the Daoist court's assessment seems to have undergone new changes. I need to study it in depth and make some adjustments to the future teaching arrangements."

As soon as Shen Yanshan finished speaking, the group couldn't help but gasp in surprise, exchanging astonished glances.

He clapped his hands, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"Because the seven kingdoms are geographically too remote and far from the Imperial Academy, a round trip would take at least half a year. During this time, if you have any questions about your cultivation, you can consult Master Qi."

After speaking, Shen Yanshan raised his head and looked up at the distant sky.

"It seems my people have arrived."

"Boom!"

A muffled rumble of thunder suddenly echoed through the void.

At the same time, the sky, which had been relatively bright just moments before, suddenly darkened.

"Look at the sky!" Sun Fuli exclaimed in surprise.

Everyone looked up.

Suddenly, auspicious clouds filled the sky, turning fiery red under the setting sun. Above the clouds, various pavilions and towers could be vaguely seen, creating a magnificent sight.

Zhao Cheng'an looked closely and realized that it was not an ordinary immortal cave, but a huge ship hundreds of meters long, exuding a powerful and heavy aura.

It was the first time anyone had ever seen such a magnificent sight, and they were all deeply shocked, instinctively holding their breath.

Shen Yanshan chuckled as he looked at their stunned expressions.

"This is just the most basic inter-domain immortal ship, specifically designed for long-distance transportation and navigation."

"When you take the Imperial Academy exams in the future, the flying boats you ride will be even larger than this. These are just the most basic things in the cultivation world of the East Sea Region. It's just that the Seven Kingdoms are too remote, so there's nothing to be surprised about."

After Shen Yanshan finished speaking, he waved goodbye to everyone.

He took a step forward, and a pure white auspicious cloud appeared out of thin air beneath his feet. The cloud lifted his body slowly upwards, eventually disappearing into the clouds. Then, along with the enormous ship, they vanished from everyone's sight.

Meanwhile, the blinding array within the Imperial Academy had already been activated, and the other students barely noticed the changes in the sky.

I just felt that the sky suddenly became gloomy for a while, but it quickly returned to normal.

Sun Fuli and the others still had a deep sense of amazement on their faces.

However, Zhao Chengan astutely noticed some clues.

The technique that Shen Jijiu used when he ascended into the air was probably just a simple lightness technique.

The auspicious cloud beneath his feet seemed to be formed by condensing water vapor using a minor cloud-raining technique. Aside from its impressive appearance and flashy special effects, it served virtually no practical purpose.

"It seems that the Chief Priest is also someone who pays great attention to his image," Zhao Cheng'an thought to himself.

……

……

After leaving the study, Zhao Cheng'an went straight to the depths of Qiansui Valley.

He stood by the spirit field, his hands rapidly forming hand seals. As the four runes of the Lesser Cloud and Rain Technique were completed within his body, a torrential downpour of rain fell from mid-air, precisely covering the area in front of him.

A moment later, the clouds and rain dispersed. The entire spiritual field, nourished by the rain, radiated a renewed vitality.

Qi Weizhao stood on the edge of the field and clapped his hands in satisfaction.

"You've done well. In just six months, you've managed to cultivate the Lesser Cloud and Rain Technique to this level. Even compared to some geniuses with top-grade water spiritual roots, you're almost on par."

Zhao Cheng'an withdrew his gesture and responded modestly.

"It's all thanks to the teacher's excellent teaching."

Qi Weizhao shook his head.

"I merely imparted some basic knowledge to you; I dare not take credit for it. Otherwise, if Shen Yanshan heard about it, he would definitely come looking for trouble."

Qi Weizhao said it in a joking tone, and the two of them couldn't help but laugh.

After laughing, Qi Weizhao changed the subject.

"You've been borrowing all sorts of books and breeding tools from me lately. How's your research on spirit rice going? Any progress?"

Qi Weizhao's original intention was to remind Zhao Cheng'an.

Zhao Cheng'an had clearly shown some talent in the art of runes, and his spiritual sense was extraordinary. However, the resources at the Seven Kingdoms Academy were extremely limited, and Qi Weizhao didn't think Zhao Cheng'an could achieve anything significant there.

He felt that Zhao Chengan should focus his main efforts on improving his cultivation.

But to Qi Weizhao's surprise, Zhao Cheng'an wiped the sweat from his brow and answered seriously:

"Reporting to Master, I have made great progress in cultivating spiritual rice. I may be able to produce tangible results in the next few months. At that time, I will have Master review them in person and ask for your guidance."

Qi Weizhao's eyes flashed with surprise upon hearing this answer.

At first glance, he thought Zhao Cheng'an was just bragging. But after spending more than a year with him, Zhao Cheng'an always impressed him as a very hardworking and down-to-earth person, definitely not the kind of person who talks big.

Spirit rice cultivation and breeding has always been a popular area in the East China Sea, but there is still no good solution on how to cultivate it on a large scale in low-spirit areas.

Because there aren't many places in the entire East China Sea as lacking in spiritual energy as the Seven Kingdoms, it's like trying to grow rice in the desert; there's no need to struggle in this place.

Therefore, not many people invest in research in this area.

Although there are some products on the market that can withstand poor soil conditions, they are expensive.

Overall, this is a problem that is neither too big nor too small.

"Could Zhao Cheng'an really solve such a difficult problem? That seems unlikely, considering how long he's been cultivating!"

However, Qi Weizhao still felt a sense of anticipation.

The seven kingdoms as a whole have been largely disconnected from the outside world, and very little has happened that interests him anymore. In Qi Weizhao's view, even the slightest progress Zhao Cheng'an has made is quite remarkable.

Qi Weizhao laughed and encouraged him, "Good, good, good, then I'll be waiting for your good news."

Zhao Chengan nodded, a confident smile on his face as well.

He wasn't worried about revealing his results. He had thoroughly deduced every step of the breeding process, and without the basic knowledge and tools provided by Qi Weizhao, he would never have been able to successfully produce the second-generation hybrid rice with superior traits.

Moreover, the Imperial Academy is never short of geniuses.

Although Zhao Cheng'an is now quite confident of joining a formal sect, his ambitions extend beyond that. He hopes to break into a top-tier sect, which requires him to demonstrate even greater talent to earn that opportunity.

In addition to the assessments organized by the Taoist temple, some research findings can also bring extra points.

They might even gain special recruitment opportunities from certain sects.

Hybrid rice was the crucial stepping stone he had prepared for himself.

……

After bidding farewell to Qi Weizhao, Zhao Chengan returned to the bamboo house.

He first checked the Qiankun Cauldron in his mind. The synthesis was still in progress, with eight hours remaining.

If this is successful, the superior traits of Taixue Lingmi and wild Lingmi will be perfectly combined to form a third-generation superior Lingmi. After more than a year of breeding work, it has finally blossomed and borne fruit.

With this expectation in mind, Zhao Cheng'an sat down cross-legged and continued his cultivation.

He dispersed the original true spirit within his body, took a deep breath, and began to re-inscribe the Azure Heaven Pattern.

He had failed countless times at this step before. But this time, it was as if water had flowed naturally, and he successfully sketched it out from beginning to end without any problems.

As the last line closed within the dantian, a shimmering blue light emanated from the complex runes.

Zhao Cheng'an's body jolted violently, and a look of wild joy appeared on his face.