This was a kind of miracle.
A spiritual rice nurtured entirely by human hands—one could even say that this was the first new species ever cultivated in the Eternal Continent—underwent a transformation under the favor of heaven and earth, evolving into spirit rice, ascending to become one of the top-tier Earth-grade spirit grains. What an incredible, unfathomable phenomenon. Most crucially, the emergence of this spirit rice introduced a new cultivable variety to Xuanhuang City.
Yi Tianxing had previously acquired Golden Wheat and Bloodfiend Shura Rice, both Earth- or even Heaven-grade spirit grains. Yet planting them wasn't simple. Without sufficient strength, he had never distributed these seeds openly. They were always grown in the Life Aperture of his Dantian, and they were already nearing maturity. He hadn't withheld them without reason.
It was simply because spirit rice is a strategic resource.
The benefits it brings to cultivators are immense—so immense they're hard to quantify.
It aids cultivation, strengthens the body.
Everyone knew the advantages of spirit rice. But who to entrust with the farming of spirit rice, and who not to—that alone was a tricky problem. Moreover, growing spirit rice required a fundamental prerequisite: it had to be planted in Spirit Fields.
So, what are Spirit Fields?
Every inch of soil in a Spirit Field is infused with spiritual energy. More than that, maintaining a Spirit Field requires constantly grinding spirit stones into powder to use as fertilizer, which is no small investment. The best Spirit Fields, in truth, are those that form over spiritual veins. These arise naturally from ambient spirit energy and do not require constant upkeep, as the spiritual vein sustains them with a continuous flow of qi.
These fields are ideal for growing all kinds of spiritual herbs, vegetables, and more.
In Xuanhuang City, Iron Ox suppressed the land, inhaling and exhaling the primal essence of heaven and earth, gradually nurturing the birth of a spiritual vein. However, clearly, the vein had yet to fully form—it was still in the process.
Without a fully-formed spiritual vein, forming Spirit Fields in the vicinity required special means: spirit-gathering formations, crushed spirit stones, all blended into the soil. This only created temporary Spirit Fields, making cultivation far more difficult.
And planting spirit rice naturally absorbs the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, drawing nutrients from the soil. If the land is insufficiently nourished, the result could be a net loss—counterproductive and wasteful.
That's not to say spirit rice can't be planted in regular paddies—but without sufficient spiritual energy, the growth rate will be painfully slow. The maturation period can be several times longer than in a Spirit Field. For instance, the Golden Wheat grown by the scarecrow in the valley—many plots weren't even Spirit Fields. They still grew, but only with prolonged care and nourishment using the corpses and flesh of fierce beasts.
Yet now Yi Tianxing saw it clearly—with the transformation of Iceheart Rice, the blessing of heaven and earth had caused the blood and corpses of countless demonic rats to sink mysteriously into the earth, into the rice fields. Faintly, he could see that the very farmland cultivated by Song Yingxing was now emitting a strange spiritual glow.
"This is the birth of a Spirit Field."
Cai Yong had also arrived at the fields, and upon witnessing the glow, his eyes revealed deep astonishment.
"Under the nourishment of the corpses and blood of a million demonic rats, and with the favor of the heavens, this field is undergoing a secondary transformation—it may very well give rise to the second phenomenon tied to Iceheart Rice: the legendary 'Wilderness-born Spirit Field'!"
Huang Chengyan's eyes also flickered with emotion.
Spirit Fields were incredibly precious to all of Xuanhuang City.
"Look over there! A Spirit Spring has appeared in the field!"
Someone shouted, pointing.
Before Song Yingxing, the earth cracked open, revealing a small spiritual spring. From within it, clear spring water began to bubble up, exuding a rich concentration of spiritual energy.
This Spirit Spring appeared to be the core of the surrounding Spirit Field, continuously feeding it with energy.
"Ten acres of Spirit Fields and a single Spirit Spring—all from the corpses of over a million demonic rats."
Yi Tianxing nodded quietly to himself.
Ten acres was not much, but it was a decent start—certainly better than nothing. And the presence of the Spirit Spring was even more valuable. The spring could naturally gather heaven and earth essence, transforming it into spiritual water that nourished the fields, ensuring they remained charged with spiritual energy and did not degrade with repeated farming.
But what Yi Tianxing valued most was the Spirit Spring itself.
It functioned like a natural spirit-gathering formation, able to autonomously collect spiritual energy—even drawing from the earth's power. It was the foundation of the Spirit Field. Without it, even a newly formed Spirit Field would eventually degrade. But with the spring, the fields could remain stable, and even birth new fields over time.
Clearly, both the Spirit Fields and Spirit Spring were born from the fusion of rat corpses, blood, and heaven's blessings.
"Spirit Fields... they say you can grow spirit rice, spirit vegetables, all sorts of herbs in them. Growth rates are many times faster than in normal soil. Even mundane crops mature in days. It's unimaginable how valuable this land is!"
"If I had a Spirit Field, I'd grow spirit ginseng, spirit mushrooms... I'd be rich for life!"
"This is too miraculous! A field and spring born from corpses—a true miracle before our eyes!"
This scene left countless citizens speechless with awe. It was simply too extraordinary.
"With Spirit Fields, we can now plant the new Iceheart Rice. Though the climate may differ, the fields should offset those effects. At worst, it might just take longer to mature."
Song Yingxing couldn't hide the joy on his face.
It was a deep, immeasurable sense of accomplishment.
The moment the Iceheart Rice finished forming, heaven and earth imparted knowledge directly into his mind. He knew exactly what it was, what grade it was. Discovering it was Earth-grade spirit rice had been a total surprise. He had expected it to be low-tier Yellow-grade. This was a true stroke of fortune.
From the beginning, he hadn't been sure it would succeed.
No one knew until the very end.
Agriculture was only one of his talents. He hadn't expected it to yield such a result.
"Mister Song, for your success in cultivating Iceheart Rice—an Earth-grade spirit grain—you will surely become renowned across the land, benefitting all the people. Would you be willing to join the Undying Academy? With your reputation, you could serve as the Head of the Agricultural School, and found an agricultural branch to train more experts."
Cai Yong stepped forward eagerly.
Until now, the Agricultural School lacked a leading figure in the Undying Academy. Song Yingxing could easily fill that role. Although he was skilled in many disciplines—almost a true polymath—his achievements in agriculture, combined with his passion for it, made him a perfect candidate to lead.
No one would object—certainly not among the other agricultural disciples.
To create a new strain of spirit rice—that was an accomplishment no one could deny.
"Indeed. I had heard of Mister Song before," Yi Tianxing added, stepping forward. "But upon learning you were developing new rice strains, I did not disturb you. First the Fiery Sky Pepper, and now Iceheart Rice—you are more than qualified to head an agricultural academy branch."
"Xuanhuang City is just starting to get back on its feet—we need all kinds of talents. But none more so than those in agriculture. Now that we walk the path of cultivation, our food must change as well. Feeding the belly is no longer the goal—we must cultivate crops that aid cultivation, that nourish the spirit. And for that, we need agricultural experts. Mister Song, please lead the Agricultural Academy."
Ordinary food was only a stopgap. Once things stabilized, and the people grew stronger, such food would be left behind. For cultivators, mundane food contains impurities. Not necessarily harmful, but definitely useless. Spirit-infused food is the future. Who would still eat ordinary grains?
This transformation would require an entire generation of agricultural scholars to lead the way.
"Yes! We, the disciples of the Agricultural School, wish to honor Mister Song as our head! Let him establish our branch in the Undying Academy!"
Just then, a few men stepped forward—former students of the Jixia Academy's Agricultural School. They looked like common farmers, exuding the honest air of rural life.
They had been watching from afar.
Now, their admiration for Song Yingxing ran deep.
To breed a new rice variety—spirit rice, no less—was something they had never thought possible. They had farmed their whole lives. Even after receiving the Agricultural School's teachings, none of them had achieved anything close.
Their roots were humble. That was always their weakness.
But now, seeing Song Yingxing, they saw hope—a path for their school to flourish.
With him at the helm, the Agricultural School might reach heights never before imagined.