Chapter 87: Chapter 72: Increase Production and Quality_1
Translator: 549690339
On the way home, Old Huang was filled with emotion, “Little Lin, when you first came here, you were as honest as a mule, and you farmed pretty unhurried. Yet within a year, you’re about to produce the number one crop in the whole sect.”
He had been farming in the Outer sect for decades and had never seen rice grains so full that they bent many of the stalks. It was a pleasing sight.
Although the harvest had not taken place yet, it was already a foregone conclusion that Lin Yi would be the best in the entire sect.
“Old Huang, were you mistaken? You should be more polite to me in the future. Don’t call me Little Lin, call me Lin First.” Lin Yi joked as he puffed out his chest and walked with a swagger.
“Pfft, you’re getting carried away! With your current demeanor, if you were to walk into Qing Yun City, you’d definitely get beaten up,” Old Huang couldn’t help laughing and scolding.
After a round of laughter, the two returned to the Spiritual Field, keeping watch over the crucial few days before the harvest.
Spiritual Field Manager Meng Le Min would often come to check, reminding Lin Yi to keep him updated on any issues within the Spiritual Field, and offering his assistance if Lin Yi was too busy or tired.
After all, it was the number one Spiritual Field in the entire sect. It needed careful attention.
A few days passed, and it was time to harvest the Spirit Rice in the Spiritual Field. No mishaps had occurred during this period.
Even those Spirit Farmers who were envious did not seek trouble at this time. Instead, they wished to foster good relations with Lin Yi. The rewards for being the best in the sect were unknown but there was a chance of being admitted into the Inner Sect.
As Spirit Rice must be harvested within a few days of maturing to avoid reduced yield, especially the latter half-season Spirit Rice, due to falling temperatures, late harvesting may also result in frost, affecting quality.
Hence, Lord of Sinong Palace, Zhou Yun Feng, assigned some Qi Refinement Realm disciples under Gold Sword Zen Ren’s door to act as temporary harvest inspectors of These disciples were predominantly the apprentices of him and his brothers and sisters.
It’s not impossible for a person at the Qi Refinement Realm to pledge their allegiance to a Golden Core Real Person, it just has stringent requirements. Only those with top-grade Spiritual Roots and excellent cultivation talent have a slight possibility.
However, for those Spiritual Fields that show signs of increased yield and are expected to rank in the top 100 of the sect, Stewards from Sinong Palace are assigned to oversee the harvest.
Such measures shocked the entire Outer sect. As the eldest disciple under Gold Sword Zen Ren, Zhou Yun Feng was admired by many disciples. It would not have been possible for anyone else to have accomplished these tasks.
On the start of the harvest, Lin Yi and Spiritual Field Manager Meng Le Min waited in the Spiritual Field. As representatives of the anticipated outstanding increase in yield, the Stewards from Sinong Palace would first inspect their field.
In addition to them, some Spirit Farmers who had not started harvesting yet also gathered around, wanting to bear witness to the output of this Spiritual Field. Soon, the field was surrounded by people, all of whom gasped in awe at the Spirit Rice inside.
Soon enough, two Stewards from Sinong Palace clad in yellow official attire arrived at the Spiritual Field. They were the ones who initially did the evaluation and now, a few days later, the spikes of the rice had grown more than expected, making their faces reveal a hint of surprise.
“Junior Brother Lin, the growth of the grains is really pleasing. Both their quality and yield will be outstanding.”
“Indeed, I believe you’ll top the sect’s harvest ranking for the Lower Grade Spiritual Fields. We’ll congratulate you in advance.” Both Stewards greeted Lin Yi with a salute.
Though these Stewards didn’t know the exact rewards, judging by the interest Hall Master Zhou Yun Feng had shown in this matter, they believed the rewards wouldn’t be insignificant.
“Thank you for the praise, Senior Brother Deacons, but I must also give credit to my fellow disciples in the Sinong Palace for their guidance, for they have significantly contributed to the impressive growth of my Spirit Rice.” Lin Yi courteously responded, expressing his gratitude.
The two Deacons smiled, realizing the false modesty. Although Sinong Palace had given some guidance, Lin Yi’s accomplishment was undoubtedly due to his innate talents. “We won’t waste any more time with pleasantries. Let’s start harvesting. Brother Lin, we’ll help you so we get the job done quicker. Everyone here is eager to see the final yield of the Spiritual Field,” they said.
“Thank you for your help,” Lin Yi nodded in agreement, realizing that even with his Great Perfection level Geng Metal Finger, it would take some time to harvest the twenty acres of Spirit Rice.
Although the Geng Metal Finger technique could be easily controlled, it was only a low-level spell and didn’t compare to the powerful Flying Swords of the Foundation Establishment Stage. Using a Flying Sword to harvest, the job would probably be completed in an instant.
With that, Lin Yi, the two deacons, and Manager Meng began to harvest the
Spirit Rice. Old Huang joined them in the process, invoking his Geng Metal Finger spell. Golden vigor burst forth from his fingers, forming blade-like sharp edges.
This was just the Grandmaster Level Geng Metal Finger; he was yet to demonstrate the capabilities of the Great Perfection level. The golden vigor continuously harvested and shuttled through the Spiritual Field.
“Brother Lin has clearly devoted a lot of effort to mastering the Geng Metal Finger. No wonder his Spiritual Field is managed so well,” one of the deacons said, astonished at Lin Yi’s skill.
The other Spirit Farmers shook their heads. They speculated that Lin Yi had invested all his energy into farming and had neglected to improve his cultivation level. To them, prioritizing farming over cultivation was like putting the cart before the horse.
What could one gain from becoming proficient at the low-level spell of Geng Metal Finger that was only useful for farming? They argued that it was incapable of breaking through someone else’s defensive magic.
Thanks to the combined effort of the five, the twenty acres of Spirit Rice were quickly harvested. The harvested kernels were then transformed into grains. Bags filled with golden Spirit Grains were weighed acre by acre.
Every Spirit Farmer present awaited the yield of the first acre with bated breath, eager to see just how much production the recognized top-performing acre of the entire sect could yield.
After the two Deacons used a special magic artifact to weigh the yield, a number appeared on it. They were taken aback at what they saw, “The yield of the first acre of Spirit Rice is 410 kilograms, let this be officially noted.”
Whispers of astonishment filled the area surrounding the Spiritual Field. An output of 410 kilograms for the first acre was staggering. The standard yield was 350 kilograms; this was an increase by 60 kilograms, nearly a 17% increase.
The crop’s rent per season was 200 kilograms, and Spirit Farmers with adequate production could only retain 100 kilograms. With this increased yield, the excess alone outweighed what a Spirit Farmer would typically retain by more than half.
A smile tugged at the corners of Lin Yi’s lips. The increased yield of the [Little Farmer] by 15% was around 52 kilograms. The extra 8 kilograms were clearly due to the Great Perfection level Cloud Rain Technique. The rainwater transformed by spiritual power was rich in nutrients.
“The yield of the second acre of Spirit Rice is 409 kilograms… The yield of the twentieth acre of Spirit Rice is 408 kilograms… The average yield across the twenty acres is 408 kilograms.” The two Deacons weighed each of the twenty acres separately to arrive at the final average yield.
The moment they heard the final average yield result, there was a hushed silence followed by gasps of astonishment. The increased output from every single one of the twenty acres was truly astonishing. Some people had only rented a few acres and, despite their meticulous care, managed to secure only a small increase in their yield.
There was now one thing clear to everyone: Lin Yi’s status as the top performer of the entire sect was unassailable.
“Take half an ounce of Spirit Grain from each acre for storage and hand it over to Sinong Palace for quality evaluation.” The two Deacons went on to take out half an ounce of grains from each acre of Spirit Rice for storage, sealing them in bags, and placing them in the storage bag. They were only responsible for recording the yield; the quality would be evaluated by the specialists at the Sinong Palace.
However, out of curiosity, they took some Spirit Grains, removed their hulls and put them into their mouths. Their faces were once again filled with astonishment. “Brother Lin, the quality of your Liu Yun Rice seems to be very high.”
The onsite Spirit Farmers were rendered speechless, shocked by both the increased yield and quality. Lin Yi, the Spirit Farmer at plot number 38, was likely to excel even more..
