"Ah, when a man has no money he's idle, when a woman has no money she suffers..."
The sky was just getting light.
In the Southern Wilderness Cultivation Realm, in the slum area on the outskirts of Qingyang Market.
A wooden door opened, and an ordinary-looking young man walked out.
Qin Ming yawned, rubbed his reddened eyes tiredly, and picked up his Spiritual Hoe to go to work.
Before leaving, he glanced back at his neighbor's yard, feeling a surge of anger.
"In the dead of night, what's with all the noise? Is there no sense of decency?"
His neighbor was a young female cultivator, quite good-looking, but she often brought male cultivators home, engaging in promiscuous affairs.
Last night, she let out ecstatic cries the whole night through.
'Once I have spirit stones, even if I can't afford a new house, I definitely need to set up a soundproof array first!'
Qin Ming gritted his teeth, making a silent vow in his heart!
The soundproofing of the houses here is indeed terrible.
Last night, Qin Ming was meditating and cultivating, but the noise from next door was too loud, causing his thoughts to drift, his Qi and blood to surge, and his Dao heart almost wavered.
It was truly too dangerous!
With no other choice, Qin Ming had to endure an entire sleepless night and in sync with the rhythm of the shaking bed next door, furiously copied the "Pure Scripture" a thousand times before his mood finally calmed down...
Thinking about the endless work in the spirit fields today made Qin Ming even more frustrated.
"It's been nearly five years since I crossed into this cultivation world, when will this kind of life come to an end?"
"In this environment, how am I supposed to cultivate like a damn immortal?"
"Can't even have a decent night's sleep!"
"Ah, being without a golden finger is truly miserable..."
Before coming to this world, in Qin Ming's understanding.
Cultivation was supposed to be wandering the North Sea by morning and Cangwu by dusk, flying through the heavens and earth, sword qi stretching for ninety thousand miles.
But in reality?
Though cultivation sounds high-end, what good days do low-level cultivators really have?
Every day struggling desperately for survival, the pressure is immense.
'If it weren't for the original owner of this body being forcibly conscripted by the Spirit Feather Sect from a cultivation clan, ordered here for pioneer tasks, obligated to fulfill sixty years of servitude.'
'It would've been better to find a mundane place to retire, at least to enjoy a few decades of good life.'
After all these years, Qin Ming has seen reality clearly and finally understands that he is indeed an ordinary person.
After all.
With his Four-Element Pseudo Spirit Root, without any special opportunities, even if he cultivates to death, he won't reach the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Wasting away more than ten years...
His cultivation is still stuck at the Qi Cultivation Second Layer, essentially hopeless on the immortal path.
It's understandable that the family chose to abandon him and exchange him for resources with the sect.
Fortunately, the family had arranged some connections for him early on, so at least he doesn't have to risk his life against demon beasts on the front lines.
Qin Ming rented three acres of spirit field in the cleared outskirts in the rear, becoming a spirit farmer.
And today is the day the spirit rice is harvested.
However.
There was no trace of joy on Qin Ming's face from the harvest.
Instead, he felt a bit anxious inside.
Harvest time also means someone from above will come to collect spirit rice taxes.
...
"Yo, Little Qin up so early? Looks like this season's spirit rice is growing well!"
On his way to the spirit fields, while deep in thought, Qin Ming was greeted by an old farmer-looking cultivator walking out from a nearby alley, smiling at him.
The aura of cultivation on this person was much higher than his, at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer.
"Morning, Lao Jiu."
Seeing this person, Qin Ming couldn't help but smile a bit.
He then sighed and said.
"Ah, don't even mention it. You know I'm only at the Qi Cultivation Second Layer, and I've only managed to cultivate the Spirit Rain Technique to the beginner level, I can hardly use it a few times a month."
This person's name was Cai Jiuwu, but the cultivators nearby all called him Cai the Ninth; he was an old-timer in this part of the slum.
Qin Ming wasn't clear on his exact origins, only knowing he'd been deeply rooted in this place for over ten years.
Cai the Ninth had dark skin, a wrinkled face, a scraggly beard with a pipe between his teeth, pants rolled up, unkempt, with a Spiritual Hoe and Spiritual Scythe slung over his shoulder.
He gave more the impression of a beggar than a cultivator.
From Qin Ming's interactions, he knew that Cai was actually just over forty years old...
"By the way, Lao Jiu, with your Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, plus the Intermediate Spirit Rain Technique, I suppose this year's harvest should be quite good?"
Qin Ming's words subtly revealed a hint of envy.
The Spirit Rain Technique was a spirit plant magic taught to them spirit farmers by the sect; it released spiritual qi from spirit crystals, spirit stones, or spirit veins into the air, forcibly bringing down spiritual rain.
Spirit valleys, spirit rice, spirit fruits, and spirit grasses nourished by the spiritual rain not only avoided being devoured by insects and bitten by rats, but also greatly boosted spirit plant crop yields.
Qin Ming never expected that farming would be so closely linked to cultivation level, deeply intertwined.
When he practiced the Spirit Rain Technique for half a year, the rain he summoned covered merely two yards, and his spiritual power lasted less than half a stick of incense...
He felt like dying...
Others piss more than that.
"Hehe, just alright, manageable. After we finish collecting spirit rice today and pay the taxes, why don't we relax with a drink at the Juxuan Pavilion in the market?" Cai the Ninth said, smacking his lips, giving a vague answer with a sly look.
"Nah, that kind of money pit, I'll pass." Qin Ming shook his head.
Not that he didn't want to go, but he was too broke...
Cai the Ninth clicked his tongue.
"I say, young man, you're really no fun, there are a lot more days ahead, and enjoying occasionally is no big deal..."