Chapter Twenty-Three: Completing the Spiritual Field Construction Task

“Whoosh...” The Golden-Eyed Eagle spread its wings wide, soaring high above. With each beat of its wings, it propelled itself forward by dozens of meters. Jiang Yan felt a stir within; the eagle shuddered all over, its body beginning to shimmer—a sign that it was about to unleash its exclusive skill, Gale. The Golden-Eyed Eagle possessed this unique ability, and Jiang Yan was eager to see just how fast it could fly once Gale was activated.

Light glimmered across the eagle’s ink-black feathers, gradually intensifying until its entire body was aglow. Its speed abruptly leapt to a new tier. Moments ago, Jiang Yan had found the wind gentle; now, even shielded by the thin aura enveloping the eagle, he felt the forceful rush of air slamming against him.

“Woof, woof...”

Suddenly, the Golden-Eyed Eagle trembled, its increasing velocity dropping sharply. Jiang Yan frowned and looked down. He saw Yun Ying reaching out to cover the little head of the Soul Howl Hound. Noticing Jiang Yan’s gaze, Yun Ying whispered timidly, “Senior Brother, Little Black didn’t mean to.”

Jiang Yan stroked Yun Ying’s head reassuringly, then peered down with curiosity. If he recalled correctly, last time at this very spot, the Howl Sky Hound had barked unexpectedly, its soul-shaking cry stunning the Golden-Eyed Eagle and nearly sending him tumbling. Now, once again at this place, the Howl Sky Hound dared not bark, but the Soul Howl Hound did.

Jiang Yan was surprised. What could possibly provoke both of his spirit beasts to act out at this exact location? He leaned forward and searched below for a long while, but found nothing. Disappointed, he abandoned the investigation and urged the eagle onward toward Mount Hua.

Unbeknownst to him, as he commanded the eagle to fly overhead, deep in the forest below, a golden canine spirit beast stared blankly, desperately chasing in the direction Jiang Yan was headed...

...

“Whoosh, whoosh...” The Golden-Eyed Eagle’s mighty wings whipped up gusts of wind as it swept over the foothills of Mount Hua, approaching the mountain gate. Jiang Yan looked down to find the entrance shrouded in mist, the gate barely visible even from afar.

A spark of joy lit up Jiang Yan’s heart—at last, the mountain-guarding formation looked the part. Though it couldn’t block high-level cultivators, it conjured a scene befitting an immortal’s abode, which was no small feat.

The eagle pressed on, soaring toward the summit. As it neared the mountain gate, a haze suddenly rose in midair, enveloping the eagle. Jiang Yan recognized this as the activation of the sect’s defensive array.

“Chirp, chirp!” The Golden-Eyed Eagle cried out in panic, disoriented and frightened.

Its cries echoed across Mount Hua.

“Senior Brother Sect Leader has returned!” On Six-Star Platform, halfway up the mountain, Tang Wan, who was meditating cross-legged, abruptly stood, her face alight with joy as she looked downhill.

“Sect Leader is back!” Mu Yun opened his small, dense eyes, his round face breaking into a smile as he gazed eagerly downward. Secretly, he considered: now that he had broken through to the second layer of Qi Refinement, Senior Brother Sect Leader must reward him with a Bone-Easing Pill.

Only Nanmen Luo, with his ugly face, remained calm, sitting motionless on Six-Star Platform. On closer inspection, white steam continually billowed from his crown—evidence that he was refining a Bone-Easing Pill.

With a thought, Jiang Yan activated the mountain-guarding array. The obstructing haze vanished instantly, revealing Mount Hua’s ethereal beauty. A winding stone stairway snaked up towards the mid-mountain, disappearing into the mist...

...

“Chirp, chirp...” At Jiang Yan's command, the Golden-Eyed Eagle steadied itself, soaring toward the mountain’s waist.

“Ahwo...” In Yun Ying’s arms, the Soul Howl Hound let out a low whimper, struggling to adjust to its new surroundings.

“Woof, woof!” The Howl Sky Hound barked, its call ringing across Mount Hua, as if to comfort the Soul Howl Hound: this is our territory now, your home.

Jiang Yan gently stroked the Soul Howl Hound’s head, sending a soothing message through the Spirit Link Technique. The hound calmed immediately, its little head peeking from Yun Ying’s embrace, eyes scanning its new domain.

The Golden-Eyed Eagle glided over the training grounds on the mountain’s waist. Jiang Yan glimpsed Tang Wan and Mu Yun, their faces bright with delight, and Nanmen Luo deep in cultivation. A faint joy passed through Jiang Yan—this was his sect. Though its numbers were few, it already felt like a true sect. If just one of his junior disciples could break through to the fourth layer of Qi Refinement, and two reached the third, he’d have the foundation to forge a third-layer cultivator and fulfill the sect’s main quest.

The eagle swept past the training grounds, landing gently beside the spirit fields on the rear of Mount Hua, eager to complete the sect’s construction tasks with the tools he had acquired.

After slaying Li Fei of Tianshan, Jiang Yan learned from his words that Mount Hua would soon face practitioners at the seventh and even the peak of Qi Refinement. If Jiang Yan couldn’t swiftly raise the sect’s rank, Mount Hua might fall to the Tianshan Sword Sect.

Jiang Yan channeled his spiritual power into a wooden golem. Before his eyes, the golem expanded rapidly, landing heavily on the ground. Under his command, it grabbed a hoe and began to level the uneven spirit fields...

It didn’t take long for the golem to smooth out the pitted fields. Jiang Yan reached out to the spirit beast garden in the distance. The spirit earthworm inside, receiving orders through the Beast Gathering Mirror, wriggled its plump body and vanished underground. Moments later, it emerged in the spirit fields.

Seeing the newly leveled fields, the earthworm curved its little head and burrowed deep...

Jiang Yan watched as a slender, winding line appeared in the soil, earth rippling behind it like a farmer’s iron plow carving furrows...

Knowing the earthworm had begun its work, Jiang Yan tapped the Sect Leader’s Ring, swiftly retrieving a spirit stone. He held it in his palm, gathering spiritual energy. With a gentle pulse, the blocky spirit stone crumbled into powder.

Judging the tilling nearly complete, Jiang Yan tossed the spirit stone powder into the air. It drifted down in a shower of sparkling light, beautiful and ethereal above the fields.

“At last, the spirit hall construction task is done,” Jiang Yan thought with relief.

He waited, but there was no sign from the sect leader system. Puzzled, he checked the transparent interface, tapping into the task menu. There, under spirit field construction, it was clearly written: irrigate the fields once with the Cloud Summoning Technique.

Suddenly understanding, Jiang Yan immediately accessed the Sect Leader’s Ring, withdrew the manual for the Cloud Summoning Technique, and decided to learn it on the spot.

Cloud Summoning Technique—top-tier first-grade spell. Once performed, it summons a cloud whose size depends on the practitioner’s proficiency. The rain summoned contains spiritual energy, its potency determined by the cultivator’s realm. The manual noted that, once the practitioner mastered the third tier, the summoned clouds would be infused with enough spiritual power to harm soul-type cultivators.

Jiang Yan memorized the incantation, put away the manual, and began chanting, attempting the spell...

“Boom...”

...

After several failed attempts, Jiang Yan finally succeeded. As soon as the spell took effect, the clear sky changed color. A black cloud abruptly appeared overhead, blotting out the sun. The entire summit of Mount Hua was shrouded in thick darkness...

“It’s going to rain!” Yun Ying, playing nearby, looked up at the sky, her little face puzzled as she gazed at Jiang Yan. She wondered, What is Senior Brother doing, summoning rain like this?

“Boom...” Torrential rain poured down, drenching Jiang Yan in an instant. In the spirit fields, the rainwater rose visibly, accumulating quickly until it covered the tops of feet.

“Whoosh...” The Golden-Eyed Eagle stretched its broad wings, sheltering Yun Ying beneath them. Little Black and Little White darted under the feathers, seeking refuge.

The downpour was swift, ending in the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. The rainwater in the fields now fully covered the ground.

“Ah, pfft...” Jiang Yan spat out a mouthful of rain, shaking out his drenched sleeves. Enviously, he eyed Yun Ying and the two little dogs safely sheltered under the eagle’s wing, cursing, “Stupid bird, couldn’t you come over and shield your sect leader?”

Letting go of his grumbling, Jiang Yan turned his gaze to the spirit hall. He hadn’t expected the Cloud Summoning Technique to be so powerful; his first attempt had brought a deluge. He wondered if the rain might have ruined the fields.

Staring intently, his eyes widened—“That wasn’t just rainwater...”

“Ding! Sect spirit field construction task complete. Reward: ten spirit stones, one Gathering Qi Manual.”

Jiang Yan’s brows lifted in delight. The task was done! The reward was a Gathering Qi Manual. Curious, he accessed the Sect Leader’s Ring for the manual.

After flipping through a few pages, Jiang Yan frowned—it turned out to be a technique for concentrating earth vein spiritual energy to aid crop growth.

Disappointed, he stowed the manual, glanced at the offerings on the eagle’s back, and decided it was time to start construction of the sect’s main hall. Once that task was complete, phase one of the sect’s construction would be finished, and the system would reward him with the pills needed to foster a third-layer cultivator...

Excited, Jiang Yan directed the Golden-Eyed Eagle toward the main hall site...

“Woof, woof!” Suddenly, the Howl Sky Hound barked furiously, its head pointed downhill, as if ready to charge.

“Woof, woof!” The Soul Howl Hound echoed its call.

Jiang Yan frowned, and just then, the sect leader system chimed in his ear.

“Ding...”