Chapter 2: The Enchanted Compass

The Medicine Valley, as its name suggests, is a place where herbs are cultivated, generally first-grade medicinal herbs.

One of the tasks assigned to the menial disciples is to tend to the herb fields.

It is a relatively easy job with a generous reward.

They only need to visit the fields daily to water the plants as needed, apply fertilizer, ward off pests, and occasionally perform tasks such as tilling the soil, sowing seeds, and harvesting.

Though it sounds simple, it is actually quite challenging to master.

First, one must be proficient in two or three types of cultivation techniques. Each herb field is managed by two or three people, whose skills cover the daily maintenance requirements.

Second, familiarity with the properties of the herbs and basic knowledge is essential.

Thanks to memories from a previous life, Ji Ning had a thorough grasp of basic cultivation techniques.

Knowing that work in Medicine Valley was a favorable job, she persuaded Jiang Yeqiu to sign up together.

Jiang Yeqiu handled the cleaning duties on her behalf, while Ji Ning took charge of caring for an entire herb field.

Walking along the winding path, wearing a straw hat and carrying a hoe on her shoulder, Ji Ning soon felt sweat forming on her cheeks and her lips growing dry.

This blasted weather was simply unbearable!

As she reached the hillside, a strong fragrance of medicinal herbs wafted through the air, cooling the heat clinging to her body.

“Lingxu Grass, Eight-Petal Orchid, Moon Cabbage… Hmm? What a strange scent.”

Amidst the fragrance was an indescribable oddness.

At that moment, the compass she casually tucked into her pocket reacted, vibrating softly as if reminding Ji Ning.

On the compass, the bead in the northeast glowed, and the needle pointed steadily in that direction.

The needle oscillated continuously, seemingly guiding Ji Ning forward.

She bypassed several herb fields; the closer she got, the brighter the bead shone, and the needle steadied.

Looking ahead, she saw a field of Orchid Heart Grass being cultivated.

Orchid Heart Grass is water-elemental, matures once a year, and is considered an entry-level herb to grow.

This particular field was beyond the jurisdiction of menial disciples; it was tended by outer disciples who managed their own crops.

The strange odor originated here.

She expanded her spiritual sense to observe the entire field and immediately understood the situation. Hastily, she pulled out a cloth pouch from her belongings, grabbed her hoe, and began harvesting.

This batch of Orchid Heart Grass had been ripe for several days. The cultivators had neither erected protective barriers nor harvested it in time. The water-element herbs had been exposed to the scorching sun, some developing white spots and losing potency, others withering or even dying.

At her pace, rescuing half the field was already the limit.

When she had cut through a fifth of the field, the sound of a sword slicing through the air rang out sharply. In the blink of an eye, a youth appeared before her. Before she could speak, the blade silently pressed against her neck.

Lu Chen’s spiritual sense stirred. The girl before him, shorter and slimmer than him, was only at the third level of Qi Refinement, a mere menial disciple.

“Are you destroying my herb field?” His voice was cold, his expression even colder. Despite the heat, a chill shot straight into the mind.

“No, no, no, you misunderstand. I was just passing by and saw them dying, so I was helping to harvest. You can check for yourself.”

Lu Chen did not lower his sword. His spiritual sense shifted from Ji Ning to the herb field. If she lied, he would show no mercy.

After a few moments, Lu Chen hastily sheathed his sword, took a cloth pouch from his storage bag, and strode into the field.

Seeing this, Ji Ning also busied herself alongside him.

Lu Chen’s cultivation was higher, and he used spells to harvest efficiently throughout.

After a short incense stick’s time, eighty percent of the Orchid Heart Grass in the field was saved.

Discarding her straw hat, sweat drenched her forehead and strands of hair clung together.

Her cheeks flushed, lips parched, and her throat felt as if it were on fire.

Lu Chen approached calmly and handed her a gourd, his expression noticeably gentler than before. “Water I just fetched from the lakeside.”

Parched, Ji Ning grabbed it eagerly and gulped down half of it.

The water was clear and sweet; after drinking half the gourd, the heat diminished significantly.

Noticing her sweat-soaked state, Lu Chen cast a cleansing spell.

“Thank you, senior brother,” Ji Ning smiled sweetly, then handed the cloth pouch by her feet to Lu Chen; it was more than half full, nearly equal to his.

“I should be the one thanking you, junior sister. Sorry for that sword just now.”

Though his words were meant to express gratitude, they sounded stiff. This senior brother was definitely not good at socializing.

“It was an emergency, and you didn’t really hurt me. By the way, I’m Ji Ning. May I ask your name?”

“Lu Chen.”

“...” This person was indeed cold and aloof!

Ji Ning didn’t press further, set down the gourd, and said, “Senior Brother Lu, I have other matters to attend to. I’ll be going now. Thanks for the water.”

Better to leave quickly—she couldn’t stand being around that kind of person for a second longer.

She picked up her straw hat and hoe and strode away briskly.

She had barely taken a few steps when Lu Chen flew after her on his sword. “Junior Sister Ji, this gourd is for you, to thank you for your help today.”

“No need... You’re moving too fast.”

Lu Chen left on his sword, leaving only his back behind.

“Senior Brother Lu must be short on funds; otherwise, he would’ve at least given me some spirit stones.”

Ji Ning held up the gourd, examining it from all sides but found nothing unusual.

Could it be like those in the Journey to the West tales, where calling out a name would trap someone inside?

“What am I thinking…” Ji Ning shook her head. “A gourd for storing water is quite practical.”

Humming a little tune, Ji Ning walked cheerfully toward her spirit field.

Next to the herb field, she had set up a small shed for shade and shelter from rain—very practical.

After stretching, Ji Ning hoisted her hoe and began to work the land.

Today’s main task was pest control. After half an hour of labor, all the pests in half the field were eliminated.

Ji Ning cast a barrier in the center with her spiritual power to prevent pests from the other side from crossing over.

Sitting on a chair, she gulped down the rest of the water.

At that moment, the compass in her pocket suddenly slipped out and rolled to her feet.

Picking it up, she noticed a number, 1, appearing prominently in the center.

Puzzled, she saw a string of tiny characters floating in the air.

“Would you like to consume one point of Fortune Value to perform a lottery draw?”

Fortune Value? What was that?

“…Consume it,” she replied impulsively.

In an instant, the four small beads on the compass lit up, and the needle spun wildly.

After a few seconds, the needle slowed and finally pointed to the bead in the southwest.

“Congratulations on obtaining the cultivation method: Ultimate Five Elements Manual.”

A stream of golden characters appeared out of thin air. Then, a wisp of multicolored light flowed from the bead into Ji Ning’s mind.

A slight dull ache flashed through her head as lengthy text began to manifest one after another.

Ji Ning frowned and scanned through it.

The text detailed a cultivation method called the Ultimate Five Elements Manual.

It recorded the five cultivation techniques corresponding to the five elements: Sharp Metal Technique, Wood Spirit Technique, Flame Fire Technique, Gentle Water Technique, and Solid Earth Technique.

Each technique described its respective training method in sequence.

Unlike the single-attribute cultivation methods she had exchanged at the Xuanxin Sect, this manual allowed simultaneous cultivation of five spiritual roots, saving Ji Ning much training time.

Since the rise of cultivation, it was known that those with five spiritual roots rarely achieved greatness. Many spent their lives unable to break through to the Nascent Soul stage even near the end of their lifespan.

This was common knowledge in the cultivation world.

Compared to those with single or dual spiritual roots, five-root cultivators have weaker spiritual energy sensitivity and require more energy to reach the same level, thus prolonging their training time.

Over the long course of cultivation, the gap between them and others would only widen.

Would this manual truly change the fate of five-root cultivators?

In truth, she had no other choice.

By the late Qi Refinement stage, the effects of Gathering Spirit Grass were already insufficient. As for Foundation Establishment...

She died at the peak of Qi Refinement and knew nothing beyond that.

In her previous life, everyone mocked her, saying she was arrogant to aspire to the Dao with five spiritual roots.

This time, perhaps the Heavenly Dao pitied her, granting her this chance for change.

Everyone harbors a fleeting dream of ascending to immortality. What worry is it if she is just one among many?