Ning stepped into the center of the first plot and formed the hand seals.

  His movements were unhurried, but it was precise. Qi stirred within his dantian and flowed steadily through his meridians. He did not rush it; haste only caused leakage and inefficiency. Instead, he aligned himself with the farming formation beneath Sector Three, allowing its structured currents to respond to his guidance.

  Mist gathered overhead.

  It began faintly, like breath in cold air, then condensed into a compact cloud suspended above the field.

  A moment later, rain descended.

  Ning walked slowly across the plot, adjusting the angle of his hands, regulating the density. Too much qi and the roots would swell. Too little and growth would stagnate. He distributed it carefully, calculating output with each breath.

  Efficiency mattered. Every thread of qi spent here was qi he would not use for cultivation later.

  When he finally released the technique, the cloud dissipated gently. The soil across an acre had darkened uniformly from edge to edge.

  "That's amazing, Brother Ning," a voice said from behind him.

  A young woman in green peripheral robes stood at the boundary of the field, eyes bright with relief.

  Ning turned and offered a polite smile. "Just doing my job."

  Yes, a job.

  For over a week now, Ning had been watering five neighboring plots every day.

  He had begun quietly, offering assistance to one newcomer who had nearly collapsed hauling water. Word had spread quickly afterward.

  Most of the newcomers had only recently arrived. There were very few mid-grade spiritual roots who, like Ning, were assigned to spiritual farming. The majority possessed low-grade roots, and with slower qi initiation and even slower spell mastery, they were still forced to haul water from the river, and even their cultivation was delayed.

  Having gone through the same routine himself, Ning had seen the opportunity.

  He could help them take care of their field for one spirit stone every three days.

  "Cultivate while the soil settles," Ning advised calmly. "Your absorption rate will improve."

  The woman nodded, then hesitated before handing over the agreed portion of a spirit stone.

  As for why these newcomers with low-grade spiritual roots had spirit stones while Ning had arrived nearly penniless, that was tied to the sect's enrollment criteria.

  Only third-generation cultivators with low-grade spiritual roots were admitted. Others had no chance.

  Being at least third generation meant their families had accumulated some resources. The sect aimed for disciples who at least had the potential to reach late-stage Qi Condensation, or even Foundation Establishment. For someone with a low-grade spiritual root to have even a sliver of hope, their resource requirements were enormous.

  So they needed backing.

  Of course, most still failed to break through the late stage, getting stuck at bottlenecks for years.

  "Um… Senior Brother," the woman spoke again, her tone softening. "How about you have some tea with me sometime… and perhaps lower the spirit stone fee?"

  She looked up at him in a way that was clearly meant to be charming.

  Ning blinked.

  Was she serious?

  He did not dislike opportunistic behavior; he was, after all, running a side business himself. But when that behavior was directed at him, especially in this way, it was unacceptable.

  "Sorry," Ning said calmly, shaking his head. "That's not possible."

  "Ah… is it really not?" she tried again, stepping slightly closer.

  "No," Ning replied evenly. "Please just give me the agreed amount."

  It wasn't about being sigma male or anything. Spirit stones were simply more valuable.

  Besides, Ning had read enough clichés in his previous life to know how such entanglements developed. If she was willing to charm him for a discount, she could charm others as well. That meant possible jealousy, rivalry, and unnecessary trouble.

  He had no interest in getting dragged into someone else's romantic subplot.

  Let the protagonists handle that.

  For now, Ning only wanted to cultivate.

  "Hmm, this hustle doesn't seem to have much prospect anymore. It seems I need to implement that plan." Ning sighed.

  ...

  After two months of practice, Ning realized that without external support, he wouldn't be able to secure the sect's reward.

  Two months of uninterrupted cultivation had barely carried him halfway through the first stage of Qi Condensation. Even if he continued at the same pace for another two months, he might reach the second stage. But the third stage? That would be cutting it dangerously close. And as everyone knew, the time required for each stage only increased as one advanced.

  If he could reach the third stage within the allotted time, he would be allowed to select a new cultivation technique.

  And that was extremely tempting.

  A cultivation technique was the trunk of a tree, while spells and martial arts were merely branches. The technique formed the foundation that supported everything else.

  Ning wasn't coveting another Qi refinement method. What he truly wanted was a body cultivation technique. After two months of training, he had realized something important: if he could strengthen his meridians and physical endurance, he could extend the amount of time he cultivated before fatigue set in.

  He had discovered this after repeatedly practicing the Bone Forging Fist. Though not a true cultivation technique, it still tempered the body. Each breakthrough had allowed him to meditate a few minutes longer before exhaustion forced him to stop.

  A few minutes might sound insignificant.

  But accumulation was everything.

  As the saying goes: watch the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves.

  Of course, cultivation techniques were the core inheritance of any sect. They cost thousands of spirit stones, far more than ordinary martial arts or spells. That was precisely why reaching the third stage within the time limit mattered so much.

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  To do that, he needed resources.

  And resources required spirit stones.

  But as someone without backing, how could he obtain a large sum of spirit stones quickly?

  Drawing from his past-life experience, the first idea that came to mind was loans.

  Unfortunately, there were no banks here.

  So he would need investors instead.

  Unlike his previous world, where loans required assets or status, cultivators themselves were assets here. In Ji Ning's memories, there were stories of martial artists investing in youths possessing spiritual roots and becoming wealthy once those youths rose to prominence.

  Within the sect, however, possessing a spiritual root was merely the baseline for entry. That alone was not enough to attract investment.

  He needed a persona.

  A reputation.

  Specifically, the reputation of being talented in spellcraft.

  After all, when stepping into the wider world, identity was something one built deliberately. Was it really wrong to present himself as a "genius in magic"?

  With solid comprehension and a little assistance from his panel, which subtly indicated whether his cultivation direction was correct, he wasn't entirely lying.

  But appearing talented wasn't enough.

  He needed proof that he could repay those who supported him.

  Fortunately, his Small Cloud Rain Technique had already reached the level of minor accomplishment. At the very least, he could guarantee stable harvests, and stable harvests meant stable income.

  That was enough to begin.

  Hence, his meeting with Wei Zhusang.

  One of the wealthiest people he knew.

  Ning didn't waste time.

  "Brother Wei," he said calmly, "I would like to ask for a loan. I've realized I have a knack for spellcraft. After two months of hard work, I've brought the Small Cloud Rain Technique to minor accomplishment level."

  Wei Zhusang blinked, even more surprised than when Ning visited him out of the blue.

  "You should know," Ning continued, "that spiritual farming disciples are exempt from missions during their first year. I want to attempt reaching the third stage of Qi Condensation within this year. Once I do, I will repay the spirit stones with interest."

  Wei's eyes lit up.

  "May I see it, Brother?"

  Wei Zhusang knew that even the most basic spiritual rain technique required years of training to reach this level, and that was with a corresponding attribute. So, seeing Ning who had accomplished such a feat in months, he naturally had to verify it himself.

  "Of course."

  They walked to Ning's plot. One glance at the lush, evenly nourished fields was already persuasive.

  "Please observe."

  Ning formed the seals and cast the Small Cloud Rain Technique. A cloud nearly thirty meters wide gathered overhead and released a steady drizzle, evenly saturating the land.

  Wei's eyes gleamed.

  "With comprehension like this, Brother Ning, you will surely earn your place in the sect one day."

  Ning knew that a cultivator's talent could roughly be divided into two aspects: spiritual root and comprehension.

  Spiritual roots were determined by heaven; they represented one's affinity with the energy of heaven and earth.

  Comprehension, however, was another matter entirely.

  Unlike spiritual roots, it could not be measured at a glance. It referred to insight, understanding, mental flexibility, and the ability to grasp the essence of techniques.

  Two cultivators might practice the same art for the same length of time, yet achieve vastly different results. The difference lay in comprehension.

  As a transmigrator, Ning knew little about this world.

  But twelve years of Earth education had sharpened his logical thinking and pattern recognition. He analyzed problems instinctively. That gave him an advantage.

  Of course, the true prodigies that Old Zhou had once mentioned about, those who could learn one principle and derive ten applications, were in another league entirely.

  He was not that. But he was competent.

  And competence, paired with opportunity, was enough.

  "How many spirit stones do you require?" Wei finally asked.

  Ning smiled modestly. "How about fifty, Brother Wei?"

  Wei Zhusang was clearly building the foundation of a faction. A strong "general" like him would naturally attract support. Ning did not pick his first investor randomly.

  As expected, Wei chuckled. "Brother Ning, I'll give you a hundred spirit stones. Fifty would be too little for your cultivation."

  With a casual tap, a hundred spirit stones materialized out of thin air, stored in Wei's storage device.

  "I can also ask Brother Feng and Sister Rulang to lend you some, though I hope you won't mind if they decline."

  Ning almost winced at the sheer richness radiating from Wei Zhusang, but quickly composed himself. "If I get them, it's luck. If not, it's fate. Everyone's struggling; it's natural."

  Wei smiled, clearly pleased with that answer.

  He couldn't help but admire Ning's boldness. Most would have been too embarrassed to ask, but Ning did it calmly, without pretension, appearing free and easy.

  As someone who had been cultivated in interpersonal relationships since young, he understood it even more.

  Moreover, borrowing might seem risky, but with Ning's talent, repayment was practically guaranteed. After all, a cultivator's earning potential scales with their cultivation.

  What was a fortune now would seem like pocket change later.

  "Brother, with that mindset, you have real potential for Foundation Building," Wei Zhusang said sincerely.

  Most mid-grade spiritual root disciples without backing never even reached that stage, so it was high praise indeed.

  Ning, however, didn't understand the mental gymnastics Wei Zhusang had gone through.

  Hearing his words, Ning couldn't help but make an odd expression.

  After all, in today's world, being called a "potential man" wasn't exactly good news… just look at JJK.

  ...

  Thanks for reading~