I struck the ground with my hoe and dirt flew upward. I held back a wince. This is gonna get some getting used to.

I know it should've been obvious, but I really didn't expect my strength to rise so high after I reached a new realm. Before my breakthrough, I can work for hours on end without getting tired, now? I can do that for days while also being so strong that if I was given work that needs me to get physical, I can probably finish it in minutes.

Well, half an hour and it probably depends on just how much work I need to do but the point is still there. I can work for so long and so much that it's not even a joke.

I stared at the old man standing in the edge of the fields. Really makes me wonder how strong that guy is.

He met my eyes and for a single second, I saw him flash a smile that disappeared just as quickly.

Unsurprisingly, my senses also got stronger after the breakthrough. I can now hear much better, my eyesight is good enough that I can count the individual leaves of a some of the crops in the distance, and my sense of touch is so strong that I can feel the moisture in the air if I really focus. I thought about the food they're gonna give us for lunch later- I wonder if my sense of taste got stronger?

And if it did what about... I chuckled, Well, my sense of touch did get better.

"What are you laughing at Yu Song?" I got out of my thoughts and stared at Xie Wen. Unlike yesterday, she's no longer sweating. And we've been working for what? A few hours now?

"Nothing, nothing," I gave her a small smile and waved her off, "it's just that I thought of something pretty funny."

"Really?" she stood straighter and placed her hands on her hips. The way she did it all so fluidly was like the basket full of crops on her back weight nothing at all. "Yu Song?"

I hummed and she stared at me, I stared back. We went like that for a few seconds before she sighed and gave up, "well, whatever." she rolled her eyes and kept working, I did the same shortly after.

The day felt so slow this time around and I honestly felt that I could've used my newfound strength for anything else other than harvesting roots. Farming became so effortless for me that I was sure that if the old man at the edge gave a chance and asked me if I wanted to plant the seeds later, I would've probably taken the job and work until morning.

I struck the ground with my hoe. Now that I think about it, how does this place always have plants that grow fully mature every morning?

It has something to do with the Qi Spring beneath, that much is obvious but how come there's always plants just ready to be harvested every morning? And why harvest them everyday? It's not like the sect is tight for money right? So what are these things mainly used for?

I stared at the old man for a second. He does give out Talismans in exchange for these things.

Is that it? Does the Sect's Alchemist Pavillion turn these crops into Talismans? That sounds a bit too farfetched I think...

How can you turn crops into Talismans anyways?

I hummed and picked up a blue root that felt cold to the touch. Like before, I did try to sense the crops in the ground and it's been good so far but I've noticed that I'm starting to notice more and more of the ice-based roots rather than the regular ones. I expected something like this to happen the moment that I realized that I have an ice-based Spirit Root but for it to get this worse only after reaching the Body Refinement Realm?

I held back a shudder and turned to Xie Wen, "So, can I only sense ice related stuff now?"

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Xie Wen looked at me in confusion, "What?"

"What I mean is- I tried to sense the crops around this place again and I found out that I can only sense stuff that's related to ice or cold." I looked around and pointed somewhere to my right, "over there is a ginsen that looks like a ball stabbed by icicles for example." I shook my head in disappointment, "it's good and useful, but also pretty worrying."

Xie Wen looked up at my basket, "is that why everything you have is blue?" I followed her gaze before looking back and nodding, "well, that explains that." She grinned, "but you don't have to worry Yu Song, you're just getting used to your spirit root. It'll probably be over soon."

I can only nod, "I hope so."

The time for everyone to give the crops they collected to the old man came again. While I waited in line behind Xie Wen, I noticed that this time around, the guy had disciples with him, the two guys standing right next to him gave out Talismans in the same manner that he did. I don't know if this is normal or not so I turned to Xie Wen, "is that normal?"

She nodded, "Mhmm. Yesterday was an exception."

"Okay." Guess that this is gonna be a common sight starting tomorrow then. I wondered while the old man was alone yesterday for a bit before calling it quits. There wasn't any point and I don't think I should ask.

It was eventually my turn for the line and the old man, again offered me to live alone but I denied him. "Sorry, but I don't think Xie Wen is as bad as you think she is," in the corner of my eye, I saw Xie Wen smile.

"Fair enough, but the offer is still there." He replied and offered me a Talisman, like yesterday, this one is black with gold writing and a drawing of a Tiger at the center. "Goodluck, Yu Song."

"Thank you," I bowed and left.

"So, what did you get this time around?" I asked Xie Wen when we met up. I know that thanks to her increase in cultivation, she managed to harvets more crops today so I'm curious what kind of Talisman the old man gave her in exchange, "is it the same as mine?"

"No," I turned to her in confusion and she showed me her Talisman, "See?"

"Huh,"

Compared to mine, the color of her Talisman is white with black writing and at the center is a drawing of fire. "It... doesn't look that bad?" I commented while trying not to offend her, "mine is what? A Tiger thing?" What does my Talisman do anyways?

"What it does is fairly simple, it makes the user stronger." Xie Wen replied like she sensed my thoughts, "and mine shoots out a powerful fireball when activated."

"That doesn't sound that strong?" I mean, is it? Isn't a Fireball like, considered as a starter spell? It's also known for being one of the stronger spells that you can learn sure, but it's a starter spell regardless.

"Compared to what powerful cultivators can throw around at a whim? Yes. But to people on our level? No." Right, I guess that makes sense.

We are in the starting levels. Guess that fireball is quite strong then.

We went home quickly after that and we both immediately proceeded to cultivate. Since it's a buff, I put the Talisman that I got in my pocket just in case I need it.

"By the way, what do you think happened to Gang Gong?" I asked Xie Wen just as I started sitting cross-legged. Bit by bit, I started to circulate my Qi. I started to feel cold but it wasn't as bad compared to yesterday.

"I don't know," Xie Wen shrugged and closed her eyes, "he's probably recovering." She guessed.

"From what? Getting a rock thrown at his face?" my Qi started to flow through my veins and passed my meridians one by one, I felt strong with each lap. "That doesn't make sense does it?"

Xie Wen got a thoughtful look, "I guess so," she replied, "but then where could he be?"

"I don't know, his traitor buddies? For all you know, the rebellion is gonna start tonight." After a while, I started to feel a bit of Qi build up. It felt exactly like when I smelled something sugary and my teeth started to itch and I want to chew on something except this time, instead of chewing, I distributed that feeling on some parts of my body- specifically, my organs.

I started with my Lungs first and my breathing felt very cold after I started refining them.

"Maybe." Xie Wen said with uncertainty, "it's good that you activated that defense Talisman on this building." she added, "If we ever get attacked, I think it might hold out for a while."

"Don't jinx it." I said and Xie Wen smiled.

"Fair enough." she said.

Then we continued cultivating, and little did I know that a few hours later, I would snap out of my meditation because I felt the something hard impact the barrier that I placed in our house.

"Uh..." I stood up to check on what's going on and it was then that Xie Wen woke up, she ran over to me and grabbed my wrist.

"Don't," she said in warning, "we're being attacked."

"How can you tell?" I asked.

"Listen." was her forceful reply.

And I did, and the sounds of metal clashing against metal entered my ears, followed by screams. But that isn't even the worse of it, because the sound of banging near me felt familiar and when I listened in to see who it was, that is when I heard him- "She thinks she can jus abandon me huh?"

"Gang Gong's outside," I told Xie Wen.

She nodded, worry etched on her face, "I know."