Humans are complex beings; their thoughts, decisions, execution, and choices determine their achievement limits.
Before traveling, Zhou Changwang was just an ordinary person, graduating from a second-tier university, unemployed for six months after graduation, and then lowering his expectations, working in sales and food delivery. Two years later, with a head full of bumps, he returned home for matchmaking upon his family's strong suggestion, while also attempting civil service exams...
Ordinary and unremarkable.
So, he didn't believe he would achieve anything in this dangerous and terrifying cultivation realm.
But now, everything is entirely different.
Because he has an attribute panel.
This is truly a golden finger.
With a golden finger, even a pig could fly, and a dog could become talented.
He thought, surely he's not worse than a pig or a dog?
"But, calm down.
I still need to test the specific functions of this attribute panel first."
Zhou Changwang took a deep breath, calming his emotions.
What he currently possesses is one cultivation technique and four spells.
To test the effects, spells are naturally simpler.
Among the four spells, Small Spirit Rain Technique and Fertilization Technique are Spirit Plant Magic, Geng Metal Finger could also be considered Spirit Plant Magic, used specifically for pest removal, and it's one of the few offensive spells he has mastered.
But since he was currently in the house he rented at the outskirts of Fengming Dock Marketplace, it was obviously not suitable to cast them.
Thus, he cast Cleaning Technique.
Cleaning Technique seems simple, yet any spell, once cast, is connected to runes.
Following his memory, Zhou Changwang formed a spell with his hands, using spiritual power to guide mana, and with mana, sketched the rune corresponding to Cleaning Technique.
Dots of spiritual light instantly radiated from his hand.
"Go!"
He pointed forward, and dots of spiritual light flew out, scattering into every corner of the house.
Silently and without notice, the dust within the room was swept and cleansed away.
Spotless.
Cleaning Technique +1
After casting the spell, Zhou Changwang immediately focused on the attribute panel, clearly seeing the value of the Cleaning Technique spell increase from (Entry Level 59/100) to (Entry Level 60/100), leaving him thrilled.
"Indeed, it increases proficiency.
Does casting it once increase proficiency by one point?"
To prove this, Zhou Changwang quickly cast Cleaning Technique again.
This time, the target of Cleaning Technique was himself.
As the spiritual light scattered, Zhou Changwang felt refreshed and clean all over, akin to having spent half an hour scrubbing, feeling very comfortable.
Simultaneously, on the attribute panel, the value belonging to the Cleaning Technique spell changed again.
Cleaning Technique (Entry Level 61/100).
"Indeed, proficiency increased again.
Just one training session increases proficiency by one point, doesn't it mean I only need to cast it thirty-nine more times to train this spell to entry level perfection?"
Seeing this, Zhou Changwang finally calmed down.
Although each practice session only increases by one point, its meaning is extraordinary.
After all, reality isn't a game, and hard work cannot always yield proportional results. There's often fruitless labor and despair when hope is unseen.
It's true for actions, and it's also true for cultivation.
Ordinary cultivators, even the extraordinary geniuses of major sects, before successfully cultivating spells, can't see progress bars, leading to frustration and laziness, resulting in self-doubt and even giving up cultivation.
But he is different.
Every cultivation brings gains.
Bit by bit, accumulating over time.
"Isn't it just hard work?
In terms of effort, am I worse than anyone?"
Zhou Changwang, feeling excited, finally felt that the heavily fogged cultivation path was revealing a small path ahead.
With Five Elements Spirit Root, poor aptitude, and a lifetime hopeless in Foundation Establishment Path?
But what if he could cultivate the Five Elements Technique to Great Success or even Perfection?
Would it make a difference?
And all the spells.
At the entry stage, their power is insufficient, but what about spells at Perfection Level? Would their power significantly increase?
"Keep a low profile, keep a low profile.
Though the path is promising, the process is long and dangerous.
If I lose my bearings, I'll face eternal damnation."
Zhou Changwang wasn't a reckless youth, aware that keeping a low profile isn't necessarily safe, but being too high-profile definitely leads to a quick death.
Thus, he quickly calmed down.
Then, as usual, he got up, went to the kitchen, and tossed some rice into a pot, cooking a bowl of porridge.
This porridge wasn't Spirit Rice Porridge but was made with ordinary mixed grains.
Loose Cultivators live hard, and Spirit Rice Porridge is a luxury for him.
Accompanied by homemade pickles, Zhou Changwang picked up the Spiritual Hoe from the corner and headed out.
He didn't forget his current identity.
Three acres of Spirit Field are his future livelihood source, almost time for harvest after months of hard work. He certainly wouldn't give up.
...
The outskirts of Fengming Dock are actually all houses built spontaneously by loose cultivators surrounding the entire Fengming Dock.
Cramped and chaotic, alleys crisscross everywhere; nobody knows how many loose cultivators or tribulation cultivators live there. Of course, there are many martial artists chasing dreams and ordinary people unable to cultivate, mostly descendants of loose cultivators.
Regardless of their dissatisfaction or desire for their descendants with spiritual roots capable of cultivation, they struggle desperately to remain there.
Zhou Changwang walked along carefully, quickly exiting the marketplace range to reach the outermost Spirit Field area.
"Changwang, you finally came.
If you don't come soon, the grass in your Spirit Field will grow taller than Linghe."
From a distance, an old man in a gray robe, also carrying a Spiritual Hoe on his shoulder, shouted.
The old man's age couldn't be seen from his appearance; despite a face full of wrinkles, his hair was black, tied into Taoist curls, differing from typical old farmers.
He is a Spiritual Farmer Loose Cultivator like Zhou Changwang, named Xu Fugui, commonly called Old Xu by outsiders.
With Qi Refining Third Layer cultivation, he's reportedly been stuck at this level for more than ten years and long since given up on further cultivation, focusing solely on accumulating Spirit Stones to leave some legacy for his descendants.
The two rented Spirit Fields at the foot of Changling Mountain, east of Fengming Dock, and due to adjacent fields, they were fairly acquainted.
However, unlike Zhou Changwang, who rented only three acres of Spirit Field, Old Xu rented ten, an Elder Spirit Farmer with over ten years of experience in Spirit Field rental and planting.
"I'm here."
Zhou Changwang hurried over, indeed seeing in his Spirit Field, next to each seedling, clusters of weeds were rapidly growing.
These weeds, unlike Linghe, are Spiritual Objects, growing slowly and needing careful attention. Under the nourishment of the Spiritual Qi in the Spirit Field, the weeds grow exuberantly.
In just one night, they could grow tall and big.
If not handled in three days, the entire Spirit Field would be covered in weeds.
The daily essential task for these spirit farmers is weeding; otherwise, the field would be overrun with weeds, stealing Spiritual Qi from Linghe and affecting the harvest.