The following morning, armed with their crude hoe, shovel, and rake, Li Xuan and Qing'er returned to the clearing by the stream. The ground, already disturbed by Li Xuan's previous efforts and the badger's demise, seemed to mock their limited progress. The memory of the badger fight still lingered, a stark reminder of the raw dangers of this world, but it also fueled Li Xuan's determination. He needed to get stronger, and fast.
His own cultivation was a slow, steady burn. He was currently at Body Tempering Realm (Stage 1 - 75% progress). He felt a subtle strengthening in his muscles, a slight increase in stamina, a testament to the Lesser Qi Gathering Manual's efficiency, even at its basic level. Qing'er, however, was a natural. She had already broken through to Body Tempering Realm (Stage 2) during her morning cultivation, her progress bar now showing Body Tempering Realm (Stage 2 - 5% progress). A faint, almost imperceptible aura of vitality surrounded her, and she moved with a renewed lightness. Her injured arm, while not fully healed, seemed significantly less painful, a testament to the Verdant Qi Pill and her rapidly circulating Qi.
"You're doing great, Qing'er!" Li Xuan praised, genuinely impressed. "You're already stronger than yesterday."
Qing'er, a shy smile gracing her lips, nodded. "I feel it, Sect Leader Li Xuan. It's like... a warm river inside me."
"That's the Qi," Li Xuan explained. "Keep practicing. It's how we get powerful." He pointed to the uncultivated land. "Now, let's make this river flow into our farm."
He dug the hoe into the tough earth again, his muscles screaming in protest. The sun was already warm on his back. He focused on the rhythm, on the instructions from the Basic Farming & Gathering Manual: break the clods, aerate the soil, level the ground. It was back-breaking work, far more exhausting than any raid boss battle. He tried to think of it as a grind, a long, tedious quest with delayed but significant rewards.
Qing'er, surprisingly efficient, worked alongside him. Her smaller frame allowed her to navigate the uneven terrain better, and she used the rake to meticulously break down the larger dirt clods Li Xuan's hoe unearthed, smoothing the soil and removing lingering debris. Her movements were fluid, almost intuitive.
"Sect Leader Li Xuan," she said after a while, her voice a little breathless, "what kind of seeds will we plant?"
Li Xuan paused, resting the hoe. "Good question," he admitted. He hadn't thought that far ahead. The Basic Farming & Gathering Manual described common crops, but he had no actual seeds. He hadn't seen any in the vault or the sect. This was another hurdle. He mentally checked the Sect Store again. No seeds listed under the basic tier. He was going to have to find them himself.
"We'll need to find some, or buy some," he told her, trying to sound confident. "That's why we need to figure out how to earn some proper money, not just those coins from the vault."
They worked for hours, the only sounds the rhythmic thud of the hoe, the scraping of the rake, and their own ragged breaths. The cleared patch slowly expanded, growing from a small square to a rough rectangle. It wasn't perfect, but it was a visible transformation. The ground looked softer, more receptive. They were making a farm.
As the sun began to dip lower, casting long shadows across the clearing, Li Xuan straightened up, rubbing his aching back. They had cleared perhaps twenty square meters, doubling their initial effort. It felt like a small victory, a tangible sign of progress.
"Let's call it a day, Qing'er," he said, wiping sweat from his brow. "We've done good work. We'll come back tomorrow."
As they gathered their tools, Li Xuan paused, his gaze drawn to the horizon. Beyond the dense forest, in the direction opposite to where they had found Qing'er, a faint, thin plume of smoke drifted lazily into the sky. It was too diffused to be a single campfire, and too consistent to be a random forest fire. It suggested something larger. Something organized.
"What is that?" Li Xuan muttered, squinting.
Qing'er followed his gaze, her green eyes narrowing. "Smoke," she said simply. "Maybe a village. Or... another sect." Her voice held a hint of apprehension.
Li Xuan's mind immediately went to the Sect Store. He had 0 Sect Points. He needed to find a way to get more, and interacting with the outside world seemed like the most direct path. This smoke, it could be his lucky encounter. Or a dangerous one.
"We need to investigate that," Li Xuan decided, his gamer instincts kicking in. "Not tomorrow. Soon. We need to prepare."
He thought of the dangers. Those badgers were just small fry. A village meant people, and people could be dangerous. A sect meant cultivators, and cultivators were on a whole different level. He still lacked a proper cultivation breakthrough, and his Falling Leaf Spirit Sword was great, but he couldn't unleash its full power yet.
"For now," Li Xuan said, turning to Qing'er, "we rest. And we cultivate. We need to get stronger. Both of us." He was still in the Body Tempering Realm (Stage 1), but he was closing in on a breakthrough. He needed to push. He needed that Qi Condensation Breakthrough Pill from the store. But first, he needed points.
As they walked back to the secret vault, the distant plume of smoke remained in Li Xuan's thoughts. It was a beacon, a challenge, and potentially, his first real connection to the wider world. He needed more disciples, he needed more funds, and he needed to turn the Falling Leaf Sect from a forgotten ruin into a beacon of its own. And that, he realized, started with mastering the basics and bravely facing the unknown. The game of sect-building was about to enter its next, more ambitious phase.