The Third Realm by Wong Tao

Author:Wong, Tao [Wong, Tao]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Adventure
ISBN: 9781778550454
Amazon: B0B4PW3V2D
Goodreads: 61336761
Publisher: Starlit Publishing
Published: 2023-02-01T08:00:00+00:00

***

Late evening, the sun finally setting on the early summer day, Wu Ying edged backward on hands and knees. His fingers plunged again and again into the soil, striking and breaking apart clumps and ripping out roots and rocks. Each was tossed aside, forming a small pile as they landed in the heap he had started.

An entire li had been cleared, from one side to another, an outsized field. Yet without the need to worry about drainage and flooding, Wu Ying had chosen to clear it on a larger basis. Eventually, of course, it would need to be watered, but such concerns were for later.

Perhaps an Earth Cultivator, a true farming prodigy could have done better and faster work. Wu Ying understood his Senior had the ability to sink his chi within a field, to find the problem spots and twist them apart, pulling aside root and earth through spirit and energy alone. That way was barred for Wu Ying, through lack of experience and knowledge and base nature. Yet he would not have it any other way. Digging his hands into the earth, pulling and sorting with his bare fingers, it was a reminder of who he had been—and who he was.

All the while, the Never Empty Wine Pot method—modified—worked, pulling at the chi around him. Earth and wood and wind—oh, the ever-present wind in the steppes that never stopped gusting, no matter what time of day it was—churned through and around his aura, drawn within and processed to become his own. His chi reserves grew, his dantian filling such that Wu Ying knew, soon enough, he might be ready for another layer.

“The sun has nearly set, Cultivator Long,” Oktai spoke up, interrupting the cultivator.

Wu Ying blinked, extracting his hands from the earth and rocking back on his heels to stare at the translator. The man offered a grin, bushy mustache rising a little as he gestured back to where the clearing had transformed, the village appearing as though by magic. More buildings, more gers than ever seemed to have been built, such that it was very much a small village. The herds had been led into their fields, some uncomfortably crowded as broken fences were still to be fixed.

“So it has,” Wu Ying said, staring at the multi-colored sunset. He drew a deep breath, the strong hint of churned earth and dust, the whiff of unwashed bodies and a herd of animals ever present. Certainly more noticeable than the rice fields he was so used to…

But familiar in its own way.

“And dinner?”

“Served. They slaughtered a few injured sheep, so there is much meat to be had. Or there was.” Amusement glittered in Oktai’s eyes. “Now there are but scraps.”

Wu Ying laughed ruefully. “I might have gotten lost in the work.”

“And the stonemasons will thank you for it tomorrow,” Oktai replied, his gaze tracing over the high pile of rocks that Wu Ying had created in the process of clearing the ground. “Though perhaps we need not locate such small stones.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.