[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-life-starting-with-farming-to-refresh-my":3,"chapter-eternal-life-starting-with-farming-to-refresh-my-eternal-life-starting-with-farming-to-refresh-my-chapter-22":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Eternal Life: Starting with Farming to Refresh My Stats",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2331895,4560,"Chapter 22: Bandit Cultivators on the Loose","eternal-life-starting-with-farming-to-refresh-my-chapter-22",22,"\u003Cp>Qingyang Marketplace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming exited the Juxuan Pavilion and walked slowly along the main road of the marketplace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The street was filled with a constant stream of cultivators of all kinds, bustling with activity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, the marketplace seemed to have far more unfamiliar faces than usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming was strolling down the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Comrade, why not indulge in some passionate spending?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the entrance of a nearby pleasure house, a young female cultivator in a light green robe threw him a sultry glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming paused briefly, his expression blank, then turned away and walked off quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? A righteous gentleman?” the woman muttered in surprise, her confident gaze vanishing instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She rolled her eyes at the direction Qin Ming had taken, then turned to greet the next passerby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Qin Ming left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From inside the pleasure house stepped a burly man with a goatee, squinting as he asked, “Didn’t bite?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm. A greenhorn. Boring,” the green-robed woman replied coolly, rubbing her nails.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man nodded silently and returned inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the marketplace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming thought with disdain: ‘As if I’d take free stuff.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Would I even want yours, paid or not?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Just common grease and powder. Lucky my Dao heart is firm.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming returned to the shantytown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For dinner he boiled another pot of premium Beast Tooth Rice, then began cultivating the Hundred Treasures Glazed Scripture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past six months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The amount of premium Beast Tooth Rice he’d consumed was undoubtedly terrifying; had he not been lucky enough to continuously refresh the ‘Ripen’ term,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>such consumption would have left even him unable to keep up with the demands of his Body Refinement technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan’s description of a ‘bottomless pit’ was indeed no exaggeration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary cultivators simply couldn’t sustain such a drain on spiritual materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming discovered that with each subsequent layer of the Hundred Treasures Glazed Scripture, the amount of spiritual material needed to boost blood qi increased geometrically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the cost was high,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the technique did have extraordinary qualities—the first three layers already surpassed ordinary Body Refinement methods by a wide margin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming’s current stock of premium Beast Tooth Rice was still sufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang bang bang! As soon as Qin Ming finished his cultivation, a frantic knocking erupted at his door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Who’s in such a hurry?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming rose, tucked away the Beast Tooth Rice, then went to open the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He cautiously peered through the crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside was Cai Laojiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now he was drenched in sweat, visibly panicked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming opened the door and asked urgently, “Laojiu, what’s wrong? Why are you so flustered?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“O-out! Out of control!” Cai Laojiu stammered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice trembled, as if gripped by terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dao Friend Long… has perished!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Laojiu’s face turned deathly pale as he forced out the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming’s mind went utterly blank. This news—truly staggering!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you certain? Could you be mistaken?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dao Friend Long was a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. His abilities far surpassed ordinary cultivators. How could he suddenly perish?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did he go to the frontier?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Qin Ming spoke, doubt began to stir within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Laojiu snapped, “What kind of time is this to be mistaken?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dao Friend Long didn’t go to the frontier. He was killed by a bandit cultivator. His corpse was just discovered nearby, in the river. Come see for yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this even more shocking revelation, Qin Ming panicked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without another word, the two rushed toward the riverbank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Less than half a cup of tea passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They arrived at the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Qin Ming realize the corpse had been found alarmingly close to his own hut—only a few hundred zhang away. By the time he and Cai Laojiu arrived, a large crowd of nearby cultivators had already gathered along the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of them trembled, pointing and whispering at the body in the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming forced his way through the crowd and looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It really is Dao Friend Long!” He had no words left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where Qin Ming looked, Long’s pale corpse had been stripped bare—all storage bags and possessions vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of horrifying blood holes marred his body; his neck and heart had been pierced through by magical artifacts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He likely hadn’t even had time to cry for help. “Ah, so tragic. Word is Wang Dao Friend and others found the body while washing clothes by the river.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. He’s been dead a while—probably got stuck under the bridge last night, washed out only now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could this be the work of a bandit cultivator? But given Long Dao Friend’s strength, what level of bandit could kill him so silently?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those around exchanged uneasy glances; a sense of dread settled over the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere turned oppressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the Lingyu Sect’s patrol team arrived in haste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their leader dispersed the onlookers, glanced into the river, and immediately showed signs of shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked himself: even if he faced the killer who murdered Long Dao Friend, he’d have zero chance of survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could a Foundation Establishment bandit be behind this? But… it doesn’t look like it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lingyu Sect leader rubbed his chin, then decisively pulled out a message talisman to report to the sect—this clearly exceeded his authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming returned to his hut in a daze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t expected danger to be this close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems the shantytown is no longer safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qingyang Marketplace is protected by a second-rank array—it can withstand even Foundation Establishment cultivators.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I must plan ahead. Find a way to move inside the marketplace—it’ll be safer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming’s mind churned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And in the spirit fields—may Lingyu Sect increase patrols.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh. Even farming will require constant fear now. It’s exhausting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hope the bandit, having taken a late-stage Qi Refining target, won’t bother us lowly spirit farmers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He probably… doesn’t even want us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Dao Friend’s death struck Qin Ming deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator met a fate of death and dissolution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming’s sense of danger surged to its peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘After killing Long Dao Friend, the killer didn’t even bother hiding the body—he just dumped it openly in the river. Clearly, he has no fear.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s almost a blatant act of intimidation.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For years, Long Dao Friend—a righteous late-stage Qi Refining cultivator—had deterred nearby scoundrels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why they dared not act recklessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that Long Dao Friend was dead, the region’s safety had become the greatest problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Ming took out a mid-grade Thunder Arrow Talisman and slipped it into his sleeve, which brought slight relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘After reaching the third layer of the Hundred Treasures Glazed Scripture, the blood qi boost from premium Beast Tooth Rice has begun to slow.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I need better spiritual rice to enhance blood qi, to accelerate my Body Refinement progress.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What if I upgraded the premium Beast Tooth Rice to supreme grade?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But the [Quality Upgrade] term hasn’t appeared since the first time—half a year now.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Qin Ming pondered this, his gaze hardened with resolve. He still had enough premium Beast Tooth Rice to last a year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To hell with it—full gamble! This time, he planned to use his final [Ripen] term on the three mu of Yin Ning Flowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d bet everything on one [Quality Upgrade] term appearing! (End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1212,"2026-06-20T20:44:51.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","622accfe6acf91fc78d540aa2587d680417e834edd963501b6c4be23ec5997dd","eternal-life-starting-with-farming-to-refresh-my-chapter-23","eternal-life-starting-with-farming-to-refresh-my-chapter-21",755,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-life-starting-with-farming-to-refresh-my-cover.jpg"]