Chapter 63

Qin Ming returned to Qingliang Xiaozhu and resumed his leisurely, tranquil life.

Seven days passed in a flash.

Qin Ming went to the cultivation fluid pool and carefully observed the changes in the five-color spirit rice seeds.

In the cultivation fluid, a tender sprout broke through its shell!

"Success!"

Immediately, he submerged all the five-color spirit rice seeds from the jade box into the cultivation fluid.

Once the seeds finished soaking, they could be planted in the spirit field.

Qin Ming then went to the courtyard.

The nest of Yin Yi Shuangfeng in the courtyard's corner had completed its evolution, all transformed into first-stage early-phase spirit insects, and the queen bee's aura had broken through to first-stage mid-phase.

Qin Ming activated his mental link and immediately connected with the queen bee.

Upon receiving his command, it flew out of the hive—swoosh! —appearing before him like a phantom.

Its speed genuinely startled Qin Ming.

Behind it, tens of thousands of spirit bees followed in a buzzing swarm, a magnificent sight.

If such a nest of volatile spirit bees turned on you, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator might not hold out, right? Qin Ming directed the swarm to fly wildly around the courtyard, hitting exactly where he pointed.

Mainly because after the queen bee's evolution, she had grown spiritually attuned to him, their bond tightened, and the entire swarm remained obedient.

Qin Ming approached the withered blood poison vine and gazed at the blooming purple demonic flower. "It can trigger the bees' evolution—let me see what kind of fruit it will bear?"

Qin Ming used his last three 【Ripen】 entries, spending two days to fully ripen the three demonic flowers on the withered blood poison vine.

As the purple petals withered, three purple round fruits formed on the stems.

Qin Ming plucked them all, and instantly, golden entries flashed into a beam of light and entered his mind sea.

Five blue-entry leaves 【Temporal Leaf】 can rapidly ripen high-grade spirit plants to a hundred-year maturity, and their effects stack.

Qin Ming's expression brightened—this meant he could obtain five hundred-year spirit plants, or one five-hundred-year spirit plant.

He picked up the purple spirit fruit, casually broke open one, and found no flesh inside—only purple-black spirit seeds.

Probably the same as the previous seeds, meant for casting Thorns Art, though he didn't yet know their exact power.

Qin Ming pondered, deciding to test them on a wild beast one day.

There were still two mu of medicinal fields in the courtyard; Qin Ming bought more premium-grade spirit herb seeds and planted them—these herbs served both as ingredients for pill refining and because first-stage spirit herbs have short growth cycles, making them ideal for refreshing everyday entries.

Then.

He found a corner of the medicinal field and planted all five of Su Yuqing's entrusted Shen Yuan Guo fruits.

Second-stage spirit plant Shen Yuan Guo is a primary ingredient for refining second-stage spirit pills—Bi Luo Dan—which enhances magic power cultivation for Foundation Establishment beginners.

Judging by Su Yuqing's spiritual root potential, her breakthrough to Foundation Establishment was all but guaranteed—she was already planning for life after the breakthrough.

Another half month passed.

Qin Ming's preparations were nearly complete.

He packed his belongings and stepped outside.

In the spirit herb fields east of the marketplace.

Qin walked along Tian Geng, accompanied by mountain streams, as if entering a secluded, lush fairyland.

"The environment of a second-stage low-grade spirit vein is truly different!"

He reached his five-mu plot and began tending the spirit field—first, he turned over the soil in three mu of the field, then evenly sowed the cultivation-fluid-soaked five-color spirit rice seeds.

Next, he burned all the stalks of beast-tooth rice, mixed them with the manure of the Black-Browed Dragon Horse, combined with several other spirit materials, buried them in the other two mu of the field, and then planted the Red-Silver Yellow Hemp seeds.

Boom—Crack!

Qin Ming chanted the Advanced Spirit Rain Spell and irrigated all the spirit fields with spirit rain.

It lasted for most of the day.

"Phew～"

"The rest is up to time."

"If all else fails, I'll just wait for the 【Ripen】 entry to refresh." In the days that followed,

Qin Ming diligently cultivated day and night, while also indulging in pastoral serenity.

Cultivation life was dull yet fulfilling.

Night fell; Qingyang Marketplace lit up with lanterns, streets shimmered with warm lights, starlight glowed softly overhead, and the air brimmed with the warmth of mortal life.

Qin Ming stepped out from the shanty house—originally Su Yuqing's room.

His expression was excited—he had successfully refined two more batches of Ju Ling Dan today, totaling over twenty pills! And his luck was extraordinary: every single pill was premium grade!

He was now nearly on par with Su Yuqing when she first arrived at the marketplace.

In a while, he could attempt refining premium-grade spirit pills and aim for the rank of premium pill-refiner.

Qin Ming returned to his courtyard.

He went straight to the quiet chamber, relaxed his body and mind, and sat cross-legged on the woven grass mat.

He opened the pill vial; a deep emerald premium Ju Ling Dan rolled into his palm, still slightly warm.

"Freshly出炉 premium pill!"

Qin Ming swallowed the pill and began his cultivation.

Several hours later.

Suddenly!

A powerful surge of magic power erupted within Qingliang Xiaozhu's annex.

After consuming three premium Ju Ling Dan in succession, Qin Ming's magic power cultivation officially entered Foundation Establishment sixth layer.

Though elated by his breakthrough, he also noticed a problem.

That is to say—

No matter how good this pill is, it cannot replace a meal.

He has now begun to develop serious drug resistance from taking premium Spirit Gathering Pills.

Through this cultivation session, he easily realized that the magic power increase from the Spirit Gathering Pills has become negligible.

It can be said that continuing to take Spirit Gathering Pills—even at the premium level—now offers him little benefit for advancing his cultivation.

To break through to the later stage of his realm henceforth, he must refine a higher-grade spirit pill.

Qin Ming is now quite satisfied with his cultivation progress—calm, steady, gradual, solidifying his foundation.

His current magic power foundation is utterly formidable! His Evergreen magic power has become extremely pure, continuous, and enduring, and his dantian has been expanded by more than double, rivaling that of a Qi Refinement Stage 7 late-stage cultivator.

The key is to accumulate deeply and strike suddenly.

After cultivation ended, Qin Ming went to the courtyard, slapped his storage bag, and the Qingming Sword instantly appeared in his hand.

Zuuu! A blue sword aura crisscrossed and danced wildly through the courtyard.

A look of joy on his face, he chanted the Object-Controlling Spell to command the magic sword.

This is undoubtedly a supreme-grade magic artifact—aside from consuming more magic power, every other aspect is nearly perfect! There is none of the sluggishness felt when wielding low-grade artifacts; the spirit energy flows through his meridians noticeably faster.

Shhh! The Qingming Sword circled the entire courtyard, carving a brilliant arc through the air before landing back in Qin Ming's hand.

He held the magic sword behind his back, tilted his head up at a forty-five-degree angle toward the starry sky, assuming the posture of a master.

He suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable confidence fill his chest.

He felt the grand ambition of a swordsman who owns the world with blade in hand.

Moments later.

Qin Ming calmed himself and returned the Qingming Sword to his storage bag.

"Stay humble. Always stay humble."

"Don't get carried away."

"This level of cultivation means nothing."

(End of Chapter)