Chapter 63: Passive

South Mountain Rift Valley, deep within the Fire Spirit Mine.

Hua Changxi lay prone on a stone platform half a meter high, one meter wide, and two meters long, entirely made of top-grade Fire Spirit Stones, cultivating with her eyes closed.

Before long, Hua Changxi, her brows tightly furrowed, opened her eyes and gazed at the data in her field of vision, her face full of gravity and confusion.

[Realm: Core Formation 1,350,000 / 10,000,000]

It had been a month and a half since she advanced to the Core Formation realm.

Upon reaching Core Formation, her cultivation speed had increased slightly, from absorbing and growing only a thousand spiritual energy points per hour to absorbing and growing two thousand spiritual energy points per hour.

She could cultivate for eleven hours a day, meaning she could increase her cultivation by 22,000 points daily.

After thirty-five days, she should have grown by 770,000 points of cultivation.

Yet now she had only grown by half of that!

During the Qi Refining and Qi Sea stages, as long as she absorbed spirit qi, the data would increase, and once enough spirit qi accumulated in her body, she would automatically advance.

She had grown accustomed to this cultivation model and had once thought cultivation was this easy.

But after advancing to Core Formation, this model no longer worked!

Absorbing spirit qi no longer increased the data.

"Where exactly is the problem?"

Hua Changxi felt a bit panicked. With no one to ask, she could only fumble on her own, but after more than half a month of groping, she still had no clue.

A problem in cultivation not only prevented her from raising her realm but, more critically, wasted time.

Gu Jinfan's appearance and the possibility that the Rakshasa Sect had set its sights on the Creation Pomegranate filled Hua Changxi's heart with urgency.

She had no one to rely on behind her, no power, no people; the only thing that could give her confidence was striving to raise her cultivation—if her strength was strong enough, she wouldn't fear being coerced or harmed.

Now that her cultivation wouldn't increase, she was truly anxious.

Hua Changxi's thoughts were somewhat disordered. Unable to calm her mind to cultivate, she left the Fire Spirit Mine. As she left the rift valley, she saw the personnel stationed outside the rift valley.

These people had been arranged by Jiang Ye and Zhuo Fan; they counted as inner perimeter personnel, and there were also some patrolling personnel on the outer edge of South Mountain.

After secretly observing them for a while, seeing that their patrols were fairly meticulous, and knowing that Old You and the other three cared deeply about the Fire Spirit Mine, Hua Changxi felt a little more at ease.

On the day after Gu Jinfan appeared, Old You and the other three had taken the Fire-Type Creation Pill. After forming a Fire spirit root, the four left the Medicine Valley to go out and seek cultivation techniques.

Now more than a month had passed, and she didn't know how their progress was.

Hua Changxi still very much hoped the four could obtain cultivation techniques soon, because to fully possess the Fire Spirit Mine, relying solely on some martial artists to guard it certainly wouldn't do.

Only if Old You and the other three became cultivators and improved their strength would they have a fighting chance if the Fire Spirit Mine were discovered by outsiders in the future.

This was also the most fundamental purpose behind her bringing out Creation Pills to trade with Old You and the other three.

Only cultivators could protect a spirit mine.

As for herself, she could support Old You and the other three from behind, but she actually didn't want to participate in the fighting at the forefront. What she most wanted was to be a high-tech talent who stayed away from conflict and possessed irreplaceability.

A high-grade alchemist was perfect.

Hua Changxi returned to the Medicine Valley. On her way back to the dormitory, she encountered two handymen. From their conversation, she learned that Old You and the others had returned, so she quickly walked up to West Mountain.

When she reached the middle of the mountain slope, Hua Changxi spotted Guo Yu from afar. Just as she prepared to draw closer to greet him, she noticed that Guo Yu's demeanor was somewhat off.

Sneaky, looking around, and with a somewhat tense expression—Guo Yu's appearance instantly made the word "lookout" pop into Hua Changxi's mind.

Keeping watch on whom?

The only outsider who could freely enter and exit the West Mountain stone cave was her!

Hua Changxi was well aware in her heart that her cooperation with Old You and the other three was built on interests, and the relationship couldn't be considered solid.

But now the cooperation had just begun, at a time when both sides needed to increase trust, yet they had adopted a posture of concealment and wariness, which made her feel very uncomfortable.

Hua Changxi actually wasn't very interested in others' secrets, but since Old You and the other three had sent Guo Yu to keep watch, whatever they were discussing was very likely related to her.

She could accept that Old You and the other three had their own little schemes, but she didn't want to be schemed against. Especially after having nearly been betrayed by Yang Chuan, she actually no longer trusted these four much.

Thinking this, Hua Changxi dodged and circled around, avoiding Guo Yu, and reached the side of the stone cave.

After advancing to the Core Formation stage, Hua Changxi's five senses became even keener. Without needing to get too close, as long as she concentrated, she could hear the conversation in the stone cave.

Inside the stone cave, Elder You's tone was urgent: "Is the cultivation method in Lu Zhiyuan's hands real?"

Zhuo Fan affirmed: "Mm, Lu Zhiyuan copied the opening chapter of the Five Elements Art, the 'Qi Attraction Art,' for me. I cultivated in the Lu family's back courtyard for one month, and now I can sense fire spiritual energy."

"You haven't seen what Lu Zhiyuan looks like now. He is more than ten years older than You Lin, but he looks so young, appearing to be about forty years old."

Yang Chuan's expression trembled: "Really?"

Zhuo Fan: "I saw it with my own eyes, of course it's real."

Yang Chuan smiled: "Then if we become cultivators, we can also become younger."

He was not the oldest among the four, but his appearance was the most aged. He had always been somewhat concerned about this matter.

Jiang Ye looked at Zhuo Fan: "You still haven't said what Lu Zhiyuan's conditions are."

Zhuo Fan rubbed his nose: "At first I quoted a price of ten thousand fire spirit stones. Later, he gave me the Qi Attraction Art. After seeing that I could indeed attract spiritual energy, that guy suddenly opened his lion's mouth and said I had to give him one hundred thousand fire spirit stones every month."

Hearing this, Elder You, Jiang Ye, and Yang Chuan all furrowed their brows at the same time.

Jiang Ye looked at Zhuo Fan: "Did you tell him about the fire spirit mine?"

Zhuo Fan's expression was somewhat uncomfortable: "I didn't mean to. It's just that Lu Zhiyuan is too cunning. He knew I couldn't stand provocation and deliberately provoked me."

Hearing this, Elder You and the other two sighed together.

"You..."

Zhuo Fan also knew he had done wrong: "Don't lecture me. I regret it too. Moreover, Lu Zhiyuan also said that after a while, he would come to Medicine Valley to take a look."

Elder You's expression instantly changed: "What is he coming to Medicine Valley for?"

Jiang Ye's expression also turned very ugly: "Is Lu Zhiyuan trying to get his hands on the fire spirit mine?"

Yang Chuan also became anxious: "That girl Hua Changxi isn't easy to deal with. If you bring outsiders here, if she finds out, it'll be a disaster."

Zhuo Fan waved his hand casually: "So what if she finds out? Lu Zhiyuan said that once he finishes his current affairs, he'll come over to spar with Hua Changxi."

"If he is not Hua Changxi's match, we just give him one hundred thousand spirit stones each month."

"If Hua Changxi is not his match, then the fire spirit mine will have to be redistributed."

"In any case, our share won't be missing. If Lu Zhiyuan wants to test Hua Changxi's depth, let him test."

Elder You and the other two all fell silent.

Zhuo Fan knew he hadn't handled things well, so he quickly took out the Qi Attraction Art: "Lu Zhiyuan and I agreed that he would give me the Qi Attraction Art first, and after he comes over, the rest of the techniques will be given to us all at once."

Outside the stone cave, Hua Changxi's expression was as dark as water. She took several deep breaths to suppress her anger, and did not rush into the cave to settle scores with Zhuo Fan.

Cooperating with these four people had been too hasty on her part.

She shouldn't have taken it for granted that because Elder You was a decent person, his friends would be the same.

Now, she was too passive!

At this moment, Zhuo Fan's voice sounded again from inside the stone cave.

"Do you know? Something happened again at Wuzhi Mountain in Qingzhou."

"What happened?"

"It's all because of that pomegranate we snatched. You all know how much commotion the pomegranate caused. After we snatched it, somehow news spread that Wuzhi Mountain is a cave heaven blessed land, where strange spiritual medicines and fruits frequently appear."

"Soon, this news caught the attention of all sides, and they sent their disciples to investigate."

"This investigation was remarkable—they discovered that the spiritual energy at Wuzhi Mountain was rich and very suitable for cultivators to practice."

"As a result, every side wanted to claim Wuzhi Mountain as their own. It's said that Taisu Palace, Sanqing Palace, the Demon-Suppression Bureau, the Asura Sect, and some old-established clans have all mobilized."

"Lu Zhiyuan told me that there are at least five large spirit mines beneath Wuzhi Mountain. The reason he hasn't come to Medicine Valley is that he went to Wuzhi Mountain."

"I wonder who will end up controlling Wuzhi Mountain?"