Chapter Ninety-Six: The Spirit Herb Has Ripened

Foundation building is the true bedrock of the Great Dao. It is the starting point of a cultivator's quest for longevity, and it is where the distinction between a cultivator and an ordinary mortal truly lies.

"Foundation building is still too far off for me. However, the benefits of having a powerful spiritual sense are immense. Whether in cultivation or learning, it provides a significant boost."

After Zhou Changwang composed himself and resumed practicing the Five Elements Lightning Technique, he immediately noticed a difference. It felt much easier, and his speed in comprehending the rune structures had also increased. The tangible change was so clear that, after two hours, he could not help but strike himself with his blade once more.

In an instant, a wail escaped Zhou Changwang’s lips. His head felt hollow and throbbed with spasmodic pain; he felt as though there were nothing more agonizing in this world. If he were given another chance, he would certainly choose to wait until the third hour to strike that blow.

...

For the next few days, Zhou Changwang did not step outside. He was incredibly busy. He tended to his spirit fields, dug his tunnel, practiced his spells, and then, to achieve a swift breakthrough, he would strike his own spiritual sense. Even his nights were tightly scheduled: drawing talismans, practicing, and studying the *Taiyi Records*.

After several days, the results were significant. The tunnel he was digging had already reached a depth of ten feet; with another five feet, he could consider finishing and excavating a second exit. Once that was done, he would no longer have to worry about the chaos of the marketplace. As long as he could run fast enough, danger would not befall him.

As for his spells, several had reached the realm of perfection. The Cleansing Spell, Soothing Spell, Lightness Spell, Sound-Isolation Spell, and Breath-Concealment Spell—these five had all been perfected one after another. Although they were basic spells, they still held considerable utility.

The Cleansing Spell could erase traces of combat and clear away foreign spiritual energy; it had proven its worth several times before, and now, at perfection, its effects were even more potent. The Soothing Spell had miraculous effects on the spirit beasts and insects he raised. Beyond just his little spirit dog, he occasionally applied it to his Gold-Devouring Spirit Bees; even the sub-bees he hadn't contracted became quite affectionate toward him. Now that it was perfected, he could vaguely sense their intentions and thoughts, and he could convey his own commands in return. For instance, with a single casting, he could grasp the needs of dozens of sub-bees and transmit his "orders" to them, allowing him to direct them with ease. To a certain extent, this spell had built a bridge of communication between him and the creatures he raised, a utility far exceeding his imagination.

The Lightness Spell needed no explanation; it made him light as a swallow, allowing him to leap several feet in a single bound, or even move horizontally across nearly ten feet in a short dash. The Sound-Isolation Spell blocked sound, and at perfection, it could even isolate spiritual energy. For example, once he cast it, he could prevent surrounding spiritual energy from breaching his protective barrier. Although he hadn't yet found a specific combat application for this, it was undoubtedly profound. As for the Breath-Concealment Spell, it suppressed all traces of his aura, even allowing him to blend into his environment; if others cast their gaze upon him, they would subconsciously overlook him, achieving an effect similar to an invisibility spell.

...

However, Zhou Changwang felt his greatest progress was in the strength of his spiritual sense. Almost every day, every two hours, he would strike himself. Although the pain was difficult to endure, he felt immense satisfaction whenever he sensed the tangible growth of his spiritual power, which allowed him to steel his heart and keep swinging the blade.

Now, his spiritual sense was far stronger than before. Expressed through his divine sense, his radius of perception had expanded from a mere ten feet or so to sixteen feet. Such a massive improvement made every aspect of Zhou Changwang’s cultivation run smoothly. For instance, when casting the Spirit Eye Spell at the mastery level, his casting time had previously been about four seconds; now, even without a change in the spell's rank, it had been shortened to three seconds. This was the change brought about by a stronger spiritual sense: the stronger the mind, the faster and more accurately one could draw the complex rune structures, naturally shortening the casting time.

Additionally, the Five Elements Lightning Technique he was studying also benefited greatly. He had originally estimated it would take at least ten days to reach the entry level, but now that time had been cut in half. He was already familiar with more than half of the fifty-plus rune structures. He estimated that in another three to five days, he would truly reach the entry level.

"However, the Five Elements Lightning Technique is indeed the most complex and powerful spell I have ever encountered. I wonder, once I master it, just how powerful its effects will be? Will it surpass my long-perfected Geng Metal Finger?" Zhou Changwang felt a surge of anticipation and began to practice once more. Before a spell is mastered, one must constantly familiarize oneself with it and experiment. After thousands of trials, adjustments, and corrections, one would eventually find the right path and be able to unleash the spell in one go.

...

"Finally, the Spirit-Gathering Grass has matured."

Early the next morning, Zhou Changwang stood in his backyard spirit field with a satisfied smile. The sign that Spirit-Gathering Grass is ready for harvest is when its green leaves, having absorbed enough spiritual energy, turn a bluish-purple. The deeper the purple, the higher the quality. However, one cannot let them grow indefinitely; the maturation period is extremely short, lasting only three days from the moment they turn purple. After three days, the purple leaves begin to turn black. Once they turn black, the grass becomes toxic and can only be used to refine poison, greatly reducing its value. Therefore, to avoid accidents, most spirit farmers choose to harvest on the very first day the leaves turn purple. In fact, Zhou Changwang had noticed some leaves turning purple yesterday. Now, the change had spread to almost all of them.

Zhou Changwang did not delay and began harvesting immediately. He grabbed several baskets and started pulling the plants one by one. If a plant’s purple color was faint or nonexistent, he would use a Growth-Inducing Spell to accelerate it.

One by one, the plants were dug up by the roots. One, two, three...

...

At first, he was very careful, fearing he might damage the roots and affect their medicinal potency. Later, as he became more proficient—and with the help of his Spirit Eye Spell to clearly observe the root structure—his speed increased. In just two hours, he had harvested all two thousand nine hundred-plus stalks of Spirit-Gathering Grass from his five acres of fields.

"Two thousand nine hundred and seventy-eight stalks. At the price of one low-grade spirit stone per stalk, that is two thousand nine hundred and seventy-eight low-grade spirit stones. To harvest so much in less than two and a half months... A bumper crop! This is truly a massive harvest."

Zhou Changwang was deeply excited. Although his wealth had grown significantly after killing the insect king Xue Tong—gaining over a thousand spirit stones and two high-grade artifacts, the Spirit Turtle Shell and the Qiankun Cauldron—those were accidental gains. They did not compare to the sense of achievement brought by this meticulously nurtured crop, which he had raised from seed to sprout, through growth, to maturity. Looking at the thirty baskets, each piled with at least a hundred stalks of Spirit-Gathering Grass, he felt truly satisfied.

Afterward, he remembered something and hurried out. Since the harvest was complete, he needed to find a buyer immediately. He first went to the former residence of Qian Xiaoyue behind the Six Directions Pavilion. Just as he was about to enter, he remembered Qian Xiaoyue saying she had moved to the Water Cloud Pavilion, both for work and residence. He immediately turned and headed in that direction.

Just as he turned, he saw a beautiful woman walking toward him, accompanied by a robust man in his thirties or forties. The woman was Lu Wei'er, Qian Xiaoyue’s friend from the Six Directions Pavilion. Zhou Changwang felt a jolt when he saw the man beside her, though he kept his expression calm.

Seeing him, Lu Wei'er was surprised. "Fellow Daoist Zhou... are you looking for Qian Xiaoyue? Didn't she tell you she moved to the Water Cloud Pavilion?"

"She did," Zhou Changwang replied, "but I only realized she had moved once I arrived here. I was just about to leave when I ran into you." His gaze, however, remained fixed on the man beside her.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, long time no see," the man said with a smile.

"You know each other?" Lu Wei'er asked, surprised. "Fellow Daoist Fang, didn't you just move here a few days ago? You were in the Divine Wind Valley market before; how do you know Fellow Daoist Zhou?"

"I was indeed in the Divine Wind Valley market," the man said. "But several months ago, I followed a caravan to the Phoenix Cry Dock market. Because I discovered that the environment and resources here were far superior to my previous location, I decided to move here. As for knowing Fellow Daoist Zhou, when I visited last time, I happened to live right next door to him. That’s how we met." He looked at Zhou Changwang with a smile. "Right, Fellow Daoist Zhou?"

Zhou Changwang’s mind was in turmoil. He did indeed recognize this man. He was the "Senior Brother" who lived across from him—and next to Qian Xiaoyue—on the eve of the night of chaos months ago. He already knew from Qian Xiaoyue that this man was a rogue cultivator. That was precisely why he had done everything possible to move out of the outer market into the inner city. He never expected to meet him again, especially under such coincidental circumstances.

"Fellow Daoist Fang and I are indeed acquainted," Zhou Changwang said with a stiff smile, intending to offer a warning. "But we only met a few times; we aren't close. I don't know much about him—I don't even know his full name."

Regardless, Lu Wei'er was Qian Xiaoyue’s friend. If he knew the truth, he felt obligated to warn her. If she lived in the same courtyard as a rogue cultivator, how could her safety be guaranteed? Even in the inner city, the danger remained. As for his own fear? If this had been months ago, before he killed Xue Tong, he would have been terrified of this man, who was at the sixth level of Qi Refining. But now, he had the confidence and backing to not be so cowardly.

"My apologies, that was rude of me," the man said, bowing. "My name is Fang Shitong. I am a beast-hunting cultivator, making my living by collecting materials from monsters. Unfortunately, after my team was ambushed at the Divine Wind Valley market, I took an escort mission here. Then, during the night of chaos, my last brother died, and I became a lone wolf."

"I see," Zhou Changwang said, bowing back, though he didn't believe a word of it. He turned to Lu Wei'er. "Since Fellow Daoist Qian isn't here, I won't disturb you further. Farewell." He turned to leave without hesitation.

"It seems Fellow Daoist Zhou has some misunderstandings about me," Fang Shitong said with an awkward smile to Lu Wei'er after Zhou had walked away. "On the night of chaos, I ran to the inner city in a panic and returned covered in blood; he probably thinks I'm a bloodthirsty person."

"On the night of chaos, it was kill or be killed," Lu Wei'er replied. "It didn't matter who was right or wrong. Fellow Daoist Fang was just protecting yourself. As long as your conscience is clear, you don't need to care what others think."

...

A short while later, Zhou Changwang arrived at the Water Cloud Pavilion. After informing the attendant, he soon saw Qian Xiaoyue emerge from the backyard.

"What a rare occasion," she said with a smile. "What made a busy person like you come find me?"

"I wanted to see you, so here I am," Zhou Changwang replied. Qian Xiaoyue beamed, but Zhou Changwang continued, "Didn't you say last time that when my Spirit-Gathering Grass matured, I should come tell you so the Water Cloud Pavilion could purchase it? Well, they matured this morning, and I've finished harvesting. I wanted to ask if you still need them."

Qian Xiaoyue's smile froze. She looked at him indignantly, but she knew this was an important matter. The Water Cloud Pavilion’s situation hadn't changed, and she wanted to help her "sister," so she said, "Wait here. I'll go tell my sister; she's in the backyard and has time."

She stood up to leave, but suddenly, as if sensing something, she turned back, looking at Zhou Changwang in shock. "You... you've broken through?" She had felt something was different about him the moment she saw him, but her joy had distracted her. Now, looking closer, she was stunned.

"I got lucky and managed to break through," Zhou Changwang replied.

"You call that luck?" Qian Xiaoyue muttered. She remembered that when he was ambushed last time, he was only at the second level of Qi Refining. Not long after, he reached the third. She thought he was a late bloomer, but now, only three or four months later, he had reached the fourth level and become a mid-stage cultivator like her? This speed was comparable to a genius with dual elemental roots. But if she recalled correctly, he had five-element spiritual roots, didn't he?

As she walked toward the backyard, her mind was still on this. While she was happy for him, she felt a strange sense of inferiority. She didn't snap out of it until she reached the courtyard.

There, a beautiful, fair-skinned woman who looked like an otherworldly fairy stood in the center, one hand pointing at the moon and the other forming a seal. Beside her, a flying sword moved like a swimming dragon, nimble and agile, bending and turning around the buildings with incredible speed, yet never damaging a single blade of grass.

"Xiaoyue, what's wrong? You look distracted," the woman asked.

"Sister Xinyue," Qian Xiaoyue said, snapping back to reality. "I mentioned that my friend grew a batch of Spirit-Gathering Grass, didn't I? He's here now, saying they've matured, and asking if the Water Cloud Pavilion still wants to buy them..."

"We certainly do. Tell him to bring them over. We are willing to buy them at thirty shards of a spirit stone per stalk... wait, I'll go myself. I want to see what kind of person this spirit farmer is that has you so preoccupied." As she spoke, the woman moved her hand, and the flying sword quickly returned, disappearing into her sleeve.

"Sister!" Qian Xiaoyue stomped her foot, blushing. Shen Xinyue had already headed toward the front courtyard, and Qian Xiaoyue hurried to follow.

...

"Zhou Changwang, this is the sister I’ve mentioned to you, Shen Xinyue. Sister Xinyue, this is Zhou Changwang, my neighbor and... friend," Qian Xiaoyue said, rushing to introduce them.

"Junior Zhou Changwang greets Senior Shen," Zhou Changwang said, bowing. He felt an intense, oppressive aura from her. She was a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, far stronger than the likes of Xue Tong. Unlike the rogue cultivator Xue Tong, she was a formal disciple of the Water Cloud Immortal Sect. In the cultivation world, sect disciples were far superior to rogue cultivators in both strength and foundation. Zhou Changwang dared not be disrespectful.

"You look like a capable young man," Shen Xinyue nodded. "I hear you are skilled at farming. Have they all matured, and what is the total number?"

"I am just a first-tier spirit farmer with some experience," Zhou Changwang said humbly. "There are over two thousand nine hundred stalks of Spirit-Gathering Grass, and they have all been harvested. Senior only needs to send someone to inspect them. Also, here is a sample I brought for you." He took a jade box from his storage bag. Inside were five stalks he had randomly selected.

Shen Xinyue opened the box and was taken aback. The five stalks were full of spiritual energy and of excellent quality—truly high-grade items. If used for alchemy, they would improve both the quantity and quality of the pills.

"If all the grass you provide is of this quality, I am willing to pay one low-grade spirit stone and fifty shards per stalk," Shen Xinyue said.

"Please rest assured, Senior," Zhou Changwang replied. "While the quality may vary slightly, there is plenty of this grade."

"Is that so? Words are cheap. If the quality is lower, I will have to lower the price," she said, gesturing for him to lead the way.

With nearly three thousand stalks, the total value exceeded three thousand low-grade spirit stones—a significant sum for any Qi Refining cultivator. She dared not be careless and needed to inspect them herself.