51: Chapter 51 Nurturing Spirit Plants, Refining Array Plates, Initial Pill Refining

The newly purchased Jade Slips made Ye Qing's understanding of Alchemy and Formation Systems increasingly systematic.

However, he knew deep down that knowledge from books alone was superficial.

Practice leads to true understanding.

The hundred-plus zhang of space within his body and the Floating Landmass were the perfect testing grounds.

He first took out a batch of common 1st Grade Spirit Medicine seeds, including blood-activating grass, Qi Gathering flowers, and iron-bone vines.

He also purchased some relatively rare seeds at a spiritual plant shop in the East Market of Liuyun City, such as the 2nd Grade "jade marrow ganoderma" used to refine Foundation Establishment Stage Medicinal Pills, and the "soul soothing flower" capable of nourishing the Divine Soul.

The seeds were of ordinary appearance, but the price was not cheap.

Ye Qing did not mind.

Returning to his Immortal Cave, he activated the Formation.

His consciousness sank into the space within his body.

In the 150-zhang space, Chaos Qi swirled, and moonlight star radiance flowed.

The black soil in the center had expanded to over 40 zhang, the soil possessing a Chaos jade luster, Spiritual Qi turning into mist, and several low-lying pools of spiritual liquid glistening.

The Floating Landmass hovered at a height of three zhang, three zhang square, thin as a cicada's wing, slowly circulating Chaos and star light spots.

Using his Divine Sense as a guide, Ye Qing sorted the newly purchased seeds and sowed them.

Common 1st Grade seeds like blood-activating grass and Qi Gathering flowers were sown in neat ridges along the edge of the black soil below.

2nd Grade seeds like the jade marrow ganoderma and soul soothing flower were carefully moved onto the Floating Landmass.

The Floating Landmass had denser Spiritual Qi and was rich in Dao rhymes, making it especially suitable for cultivating rare Spirit Medicines with high environmental requirements.

Once the seeds were in the soil, the space responded naturally.

Without needing Ye Qing to urge it, strands of pure Chaos Spiritual Qi and moonlight star radiance automatically gathered, slowly nourishing every seed.

The seeds on the black soil quickly sprouted, tender green shoots breaking through the soil, full of vitality.

The jade marrow ganoderma and soul soothing flower seeds on the Floating Landmass sprouted slightly slower, but the tender shoots that emerged were crystal clear like jade, with faint radiance, evidently possessing an excellent Foundation.

"Space cultivation yields twice the result with half the effort. The Floating Landmass, in particular, is a natural blessed land for an herb garden."

Ye Qing nodded with satisfaction.

He looked again at the two newly condensed "Wind Spirit Seed" phantoms beside the moonlight jade tree.

With a thought, he tried to guide a wisp of wind-attribute Spiritual Qi within the space, slowly injecting it into one of them.

The Wind Spirit Seed trembled slightly, its surface glowing with a pale cyan luster, appearing to have grown a fraction.

"It seems these Dao Seed phantoms can also be nourished and grown through energy of corresponding attributes. Although I don't know what they will eventually gestate into, the more, the better."

After handling the Spirit Medicines, Ye Qing turned his attention to Artifact Refining.

To be precise, it was refining Formation Plates.

The "Three Talents Black Wind Formation" combined attack Formation obtained from the Black Wind Three Tyrants, while not profound, contained concepts regarding the linkage of Formation bases and spiritual power connections that were useful for optimizing his own Formations.

He planned to use it as a blueprint, combined with parts of the "Lesser Five Elements Prohibition Formation" concept, to refine a simplified, portable "Portable Five Elements Prohibition Formation Plate" that could be quickly deployed.

The Materials were ready at hand.

From the Black Wind Three Tyrants, the ancient Immortal Cave, and previous monster hunts, he selected some metal Ores, spirit wood, and jade with decent quality.

Artifact Refining was not his specialty, but refining rough Formation Plates did not have high requirements.

He used Foundation Establishment true fire to smelt the Materials, remove Impurities, and shape them into palm-sized circular Formation base embryos.

He refined five in total, belonging to the Five Elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

Then, using Divine Sense as a carving knife, he engraved complex Formation patterns onto the embryos.

The Metal Formation base focused on "sharpness" and "solidity," the Wood Formation base on "vitality" and "entanglement," the Water Formation base on "permeation" and "change," the Fire Formation base on "explosion" and "purification," and the Earth Formation base on "heaviness" and "bearing."

The Formation patterns of the five Formation bases were independent rings, yet they could be connected into a whole through core runes, forming a simple Five Elements rotation prohibition effect.

The process was cumbersome and placed extremely high demands on Divine Sense control and spiritual power stability.

After failing several times and wasting quite a few Materials, five slightly rough but shimmering Formation bases were finally successfully refined.

Ye Qing placed the five Formation bases in front of him, pinched a seal with both hands, and poured in his magic power.

The five Formation bases hummed, flew into the air, hovered according to the Five Elements positions, and their spiritual light connected, forming a faint but truly existing Five Elements light curtain that shrouded a range of about a zhang.

Within the light curtain, the aura was isolated, spiritual power circulation was sluggish, and it possessed basic protective, concealment, and interference capabilities.

"Success! Although it is a simplified version and its power is not even one-eleventh of the real 'Lesser Five Elements Prohibition Formation,' it has the advantage of being easy to carry and quick to deploy. It is enough for temporarily trapping enemies, setting up early warnings, or concealing small movements at critical moments."

Ye Qing put away the Formation Plates, feeling slightly tired but fulfilled.

The hundred arts of immortality complement each other. Progress in the Dao of Formations is also helpful for Artifact Refining and talisman making.

After resting for a while, he took out the most common bronze Medicine Cauldron, and took out some blood-activating grass and Qi Gathering flowers of sufficient age he had harvested earlier, preparing to try refining the most basic "Blood-Activating Powder" and "Qi Gathering Pill."

The former was a healing powder, and the latter was a 1st Grade Medicinal Pill for restoring spiritual power.

The Pill Formula was already memorized, and the steps were clear.

Ignite fire, warm the cauldron, add medicine, extract, fuse, and condense the pill.

That was the theory, but practical operation was a different matter.

Precise control of the heat, grasping the timing of medicinal property Fusion, and subtle adjustment of spiritual power output—any mistake in any link would result in a wasted pill.

The first furnace of Blood-Activating Powder had too intense a fire, the herbs instantly charred, and black smoke billowed.

The second furnace of Qi Gathering Pills had the wrong Fusion timing, the medicinal powers conflicted, and the cauldron exploded, buzzing.

Ye Qing did not change his expression, cleaned up the residue, reflected on the lessons, and started again.

He possessed the super-high Comprehension Ability bestowed by the space, the powerful Divine Sense and spiritual power control of the Foundation Establishment Stage, and the subtle experience accumulated from countless failures.

The third furnace of Blood-Activating Powder was a success.

He obtained a small pinch of dark red, fragrant powder, which, although only Low Grade, truly possessed the effect of activating blood and removing stasis.

In the fourth furnace of Qi Gathering Pills, at the final moment of condensing the pill, the liquid became unstable and nearly dissipated. Ye Qing had a flash of inspiration and separated a wisp of pure magic power containing the aura of moonlight soul soothing, gently brushing over the pill liquid.

The restless pill liquid miraculously stabilized and slowly condensed into three dragon-eye-sized, milky white, fresh-smelling pills.

Medium Grade Qi Gathering Pill!

Ye Qing picked one up and examined it carefully. The pill was round, with faint radiance, and the quality seemed even better than the similar Medicinal Pills he had purchased at Blackwater Market before.

"So that's it, my magic power has been repeatedly tempered by the space and is already incomparably pure, and it also carries a trace of the moonlight soul soothing characteristic. Using it for Alchemy actually has the miraculous effect of improving quality and stabilizing medicinal properties!"

He felt inspired. This meant that in his future Alchemy, the success rate and quality might far exceed those of Alchemists of the same rank.

He carefully put away the successfully refined medicinal powder and Medicinal Pills, and sent all the waste residues into the "waste area" of the space to be absorbed.

Although the feedback energy was minimal, even a mosquito's leg is meat, and more importantly, it was not wasted and left no traces.

After doing this, it was already dark outside the Immortal Cave.

Ye Qing took a self-refined Qi Gathering Pill, feeling the pure medicinal power dissolve and replenish his consumption.

The effect of the Medicinal Pill was good, much faster than simple meditation, but far inferior to the feedback from the space.

"It seems that in the future, Alchemy should focus on refining those Medicinal Pills that the space cannot provide or have special effects after refining. For regular Cultivation, the Foundation should still be the feedback from the space."

He set his plan.

Over the next few days, Ye Qing stayed indoors.

During the day, he studied Jade Slips, deduced Formations, and practiced Alchemy.

At night, he guided the pure energy fed back by the space to consolidate his Early Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, while using the "Void Dao Seed" to comprehend the mysteries of the Void Realm, trying to optimize the "Void Step" and "Void Finger."

He did not slack in observing the Spirit Medicines on the Floating Landmass either.

The jade marrow ganoderma and soul soothing flower were growing well, and under the nourishment of Chaos star Qi, they had grown several tender leaves, full of vitality, far surpassing their counterparts in the outside world.

The common Spirit Medicines on the black soil were even more lush, and many were nearing maturity.

The "Void Turbulence Zone" at the edge of the space was still slowly rotating, and the range seemed to have expanded slightly again.

On this day, he was deducing a new escape technique idea that combined "Void Step" with Five Elements escape techniques, when the early warning Formation outside the Immortal Cave transmitted a slight fluctuation.

Someone had triggered the sound transmission talisman he had set up outside the courtyard gate.

Ye Qing restrained his aura and arrived in front of the courtyard gate, not opening the Formation, but only scanning with his Divine Sense.

Outside the gate stood a middle-aged man in grey short clothes, with an honest face and cultivation at the Qi Refining 8th Stage, standing respectfully with his hands down. Beside him was a young servant in green at the Qi Refining 3rd Stage.

"Greetings Senior, this Junior is a clerk from 'Baicao Hall' in the West Market, here to visit under the orders of our shopkeeper. Hearing that Senior has recently moved in, we have specifically prepared some local special spiritual tea and snacks, please accept them, Senior." The middle-aged man's voice was respectful as he handed over an exquisite food box.

Ye Qing understood. This was a method for shops in Liuyun City to win over new customers. He was a newcomer, renting a Heaven-grade Immortal Cave and revealing Foundation Establishment cultivation, which would naturally attract the attention of nearby shops.

"Thank you for your trouble." Ye Qing opened a corner of the Formation and took the food box with magic power, not letting anyone in.

"You are too polite, Senior. Our shop specializes in various Spirit Medicines and Medicinal Pills, and also purchases finished Medicinal Pills and medicinal Materials at fair prices. If Senior has any needs, you can visit at any time. This is our shop's name card and a list of recent goods." The middle-aged man handed over a Jade Slip and a name card, his attitude attentive but not fawning.

Ye Qing accepted them and said indifferently: "Many thanks, I will go if I have needs."

"Then this Junior will not disturb Senior's cultivation, farewell." The middle-aged man bowed and left with the servant.

Ye Qing returned to the quiet room and picked up the Jade Slip.

Inside was a detailed list of goods and purchase prices for Baicao Hall, with a wide variety and clear markings. The purchase price was indeed a cut higher than Blackwater Market, especially for high-quality Medicinal Pills and rare medicinal Materials, which were offered at good prices.

"This is a good channel for selling goods. The Medium Grade Qi Gathering Pills I refined are of excellent quality and should sell for a good price. The common Spirit Medicines in the space that are about to mature can also be processed in batches."

He noted the location of Baicao Hall and put away the Jade Slip.

He also checked the box of spiritual tea and snacks, confirming there was no issue. They were ordinary spiritual tea and spiritual grain pastries, containing a faint amount of Spiritual Qi, and the taste was acceptable.

"The service in Liuyun City is quite thoughtful." Ye Qing sipped the tea, the taste fresh and fragrant.

He did not dislike this kind of contact. A Loose Cultivator traveling alone also needs stable information and material channels. Maintaining moderate contact with these local snake-like shops has more advantages than disadvantages.

It just requires grasping the measure, keeping a distance, and not revealing his bottom line.

In the following days, Ye Qing would change his disguise every few days, appearing at Baicao Hall with different looks to sell a small amount of Medium Grade Qi Gathering Pills and some common Spirit Medicines produced by the space.

His Alchemy technique was special, and the quality of his Medicinal Pills was stable and excellent, which soon attracted the attention of the Baicao Hall shopkeeper, who paid the purchase price readily.

The Spirit Stones he earned were used to buy more rare seeds, Artifact Refining Materials, and Jade Slips unique to Liuyun City that recorded strange anecdotes or niche knowledge.

Occasionally, he would also go to the "Wen Dao Pavilion" to read more profound classics, or to the "Contribution Hall" to see if there were any new tasks worth paying attention to.

Life was regular and fulfilling.

His cultivation improved steadily under the feedback of the space, and his control over the power of the Foundation Establishment Stage became more and more proficient.

His knowledge of Alchemy, the Dao of Formations, and even Artifact Refining and Spirit Medicines were being integrated through continuous learning.

The space within his body was even more vibrant. The jade marrow ganoderma and soul soothing flower on the Floating Landmass were already standing gracefully, emitting faint radiance. The Spirit Medicines on the black soil matured in batches and were harvested, processed, or kept for seeds.

The "Void Turbulence Zone" at the edge of the space expanded to a radius of five zhang, the turbulence was more obvious, and the occasionally overflowing spatial fluctuations were carefully guided by Ye Qing to deepen his comprehension of the Dao of the Void Realm.

This day, he was deducing a complex Restriction in the Immortal Cave that combined Void Realm concealment and Five Elements defense, when he suddenly had a feeling.

On the Floating Landmass, the moonlight flower that was transplanted first was shining brightly with silver light, and in the center of the flower, a more brilliant silver light was slowly condensing and taking shape.

Ye Qing's consciousness sank in immediately.

He saw the moonlight flower swaying slightly, silver light flowing like water, and finally, in the center of the flower, it condensed into a grain-sized, completely silver-white, crystal-clear, emitting pure moonlight and weak spatial fluctuations—a brand new seed!

This seed was completely different from ordinary moonlight flower seeds; the moonlight power contained within it was purer and carried a trace of the Chaos star Dao rhyme unique to the Floating Landmass!

"Mutated? Or... promoted?"

Ye Qing was pleasantly surprised. It seems that the special environment of the Floating Landmass can not only accelerate the growth of Spirit Medicines but also promote their benign mutation and improve their quality!

He carefully took off this special "moonlight star seed" and planted it in another open space on the Floating Landmass.

"Very good! The development of the space's functions has seen a new direction. In the future, perhaps more rare and mutated Spirit Medicines can be cultivated, and the value will be immeasurable."

Withdrawing from the space, Ye Qing was in a pleasant mood.

On the road of steady development, surprises always emerge inadvertently.

He looked out the window; the lights of Liuyun City were just lit, and the night sky was dotted with stars.

Inside his body, the 150-zhang Immortal Cave, moonlight and star radiance intertwined, Spirit Medicines swayed, Dao Seeds glimmered, a scene of prosperity.