53: Chapter 53 Qi Refining Level Six

Qin Changsheng forcibly suppressed the waves in his heart, his hand movements slowly returning to normal.

He watched Chen Erniu, who was still looking down, clumsily tending to the Spirit Rice seedlings; he seemed as honest and simple as ever.

"Erniu, why were you suddenly confined?" a Utility Disciple asked curiously.

"Don't mention it, I was caught slacking off by Manager Ma!" Chen Erniu scratched his head with a touch of simplicity.

"You're so unlucky!"

"Manager Ma is extremely strict!"

"Three days of confinement is a light punishment this time!"

The group of Utility Disciples comforted Chen Erniu one after another.

Looking at the honest-looking Chen Erniu, Qin Changsheng also lowered his head.

If he hadn't discovered Chen Erniu's abnormality, he would likely have been completely deceived by his harmless appearance just like the other Utility Disciples.

Qin Changsheng's heart was filled with relief; he was glad he had possessed an extra measure of vigilance and suspicion, which prevented him from being blinded by this mask of honesty.

After all, who would suspect someone who looked honest, taciturn, and even a bit dull-witted for no reason?

Over these years at Servant Peak, Chen Erniu had relied on this honest appearance to gain the sympathy and trust of many people.

As his thoughts drifted, Qin Changsheng suddenly remembered a small matter he had overlooked.

The Spirit Rice Stalks fields that Chen Erniu was responsible for had never failed to meet the quota for Spirit Rice over the years. Even during seasons when the Spirit Rice grew poorly or pest infestations were frequent, his fields always managed to submit the full amount of Spirit Rice on time, and occasionally even had some extra.

In the past, he had assumed it was because Chen Erniu was exceptionally diligent and took better care of the fields than others, but thinking about it now, it wasn't diligence at all; it was clearly Jin Fu and the others helping him in the shadows.

As for reporting Chen Erniu to the Sect, he had considered that thought as well.

However, Qin Changsheng quickly dismissed it.

After all, Chen Erniu was the Young Lord of the Blood Demon Sect, with a secret and special identity, while he was just an inconspicuous Disciple at Servant Peak, with a Cultivation level of only the Peak of Qi Refining Stage 5. Both his status and strength were far too low.

Even if he rashly reported to the Sect and claimed that Chen Erniu was the Young Lord of the Blood Demon Sect, what could he achieve?

He had no concrete evidence; without proof, the Sect elders might not believe his words. Instead, it would alert the enemy, expose that he had discovered Chen Erniu's secret, and invite a fatal disaster upon himself.

"I will leave Servant Peak this year!" Qin Changsheng had a plan in his heart.

Although the Outer Sect was not as hidden as Servant Peak, it had many advantages:

Outer Sect Disciples had more resources for Cultivation and had the opportunity to come into contact with more Advanced Cultivation Techniques and Spells, allowing them to improve their Cultivation faster;

More importantly, Outer Sect Disciples had a wider range of activities, allowing them to stay away from the dangerous vortex of Servant Peak. He wouldn't have to meet Chen Erniu, Manager Ma Yingjie, and others every day, which would maximize his ability to avoid danger and make it easier to investigate the truth behind the secret treasure of Qingyun Lake.

He was not afraid of Chen Erniu, nor did he want to escape.

He just knew that with his current status and strength, staying at Servant Peak meant he could only defend passively and could fall into danger at any moment;

whereas promoting to the Outer Sect would allow him to improve his own strength, accumulate capital, temporarily escape the dangerous situation, observe the changes quietly, and wait for the best time to strike.

Furthermore, Chen Erniu was the Young Lord of the Blood Demon Sect; he would definitely not stay at Servant Peak for long.

Once his plans made progress, he would inevitably take action. At that time, Servant Peak might face a bloody storm. If he continued to stay here, he would only be implicated, which would not be worth the loss.

Instead of sitting and waiting for death, it was better to take the initiative, lay out plans in advance, and promote to the Outer Sect to secure more vitality and bargaining chips for himself.

Qin Changsheng was not worried about the examination to join the Outer Sect. With his Qi Refining Level 5 Cultivation and his secret Cultivation over these years, as long as he prepared a little, he would definitely be able to pass the examination smoothly and successfully promote to the Outer Sect.

However, he had to wait until after this year's Spirit Rice harvest.

After all, if Qin Changsheng successfully entered the Outer Sect just days after viewing the technique stele, it would inevitably attract a lot of attention.

After the Spirit Rice harvest, not many people would be paying attention.

Moreover, Qin Changsheng would be able to harvest nearly a thousand catties of Spirit Rice.

...

In the blink of an eye, it was already October.

The autumn wind, carrying a hint of chill, brushed across the fields of Servant Peak, dyeing the entire expanse of fields into a golden hue.

Over these past few months, Qin Changsheng had never been the least bit slack. His days were busy and fulfilling, and he had not wasted a single minute or second.

Every morning, just as the sky began to brighten, Qin Changsheng would arrive at the fields to tend to them, pull weeds, and irrigate with spiritual water, keeping the fields in perfect order.

He spent his entire morning in the fields. Not only did he have to tend to his own fields, but he would also quietly keep an eye on the movements of Chen Erniu not far away, taking in every word and action of Chen Erniu.

By the afternoon, when the farm work was done, Qin Changsheng would return to his simple Chore Residence to Cultivate behind closed doors.

He shed his exhaustion, sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, circulated his Cultivation Technique, absorbed the Spiritual Qi in the air, and tempered his Cultivation bit by bit.

With the Cultivation trait to stabilize his Foundation, and coupled with his day-and-night diligence and refusal to rest, his Cultivation improved exceptionally quickly. In just a few short months, he had steadily stepped from the Peak of Qi Refining Stage 5 into the Realm of Qi Refining Stage 6.

[Name: Qin Changsheng]

[Lifespan: 23 / + ∞]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Stage 6 (20 / 6000)]

[Cultivation Technique: Qi Gathering Art (Perfection)]

[Spell: Fireball Technique (Major Achievement 321 / 5000)]

[Smoke Shadow Evasive Footwork: Perfection]

[Fireball Talisman Crafting: 789 / 3000 Major Achievement]

[Spiritual Root: High Grade Five Spiritual Root]

[traits: Cultivation, Storage Space, External Incarnation, Immortality, Substitute Death, Breath Concealment]

After stepping into Qi Refining Stage 6, Qin Changsheng clearly felt that his Spiritual Qi was becoming more abundant and his Physical Body was becoming stronger.

Besides tending to the fields and cultivating diligently, Qin Changsheng had not forgotten about the secret treasure of Qingyun Lake.

Every few days, he would send Hu Nan to quietly head to Qingyun Lake to investigate.

Qingyun Lake was still rippling with green waves, the water crystal clear to the bottom. Surrounded by towering ancient trees and dense Spiritual Qi, it remained calm without any waves, showing no abnormalities at all.

Qin Changsheng was not discouraged. He knew that the secret treasure must be extremely well-hidden and could not be found easily. The fact that there were no results for now simply meant the timing was not right.

Over these past few months, in addition to his busy schedule, Qin Changsheng had never relaxed his observation of Chen Erniu. As his observation deepened, he discovered more and more suspicious points about Chen Erniu.

Chen Erniu was still that honest and dull-witted person, but Qin Changsheng keenly sensed that hidden beneath his honesty was an increasing amount of detachment and composure.

When Chen Erniu tended the fields, he seemed clumsy, but in reality, his eyes were constantly scanning the surroundings vigilantly. Especially when no one was paying attention, he would quietly circulate his Spiritual Qi to summon a rain of Spiritual Qi.

Besides this, Qin Changsheng also discovered that Chen Erniu would often sneak out of the Chore Residence late at night. His movements were strange. Every time he returned, there would be a faint scent of blood on his body. Although he tried to cover it up deliberately, it still could not escape Qin Changsheng's perception;

Qin Changsheng silently kept all of this in his heart, making no noise and not making any rash attempts to probe.

He knew that Chen Erniu's identity was special; rashly probing would only alert the enemy, expose himself, and not be worth the loss.

Qin Changsheng took a book out from his chest.

This book was the Outer Sect examination guide that Qin Changsheng had swindled from Lin Hao.

Qin Changsheng gently placed the small booklet on the wooden table, pulled over a wooden stool to sit down, and slowly opened the cover.

Opening the first page, he found the basic instructions for the examination. The handwriting was clear and the points were well-organized, listing the time, location, process, and core requirements of the Outer Sect examination one by one. It was simple and easy to understand, clearly designed for the convenience of the Utility Disciples to view.

Qin Changsheng studied it carefully, word by word. The more he read, the more confident he felt.

The guide clearly stated that the Heavenly Sword Sect's Outer Sect examination was not as harsh as he had previously imagined; on the contrary, the threshold was not too high.

One only needed to have worked at Servant Peak for three full years and have a clean background to pass the first round of the Cultivation test;

one only needed to have a Cultivation level of Qi Refining Level 3 or above to pass the second round.

The third round was a Spell test. There was no need to be proficient in multiple Spells; one only needed to be able to skillfully cast one basic Spell and demonstrate basic Cultivation talent and Spell control to pass smoothly and successfully promote to an Outer Sect Disciple.

"So that's how it is; it's actually this simple." Qin Changsheng gently closed the booklet, a trace of relief flashing in his eyes.

Now he had long since stepped into the Realm of Qi Refining Stage 6, far exceeding the Qi Refining Level 3 required by the examination. Even if he hid his Cultivation, he could easily pass the first round of the Cultivation test;

and as for Spells, he had been cultivating in secret for these years and had already cultivated the Fireball Technique to Major Achievement.

As for the first condition, Qin Changsheng had already met it long ago.

This year was Qin Changsheng's tenth year at Servant Peak.

Two days later, the date for the harvest stipulated by the Sect arrived as scheduled.

Over a thousand Utility Disciples came into the fields carrying sickles.

Qin Changsheng also stood within his own field, his gaze looking toward a field not far away.

There, Chen Erniu was bowing his head, still with that honest and dull-witted appearance, holding a sickle in his hand and clumsily harvesting the Spirit Rice Stalks.

Withdrawing his gaze, Qin Changsheng gripped the sickle in his hand, bent down, stepped into his own field, and officially began harvesting the Spirit Rice.

With every slash of Qin Changsheng's blade, four identical Spirit Rice Stalks would appear out of thin air. The grains were just as plump, and the Spiritual Qi was just as abundant, exactly the same as the original Spirit Rice Stalks, as if they had been growing there originally.

He bent down quickly and quietly collected the extra four Spirit Rice Stalks into his Storage Space.

While harvesting, Qin Changsheng kept an eye on Chen Erniu not far away with the corner of his eye, ensuring that none of his actions were noticed by them.

In just over an hour, Qin Changsheng had finished harvesting all the Spirit Rice Stalks.

Inside his Storage Space, there were over nine hundred catties of Spirit Rice more.

After more than half an hour, a somewhat hurried sound of footsteps arrived. Manager Ma Yingjie arrived in the fields with a dozen trusted aides.

Many Disciples also moved the Spirit Rice Stalks to the ridges of the fields, waiting for Manager Ma Yingjie to count them.

Manager Ma Yingjie, along with his trusted aides, started from the entrance of the fields and began counting the Disciples' Spirit Rice one by one.

His expression was gloomy, and his gaze was sharp. Every time he counted a spot, he would carefully verify the quantity. Occasionally, he would even use his foot to poke at the Spirit Rice Stalks to check if there were any cases of sparse grains or insufficient Spiritual Qi. If he discovered that the Disciples' Spirit Rice was insufficient in quantity or poor in quality, he would sternly reprimand them.