Chapter 80: Breakthrough, Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer
Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Breakthrough, Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer
’I finally have a lead on a Foundation Establishment Pill. Now I need to accumulate Spirit Stones faster. I’ll feel more at ease once I have the pill in hand. That way, even if I don’t end up using it, I can still sell it at auction for a huge profit.’
After returning to the Sect, Zhang Chi reread the Jade Scroll, and a great weight was finally lifted from his heart.
Furthermore, the news that Yuan Bei was beginning to recruit Loose Cultivators gave him a nagging sense of crisis. He therefore increased the intensity of his Cultivation, preparing in case the situation truly took a turn for the worse in the future.
Three days passed in a flash. Early in the morning, Qin Susu and the others once again arrived outside the Earth Fire Hall.
The group met up and flew outside the Sect. Soon, they saw a vast, endless expanse of Spirit Fields.
Continuing forward, it wasn’t long before they arrived in the air above the three-hundred-mu Spirit Field they had contracted.
Qin Susu and the others were all very excited.
Zhang Chi, however, was rather calm. After a brief inspection to confirm there were no issues, he declined Qin Susu’s suggestion to celebrate with a meal and returned to the Earth Fire Hall alone.
Afterward, Zhang Chi once again began his Cultivation in Seclusion.
Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, another month and a half had passed.
That morning, just as he had predicted, Zhang Chi’s Cultivation reached the limit of the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer.
Then, without hesitation, Zhang Chi cast aside all distracting thoughts, sat cross-legged on the ground, and began his assault on the next Realm.
BOOM!
In an instant, a roar echoed in his mind. A powerful Spiritual Pressure erupted outward, and the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi swarmed toward him like a tide. In one fell swoop, Zhang Chi’s Realm had successfully broken through.
’Excellent, I’m finally at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer. It took me exactly half a year this time, even faster than the previous layer. The Spirit Stones were definitely not wasted, and the Eye of the Spirit Spring was a huge help!’
A moment later, Zhang Chi stabilized his Cultivation and opened his eyes, his face filled with joy.
At this rate, he would only need another year to reach the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer. After two more years of practice, he would reach the true limit of the Qi Cultivation Realm and could then attempt Foundation Establishment.
He was only seventeen now. In three years, he would be exactly twenty. If he could successfully achieve Foundation Establishment at that age, he would be infinitely close to the first tier of geniuses.
Of course, this was all thanks to his Jade Pendant, which allowed him to consume Elixirs freely, easily master the Nine Flames Spirit Devouring Technique, and even effortlessly cultivate the White Bone Divine Forging Technique to the Minor Success stage.
In this regard, even the junior members of some great families were completely unable to compare to him.
After all, nearly every Top Grade Cultivation Technique was a closely guarded secret. Moreover, without a top-tier Spirit Root and Comprehension, one could not easily master it even if they were lucky enough to obtain one.
The same was even more true for Divine Soul Cultivation Techniques.
’If I can upgrade the Eye of the Spirit Spring to Tier Two within three years, or significantly improve either my Divine Soul or my physical body, I can definitely shorten this timeline again.’
As Zhang Chi thought this, his gaze couldn’t help but burn with fervor.
He had earned a good amount of Spirit Stones over the past two months, but he was still a long way from being able to trade for a Foundation Establishment Pill, let alone upgrade the Eye of the Spirit Spring.
’Slow and steady. I have to work hard, but I can’t be reckless.’
Soon, however, Zhang Chi calmed himself and resumed his daily Cultivation.
This advancement in his Cultivation improved his essence, qi, and spirit, making even Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Talisman Making feel much easier.
By his calculations, his skill in both Alchemy and Talisman Making could reach the Tier One Peak in a year at most.
Meanwhile, his Artifact Refining skill should also be able to reach the Middle Grade level within a year.
At that point, the rate at which he earned Spirit Stones would surely increase dramatically.
—
Time flowed on, and several months passed in the blink of an eye. The new year’s annual Sect assessment arrived as scheduled.
This time, however, due to the previous year’s incident, the Sect changed the format. The Cultivation assessment remained, but the practical combat test was now a fight against a Puppet of the same tier.
Early that morning, Qin Susu and the others came to meet up with Zhang Chi, and they all headed to the Sect Hall together.
After two years in the Sect, Qin Susu, He Shi, and He Yan were all at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer.
However, they had all just broken through, and their cultivation speed had already begun to slow.
Breaking through to the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer would likely take them nearly two years.
This was despite the fact that they weren’t particularly short on Spirit Stones and Elixirs.
As for the servant disciple Zhao Yi, he was only at the Qi Cultivation Third Layer, and that was only with the help of Qin Susu and the others.
However, Zhao Yi had been making good progress with Spirit Plants recently. If he could enter the Outer Sect in the future, his Cultivation would speed up considerably.
Furthermore, when Zhao Yi first joined the Sect, he had received financial support from Qin Susu’s group and had paid in installments to exchange for a Middle Grade Cultivation Technique. When he enters the Outer Sect in the future, he won’t need to start his cultivation over, which will also save a lot of time.
"Senior Brother Zhang, we’re planning to pool our resources at the trade fair to buy a Middle Grade Body Forging Technique. Do you want to join us?" Qin Susu asked on the way.
Not long ago, they had harvested their first crop of Spirit Rice. The yield was excellent, so they not only recouped their initial investment but also made a hefty profit, which is what gave them this idea.
There are many types of Body Refining Techniques. As long as they chose the right one, a woman could practice it without becoming bulky; it might even improve their figure. Therefore, Qin Susu and the others weren’t worried it would affect their beauty.
As for buying it together, they could both exchange insights and save Spirit Stones, making it a wise choice.
"That’s a good idea. Practicing a Body Forging Technique can increase your Combat Power and also speed up your Cultivation. However, the Spirit Stone consumption is also very high, and I have other plans, so I won’t be participating this time."
Zhang Chi thought for a moment but politely declined on the spot.
He had the Bright Jade Body Forging Technique; although it was only Low Grade, it was sufficient for now.
Moreover, he had already reached the Great Success stage with this technique. It would be better to push it to the Perfection stage in one go and then switch directly to an Upper Grade technique. That would be a faster way to get started.
A Middle Grade technique was certainly better than a Low Grade one, but at lower Realms, the difference wasn’t very obvious. Otherwise, he would have switched long ago.
For Qin Susu and the others, however, a Middle Grade Cultivation Technique was the most suitable choice in terms of difficulty, cost, and effectiveness.
"Alright. But if you change your mind someday, you can come to us anytime. We can share our experience with you for free. All we ask is that you’re willing to help refine Body Forging Secret Medicine for us when we need it. Of course, we’ll pay you separately for that; we won’t let you work for nothing, Senior Brother." Qin Susu and the others were slightly disappointed but didn’t insist.
"That’s no problem."
Zhang Chi readily agreed.
"By the way, are you free after the assessment, Senior Brother? The Spirit Field is having a serious pest problem. We’re planning to go deal with the insects together. Would you like to come with us?" Qin Susu continued.
"Pest removal? Do we have to handle such a minor task ourselves? Can’t the servant disciples handle it? Can’t you use medicine or Spirit Beasts?" Zhang Chi asked, confused.
"It’s the Iron Armor Celestial Bull. Medicine works on them, but it requires a large amount, making the cost too high. The servant disciples’ Cultivation is too low, so they’re very slow at removing the pests. Hiring someone specifically for the job isn’t cost-effective either."
"Spirit Beasts would work, but the ones at the Spirit Beast Hall that can catch Celestial Bulls have all been checked out recently. Apparently, most of the other Spirit Fields are experiencing the same problem."
"Besides, it seems some junior members of the Xie Family are working against us behind the scenes. The people at the Spirit Beast Hall are deliberately prioritizing other field owners. These Iron Armor Celestial Bulls are too destructive; every day of delay causes considerable losses."
Sighing faintly, Qin Susu and the others quickly explained the full story.
They had earned a great deal last season, which had already made quite a few people green with envy.
This was especially true for some of the Outer Sect juniors from the Xie Family.
These people weren’t targeting Zhang Chi specifically; they were doing it because they knew Qin Susu and the others were companions of Chen Ling’Er.
The Xie Family and the Chen Family had always been at odds, so the other side was taking the opportunity to play some petty tricks.
Of course, the Xie juniors hadn’t released the pests themselves—they wouldn’t dare do such a thing. The timing was just a coincidence they decided to exploit.
Because of this, even though they were making these small moves, no one could get a hold of any proof against them.