Chapter 62: Absorbing Metal Qi, Completely Renewed

Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Absorbing Metal Qi, Completely Renewed

Although there were still some lingering consequences from his involvement in resolving the Spirit Field insect plague, he believed the deeply calculating Steward Ma could handle them.

Compared to those minor troubles, his harvest this time was undeniably massive.

First and most importantly, there was the bottle of metal energy Steward Ma had given him.

Secondly, by slaying the mastermind’s pawn, he had obtained a storage bag, hundreds of Jade Grass stalks, and a share of over two hundred Spirit Stones.

Handing over the runic artifacts and insect corpses had earned him another hundred Spirit Stones.

Selling the Insect Seal Magic to Wu Yong and purchasing his Five Poisons Spirit Refining Technique resulted in a net gain of another hundred Spirit Stones.

There was also the thirty Spirit Stones he earned from helping Dong Xing exterminate the Black Blood Moths.

In total, he had acquired over four hundred Spirit Stones, a bottle of metal energy, a manual for the Five Poisons Spirit Refining Technique, and an unopened storage bag.

The next step was to convert this harvest into actual strength.

After all, a cultivation base at the second level of Qi Cultivation was simply too low.

It was only because the insect swarm was so terrifying, combined with the fact that Spirit Field farmers were poor fighters, that others had subconsciously overlooked his low cultivation level.

The night was deep, and the stars shone brightly. Because the insect swarm had swept through, the surrounding chirping of bugs had grown much quieter.

Li Changsheng snapped back to reality. With a thought, he put away the Little White Jade Fox, dusted off his pants, and walked toward the wooden cabin.

Returning to the second floor, Li Changsheng glanced at the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree and the Insect Mother in the large vat.

Compared to two days ago, the broken branches of the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree had healed, making it look a bit more vibrant.

The Insect Mother’s figure had disappeared. In its place, a pupa resembling a honeycomb had appeared on the trunk of the Snake Saliva Spirit Tree.

Through his mental connection, he knew the Insect Mother was inside it.

Li Changsheng watched for a while before withdrawing his gaze and sitting cross-legged on the floor.

With a flick of his mind, he felt a weight in his palm as a palm-sized bronze bottle materialized in his hand.

The bronze bottle looked ordinary on the outside, engraved only with some simple floral and grass patterns.

The neck and body of the bottle were seamless, stamped with a complex rune. In the gaps of the rune lay a tiny hole.

Like the Rune Hoe, the bronze bottle could not be considered a true runic artifact, but it still possessed some mystical functions.

Li Changsheng circulated his Spiritual Power and channeled it into the bottle. The rune shimmered with spiritual light.

In the blink of an eye, a faint golden gas, thin as a gossamer thread, slowly drifted out from the tiny hole and hovered around the bottle’s opening.

This was the metal energy extracted from ores.

Li Changsheng did not dare to be careless. He closed his eyes, focused his mind, and circulated the Golden Turtle Spirit Technique.

As the Cultivation Technique activated, a faint suction force emerged from within him, drawing the wisps of metal energy into his body.

In a trance, Li Changsheng felt a refreshing, cool gas flow into his body. It circulated between his main Spirit Vein and its branches, slowly being absorbed.

After absorbing the metal energy, the branch veins—which had previously trembled slightly when Spiritual Power flowed through them—visibly stabilized.

A wisp of metal energy was soon fully refined.

Li Changsheng opened his eyes, feeling the Spiritual Power surging freely through his Spirit Veins, and smiled.

He flipped his hand to take out a jade bottle, poured out a Spirit Gathering Pill, and swallowed it.

Once again, he channeled Spiritual Power into the bronze bottle’s rune, drew out another wisp of metal energy, and began absorbing and refining it.

Time flowed like water, slowly slipping away. Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Over the past few days, aside from feeding his Spirit Beasts, weeding the Spirit Field, and repelling insects, Li Changsheng spent all his remaining time cultivating.

On the second floor of the wooden cabin, Li Changsheng slowly let out a breath of stale air. He opened his eyes and checked his own condition.

[Target: Li Changsheng]

[Cultivation: Second Level of Qi Cultivation - 80%]

[Cultivation Technique: Golden Turtle Spirit Technique (2/9) | Traits: Toughness, Spirit Recovery]

[Magic: Insect Seal (Incomplete) - Minor Mastery 10% / Golden Turtle Shield - Entry Level 6% / Lesser Cloud and Rain Magic - Entry Level 11% / Five Poisons Spirit Refining...]

[Status: Healthy]

After refining the metal energy, the Golden Turtle Spirit Technique had developed the Spiritual Power trait "Toughness." When he cast the Golden Turtle Shield Magic, its durability increased by several tenths.

Consuming the remaining Spirit Gathering Pills had also pushed his cultivation progress to eighty percent.

"Spirit Pills are truly wonderful," Li Changsheng sighed in admiration as he felt the Spiritual Power in his body, which had multiplied in size several times over.

The Spirit Gathering Pills deserved all the credit for his rapid cultivation speed.

Unfortunately, there were too few. He only had ten pills, and they were gone before he could even properly get used to the taste.

He thought, "Should I... go take a look at the Marketplace?"

Once this idea sprouted, it grew like wild weeds in his mind, leaving him itching with anticipation.

He had been here for so many days but still hadn’t gone to experience the Marketplace.

Now that he had a decent amount of Spirit Stones in his pockets, there was no reason not to. He wasn’t a miser who refused to let go of a Spirit Stone once he saw one.

Converting Spirit Stones into actual strength was the wise choice.

Just as he was figuring out how to get there, a shout came from outside.

"Mr. Li, are you home?"

"Hmm?"

Li Changsheng stood up, walked to the second-floor window, and looked out.

Five horse-drawn carriages were parked in front of the courtyard, loaded with a dazzling array of furniture and household supplies.

The person shouting outside the courtyard gate was none other than the servant from the Spirit Field Hall.

He thought, "So it’s him."

Feeling a hint of joy, Li Changsheng turned to look at the large vat. After a moment of thought, he picked it up and headed downstairs.

Without stopping, he went through the first-floor side door and arrived at the backyard.

Glancing around, he carried the large vat to a corner of the backyard and set it down.

With a thought, Big Bro flew over with a portion of the insect swarm, landing around the large vat.

After making sure everything was fine, Li Changsheng walked to the front yard and opened the gate.

The servant spoke respectfully, "Mr. Li, I have brought the furniture you requested."

Li Changsheng nodded and smiled. "Thank you for the trouble. You can begin."

"Yes, Mr. Li."

The servant complied respectfully, then turned to instruct the men who had followed the carriages.

Under his direction, over a dozen darkly tanned men in plain clothes moved back and forth into the courtyard, carrying the goods.

Perhaps having been instructed beforehand, the group worked methodically and silently.

Holding Xiaobai—the Little White Jade Fox—Li Changsheng watched as they furnished the wooden cabin without saying a word to get in their way.

By Noon, the dozen or so men bowed to him, exited the courtyard, and returned to their carriages.

The servant approached with a face full of smiles. "Mr. Li, everything is set up."

Li Changsheng nodded and smiled. "How many more Spirit Stones do I owe?"

He had taken a few laps around the house and could tell they were highly professional; they clearly did this kind of work often.

After their makeover, the entire wooden cabin no longer had its previous shabby appearance.

The servant scratched his head and offered an apologetic smile. "Mr. Li, that will be another sixty-five spirit fragments."

Fearing that Li Changsheng might be dissatisfied, he quickly added, "Mr. Li, all the porcelain I brought you is exquisite, and the furniture is made of fragrant wood. Every piece was hand-carved by master craftsmen. I guarantee you will find them pleasing to the eye and comfortable to live with.

"Therefore, it’s just a little bit more expensive..."

Li Changsheng was now a man of modest wealth, so he had no intention of haggling over such a small amount. He flipped his hand, took out a Spirit Stone, and tossed it to him.

"Keep the change as a tip. You did a great job, and I am very satisfied."

The servant caught the Spirit Stone with pleasant surprise and bowed deeply. "Thank you for the reward, Mr. Li!"

Li Changsheng waved his hand and smiled. "I will look for you next time I need anything. You may head back now."

"Thank you, Mr. Li. I shall take my leave."

The servant bowed as he exited the courtyard. He murmured a few words to the men by the carriages. Amidst a burst of cheers, the group departed with bright smiles on their faces.

He thought, "Life isn’t easy..."

Listening to the faint laughter drifting from afar, Li Changsheng shook his head and stepped into the wooden cabin.