Chapter 16: A Better Environment

By midmorning, the last overnight guests had left Wandering Cloud Tavern.

The dining hall finally quieted.

Lin Yuan sat near the counter with a cup of tea, enjoying the rare moment when nobody needed food, water, wine, or a room.

His right arm still carried some soreness from last night’s fight.

More importantly, he could remember the pressure behind every strike from the Qi Refining Nine cultivator.

The difference between the eighth and ninth layers was clearer to him now.

Lin Yuan was getting closer.

But cultivation in Blackstone had always carried the same problem.

Spiritual Qi was too thin.

The Minor Qi Gathering effect inside the tavern helped, but there was only so much spiritual Qi for it to gather from the surrounding wasteland.

Now that the Territory Core had reached Level 2, Lin Yuan finally had another option.

He turned his attention to the Core.

Territory Core

Owner: Lin Yuan

Territory: Blackstone Wasteland

Core Level: 2

Spiritual Environment: Barren

Territory Revenue: 100 / 500 Low-Grade Spirit Stones

Spiritual Environment Advancement Available

Lin Yuan selected the final line.

Barren → Faint

Cost: 100 Low-Grade Spirit Stones

One hundred.

Lin Yuan slowly lowered his cup.

Business had been good lately, and he could afford it.

Spending a hundred spirit stones at once was another matter.

The tavern expansion was coming.

Workers needed to be hired.

The builder would need to be paid, followed by the cost of construction materials.

There were plenty of reasons to keep the stones.

Lin Yuan stood and walked outside.

Beyond the courtyard, the old trade road crossed the familiar barren landscape before disappearing into the distance.

His territory extended far beyond what he could see.

Lin Yuan looked back at Wandering Cloud Tavern.

The tavern had changed.

The well had changed.

The stable had changed.

Blackstone itself had not.

If he wanted this place to eventually become something larger than a single roadside tavern, improving the land was unavoidable.

And unlike adding another table or guest room, a better spiritual environment would benefit his own cultivation as well.

Lin Yuan made his decision.

He confirmed the advancement.

100 Low-Grade Spirit Stones Consumed

Spiritual Environment Advancing

A faint vibration passed beneath his feet.

Lin Yuan’s expression changed.

Something spread outward from the Territory Core.

It crossed the courtyard, passed beyond the wall, and continued into Blackstone.

The spiritual Qi around him began to shift.

Blackstone had always possessed traces of spiritual Qi, but they were so thin and scattered that cultivating outside the tavern was hardly worth considering.

Now those traces were gathering into something more stable.

Lin Yuan closed his eyes.

He could feel it.

Weak.

Thin.

But present.

The change continued for several breaths before settling.

Lin Yuan opened his eyes.

Nothing around him looked different.

Yet to a cultivator, Blackstone no longer felt quite as empty.

Behind him, the tavern door opened.

Su Mei stepped outside carrying a cloth.

She made it several steps before stopping.

Her head turned slightly.

"The spiritual Qi changed."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"A little."

Su Mei closed her eyes for a moment.

When she opened them again, she looked beyond the courtyard wall.

"It’s not just the tavern."

"No."

She glanced at Lin Yuan.

He offered no explanation.

Su Mei had already seen enough unusual things since coming to Blackstone. Whatever conclusion she reached was her own.

After another look around the courtyard, she returned inside.

Lin Yuan turned his attention back to the Core.

Spiritual Environment: Faint

The advancement was complete.

He walked through the courtyard gate and followed the road for a short distance.

As he moved away, the tavern’s Minor Qi Gathering effect gradually weakened.

The spiritual Qi surrounding him remained.

Lin Yuan stopped.

That was enough to confirm it.

For the first time since he inherited Blackstone, the land itself possessed a noticeable spiritual environment.

It wouldn’t impress anyone from a proper cultivation city or sect.

But this was only the first advancement.

Lin Yuan looked across his territory.

A tavern could attract travelers.

A better spiritual environment could eventually give them a reason to stay.

That possibility was worth far more than a hundred spirit stones.

Lin Yuan turned and headed back.

The lunch rush arrived before he had a chance to cultivate.

Two traveling groups stopped within half an hour of each other, keeping Lin Yuan in the kitchen while Su Mei handled the dining hall.

The Spirit-Assisted Kitchen Stove made controlling the heat easy, but Lin Yuan still had only two hands.

Bowls left the kitchen almost as quickly as he could prepare them.

By the time the last order was finished, Lin Yuan understood once again why he was hiring another cook.

Su Mei entered carrying several empty bowls.

"Are you going upstairs?"

"For a while."

"I can handle it."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"If it gets busy, call me."

He went upstairs and closed his door.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged on the bed.

He began circulating his inherited cultivation technique.

The difference appeared almost immediately.

The tavern’s Minor Qi Gathering effect drew spiritual Qi toward him as usual.

This time, there was more for it to gather.

The improvement wasn’t dramatic.

Lin Yuan hadn’t expected it to be.

Faint was only one step above Barren.

But as he guided the gathered spiritual Qi into his body, the advantage became obvious.

The flow was steadier.

Lin Yuan completed one cycle of his cultivation technique.

Then another.

The soreness in his arm gradually faded from his attention.

His breathing slowed.

Last night’s fight had given him a direct understanding of Qi Refining Nine.

Now Blackstone’s improved environment gave him better conditions to pursue it.

Lin Yuan continued cultivating.

Since breaking through to the eighth layer, he had spent time stabilizing his cultivation instead of immediately forcing his way toward the next barrier.

That patience was beginning to show its value.

The spiritual Qi moved smoothly through his body.

Each completed cycle pushed his cultivation forward by a small amount.

Time passed.

When Lin Yuan eventually opened his eyes, the sunlight entering through the window had shifted.

He remained seated for a moment.

The ninth layer had once felt distant.

Last night’s fight had shown him the gap.

Today’s cultivation had shown him where he stood.

He was approaching the peak of Qi Refining Eight.

Lin Yuan raised one hand.

Spiritual Qi gathered around his fingers.

He held it there for several breaths before letting it disperse.

His control had become smoother.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

One hundred spirit stones had hurt.

But feeling the difference for himself made the expense much easier to accept.

"Owner Lin!"

Su Mei’s voice came from downstairs.

Lin Yuan waited.

"Someone wants food!"

He looked toward the door.

Of course they did.

Lin Yuan stood and stretched his shoulders.

"I’m coming."