Qi Martial Fifth Level

Seven days passed in a flash. Yang Chen received news that the spirit field had been restored to its original state. He calculated the time and realized it had been exactly half a month.

He packed a few days' worth of food and Qi Strength Pills and returned to Spirit Field Number Eight.

He had expected some significant changes after the great fire, but upon arriving, he found the changes to be minimal. The wooden hut was still the same, and the spirit field was still the same. The fire felt like a dream.

The only change was that the golden Spirit Rice in the field had turned into seedlings.

He inspected it as usual, but he didn't open the formation to release the spiritual energy. The seedlings needed a lot of spiritual energy during their growth phase.

He returned to his usual leisurely life, spending most of his time cultivating and sleeping. However, as his cultivation improved, his mental strength significantly increased, allowing him to do other things after cultivating.

He had the time, but nothing to do.

Disciples in the Qi Martial Realm were in the foundational stage, focusing solely on strengthening their bodies. The sect did not provide any cultivation techniques.

To learn techniques, one had to wait until they broke through to the Blood Martial Realm.

Only then, with a strong mind, could they comprehend techniques while also cultivating.

Bored, he took some time to visit the town on Nineteen Peaks and bought some materials on winemaking to study.

Days passed, and while Yang Chen's cultivation steadily improved, he gradually gained some insights into winemaking.

Unknowingly, Yang Chen had been in the Sun Moon Sword Sect for a full three months.

He ultimately failed to make it onto the cultivation rankings. After the supervisor's reprimand, he collected his resources for the next month and returned to the spirit field.

During this period, he had rarely returned to the residential area, as it was quieter here and more convenient for his winemaking.

Upon returning to the wooden hut, he poured himself a bowl of rice wine brewed from Spirit Rice.

Brewing rice wine was not complicated, and the fermentation time was short. He had been drinking his own rice wine for seven days. The taste was excellent, and it even provided a slight boost to his cultivation. He guessed it might be related to the Spirit Rice.

After finishing the bowl of wine, he summoned his status panel:

[Realm: Qi Martial Fourth Level, Punching Power: 5768 kg]

Qi Martial Fifth Level was within reach. Yang Chen was determined to make it onto the rankings this month. He put down his bowl and eagerly began cultivating.

Five days later, he finally broke through.

[Realm: Qi Martial Fifth Level, Punching Power: 6007 kg]

"Finally caught up with the main group!"

Yang Chen laughed heartily. The progress of those at the lower end of the rankings had clearly slowed down. The forty-odd people now ranked at the bottom all had Qi Martial Fifth Level cultivation, meaning the gap between him and them was narrowing.

Yang Chen was in high spirits. He cooked a large pot of beast meat and rice and drank several bowls of wine.

The following days remained leisurely. He spent most of his time at the spirit field, only occasionally returning to the residential area to catch up with Zhu Xi.

Eight days after breaking through, he returned to the residential area and went to Zhu Xi's residence. As soon as he entered, he asked, "Old Zhu, what happened that made you willing to use Sound Transmission Bamboo to notify me?"

This was the first time Zhu Xi had contacted him using Sound Transmission Bamboo in the more than three months since he joined the sect.

Zhu Xi's expression was somewhat grim, but he had no intention of hiding anything from Yang Chen.

"I ran into some trouble and almost lost my medicine garden assignment."

"That serious?"

Yang Chen's eyes widened in surprise. He knew Zhu Xi's character and that he wasn't someone who sought trouble. He was also diligent in his cultivation.

"It was a close call, but I managed to keep the assignment by paying a price."

Zhu Xi sighed and pointed to the lavish meal on the table. "Let's eat and talk, brother."

Only then did Yang Chen notice that Zhu Xi had prepared a table full of delicacies, including Fierce Beast Meat and Spirit Wine.

The two sat down. Zhu Xi drank three cups of wine in quick succession and said angrily, "I had a verbal dispute with someone at the medicine garden. It wasn't a big deal, but because of Zhou Tao's negligence, I almost lost my assignment!"

Yang Chen followed his lead and asked. Zhu Xi continued, "The medicine garden that Zhou Tao was guarding had a second-tier medicinal herb that was about to mature, but for some reason, it died. Coincidentally, a Senior Sister from the outer sect came down to collect herbs that day. When she discovered the herb had died, she was furious and scolded Supervisor Zheng relentlessly."

"After being reprimanded, Supervisor Zheng became enraged. He found Zhou Tao, who was responsible for that section of the medicine garden, and told him to get lost without a word. But unexpectedly, Zhou Tao had some connections. His elder brother is a supervisor in the mine. He came to plead on his behalf."

"Supervisor Zheng didn't give him any face. Seeing that he couldn't stay in the medicine garden, Zhou Tao bit back and accused me of framing him."

"Under duress, I had to offer Supervisor Zheng eight Spirit Crystals and swear a solemn oath that I did not do it. Only then was I barely able to stay in the medicine garden."

At this point, Zhu Xi's face showed a hint of apology. He raised his cup and said, "I asked you here today to tell you that this matter might involve you."

Yang Chen was stunned. How could this concern him?

"I'll punish myself with a drink first!"

Zhu Xi drank a cup of wine and slowly said, "We are close, and many people know that. Zhou Tao definitely doesn't want to do those difficult and tiring tasks. Now that he has no chance at the medicine garden, the spirit field among the remaining assignments is the easiest. Therefore, he will likely use his elder brother's influence to get it."

Yang Chen suddenly understood. It was a matter of replacing someone. If it were him, he would likely target a disciple close to his enemy. Thinking about it this way, he might really be caught in the crossfire.

He looked at Zhu Xi, whose eyes were full of apology. Clearly, this situation was beyond his expectations. Given the circumstances, Yang Chen didn't blame Zhu Xi.

"Old Zhu, you don't need to blame yourself. This matter has nothing to do with you, and besides, even though this possibility exists, it's not certain to happen."

Zhu Xi breathed a sigh of relief. He had indeed felt uneasy. If he were implicated, how would he face it?

He believed he couldn't be as composed as Yang Chen. Thinking this, he looked at Yang Chen with a newfound sense of admiration.

After drinking and toasting, Yang Chen rose and left. Upon returning to his residence, he fell into thought.

It would be a lie to say he didn't care about this matter at all, but he truly didn't dwell on it. Currently, he was on the verge of making the rankings. As long as he could get on the list, even if not for boundless prospects, he'd at least have a future within the outer sect. This brother Zhou Tao is surely no fool, to make an enemy of himself over some trivial matter.

After pondering for a moment, Yang Chen arrived at the plaza and coincidentally met an acquaintance.

It was the exceptionally beautiful ice-beauty Xu Qingqing. Compared to when she first joined the sect, Xu Qingqing had become even more attractive. At this moment, quite a few servants were fawning over her.

Yang Chen didn't go forward to join the commotion, standing and watching from a distance.

This month was also nearing its halfway point, and the rankings had undergone many changes.

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