Seventh Layer of Qi Condensation

With the Stone Turtle to rely on, and with his aptitude being decent enough, Ji An's water-, earth-, and wood-element spells would surely progress at a rapid pace.

Victory in combat did not come simply from mastering one's spells. It also demanded the right mindset, swift reactions, decisive judgment, and sufficient knowledge of one's enemy.

Without actual combat experience, it was nothing more than talking strategy on paper.

Wei Songnian had mentioned that Harmony Peak and Falling Maple Valley, the two sects, had each seized Spirit Veins deep within the mountain range and established strongholds.

Ji An believed that these strongholds served the several sects much as the sects themselves served the great Central Continent sects: they were all buffer zones for war.

He thought that if the sect continued frequently slaughtering Demonic Beast Clans and establishing strongholds, it would most likely prove that the next war between humans and demonic beasts was about to begin, rather than being merely his own speculation.

The sect was preparing for a rainy day. He had to follow suit.

"Junior Brother, your Farming Spells are so exquisite. Wouldn't it be safer for you to remain in the sect and cultivate?"

Chu He did not understand. He himself refused to become a Spirit Farmer because he knew he could not possibly meet his cultivation needs through planting alone.

His family's support for him would inevitably diminish. He knew he would have to fight for a Foundation Establishment Pill himself.

But Ji An could meet his cultivation needs through planting. He could also accumulate enough Contribution Points and spirit crystals through planting to purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Hunting demonic beasts and searching for spirit herbs in the mountains might seem exhilarating, but in truth, one was risking one's life to earn spirit crystals.

At times, one could indeed earn a great deal, but the expenses were high as well. Damaged magical artifacts and consumed talismans all cost spirit crystals.

And if one were injured, it would be even harder to endure.

"Junior Brother Chu has a point. Junior Brother Ji, it seems you have not yet purchased the sect's compiled Jade Slip for Spells on offensive spells, have you?

"Practicing offensive spells also takes time, and you will need to acquire all sorts of magical artifacts.

"You would be better off focusing on raising your cultivation. Once you advance to Foundation Establishment, you can slowly hone your offensive spells then, and you will have more methods to deal with demonic beasts."

Zhao Mengyao tried to persuade him. She too did not understand why Ji An, who could cultivate safely and steadily, still wanted to venture out and take risks.

Ji An smiled faintly and explained,

"I only want to temper my combat ability. It is not as though I will be going out to take risks every day. I will still spend most of my time in the sect.

"Besides, Senior Brother Chu's team may not necessarily need more people, and I may not necessarily have time when they do. I am only giving advance notice.

"Furthermore, I will not go out until I have broken through to Late Qi Condensation, acquired a full set of magical artifacts, and trained an offensive spell to great mastery."

Inwardly, he silently added another condition: he also needed to train a Defensive Spell and an escape spell to great mastery.

"Junior Brother is right. We cultivators must also possess the ability to fight; otherwise, we will lack the strength to protect our Dao."

Zhang Yuanshan agreed.

"My clan uncle told me that once I achieve Foundation Establishment, I must raise my combat ability.

"The main ingredients for pills that improve cultivation in the Foundation Establishment Realm often need to be over a hundred years old. Although the sect's medicinal gardens produce without cease, there are too many Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and there is simply not enough to go around.

"We cannot remain in the sect forever. We must venture out in search of opportunities if we are to obtain enough resources to raise our cultivation quickly."

The higher the grade of a pill, the greater its pill toxicity. However, as a cultivator's realm rose, the speed at which they could dispel pill toxicity also increased.

Foundation Establishment Cultivators took pills at roughly the same frequency as Qi Condensation Stage cultivators, but medicinal materials were harder to obtain. There was also a certain amount of loss during pill refinement, resulting in fewer finished pills.

Among the sect's Foundation Establishment Cultivators, fewer than the fingers on one hand could receive a full supply of pills.

"It is not just pills for the Foundation Establishment Realm. Even the Shengyuan Pills and Jade Ganoderma Pills taken during Late Qi Condensation require a considerable premium to purchase in sufficient quantities."

Zhao Mengyao gently shook her head. She had heard that transactions between cultivators above the Foundation Establishment Realm often relied on barter.

To buy things with spirit crystals, one had to pay a very high premium.

Take pills, for example. Although the sect's medicinal gardens could not satisfy everyone's needs, they could at least supply batches of pills to sect cultivators at regular intervals.

For great cultivators who were rogue cultivators or came from small families, it was extremely common to find even a single pill hard to obtain. The higher the realm, the more so.

Ji An raised his brows slightly. He had never heard of this situation before.

The main ingredient of the Shengyuan Pill was Fire Cloud Ginseng, which had to be at least twenty years old. The main ingredient of the Jade Ganoderma Pill was Wood Ganoderma, which had to be over thirty years old.

"The cultivation world has flourished for so many years, and the number of cultivators at every level has continued to grow.

"There is no helping it. This situation has persisted for many years.

"I heard that one reason the sect moved from Central Continent to Western Continent was because the Spirit Vein at its former mountain gate could no longer support the ancestor's cultivation."

Zhang Yuanshan paused, then turned and said,

"Junior Brother Chu, when you hunt demonic beasts outside in the future, you will inevitably encounter rogue cultivator teams. You must be wary of such people.

"In the eyes of rogue cultivators, the wealth of sect cultivators is worth more than demonic beasts."

The group chatted some more about their cultivation insights, and each gained something from it.

The setting sun slanted through the window lattice, and the table was strewn with cups and dishes. They all wished one another, "Immortal Path Eternal," before going their separate ways.

A month later.

The moon shone bright while the stars were sparse, and cicadas chirped in waves throughout the valley.

A beam of soft light passed through the open window, quietly illuminating the figure seated cross-legged inside the bamboo cottage.

Ji An only felt a surge of heat rise from his tailbone, travel up his spine, and reach his cervical vertebrae.

His vision suddenly brightened. A clear, lively current of spiritual power emerged from his dantian and circulated through the immortal meridians across his body.

His immortal meridians seemed to have become somewhat tougher, and several small branch meridians had opened up.

He opened his eyes and felt that his five senses had grown sharper still. Even the insects outside the bamboo cottage, their calls concealed beneath the cicadas' chorus, now came through clearly.

"Late Qi Condensation has been achieved at last."

Ji An raised his head. Moonlight fell upon his face, casting a crystalline glow over it, while his deep eyes shone like stars in the heavens.

What a pity.

The once-every-three-years time for taking a master had already passed half a month ago.

Having missed this chance, he would have to wait another three years.

Ji An rose from his meditation cushion and linked his consciousness with the Stone Turtle.

Master: Ji An

Dao Resonance: 0

Spiritual Opportunities: Kan Spirit 378.8, Kun Spirit 164.9, Xun Spirit 132.2

Spells: Minor Cloud and Rain Art (Perfection 34%)

Thick Earth Art (Perfection 25%)

Wither and Flourish Art (Great Mastery 65%)

Blazing Fire Spell (Great Mastery 16%)

Sharp Metal Art (Great Mastery 75%)

Three years of effort had borne abundant fruit.

The Thick Earth Art had reached Perfection a year ago. With two Perfection-level spells supporting him, his Spirit Grain harvest had reached three hundred and fifty catties of Yellow Bud Rice per mu.

The vegetables in the small courtyard contained spiritual energy not far inferior to spirit vegetables grown in first-grade Spirit Fields.

Thanks to the training from the Sharp Metal Art, the strength of his divine sense had increased by half again compared to before he learned spells.

After his soul fusion, his divine sense had already been far stronger than that of others. An additional half increase was exceedingly rare.

Now, the "Six Meridian Divine Sword" he unleashed could already pierce through a pine trunk as thick as a water bucket.

He had conducted tests. Such an attack could already penetrate the defense provided by an ordinary-quality Golden Armor Talisman.

Ji An walked out of the bamboo cottage with a smile and began his daily required practice.

He formed hand seals, and earthy-yellow spiritual light spread across the small courtyard.

As the spiritual light gradually faded, he sensed dense spiritual energy rising from the ground beneath him.