In the blink of an eye, Su Yu had already been at the Medicine Garden for half a month.
He had memorized every last thing in the booklet his master, Su Changyu, had given him, and he had successfully cultivated the Spirit Infusion Art as well. Though his progress was slow, its proficiency had still reached 4.1% over the past half month.
His cultivation of the Wutong Greenwood Art and the Body Refining Technique had likewise improved, with proficiency growing just a touch faster than it had at the Su Family estate.
However, after the Body Refining Technique reached the third layer, raising its proficiency proved somewhat harder than Su Yu had anticipated.
Breaking through to the Body Refining Technique Fourth Layer in two or three months had been mere wishful thinking. He now estimated that he could break through within half a year.
Of course, if he could obtain more Monster Beast Essence Blood to aid him, he could shorten that time somewhat.
Fortunately, after coming to the Medicine Fields as a medicine apprentice, Su Yu's monthly allowance had increased substantially. Furthermore, Earth Rock Rat monster beasts occasionally attacked the Medicine Fields and were killed, allowing him to trade for more Monster Beast Essence Blood here.
Once the half month of free time ended, Su Yu began following Su Changyu to learn how to cultivate spirit herbs, while Su Changyu tested his knowledge and understanding of the herbs' habits.
A few days later, a trade fair was held within the Medicine Field Estate.
At the fair, Su Yu saw Su Qingyi for the first time in over half a year, only to discover that Su Qingyi's cultivation had already reached the third layer of Qi Refining.
Breaking through from Qi Refining Stage One to the third layer of Qi Refining in just over a year left Su Yu somewhat astonished.
Although Su Qingyi possessed a Medium-grade Spirit Root, wasn't that rate of improvement a little too fast?
As for himself, he estimated that it would still take over a year and a half to break through to the third layer of Wutong Greenwood Art.
Su Qingyi had set up a stall. Much of the immaturity he had possessed half a year ago had faded, and he no longer looked like a pampered young master of the Lineage. Monster Beast Essence Blood was also displayed for sale at his stall, precisely what Su Yu needed.
Su Qingyi was not surprised to see Su Yu. After asking what he needed, he smiled. "I have mid-stage First Order Monster Beast Essence Blood as well. Two Low-grade Spirit Stones for five drops."
"Alright." Naturally, Su Yu would not refuse. The price was already discounted.
Su Qingyi said warmly, "Monster beasts may appear around the Medicine Fields during this period. If you run into any trouble you can't handle, come find me."
"If you discover any monster beast tracks, you can find me too. When the time comes, we'll split the spoils."
From the look of things, Su Qingyi seemed to have already adapted to the environment of the cultivation world.
Su Yu also saw in him the faint outline of those low-level stall-owning cultivator NPCs he had encountered in cultivation games in the past.
After chatting with him briefly, Su Yu left the trade fair and returned to his room.
With his current third-layer Body Refining Technique cultivation, he could already refine one drop of mid-stage First Order Monster Beast Essence Blood at a time.
While cultivating the Body Refining Technique, Su Yu recalled a point Su Qingyi had mentioned: perhaps he could find a way to hunt Earth Rock Rats himself, earn a little pocket money, and obtain some essence blood to cultivate the Body Refining Technique.
With the power of the third layer of Crocodile Demon's 108 Forms Body Refining Technique, he would not fear even a mid-stage First Order Earth Rock Rat comparable to the fourth level of Qi Refining.
Besides, he knew a method to hunt Earth Rock Rats without even lifting a hand.
Among the quests commonly done during the early stages of cultivation games in his past life was one involving luring and killing Earth Rock Rats by gathering materials to make special Beast Luring Powder.
The Beast Luring Powder made specifically for Earth Rock Rats could draw them out. So long as an Earth Rock Rat ate it, it would pass out cold and be left at another's mercy, like fish on a chopping board.
Su Yu did not know whether other cultivation forces understood this method, but the Su Family, who had never come into contact with Spirit Veins or Earth Rock Rats, probably did not.
"Earth Indigo Flower, rosemary, Cloudshadow Grass, and Wutong Oil are all ordinary materials. I can gather them all at the Medicine Fields." Su Yu pondered in secret.
He acted as soon as the thought arose.
After finishing his Body Refining Technique cultivation, Su Yu began gathering the ingredients for Beast Luring Powder.
He spent only one Low-grade Spirit Stone to gather enough materials for five portions of Beast Luring Powder.
After simply grinding the five portions into powder and storing them in a Jade Bottle, Su Yu thought, I'll try it tonight.
It was still early, so he followed Su Changyu to the Medicine Fields to complete the day's tasks.
He nurtured spirit herbs with the Spirit Nurturing Art, sensed their growth with the Spirit Infusion Art, and combined practical experience with the knowledge he had previously committed to memory, integrating it all into one whole.
Seeing Su Yu master the Spirit Infusion Art in such a short time, Su Changyu sighed with emotion. "Little Yu, you are the most gifted person I've seen in all these years. Not one of your three senior brothers has comprehended the Spirit Infusion Art even now."
Su Yu hurriedly said, "I was merely lucky. Last year, when I followed the Family Head to Cloud Sword Sect for the entrance disciple test, my result in the second test of comprehension was only low."
"Besides, I have a Low-grade Spirit Root. It took me over a year of cultivation just to break through from Qi Refining Stage One to the second layer."
"Master, please don't praise me anymore, or I'll lose my motivation to cultivate."
"You..." Su Changyu's honest face froze at those words. Then he chuckled, and from then on, he no longer said that Su Yu was the most gifted.
However, he paid even more attention to Su Yu, having him study under him every day.
That night.
Su Yu came to a secluded patch of Medicine Fields and placed some Spirit Rice mixed with Beast Luring Powder in five locations. Then he moved far away and waited quietly.
After more than two hours, once it was deep into the night, Su Yu went to take a look and found that the five portions of Beast Luring Powder had successfully lured in two Earth Rock Rats.
One was less than a foot long, likely only a small monster at the first or second layer of Qi Refining. The other was nearly two feet long, a mid-stage First Order monster beast.
"I struck it rich." Su Yu's heart leaped with joy at the sight of the larger monster beast.
He walked over, seized its head, and twisted viciously. With the terrifying brute strength of the third layer of Crocodile Demon's 108 Forms Body Refining Technique, he twisted its head completely around, only stopping once its aura had vanished entirely.
After dealing with the large rat monster, Su Yu slapped the smaller one. With a muffled bang, its head burst, brains splattering out.
He destroyed the remaining three portions of Spirit Rice mixed with Beast Luring Powder, then quietly carried the two Earth Rock Rats back.
Because Beast Luring Powder had a time limit of three hours and became ineffective afterward, the remaining three portions were already useless. By destroying them, no one would discover anything.
After returning to his room, Su Yu skinned the two Earth Rock Rat monster beasts and drained their blood.
Monster Beast Essence Blood referred to the blood around a monster beast's heart. It contained the essence of the beast's strength, the concentrated source of its power, and there was not much of it.
From the smaller rat monster, Su Yu obtained only twenty-three drops of Early Rank 1 Monster Beast Essence Blood.
The larger rat monster yielded more, forty-one drops of mid-stage First Order Monster Beast Essence Blood.
For the cost of one Low-grade Spirit Stone, he had gained materials worth roughly thirty Low-grade Spirit Stones.
"With this Monster Beast Essence Blood to assist my cultivation, perhaps I can break through to the Body Refining Technique Fourth Layer in only two or three months." Su Yu was delighted.
What delighted him even more was that the game quest from his past life for luring and killing Earth Rock Rats could actually allow him to successfully hunt them here.
Beyond the Proficiency Panel, he had gained another cheat to help him survive in this cultivation world.
Of course, the Beast Luring Powder formula worked because it was easy to prepare.
As for the extraordinary formulas for alchemy, artifact refining, and so on that he knew from cultivation games in his past life, he would probably have to deduce and test them himself.
Still, Su Yu was already very satisfied. Compared to others, he at least knew the ingredient list for the dish and their quantities. All that remained was the order and the heat.
Moreover, beyond formulas, his greater wealth lay in other knowledge and quest strategies.
"I should save up some more money and buy a suitable magical artifact." Thinking of the Earth Rock Rats' appearance and the possibility that a first-grade Spirit Vein lay beneath him, Su Yu felt a sense of urgency. Even a low-grade magical artifact was worth at least several dozen Low-grade Spirit Stones.
He did not have that much money in hand yet, so he could only save up slowly.
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