Beauty in a Small Town; Stone Spirit Advances

The gentle morning light softly illuminates the earth.

Amidst the chirping of cicadas and birds, the Taihang Marketplace gradually came alive, with the clattering of bluestone slabs echoing across the streets.

The market Array in the bamboo forest would open and close from time to time, and cultivators would enter it one by one.

Ye Jingcheng also woke up from his cultivation and felt a slight increase in Spiritual Qi within his body, which made him quite happy.

If cultivation is tedious, then watching the Spiritual Qi accumulate and increase step by step is also an interesting thing.

Unlike the rapid growth from taking elixirs, this gradual increase can sometimes be more reassuring.

Ye Jingcheng stood up and looked at Stone Spirit beside him.

Stone Spirit is still in the process of advancing and breaking through, which is estimated to take another half a month.

During this time, Ye Jingcheng naturally wouldn't disturb the latter.

Otherwise, if his advancement is delayed, he himself will suffer the greater loss.

Gathering those Shi Fang was no easy feat.

After examining the Stone Spirit, Ye Jingcheng began refining pills.

This time, we're refining the Golden Falcon Pill.

Let Golden Falcon advance first before we discuss it further.

Moreover, he is indeed lacking in the Purple Mansion combat power right now.

He released the Crimson Flame Fox, which had recently consumed the Fire Beast Pill and was no longer affected by other spiritual pills.

They were chirping and twittering, eagerly awaiting Ye Jingcheng's refining of the Fire Beast Pill.

However, its gaze turned slightly disappointed when it saw Ye Jingcheng take out some Metal Attribute spirit medicines.

However, she still moved closer to Ye Jingcheng and rubbed her forehead against Ye Jingcheng's trouser leg.

After setting up the Array, Ye Jingcheng immediately began refining pills.

A first-tier Golden Falcon Pill is really nothing to him now.

In addition, since the research had already been completed, they immediately began refining it.

Even while refining the pills, he was still thinking about how to replace the Golden Falcon Pill with Golden Rank Pill.

Of all the Golden Rank Pills, the one that benefits the most is naturally the Golden Light Rhinoceros that the Ye Family recently obtained.

As far as Ye Jingcheng knew, the Golden Light Rhinoceros had been exchanged for a newly promoted Spirit Talisman master in the Ye Family.

Ye Jingcheng focused his mind, and the spirit medicine were quickly put into the furnace.

Accompanied by crimson flames, the spirit medicine was quickly melted and refined.

By this time, both his fire control techniques and the Crimson Flame Fox's fire control abilities had become exquisite, making first-tier spirit pills a piece of cake.

As time passed, after most of the day had gone by, Ye Jingcheng carried the furnace.

Then the furnace lid flew off, revealing four Golden Falcon Pills inside.

Upon seeing the four Golden Falcon Pills, Ye Jingcheng was taken aback, but then felt completely relieved.

Although four Golden Falcon Pills are not very useful, they can still be given to the Golden Falcon.

After all, the Golden Falcon is already in the late stage of the second tier. Even if its bloodline advances, this level of Golden Falcon Pill might not be enough to help it break through to the peak of the second tier.

Four of them—quantity trumps quantity.

Ye Jingcheng put away the four spirit pills and breathed a sigh of relief.

After checking the Stone Spirit Grotto-Heaven and finding no problems, he also left the room.

The Taihang Marketplace is bustling with activity right now, with the handover of shop deeds and the increasingly fierce bidding for the Pill Pavilion ware shops.

And with all sorts of cultivators of unknown origin, the stalls Rogue Cultivators became bustling with activity.

Just then, Ye Xinghe walked over.

"Master, Xu Xiuqing has found out that she has gone to live in the valley where her father used to live," Ye Xinghe said.

Finding out the location of a Rogue Cultivator isn't difficult, as long as she hasn't left Taihang Commandery.

Ye Jingcheng was also taken aback for a moment, but quickly nodded and accepted the Jade Slip handed to him by the latter.

The Jade Slip contains the specific location.

Ye Jingcheng also thought of Old Xu from back then.

But he quickly shook his head, and sat down on the third floor of the restaurant, ordering a special meal and a bottle of Blue Wave Wine.

Compared to the lively spirit of Green Bamboo Wine, perhaps he now longs for the surging power of the sea.

After drinking about seven-tenths of the spirit wine and spirit food, Ye Jingcheng left the market and headed north.

The Mysterious Shadow Azure Cloud Boat was very fast.

In the blink of an eye, we left many white clouds behind and arrived at a South Mountain Town.

There is a valley behind the mountain town.

A beautiful woman dwells within the valley.

Ye Jingcheng went up into the valley, but soon his expression froze. Xu Xiuqing was there, along with another man with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes.

Ye Jingcheng stopped abruptly. He patted the Golden-Scaled Beast's Spirit Beast pouch, causing the Golden-Scaled Beast to roar twice outside.

Then, to the Golden-Scaled Beast's bewilderment, it flew towards the market again.

At this moment, his heart was as calm as still water.

A sense of relief washed over me.

But as the Spirit Boat landed in Taihang Marketplace and truly entered the bottomless bamboo forest...

A sense of loneliness and loss filled his heart.

The previous calm and relief were merely instinctive reactions of the body.

He entered the Spirit Beast shop and called over his second brother, Ye Jingyong.

Perhaps the restaurant would be more convenient for the Ye Family, as there are people who specialize in serving spiritual dishes and have enough spiritual wine, but compared to the restaurant, the Spirit Beast shop gives Ye Jingcheng a greater sense of familiarity and belonging.

Smoke curled from the chimney, and the aroma of the spirit wine filled the air. Inside the room, there were no shouts or yells, only the clinking of glasses.

Ye Jingyong felt a pang of nostalgia for Ye Jingli.

He knew that if Ye Jingli were here, he would always be able to come up with something to amuse the atmosphere.

In the South Mountain Town, several roars of beasts echoed through the valley, startling ordinary people into closing their doors and instantly silencing the cries of children.

Xu Xiuqing couldn't help but look up.

She knew it was Golden-Scaled Beast.

However, the Golden-Scaled Beast's voice was more powerful and robust, and it was said that it had broken through to the second tier.

Xu Xiuqing was genuinely happy, but after the happiness came a sense of melancholy.

"Aunt." A voice rang out from outside, and a man with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes walked in.

"There was a powerful roar from Spirit Beast just now. My Azure Jade Cicada was so frightened that it shrank into the soil."

"Zhongxing, it's alright. It should be the roar from the Taihang Mountain Range. There have been too many Evil Cultivators these days, and the Demon Beasts are having a hard time too!" Xu Xiuqing shook her head, telling Xu Zhongxing not to worry.

"Auntie, is it the Golden-Scaled Beast?" Xu Zhongxing asked tentatively.

He is the grandson of Old Xu brother.

His parents, grandparents, and other relatives did not have Spirit Roots, but he did, and he also followed his aunt Xu Xiuqing.

He was also well aware that Xu Xiuqing and Ye Jingcheng of the Ye Family seemed to have a close relationship.

However, the blow of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment was too great for Xu Xiuqing.

They even deliberately placed him in this valley to cultivate as well.

He wasn't a naive teenager; he naturally understood Xu Xiuqing's intentions.

He had never heard that the Ye Family was particularly hostile towards female Rogue Cultivators.

Therefore, in his opinion, Xu Xiuqing should take advantage of her last year or two to go to the Ye Family and ask for another Foundation Establishment.

Thus, the Foundation Establishment is achieved.

They could also rightfully become members of the Ye Family.

"The Golden-Scaled Beast is in Earth Dragon Valley!" Xu Xiuqing shook her head, then apologized to Xu Zhongxing before entering the room.

She was well aware of Xu Zhongxing's hints.

However, the Ye Family is now the Purple Mansion Lineage, and Ye Jingcheng is still the head of the Purple Mansion Lineage.

She is currently only at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and may remain at the ninth level of Qi Refining for the rest of her life.

Should we waste another Foundation Establishment?

She knew Ye Jingcheng would give it to her, but could she accept it?

Therefore, she would rather break her promise than actually end up like Ye Jingcheng.

She didn't like Ye Jingcheng's generosity; she wished that, at that time, it was the Ye Family that needed help...

She crouched down, and in the corner of the room, a Jade Ring Rat had fallen inside.

Unlike Ye Jingcheng's Jade Ring Rats, this Jade Ring Rat was extremely thin and weak.

Its aura was dim, and its fur was not very lustrous.

Even its two large, round ears were drooping slightly.

Only the eyes remain steadfast.

"Xiaoyu, even if you only have a Rogue Cultivator as your master, you are still the Jade Ring Rat of the Ye Family. How can you be outdone by that Jade Ring Rat?"

"So what if we don't have good elixirs or good resources?"

" In High Antiquity times, there were no elixirs, yet people still managed to break through!" Xu Xiuqing seemed to be speaking to the Jade Ring Rat, but also to himself.

It seemed they had made up their minds.

Or rather, she should have made this decision three years ago at that auction.

She touched the ends of her hair, which had turned slightly yellow, no longer as black as ink. Only when a glimmer of light shone through did the black color return to its original state.

She stood up, her eyes filled with relief.

The turmoil in the market was not too dramatic.

Thanks to the concessions made by the Xu Family and Chu Families, they only suffered some financial losses.

Overall, things are relatively stable.

On the contrary, the Ye Family's restaurant business has improved somewhat during this period.

At the same time, Star-Eating Fish gained a good reputation.

More than half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, the absorption and gathering of Spiritual Qi in Ye Jingcheng's room accelerated dramatically.

Just as if the Array had suddenly upgraded, Ye Jingcheng immediately arrived at the restaurant.

He entered the room and found that the Stone Spirit's Grotto-Heaven was wide open, constantly absorbing the Spiritual Qi and life matter from the outside world.

Ye Jingcheng was both surprised and delighted.

What was startling was the sheer scale of the commotion; what was delightful was that the inner Grotto-Heaven was expanding.

Moreover, to Ye Jingcheng's surprise, there seemed to be some spirit figures within the Grotto-Heaven, which were somewhat similar to the dragon vein.

This is clearly a symbol of the potential for the birth of Spirit Veins.

It should be noted that the Spiritual Qi within the Grotto-Heaven is currently absorbed by the Stone Spirit and supplemented by the Spirit Eye Spring.

However, if he were to expand his Grotto-Heaven without being able to generate his own Spirit Veins, raising spirit fish would still be somewhat troublesome.

After all, these spirit fish also need Spiritual Qi, as do the Flesh Ganoderma.

Now that Spirit Vein has been born, he can nurture and strengthen it using Spirit Stones and Spirit Gathering Formation, just like he would with his Lineage's Spirit Vein.

This is absolutely a highly profitable venture.

Of course, in addition to the changes in the Grotto-Heaven, the surface of the Stone Spirit is also changing more and more.

The python-swallowing pattern instantly grew by nearly 50%.

At the same time, that aura was clearly that of a mid-stage second-tier stone Spiritual Qi.

This means that even if Shi Fang absorbs something, he can still successfully advance to the next level.

The turmoil did not last long, ending abruptly with the disappearance of the gathered spirits.

The Stone Spirit, which had transformed into a stone python, soon became a half-snake human.

Human face and snake body.

"Master!" Stone Spirit said respectfully.

Having studied with the Peachwood Demon for a long time, it has gained intelligence several times and has now advanced to a higher level.

My thinking is now extremely clear.

"Keep up the good work and try to transform into human form. That way, we'll be stronger than Jade Lin," Ye Jingcheng said with a smile.

The Stone Spirit was taken aback, but also very happy, after all, it was Ye Jingcheng who praised him.

"Open the Grotto-Heaven and let me see!" Ye Jingcheng said, directly instructing Stone Spirit to open the Grotto-Heaven.

Upon entering the Grotto-Heaven, Ye Jingcheng discovered that Grotto-Heaven size had doubled, now being three times its original size.

There is more than enough space for a spirit lake.

He will allocate another half the amount of wasteland, specifically for his Spirit Beasts to practice against each other, at least to hone their fighting skills.

The place where the Spirit Veins and spirit shadows were born was in a valley.

The Water Attribute is clearly present above.

It is extremely suitable to open a spirit lake on this Spirit Vein.

However, before opening the lake, the Spirit Vein must be solidified; it doesn't have to be super high, but it must at least reach the level of a mid-grade first-order Spirit Vein.

Otherwise, the significance of Spirit Veins would be greatly diminished.

Generally, upgrading a mid-grade first-tier Spirit Vein only requires about 30,000 to 40,000 Spirit Stones.

Ye Jingcheng could afford to produce that many Spirit Stones.

With the addition of the Spirit Eye Spring, they complement each other, maintaining a stable First-Tier Superior-Grade or higher Spiritual Qi within the Grotto-Heaven.

Of course, this is under the condition that the Grotto-Heaven does not absorb Spiritual Qi.

If the Grotto-Heaven absorbs Spiritual Qi, it will far exceed this level.

After all, although this Grotto-Heaven has expanded, it is still just a small hill compared to the outside world.

Overall, Ye Jingcheng was extremely satisfied, even though Stone Spirit didn't offer any other surprises.

He also felt it was acceptable.

"Stone Spirit." Ye Jingcheng summoned Stone Spirit again.

The latter immediately landed in the courtyard.

To Ye Jingcheng's surprise, Stone Spirit had taken on an even larger human form this time.

Stone Spirit listened to Ye Jingcheng's words with exceptional deference.

Just like an innocent and naive child.

"What other abilities do you have now?" Ye Jingcheng asked.

Stone Spirit hesitated for a moment when Ye Jingcheng asked him the question, clearly he hadn't thought of that point.

Then, with a flick of its tail, countless Spiritual Qi began to gather in the air, forming a spiritual rain.

Rain began to fall.

This rainwater is no worse than ordinary spiritual water. Although it is not as good as the second-tier spiritual water of the Spirit Eye Spring, it is still definitely a remarkable Secret Method.

At that time, the spirit medicine planted by Ye Jingcheng will grow exceptionally fast.

Moreover, this spiritual rain can also be bestowed upon Ye Jingcheng's various Spirit Beasts and fish.

Although it wasn't a combat-type technique, Ye Jingcheng felt it was much more useful than combat-type techniques.

But the Stone Spirit's performance was clearly not over yet; it suddenly darted around in the air.

It seemed like teleportation, leaving Ye Jingcheng somewhat dumbfounded.

After only a few teleports, the Stone Spirit became weak.

Clearly, the Spiritual Qi was being consumed rapidly.

But Stone Spirit took another big gulp in mid-air and quickly recovered.

Ye Jingcheng continued to ask about the Stone Spirit's attack capabilities, but it could only condense some minor Law Technique.

Seeing this, Ye Jingcheng realized that Stone Spirit had no offensive capabilities.

However, the Stone Spirit also has an advantage: it is extremely compatible with various types of Spiritual Qi.

He can learn the various elemental Secret Method used by cultivators, and perhaps he can pursue a path of magical cultivation.

Upon seeing this, Ye Jingcheng also took out four Jade Slips.

"Stone Spirit, learn these four Law Techniques!" Ye Jingcheng gave Stone Spirit his Four-Aspect Secret Art.

As for whether it will work out, let's give it a try for now.

After dealing with the Stone Spirit, Ye Jingcheng was overjoyed and released all the Spirit Beasts.

They were used to the Grotto-Heaven and no longer comfortable staying in the Spirit Beast pouch, often emitting fluctuations indicating a desire to come out.

Upon seeing that the Grotto-Heaven had become much wider, their eyes lit up, and they began to prepare to claim territory.

The Demon Beast's instinct to claim territory was taken to its extreme.