Three Years (Please Bookmark)

The next day.

Early morning.

Fang Qing carried a bundle of Azure Sky Hemp to a peak on Pill Island.

The peak was exceptionally graceful and spiritual, with an added air of chill solitude.

A waterfall hung from the mountainside like a jade sash, plunging down to form a cold pool.

Around the cold pool were spring after spring, linked together like a string of pearls.

From time to time, Pill Island disciples could be seen using the spring water to wash and refine medicinal ingredients.

"The first step of Water-Method Alchemy is extraction... extracting the essence from all kinds of medicinal ingredients and turning it into medicinal liquid. It takes quite a long time..."

Though Fang Qing had never truly tried it himself, he had watched enough to speak of it with some knowledge.

"The extraction techniques alone in the first step are divided into four major schools: 'sink, separate, combine, gather'... If one truly delves into them, they are simply boundless and profoundly vast..."

"Furthermore, the most important tool in Water-Method Alchemy is not a pill furnace, but a good Spirit Spring... Those senior brothers and sisters who became alchemists all spent heavily to install spirit pools or Spirit Springs within their own cave abodes..."

A Spirit Spring was tied to the underground water veins. It required specialized geomancers to survey the terrain and formation masters to set up arrays. Not only was the cost enormous, but once established, it was difficult to relocate.

By comparison, if Fire-Method Alchemy masters encountered trouble, they could simply roll up their pill furnace and flee. Water-Method Alchemy cultivators, however, could not exactly shoulder a spring source and run away overnight. It was a small flaw.

"The best spring sources on Pill Island are Third-Order and belong to the master of Pill Island, who is also Azure Sea Sect's foremost alchemist... The remaining Second-Order spring sources are occupied by Foundation Establishment elders, with only a very few falling into the hands of True Disciples."

"Most spring sources in the wilderness are unranked, while a small portion count as First-Order..."

Those First-Order Spirit Springs were naturally occupied by disciples attempting alchemy.

Fortunately, Fang Qing had no intention of making pills. He was merely washing silk, so he had no requirements regarding the balance of the Spirit Spring's five elements or even its cold and heat properties.

He casually found an ignored spring source and placed the Azure Sky Hemp into it.

"Hiss..."

The moment his hands entered the water, Fang Qing felt a chill surge up along the skin of his palms.

He hurriedly circulated his Dharma Power to protect his hands, only then feeling somewhat better.

"No wonder no one wants this spring. Alchemy water emphasizes gentleness and pliancy, but this cold energy is rather violent... Even with Dharma Power protecting me, I probably cannot last long. This really is a miserable job."

Fang Qing understood as well that truly well-paid, effortless work would never fall to him. He could only lower his head and keep grinding away.

After the Azure Sky Hemp was soaked in the cold spring, it gradually loosened as time passed, turning into thread after thread.

At that point, it could be refined with Dharma Power and gathered together into a bundle of "Jade Spirit Silk."

The finished Jade Spirit Silk was translucent, even finer than silkworm silk, and carried specks of jade-green spiritual radiance.

Fang Qing had worked only a short while before his Dharma Power began to fail him, forcing him to sit down nearby and meditate to recover it.

"The 'Jade Spirit Inner Armor' made from Jade Spirit Silk is famous throughout the sect. It is a First-Order High Grade magic artifact..."

"Judging by this, even after I finish all of this, I probably will not have enough material for even half a 'Jade Spirit Inner Armor'..."

"Those draped from head to toe in embroidered silk are not the ones who raise silkworms..."

After resting for a while, Fang Qing took out a Grain-Escaping Pill and swallowed it, preparing to continue working.

At this time, more disciples gradually began appearing around the surrounding Spirit Springs.

"Senior Brother Fang?"

A crisp, childish voice rang out.

Fang Qing looked over and found Zhu'er, accompanied by Gong Susu and Hua Lingsu.

"Junior Sister Zhu'er."

A smile appeared on his face. "Long time no see. How have you been lately?"

Zhu'er had grown quite a bit taller, but the closeness on her face had faded compared to before. "Zhu'er has been well..."

"Junior Sister Zhu'er has already been accepted as a disciple by my master, Clouddrift Adept... In ten years, she has a good chance of becoming a True Disciple."

Gong Susu spoke from the side, then glanced at the Azure Sky Hemp on the ground. "Junior Brother Fang, you are... washing silk? Well, although studying artifact refinement is somewhat neglecting your proper path, it is still a sound approach."

After exchanging pleasantries, the group departed.

Before leaving, however, Zhu'er slipped a palm-sized, gray cloth pouch into Fang Qing's hand.

"Hmm? This is... a storage pouch?"

"Within the sect, generally only Mid Qi Refinement, or even Late Qi Refinement disciples, can be equipped with one..."

Fang Qing refined it with his Dharma Power and sensed roughly a cubic meter of space inside. He could not help but rejoice.

At last, he would no longer have to carry sacks around every day.

Though this storage pouch was only the smallest size, it was more than sufficient for him.

There were also several low-grade spirit stones inside the storage pouch.

Seeing this, Fang Qing fell somewhat silent.

"Junior Sister Zhu'er..."

After Zha Zhu and Gong Susu had walked some distance away, Hua Lingsu thought for a moment before speaking. "That storage pouch just now?"

"My master has already bestowed a better one upon me. That low-grade storage pouch is a gift for Senior Brother Fang."

Zha Zhu patted the little fragrant pouch at her waist. The smile on her face faded. "My grandfather always said that during the Dragon King Festival, we used someone else to ward off disaster, and he felt terribly sorry toward him... After this, we will be even."

"Mm. Junior Sister, your future is vast. There is no need for you to become further entangled in karma."

Gong Susu nodded. Zha Zhu's change delighted her greatly.

As for a low-grade storage pouch and several spirit stones? She truly did not take them to heart.

Cultivation knew no years.

In the blink of an eye, three years passed.

Azure Sea Sect, Pill Island, inside a cave abode.

Fang Qing had grown considerably taller. He sat cross-legged, spiritual energy flickering around his body, clearly in the midst of breaking through!

Rumble!

After an unknown length of time, he sensed the black Black Water Dharma Power within his Dantian Qi Sea boiling, cheering and roaring as it charged into another circuit of meridians, causing his dantian to expand and deepen greatly.

"Finally... Qi Refining Third Layer!"

Fang Qing opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing through them. "This speed is neither fast nor slow among those with middle-grade spiritual roots... Still a little worse than someone like Zhu'er, with superior aptitude."

According to the news he had received, Zhu'er had already reached perfection in Qi Refining Third Layer and was preparing to charge at the bottleneck of Mid Qi Refinement.

For those with superior aptitude, cultivation during the Qi Refinement realm basically had no bottlenecks, and the probability of breakthroughs was very high.

Thinking of Zhu'er brought to mind the years that had passed. Fang Qing's expression gradually calmed.

"Zhu'er and I have gradually contacted each other less and less. That is only natural... It is good for both her and me."

After sighing, he turned more of his thoughts toward his own path of cultivation. "Cultivation in Early Qi Refinement is the simplest. Even so, it took me one year to reach perfection in Qi Refining First Layer and break through to the Second Layer. Then it took another two years to accumulate Qi Refining Second Layer Dharma Power to perfection and break through to Qi Refining Third Layer... To accumulate the Third Layer to perfection may take three years?"

"Furthermore, though my middling aptitude means breaking through to Mid Qi Refinement should not be much of a problem, Late Qi Refinement is harder to say... Cultivation in the Qi Refinement realm becomes more difficult with every layer."

"And according to the records in the scriptures, the best age for a cultivator to achieve Foundation Establishment is before one full sixty-year cycle! If one cannot establish their foundation before the sixty-year limit, it does not mean there will never be another chance, but the probability will drop sharply."

Fang Qing calculated it over. Even if no bottlenecks existed, he still felt uneasy about whether he could cultivate to the great perfection of Qi Refining Ninth Layer before his sixtieth birthday.

"Sure enough... I still need to increase my investment in resources, perhaps even take pills."

Over the past three years, he had mainly relied on arduous cultivation and had come to understand that he was no genius.

"If I want pills, I need to earn Contribution Points... Ordinary sect tasks can only barely keep me alive. If I want to get rich... I would have to become an alchemist, or take on even more dangerous tasks."

Whether hunting down vicious criminals or joining a fishing team, both offered generous rewards, but they were also extremely dangerous. Fang Qing did not choose them.

"Over these three years, aside from cultivating and working, I have read medicinal manuals, identified medicinal properties, and attended lectures at the Cauldron Altar..."

"I have also mastered a water-control art. Together with the Contribution Points I have saved, I can barely gather enough raw materials for a batch of Jadeflower Spirit Water... Then I will give it a try. If I discover that I have some talent for Water-Method Alchemy, I can use it to earn Spirit Assets and will not need to venture out and risk my life."

Half a day later, beside a Spirit Spring.

Fang Qing drew a deep breath and patted the storage pouch at his waist.

Amid rippling Dharma Power light, three jade boxes appeared and opened in turn, each containing raw materials for refining Jadeflower Spirit Water.

"Qi-Replenishing Herb, Spirit-Unifying Flower... and the most crucial main ingredient, the fish juice of the Jadeflower Treasure Fish..."

Fang Qing inspected everything again. Confirming that the raw materials he had bought with all his possessions were of excellent quality, he nodded.

The alchemy methods of this Lesser Vast Sea fully embodied the spirit of living off the sea. Spiritual sea creatures and materials from sea beasts occupied a great proportion of them.

"This Jadeflower Spirit Water is rather suitable for improving the Dharma Power of Early Qi Refinement cultivators, especially cultivators with Water Spirit Roots... This pill formula and these materials... have swallowed all the savings I had left from the past few years."

Fang Qing's expression was somewhat unsightly, but he quickly calmed himself and formed hand seals.

Splash!

Black Water Dharma Power surged, and the Spirit Spring rippled faintly before swiftly forming a whirlpool.

"The first step is to extract the Qi-Replenishing Herb..."

Fang Qing tossed the Qi-Replenishing Herb into the spring water and formed hand seals, allowing the whirlpool to swallow it, then... crush it, spin it...

This was a water-control art he had cultivated—Profound Origin Triple Cycle!

Among the techniques of Water-Method Alchemy, water-control arts were of utmost importance, divided into different levels represented by three, six, and nine.

It was said that Zhu'er's master, Clouddrift Adept, was a Second-Order alchemist who had mastered the water-control art Six-Whorl Flying Stars.

As for the master of Pill Island, Azure Sea Sect's foremost alchemist, he had cultivated his water-control art to the realm of Nine Dragons Convergence. When practicing Water-Method Alchemy, the Spirit Springs throughout Cold Spring Peak would wind and twist through nine bends and eighteen turns. Every surge and circulation would raise the purity of the medicinal liquid another level.

Furthermore, Water-Method Alchemy was famous for its grand spectacle, and many alchemists could be gathered to assist.

Whenever Azure Sea Sect had a major alchemy task, all of Pill Island resembled a celebration, with medicinal springs washing over the entire peak...

As these thoughts passed through his mind, Fang Qing formed hand seals, causing the whirlpool to spin ever faster.

Gradually... that mass of green medicinal liquid actually began to separate into layers...

"This... strangely feels like a centrifuge."

Fang Qing inwardly mocked, swiftly collected the most refined medicinal liquid, then added the Spirit-Unifying Flower...