Soul Nourishment

"Essence Nourishment is about to reach perfection!"

Jiang Ran felt a surge of excitement.

These past days, he had been focusing on cultivation through the Qi Refinement Path.

It was not that the cultivation methods of the Grand Ruins Realm were lacking in profundity. On the contrary, he knew full well that Qi-Consumption Cultivation Methods were vastly superior to the Qi Refinement techniques handed out by the school.

It was simply because of the special nature of Qi Nourishment: he had to wait until Essence Nourishment was completely flawless and perfected before he could enter the next stage.

Jiang Ran sensed the changes within himself.

Kidney essence transformed into qi, and the power of pure yang spread throughout his body. His entire body entered a mysterious state.

"At most another three to five days, and I can begin Soul Nourishment."

Jiang Ran opened his eyes, thoroughly satisfied.

Soul Nourishment was the final hurdle of the Qi Nourishment Realm. Once Qi Nourishment reached perfection and the Mystic Spirit Body was forged, he could attempt Qi-Consuming Initiation.

The most important matter he had to consider next

was exactly what kind of True Qi he should consume to enter the Dao.

The college entrance examination was drawing nearer and nearer, and Jiang No. 1 High School's curriculum underwent several adjustments.

Ancient Language carried a relatively low proportion of the college entrance examination score, so there were naturally far fewer classes for it.

Several more physical education and spellcasting classes were added. Beyond that, the school had specifically added more self-study periods.

In truth, it just meant sitting in meditation and cultivating on their own under a teacher's supervision.

Cultivation was one's own affair; no one else could circulate one's heavenly cycle for them. But with Foundation Establishment Realm teachers present to supervise, the students' cultivation efficiency was clearly much higher than it was at home.

A whole month had passed.

Jiang Ran had already grown accustomed to this kind of school life.

Not only did he not feel the slightest resistance to it, he even enjoyed it a little.

As long as he worked hard, he improved. Everything held hope. It had been a long time since he had felt that way.

He had not gone to the Grand Ruins Realm for quite some time.

After attending classes in Pingjiang for a month, he had only returned to Black Dragon Mountain once. He left after handing in his ore quota.

Jiang Ran's original plan had been to compete for a place on the ore submission rankings, preferably using that opportunity to join the sect directly.

The Hundred Yue Sect possessed numerous inheritances. As long as he became an official disciple of the sect, there was a strong chance he could obtain mid-third-grade True Qi. Even high-third-grade True Qi was not entirely out of reach.

But ever since witnessing the blue-robed cultivator's cruel methods that day, he had completely abandoned that idea.

Not only had that man been vicious in his methods, but after slaughtering over a thousand miners, his expression had not changed in the slightest. He had looked as though it were an everyday sight, something he was long used to.

If they treated miners like that, then in the eyes of those important figures, ordinary sect disciples might not rank much higher than miners.

Without being able to determine whether the Hundred Yue Sect was truly a demonic sect...

Jiang Ran decided that his own safety had to come first. He could not risk himself.

The cultivators of the Grand Ruins Realm were too powerful. Qi-Consuming Initiation alone was already far beyond imagination. Once he entered a sect, he would inevitably be restricted. By then, getting away would probably be exceedingly difficult.

For now, Jiang Ran treated mining as a means of accumulating wealth. He no longer hoped to join the sect by turning in ore.

The Grand Ruins Realm was immensely vast. Even Black Dragon Mountain was merely a corner of it.

He vaguely remembered Old Man Liu once saying that he wanted to take his son, Iron Ox, to Azure Profound City to seek a master.

Perhaps leaving the Hundred Yue Sect's sphere of influence, leaving Black Dragon Mountain, would be the better choice.

Jiang Ran believed that seventh-grade True Qi was far from his limit.

If he stockpiled more Vermilion Dense Iron, then when he went to other cities, he should have a chance to exchange it for True Qi or spiritual items for Qi Assimilation.

About a month ago, Essence Nourishment had reached perfection, and Qi Nourishment had entered its final stage—Soul Nourishment.

So-called Soul Nourishment meant nourishing the soul with the body.

When the fleshly body reached its most flourishing state, it would naturally nourish the soul in return, making it grow ever stronger.

In truth, this was precisely where the inheritances and cultivation methods of the two worlds differed so completely.

Cultivation through the Qi Refinement Path generally did not begin to involve cultivation of the soul until after the Foundation Establishment Realm, or even Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

Yet the Qi-Absorption Path nourished the soul in tandem from the very beginning, during the Qi Nourishment stage.

The place where the soul resided could not be described. It was mysterious beyond mystery.

Even Qi-Absorption Path cultivation methods found it difficult to cultivate it quickly.

Fortunately, Jiang Ran possessed a heavenly treasure: Soul-Nourishing Herb.

Soul-Nourishing Herb had originally been a Liu Household heirloom, a treasure Old Man Liu had left for his son, Iron Ox.

Later, Jiang Ran took Iron Ox's place in answering the summons and obtained this heavenly treasure.

Soul-Nourishing Herb was extremely peculiar. It existed in a half-illusory state; an ordinary body of flesh and blood could not hold it in the palm. It had to be stored in a box made of aged peachwood.

Old Man Liu had not left behind a method for consuming Soul-Nourishing Herb. It was not because he was stingy, but because he did not know the specific method either.

Fortunately, Jiang Ran had teachers in Pingjiang whom he could consult.

After looking up information on various spiritual herbs in the library and consulting his homeroom teacher, Old Sun, several times,

Jiang Ran determined that the properties of Soul-Nourishing Herb were essentially identical to Tianlu's spiritual herbs for the mind.

The method of use was simple: smell it.

Using spiritual power as an arm, he scraped off powder from the Soul-Nourishing Herb each day and inhaled it in small amounts over multiple doses. That would maximize its effects.

The facts proved that his method was entirely correct.

After one month, a fifth of the Soul-Nourishing Herb had been used up, while Jiang Ran's soul had received an extremely obvious boost.

But one stalk of Soul-Nourishing Herb was far from enough to bring Soul Nourishment directly to perfection.

Jiang Ran had already made up his mind. After a while, he could buy other spiritual herbs for the mind on the Flying Sword Flash Sale platform as substitutes. Certain medicines for the mind would also be a good option.

In short, in Pingjiang, as long as one had money, anything was possible.

In Qi-Absorption Path cultivation, spiritual-item resources were even more crucial.

For Jiang Ran, this was undoubtedly a good thing.

Making money—making money meant progress!

That guy Tao Dapeng had recently taken a leave from school. He had heard that his family had arranged the spirit root transplant surgery.

When he returned from this leave, the Tao Dapeng he saw would probably be one with a Superior Spirit Root.

Perhaps not merely a Superior Spirit Root. It might even be an Earth Spirit Root of a higher tier.

For his best brother, Jiang Ran had nothing but blessings in his heart. He hoped everything would go smoothly for him.

The Tao Family had only one son. Once Tao Dapeng successfully transplanted his spirit root, he would certainly be able to take over part of the family's businesses.

If his good brother struck it rich, Jiang Ran could benefit a little as well.

Leaving aside anything else, helping him wash some money would definitely be effortless.

Today had been nothing but spellcasting classes, and Jiang Ran was rather tired as well.

Only after stuffing himself with fifty yuan's worth of dinner in the cafeteria did he leave the school gates in satisfaction.

"I still live too far from the school..."

"One day, I definitely have to buy another place." Jiang Ran shook his head and quickened his pace, desperately wanting to return to his big bed and collapse onto it.

After all, it was subsidized housing. It could only provide the basics of life; it could not guarantee quality of life.

As usual, Jiang Ran passed through the snack street outside the school's west gate, then walked past the commercial street lined with shops selling spellcasting supplies and fitness supplements.

Another ten minutes forward, and he would be home.

But today, the road seemed exceptionally long.

There were few people around, and at some point, the streetlights had grown dim.

Jiang Ran suddenly stopped walking.

"Something isn't right..."