Fulfillment

Unlike the many realms of the Qi Refinement Path.

The Qi-Absorption Path did not have many realms of cultivation, but every single one was like a heavenly chasm.

Qi Assimilation, Dao Foundation...

Qi Nourishment could only be considered "basic training"; only Qi-Consuming Initiation counted as becoming a true cultivator.

Jiang Ran was also very curious about what profound realms lay above Dao Foundation.

Unfortunately, Sun Jianghan did not know any more than that.

Perhaps beings of that transcendent caliber were already beyond the reach of ordinary people...

Jiang Ran did not know how far he would travel in the future.

But without question, he would never be content to remain in the Qi-Ingesting Realm for his entire life.

Therefore, both the "Autumn-Grass Frost-Condensing Qi" and the "Ice-Lake Spirit-Water Qi" could be abandoned outright.

Middle three-tier True Qi was the basic requirement for reaching the Dao Foundation Realm.

In other words, Jiang Ran needed to assimilate at least sixth-tier True Qi before he could hope to raise his limit.

Even sixth-tier True Qi might not be enough.

After all, the gaps between the middle three tiers of True Qi were even greater. If it was only sixth-tier True Qi, advancing to Dao Foundation would likely still be extremely difficult.

Fifth-tier True Qi, fourth-tier True Qi... or, ideally, True Qi from the upper three tiers—that would be the best possible beginning!

Two names drifted through Jiang Ran's mind without him realizing it.

"Great Sun Golden Crow Qi," "Taiyin Subtle Nether Qi."

If he could enter the Dao with that kind of supreme True Qi, then his future immortal path would truly shine so brightly he could not open his eyes.

At present, Jiang Ran did not have many options.

In the Black Dragon Mountain region, the Hundred Yue Sect was the sole ruler.

If he wanted to obtain high-tier True Qi, there was almost no other choice. He had to enter a sect!

Fortunately for Jiang Ran, a ready-made path lay right before him.

If he climbed to the top of the Mining Leaderboard, he would automatically gain the chance to become an official disciple of the Hundred Yue Sect.

The top of the Mining Leaderboard... was not difficult.

Two months had already passed. Zhuang Beiluo, Li Yi, and Qin Shuang had long since secured the top three spots.

Each of them had contributed more than four thousand jin of ore in total.

Zhuang Beiluo, who held first place, had accumulated nearly six thousand jin of ore. It was practically impossible for anyone to shake his position.

Up to now, Jiang Ran had turned in only a little over five hundred jin of ore. If not for the extra three hundred and fifty jin he had submitted last time, that number would have been even more pitifully small.

No one could have predicted that a bottom-feeder who had submitted just over five hundred jin of ore was actually plotting how to unseat Zhuang Beiluo and seize first place...

Jiang Ran was in no hurry. There was still plenty of time.

With a professional Dexi-brand impact drill in hand, his mining efficiency was astonishing, practically making him a humanoid tunneling machine.

With just one low-grade Spirit Stone, he could dig out more than ten chunks of ore.

If he truly went all out, three days—three days at most.

Jiang Ran was absolutely certain that he could surpass Zhuang Beiluo outright within three days.

Of course, he did not choose such a mad approach.

The amount of ore in every mine tunnel was limited. Digging straight through an entire tunnel was not a good thing; it would be tantamount to telling everyone directly that he possessed some special method.

For this reason, Jiang Ran exercised great restraint, staying in each mine tunnel for only one day.

He spent two hours mining each day, stopping as soon as time was up. He still used the rest of his time for cultivation.

Were two hours a lot? Not at all. He treated it as physical training, while also practicing Vajra Fist along the way.

There was still ample time. What he needed now was not higher mining efficiency, but to quietly await the day the Mining Leaderboard closed.

Time flew by.

Another month passed in the blink of an eye.

In the front section of the mine, the easiest ore to excavate had long since been mined clean.

During the past two ore handovers, quite a few more people had been stripped of their lives.

Jiang Ran had seen it with his own eyes: those people turned into blood mist, and their True Qi was taken away as well.

He could not help but sigh. The Hundred Yue Sect had actually paid nothing at all.

Cultivation techniques cost them nothing, while True Qi had some value, but could be reclaimed at any time.

Cultivators who had not achieved Qi-Consuming Initiation could not cause the slightest loss to True Qi.

Under the pressure, more and more people chose to venture deeper into the mountains.

There was no choice. If they could not mine enough ore, there was only death waiting for them. They might as well gamble on it.

Whether it was an illusion or not, the atmosphere inside and outside the mining grounds—including among the Hundred Yue Sect disciples stationed beyond the formation...

Everyone seemed to have grown somewhat tense.

There were visibly fewer Hundred Yue Sect disciples guarding the mining grounds, as though something major had happened.

Jiang Ran had no time to concern himself with so much, nor was he overly worried.

He had long since prepared himself. If danger appeared, he would leave the Great Ruins at the first opportunity.

His improvement over this month had been tremendous.

The facts proved that spending more than two million Tianlu Coins to purchase a Spirit Root had absolutely been a wise choice.

Thanks to the newly transplanted Middle-Grade Water Spirit Root, his cultivation in both the Qi Refinement Path and the Qi-Absorption Path had benefited immensely.

After refining another two strands of Ice-Lake Spirit-Water Qi, Jiang Ran's True Origin Formula cultivation improved again. He was at Qi Refinement Level Two, with two hundred and fifty-two strands of spiritual power.

So long as he wished it, reaching Qi Refinement Level Three would be almost effortless.

His improvement in spells was even greater. His Spirit-Control Technique had become increasingly refined, gradually blending into all kinds of spells.

"Torrent Technique," "Flame-Raising Technique," "Stone-Splitting Technique"...

Jiang Ran had mastered every one of these advanced Five Elements spells.

Though he had not reached any particularly profound level, he could basically cast them successfully in the shortest possible time.

His Qi-Absorption Path cultivation had also reached its most critical juncture.

Soul Nourishment had progressed very smoothly. With the nourishment of his Spirit Root and the powerful medicinal effect of the Kehua Level-One Mental Replenishment Supplement, his soul had rapidly strengthened in merely one month. Only the final step remained before completion.

Time to go back... Jiang Ran opened his eyes.

Everything was developing in a good direction.

It was not that he lacked the patience to continue cultivating in quiet seclusion. The time had simply come.

In a few days, it would be the National Middle School Magic Exchange Competition.

The month before last, his magic class teacher, Zhou Tianfang, had specifically called on Jiang Ran and insisted that he sign up.

Though he was not especially interested, he still had to go.

Several days later.

Pingjiang No. 1 High School.

A large Feitong Passenger Coach carrying more than five hundred teachers and students drove out of the school.

Though it was called a passenger coach, it was actually a large flying artifact—the latest unmanned flying artifact produced by Feitong Company.

Its advantage was that it did not require anyone to supply spiritual power to drive it and could fly automatically.

Its disadvantage was... it consumed a considerable number of Spirit Stones, something ordinary people could not afford.

Jiang Ran sat in his seat with his eyes closed, resting.

"Jiang Ran, let me tell you, I learned another new spell these past two days. When we get off, I'll cast it for you to see..."

The little fatty beside him chattered nonstop, as if he had not spoken to anyone in several lifetimes.

That was right, Tao Dapeng had returned, bringing his Spirit Root back with him.

Jiang Ran knew Tao Dapeng's family was wealthy, but he had not expected them to be this wealthy.

The Spirit Root Dapeng had transplanted was indeed a Superior Spirit Root, but it was no ordinary Superior Spirit Root.

It was said that Dapeng's father had pulled countless strings and spent a fortune to buy a special Spirit Root. In terms of grade, it belonged to the Superior Spirit Root class, yet it was stronger than ordinary Superior Spirit Roots and perfectly suited to Tao Dapeng's constitution.

Comparisons between people could make one furious...

In only two months apart, Tao Dapeng had already broken through to Qi Refinement Level Two.

"Eh..." Dapeng's expression suddenly became somewhat strange.

"Zhang Jingjing—it's Zhang Jingjing. She seems to be looking for you."

Jiang Ran did not answer, his eyes still tightly shut.

No one knew that he was undergoing an extremely important moment.

The soul draws near the body, divine light overflows. My Qi Nourishment Realm is about to reach completion.