Chapter 101: Significant Progress

A month later, in the nursery of the Spirit Lodging Rice, numerous tender green sprouts had already begun to emerge. Yet, Qin Ming's brows were furrowed deeply, forming a scowl.

Thanks to his powerful affinity with vegetation, he sensed that while these spiritual seeds had indeed started to sprout, most of them were in a sickly, withering condition, teetering on the brink of death. If not addressed promptly, a significant portion would perish.

Qin Ming immediately consulted several books on spiritual plants, discovering that this was a rare affliction known as the Locking Spirit Disease. The texts recorded only its symptoms, with no methods for cure mentioned.

At this moment, Qin Ming suddenly understood why cultivating and planting the Spirit Lodging Rice had proven so difficult; likely, the disease manifested in the seedling stage, making survival challenging.

Just as he was at a loss, a spark of inspiration struck him. His cultivated Wood Element technique, the Ancient Wood Longevity Skill, was infused with the essence of plants and the pure, clear spirit qi of heaven and earth, possessing vigorous vitality and healing properties. It should have an effect on spiritual plants as well.

Upon this thought, Qin Ming activated the Ancient Wood Longevity Skill, causing the green phantom of his wooden spirit body to emerge behind him.

Instantly, clusters of spiritual plant essence qi flowed like tassels under his guidance, entering the sickly seedlings.

Suddenly, within Qin Ming's perception, the Spirit Lodging Rice seedlings sent forth waves of joyful, excited feedback, gradually regaining their vitality.

"Effective!" Qin Ming's face lit up with joy, intensifying the output of the plant essence qi.

Under the continuous healing from the Longevity Skill, all the Spirit Lodging Rice seedlings fully recovered their vitality and were rid of the Locking Spirit Disease.

In the following days, under Qin Ming's diligent care day and night, using advanced Spirit Rain Techniques for irrigation, the spiritual seeds of the Spirit Lodging Rice were successfully cultivated by him, with a survival rate exceeding ninety percent.

In the nursery before him, three golden, resplendent entries refreshed:

Name: Spirit Lodging Rice Entry: Mana Crystallization X5 (Maturity 1%)
Name: Spirit Lodging Rice Entry: Spacetime Leaves X5 (Maturity 1%)
Name: Spirit Lodging Rice Entry: Spirit Beast Scripture (Maturity 1%)

The Spirit Beast Scripture had refreshed? It seemed that his plans to tame spiritual beasts would also need to be prioritized.

Subsequently, he transplanted all the Spirit Lodging Rice seedlings into the water fields.

Next, Qin Ming ventured to a nearby lake, capturing dozens of Spirit Fish and releasing them into the Spirit Rice Fields.

These were not the legendary Azure Dragon Spirit Fish, but rather ordinary, common low-level Spirit Fish.

Qin Ming had previously attempted to capture an Azure Dragon Spirit Fish but had yet to encounter one.

Since he couldn't obtain the Azure Dragon Spirit Fish, cultivating the rice flower Spirit Fish of the Spirit Lodging Rice might offer a unique flavor.

Having completed these tasks, Qin Ming attended to the Spirit Gathering Tea Trees and the Purple Gold Bamboo Spiritual Fields.

New entries refreshed in the spiritual fields of these two spiritual plants:

Name: Spirit Gathering Tea Entry: Soul Force Crystallization X5 (Maturity 5%)
Name: Spirit Gathering Tea Entry: Spacetime Leaves X5 (Maturity 6%)
Name: Purple Gold Bamboo Entry: Vitality and Blood Crystallization X5 (Maturity 7%)
Name: Purple Gold Bamboo Entry: Spacetime Leaves X5 (Maturity 8%)

Gazing at the vibrant green scenery before him, Qin Ming nodded gently, a sense of assurance filling his heart.

With so many Spacetime Leaves entries, even if he couldn't find all the main ingredients needed to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill, he could at least produce seedlings or seeds for one or two.

Having tended to the spiritual fields, Qin Ming prepared to enter his cave abode for cultivation when an induction fluctuation came from the array outside.

He released his divine sense to investigate and discovered that it was Manager Liao from the Mirror Snow Pavilion who had arrived.

Qin Ming promptly removed the array restrictions and welcomed him in.

Upon entry, Manager Liao's face, previously smiling amiably, froze in astonishment upon seeing Qin Ming.

"Daoist Qin... what is this? Has your cultivation broken through again?"

Due to Manager Liao's divine sense probing for fluctuations in Qin Ming's mana, it collided head-on with a mountain range, unable to perceive any depth.

"By a fortunate chance, I broke through."

"Manager Liao, have you come for news of the ingredients for refining the Foundation Establishment Pill?"

Qin Ming smiled slightly, having roughly guessed the purpose of the visit.

"Daoit Qin, truly hiding your light under a bushel!"

"I never expected to be left far behind by you, truly making me blush with shame."

"However, given Daoit Qin's attainments in alchemy and spiritual plant techniques, reaching this stage is only natural."

Manager Liao first complimented Qin Ming, then continued:

"Indeed, under Daoit Qin's commission, our pavilion lord mobilized all available connections in the vicinity and gradually collected a portion of the spiritual materials, totaling eighteen auxiliary ingredients and two main ones."

"However... those two main materials are of insufficient age."

"Fearing they may not be suitable for refining medicine."

"Since Daoit Qin specifically requested their collection, we included them as well."

"As for the Jade Marrow Mushroom main ingredient, it only grows in several secret realms controlled by major sects, completely monopolized, with scarcely any trace found outside."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming's heart rejoiced greatly.

He hadn't expected the collection efficiency of Mirror Snow Pavilion to be so swift, even securing two main ingredients.

"Please convey my thanks to Daoit Gu on my behalf, Manager Liao. Continue to keep an eye out for the remaining materials."

"I will also think of a way for the Jade Marrow Mushroom."

Subsequently, Qin Ming invited Manager Liao to sit for a while in the cave abode.

But when he saw the Spirit Lodging Rice, Spirit Gathering Tea, Purple Gold Bamboo, and other second-order medium-grade spiritual plants that had survived in the spiritual fields outside the cave, a scene of thriving prosperity unfolded.

This inner scene stirred turbulent waves in his heart, his expression becoming exceedingly strange.

After bidding farewell to Qin Ming, Manager Liao immediately mounted his flying artifact and returned without delay to report.

The news brought by Manager Liao was indeed exhilarating.

In this way, the materials needed to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill had been collected over half.

The path to foundation establishment lay right before their eyes!

...

Qin Ming's mood was excellent, and he proceeded to his natal spiritual plant, preparing to begin cultivation.

Yet, he was surprised to discover that his swarm of four-winged frost bees, under the influence of the Longevity Vine, had undergone tremendous changes.

The entire bee colony's color had transformed into purple-black interlaced patterns, strikingly similar to the purple runes on the Longevity Vine.

They had all advanced to first-level mid-stage spirit insects.

Their tail poison stingers had all become Void Poison Stings, mirroring the thorns on the vine.

And that queen bee, moreover, had astonished Qin Ming greatly.

Unbeknownst to him, she had unknowingly broken through to the first-level late-stage level!

Her body size had also grown larger, her wings had become six-winged, and on her forehead, a twisted purple rune had appeared.

She looked majestic and imposing.

Qin Ming beckoned with his hand, and the queen bee immediately appeared before him.

He carefully observed this spiritual bee, noting that it too emitted a mysterious light similar to that of the black vine.

"Could it be that under the influence of the Longevity Vine, it has also acquired the property of being impervious to water and fire?" Qin Ming exclaimed in shock.

Immediately, he conjured a basic Fireball Technique and hurled it at the six-winged queen bee.

As expected, the queen bee neither dodged nor evaded, and the flames burned upon her without any effect.

These spirit bees evidently possessed a certain degree of resistance to spells.

However, they were not as terrifying as the Longevity Vine.

They showed no fear of the burning from second-order spiritual flames.

But with the passage of time and further development, perhaps the resistance ability would also improve further.

Qin Ming was about to release the queen bee back into the nest when he suddenly moved his nose.

A sweet, pleasant fragrance entered his nostrils.

He immediately looked toward that black nest, now with a diameter of nearly a zhang.

Purple-black spirit bees were buzzing around it, industriously working.

Qin Ming's eyes widened.

"Could it be..."

"Royal jelly from the queen bee?"