Chapter Thirty-Two: Returning from the Brink of Death

September.

There was a hint of chill in the air over the vast wilderness of Yunze. The two sects, Lingyu Sect and Golden Cloud Valley, were working together, zealously constructing the “Yunze Immortal City.” With the arrival of elite cultivators as reinforcements from both factions, the frontier war camps of Lingyu Sect managed to stabilize their position. Large-scale casualties no longer occurred. One group after another of itinerant cultivators also arrived at Qingyang Market aboard magical boats, each eager to render great service to the sect and earn a coveted Foundation Establishment Pill—hoping to reverse their fortunes on the road to immortality.

The shantytown remained unchanged. Security grew ever more chaotic, with people vanishing inexplicably from time to time. Qin Ming, too, had reduced unnecessary outings.

On this particular day, in Su Yuqing’s courtyard, when Qin Ming saw Su Yuqing again, he found that she had already broken through to the seventh level of the Qi Refining Stage, stepping into the ranks of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators. Her astonishing rate of progress filled him with envy.

Qin Ming had just managed, after much effort, to reach the fourth level of Qi Refining a few days ago. He thought he was finally closing the gap, but instead, the distance between them only grew wider.

“Comparisons really are the death of joy,” he thought. “Su Yuqing not only possesses unsurpassed talent in alchemy but also cultivates as if walking on level ground, rising effortlessly.”

Still, envy was one thing—Qin Ming was in no hurry. He believed that as long as he continued diligently cultivating his fields, one day he would surpass her.

Yet just moments before, Qin Ming had borrowed Su Yuqing’s alchemy chamber to attempt refining several batches of first-grade low-quality pills. Each attempt ended in failure without exception, leaving him in quite a gloomy mood.

“Brother Qin, I heard you’re moving into the market to live?” Su Yuqing asked with a leisurely air, sipping her tea.

Qin Ming rubbed his face vigorously with both hands, then picked up the tea Su Yuqing had poured him and took a sip, trying to lift his spirits. It was clear he hadn’t recovered from the blow of his failed alchemy.

“That’s right. Who told you? Could it have been Fellow Daoist Gu?”

Judging by Su Yuqing’s tone, Qin Ming knew Gu Qingzhao must have secretly done her a favor by passing on the news. Su Yuqing nodded, neither confirming nor denying.

“It’s a good idea for you to move in. The situation has indeed grown more chaotic lately.”

Qin Ming pondered for a moment before asking, “What about you, Brother Su? Aren’t you considering moving into the market as well?”

“As for the earthfire vein here, it can still be left for now.” Su Yuqing smiled calmly and said with some pride, “I trust I can still protect myself. Besides, I only have one final year to stay before I leave—I’d rather not move back and forth.”

“When I leave, you can continue renting this house. The alchemy chamber will still be yours to use.”

Qin Ming’s eyes lit up at her words. “Really?!”

“Yes. Once you reach superior-grade alchemy techniques, you’ll need second-tier resources. I’ll have no more use for this earthfire,” Su Yuqing replied nonchalantly.

Qin Ming hadn’t expected to inherit Su Yuqing’s alchemy chamber. Joy immediately swept away his earlier gloom.

“Come, Brother Su, let me toast you with tea in place of wine!”

…

Time passed quietly, and soon it was the end of the year. The third crop of Golden Spirit Rice in the spirit fields was ripe. In addition, the Cold Smoke Grass and Spirit Candle Fruit in his two plots of medicinal fields also matured. It was another bountiful harvest.

What Qin Ming looked forward to most, however, was the yield of attributes. Even his last-planted batch—dozens of first-grade mid-quality “Black Tongue Orchids”—had all matured and produced attribute tags.

Now, the spirit fields shimmered with golden light:

[Name]: Golden Spirit Rice [Attribute]: Faint Mana (100% mature, ready to harvest)
[Name]: Golden Spirit Rice [Attribute]: Quality Enhancement (100% mature, ready to harvest)
[Name]: Golden Spirit Rice [Attribute]: Quality Enhancement (100% mature, ready to harvest)
[Name]: Cold Smoke Grass [Attribute]: Faint Soul Power x5 (100% mature, ready to harvest)
[Name]: Cold Smoke Grass [Attribute]: Hastening x5 (100% mature, ready to harvest)
[Name]: Spirit Candle Fruit [Attribute]: Regenerative Spirit Seed x3 (100% mature, ready to harvest)
[Name]: Black Tongue Orchid [Attribute]: Faint Soul Power x5 (100% mature, ready to harvest)
[Name]: Beast Fang Rice [Attribute]: Faint Vitality x5 (56% mature)
[Name]: Beast Fang Rice [Attribute]: Hastening x5 (58% mature)

The three plots of Beast Fang Rice would have to wait until next year to harvest. However, he could use the hastening attribute on the two tagged Beast Fang Rice plants and claim their tags early.

Half a day later, in Qin Ming’s sea of consciousness, together with previously stored tags, many attribute leaves floated:

Faint Mana x6
Faint Vitality x5
Faint Soul Power x10
Quality Enhancement x2
Hastening x10
Regenerative Spirit Seed x3

Qin Ming stared in a daze at the multitude of tags drifting in his spiritual sea, his spirits soaring. With this windfall, he would likely be able to push the “Hundred Treasures Glass Scripture” up several more layers!

Moreover, this year, Qin Ming’s spirit rice yield set a new record—unsurprisingly securing first place. No one in Lingyu Sect or among the spirit farmers doubted this outcome; after all, Qin Ming had mastered advanced spiritual rain techniques—a distinct advantage over them.

After tidying up, just as he had the previous year, Qin Ming sent a message talisman to Su Yuqing, inviting her to come harvest the spirit herbs. When Su Yuqing arrived at the fields, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of shock.

“Brother Qin, I just don’t understand,” she said. “In just one year, you’ve advanced from a low-ranked to a mid-ranked spirit cultivator. Why not focus on planting spirit herbs? Why divert your efforts to alchemy?”

Qin Ming chuckled, his gaze drifting to the ten “Faint Soul Power” tags in his spiritual sea. He merely smiled, saying nothing.

…

Back in the shantytown, inside his room, the first thing Qin Ming did upon returning was to take out the segment of black withered vine.

“I spent three hundred spirit stones to buy this at auction. I hope it’s worth it.”

He studied the black vine for half a day, but could make nothing of it. Shaking his head, he went to a corner of the courtyard flowerbed and casually planted it in the soil.

Then, with a thought, he activated the “Regenerative Spirit Seed” attribute tag on the vine. Instantly, a blue leaf vanished from his spiritual sea.

As soon as the attribute was used, a huge purple spore abruptly sprouted in the flowerbed, enveloping the black vine.

After a long while, the purple spore began to wither, as if all its energy had been absorbed by the black vine.

Thump. Thump.

A heartbeat echoed in Qin Ming’s mind. In that mysterious moment, he felt as though he had formed some kind of connection with the black vine.

He cautiously moved closer and saw that a jet-black tender shoot had sprouted from the withered vine, rejuvenated with new life.

“Incredible! It really can be revived!” he exclaimed. “But what on earth is it? I think I hear a heartbeat… Or am I imagining things?”

Puzzled, he pondered for a while, then shook his head. “I’ll just let it grow and see what happens.”

He hesitated for a moment before stopping again. “Or… should I try hastening its growth?”

After careful consideration, Qin Ming decided to use a “Hastening” attribute tag. With a thought, a green leaf in his spiritual sea disappeared, settling onto the black vine.

…

PS: Thanks to “Wine J” for the monthly and recommendation tickets, and to “Little Monk Physics” for two monthly tickets.