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Chapter 19: Qi Refining Fourth Layer (To Be Continued)
Chapter 19: Qi Refining Fourth Layer (To Be Continued)
"Little Lu Chen, I've found out." Zhang Xiuyuan panted as he rushed out, his words causing Lu Chen's heart to tighten.
"Investigate further!" Lu Chen exhaled sharply, his voice firm.
They sought out two more solitary cultivators, only to receive the same answer.
Qin Ming had taken away the insect bodies after eliminating the pests.
Lu Chen's mind raced, and a thread of reasoning emerged, becoming clearer by the second.
"Why does Qin Ming, a Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivator, charge lower fees than Ling Yunxianzi and Li Xu, a sword cultivator, by one or even two percent?"
"Why did he take away the pupae after getting rid of the Black Bud Worm larvae?"
"Why don't I, as a Qi Refining Second Layer cultivator, even have the qualifications to earn those spirit stones?"
"It's because Qin Ming released those Black Bud Worm larvae himself!"
"He released adult Black Bud Worms into the solitary cultivators' spirit fields, secretly laying eggs. He then used the vitality of the spirit plants to nurture the larvae, waiting for them to mature before using the pretext of pest control to retrieve them."
"This also explains why, despite having the same cultivation level, his hiring price is much lower than that of other Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivators."
"His specialty is ice-based spells, which allow him to separate the Black Bud Worm larvae without damaging the spirit plants."
"He can also freeze the larvae without killing them, remove them, and then thaw them afterward."
"This way, he achieves two goals: earning spirit stones and easily retrieving the larvae that were parasitizing the spirit plants."
Lu Chen's eyes widened as he understood, also realizing why Qin Ming had been so aggressive.
Not only had he earned spirit stones from Qin Ming, but he had also killed the Black Bud Worm larvae that were parasitizing his plants.
More importantly, he was just a small, solitary cultivator at the Qi Refining Second Layer.
"So, that Qin Ming was the one who released the Black Bud Worm larvae and adults that I eliminated before." Lu Chen clenched his teeth in anger.
In other words, not only had he used his spirit plants to nurture the larvae, but he had also spent spirit stones to hire Qin Ming to take the grown larvae back...
If it weren't for the appearance of the white light group, the timely purchase of the protective array, and the acquisition of the Jin Sword Manual, his spirit field would have been infested time and time again until he, a small solitary cultivator, was devoured alive.
"As expected, the weak only prey on the weaker."
However, if Qin Ming thought that he could be manipulated just because he was weak, he was sorely mistaken.
A faint smile tugged at Lu Chen's lips, and his eyes shone with determination.
Upon returning home, Lu Chen's first action was to inspect the protective array around the walls of his courtyard carefully.
The Grass Puppet, sensing its master's presence, extended a gray grass rope like a small snake that slithered along behind him.
After confirming that the array showed no signs of tampering, Lu Chen approached the Grass Puppet and took out a shattered spirit stone, inserting it into the large lump formed by the gray grass on its head.
"There's a huge gap in our apparent strength, and there's also a significant conflict of interest. It seems that Qin Ming won't let me off easily."
"Coincidentally, I don't intend to let him off the hook either."
"However, in the short term, even though my cultivation, spells, pills, and talismans have improved significantly, Qin Ming is still at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. I'm not sure how our chances are if we were to clash right now."
"The urgent task is to focus on improving my strength. Let's put the pest issue on hold for now to avoid giving him an opportunity to exploit my weakness."
With these thoughts in mind, Lu Chen decided to stay at home temporarily, improving his strength while also preparing for the possibility of Qin Ming intruding into his home.
In the following days, he stayed at home peacefully, cultivating his spirit plants, and instructed Zhang Xiuyuan not to leave the house casually.
The remaining fourteen Eclipsing Moon Fruits had all ripened after the previous harvest, with twelve of average quality and two of superior quality.
Lu Chen collected the fourteen faintly glowing white orbs.
"Harvesting one Eclipsing Moon Fruit, obtained a Peiyuan Pill."3
The rewards from the twelve Eclipsing Moon Fruits of good quality were as Lu Chen had expected.
Three silver-white fragments of the Silver Blade, mending the final gap in the sword's blade.
A thin, silver-white blade appeared before Lu Chen, discreet in both daylight and darkness due to its subtle color.
He manipulated the blade with his spiritual energy, making it dance in the air with incredible speed and sharpness.
Lu Chen tested it by slicing a piece of decaying spirit wood, and the blade effortlessly cut through it like tofu, severing the sturdy wood at its roots.
With a mere thought, the silver-white blade dancing around him suddenly fragmented into dozens of silver-white shards, each with a unique shape, fluttering like a swarm of silver butterflies.
Then, the shards converged seamlessly, forming a complete and intact short sword.
"Finally, I've gathered all the fragments of the Silver Blade."
Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief. The fully restored Silver Blade was even sharper, and it could instantly fragment into dozens of shards.
When it was incomplete, Lu Chen could control all the fragments, but he still felt a slight lag.
Now, even with a larger number of fragments, his control was smooth and natural, as if they were sliding effortlessly.
"The true value of this Rank 1 Magical Artifact, the Silver Blade, lies in its ability to fragment into shards."
"As a blade, it's merely a decent Rank 1 Magical Artifact. But during a battle, if it suddenly shatters into numerous fragments to attack the opponent, its value increases by two levels."
Lu Chen manipulated the silver-white blade, performing a few intricate sword maneuvers, captivated by its capabilities.
This was also the best means he currently had to deal with Qin Ming.
All six talismans were Rank 1, and there were no new types.
Lu Chen carefully stored them away. These Rank 1 talismans already possessed the ability to harm Qi Refining cultivators at the middle stage, and if he had a sufficient quantity...
All fear stems from insufficient firepower! Lu Chen gazed at the collection of talismans he had amassed over time, feeling slightly more reassured.
Additionally, there were three Peiyuan Pills, a Rank 1 pill.
The two superior-quality Eclipsing Moon Fruits revealed the pill formula for the Peiyuan Pill within their orbs of light.
After absorbing them, Lu Chen felt that he had gained extensive theoretical knowledge about refining the Peiyuan Pill.
It was as if he had already reviewed countless pills despite not having any practical experience, giving him a solid foundation.
In the following days, all was calm, and nothing eventful occurred.
It seemed that Qin Ming had completely forgotten about Lu Chen.
However, Lu Chen remained vigilant and cautious, maintaining his defenses daily.
Every day, he would tend to the spiritual plants in the courtyard and then retreat indoors, never venturing out.
The Spirit Glow Grass in the spirit field had been growing for quite some time, and with his meticulous care, some of them entered the maturity stage over the next ten days.
Lu Chen harvested six Spirit Glow Grass plants, four of good quality and two of superior quality.
From the moment Lu Chen planted the Spirit Glow Grass seeds, he had monitored their real-time status and provided them with the best growing conditions. His dedication paid off, and the probability of yielding superior-quality plants had increased significantly.
Among the six orbs of light, three of the rewards were several months of cultivation.
"Harvesting one Spirit Glow Grass, obtained six months of cultivation."2
"Harvesting one Spirit Glow Grass, obtained nine months of cultivation."
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Lu Chen's spiritual energy surged wildly within his meridians, breaking through an invisible barrier.
Gradually, his spiritual energy calmed down.
"Finally, I've broken through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer."
A relieved smile appeared on Lu Chen's face.
After reaching the Qi Refining Third Layer some time ago, Lu Chen had diligently cultivated, and with the addition of the three new orbs of light, he gained nearly two years' worth of cultivation, allowing him to break through and become a middle-stage Qi Refining cultivator.
(End of Chapter)
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