Chapter 447: Shortage of Spirit Stones, Journeying the World

Chapter 447: Shortage of Spirit Stones, Journeying the World

January 4th, 2025

Lu Qing was troubled regarding his cultivation.

In reality, aside from the spirit stones, he had two precious treasures that could rapidly enhance his cultivation.

These were the Quintessence Lotus he obtained from the Quintessence Mystic Realm and the Tranquil Lotus he acquired from the grey-robed man.

Both lotuses were supreme spirit herbs, containing immense medicinal power, and were truly invaluable and rare treasures.

Even for Primordial Soul Realm experts, these lotuses held great significance.

Moreover, these lotuses had other remarkable uses. Refining them into pills was the best way to unleash their medicinal power.

Directly consuming them to enhance cultivation would waste much of their power, which would be a great waste of heavenly treasures.

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Lu Qing didn't want to use these supreme spirit herbs so soon.

"I should wait until this matter is resolved, then go out and see if I can find suitable cultivation resources."

Lu Qing made up his mind.

After drinking the plum tea, the Sage of Heavenly Secrets got up to take his leave. Lu Qing and the others tried to keep him, but he had urgent matters to attend to, needing to quickly convey the news he had learned from Lu Qing to the other major secret realms. So, he politely declined their invitation.

"I was asked by the Sage Sovereigns to deliver a message when I came here.

They said that the previous incident was just a misunderstanding, and they hope you won't hold any grudges.

The First Sage Sovereign even said that you will always be the most honored guest at the Holy Mountain.

They hope that one day, they can receive your guidance."

Just before leaving, the Sage of Heavenly Secrets suddenly spoke these words.

Lu Qing laughed, "I dare not claim to be able to guide them, but I have long admired the three Sage Sovereigns.

If I have the opportunity in the future, I will certainly visit the Holy Mountain and exchange insights with the three Sage Sovereigns."

Lu Qing didn't have any ill feelings towards the three Sage Sovereigns of the Holy Mountain.

After all, since its establishment, the Holy Mountain had made significant contributions to maintaining stability in the world.

As for the previous conflict, Lu Qing didn't hold it against them, as he hadn't suffered any losses either.

On the contrary, his master had once obtained a fortuitous opportunity from them.

So, he readily accepted their friendly gesture.

"Good, I will inform the Sage Sovereigns after I return."

Upon hearing this, the Sage of Heavenly Secrets was delighted.

He had hoped for a reconciliation between the Holy Mountain and Lu Qing.

After the Sage of Heavenly Secrets and his disciple left, Lu Qing turned to the old doctor.

"I haven't congratulated you yet, Master, on reaching Foundation Establishment Perfection. You're just one step away from the Golden Core Realm."

Lu Qing was right; during this visit, he had discovered that the old doctor's aura had reached the Foundation Establishment Perfection stage.

The old doctor smiled, "I have to thank Ah Qing for the cultivation techniques and pills you gave me; that's why I could cultivate so quickly."

"Pills are merely an aid; it's your strength, Master, that allowed you to transform them into power once you reached the realm." Lu Qing smiled.

After slaying the grey-robed man's disciples, Lu Qing had obtained numerous cultivation techniques and pills from their storage magical treasures.

He kept some for himself and gave a significant portion to his master.

Additionally, with the support of formations, the essence qi within Nine Mile Village became increasingly dense.

As a result, the old doctor's cultivation progressed rapidly over the past year.

He broke through several barriers, already reaching the Primordial Realm.

It's worth mentioning that even Ma Gu, Wei Zian, and their disciple, as well as Hu Ze Zhi and the others, had all broken through and entered the Primordial Realm.

Their cultivation progress couldn't be considered slow.

This wasn't surprising, as during their journey in Central Province, they had also obtained a strand of Primordial Energy.

an elderly man with white hair and a long beard, wearing a white robe.

After refining it, their physical qualities underwent a tremendous transformation, rivaling those born with exceptional talent.

Furthermore, they cultivated in Nine Mile Village, a place with dense essence qi, and received guidance from the old doctor and Lu Qing from time to time.

With such advantageous cultivation conditions, it would be abnormal if their progress weren't swift.

After the visit from the Sage of Heavenly Secrets, several months passed.

On this day, Lu Qing awoke from his cultivation within the Jade Transformation Cave.

Looking at the inferior spirit stone in his hand, which had become dim, he fell silent.

This spirit stone was the last of its grade in his possession, and now it had been completely consumed.

He sensed the pill within his body and found that it was still far from completing the first revolution.

After obtaining the spirit stones from the grey-robed man's disciples, Lu Qing had felt a surge of wealth.

According to 'Yan,' these stones were equivalent to the stockpile of a large immortal sect from the previous cultivation era.

Yet, he never imagined that so many spirit stones would still be insufficient for him to cultivate the first revolution of the perfect golden core.

The resources required for cultivating this perfect golden core were indeed terrifying.

"Could it be that I need to use middle-grade spirit stones for cultivation?"

Lu Qing held another spirit stone in his hand.

This spirit stone was more lustrous than the previous one.

(Chapter End)

This was one of the middle-grade spirit stones he obtained from the grey-robed man's storage bag.

However, holding this middle-grade spirit stone, Lu Qing hesitated slightly.

There weren't many middle-grade spirit stones in the grey-robed man's storage bag; he only had over ten of them.

Middle-grade and above spirit stones had various uses beyond cultivation.

For instance, they could be used for formation arrays or alchemy.

Or, if he wanted to pilot an ethereal flying vessel across the starry skies in the future, relying solely on his own magical power would definitely be insufficient.

At this moment, the middle-grade spirit stones would come in handy.

Lu Qing pondered for a moment, holding the middle-grade spirit stone in his hand, before finally putting it away.

Spirit stones were strategic resources, and it was best to keep some on hand for unforeseen needs.

If he used them all up and needed them later, it would be troublesome to not have any.

Moreover, with his current strength in this world, whether he could cultivate to the first transformation or not didn't make much difference.

"It seems it's time to go out and travel for a while."

Lu Qing muttered to himself, his mind already made up.

He turned and left the Jade Transformation Cave, his body transforming into a streak of light, and soon returned to the village.

"Ah Qing is back?"

Some villagers saw the streak of light Lu Qing had transformed into, glanced up, and then continued with their own tasks.

After such a long time, they were already accustomed to Lu Qing frequently coming and going on his travels.

"Big Brother, you're back!"

As soon as he landed in the courtyard, Xiao Yan ran out from the house.

Behind her followed Xiao Li and Wu Xing.

"Yeah, I'm back."

Looking at Xiao Yan, Lu Qing's heart stirred.

"Xiao Yan, are you bored at home? Does your brother need to take you out to play?"

"Where are we going to play? Are we going to the market?" Xiao Yan asked, tilting her head.

Although the little girl had grown up a bit, she was still as innocent and carefree as before.

She thought Lu Qing was going to take her to the market.

"A little further, just go out and walk around, like we did in Central Province last time."

"We're going on a long journey? Yay, yay!"

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up at the mention of it.

"Then let's go tell Master, and then we'll set off."

"Is Grandpa Chen coming with us?"

"Master is currently at a critical point in his cultivation; it's not suitable for him to go on a long journey."

"Then I'll go tell Er Ya and Auntie."

"Okay, go ahead."

After Xiao Yan bid farewell to her friends, Lu Qing took Xiao Yan, Xiao Li, and Wu Xing to the half-mountain courtyard.

"You're going on a long journey?"

The old doctor asked after hearing Lu Qing's words.

"Yes, my recent cultivation has reached a bottleneck. Seclusion is no longer useful, so I want to take Xiao Yan out to travel and broaden her horizons." Lu Qing replied.

The old doctor paused for a moment before saying, "It's good to take a break and relax. Don't worry, I'll watch over the village, and nothing will happen."

Lu Qing wasn't worried about the village's safety.

With the Hanging Mountain's major enemy already eliminated by him, and the village protected by the formation array he had reconfigured after achieving the Golden Core, it was as solid as a golden soup.

Moreover, Wei Shan Hai and the others were almost always staying long-term in the other courtyard.

It could be said that Nine Li Village was now truly worthy of the description 'solid as gold', with its formidable strength.

There was no need to worry about anyone causing trouble.

Lu Qing was more concerned about another matter.

"Master, when do you plan to break through the tribulation?"

The old doctor had already reached the Foundation Establishment Perfection several months ago.

However, after such a long time, he still hadn't broken through.

"There's no rush. I plan to accumulate more, as the tribulation is not a trivial matter. I haven't felt that breakthrough opportunity yet."

The old doctor's decision wasn't a bad thing; on the contrary, it was better.

This meant his accumulation hadn't reached its limit, and there was still room to solidify his foundation.

"Master, when you're about to break through the tribulation, remember to send a message to your disciple. I'll come back to protect you."

Lu Qing owned an ethereal flying vessel, and if he really wanted to hurry, even if Central Province was far away, it wouldn't take long to return.

"Alright, you guys go out and play with peace of mind. If I sense the breakthrough opportunity, I'll send you a message."

The old doctor readily agreed.

And so, on this day, Lu Qing took Xiao Yan and the two spirit beasts, and they left Nine Li Village to travel.

Their first stop was to tour around Cangzhou, where they lived.

This made Xiao Yan and the others extremely happy. Every day, they encountered new things, and their horizons were broadened beyond their joy.

Even Lu Qing, upon seeing their joy, felt a sense of relief.

Since returning from Central Province, he often secluded himself, and the time he spent with Xiao Yan had also greatly diminished.

This rare opportunity to venture out, might as well make the most of it and have some fun.

Thus, after exploring Cangzhou, Lu Qing and his group headed to Jizhou, Qizhou, and Fengzhou...

As they traveled, they left their footprints in many places across the various states.

At first, Lu Qing followed the location provided by Yan, seeking to explore.

However, he discovered that the places Yan mentioned, where spirit stones were once mined in ancient cultivation times, were now abundant with spiritual energy.

Although the spiritual energy was richer than elsewhere, it was unclear if it was due to past mining activities or the short duration of the world's revival.

Ultimately, no spirit stone veins had formed.

Aside from collecting some low-grade spirit herbs, he gained little else.

After several unsuccessful attempts, Lu Qing temporarily set aside his search for spirit stone veins and focused on accompanying Xiao Yan and the others on their journey.

On this day, Lu Qing and his group arrived at a new large state.

"Is this the ocean? How vast!"

On top of a mountain, Xiao Yan gazed at the endless ocean before her, her eyes filled with astonishment.

Lu Qing also looked on in amazement.

At this moment, they had reached a small frontier state bordering the East Sea.

This small state bordered the East Sea, and Lu Qing brought Xiao Yan here, wanting to experience the ocean of this world.

As a result, his heart and mind were deeply shaken.

Having been in this world for so long, this was his first encounter with the ocean.

Compared to the Blue Star of his previous life, the ocean of this world was not only more expansive but also more awe-inspiring.

Even Lu Qing, with his Golden Core realm perception, sensed that beneath the ocean's surface lay a formidable power.

Compared to the land, the ocean was even more unfathomable.

His heart stirred slightly.

He recalled Yan's words.

In ancient cultivation times, the ocean was ruled by the Sea Clan.

Even Primordial Soul realm experts dared not venture into the ocean's depths.

Later, when the spiritual energy withered, the ocean became a forbidden zone for humans.

So, no one could say for sure what lay in the ocean's depths.

Now, with the world's transformation and the revival of spiritual energy, the ocean's depths had undergone unknown changes.

Moreover, these changes must be significant, given how they affected Lu Qing's vigilance.

The Multicolor Winged Snake, a creature of the Quintessence Serpent, gazed at the vast ocean with widened eyes.

Although it was a winged snake, it also had a strong affinity for water.

In the Quintessence Mystic Realm, it had always stayed in the water, guarding the Quintessence Lotus.

Now, witnessing such a vast ocean, it was not only awe-struck but also felt an impulse to dive in and swim.

Meanwhile, Xiao Li, perched on Lu Qing's shoulder, sensed the abundant water-attributed spiritual energy around them and made a face of disdain.

Inherently averse to water, seeing so much of it made her feel even more disgusted.

After enjoying the ocean's beauty, Lu Qing led Xiao Yan and the others away.

Although he was also interested in exploring the ocean,

he did not want to take risks with Xiao Yan by his side.

Moreover, if Xiao Li, with her innate aversion to water, knew they were going to explore the ocean, she might end up being scratched.

After leaving the seaside, Lu Qing led Xiao Yan and the others northward.

Along the way, they encountered numerous new and fascinating cultures and customs.

Xiao Yan and the others exclaimed in wonder every day.

Even Lu Qing felt his horizons broadened, gaining a deeper understanding of this world.

On this day, they arrived at another new large state.

As soon as they entered this state, Lu Qing was surprised.

"The temperature here..."

He felt that upon entering this state, the temperature had dropped significantly.

Compared to the previous state, it was much cooler.

Yet, the distance between the two states wasn't that far.

"Brother, the weather here is so comfortable. Xiao Yan likes it here."

What surprised Lu Qing even more was that despite the low temperature, Xiao Yan showed a look of enjoyment.

She seemed to like the climate here very much.

Lu Qing's heart stirred, and he sensed the surrounding rules of the world.

Soon, he gained enlightenment.

It turned out that the rules of the world in this state had a hint of ice and frost, adding a chill to the atmosphere.

Even the spiritual energy had a trace of "icy cold" attribute.

No wonder Xiao Yan felt comfortable with the climate here.

Xiao Ya, endowed with the [Ice Jade Bone] talent, naturally felt a sense of familiarity with this environment.

"It seems we've arrived at a very special state."

Feeling the peculiarity around them, Lu Qing pondered.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end