Qingfu Square, the largest shop in Yellow Dragon Square, spans several acres. It is said that Qingfu Square's business is substantial, with outlets spread across the Eastern Wasteland Cultivation World.
"Young master,"
a young man dressed in simple cloth appeared ahead and smiled, saying, "Are you headed to Qingfu Square? The shops inside Qingfu Square are quite entangled. Would you need someone like me to guide you?"
Ning Daoran was indeed visiting Qingfu Square for the first time, so having a guide naturally seemed ideal.
"Alright, what's your name?"
He nodded with a smile, "I'm looking to buy some Spirit Fish fingerlings. Do you know where I can find them at a fair price?"
"My humble name is Zhou Qi. I know about Spirit Fish. The Gao Family's Spirit Fish shop has fat, fresh fish, and they also sell fingerlings. Please follow me, young master."
Not long later, they arrived at a shop inside Qingfu Square.
"Oh!"
The shopkeeper was a shrewd-looking middle-aged man surnamed Gao. His eyes lit up as they landed on Ning Daoran's Outer Disciple uniform. He stood and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, are you here to buy Spirit Fish?"
"Yes."
Ning Daoran tossed a silver tael to Zhou Qi, the mortal guide.
Zhou Qi's face broke into uncontrollable joy. As a mortal navigating the market by guiding cultivators, landing a silver tael in one go signaled encountering a big client.
He bowed repeatedly before leaving joyfully under Manager Gao's casual wave of his sleeve.
"Actually, I'm not here to buy Spirit Fish."
Ning Daoran's gaze continuously swept over the plump Spirit Fish in the glazed tank. Taking his fill of the sight, he finally said, "Shopkeeper, I want to buy some fish fingerlings for farming myself."
"Oh, fingerlings? Certainly!"
At another tank, Manager Gao displayed numerous fingerlings he had bred, representing various Spirit Fish species.
The fingerlings were not particularly expensive. Ten Low Grade Spirit Stones were enough to purchase ten thousand fingerlings.
"Fellow Daoist,"
Manager Gao smiled and said, "These fingerlings are quite delicate. If you're not careful, they can easily die. Do you have a Spirit Beast Bag? If you're planning to transport them over long distances, it's absolutely necessary; otherwise, half will likely die by the time they reach home."
Ning Daoran smiled slightly, "It seems, then, that the shopkeeper also sells Spirit Beast Bags?"
"Indeed!"
Manager Gao patted his waist storage bag, and a handful of brand-new Spirit Beast Bags flew out. "Made by Qingfu Square's master craftsmen—fair prices for fair quality, just ten Spirit Stones apiece!"
Ning Daoran's divine sense was sharp, and he instantly discerned the slight flicker in the shopkeeper's gaze. These Spirit Beast Bags were priced closer to eight Spirit Stones apiece.
Still, he chose not to haggle, "Alright, I'll take two Spirit Beast Bags and buy ten thousand fingerlings. Here's thirty Spirit Stones—shopkeeper, please accept it."
"Thank you for your generosity, Fellow Daoist!"
Shortly after, Ning Daoran had safely placed over ten thousand fingerlings into the Spirit Beast Bags.
"Fellow Daoist,"
Manager Gao continued, "The reason these Spirit Fish are so valuable is because they are exceedingly hard to raise. Their requirements for water quality, food, and sunlight are very demanding. I happen to have an ancestral manual here—the 'Complete Guide to Spirit Fish Cultivation.' If you'd like, I can part with it for fifty Spirit Stones!"
He wore an expression of painful sacrifice, seemingly genuine.
"Oh?"
Ning Daoran glanced at the shopkeeper and sneered internally.
*pfft, a lousy book for fifty Spirit Stones? You greedy snake. Does Ning Daoran even need such a manual to raise fish? What a joke! These Spirit Fish—whatever they eat, whatever environment they desire—I'll just tame one and ask straightforwardly!*
Politely declining, he left Qingfu Square and returned to Chaotic Sect.
After departing from Yellow Dragon Square, he hung the Peace Token on him, and, sure enough, the journey was smooth.
...
Wind Stopping Tower.
Huang Chengyan, a mighty cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage, gently brushed his fingertips over the plump and smooth Green Bamboo Spirit Rice. His gaze narrowed as he looked out the window.
"Master,"
a disciple entered the room.
"How is he?"
"Haha, this Junior Brother is interesting indeed! He visited Qingfu Square and bought some Spirit Fish. Looks like he plans to raise them on the Outer Mountain. However, he didn't wear his Jade Token throughout the trip. Only after leaving the square did he hang it on his waist."
"Hmm..."
Huang Chengyan chuckled, "A wise one, it seems. To have manners and discretion is truly rare. You could learn from him."
"Duly noted, Master!"
"By the way, keep an eye on Ning Daoran whenever he moves about the market. Don't let him be mistreated. Our Chaotic Sect disciples should not endure grievances in Yellow Dragon Square."
"Understood, Master!"
...
Spiritual Field Courtyard No. 77.
A man and a deer enthusiastically resumed their hard labor.
Ning Daoran received approval for a plot of land in the Outer Sect without issue. The Outer Elder in charge of approvals received the offering of fifty pounds of Second-tier Spirit Rice with practiced ease, then cast Ning Daoran a knowing look, "Nephew, you're far too polite!"
"Uncle, why say so? As an Outer Disciple Spirit Farmer, it's only proper to gift some local specialties to Uncle!"
"Ah well, just don't be this formal next time!"
Now, a pond spanning nearly two acres in the backyard had been approved and entered into the Sect's land registry.
"Officially" farming fish, Ning Daoran and Big Stupid Deer relied on their brute strength to dig out the pond within three short days. After that, they diverted water from Qiongbi Peak's stream, filled the pond, and released the fingerlings.
He tamed two of the fingerlings, chatting with them daily to understand their schedules while planting trees near the pond to provide shade.
For feed, he ground First-tier Spirit Rice into powder for the fingerlings' consumption. As the fingerlings grew slightly, he started feeding them finely crushed rice husks.
Once the Spirit Fish reached about the size of a finger, he tossed in the bamboo leaves and stalks from Green Bamboo Spirit Rice into the pond, utilizing the Spirit Fish to digest the leftover Spiritual Energy–a farming system so scientific and logical it bordered genius.
The Spirit Fish grew day by day, becoming one of Qiongbi Peak's solid resources.
Whenever Ning Daoran visited the Contribution Hall to receive tasks or sought assistance, he always carried a couple of plump Spirit Fish tied to his waist. Elders, Deacons, and Senior Brothers couldn't help but brighten at the sight.
In time, Ning Daoran earned an excellent reputation in the Outer Sect. Everyone praised him as a sensible young man, though his aptitude was slightly lacking.
Senior Brother Lin Sheng and Young Junior Sister Han Bing frequently visited. Each time, they were treated with Spirit Fish and Spirit Rice—local specialties that left them a little embarrassed.
One time, Lin Sheng, feeling particularly guilty, directly hauled two hundred pounds of Green Bamboo Spirit Rice out the door, his face flush with shame.
...
The days farming on Qiongbi Peak were joyful and fulfilling.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three years had passed. Ning Daoran was now 27 years old and had been a member of Chaotic Sect for seven years.
Early morning.
Ning Daoran rose from a secret chamber twenty zhang deep underground, taking a deep breath. *The moment had arrived.*
Refined Time had accumulated to nearly forty thousand years–time to take one last push for *Body Tempering Technique!*
*After all, whether it's the Evergreen Technique or the Soul Searching Technique, neither significantly enhances cultivation. Only Body Tempering Technique enables the next leap, ascending to the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining and progressing into Late-stage Qi Refining!*
*No matter how many Spirit Fish I raise, no matter how much Spirit Rice I grow—they ultimately come full circle to nourish personal cultivation and strength. Otherwise, they would be mere paper resources, devoid of purpose.*
Ning Daoran crossed his legs, cleared his mind, and infused his years of carefully refined time into the Body Tempering Technique.
*Year 9,400: Despite diligent cultivation, Body Tempering Technique showed no signs of improvement. Nine thousand years seemed meaningless, as if every effort had been wasted.*
*Year 17,000: Refusing to give up, you began experimenting—using Spirit Sand to hone your flesh, immersing yourself in barrels of jagged iron sand, bathing under hundred-zhang waterfalls, roaring thunderously. Yet, all seemed fruitless.*
*Year 24,560: Your Blood Qi withered once more; you turned frail, an old relic of your former self. Even your young concubine left you. As your eyes shut tight, glimpses of life's epilogue flickered—peaceful yet resigned.*
*Year 32,400: As you were about to return to dust, your eyes snapped open. Sunlight pierced through dense treetop canopies, scattering across your face. If sunlight could find a path, why couldn't you?*
*Suddenly, celestial insight struck: vitality reversed itself, your body returned to youthful vigor!*
Qi Blood 72 Shedding
Body Tempering Technique. Lower Grade Yellow (Return to Nature)
Qi Refinement Realm (Seventh Layer)
Refined Time Remaining: 5,433 years
...
"Zzzz!"
Thin wisps of azure smoke rose over Ning Daoran's body as his intense transformation took place, refining the Body Tempering Technique to its pinnacle.*
Underneath his skin, fiery Blood Qi surged like lava. His muscles grew lean and tight. With each fist clenched, waves of Spirit Mastery naturally coated his sinews, surging within with explosive force.*
*Even stranger, as the Body Tempering Technique reached its zenith, golden radiance enveloped Ning Daoran, his hair standing upright and glowing as golden strands. Faint, tender golden Spiritual Energy arose from the Evergreen Technique, surrounding him like flames hugging his form.*
"Holy—!"
Ning Daoran, glancing at the reflection in his copper mirror, felt an uncanny sense of déjà vu.*
*The Body Tempering Technique had reached the peak—absolute refinement of the flesh, rendering it untemperable. This brought unprecedented physical strength. A casual swing of Ning Daoran's arm now carried the power equivalent to an Early-stage Condensed Liquid Realm martial artist!*
*Combined with his five points of Strength Talent, his strikes rivaled those of a Mid-stage Condensed Liquid Realm martial artist!*
*What did that mean?*
*In essence, Ning Daoran could likely punch a hole through three Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators before they knew what hit them—of course, assuming they lacked Protective Spirit Artifacts or High-level Protection Talismans.*
*Cultivation World dueling, however, wasn't only about absolute realms or raw power. With enough savvy, weaker opponents could still triumph over stronger foes.*
*Besides physical improvements, Ning Daoran gained another major success.*
*He had advanced to Late-stage Qi Refining!*
*Qi Refining Seventh Layer—finally matching Senior Brother Lin Sheng's level from five years past!*
*At the Chaotic Sect's Outer Sect, Late-stage Qi Refining disciples were almost treated like treasured gems.*
*Most transitioned into the Inner Sect upon reaching this level, gaining access to environments rich with at least Second Order Lower Grade Spirit Veins.*
*For someone like Ning Daoran, capable of growing Second-tier Spirit Rice at Late-stage Qi Refining, discovery inevitably meant ranking among the Sect's elite—potentially even attracting resources from the Sect's upper echelon for direct cultivation.*
*Ning Daoran, however, had no desire for fame; glory often invited inexplicable demise. Content within the shadows of his Spiritual Field Courtyard on Qiongbi Peak, he preferred peace.*
Thus, he activated the Concealing Breath Technique.
His cultivation reverted to Qi Refining Third Layer.*
*A Ninth Grade Mixed Spirit Root waste of an Outer Disciple, lingering at the Early Stage of Qi Refining even after seven years of cultivation—perfectly logical, raising no suspicion.*