Time flew swiftly, like a white colt passing through a crack in the wall. Two years slipped by in the blink of an eye.
Zhang Fan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, the wide sleeves of his robe fluttering in the wind.
"Five years since you entered the sect, and already at the eighth level of Qi Refining. On top of that, you manage several mu of first-rank spirit fields. I've overseen the eastern district of Bihai Lake for decades, and I've never seen such an outstanding spirit farmer as you."
He gazed out at the rolling green waves and the patch of slightly yellowing talisman-grass beside them, mentally estimating how many spirit stones this disciple could earn. A sigh welled up in his heart.
If he had been half this capable back then, he wouldn't have squandered so many years before finally forming his Foundation.
At the Qi Refining stage, what mattered most was nourishing one's immortal meridians and steadily building mana. With sufficient resources, how could so much time have been wasted?
Ji An replied with a modest smile tinged with pride:
"It's all thanks to Uncle-Master's guidance."
This uncle-master came by every few months, sharing cultivation insights and stories from outside. Ji An had benefited greatly and broadened his horizons.
Through careful tending, a year ago, five of his mu advanced to first-rank lower-grade spirit fields, all planted with Jadegrain Rice.
Jadegrain Rice ripens in half a year. With both the Minor Rain Technique and Thick Earth Formula cultivated to perfection, his yields were thirty percent higher than Old Huang's, and ripening came twenty days earlier.
Now his meals were entirely replaced with Jadegrain Rice. Even the Spirit-Seeking Rat had grown plump, having reached the fifth level of Qi Refining.
When the Jadegrain Rice wasn't tasseling, he spent his days practicing spells, drawing Water Curtain Talismans and Geng Metal Talismans, and in busy farming seasons, he summoned rain and tended the earth's qi.
Though cultivation expenses were heavy, the steady progress in his cultivation filled his heart with unmatched satisfaction.
"Don't flatter me. It's your own effort that counts."
Zhang Fan smiled kindly, then his expression turned grave.
"Still, Nephew, no matter how fruitful your harvests, you must set aside more spirit stones and start preparing to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill."
"Thank you for the reminder, Uncle-Master. I plan to begin once I break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining."
Zhang Fan shook his head, gray hair tousled by the wind.
"I've also heard of your skill with talismans. Ten years ago, with your talents as both a talisman maker and a spirit farmer, accumulating enough contribution points for a Foundation Pill would have been no problem. But times are different now.
The sect has been expanding its outposts again and again, and the disciples' pouches are fuller than ever. Many more now have the means to exchange for the Foundation Pill.
What's more, the proportion going to clan disciples has risen sharply. Even though the sect produces more pills than before, there are too many wolves and too little meat.
This year marks another round of pill refinement. From what a senior brother told me, the allocation list has already stretched ten years into the future. Time waits for no one."
Ji An's pupils contracted sharply. How had the competition become this fierce all of a sudden?!
The sect refined a batch of Foundation Pills every five years. From what he had learned before, once a disciple qualified to exchange, they usually received their pill by the next cycle.
But now it was already backed up by two full cycles. When his turn finally came, how much longer would he have to wait?
"Nephew, plan early. I'll take my leave."
Seeing Ji An's shaken expression, Zhang Fan knew he had grasped the severity of the situation, so he didn't press further.
"Thank you for the warning, Uncle-Master. I bid you farewell."
As Ji An watched him go, he recalled a recent conversation with Zhao Mengyao.
*"The clan has issued a new rule: they're willing to provide more spirit stones to sect disciples under forty years old who have reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, so they can purchase a Foundation Pill.
If only they'd announced this earlier, I could have secured an exchange years sooner!"*
At the time, Ji An hadn't paid much attention to Zhao Mengyao's words. But after Zhang Shishu's warning, he suddenly woke up to reality.
He had lived a leisurely life for too long and had lost his sharp sense for changing tides.
Before the autumn wind stirs, the cicadas already sense it. For the past few years, the three great sects had been aggressively seizing new territory. The great clans must also have noticed the sects' true intentions.
Each sect had even gone so far as to set aside marketplaces in their new outposts, open to all for supplies and trade. Large numbers of rogue cultivators had streamed in. This was anything but ordinary.
Even without knowing the sects' ultimate goals, it was clear what the outcome would be: more and more rogue cultivators would succeed in reaching Foundation Establishment.
Ji An weighed the matter carefully. At his current rate of earning spirit stones, even if he cut back on medicinal pills for cultivation, it would still take him years to save enough contribution points for a Foundation Pill.
And at this pace, by the time he had enough, he might have to wait another fifteen years before actually receiving the pill.
A few days later, Ji An used up the last of his blank talisman paper. He stuffed the stack of completed talismans into his robe and rode his talisman bird toward the Bihai Market.
As he approached, he spotted a familiar figure flying in from the horizon. Ji An flew up to meet him with a grin.
"Senior Brother, you look positively radiant! What happy fortune has come your way?"
Even from a distance, he could feel the air of pride and satisfaction radiating from the man.
"Haha! Today I'm treating. Let's head to the Hundred Flavors Tavern for a few drinks, and I'll tell you everything."
Wei Songnian slapped his chest, sending his rolls of fat rippling like waves.
The two arrived at Hundred Flavors Tavern, found a private room, and ordered a couple of bottles of spirit wine and a few small dishes.
After pouring and drinking two cups, Wei Songnian leaned forward, his voice dropping low.
"Just now, I went to the Administrative Hall to pay a sum of spirit stones. With that, I finally scraped together sixty thousand contribution points. Ten years from now, I'll receive my Foundation Establishment Pill!"
He glanced around, then added in a hushed tone:
"Brother, word has it the sect is preparing to launch another campaign against a beast domain.
Every time a new outpost is founded, a wave of disciples and rogue cultivators reap huge profits.
I think competition for Foundation Pills will only grow fiercer from here. You must start hoarding spirit stones quickly; time won't wait."
"A few days ago, I heard the same thing," Ji An admitted with a frown. "It's been weighing on me.
I need to both strengthen my cultivation and break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining, while also saving spirit stones. It's not easy.
Without some stroke of fortune, I'll never be able to manage it. I'm thinking of venturing into the Ten-Thousand Mountains myself."
As he spoke, he slapped the stack of talismans onto the table.
In the past two years, demand for talismans had soared. Through talisman crafting, he had earned a considerable amount of spirit stones. But most of it went into his daily cultivation and raising the Spirit-Seeking Rat. His pouch was still nearly empty.
If not for this relentless, no-expense-spared investment in himself, with his middling-grade aptitude and the stone tortoise siphoning away its share, he could never have reached the eighth level so quickly.
But his progress was limited by mana and the supply of raw materials. Each month, the number of talismans he could produce wasn't all that high.
Relying on talisman crafting to amass enough spirit stones quickly was unrealistic unless he stopped cultivating altogether and devoted himself to planting more talisman grass. But that would be putting the cart before the horse.
Wei Songnian's gaze slid away from the talismans glowing faintly with blue and gold light. His tone grew cautious.
"Have you really thought this through? Hunting beasts may bring great windfalls, but it's nowhere near as safe as staying in the sect and building up contribution points.
Especially for you."
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