73: Chapter 73 is required.

One week later.

At 5:00 AM on Saturday, Chen Zhen opened his eyes right on time.

The spiritual pearl in his Dantian rotated slowly; its rotation speed was a few notches faster than a week ago, and the pale golden luster on its surface had become more solid.

Spiritual energy flowed through his meridians, as smooth as an inexhaustible river.

[Qi Refining Stage 3: 326 / 1200]

It had increased by 168 points in a week.

Spirit Gathering Array + Spiritual Plant synergy + Master-disciple bonus + Spiritual Resonance; his Cultivate efficiency was five times that of an ordinary person.

But Chen Zhen was more concerned about another matter.

He took out that star core fragment.

The 99.9% dark blue light flickered, like a heartbeat, like breathing.

It had been a week, and he hadn't injected a single shred of spiritual energy into it again.

The fragment lay quietly in his palm, with no abnormal movements and no loss of control.

Chen Zhen put the fragment back into his Storage Space and stood up.

He had to go to Dongshan today.

Those three purple ginseng fruits should be ripe.

At 5:20, Chen Zhen got on his bike and headed towards the east of the city.

Halfway there, his phone vibrated.

A message from Zhou Rui: "Master, are we going today?"

Chen Zhen replied: "Wait at the village entrance."

At 6:00 sharp, when Chen Zhen arrived at the village entrance, Zhou Rui was already standing there.

He was carrying a mountaineering backpack and holding that notebook in his hand. Seeing Chen Zhen, he walked over quickly.

"Master."

Chen Zhen nodded and left his bicycle at The Old Man's house.

The Old Man recognized them and said with a smile: "Here again? What herbs are you picking this time?"

"Just looking around," Chen Zhen replied casually.

The two walked up the mountain.

After walking for ten minutes, Zhou Rui suddenly spoke: "Master, this past week, I followed your instructions, meditating every morning and evening and taking care of those few pots of soul-calming grass."

"How does it feel?"

Zhou Rui thought for a moment: "My sensation of Qi is stronger. I can complete a full Microcosmic Orbit, taking five seconds."

Chen Zhen glanced at him.

One week, from sensing Qi to completing a full Microcosmic Orbit.

This person's talent was indeed quite good.

But Chen Zhen didn't say anything, just nodded: "Continue practicing."

Zhou Rui followed behind him, walked a few steps, and suddenly asked: "Master, how long did it take you to practice until you reached the Microcosmic Orbit?"

Chen Zhen didn't look back: "Half a month."

Zhou Rui was silent for a few seconds.

Then he said: "Then am I..."

"Am I what?"

Zhou Rui didn't finish.

Chen Zhen stopped and turned to look at him.

Zhou Rui's eyes were complex, filled with questions, confusion, and a hint of... unease.

"Master," he said in a low voice, "is my talent... okay?"

Chen Zhen looked at him for three seconds.

"What do you think?"

Zhou Rui didn't speak.

Chen Zhen turned and continued walking.

"Talent is talent," his voice came from the front, "achievements are achievements; they are two different things."

Zhou Rui was stunned for a moment, then quickly caught up.

"What do you mean?"

Chen Zhen didn't answer directly, but asked: "Do you know why I took you in?"

Zhou Rui thought about it: "Because I have good talent?"

"That is one of the reasons," Chen Zhen pushed aside a bush, "but not the main one."

"Then what is the main one?"

Chen Zhen stopped and turned to look at him.

"Because you want it, and you really want it."

He continued walking.

"There are plenty of people with good talent. But most people, even with talent, can't Cultivate successfully. Because they only 'wish', they don't 'demand'. 'Wish' and 'demand', they differ by one word, but they differ by a lifetime."

Zhou Rui fell silent.

After a few steps, he asked again: "Then what about you, Master? Do you 'wish' or 'demand'?"

"I want both."

"..."

At 8:00, they arrived at the place where they had discovered the purple ginseng last time.

That purplish-red plant was still there, and the metallic luster on its leaves was even brighter.

The three fruits had turned from dark red to bright red, shimmering with an alluring luster in the sunlight.

[purple ginseng fruit (mature)]

[Quality: Quasi-Spiritual Plant · Top Grade]

[Effect: Replenishes Qi and nourishes blood, increases spiritual energy limit, can be used as auxiliary Materials for refining foundation establishment pill]

[Status: Optimal harvesting period (within 24 hours)]

Chen Zhen crouched down and carefully harvested them.

Three fruits, placed one by one into the prepared jade box.

This jade box was something he had specifically gone to a jade shop to buy last week, specially used for storing spiritual fruits.

After harvesting the fruits, he looked at the purple ginseng plant itself.

The leaves were still robust, and the root system was intact.

After the fruits were picked, it would continue to grow and bear fruit again next year.

He didn't dig it up by the roots.

Leaving the roots ensures longevity.

Zhou Rui watched from the side, deep in thought.

"Master, why didn't you dig it up by the roots?"

"If I dig it up, there won't be any to eat next year," Chen Zhen stood up, "leave it here, and I can come back later."

Zhou Rui nodded and jotted down a few notes in his notebook.

"Let's go," Chen Zhen turned around.

After a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

In [Anomaly Perception], something was approaching.

It was moving fast and was quite large.

He reached out to stop Zhou Rui.

"Don't move."

Zhou Rui stopped immediately and looked in the direction of his gaze.

In the bushes thirty meters away, a pair of eerie green eyes were staring at them.

A wild boar.

It was huge, at least two hundred jin.

Its tusks were exposed, and it was snorting heavily.

Zhou Rui's breathing stopped.

Chen Zhen didn't move.

He stared at those eyes, spiritual energy slowly circulating within his body.

The wild boar stared at him, pawing the ground with its front hooves, emitting a low growl from its throat.

They stood in a standoff for three seconds.

The wild boar charged suddenly.

Zhou Rui instinctively retreated, but his legs felt like they were filled with lead, unable to move a step.

The next second, he saw Chen Zhen raise his hand.

Twenty-five control beads flew out instantly, arranging themselves into a complex formation in the air.

Dongshan Rune Array.

The formation lit up with a pale golden light, and a beam of light blasted directly onto the wild boar.

The wild boar let out a miserable shriek, its massive body seemingly struck by an invisible giant hand, flying sideways for three meters, crashing into a tree, and then rolling to the ground.

It scrambled up, glanced at Chen Zhen in terror, turned around, and ran off, disappearing into the bushes.

The whole process took less than two seconds.

Zhou Rui stood there, completely stunned.

Chen Zhen withdrew his energy, and the twenty-five control beads fell back into his palm.

"Let's go," he said.

Zhou Rui opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't say a word.

He followed Chen Zhen down, his steps feeling a bit unsteady.

After walking for a long time, he finally spoke: "Master, what was that... just now?"

"A Rune Array," Chen Zhen said.

"It can hit a wild boar?"

"Yes."

Zhou Rui fell silent.

After a few steps, he suddenly asked: "Master, how long did you practice to be able to do that?"

"Two months."

Zhou Rui's steps faltered for a moment.

Then he continued walking, not asking any more questions.

While going down the mountain, Zhou Rui was very quiet.

When they reached halfway down the mountain, he suddenly said: "Master, I think I understand a little bit about what you said earlier about 'wish' and 'demand'."

Chen Zhen looked at him.

"Understand what?"

Zhou Rui thought for a moment and said: "I want to become strong, but it's just a wish. When I saw the wild boar, my legs went weak. But you are different; you 'demand', so when you attacked, you didn't have any hesitation."

Chen Zhen didn't speak.

Zhou Rui continued: "Having good talent is useless; the key is whether you use it."

He looked at Chen Zhen, his eyes much clearer than before.

"Master, I will work hard."

Chen Zhen nodded.

"That's good."

At 2:00 PM, the two returned to the foot of the mountain.

Zhou Rui went to take the bus, and Chen Zhen rode his bike home.

Halfway there, his phone vibrated.

A message from Zhou Rui: "Master, thank you for today."

Chen Zhen replied with one hand: "Continue next week."

Zhou Rui replied instantly: "Okay."

At 4:00 PM, Secret Base.

Chen Zhen sat cross-legged in the center of the Spirit Gathering Array and took out that jade box.

Three purple ginseng fruits, bright red and dripping, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance.

He took one out and placed it in his palm.

[purple ginseng fruit]

[Use 1: Consume directly, permanently increase spiritual energy limit by about 10 points]

[Use 2: Auxiliary Materials for refining foundation establishment pill, requires other Materials]

[Use 3: Cultivate into seeds, can plant new purple ginseng plants]

Ten points of spiritual energy limit, not much.

Auxiliary Materials for foundation establishment pill, he can't use them right now.

Cultivate into seeds...

He thought about it and put the fruits away.

Keep them for now.

Wait until he finds the Pill Formula to decide.

He took out that star core fragment.

The 99.9% dark blue light flickered.

He stared at it for a long time.

Then he put the fragment back into the Storage Space and started to Cultivate.

The spiritual pearl in his Dantian rotated slowly, and spiritual energy surged in like a tide.

[Cultivate progress: Qi Refining Stage 3 340 / 1200]

It had increased by 14 points since the morning.

He opened his eyes and summoned the system panel.