18: Chapter 18 Moonflowers Bloom, Space Regenerates, Cultivation Advances Again

Days slipped by quietly in anticipation and caution.

Ye Qing's daily life remained routine, but deep down, there was an added sense of concern.

During his morning cleaning, the breeze from his Dust Removal Technique would unconsciously mimic the gentle rhythm of the "Spirit Nurturing Technique."

When working as a temporary laborer in the Herb Garden, as his fingertips brushed against those vibrant Spirit Medicine, he would mentally compare their growth to that of the moonlight flower seedling in his space.

In the dead of night, "looking inward" at his space had become his most enjoyable daily cultivation exercise.

Nourished by the black soil and pure energy of the space, the moonlight flower seedling grew delightfully well.

In just over ten days, it had sprouted four or five complete silver-white leaves from its original two cotyledons. Although the plant was small, it exuded a spiritual elegance that the same variety outside could hardly match. The silver veins on the leaves were clear and fluid, as if they were autonomously inhaling and exhaling the dense Spiritual Qi mist within the space.

What surprised Ye Qing even more was that the growth cycle of this moonlight flower seemed to have been significantly shortened.

According to the records in the "Hundred Herbs Illustrated Handbook," it usually takes three to five months for a moonlight flower to go from germination to initial maturity, where the essence of its leaves can be harvested in small quantities.

Yet, this one in the space had barely been there for over half a month, and there were already faint signs of a flower bud forming at the center of the plant. Furthermore, the moonlight aura it emitted was pure and stable.

"The space's acceleration effect on Spirit Medicine is likely more than double... and the quality seems to have improved as well."

Ye Qing carefully observed the veins on the leaves, which looked like flowing moonlight, and made an assessment in his heart.

Late that night, he "looked inward" at the space as usual.

He saw that at the center of the moonlight flower, a grain-of-rice-sized, crystal-clear silver-white flower bud had already formed. It trembled slightly in the Spiritual Qi mist, as if it could bloom at any moment.

Ye Qing's mind stirred, and he attempted to guide a wisp of the space's energy, gently injecting it into the flower bud.

The moment the energy made contact—

Hum!

The silver-white flower bud trembled slightly, and then, layer upon layer of petals unfolded and bloomed at a speed visible to the naked eye!

There were no earth-shattering phenomena, only a cool, pure, and tranquil moonlight fragrance that instantly permeated the entire six-zhang space.

The flower was only the size of a copper coin, its petals as thin as cicada wings, and its entire body shimmered with a soft silver glow, so beautiful it did not seem like an object of the mortal world.

At the very moment the flower bloomed to its fullest, a pure, cool, and vital energy fed back from the moonlight flower, merging into the surrounding black soil. Moreover, a portion of it followed the mysterious connection with Ye Qing and fed back into his body.

This energy was different from the usual Spiritual Qi feedback from the space; it was softer, penetrating directly into his Divine Soul, carrying the unique tranquility and nourishing power of moonlight.

Ye Qing felt his spirits lift. The slight fatigue brought on by days of hard cultivation and deducing Spells was swept away, and his Divine Sense felt as if it had been washed by a clear spring, becoming clearer and more thorough.

Even his stagnant cultivation, propelled by this pure energy, took a solid small step forward.

"Spirit Medicine matures, feeding back into the space and its master... This function is practically tailor-made for someone like me who follows the 'farming path'!"

Ye Qing was overjoyed.

This meant that planting Spirit Medicine would not only provide future Materials, but the growth and maturation process itself could continuously feed back into the space and himself, forming a virtuous cycle!

He carefully "plucked" this newly bloomed moonlight flower.

Once separated from the plant, the flower did not wither immediately; silver light shimmered, and vitality remained within.

"Consume it directly? That would be too wasteful. The main function of the moonlight flower is to calm the mind and nourish the Divine Soul. It is one of the main Materials for refining 'Clear Heart Powder' and 'Spirit Nourishing Pill.' If I consume it now, the effect might not be optimal, and it could easily cause unnecessary Spiritual Qi fluctuations."

Ye Qing pondered for a moment and decided to temporarily store the flower within the space.

The space's environment was special; perhaps it could keep it active for longer.

He was more concerned with the moonlight flower plant itself.

After plucking the flower, the plant did not wither. Its light dimmed slightly, but it remained vibrant, and the silver veins on the leaves were still clear.

"It seems it can continue to grow, perhaps it can bloom again in the future? Or, could it be propagated through cuttings or division?"

Knowledge of Spirit Medicine cultivation surfaced in his mind, and Ye Qing was eager to try.

He carefully cut a small tender branch with two leaves and attempted to "plant" it in another part of the black soil.

The space's energy nourished it, and the tender branch quickly took root, bursting with vitality.

"It really works! Asexual reproduction is also effective! This means that as long as I have one mother plant, I can continuously expand the planting scale within the space!"

This discovery left Ye Qing extremely excited.

Although currently there was only one type, the moonlight flower, and it was a first-grade Spirit Medicine with limited value.

But this proved the "plantable" and "propagatable" characteristics of the space, paving the way for his future "great farming enterprise."

"Next, I need to find a way to obtain more varieties and more valuable Spirit Medicine seeds or branches. The Herb Garden is one source, but I need to be even more careful. Perhaps... the Sect's Contribution Hall, can I use contribution points to exchange for some common Spirit Medicine seeds? But contribution points..."

Ye Qing thought of his pitiful, almost zero contribution points.

"Or, keep an eye on those Disciples returning from missions; they might be carrying some unprocessed Spirit Medicine Materials mixed with seeds? I could try my luck at the edge of the trading market, but the risk is not small..."

One thought after another passed through his mind, each carefully weighed.

He was not in a rush.

With the success of the moonlight flower as a precedent, he was full of confidence for the future.

The urgent priority was to take advantage of the opportunity brought by this moonlight flower feedback, along with the pure energy continuously supplied by the space, to make a Breakthrough to Level 5 Qi Refining in one go.

From Qi Refining Level 4 to Level 5 is a small threshold in the Middle Stage of Qi Refining; Spiritual Power will become more robust, and support for Spells will be stronger.

By then, the power of his "Pseudo-Fireball Technique" and "Triangular Spirit Shield" will both increase by a notch, greatly enhancing his self-preservation ability.

"It will be within these few days."

Ye Qing felt the surging Spiritual Power within his body and the barrier that was already as thin as window paper, feeling determined in his heart.

Exiting the space, the moonlight outside the window was perfect.

The cool moonlight spilled into the room, faintly echoing the moonlight flower within his internal space.

Ye Qing sat cross-legged on his mat, circulating his Cultivation Technique, guiding the pure energy fed back by the space and the essence of the moonlight to slowly wash through his Meridians, nourishing his acupoints, and launching an assault on that final barrier.

His breathing was steady and long, blending in with the snoring of the other laborers in the room.

No one knew that on this seemingly ordinary night, inside the body of a "sweeping laborer," a natural and Perfection Breakthrough was brewing.

And no one knew that in a six-zhang space, a silver-white spirit flower was quietly inhaling and exhaling moonlight, marking the brand new beginning of a self-sufficient, steady development model.

The night was still long.

The path of steady development, too, quietly extended under the moonlight.