51: Resource Inventory

Outside the Immortal Cave, under Lin Feng's meticulous planning and the continuous nourishment of the Rain Prayer Divine Ability, the thirty acres of spiritual fields had transformed into a truly vibrant, resplendent Immortal paradise, every inch of land exuding a rich, profound aura of creation, long since becoming a blessed land and grotto-heaven.

Ten crimson flame jujube pear trees were lush with branches and leaves, their crimson flowers blooming all year round, and a rich, exotic fragrance mixed with fire-wood Spiritual Qi permeated the air. The bee colony had grown even larger.

A massive, jade-like beehive, resembling a small jade palace, rested securely in the main fork of the oldest crimson flame jujube pear tree. Nearly ten thousand Jade Emperor Bees, like flowing jade-white mist, bustled about in the jujube pear flower sea, peach forest, and even occasionally ventured near the azure thunder bamboo to collect dew tainted with wood-thunder Qi, their busy figures forming a vibrant tableau.

Deep within the beehive, the amber-golden jade emperor nectar had accumulated into a pool the size of a baby's head, its pure energy fluctuations almost tangible, emitting an intoxicating herbal fragrance and a faint, warm scent derived from the fiery jujube pear blossoms.

Ordinary jade emperor honey was continuously produced, its color golden and translucent, and its quality extremely high.

In the very center of the spiritual field, the area with the densest Spiritual Qi, stood two azure thunder bamboos, already over four zhang tall.

They resembled towering jade-green pillars, verdant and dripping with moisture, their bamboo nodes distinct, and the natural thunder patterns on them even deeper and more complex, like flowing silver runes.

The arcing electricity flickering at the edges of the bamboo leaves was no longer sporadic sparks but had formed a dense, constantly flashing layer of azure electric light, emitting a continuous, subtle yet soul-shaking "crackling" sound.

Vast wood-thunder Qi, mixed with pure thunder power, formed a visible small Spiritual Qi vortex around the bamboo stalks, drawing and absorbing the surrounding Spiritual Qi.

Their aura had clearly reached the limit of the second-tier Peak, and the bamboo stalks subtly showed a tendency towards jade-like transformation, seemingly only one Epiphany away from the legendary third-tier spiritual bamboo!

The vast wood-thunder Qi even triggered a small-scale Spiritual Qi vortex.

At the edge of the jujube pear forest, in a relatively isolated area where the soil contained more lightning-attribute Ore, grew the solitary yellow thunder apricot tree.

Its inherent nature of fruiting once every fifty years, under the continuous "cheating" of the Rain Prayer Divine Ability, actually matured five times within three years!

Each time it bore fruit, the branches were heavily laden with ten to fifteen longan-sized, charred yellow fruits covered in dense thunder patterns.

Each harvest, Lin Feng carefully took only most of the fruits, always leaving a few of the plumpest ones with the most complex thunder patterns to fall naturally, their seeds landing in the thunder-Spirit Qi rich soil beneath the tree.

After three years, seven or eight yellow thunder apricot saplings, about a foot tall, had quietly sprouted beneath the tree! Although fruiting was still a distant prospect, their tender leaves already carried faint electrical arcs, signaling their extraordinary potential.

After undergoing five fruiting cycles, the mother tree's branches became even more gnarled and robust, its bark taking on an antique bronze color with a subtle metallic sheen. The thunderous aura it emitted was more restrained and profound, clearly indicating that its age and accumulation far surpassed ordinary second-tier spiritual plants, and its medicinal potency would undoubtedly be stronger. The next fruiting would likely be even more astonishing.

Lin Feng himself consumed three fruits to Breakthrough Body Refining Foundation Establishment, while the majority of the rest were carefully stored by him.

These spiritual apricots, containing the power of profound thunder, still had excellent refining effects on his current Body Refining Foundation Establishment Stage.

Other spiritual plants also flourished.

Azure jade spiritual peaches hung heavy on the branches, fire pattern peppers were as red as fire, jade marrow mushrooms were warm and plump, and frigid mist grass had flowing ice patterns.

The entire spiritual field area was enveloped in Spiritual Qi, full of vitality, forming a stark contrast to the wild landscape elsewhere on the island.

The Treasure Seeking Rat, Yin Bao, had an even more comfortable life over the past three years. Under Lin Feng's unlimited supply of spiritual fruits, coupled with the dense Spiritual Qi here, its cultivation also rose steadily, breaking through to the Qi Refining Middle Stage.

Although its size had not changed much, its silver fur was even more lustrous and smooth, like fine silk, its black gem-like eyes were nimble and cunning, and its speed was as fast as lightning.

Its attitude towards Lin Feng also changed from the initial "grumbling" to complete "fawning dependence." All day long, it either dozed on Lin Feng's shoulder or patrolled its "territory" in the spiritual field, occasionally even gesticulating at the busy Jade Emperor Bee colony.

Inside the Immortal Cave, Lin Feng finished a cycle of the Overturning Sea Sword Art, slowly opened his eyes, his profound gaze seemingly penetrating the rock wall, looking towards the depths of Xuanlei Island's Spiritual Vein.

"Qi Refining has reached Perfection, Physical Body Foundation Establishment is complete, Divine Sense is stable... It's time," he murmured, his voice tinged with anticipation and a hint of solemnity.

Assaulting the Foundation Establishment Stage was the first true leap in the level of life!

Although his Foundation was incredibly deep, his Divine Sense had awakened early, and he had the Vermilion Fruit protecting his heart meridian and jade emperor nectar supplementing his Qi and blood, he knew the dangers involved. Without the crucial "catalyst" and "protective umbrella" of a Foundation Establishment Pill, the risk still existed.

Sixty percent certainty was far from stable in the Cultivation world!

"I must get a Foundation Establishment Pill!" Lin Feng's eyes were firm. This was one of his primary goals for leaving seclusion this time.

Secondly, it was the Overturning Sea Sword. The fenshui sword was no longer sufficient, riddled with cracks, and increasingly struggling to withstand the power of the Overturning Sea Sword Art, especially the "Giant Sword Tactic."

And the Overturning Sea Sword Art's Purple Mansion chapter clearly stated the need to pre-nurture a sword embryo, to be refined into the Lifebound Treasure "Overturning Sea Sword" during the Purple Mansion Stage.

This required top-tier spiritual Materials, which his current Low Grade Ore could not satisfy. Finding suitable main Materials for sword refining was urgent.

Finally, and crucially supporting the first two—Spirit Stones! A large quantity of Spirit Stones!

His gaze once again turned to the Spiritual Vein. Although the Spiritual Spring Eye was miraculous, capable of continuously nourishing and slowly improving the Spiritual Vein's quality, to quickly transform this Spiritual Vein, which had just barely stabilized at Low Grade second-tier due to the azure thunder bamboo's Breakthrough, into a third-tier Spiritual Vein capable of supporting his Foundation Establishment and even future Purple Mansion Cultivation, required a massive injection of Spiritual Qi!

"Spirit Infusion Formation..." A special Formation that Lin Feng had comprehended from the "Formation Details" and the Formation Madman Hermit's Legacy appeared in his mind. The core of this Formation was to use a large number of Spirit Stones as "fuel," forcibly extracting and converting the pure Spiritual Qi from the Spirit Stones, and injecting it into the core nodes of the Spiritual Vein, like forcibly administering nutrient fluid to a weak patient, accelerating its recovery and growth.

This method consumed a great deal, and its efficiency was not one hundred percent, but it was currently the only way to quickly raise the Spiritual Vein's grade. The core Materials needed to set up this Formation, and the massive amount of Spirit Stones required to drive it, all needed to be obtained from the outside world.

"Yin Bao," Lin Feng called softly.

A silver flash, and the Treasure Seeking Rat appeared in his palm, holding half a fire pattern pepper, tilting its head to look at him.

Yin Bao—the name Lin Feng gave the Treasure Seeking Rat.

"I'm leaving the island for a trip, short as a few months, long as a year. The spiritual fields on the island are entrusted to your care."

Lin Feng took out a specially made jade token, on which simple control Restrictions were carved, capable of opening and closing the protective Formation around the spiritual fields. "If there's an emergency, or if the spiritual plants show any abnormalities, crush this jade token, and I will sense it. Remember, do not be greedy and ruin your Foundation, or I will cut off your spiritual fruits when I return!"

Upon hearing "cut off spiritual fruits," the Treasure Seeking Rat's small head shook like a rattle-drum. It quickly took the jade token and hugged it, then pointed towards the spiritual fields, patted its small chest, and squeaked, looking arrogant, as if saying, "Leave it to your rat master."

Lin Feng smiled and rubbed its small head. He checked and reinforced the Formations inside and outside the Immortal Cave, especially the protection of the core Spiritual Spring area.

He categorized and packed the massive amount of Yao Beast Materials accumulated over the years from the Qi Refining Late Stage and Foundation Establishment Stage, including some Benlei Beast Materials.

Large quantities of mature spiritual fruits, including many azure jade spiritual peaches, fire pattern peppers, frigid mist grass, jade marrow mushrooms, a small amount of crimson flame jujube pears, and high-quality jade emperor honey, were packed into several large Storage Pouches and jade boxes.

Three second-tier Talismans were kept close to his body.

Standing at the edge of Xuanlei Island, looking back at the spiritual fields and Immortal Cave protected by layers of Formations, Lin Feng took a deep breath.

The thousand illusions mask silently covered his face, transforming him into an ordinary-looking, steady-auraed middle-aged Cultivator in gray robes.

He summoned the Moon Shuttle, now fully repaired, which transformed into a low-key silver light, and plunged resolutely into the terrifying, eternally roaring thunder storm Formation that separated the inside from the outside.