56: Chapter 56 New Functions in the Grotto Heaven: Spiritual Vein Feedback

When the morning light washed over the bluestone paths of Sunset Town, the rumbling of the last merchant caravan's carriage vanished at the end of the mountain trail.

Lin Yue stood on the threshing floor in front of the ancestral hall, gazing at the empty marketplace.

The wooden frames blackened by the Corrosive Bone Flame last night had been dismantled, and freshly cut pine wood was piled in the corner.

The scent of pine resin mixed with a faint Spiritual Qi, slowly permeating the air—

That was the timber prepared for rebuilding the exhibition stands, which he had quietly infused with a trace of Grotto-Heaven Spiritual Qi.

"Clan Chief, the inventory is complete!"

Lin Laosan walked over quickly, clutching a thick ledger. Ink stains marked the cuffs of his hemp shirt, and the excitement on his face was impossible to hide.

"During the Mineral Exhibition Fair, including the ransom from Black Stone City, we've taken in a total of 153,700 Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

He spread the ledger open on the stone table, where dense rows of numbers were highlighted in cinnabar red:

72,000 from the sale of Radiant Crystal Magical Artifacts, 45,000 from Heart-Protecting Pills and qingling pills, and 11,000 from Spirit Stream Fish and Spiritual Plants.

5,000 from the Black Stone City ransom, plus site rentals and compensation balances from various merchants... The final summarized figure made the clan elders who crowded around to see the accounts gasp in shock.

"150,000..."

The Grand Elder tremulously stroked his beard.

"To think that back then, even if we sold all of Sunset Town's assets, we couldn't have scraped together even a fraction of this amount."

Lin Yue's fingertip traced the total count on the ledger, his gaze calm and steady.

He knew better than anyone that these Spirit Stones were merely the surface; what truly supported the rise of Sunset Town...

...was that World Tree growing wildly inside the Grotto-Heaven.

"Lin Laosan, take out 50,000 Spirit Stones."

Lin Yue closed the ledger, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Distribute 100 stones to every brother in the clan at the Qi Refinement Stage or above to be used for purchasing cultivation resources;"

"Give an extra 50 stones to the children in the Skill Transmission Room, and have Lin De prepare some Medicinal Pills for them to strengthen their Foundation and Cultivate their essence;"

"Hand the rest to the Grand Elder. For the clan's elderly and wounded, issue an additional 10 stones per person every month."

The clansmen immediately erupted in cheers, and even several composed clan elders had reddened eyes.

Lin Hu pressed the Radiant Crystal short blade at his waist, his voice choked with emotion:

"Clan Chief, the brothers... thank you!"

"This is what everyone deserves."

Lin Yue waved his hand, turning his gaze toward the back mountain.

"As for the remaining 100,000 Spirit Stones, I have other arrangements."

Although everyone was curious, no one dared to ask.

Their experiences over the past few days had made them understand that the Clan Chief always had considerations unknown to others...

...and these considerations ultimately protected Sunset Town.

Lin Laosan packed the 50,000 Spirit Stones into dozens of pouches, which were collected by the heads of each household. Soon, only Lin Yue and a few core clansmen remained on the threshing floor.

"Lin Shi, the repairs to the Town Protecting Array cannot stop. If you lack any Ore, go to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion or the Black Stone Chamber of Commerce to buy them; put it on the account."

Lin Yue instructed.

"Lin Hu, the Sharp Soldiers Camp must continue to strengthen patrols, especially toward the back mountain. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to approach."

"Yes!"

The two responded in unison.

After everyone had dispersed, Lin Yue carried the heavy bags of Spirit Stones toward the back mountain.

100,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones filled two large wooden chests. Spiritual power fluctuations leaked through the gaps in the chests, condensing into a faint white mist in the morning fog—

Such a massive amount of Spiritual Qi was enough to drive any Cultivator mad, yet it was merely the "nourishment" he had prepared for the Grotto-Heaven.

Walking deep into the bamboo grove, Lin Yue placed the wooden chests on the ground and sank his consciousness into the Grotto-Heaven.

In an instant, the surrounding scenery changed drastically. Dense Spiritual Qi rushed toward him, a hundred times purer than the outside world.

[Primary Grotto-Heaven (Rank: 6)]

[Spiritual Qi Concentration: 161 (Outside ordinary environment is 1)]

[Grotto-Heaven Continent: Expanding (Area 34.8 square kilometers)]

[Spirit Fields: Fused into the eastern plains of the continent (Spiritual Qi concentration increased to 1.8 times that of the original High Grade Spirit Fields, automatically nurturing Low Grade Spiritual Plants)]

[Spirit River: Daily production of 310 liters of spirit river water (Spiritual Qi content is 5.5 times that of the original spirit spring water, can slightly improve a Cultivator's Comprehension Ability)]

[Spiritual Veins: companion spirit iron ore vein (Daily production 80 catties, quality improved to High Grade, maturation cycle of companion Spiritual Plants shortened by 30%);]

[Medium Grade Spirit Stone Ore Vein (Daily production 45 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, 15% chance to produce Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, 5% chance to produce High-Grade Spirit Stones);]

[dragon pattern jade ore vein (Located in the central mountain range of the continent, daily production 3 catties, can nourish the Divine Soul and repair Spiritual Roots)]

[Core Lifeform: world tree sapling (Fused with Dragon Soul fragments, entered rapid growth phase)]

[Chaos Spirit Absorption: Led by the world tree sapling, converts 80 points of Chaos Spiritual Qi daily (Can be used to upgrade facilities within the Grotto-Heaven and unlock new functions)]

[Status: Stable (The dragon pattern jade ore vein is resonating with other Spiritual Veins)]

The branches and leaves of the World Tree had already stretched to ten zhang high, with gold-red spiritual patterns spreading across the canopy like veins.

Twenty-one Foundation Establishment Cultivators were bound around the trunk by Spiritual Vein chains, with a total output stable at 190 points/day.

The Spirit Marrow Crystal condensed at the roots was now the size of a fist, glowing with a soft, milky-white luster.

"Clan Leader Lin."

The "Tall, Thin Cultivator" was the first to sense his presence, his voice filled with surprise.

"This morning, all the High Grade Spiritual Plants in the Spirit Fields have matured. The Spiritual Qi is so thick it's almost solid!"

Lin Yue walked to the edge of the Spirit Fields and indeed saw three-foot-tall Spiritual Plants that had sprouted golden flower spikes, the spiritual patterns on their leaves flowing like living things.

He plucked a Spiritual Plant and found that the World Tree rootlets entwined around its roots were actually as thick as a finger.

The stems, saturated with Spiritual Qi, glowed with a faint golden light—

This was already the quality of a Medium Grade Spiritual Plant, purer than those cultivated for three years in the outside world.

"Have the Puppets harvest them and give them to Lin De for Alchemy."

Lin Yue said to the "Tall, Thin Cultivator," turning his gaze toward the Spirit Marrow Spring.

The companion spirit insects around the spring eye had multiplied to several thousand, and the spirit river water had risen to three feet deep.

A school of Spirit Stream Fish swam in the water, the golden light on their bellies forming a single shimmer. Occasionally, they leapt from the water, the splashes they kicked up enveloped in Spiritual Qi.

He walked to the World Tree and moved the two wooden chests into the Grotto-Heaven.

The moment he opened the lids, the Spiritual Qi from the 100,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones surged out like a tide.

The branches and leaves of the World Tree immediately trembled violently, and the gold-red spiritual patterns spread frantically, coiling toward the pile of Spirit Stones like greedy tentacles.

"Buzz—"

A low hum echoed through the Grotto-Heaven, and the spiritual power output of the twenty-one Foundation Establishment Cultivators suddenly skyrocketed.

The Black-Robed Sub-division Leader's output even reached 40 points/day, and the runes on the chains glowed blindingly bright.

The pile of Spirit Stones shriveled at a visible rate, turning into pure Spiritual Qi absorbed by the World Tree.

The trunk grew thicker at a rate of an inch every few breaths, and the branches and leaves spread toward the Grotto-Heaven's boundaries. The originally blurry boundary light membrane was torn by spiritual patterns, revealing the chaotic Void Realm outside.

"It's expanding!"

The "Tall, Thin Cultivator" cried out in shock.

Lin Yue watched the changes in the Grotto-Heaven closely as the data stream before his eyes began to jump rapidly:

[Primary Grotto-Heaven (Rank: 7)]

[Spiritual Qi Concentration: 300 (Outside ordinary environment is 1)]

[Grotto-Heaven Continent: Expansion complete (Area 50 square kilometers)]

[Spirit Fields: Expanded to the eastern plains and southern hills of the continent (Spiritual Qi concentration increased to 3 times that of the original High Grade Spirit Fields, automatically nurturing Medium Grade Spiritual Plants, companion spirit insects can accelerate growth by 50%)]

[Spirit River: Daily production of 800 liters of spirit river water (Spiritual Qi content is 8 times that of the original spirit spring water, can significantly improve a Cultivator's Comprehension Ability, contains trace amounts of Spirit Marrow Crystal powder)]

[Spiritual Veins: companion spirit iron ore vein (Daily production 150 catties, quality improved to Top Grade, maturation cycle of companion Spiritual Plants shortened by 50%);]

[High-Rank Spirit Stone Ore Vein (Daily production 80 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, 30% chance to produce Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, 10% chance to produce High-Grade Spirit Stones);]

[dragon pattern jade ore vein (Daily production 8 catties, contains Dragon Soul aura, can significantly nourish the Divine Soul and slowly repair Spiritual Roots);]

[New: mysterious iron mother ore vein (Located in the western mountain range of the continent, daily production 50 catties, can be used to refine defensive Treasure Artifacts)]

[Core Lifeform: World Tree (Fused with Dragon Soul fragments, entered Early Stage of Maturity)]

[Chaos Spirit Absorption: Led by the World Tree, converts 150 points of Chaos Spiritual Qi daily (Can be used to upgrade facilities within the Grotto-Heaven and unlock new functions)]

[New Functions: Spiritual Vein Feedback (Can export 10% of Grotto-Heaven Spiritual Qi to designated outside areas); Spiritual Plant Acceleration (Consumes Chaos Spiritual Qi to instantly ripen Spiritual Plants)]

[Status: Stable (Various Spiritual Veins have formed a Spiritual Vein network, accelerating Spiritual Qi circulation)]

The Grotto-Heaven's space had expanded to fifty square kilometers, with several branch ranges extending from the central mountains.

New Spiritual Veins were revealed under the wash of spiritual patterns; the purple-black glowing mysterious iron mother and lustrous white dragon pattern jade piled up like small hills.

The area of the Spirit Fields doubled, and companion spirit insects flew toward the newly opened land with Spiritual Plant seeds, which took root and sprouted the moment they landed.

The eye of the Spirit Marrow Spring expanded to the size of a well, with the gushing spring water carrying golden spiritual patterns.

After flowing into the Spirit River, it increased the river's Spiritual Qi concentration by thirty percent, and even the pebbles at the bottom were stained with faint golden patterns.

"Crack—"

A crisp sound came from the main trunk of the World Tree, and the gold-red spiritual patterns that originally covered the trunk suddenly lit up.

They condensed into a large character for "Seven" on the trunk before merging into the tree's body.

In an instant, the Spiritual Qi concentration of the entire Grotto-Heaven tripled.

The spiritual power output of the twenty-one Foundation Establishment Cultivators jumped to 250 points/day.

The Spirit Marrow Crystal at the roots burst with a ball of white light, turning into pure spiritual power that merged into Lin Yue's body.

Lin Yue felt the surging spiritual power within him. The Dantian's Qi vortex spun violently, and the Bottleneck originally stuck at the Middle Foundation Establishment Stage actually loosened a bit as the spiritual power circulated continuously through his Meridians.

Carrying the spiritual patterns of the World Tree, it cleansed every inch of his flesh—

He tried to activate the "Spiritual Vein Feedback" function, guiding a trace of World Tree Spiritual Qi through the Grotto-Heaven barrier.

In the bamboo grove on the back mountain, several stalks of bamboo near the edge suddenly made "crackling" sounds.

They grew half a foot taller at a visible rate, and faint spiritual patterns actually appeared on the bamboo joints—

The Spiritual Vein Feedback had taken effect!

"This mysterious iron mother..."

Lin Yue walked to the new Spiritual Vein. A Miner Puppet was dragging out a piece of mysterious iron mother half the height of a person, its entire body glowing with a purple-black luster.

The silver patterns on its surface flowed with spiritual energy.

"It's enough to refine a heart-protecting mirror for everyone in the Sharp Soldiers Camp."

By the Spirit River, new Spiritual Plant seeds sprouted under the nourishment of Spiritual Qi; they were actually "condensing qi flowers" that could be used to refine qi condensing pills.

The number of Spirit Stream Fish increased to several hundred. On several of the larger fish, rice-grain-sized spirit pearls had actually condensed on their bellies, with Spiritual Qi fluctuations even denser than Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

When the last Spirit Stone turned to ash, the World Tree had grown to twenty zhang high.

Its canopy covered nearly half the Grotto-Heaven, and the gold-red spiritual patterns flowed in the sunlight, reflecting the entire Grotto-Heaven like a world of colored glaze.

The spiritual power output of the twenty-one Foundation Establishment Cultivators stabilized at 250 points/day.

The newly condensed Spirit Marrow Crystals at the roots shimmered with a seven-colored halo, already possessing the quality of High Grade Spirit Marrow Crystals.

"Clan Chief, these Blood Shadow Guards..."

The "Tall, Thin Cultivator" looked at the pale Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Although they had lost quite a bit of spiritual power from the Spiritual Qi impact, the malevolence in their eyes had faded significantly.

"Their use is not yet over."

Lin Yue said calmly.

"When the Grotto-Heaven upgrades again, perhaps we can completely wash away the blood fiend from their bodies."

When he left the Grotto-Heaven, the morning mist had already dispersed.

Lin Yue stood in the bamboo grove, looking at the bamboo nourished by the Spiritual Vein Feedback, and couldn't help but smile.

100,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones had brought about the leap to the seventh Rank of the Grotto-Heaven and established the true Foundation for Sunset Town. This deal was more than worth it.

When he returned to Sunset Town, Lin De was leading apprentices in drying Spiritual Plants in front of the ancestral hall.

The Spiritual Plants just harvested from the Grotto-Heaven emitted a dense medicinal fragrance, causing passing clansmen to turn their heads.

Seeing Lin Yue approach, Lin De hurriedly to meet him:

"Clan Chief, the Spiritual Qi in these plants is too pure. The Medicinal Pills refined from them will be at least Medium Grade!"

"Refine fifty bottles and give them to the brothers in the Sharp Soldiers Camp who are about to break through."

Lin Yue said, his gaze sweeping over the busy clansmen on the threshing floor.

"Dry the remaining Spiritual Plants and store them away; they will be the trademark of our Sunset Town in the future."

Sunlight spilled over the rooftops of Sunset Town, and the newly laid bluestones reflected the white light.

The branches and leaves of the old locust tree in front of the ancestral hall stretched out, its new leaves nourished by the Spiritual Vein Feedback shimmering with a faint green glow.

Lin Yue stood in the center of the threshing floor, watching the busy figures of his clansmen.

He suddenly felt that the end of this Mineral Exhibition Fair was not a final chapter, but the prologue to the true rise of Sunset Town.