10: Chapter 10 A Century of Solitude, A Single Day of Qi Refining

[Su Qinghan had already successfully reached Core Formation, becoming one of the youngest Elders of the Azure Cloud Sect.]

[After this period of seclusion, she had a sudden whim to visit the Outer Sect where she had once cultivated.]

[To her surprise, as soon as she returned, she witnessed such a "splendid" drama.]

[A ninety-year-old new Disciple who had just reached the First Layer of Qi Refining used a textbook-level scamming technique to easily "extort" three older Disciples with higher cultivation than himself.]

[The entire process was as smooth as flowing water and floating clouds, completed in one go.]

[The acting, the lines, the expressions—it was simply pure perfection, reaching the absolute Peak.]

[If it weren't for her powerful Divine Sense, which allowed her to clearly perceive the rock-solid, undamaged Qi within Tang Xun's body, she might have been fooled as well.]

["This Tang Xun..."]

[The corners of Su Qinghan's mouth curled up slightly, uncontrollably.]

[She remembered the middle-aged man who had tried to sell her Chinese cabbage in the vegetable patch decades ago.]

[She remembered the "Night Runner" who had run past her like the wind under the moonlight.]

[She had always thought he was just a rather unique Mortal.]

[She never expected that he could actually step onto the Immortal Path at the ripe old age of ninety.]

[This, in itself, was a miracle.]

[And the first thing he did after stepping onto the Immortal Path wasn't consolidating his cultivation or learning Spells, but... scamming people?]

[Elder Su "Ice Mountain" Qinghan felt a crack appear in her heart, which had remained as still as a deep well for nearly a century.]

[She shook her head, finding it somewhat absurd, and turned into a streak of light, vanishing from the spot.]

[She decided it would be better to stay away from this "interesting" fellow.]

[Meanwhile, you were happily counting your spoils in your Immortal Cave.]

["Seventy-three Low-Grade Spirit Stones, three bottles of Rejuvenation Pills, two bottles of Qi Gathering Powder, and a stack of various low-grade Talismans..."]

[You sorted and stored the items, feeling like you had become rich overnight.]

[With this startup capital, your Spirit Medicine cultivation plan could officially begin.]

[You spent a few days using the "Earth Wall Technique" and "Sharp Metal Technique" to properly renovate your Immortal Cave.]

[You built a high earth wall around the Immortal Cave and even carved some simple warning runes on it.]

[Beside the Immortal Cave, you cleared a small Spirit Field and used the "Water Condensing Technique" to divert mountain spring water for irrigation.]

[Having finished all this, you headed to the Outer Sect market with your Spirit Stones.]

[You planned to buy some Spirit Medicine seeds.]

[The Outer Sect market wasn't large, but it was well-equipped with everything one might need.]

[Equipped with the "Affable and Amiable" trait, you strolled through the market looking like a harmless old grandfather.]

[Soon, you found a stall specializing in seeds and seedlings.]

[The stall owner was a shrewd-looking young man with a cultivation of Qi Refining Fourth Layer.]

["Senior, what would you like to buy? My seeds are the most complete in the entire Outer Sect!" the stall owner greeted warmly.]

["I'm just browsing," you said with a chuckle, squatting down in front of the stall to pick carefully.]

[Your goal was clear.]

[With your current low cultivation and limited funds, you couldn't afford or sustain those high-grade, delicate Spirit Medicine seeds.]

[What you were looking for were Grade One Spirit Medicines with strong vitality, short growth cycles, and a certain market demand.]

[Soon, your gaze locked onto a type of seed called "clear heart grass."]

[clear heart grass, a Grade One Spirit Medicine, is the main material for refining "Clear Heart Pills." Clear Heart Pills help Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators calm their minds and eliminate distracting thoughts, making them one of the most common auxiliary Medicinal Pills for low-level Cultivators.]

[This grass isn't demanding about its environment and matures in a single month, making it perfect for a novice like you.]

["Young man, how much for these clear heart grass seeds?" you asked, pointing to a bag of dusty-looking seeds.]

["Senior has a good eye!" The stall owner gave a thumbs up. "clear heart grass is a hard currency for us Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators! These seeds are one Low-Grade Spirit Stone for a bag of ten!"]

[You did some mental calculations.]

[One Spirit Stone for ten seeds; if they all survive, you'd harvest ten clear heart grasses in a month. A mature clear heart grass sells for about two Spirit Stones on the market.]

[Excluding costs, that's a net profit of nineteen Spirit Stones.]

[The profit was quite substantial!]

["Alright, give me ten bags," you said generously.]

["Coming right up!" The stall owner beamed and quickly packed ten bags for you.]

[You paid ten Spirit Stones and prepared to leave with the seeds, feeling satisfied.]

[Just then, out of the corner of your eye, you spotted an inconspicuous wooden box in the corner of the stall.]

[The box contained some dark, stone-like seeds covered in a layer of dust.]

["Young man, what seeds are these?" you asked curiously.]

[The stall owner glanced at them and curled his lip. "Oh, those. I don't know what they are. I found them in a cave while gathering herbs in the back mountains. They look like seeds, but I planted them for months with no reaction. They're probably dead. If you like them, Senior, I'll give you a few to play with."]

[You walked over and picked up a black seed.]

[The seed felt cold and hard, with some strange patterns on its surface.]

[The moment you touched it, the Life Simulator panel in your mind suddenly flickered slightly.]

[Your heart stirred.]

["Alright, then I won't be polite."]

[You grabbed a handful from the box—about a dozen seeds—and stuffed them into your pocket.]

[Back at the Immortal Cave, you first carefully planted the clear heart grass seeds into the Spirit Field you had cleared.]

[You equipped the long-dormant "Little Expert at Farming" trait and cast the "Accelerated Growth Technique" on the Spirit Field.]

[You felt that under the dual enhancement of the trait and the Spell, those seeds in the soil burst with vibrant life.]

[Only after finishing all this did you take out the handful of mysterious black seeds.]

[You planted them in the most inconspicuous corner of the Spirit Field and also cast the "Accelerated Growth Technique" on them.]

[However, unlike the clear heart grass, these black seeds showed no reaction.]

["Strange things."]

[You didn't care much; they were free anyway, and whether they grew or not was up to fate.]

[The following days were incredibly fulfilling.]

[During the day, you worked in the Spirit Field—weeding, watering, and casting the "Accelerated Growth Technique."]

[At night, you returned to the cave to meditate and Cultivate, consolidating your cultivation.]

[Under the enhancement of "Effort Will Be Rewarded," your cultivation steadily rose at an extremely slow but incredibly firm pace.]

[Your magical power also became increasingly condensed.]

[In the blink of an eye, ten years passed.]

[In the simulated life, you were already one hundred years old.]

[At one hundred years old, your cultivation had reached the First Layer of Qi Refining Peak.]

[Your Foundation was built incredibly solid. Your magical power within the Dantian, after being tempered a thousand times, had reached five times the purity and density of an ordinary First Layer of Qi Refining Cultivator!]

[During these ten years, you earned a large amount of Spirit Stones by growing clear heart grass.]

[Using these Spirit Stones, you bought more Spirit Medicine seeds, as well as some low-grade Formations and a Pill Furnace, and began attempting Alchemy yourself.]

[You had become a veritable spirit farmer and Alchemy apprentice.]

[You remained low-key, basically never leaving your Immortal Cave except to visit the market. Many in the Outer Sect had already forgotten that a "Senior" like you existed.]

[As for the black seeds planted in the corner, after ten years, there was still no movement.]

[You had almost given up on them.]

[One hundred and ten years old.]

[You felt that your time was truly coming to an end.]

[Although you had entered the Qi Refinement Stage and your Lifespan had extended, you had entered the Dao at the age of ninety, and your Foundation was already old.]

[The Lifespan added by the Qi Refinement Stage had a negligible effect on you.]

[You felt your life force slowly slipping away bit by bit.]

[One day, as usual, you were working in the Spirit Field.]

[When you habitually cast the "Accelerated Growth Technique" on that corner for the last time...]

[A change occurred.]

[A black seed suddenly cracked open a slit.]

[A faint, almost invisible golden light flashed from the crack.]

[You were stunned.]

[You walked over, crouched down, and looked closely at the cracked seed.]

[It... sprouted?]

[Just as you were filled with uncertainty and surprise, your life reached its end.]

[Your vision went dark, and your consciousness began to blur.]

[Before completely losing consciousness, you heard the cold prompt from the simulator.]

[You died.]

[This simulation has ended.]

[Simulation duration: Ninety-two years.]

[Final Evaluation: With a Mortal body, you defied fate and changed your destiny. Entering the Dao at ninety, through a century of solitude, you finally achieved Qi Refining. Your perseverance is respectable and admirable.]

[Calculating rewards...]

[Simulation ended, beginning inheritance!]

[Inheriting cultivation: First Layer of Qi Refining (Peak)! Magical power density: Five times!]

[Inheriting Cultivation Techniques: "Qi Guiding Art", "Detailed Explanation of Basic Spells"!]

[Inheriting memories: Ninety-two years of life experience and cultivation insights!]

[Inheriting all obtained traits!]

[...Inheritance complete!]

In the real world, inside that dilapidated woodshed of the Azure Cloud Sect.

Tang Xun suddenly opened his eyes!

Boom!

A massive and pure magical power exploded within his body, instantly washing through his entire being!

His body, weakened by hunger and beatings, recovered at a visible speed under the nourishment of this power.

The swelling on his face receded quickly, and the pain in his body vanished without a trace.

An unprecedented feeling of power filled his mind!

He slowly raised his hand and opened his palm.

With a thought.

"Puff!"

A fist-sized, incredibly solid orange-red fireball appeared out of thin air in his palm, emitting a scorching light that illuminated the dim woodshed as bright as day!

Feeling this real and undeniable power, a wild and hearty smile spread across Tang Xun's face.

"Wang Hao..."

"I'm back!"