Cultivation Starting from Full Talent

Field 77 was bustling once again.

Ning Daoran had opened up a cultivation area on the first underground level, where he sowed the low-level spiritual medicines he had purchased from the market, including Yan Ling Grass and Blood Transformation Ginseng, planting them all.

Although these herbs were the least conspicuous among the known spiritual medicines in the Cultivation World, even growing by the roadside where people might not bother to harvest them, the effect of the Grass and Tree Holy Spirit changed things completely.

Under its influence, the low-level spiritual medicines swiftly grew into aged spiritual medicines, and their value would be completely different.

For example, Yan Ling Grass of several years, or even decades, was not rare or particularly useful, but once the age of Yan Ling Grass reached over five hundred years, its value would skyrocket!

Five-hundred-year-old Yan Ling Grass could be used to concoct the legendary Solid Color Pill, a spirit pill that could preserve a cultivator's youth, highly sought after among female cultivators.

Additionally, when the age of Yan Ling Grass reached five hundred years, it could also serve as one of the main ingredients for the Second-level Elixir, Heavenly Net Pill, which could enhance the cultivation of Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, making it unimaginably precious.

The other spiritual medicines were similar, fifty-year-old Spirit Stream Grass could be used to refine Spirit Nourishing Pills, and one-hundred-year-old Blood Transformation Ginseng could be used to concoct Blood Strengthening Pills, both essential treasures for advancing the cultivation of Qi Refinement Stage practitioners.

With the fifty-fold growth speed provided by the Grass and Tree Holy Spirit, ripening these spiritual medicines took only a few years!

"Phew..."

Underground, holding the Spiritual Hoe, Ning Daoran took a deep breath, knowing he held a tremendous opportunity in his hands. As long as he could maintain stability, prospering from cultivating Spirit Plants alone was feasible, thus he had to be even more cautious and careful.

To evade high-level cultivators' Divine Sense searches, he had built the spiritual medicine garden underground, adopting a "funnel-style" lighting design. From the surface, one could only see mound-like protrusions resembling ant nests, and no one would suspect that so many spiritual medicines were cultivated underground.

Several days later, a pile of spiritual medicines began to root and sprout, thriving robustly from the First-tier top-grade spiritual veins at Qiongbi Peak, creating a lush greenery.

Ning Daoran watched it, feeling extremely pleased.

…

Yet, he still felt that the safety index of his and Big Stupid Deer's cultivation journey was not high enough, needing strengthened defenses around the small courtyard.

Consequently, utilizing his talent for Commanding All Beasts, Ning Daoran "recruited" twenty Double-eyed Spiders around Field 77, commanding these spiders to weave their webs and catch bugs inconspicuously. Any slight movements would immediately create a reaction with their master.

He also tamed twenty sparrows, tasking them with patrolling the entirety of Qiongbi Peak and even half of the Chaotic Sect. Similarly, any disturbance would immediately induce a response.

Feeling that this still wasn't enough, Ning Daoran tamed a few ant queens, commanding them to monitor the underground situation of Qiongbi Peak and much of the Chaotic Sect.

These ants built their nests everywhere, having a complete grasp of the underground.

After completing these measures, Ning Daoran in the room twenty zhang deep underground finally breathed a sigh of relief; he finally felt a trace of security.

…

One clear morning,

Ning Daoran took his Spiritual Hoe and went out with Big Stupid Deer, weeding the Spirit Field as usual.

On the ridge, Old Lu puffed on his dry pipe, seemingly unconcerned despite the weeds flourishing and the rice seedlings sparse.

At that moment, Xin Yan approached with a somewhat solemn expression.

"Fellow Daoist Xin, is something the matter?"

Ning Daoran was feeding Big Stupid Deer the weeds he had just uprooted.

"Indeed, there is something, but it's not about me, it's about your Field 77. You remember Old Sun who used to take care of this field, right? He has had an accident."

"Senior Brother Sun…"

Ning Daoran shivered slightly, "Wasn't he retiring to become a rich landlord?"

"Yes, but he never made it home."

Xin Yan said, "I just received news that someone found Old Sun's remains in a hollow on the southwestern side of the Yellow Dragon Mountain Range, dead for quite some time now, reportedly... killed by a Foundation Establishment Stage Robbery Cultivator."

"A Foundation Establishment Stage Robbery Cultivator…"

Ning Daoran, recalling Old Sun's kindly and pleasant appearance, could not help but feel a tightening in his heart, "What's his name?"

"Transcendent Niu Mo."

Xin Yan frowned, "This man is a nomadic Loose Cultivator within Shanyang County's borders, frequently targeting Qi Refinement Stage practitioners from various sects. Since he has no fixed abode, the sects are unable to deal with him."

Old Lu sighed deeply, "I was acquainted with Brother Sun for many years, and to think such a good man couldn't meet a good end… These damned Robbery Cultivators are truly the locusts of the Cultivation World!"

Ning Daoran remained silent, secretly noting the name Transcendent Niu Mo in his notebook.

When he was strong enough to easily eliminate him, then it would just be a matter of acting on it.

…

As spring departed and winter arrived, another year passed in the blink of an eye.

That year, Ning Daoran turned twenty-two, having accumulated over ten thousand years of refined cultivation time.

One morning, waking up in the secret chamber twenty zhang deep underground, he took a deep breath, his accumulated refined cultivation time now sufficient, ready to attempt advancing to the next stage of the Body Tempering Technique!

Whether there was a realm beyond perfection would be determined by today's results.

He sat cross-legged, slowly closed his eyes, and channeled the refined cultivation time into his cultivation practice.

"In the first year, as you stared helplessly at the already perfected Body Tempering Technique, it felt like you were admiring an already flawless piece of craftsmanship—any effort to polish it seemed utterly superfluous."

"In the hundred and thirtieth year, the bottleneck of the Body Tempering Technique showed no signs of loosening, making all your efforts seem futile."

"In the two thousand six hundredth year, the nation you lived in had changed dynasties several dozens of times, yet your Body Tempering Technique remained unchanged, still the same as always."

"You began to feel despondent, blaming your own qualifications for cultivation. With your level of talent, you felt that you didn't even belong in the world of cultivation."

"In the sixth thousand four hundred and fifty-third year, you sat withered in the courtyard, watching ginkgo leaves flutter down, and suddenly, a slight crack appeared in your state of mind—but it vanished in an instant, nowhere to be found."

"In the ten thousand three hundredth year, your aged self suddenly stood up from the courtyard. You finally caught a glimpse of that spirit light. Suddenly, your body began to revive and returned to its youthful form."

"Qi Blood Thirty-Six Transitions"

"Body Tempering Technique. Lower Grade Yellow (Transformation Realm)"

"Qi Refinement Realm (Sixth Level)"

"Time left for intensive refining: 2,214 years"

"..."

"Hu..."

Ning Daoran suddenly woke from his cultivation, immediately feeling intense changes happening in his body, with crackling sounds from his bones in his arms and all over his body, and his blood Qi boiling under his skin, turning his whole body fiery red.

At that moment, vast spiritual power erupted from deep within his body, enveloping him completely, forming dense layers of Protective Spirit Mastery all over.

This was genuinely comprehensive protection. Ning Daoran looked down and saw that even the weakest spots were covered in fine Spirit Mastery, exuding an invincible aura.

"Is this the next realm after achieving perfection in the Body Tempering Technique?"

Ning Daoran was ecstatic. The aura the Body Tempering Technique emitted was extraordinary, no longer resembling a Lower Grade Yellow cultivation technique; even calling it Dark Rank top wouldn't raise doubts.

Perhaps, when a martial technique refines into the Transformation Realm, it is no longer confined by its original grade, which was easy to understand.

Above perfection lies the Transformation Realm, and now it was confirmed.

However, he felt a bit melancholic about how much time he had spent on intensive refining; it had taken him more than ten thousand years to refine the Body Tempering Technique from perfection to the Transformation Realm. What kind of divine comprehension was this?

He blushed with a trace of embarrassment.

With the Body Tempering Technique reaching the Transformation Realm, his foundational cultivation had a breakthrough from Qi Refining Fifth Layer to Qi Refining Sixth Layer, and the foundation of this Sixth Layer was incredibly solid, already at the peak.

In other words, Qi Refining Sixth Layer Perfection, or one could say, half-step Late Stage Qi Refining—either term would be applicable.

Ning Daoran took a deep breath. With the Body Tempering Technique training temporarily concluded, the next realm would likely take even longer; he wouldn't dare attempt it without accumulating forty to fifty thousand years of intensive refining.

Calming his mind, he used the Concealing Breath Technique to lock his outward cultivation level at Qi Refinement Third Layer.

The logic behind no breakthroughs within a year for a ninth-grade Mixed Spirit Root Outer Disciple Spirit Farmer was sound.

"..."

"Junior Brother Ning!"

At that moment, a long-missed voice came from outside—Inner Sect Senior Brother Lin Sheng!

"Old Lu, receive the guest!"

Ning Daoran immediately communicated with Big Stupid Deer using the Spirit Beast Contract.

Soon after, he swiftly climbed the hanging ladder in the basement like a monkey, and quickly reached the surface, stepping out from the small courtyard house.

Lin Sheng walked in carrying wine and roasted chicken, steaming hot.

"Yo!"

His gaze wandered as usual, eventually landing on Ning Daoran's figure: "I knew that you, Junior Brother Ning, couldn't possibly break through the Early Stage of Qi Refining within a year. Naturally, this isn't your fault. You are a Ninth Grade Mixed Spirit Root; you simply cannot compare to a genius with a Sixth Grade Dual Spirit Root like myself."

Ning Daoran grinned: "Senior Brother Lin, let's not joke about this kind of thing; I do have my pride, you know!"

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about that."

Lin Sheng sat down on a chair, placed the meat and wine down, lightly slapped his Storage Bag, and pulled out a bottle of elixir: "Here's a Spirit Nourishing Pill. Although it's slightly below genuine quality, it will definitely help with your breakthrough."

Ning Daoran's heart stirred. He knew about the Spirit Nourishing Pill; it greatly benefited the early and mid-stages of the Qi Refinement Realm. This type of elixir was highly sought after in various major sects, commanding a high price.

"Senior Brother, what is this?"

"Haha, I can't fool your eyes."

Lin Sheng sat with great panache in front of the small table, patting his chest and pointing backward with his thumb held upright: "I recently completed a highly dangerous task, killing three Demon Path disciples in the process, and received a reward from the Inner Sect, and this Spirit Nourishing Pill is one of the items!"

"Additionally, I have some good news for you, my True Yang Furnace Technique has made a significant breakthrough and is about to reach Small Accomplishment!"

"That really calls for congratulations, Senior Brother!"

Ning Daoran, unreservedly thanked him and took the Spirit Nourishing Pill: "Thank you, Senior Brother. I will gladly accept this!"

"Don't mention it, just take it."

Lin Sheng tilted his head, looking at Big Stupid Deer who was staring wide-eyed at the scene and mimicked Ning Daoran's gesture, lifting his right fist and pointing behind with his thumb: "Junior Brother Lu, go fry us a couple of dishes!"