Parting with Liu Yu, Ji An returned to the bamboo tower.
He picked up the wood carving, pondering when to ask Liang Hill for some fish swim bladder glue. This stuff is remarkably effective for bonding woodwork.
The wood carving was made from Silver Leaf Pine, glued together from two pieces of wood, using just ordinary tree resin.
Silver Leaf Pine is a relatively common material; Ji An had seen a few trees while condensing Wood Element Beads.
Instinctively, he held the wood carving up to his eyes, slightly startled, then walked out of the bamboo tower to place the carving in the sunlight.
Light penetrated through the holes, and Ji An noticed a distinct difference in color at the center of the carving, as if it was a compartment filled with something.
There's something hidden inside!
Ji An's heart leapt with joy, could it be a treasure map or something?! That would be fantastic.
The wood carving was hand-carved by his father; if something was inside, his father must have placed it there.
With this thought in mind, Ji An immediately cast a spell, unleashing the Flame Fire Spell.
This magic technique could produce a certain degree of heat, just perfect for softening the resin bonding the wood carving.
Since the temperature wasn't high, it wouldn't ignite the paper, hence wouldn't burn the wood or what's inside.
After casting the spell twice, Ji An gripped the wood carving and forced it apart:
"Open!"
"Crack," the wood carving split in two, revealing a neatly folded piece of beast hide, with a hole torn in the center.
Damn, I hope the crucial information isn't damaged.
Ji An prayed, exhaling a breath, and slowly opened the beast hide.
He understood why his father didn't use a Jade Slip to record information. Jade Slips have faint spiritual power fluctuations.
Cultivators in the Qi Refining Stage might not sense it, but those at the Foundation Establishment Stage might.
After repeatedly confirming he had memorized the contents on the beast hide, Ji An walked to the kitchen and burned the hide.
The beast hide detailed the secret technique for nurturing Treasure-Seeking Rats. There are two types, the first called Spirit-Seeking Rat, used to search for spirit medicines, and the second called Mineral-Seeking Rat, used to find mineral veins.
His father had cultivated Spirit-Seeking Rats, as it was meaningless for a Loose Cultivator to nurture Mineral-Seeking Rats.
Though some characters had been erased by magic, the crucial information remained intact, allowing Ji An to deduce the secret technique.
The secret technique was incomplete and could only nurture the Treasure-Seeking Rats to the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, but such a technique is a treasure for a Loose Cultivator.
Maybe his father had the intention to establish a family; using these things well could cultivate a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, making the secret technique the family legacy.
If he had obtained the secret technique upon first entering the sect, Ji An would likely have sold it to Zhang Yuanshan and others, but now, he wouldn't be so hasty.
Firstly, the value of the secret technique was uncertain, hard to sell for a good price; secondly, having passed the toughest times, he could now use the technique for a long-term business.
After destroying the secret technique, Ji An went out to cut a Silver Leaf Pine branch as thick as an arm, leaving it outside the fence to dry; the wood carving still needed repair.
...
The Spirit Grain was harvested crop after crop, and half a year passed in a flash.
The cold moon silently slanted over the bamboo tower.
Ji An sat cross-legged on the meditation mat, guiding his magical power according to the cultivation technique to repeatedly impact the bottleneck.
After using only two bottles of pills obtained from Wei Songnian, he felt he had hit a bottleneck.
Though not particularly gifted, he compensated by pouring resources into pills and Spirit Rice, causing him to face breakthrough challenges earlier than most ordinary disciples of his cohort.
Thanks to Liu Yu's advice, he did not rush the breakthrough, instead persistently using his own magical power to attack the bottleneck repeatedly.
Four months of gradual erosion had loosened this bottleneck.
Moreover, within his body, two more inch-long branches of the Immortal Vein developed, marking a subtle improvement in his own aptitude, an unexpected delight.
His magical power slowly depleted, finally impeded from gathering enough magical power to impact the bottleneck again.
Ji An ended his cultivation but had an excited glint in his eyes; he had a feeling that the time for a breakthrough was tonight!
Taking a brief break to nurture his spirit.
He pulled out a Jade Bottle, pouring out a cyan pill.
This was a Jade Pill gifted to him by Wei Songnian, a pill used by Mid-stage Qi Refining disciples to increase their magical power.
Using it at the Third-Layer Qi Refining was wasteful, but perfect for refining magical power to break through the Mid-stage Qi Refining bottleneck.
Sitting cross-legged once more on the meditation mat, Ji An looked up and swallowed the pill, beginning to cultivate the Qingyuan Scripture.
The Jade Pill was much more potent than the Yellow Bud Pill; as the cultivation technique circulated, the spiritual power within the pill rapidly refined.
Due to limited capacity, a considerable amount of spiritual power seeped out through his pores, regrettably wasted.
Magical power converged into waves; as one subsided, another surged, how could the loosened bottleneck withstand!
In no time, with another influx of magical power tides, the Qi Sea Acupoint abruptly expanded slightly.
Magical power flowed entirely into the Dantian, followed by a stream of magical power with a different texture from the Early-stage Qi Refining gushing into the Immortal Vein.
Ji An immediately noticed the Immortal Vein slightly thickening with the influx of new magical power.
At the same time, three more inch-long branches were developed.
His body instantly felt a sense of lightness, akin to shedding winter clothes at the advent of spring.
Also like having consumed a robust tonic, warmth spread through his internal organs.
His bones lightly resonated, and a stream of heat rose from his tailbone to his waist.
After refining the remaining medicinal power of the pill, Ji An opened his eyes.
For a moment, the dimly lit room was vividly detailed in his eyes.
Clenching his more powerful fists, Ji An softly murmured:
"After a year, I've reached the Qi Refining Fourth Level.
Far inferior to those geniuses, but I have my own rhythm."
His mind sank into the Qi Sea, connecting with the Upper Stone Turtle.
[Master: Ji An]
[Dao Rhyme: 0]
[Spiritual Mechanism: Kan Spirit 0.3, Kun Spirit 0.2, Xun Spirit 0.1]
[Magic Technique: Small Cloud Rain Technique (Great Success 81%)
Thick Earth Technique (Great Success 50%)
Life and Death Technique (Great Success 15%)
Flame Fire Spell (Mastery 38%)
Sharp Gold Technique (Minor Achievement 21%)]
Half a year of cultivation in solitude, and the Small Cloud Rain Technique was close to Perfection; Ji An was confident of fully mastering the technique to the Perfection Level within three months, before the next Spirit Grain harvest.
It's said that the fastest record in the sect for mastering a planting technique to Perfection was set centuries ago by a Spirit Farmer named Yang Decao.
Entering the sect at twenty-six and reaching Perfection in the Thick Earth Technique at forty-two.
This elder's tale is legendary; reaching each advancement to the Mid-stage Qi Refining, Late-stage Qi Refining, and Foundation Establishment precisely.
Ultimately, losing divine fortune, unfortunately dying while impacting the Chao Origin Stage, marking the highest level reached by a sect's Spirit Farmer.
Ji An pushed open the window, gazing at the white jade disc high above, exhaling slowly.
A year unknowingly passed since coming to this world; those profound memories believed unforgettable gradually faded in the persistent focus.
Now, he had truly integrated into this world, a foreign land becoming a homeland.
Outside the small building, cool breezes blew, leaves rustled.
Moonlight shone over the garden, revealing jade-like cucumbers beneath the green leaves.