Qi Ping discovered that after he explained the methodology of improvement to Yaya, the crow's eyes lit up with excitement and brilliance, as if it had discovered a hidden treasure. It immediately went to cultivate, unable to wait a moment longer. At this time, Qi Ping did not yet know that Yaya's cultivation speed would increase drastically after this. He knew it would get faster, but he never imagined it would be to such a staggering degree.
As for a unique entity like the little Stone Spirit, Qi Ping was still unsure how to nurture it. Currently, he only knew that the bottlenecks for such creatures were much smaller than those of normal spirit beasts, provided there were enough mineral resources. For now, with the Ghost-Iron Tree and the spirit vein present, it was enough for the little Stone Spirit to undergo a wave of improvement.
After setting up the nurturing plans for his animal companions, Qi Ping devoted himself entirely to the study of spells. Spells suitable for spirit trees to learn were his most important research targets. His time was split between nurturing the spirit woods and the spirit vein, with almost all remaining hours poured into magical research.
Half a year later.
Within Qi Ping's territory in the Cloud-Mist Mountain Range.
After more than six months of hard work, the four spirit trees—the Sun-Blaze Wood, Moon-Glow Tree, Star-Dust Wood, and Ghost-Iron Tree—had grown quite tall. Coupled with the enhancement of the spirit vein and the effects of the Star-Dust Wood's Spirit-Gathering Art, the spiritual energy within the territory had become exceptionally dense. This environment might be slightly insufficient for the cultivation of a Foundation Establishment master, but for Rank 1 bees and spirit plants, it was paradise. Even other Rank 1 spirit lands in the Cloud-Mist Mountain Range could not reach such density!
Because Qi Ping's arrays locked every sliver of spiritual energy within his territory, while the quality might still be a distance away from Rank 2, the quantity was more than abundant. Under this rich energy, the spirit herbs and flora grew with extreme vigor. Here, almost every step revealed flowers and herbs emitting unique fragrances; the air was thick with the scent of blossoms and faint medicinal aromas.
The bees almost never stopped collecting various spirit medicines and pollen. Since Qi Ping had nurtured the Apothecary Bees—a Rank 2 species—the bees responsible for collection had suffered quite a bit. Their usual collection and classification tasks suddenly gained many requirements. Different herbs demanded different methods of harvesting and processing, all for the convenience of the Apothecary Bees' research!
In a corner of this bustling scene, Qi Ping was focused on studying the various spells he had collected. A mountain of cultivation knowledge, manuals, techniques, foundational spells, and jade slips was piled high! Some were spoils of war, while others had been procured through Meng Yan. Qi Ping was unwilling to let a single scrap of this knowledge go!
Under the terrifying comprehension granted by his Tri-Color Spirit talent and powerful soul, Qi Ping's depth of magical knowledge grew day by day over the past half-year. If his current foundation was compared to a distinguished scholar, his previous understanding would have been like that of a child who had only just learned to recognize words.
In these six months, his understanding of cultivation had ascended by several tiers. He was certain that the insights he had gained in the past seven or eight years were not even a tenth of what he had achieved in this half-year.
After spending a full day studying a manual, Qi Ping began his trial. He lightly lifted a finger, and sharp, gold-attribute sword-fingers shot out at a terrifying speed! Then, with a flip of his palm, a wooden spirit shield radiating a sense of tenacity formed before him. From perception alone, one could feel the staggering defensive power of this shield.
With a wave of his hand, Qi Ping dispersed the shield and tapped the air. Clouds of spiritual energy instantly gathered above the territory. Moments later, a spiritual rain enriched with energy fell precisely upon each flower and herb, demonstrating flawless control!
But it did not end there. As the rain ceased, fireballs even more terrifying than his previous Flameburst Fireballs instantly covered every corner of his surroundings. The intense heat and explosive force made the very space feel oppressive. Finally, after making the fireballs vanish, the ground suddenly vibrated. Solid earthen walls wrapped tightly around him in an instant. In the distance, earth spikes rose, accurately striking every target he had pre-set.
'Performing five-element spells in succession is no longer a burden.'
Thinking of the fluid, seamless casting he had just displayed, a sense of joy rose in his heart. After half a year, he had finally elevated his understanding and control of magic to this level! Common spells held no difficulty for him; he could cast five-element arts almost as easily as breathing. He could even pluck a leaf and transform it into a flying sword to shoot out and recall at will.
Of course, the power of spells cast so casually would not be exceptionally high. To reach a truly devastating level, one still needed a matching cultivation foundation and persistent practice. Just as Qi Ping's strongest spell remained his Flameburst Art, because he had perfected it and practiced it countless times, further bolstered by the Beast King's Flame, the Solar Fire Physique, and the Golden Flame Art, other attributes could hardly compare.
However, diversifying his means was only a secondary benefit. To Qi Ping, the most important thing was that he could now create spells! His current soul comprehension and knowledge base were enough to support the creation of many types of magic. If he were willing to put in the time, even more difficult cultivation manuals were not out of the question.
'From now on, techniques and manuals will no longer be my shackles!'
His excitement after completing this practice session was beyond words. He now possessed the qualifications to break the monopoly that the cultivation world held over manuals.
'From now on, no one can use techniques or spells to limit or control me!'
As long as he could obtain the most common manuals, Qi Ping was confident in drawing from a hundred different sources to create the technique that best suited him. Reaching the level of technique creation also provided a massive benefit: his ability to counter different spells and his adaptability in combat were now far beyond any ordinary cultivator who only practiced a few fixed sets of arts.
Qi Ping experienced a sudden epiphany. Reaching this level of understanding was likely what it meant to be a true cultivator!
'My research into techniques will pause here for now. Half a year has passed; it is time to arrange suitable spells for these four Rank 3 spirit trees!'