Once the spells for the four Rank 3 spirit trees were etched, Qi Ping turned his primary attention to the study of arrays.
He never ceased nurturing the four trees with his Plant Growth skill. Aided by the power of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, their growth reduced their reliance on the spirit vein. This was the key to Qi Ping being able to use their tree essence to elevate the rank of the vein itself.
'For now, besides nurturing the woods, my main energy will be on array research.'
Regarding array manuals, Qi Ping had previously asked Meng Yan to purchase a foundational set for Rank 2 arrays. Due to a lack of spirit stones at the time, he had only requested the basics along with a few metal-attribute killing and defensive arrays.
Now, Qi Ping possessed the Golden Stone Physique, which granted him an exceptionally high affinity for the metal attribute. He estimated that comprehending the True Intent of Metal would only take a year or two. With both Metal and Fire intents as his foundation, he was confident he could set up multiple high-intensity Rank 2 killing and defensive arrays.
With such arrays protecting his territory, Qi Ping was confident he could slay even ten Foundation Establishment cultivators if they dared to besiege him. Only then would his home truly possess defensive capabilities.
'Beyond that, I must master the Golden Flame Art and the Sword-Taming Art to the level of Great Perfection.'
The Sword-Taming Art was the only Foundation Establishment level spell he currently owned, found in the storage bag of a slain cultivator. Although it was a sword art, the manipulation techniques were transferable. Qi Ping intended to use it as a base, combining it with Qi Refining level object-manipulation techniques to create a customized Ghost-Stone Armor-Taming Art for his Ghost-Stone Scale Armor. Once integrated with his metal-attribute killing arrays, his combat versatility would skyrocket.
Time slipped away unnoticed during cultivation; in the blink of an eye, five years had passed.
Aside from occasionally visiting Old Man Zhou for a drink, Qi Ping spent most of his time within his territory, peacefully cultivating and researching. He savored this life of farming and growth. No chaos or disturbances reached him. He farmed, raised bees, cultivated, and delved into the vast, mysterious laws of the world.
When he felt bored, he took his animal companions for walks through the Cloud-Mist Mountain Range or chatted with Old Man Zhou over wine. During these times, Qi Ping was often influenced by Old Man Zhou's detached attitude and refined state of mind. The old man was unbothered by external trifles yet remained deeply human.
With a jar of wine and a book, one could find true joy. Sometimes Qi Ping suspected the old man was about to attain some grand Dao, but in the next moment, he would see him as just an ordinary old man.
Over these five years, Qi Ping watched Old Man Zhou age. The aura of decay grew stronger with each passing day. Qi Ping wanted to find a way to extend the old man's life, but Old Man Zhou refused, asking him never to mention it again. Qi Ping could only respect his choice.
Living out his final years in peace was Old Man Zhou's only wish. Qi Ping had grown into a powerful cultivator and no longer needed the old man to worry about his future.
During this period, Qi Ping's territory underwent a total transformation.
The little Flower Spirit successfully reached Rank 2, and her physical form grew significantly, now reaching Qi Ping's waist. The spirit vein also successfully broke through to Rank 2.
However, the greatest change was the outside world. The war between the Qingyuan Sect and the other sects had finally ended! But the outcome was more tragic than anyone had anticipated. These details were relayed to Qi Ping through Meng Yan's communication talismans.
Year One: 'Brother Qi, it seems the war is nearing its end. I feel it will be over soon. Finally... I don't know how many more brothers must die if it continues. I'm not even sure if I'll survive.'
Year Two: 'For some unknown reason, the intensity of the war suddenly spiked. Many senior and junior disciples have died, and the casualties among civilians are immense. I was heavily wounded but managed to escape. So many deaths... only the core disciples remained relatively safe. Many clans have been completely uprooted.'
Year Three: 'A strange blood-colored mist covered the entire Qingtian Domain. It took days to disperse. We thought something terrible would happen, but months have passed and everything seems fine.'
Year Four: 'A terrifying explosion occurred in a secret realm. A horrifying Nascent Soul level demon insect escaped and its whereabouts are unknown. Rumor has it that it might be the legendary, taboo-tier Demon Insect King.'
'After the secret realm exploded, my master returned heavily injured. He said many Golden Core cultivators died, and even a Nascent Soul expert from the Sky-Fire Pavilion perished. Master is furious and has entered secluded healing. It feels like we were all played.'
Year Five: 'The war is completely over. All other sects have fully withdrawn from the Qingtian Domain.'
'The Sky-Fire Pavilion ceded two large spirit veins to our sect. The Qingtian Domain is now sparsely populated and in ruins! The sect plans to open new policies to attract cultivators from other regions to develop here. Brother Qi, you should consider seizing this opportunity. With my mediation, we can find many ways to earn spirit stones.'
Hearing the events of the past five years, Qi Ping couldn't help but sigh. Too many had died. And a taboo-tier Nascent Soul Demon Insect King was loose! Even more terrifying was that even Meng Yan didn't know the root cause of the war; he only knew that several enemy sects had pressured the Qingyuan Sect, and they had been forced to fight back.
After this war, half of the Qingyuan Sect's disciples were gone, and three Golden Core Elders had fallen. The ordinary cultivators and clans suffered even more; countless lineages had been extinguished.
In the cultivation world, one could make a living during peace, but during war, lives were as cheap as dirt. Such a massive conflict hadn't occurred in a thousand years; who could have known it would be this gruesome?
Fortunately, the war was over. The Qingyuan Sect had restored strict security and issued various rent reductions and incentive policies. In the past, Qi Ping might have jumped at the chance to expand his farming business. Like Sister Nan, who had taken the opportunity to rent a high-quality mid-grade spirit field at a low price. With her late-stage Qi Refining cultivation, she was poised to do well.
But now, Qi Ping's own territory had developed so well that it surpassed even the best spirit lands in the Cloud-Mist Mountain Range. In terms of quality and energy density, his sanctuary was the uncrowned king of the range.