In Qi Ping's perception, the fire-attribute energy and Flame Intent of the world became incredibly clear. With a single thought, he could use his own spiritual power to guide that profound, mysterious force.
This energy could be applied to attacks, used in cultivation, or even added to his spirit-soul. It had endless uses. When this power presented itself fully before him, he knew he had officially mastered Flame Intent.
Qi Ping had reached the first major milestone in the rules of fire! Although it was only the first stage and far from mastering the actual Law of Fire, it was already an exceptional achievement.
Many cultivators preparing to break through to the Golden Core stage were only at this stage of Intent mastery—they just possessed a deeper level of it.
This meant that from now until he reached the Golden Core stage, Qi Ping would face no bottlenecks in terms of rule comprehension. The only difference would be the strength of his mastery.
More importantly, mastery of Intent was a superior alternative to Foundation Establishment Pills. With this, he wouldn't be held hostage by the pills. Such pills were the primary tools used by sects to control ordinary cultivators and generate profit. Being able to bypass them was a massive advantage.
Furthermore, a cultivator who established their foundation through rule mastery would be stronger and have a more solid foundation than one who relied on pills!
'So this is Flame Intent...'
After waking from his epiphany, Qi Ping found he could still clearly sense the power. He could easily mobilize it with his spiritual energy to enhance his combat or cultivation.
'It seems the stronger my spiritual energy, the more power I can mobilize...'
'In that case, the strength of my Flame Intent is linked to my cultivation level. The higher my realm, the more power I can draw...'
A powerful gold-red flame flickered in his palm, its pressure far exceeding what it once was.
'The level of the Beast King's Flame has also successfully reached Level 3 after I mastered Flame Intent. Its power has increased significantly...'
Overall, Qi Ping was extremely satisfied with the results of his seclusion. He checked the hammer and found that only about one-tenth of the Intent Residue had been consumed.
'The consumption was low, so the value of the hammer hasn't dropped much. Next time I trade with Brother Meng for spirit stones, I can return it.'
He stowed the hammer and looked at Ya Ya, who had been guarding him. She was looking at him with joy.
"Gaga... (Boss, you're finally awake!)"
"How was it? Did you gain anything?" Qi Ping asked.
While spirit beasts improved mostly through awakening their bloodlines, mastering rules could also aid that awakening. Ya Ya would eventually leave other fire crows behind—those who relied purely on bloodline and resources.
Qi Ping wouldn't let his companions follow that dead-end path. While Rank Two power was useful now, it wasn't strong in the long run. He wanted all his companions to keep breaking through. He would work hard to earn the resources, but they had to put in the effort as well.
"Gaga... (Huge gains! I feel like I'm sensing the opportunity to break through to Rank Two!)"
"Gaga... (Boss, I want to take advantage of this state and continue my meditation...)"
"Go ahead! You worked hard guarding me these past two days..."
"Gaga... (It was my duty, boss! Ya Ya is off!)"
Ya Ya dashed toward the sunlight, where strands of solar energy began to gather around her once more as she refined them.
Seeing her hard work, a genuine smile appeared on Qi Ping's face. Her diligent yet happy attitude truly influenced him. It made him feel that cultivation was indeed a wonderful thing. Contracting Ya Ya was truly a wise decision...
...
With Ya Ya gone, he looked at the little fox, who was nibbling on a Fire-Glow fruit. Its belly was slightly rounded. A Rank One High-Grade Fire-Glow fruit was still a bit too rich for the little fox.
"Chirp chirp... (Boss! Why did you cultivate for so long this time? Fox-Fox's tummy went totally flat!)"
Seeing him awake, the fox wrapped its tail around the half-eaten fruit and dove into his arms.
"Then what's that wrapped in your tail?" Qi Ping asked, stroking its soft, smooth forehead.
The fox closed its eyes in bliss. Among all his companions, it was the most clingy.
"Chirp chirp... (Ya Ya picked it for me. It said it was safe to eat!)"
"Chirp chirp... (Since you were cultivating, I knew I couldn't disturb you even if I was hungry.)"
"Chirp chirp... (I know there's food on the mountain, but mommy said I shouldn't touch a friend's things without permission, so I didn't dare move. If I got any hungrier, I was going to find food elsewhere...)"
"I remember preparing several days' worth of fruits for you. How did you run out so fast?"
"Chirp chirp... (I have a sweet tooth, and I ate them all very quickly...)"
"Then I'll prepare a jade box that can preserve spiritual fruits. I'll put enough inside for many days. You can hide it somewhere secret. If I'm busy again and you're hungry, you can take them out and eat, okay?"
"Chirp chirp... (Hooray! Every time I eat, I'll save a little bit and put it inside. That way, I'll have a big stash of fruit. If I have a stash, I'll never have to worry about being hungry again!)"
"Exactly!" Qi Ping confirmed.
The little fox already had a "savings" mindset; perhaps it would be a master of finance and trade in the future.
"Chirp chirp... (What a great idea! Why didn't I think of that before?)"
The fox's eyes sparkled. Among his four companions, the bees brewed their own honey, Ya Ya lived off the sun, and the Flower Demon lived off the soil. Only the little fox had to worry about its stomach...
...
After playing with the fox, he headed toward the Hundred-Eyed Flower Demon. He wanted to see just how far Plant Growth could take it. He knew the skill had a limit based on its own level and his soul strength, but if he could reach Rank Two, it would serve as an excellent trump card...