The three spirit seeds—the Rank 3 Low-grade Moon-Glow Tree, the Rank 3 Mid-grade Star-Dust Wood, and the Rank 3 Low-grade Ghost-Iron Tree—cost Qi Ping a total of thirty-one thousand low-grade spirit stones and three thousand one hundred Black Market Points. After these expenses, his wealth had shrunk significantly once again.
Black Market Spirit Stones: 7,200.
Black Market Points: 1,600.
The spirit stones on his person were down to roughly nineteen thousand, and with miscellaneous odds and ends, his total liquidity was just under twenty thousand. While this amount was quite substantial for an average Foundation Establishment cultivator, it felt insufficient for Qi Ping.
Especially considering that Star-Moon Twin Beast he desired! One hundred twenty-eight thousand spirit stones and twelve thousand eight hundred Black Market Points!
The risk and difficulty of earning Black Market Points were the highest. To get more, Qi Ping would have to face that mysterious organization that refined infants with special constitutions and talents into spiritual items.
'Unless I have over five thousand Rank 2 combat bees, and unless Yaya reaches the late stage or Great Perfection of Rank 2, I absolutely cannot take another Black Market mission!'
This was the bottom line Qi Ping set for himself. Without such strength, he could not feel at ease facing such a colossal entity. Three to five hundred Rank 2 bees could stall or even defeat a standard early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, so a swarm of five thousand was already a staggering force. While a tenfold increase in numbers was within normal limits, the combat power would skyrocket if they formed specialized battle arrays, providing Qi Ping with a massive advantage for escaping via transformation.
As for Yaya, it had the Rank 3 Mid-grade Sun-Blaze Wood to condense Solar Essence for its cultivation. The Sun-Blaze Wood would be the primary tree Qi Ping nurtured next. With its support, Yaya's progression would certainly not be slow! He had great confidence in Yaya.
Upon returning to the Cloud-Mist Mountain Range, Qi Ping did not rush into cultivation. Instead, he went to see Old Man Zhou and shared a few jars of wine before finally returning to his own territory.
'I didn't expect this trip to take over four months!' Qi Ping sighed as he stepped back into his sanctuary.
He lay lazily on the ground, savoring the long-lost tranquility. The long period of travel, slaughter, and constant vigilance had left his mind exhausted. Cultivators, too, felt fatigue—especially mental fatigue. This was precisely why so many cultivators fell into Qi Deviation or went mad. This was a major hurdle on the path to immortality.
Cultivators who had not tempered their temperaments sufficiently would become hysterical, twisted, or fall into a murderous frenzy during the long years of cultivation. In fact, every year, countless cultivators were suppressed or executed for this very reason. Many who seemed normal on the surface had already become depraved, particularly when they could no longer progress and were faced with the burden of a long life.
Only those with a steadfast Dao Heart could truly move forward without hesitation! Otherwise, even the most brilliant genius would fall by the wayside. Although Qi Ping had condensed his own unique Farming Domain, it was only the first stage of the Dao Heart; it still required continuous tempering and improvement.
The killing during this journey had affected him deeply. Even now, when he closed his eyes, he could see the rows of infant corpses emitting strange colors and spiritual light, displayed in special containers. They radiated an aura that was unnaturally tempting to the body, as if a seductive voice were urging him to consume them.
But every time this happened, his Natural Perception would trigger a sense of danger. Qi Ping knew that if he ever touched those things, it would bring an unpredictable catastrophe upon him! Ultimately, he had only allowed a portion of his bees to destroy them.
After wiping out so many of those organizations, he had finally caught a glimpse of the darkness hidden beneath the surface of the cultivation world. Just that one glimpse was enough to chill his bones. It turned out that the prosperity and peace of the world were merely a polished facade.
Returning to his territory, seeing the paradise-like sanctuary, and hearing the busy hum of his bees, Qi Ping felt an immense sense of security. To him, this was the only untainted land in the world he could truly trust.
The experiences outside had only solidified his resolve to build a powerful territory. Listening to the busy bees, Qi Ping slowly drifted into a deep sleep. As he slept, his Farming Domain became increasingly solid and powerful.
When he finally woke up, he realized ten days had passed.
The little Three-Colored Deer was playing with the little Spirit Fox nearby. During these ten days, the little Spirit Fox had taken on the role of an elder, assuming the task of caring for the deer. Originally, Yaya had offered to do it, but the fox had insisted, feeling that its diet was more similar to the deer's.
Because the territory lacked spiritual energy and spirit fruits were scarce, the fox had even dug up many of its cherished spirit fruits and herbs that it had hoarded over time. Those accumulated treasures finally served a great purpose!
'Chirp, chirp! (See? Isn't your fox amazing? I took great care of the little deer!)'
When the little Spirit Fox told Qi Ping about this, it raised its head proudly. Its hoard had not only been useful, but it had also stepped up as a guardian. It felt like a "little big fox" now!
Qi Ping listened with a mix of amusement and warmth as the fox described the events of the past ten days. Although they were just small matters of the territory, the fox described them vividly. To the fox, this small place was its entire world, and it loved everything here, having arranged much of it alongside Tongtong.
"You did a great job! Once I'm done with this busy period, I'll get you plenty of delicious spirit fruits," Qi Ping praised, patting the fox's head.
He then let the fox lead the deer away to play. As he woke, he noticed something unusual about his body. He found that his Farming Domain talent had condensed significantly. Not only was its protective power stronger, but the amount of natural force he could borrow within the territory had also increased.
'How did the Farming Domain strengthen so much?'
'Could my ten-day sleep be related to a breakthrough in my Dao Heart?'
Normally, Qi Ping would only sleep for a day or two. But this time, he had slept for ten days straight, and his thoughts had been exceptionally clear, constantly analyzing his recent experiences and everything he had encountered in the cultivation world. When he woke this time, he felt like a different person. His body felt inexplicably light, and his control over spiritual power and his soul had jumped up a level!