Half an hour later, Ming Qi left the Trial Pavilion, feeling quite satisfied.
Although he still had a miscellaneous task list of tasks like mining, collecting herbs, and chopping wood, these tasks undoubtedly offered generous rewards and were relatively easy to complete.
But then again, while the rewards were generous and the tasks were relatively easy, Ming Qi also knew that they were only relatively easy. After all, those who issued the tasks weren't fools, and wouldn't waste precious Yuan Crystals for no reason. Ultimately, these tasks still offered a certain level of difficulty. However, for Ming Qi, such a level of difficulty wasn't too much of a challenge.
Returning to the attic courtyard, he packed up briefly, said goodbye to the others, and then greeted Dire Wolf and set off.
This quest journey was a smooth one, with almost no setbacks. Ming Qi returned to Azure Sky City seven days later.
Arriving at the Trial Pavilion again, the old man's attitude was noticeably different.
This time, the old man readily explained that Ming Qi didn't need to submit each task individually; he could simply complete the task directly with him. He even paid Ming Qi all the rewards he was due right then and there.
On the way home, Ming Qi mentally calculated his haul. All told, he already had over a thousand low-grade Yuan Crystals and nine mid-grade Yuan Crystals, a considerable fortune.
However, low-grade Yuan Crystals typically contain a mixed aura, making it difficult to identify their specific elements. Mid-grade Yuan Crystals, on the other hand, are different. The aura they contain is pure and concentrated, and their attributes can be discerned simply by their appearance.
Fire Yuan Crystals are fiery red, fist-sized, hexagonal crystals with faint flames flowing through them.
Wood Yuan Crystals are emerald green, imbued with a vibrant potential.
Ming Qi held three mid-grade Yuan Crystals, two Earth Yuan Crystals, one Water Yuan Crystal, and three Gold Yuan Crystals. He didn't have any Yuan Crystals with special properties.
Special Yuan Crystals are elements not found in the Five Elements, such as light, thunder, and so on.
Of course, Ming Qi knew that compared to the Five Elements Yuan Crystals, special Yuan Crystals were far more valuable, and rewards like these from sect quests would definitely not appear.
Although Yuan Crystals are an important foundation for accelerating a cultivator's cultivation, Ming Qi didn't plan to use them immediately. He wanted to exchange them for items that would aid in his advancement.
However, Ming Qi was currently concerned about one thing.
The storage space was running out. Although Yuan Crystals didn't take up as much space as ordinary goods, due to their special nature, they occupied far more space than their original size.
A single fist-sized mid-grade Yuan Crystal occupied enough space to fit a large bed! The storage ring was already overflowing. While it hadn't reached the point of being full, it was no longer possible to fit anything larger.
We had to find a way to solve this problem!
Storage preparations were like military logistics, and Ming Qi was well aware of this. In his view, the capacity of one's storage equipment determined the extent of one's wealth. A bank? A money house? Oh no, in any case, carrying one's wealth felt secure only when it was on hand, especially in the ruthless world of immortal cultivation.
So, Ming Qi prioritized acquiring a satisfactory storage device.
Returning to Tianqi Academy, Ming Qi immediately sought out Tang Qi and the others, asking if anyone had been causing trouble recently.
Perhaps because Ming Qi was too overbearing, anyone who crossed the Tianqi Academy was beaten to a pulp. Therefore, during Ming Qi's absence, Tianqi Academy had been remarkably peaceful. Not even the other disciples who had previously frequently come to challenge them were there.
As the Golden Autumn Festival drew near, Ming Qi made no plans to venture out again. He remained conscientiously within Tianqi Courtyard, occasionally summoning the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map to analyze its changes, hoping to uncover some secrets.
The Supreme Mountain and Sea Map had already brought Ming Qi immense opportunities and surprises. He was well aware of its mysterious existence. Therefore, in addition to his cultivation, he devoted himself entirely to it.
However, ever since he had awakened his Blood Control Technique through the power of blood and qi in the treacherous Qinglong Town, the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map had seemed to have fallen into a deep slumber, showing no signs of fluctuation.
Perhaps experiencing battles and constantly honing his skills in various dangerous situations was the only way to unlock the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map's hidden secrets.
After several days of contemplation and research, Ming Qi finally came to a vague conclusion.
Looking back, the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map had always fluctuated during life-or-death situations. The first time, he was besieged by wolves in Wild Wolf Ridge. The second time, he endlessly challenged the phantom Star God in the Heavenly Official Tower. The third time, he suffered the oppression of countless evil spirits in Azure Dragon Town.
Every sign indicated that his deduction was infinitely close to the truth.
The Supreme Mountain and Sea Map seemed to be closely connected to his soul. Whenever it touched the depths of his soul, the mysteries hidden within the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map would awaken. This awakened mysterious power would be transmitted to the depths of Ming Qi's soul with incredible speed, thus forming a connection with him.
Although the appearance of the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map was innate, Ming Qi could not explain the origin of this mysterious scroll. All he could think of was the strange little tripod in his previous life that brought about a change in his destiny.
Swish!
From the hazy air before him, the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map, as if hidden in a sea of fog, quietly emerged.
The divine map appeared, and Ming Qi found that even with it right before his eyes, he couldn't discern what was depicted on the mysterious scroll.
It resembled a mountain, yet it wasn't a mountain, for the images on the scroll seemed to be constantly moving, like animals or birds, yet it was impossible to pinpoint their specific category.
As Ming Qi's strength grew, he found himself becoming more proficient in controlling the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map. He also sensed a powerful primordial force within it. This power was immense, yet it seemed bound by some kind of constraint, making it difficult to break free.
The divine map held countless secrets!
Ming Qi stared at the eighteen needle-thin sword-shaped patterns clustered on it, his mind energizing every possible possibility.
Time passed slowly.
From morning to noon, from noon to afternoon, until evening.
Ming Qi was almost completely absorbed in his boundless thoughts. Anyone who had witnessed his state would have screamed in shock.
For what Ming Qi exuded at that moment was the state of a living dead, his soul having left his body.
Finally, after nearly a day of immersion, Ming Qi's right hand subconsciously moved. Though the movement was subtle, its purpose was clear.
He raised his right hand slightly, flicked his fingers, and the ring on his finger shone with light, and a low-grade Yuan Crystal leaped out.
As soon as the Yuan Crystal emerged from the ring, it seemed as if it were being drawn by a tremendous force. It quickly ascended, tracing a swift arc through the air and merging into the mountain and sea map.
Silently, a low-grade Yuan Crystal merged directly into the mountain and sea map, completely disappearing.
Ding!
Not long after, a second Yuan Crystal leaped out.
Followed by a third, and a fourth.
...
One by one, like eggs lined up waiting to be put into the pot, Yuan Crystals were dropped into the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map.
But the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map remained unchanged. The Yuan Crystals continued to be absorbed, like a stone sinking into the ocean, not even causing the slightest ripple.
However, Ming Qi's consciousness seemed to be stagnant. He didn't care about the Yuan Crystals he had painstakingly earned through missions, and he continued to throw them into the bottomless pit of the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map as if they were thrown on the street.
In less than a quarter of an hour, one hundred Yuan Crystals had been poured in.
The Supreme Mountain and Sea Map remained motionless.
After one hundred Yuan Crystals, the map's speed of absorbing Yuan Crystals increased significantly, taking in two in the time it once took to absorb one.
Swish, swish, swish!
The Yuan Crystals flew freely, and the fog surrounding the map grew thicker and thicker.
By the time he'd poured in five hundred crystals, the outline of the Mountain and Sea Map had completely vanished. All that hovered before Ming Qi's eyes was a hazy white mist.
Ming Qi, like a madman, showed no sign of slowing down his efforts.
Six hundred, seven hundred, the Yuan Crystals he'd originally intended to save for elixirs for advancement were recklessly poured in.
In less than an hour, a full thousand low-grade Yuan Crystals had been devoured by the Mountain and Sea Map.
Whoa!
At that moment, Ming Qi let out a long breath. His face, resembling a living corpse, finally moved twice, and his eyes rolled a few times, clearly "coming back to life."
"Shouldn't it be?"
Recovering to normal, Ming Qi stared at the Mountain and Sea Map before him, his eyes vacant.
He'd expected the Map to change, but nothing happened.
"Let's fight!"
After observing it for a moment, Ming Qi finally gritted his teeth and escaped with all the mid-grade Yuan Crystals.
After a day of communication and reflection, he only vaguely grasped the Mountain and Sea Map's need for the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, an intense, almost extreme need that had led to this scene.
He had originally thought that after injecting a certain amount of Yuan Crystals, the Mountain and Sea Map would undergo some miraculous transformation, but the result was profoundly disappointing.
No, still nothing. A thousand low-grade Yuan Crystals were like a drop in the ocean, no change at all!
However, Ming Qi had no intention of giving up. He loved to gamble, and this time he was truly going all-in with the Mountain and Sea Map. However, this move looked incredibly foolish to anyone.
Ding!
A mid-grade Fire Yuan Crystal was injected, but the Mountain and Sea Map remained unchanged, remaining the same as before.
Without hesitation, Ming Qi grabbed the second one.