"Slow!"
"It's far too slow!"
Having experienced the rocket-like progression of the middle stage, Qi Ping found his current speed agonizing.
'No wonder so many people in Qingshi County are stuck at the late stage. The difficulty of advancing at the seventh level is many times higher than at the fourth or fifth.'
And this was with the support of Sun-Ginseng Honey, his Sun-Fire Physique, and the Jungle Druid bonuses. It was perfectly understandable why others might spend decades at this stage.
'At this rate, it will take me at least a year or more to reach the eighth level.'
This was actually very fast—many disciples of the Qingyuan Sect couldn't match it—but Qi Ping wasn't satisfied. At this speed, his cultivation wouldn't keep up with his animal companions. His herb production already struggled to meet the resources required for the swarm's expansion.
Fortunately, his Plant Growth skill had recently reached level 3, increasing his efficiency.
Lv2 Plant Growth (161/200) → Lv3 Plant Growth (5/400).
But to truly meet his needs and provide for the Crow, he felt he needed to reach the ninth level of Qi Refinement. Thus, advancing his realm was urgent. In this world, the faster your strength grew, the better.
'I need to find a fire-attribute herb and a wood-attribute herb that suit me, and ideally, a high-grade first-rank fire-attribute pill formula.'
'That way, both I and the Crow can use them.'
'I wonder if the Qingshi Market has any high-grade first-rank herbs.'
Once you looked for high-grade first-rank resources, the difficulty of acquisition spiked, and the prices soared. They weren't things ordinary people could easily buy. At the Foundation Establishment level, you either had to be part of a major power or pay an exorbitant amount of spirit stones.
'Fortunately, I have Plant Growth to accelerate their growth and the Spirit-Origin Stone Pillars to sustain them. I just need one active plant or a seed. Even with just one stalk, I can take cuttings and continue cultivating it.'
This would reduce his limitations. Otherwise, relying solely on purchasing or luck for resources was impossible. The greatest challenge for a rogue cultivator was the limited channel for resources.
But Qi Ping couldn't rush. He only had about five hundred and seventy spirit stones. It was enough for a high-grade herb, but not for a high-grade formula or the specialized knowledge that went with it. It all came back to money. He had to wait for the Hundred-Spirit Honey to start generating profit.
Based on his previous estimates, he would earn over a thousand stones a month, with a harvest every quarter. He just needed to wait.
'Be patient. Don't be too eager for quick success. Focus on cultivation first.'
He tried to calm his mind, tending his herbs and sensing the laws of growth, hoping to increase his skill proficiency. He used these tasks to temper his heart. Gradually, he entered a very peaceful state of cultivation. While the world outside was in turmoil, he simply hid and grew. Perhaps because his thoughts were calm, his cultivation speed actually picked up slightly.
After about a week, the fifty combinations he had set for the Hundred-Spirit Honey were all successfully brewed.
"Finally! Let's see if any can perfectly mask the Hundred-Spirit Grass."
If even his Grand Brewer talent couldn't detect the grass's presence, the risk would be minimal. If he couldn't find it while actively looking for it, it would be impossible for others to notice anything.
'Once this is successful, my financial worries will be over.'
Full of anticipation, he began distinguishing the medicinal properties of each batch.
"First batch: the grass is too obvious. Fail."
"Second batch: Fail."
"Third batch: Fail."
"Twenty-seventh batch: ...Success."
"Fiftieth batch: Fail."
By the time he finished all fifty, his brow was furrowed. Out of fifty recipes, only one was a complete success! He couldn't detect a trace of the Hundred-Spirit Grass in that specific batch, no matter how hard he tried. Selling this would be safe.
However, the recipe presented a challenge: it used a significant amount of Spirit-Nurturing Fruit—about one-fifth the amount of the Hundred-Spirit Grass.
'If I use this recipe, the medicinal effect will increase to nearly mid-grade first-rank, but the cost of the Spirit-Nurturing Fruit will eat up twenty percent of my profit.'
Losing twenty percent of the profit wasn't a huge deal because the grass was essentially free, making the business incredibly lucrative either way. What truly bothered Qi Ping was that he would need a massive supply of Spirit-Nurturing Fruit. He couldn't mass-produce it naturally yet, and Sister Nan's production wouldn't be enough to meet his needs.
He sat in deep thought for a while. Then, his brow smoothed, and a smile appeared on his face.
'Actually, this might be even better. Using Spirit-Nurturing Fruit to hide the grass is perfect.'
'Anyone with a slight understanding of medicine will notice the Spirit-Nurturing Fruit and won't look any further. Producing honey of this grade with that fruit is perfectly normal; if they couldn't find anything in the honey, it would actually be more suspicious.'
Who would come looking for trouble over an ordinary, low-grade first-rank honey? Even if he attracted enemies, they would just be low-level Qi Refinement scavengers who posed no threat to him.
'The Spirit-Nurturing Fruits I bought from Sister Nan are almost gone. I need to find a stable supply channel to ensure steady production and start making my fortune.'