'Finally, I have a truly safe environment for cultivation and farming!'
Qi Ping had looked forward to this day for a long time. Having lived through days of constant worry about his secrets being discovered or unpredictable dangers appearing, he knew the true value of a stable environment. Now, he could plant various rare spiritual herbs without fear, and he didn't have to pack them all up the moment there was a slight disturbance.
'This is just the beginning. There's still a long way to go before it's fully built!'
With a stable environment, Qi Ping became even more focused in the days that followed. A hundred square meters was too small; the priority was still upgrading the illusion array to cover more ground.
After planting all his herbs and seeing the fox and sprite finish their little wooden hut, the remaining space was cramped. Moving around was actually quite restrictive. However, this didn't last long. After another month and a half of effort, he finally researched the Mid-Grade First-Rank Illusion Array.
With his dense spiritual power and strong Spirit-Soul, a massive array—far larger than the low-grade version—rose from the ground.
"Mid-Grade Illusion Array! Success!"
Qi Ping looked at the array, which was more than ten times larger than the previous one, and felt a wave of relief. Nearly two thousand square meters! The area had increased twenty-fold! While it wasn't massive, it was incredibly spacious compared to the original hundred square meters.
What followed was simple: clearing more rocks and moving more soil. Though it was tedious, Qi Ping was happy to do it. For a cultivator with storage bags and spiritual power, such tasks weren't difficult. Using his identity as a ninth-level Qi Refinement cultivator for basic infrastructure was a walk in the park.
After being cooped up for so long, the spirit fox and flower sprite finally had room to work. They brought in many flowers, grasses, and fruit trees, and the beautiful little wooden huts were quickly expanded and renovated.
As the days passed, most of the area within the array was covered in a thick layer of black soil, and the planted herbs grew more vibrant by the day. With nearly twenty types of herbs—Blood Ginseng, Fire Spirit Grass, Fire-Glow Fruit, Streamer Grass, and more—Qi Ping's territory began to look filled with spiritual energy.
The concentration of spiritual energy in the air and the mixed fragrances of the herbs grew stronger. With the decorations from the sprite and fox and the bees busy at work, it had the beginnings of a hidden paradise, a far cry from the bare stones of the past.
Building his territory step by step felt incredible. In his past life, Qi Ping had occasionally played management and base-building games, but they were too restrictive. With the resources of the cultivation world, he was confident in building a perfect territory.
Doing it here meant no rent, no taxes, and no being managed by others. That feeling of total ownership was hard to find elsewhere.
Only two things remained problematic. One was the construction of arrays. To protect this place, he had to hide and guard it well, which required high attainment in the Way of Formations. Otherwise, once it was built and filled with rare herbs and production trees, it would all just be for someone else's taking. Fortunately, his talent in arrays was good, and he had genuinely come to love the craft.
The other problem was the creation of the spirit land itself. This was the biggest hurdle in building his exclusive territory.
'Currently, I have four spirit-source stone pillars. The spiritual energy they produce should be enough for me until the early Foundation Establishment stage, perhaps even the mid-stage.'
'But this energy only meets the cultivation needs of myself and my animal companions. It's not nearly enough to grow everything else. I have to find a way to create more spirit lands at a low cost!'
However, he wasn't in a hurry. This could wait until after his breakthrough. With Foundation Establishment strength and a Rank 2 bee swarm, his survival capabilities would increase significantly, making it safer to pursue such goals. He would be more confident going to the mortal realm to find Old Man Zhou, searching for a fifth animal companion, obtaining the herbs needed for Foundation Establishment cultivation, buying production trees, and finding materials for spiritual fields.
Once the Mid-Grade array was set and the fields were ready, Qi Ping began to settle down. The array was more than enough to keep him hidden. He spent his time researching arrays, nurturing herbs, and steadily cultivating toward the peak of Qi Refinement.
He planned to stay here until his breakthrough. Aside from selling honey and asking Meng Yan for a Foundation Establishment technique and knowledge about the breakthrough, he didn't intend to go out. If he didn't need spirit stones to buy a technique, he would have stayed until the breakthrough itself. After all, he had already comprehended Fire True Meaning and his Dao-heart Intent; Foundation Establishment was practically a certainty.
After two or three months of quiet cultivation, he learned a shocking piece of news from Meng Yan.
In a corner of Qingshi County, Meng Yan stood before Qi Ping, his face pale and his aura fluctuating. He had clearly suffered significant injuries. But even more shocking was that Meng Yan's aura was now clearly that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
"Brother Qi, the Qingyuan Sect has suffered a massive defeat on the Qingshi battlefield... my master has ordered me to evacuate immediately!" Meng Yan spoke with a tone of helplessness.
Because Qi Ping was still in the Qi Refinement stage, Meng Yan hadn't called him to participate in the recent battles.
"The Qingyuan Sect... lost?" Qi Ping's heart shook. In his mind, the sect was an unshakeable giant. It had always held the advantage in Qingshi County, with rival sects suffering defeat after defeat. He hadn't expected that in less than half a year, the sect would be defeated so thoroughly.
However, he was more concerned with Meng Yan's injuries. "Brother Meng, how are your wounds?"
"No fatal injuries, just a bit weak. Do not worry!" Meng Yan smiled. These wounds would mostly heal in a few days.
"These are the Foundation Establishment techniques and breakthrough materials you asked me to find. My own insights into the breakthrough are also recorded in this jade slip."
Meng Yan handed over a jade slip and several ancient books. On the topmost book, three bold, powerful characters were engraved: Golden Flame Manual!