'Cling-clang! (Such pure spiritual energy!)' the little Stone Spirit exclaimed upon waking. It followed the scent of the energy to Qi Ping's side.
'Cling-clang! (Boss! You actually brought back a spirit vein!)'
Once it saw what it was, the Stone Spirit was shocked. In its inherited memories, spirit veins were rare in this world. Before one had the strength, one should never approach the core of a vein. Almost all veins were already controlled; approaching one would only lead to destruction. The Stone Spirit had always remembered this. It knew staying near a vein was beneficial, but for safety, it had hidden in a place with thin energy. Even so, it had been tracked down and nearly killed. Seeing Qi Ping bring back a vein naturally shocked it.
"I just brought it back. It's still weak. I'll use more spiritual objects to strengthen it later," Qi Ping replied.
'Cling-clang! (Boss, you're amazing!)'
'Cling-clang! (Can I sleep next to the vein?)'
"Of course you can!" Qi Ping nodded.
The Stone Spirit didn't stand on ceremony and flopped down to sleep right next to him. Just as it was about to drift off, Qi Ping suddenly took out a seed and planted it right beside the spirit. At first, the spirit didn't care, thinking Qi Ping was just doing his usual busy work, but then it sensed an aura from the Ghost-Iron Tree seed that was very attractive.
'Cling-clang! (Boss, what is this?)'
"This is the seed of the Rank 3 Mid-grade Ghost-Iron Tree! It's a metal-attribute tree. As it grows, it releases a special force that turns the surrounding earth into Ghost-Iron. It should be very beneficial for you!"
'Cling-clang! (Then this Ghost-Iron must be very delicious, right?)' Hearing this, it became uncharacteristically excited.
'So this fellow is a glutton!' Seeing this, Qi Ping found it somewhat amusing. It seemed this guy liked more than just sleeping!
"You'll know once you eat it. Go to sleep. I'll wake you when the tree has grown!"
'Cling-clang! (Okay, Boss! I'm sleeping now!)' Satisfied, the Stone Spirit fell back into its deep slumber.
Qi Ping planted the seed right next to it.
'I wonder what kind of unexpected effects will occur when the powers of the Ghost-Iron Tree and the Stone Spirit intertwine?'
One was a Rank 3 spiritual item, Ghost-Iron, and the other was the Stone Spirit's companion ore. Given the spirit's excitement, something good was likely to happen. After planting that, Qi Ping found spots for the Sun-Blaze Wood, Moon-Glow Tree, and Star-Dust Wood.
Once all four were in the ground, he used Plant Growth to accelerate them.
Druid Level Experience +1.
Druid Level Experience +1.
'It's been a while since I've nurtured plants. Now my slowly increasing Druid experience can finally start moving again!'
Although he had been gaining experience through sensing nature and comprehending True Intent, it wasn't as fast as planting and nurturing trees. Seeing the experience accumulate quickly made him very happy. He worked on the plants for a long time, only stopping when his soul and perception were nearly exhausted.
'The primary goals now are to research spells to etch into the tree imprints and to continue studying arrays. Only when the vein and the territory are established can they support the growth of my companions and my own cultivation.'
But before that, he had one more important task: researching the methods of pet cultivation. The little Spirit Fox and the Three-Colored Deer were vital for his soul and comprehension talents; their training had to start early.
He immediately began studying the beast-taming manuals and books he had obtained. This didn't take long; in just two or three days, he had mastered the knowledge. The contract methods weren't important to him; what he focused on was how to help pets break through major realm bottlenecks.
'So the method for beasts to break through is similar to humans. Besides sufficient and compatible resources, the most important thing is the beast's own realization and training...'
'However, beasts have a definitive path: awakening their bloodline power!'
According to the books, there were two ways to awaken bloodline power: one was to do it voluntarily, and the other was using external objects. Every species had different requirements. In terms of potential, doing it voluntarily had to account for at least half the process; over-reliance on external objects would deplete the beast's potential.
'So, ultimately, it comes down to the pet's own training and will. Though there are auxiliary methods—like using illusions to train their will—the core is the pet itself.'
With this in mind, he knew what to do. He already had the best model among his companions: Yaya.
'Yaya's constant sensing and absorption of the sun's power is actually a process of accumulating strength, awakening bloodline potential, and training power control all in one.'
He suddenly understood how Yaya improved its bloodline grade and broke through. Now, he just had to take this theory and tailor training plans for the Flower Spirit, the fox, and the deer. He could have the fox and the Flower Spirit use illusions to train each other's—and the other companions'—will.
The fox and the Flower Spirit were the best sparring partners for each other. As for the deer's comprehension of the forest, Qi Ping could assist or they could learn together. Thus, he formulated specific training and growth plans for each animal companion. He also taught some of these principles and theories to Yaya. This was a moment of sudden enlightenment for Yaya, giving it a much clearer direction and focus for its future training. It now knew exactly how to train to quickly awaken and enhance its bloodline power.
'Boss! Yaya understands now!'
Qi Ping hadn't expected this simple act to greatly accelerate Yaya's promotion and transformation!