Chapter 123: Chapter 124: The Striving Jade Ring Rat
After Ye Jingyu left, the sky was already filled with numerous stars.
Perhaps due to the absence of rain in recent days, the stars in the sky were extraordinarily bright.
The bright moon also hung high, casting a large expanse of bright light.
Ye Jingcheng completed the setup of the array he had prepared in the storage bag. This array was called the Three Talents Spirit Trapping Array, consisting of three array foundations, a semi-entrapment and semi-illusion array, though only Tier One Lower.
For Ye Jingcheng, this array served as a warning, as well as isolating some wild exotic beasts.
After all, this was the family’s Lingyun Peak, and even if some family cultivators had ill intentions, they wouldn’t dare to be so blatant.
After arranging the array, Ye Jingcheng returned to the courtyard. When he came out again, the figure of the Jade Ring Rat was already behind him.
In Ye Jingcheng’s view, hiring other cultivators to turn over the soil with a Flower Spirit Stone was less effective than using the Jade Ring Rat.
This rat was quite cunning now, not much worse than other spirit beasts.
Moreover, it could detect any disturbances immediately. If there were any other spirit insects underground harming the soil, it could also dig them out.
"Jade Ring, from today onwards, you will turn the spirit field once every day. You’ll get half a Spirit Nourishing Pill and better spirit beast meat, and you could also drink some spiritual honey later!" Ye Jingcheng said to the Jade Ring Rat while pointing at the spirit field. Fearing the rat might not understand, he also took out the Blood Void Claw and worked the soil of the spirit field.
The spirit field, fertilized by the Spirit Soil Liquid, had become somewhat harder than normal soil.
However, this level was still manageable in Ye Jingcheng’s eyes, as the Jade Ring Rat was at least a Tier One Mid-stage Spirit Beast.
The Jade Ring Rat did not resist after hearing Ye Jingcheng’s instructions, chirped a few times, and started its work.
Upon entering, it noticed the spiritual energy here was decent, and more importantly, it didn’t have to see the Golden Scale Beast, which brought it some delight.
It began to dig with its paws, not fast, but very rhythmic, as if it was its natural talent.
In no time, it had dug up half of the field.
Ye Jingcheng nodded with satisfaction and directly handed a Cyan Spirit Pill to the Jade Ring Rat. It was the first time the rat had tasted a Cyan Spirit Pill, and its lively eyes glowed with a strange light.
Though it had never tasted it, the thought of wanting it naturally arose in its mind.
Moreover, the Cyan Spirit Pill was richer in spiritual energy, making it more attractive to spirit beasts.
"You will stay here from now on!" Ye Jingcheng explained some cautionary points to the Jade Ring Rat, noting that the places with array foundations would serve as field ridges and did not need plowing.
After the Jade Ring Rat nodded its head adorned with jade ring ears, Ye Jingcheng breathed a sigh of relief.
He felt a sense of gratification!
This was much better than hiring other clansmen with a Flower Spirit Stone, better to feed the Jade Ring Rat!
With the spirit field arranged, Ye Jingcheng returned to his courtyard to continue practicing the Four Phase Celestial Essence Scripture.
A closer look at his meridians would reveal that his fire phase and earth phase had become extremely robust, seemingly reaching a critical point.
Ye Jingcheng was naturally very familiar with this critical point; after breaking through, he would be at the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer.
Thus, lately, Ye Jingcheng had been training diligently, with less focus on alchemy.
He believed that if he could reach the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer without the Communication Beast Jade Qilin Snake, he might achieve a more refined spiritual power after the Jade Qilin Snake advanced, reaching the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer!
With such thoughts in mind, Ye Jingcheng began contemplating the Foundation Establishment Pill.
For Ye Family cultivators, the Spiritual Energy Barrier and Body Barrier of the Foundation Establishment Three Gates posed no challenge, the only issue being the Illusion Technique Barrier.
Foundation Establishment involves condensing a spirit platform and generating liquid spiritual energy, often accompanied by the birth of a heart demon.
This heart demon can cause cultivators to become deeply entangled, like being in a dream, unable to extricate themselves.
If one cannot overcome the heart demon at the critical moment, delaying the condensation of the Foundation Establishment Spirit Platform could lead to the collapse of the spiritual foundation, resulting in backlash of the bloodline and regression of cultivation, or in severe cases, death or serious injury.
The Foundation Establishment Pill, aside from keeping the mind alert and warding off heart demons, can prevent the backlash from the disintegration of the spiritual foundation.
This is the reason for the high value of the Foundation Establishment Pill, as it represents a second chance at Foundation Establishment.
Without the Foundation Establishment Pill, one could either establish the foundation or risk death or serious injury, with no second chance at Foundation Establishment.
Even though Ye Jingcheng was thoroughly prepared, he did not plan to break through without the Foundation Establishment Pill.
After all, he had the Beast Taming Treasure Book and several spirit beasts with great potential.
Unless he reached the critical point at sixty, where he had no choice but to fight desperately.
Otherwise, it’s best to play it safe.
Ye Jingcheng quickly immersed himself in cultivation. When he sensed a denser fire attribute spiritual power being absorbed into his body, his spiritual energy visibly increased slightly.
Ye Jingcheng opened his eyes to see the bright moon outside the window had been replaced by the morning sun.
As the Four-Phase Spiritual Energy dissipated, Ye Jingcheng rose to his feet. He first checked the Jade Qilin Snake as usual.
The Jade Qilin Snake’s condition at this moment was very similar to his own.
The spirit light of jade essence shone unceasingly across its entire body, and it had become increasingly lazy, yet its appetite grew larger.
This clearly indicated a breakthrough trend.
Ye Jingcheng fed it more spirit beast meat, but this time it wasn’t Lush Forest Boar Pork, but rather meat from the Cyan Cloud Wolf, which Ye Jingcheng exchanged for in the family.
Wolf meat was tougher and had a strange taste, which the Crimson Flame Fox and the Golden Scale Beast now didn’t much enjoy.
Yet the Jade Qilin Snake remained highly pleased, and every time it finished eating, it would flick its tongue at Ye Jingcheng and shake its head.
Conveying thoughts of tasty food and not being full.
It requested Ye Jingcheng to supplement with a few Spirit Nourishing Pills.
And then continued to rest.
Ye Jingcheng left the courtyard and went to the spirit field, seeing that it had been turned over once. There was a special spiritual marsh on the spirit soil that was still visible.
The Jade Ring Rat lay beside it, with a bit of ordinary Large-leaf Grass under its belly. Due to the Cyan Spirit Pill it consumed, its entire body glowed with spiritual light, and its pair of ears were even larger and more lively.
Ye Jingcheng did not disturb the Jade Ring Rat but headed toward his Sixteenth Uncle Ye Xinghan’s small courtyard.
Though the spirit field could not yet be planted, Ye Jingcheng believed that acquiring seeds early and deploying ten Five Poison Bees would eliminate the rush later.
For a cultivator, going into seclusion for ten days to several months was quite normal.
Upon reaching Ye Xinghan’s cave dwelling, Ye Jingcheng saw two spirit fields, but they were shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see clearly.
This mist not only blocked vision but also divine sense.
Ye Jingcheng took out a Sound Transmission Talisman, recorded his message, and cast a spirit technique towards the house!
Before long, the courtyard array opened, revealing a narrow path, and the courtyard door opened at the same time, revealing Ye Xinghan’s indifferent figure.
"Sixteenth Uncle, I pay a temporary visit, hoping not to disturb your cultivation!" Ye Jingcheng bowed and spoke, taking out a wooden basket from his hand.
Inside the basket were six spiritual almonds.