Chapter 86

It wasn't until the bright moon hung high in the sky that Qin Sang completed his day's tasks, and with a weary body, he entered a meditative state to cultivate.

Manipulating the Five Elements Cloud to nourish the spirit herbs had almost depleted his spiritual energy. During cultivation, he felt his cultivation seemed to have advanced slightly, but it might also be due to his poor aptitude, as the degree of advancement was too minimal. He, who was accustomed to using soul pills, now found it insignificant.

Having just joined the sect, even if he wanted to run away, it shouldn't be now. Qin Sang decided to endure for a while in the Yuanzhao Sect, observe the situation, and the first thing to do was to enhance his strength.

The power of the Qi Gathering Pill had not yet been fully refined, and in his storage bag, there was still a bottle of stone milk and an ample supply of soul pills. Qin Sang estimated that it wouldn't take long for him to break through to the seventh level of the Qi Refinement stage.

Qin Sang internally observed his dantian, where the power of the Qi Gathering Pill was still suppressed. It was time to start refining it.

...

More than ten days passed, and this period was very peaceful, with no one disturbing him.

The fellow disciples in the Cloudy Valley were all busy, each tending to their own plots of land, and no one was interested in this new junior brother, let alone causing any trouble.

For such a long time, Qin Sang had only recognized Meng Ruhui.

But what made Qin Sang uneasy was that Yu Hua had never come to find him.

Qin Sang had already adapted to the rhythm of life in the Cloudy Valley. During the day, he would manipulate the clouds and rain, and tend to the herb garden. At night, he would return to his cave and quietly cultivate, refining the power of the Qi Gathering Pill, and his realm advanced rapidly.

"In another ten days, I should be able to completely refine the power of the Qi Gathering Pill," Qin Sang calculated in his mind while manipulating the Five Elements Cloud to water a plot of land planted with Seven-Star Solomon's Seal.

If everything went as planned, after consuming the power of the Qi Gathering Pill, his realm would steadily advance to the late sixth level, just one step away from the seventh level. At that time, taking the bottle of stone milk would likely allow him to break through.

But after breaking through to the seventh level, he must find a way to get rid of the miscellaneous tasks.

Now, every time Qin Sang refined a bit of the Qi Gathering Pill's power, he had to stop cultivating and leave some time for his body to fully digest the power and adapt to the rapidly advancing realm. If he rushed it, it would not only be unbeneficial but could also leave hidden problems.

Therefore, during this period, the miscellaneous tasks in the herb garden did not affect his cultivation.

But after refining the Qi Gathering Pill's power and breaking through to the seventh level, there would be no shortcuts, and he would have to endure hard cultivation. At that time, the herb garden would be a significant hindrance.

After watering the last plot of land, it was still early. At this moment, two beams of light flew into the valley. Seeing it was Meng Ruhui, Qin Sang hurriedly went to greet him.

Beside Meng Ruhui was a young man about the same age as Qin Sang, his face filled with barely concealed joy, which only slightly subsided when he saw Qin Sang.

"Junior Brother Qin, this is Senior Brother Meng. May I ask the surname of this senior brother?" Qin Sang clasped his hands in greeting.

The young man returned the gesture and said, "Junior Brother Qin, I am surnamed Bi."

Qin Sang noticed Meng Ruhui's hesitation and strange expression, so he asked, "Senior Brother Meng, Senior Brother Bi, is there something you need from me?"

Meng Ruhui hesitated and said, "Junior Brother Qin, to be honest, have you offended Uncle Yu?"

Yu Hua!

Qin Sang's heart suddenly tightened, but he remained calm on the surface, only showing confusion. "I only met Uncle Yu once at the Ascension Conference and followed his instructions to come to the Cloudy Valley. I don't think I have been disrespectful in any way."

Meng Ruhui shook his head and said, "Junior Brother Qin, from now on, this valley will be under the responsibility of Junior Brother Bi. Please follow me."

Qin Sang was full of doubts, not knowing what Yu Hua was up to. He bid farewell to Senior Brother Bi, returned to his cave to pack his things, and followed Meng Ruhui to his residence.

Meng Ruhui's residence was a thatched cottage built in a river valley, surrounded by mountains and water, with a few green oxen for company, a comfortable and leisurely place. According to him, it was modeled after his childhood memories.

"Junior Brother Qin, please come in and try the spirit tea freshly picked by Junior Sister Yan. You can't find such good tea outside." Meng Ruhui smiled and led him into the house.

Meng Ruhui was easy-going, and although Qin Sang had not seen him many times, he felt that he was a good person.

Qin Sang had no mood for tea and clasped his hands, saying, "Senior Brother Meng, please be honest with me. What exactly happened? Since joining the Yuanzhao Sect, I have been diligently cultivating spirit herbs in the Cloudy Valley and have never been to the lecture hall. I definitely haven't offended anyone."

Meng Ruhui's smile faded, and he sighed, "Junior Brother Qin, I also believe you are not a rash person. However, in the world of cultivation, if your strength is inferior, there is no place to reason. A single action, a glance, or even a wrong tone can make someone hold a grudge. In the future, Junior Brother Qin should be more cautious in his dealings..."

Meng Ruhui gave Qin Sang a long lecture, and finally said, "The junior brother I just mentioned, Bi, offended a Foundation Establishment stage senior uncle unintentionally. I received a hint and could only assign him the most arduous miscellaneous tasks, which he endured for ten years. Fortunately, within the sect, even Foundation Establishment cultivators must follow the rules and cannot easily resort to violence. If it were outside, he would have lost his life."

Qin Sang understood and said solemnly, "Senior Brother Meng, do you mean..."

Meng Ruhui nodded, "Junior Brother, please follow me."

The two flew out of the Cloudy Valley and headed west. Qin Sang noticed many similar valleys along the way, all shrouded in mist. After flying for a short distance, Meng Ruhui stopped at a valley, took out a spirit talisman to open the array, and then handed the talisman and a jade slip to Qin Sang.

The two entered one after the other, and Qin Sang immediately smelled a strong medicinal fragrance, realizing that it was also a herb garden.

"This is the Return Yang Valley, which I am also responsible for. It also grows spirit herbs," Meng Ruhui paused and looked at Qin Sang, "However, the spirit herbs in this garden are used for the Longevity Hall's alchemy, and each plant is more troublesome to tend than those in the Purple Bamboo Valley. Junior Brother Qin is already familiar with how to tend to the herb garden, so it shouldn't be too difficult..."

The Return Yang Valley was slightly larger than the Purple Bamboo Valley, and the types of spirit herbs in the spirit fields were several times more. When Qin Sang's divine sense probed into the jade slip, he saw a series of requirements and taboos, making him feel dizzy and disoriented.

Tending to this spirit field would take more time than the Purple Bamboo Valley.

Seeing Meng Ruhui about to leave, Qin Sang hurriedly called out, "Senior Brother Meng, wait a moment."

Meng Ruhui thought Qin Sang couldn't bear the humiliation and earnestly advised him, "I know Junior Brother Qin is unhappy, but please endure for a few years. Once Uncle Yu calms down, things will be easier. At the next Ascension Conference, I will try my best to mediate for you."

Qin Sang smiled and said, "Senior Brother, don't worry. I am quite adept at 'endurance.' I just wanted to ask Senior Brother where I can buy a few things I urgently need."