Chapter 133 - 124: Jinbao’s Advancement
Three thousand acres of hillside land seemed like a lot, but for a population of five to six thousand, it would quickly be used up if each household took just seven or eight acres.
Some smaller households only received three or four acres. Fang Qingyuan had made it clear from the start that this hillside land was merely leased to the mortals at the foot of the mountain for farming. It did not belong to them—it was the property of Yuanling Mountain.
Once the crops were harvested, the yield would be split seventy-thirty, with Yuanling Mountain taking seventy percent and the mortals thirty. This thirty percent share shouldn’t be underestimated; the profit from it was greater than what they could earn from farming forty or fifty acres of their own land.
After settling these matters, Fang Qingyuan found Jiang Kui to discuss the chaos caused by the White Mountain Loose Cultivators. Jiang Kui, however, had little reaction to the news. She said,
"It doesn’t matter if White Mountain falls into chaos. It all depends on Lechuan. He already incurred the dissatisfaction of the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect’s disciples after helping out last time. Helping once was more than enough. If he goes to help them again, I’d start to wonder if Wei Tong was his real father."
Fang Qingyuan laughed at Jiang Kui’s jab. Indeed, Lechuan had already helped once and suffered the loss of many disciples. If he wanted to help again, the resistance he’d face would be far greater than before.
And just as Jiang Kui predicted, the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect chose to stand by and watch this time. Perhaps with Wei Tong’s death, the ties between the two families had weakened. In any case, there was now no chance of Fang Qingyuan being conscripted to the front lines.
Thus, Fang Qingyuan could remain on Yuanling Mountain in peace, needing only to expend a little effort to keep tabs on the battle situation in Northern White Mountain.
He had no great love for the Wei Family. If it hadn’t been for them, his peaceful life would never have been disrupted.
Fang Qingyuan didn’t care who won or lost this time. He even secretly hoped the Wei Family would be defeated. That way, Lechuan wouldn’t get another muddle-headed notion to go and help them in the future.
Putting the distant conflict out of his mind, Fang Qingyuan finished his work with the Thousand Soul Grass and turned his attention to his own cultivation technique. It was at this very moment, however, that Jinbao began to show signs of advancing to the next tier.
For some time now, Jinbao had been growing drowsy and listless. At first, Fang Qingyuan thought his spirit beast was sick, but after several days of careful observation, he realized Jinbao was simply sleeping more than usual.
Moreover, Jinbao’s appetite had tripled. He became a little eating machine, devouring his meals with ferocious intensity.
Jinbao was eight years old now. As a Celestial Tier Middle Grade Spirit Beast, his growth cycle was longer than most. Fang Qingyuan had originally expected Jinbao to advance in his teens, but it seemed he was developing faster than anticipated.
By now, both Yinbao and the Bee Queen had already advanced once; only Jinbao remained. Fang Qingyuan was filled with anticipation.
Fang Qingyuan tidied up Jinbao’s quarters and prepared a massive feast of meat, Flower Nectar, fruit, and snacks for him, piling it up until it filled half the room.
Seeing all this delicious food, Jinbao hummed with delight. He was no longer the innocent little cub who only consumed Flower Nectar; he was now a robust young bear. And while Flower Nectar remained his favorite, he wouldn’t pass up any other tasty morsels.
Outwardly, Jinbao looked like a Yellow Tier Upper Grade Tai Chi Bear, but he was, at his core, a ferocious carnivore. Any foe deceived by his appearance would pay a heavy price.
Once Jinbao was settled and ready for his advancement, Fang Qingyuan began the process of switching his cultivation technique.
In the world of cultivation, switching one’s primary cultivation technique was no small matter. To suddenly alter the spiritual power circulation pathways one had used for twenty years required a complete readjustment of one’s entire state of being.
Fortunately, the Cyan Wood Evergreen Formula was inherently balanced and gentle. The Spiritual Power it generated could be converted into the Wood Spiritual Qi required by the *True Scripture of Five Spirits Refining Form*, and the process was proving less difficult than Fang Qingyuan had anticipated.
Fang Qingyuan set up a three-layered array in his courtyard. The outermost layer was the Small Five Elements Inversion Illusion Array, the middle layer was the Four Symbols Killing Array, and the innermost layer, which enveloped his house, was the Azure Dragon Water Striking Array.
All three arrays were Tier One Upper Grade. With the exception of the Small Five Elements Inversion Illusion Array, the other two were treasures Fang Qingyuan had collected over the years. The arrays were mainly intended as an early warning system. While in the process of switching cultivation techniques, he would be largely defenseless, so these were meant to buy him enough time to react to any threat.
It would take a full day to break through all three arrays. Without a costly Array-Breaking Talisman, even someone as skilled as Jiang Kui would have no choice but to slowly grind them down.
It wasn’t that Fang Qingyuan distrusted Jiang Kui and Zhang Yuan; it was more of a subconscious instinct to always keep an ace up his sleeve. When it came to something this important, holding something in reserve was simply being responsible for himself.
After setting up the arrays and bathing, Fang Qingyuan sat cross-legged in his Quiet Chamber. He had laid out a row of Elixir Pills before him.
There were Tier Two Middle Grade Dust-Reduction Pills, a type of Cultivation Elixir typically used by Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Fang Qingyuan had originally intended to use the Tier Two Lower Grade version, which would have been sufficient, but they were sold out.
Three bottles of Dust-Reduction Pills, with six pills in each. In addition, there were Tier One Upper Grade Yellow Dragon Pills for replenishing essence and qi; Tier One Upper Grade Purifying Spirit Pills for strengthening the soul and restoring spent Divine Sense; and Tier One Upper Grade Blood Marrow Pills for replenishing consumed qi and blood.
The dozen or so bottles of Elixir Pills arranged before him gave Fang Qingyuan a great sense of security. The pills alone had cost him more than four thousand Spirit Stones.
Furthermore, the Meditation Cushion Fang Qingyuan sat upon was a Tier One Upper Grade Magical Artifact. It was woven from Qingxin Hemp and had the ability to quiet a Cultivator’s mind, reducing distracting thoughts during cultivation.