Chapter 80: Construction of Jinming Peak (First Release on Jinjiang Literature City)
Jinming Peak is quite large. Even if disciples come to manage it, they can only do simple cleaning to prevent the mountain from becoming desolate and dilapidated. However, one cannot expect it to be cleaned up very well. Only the area around the main hall is clean and free of weeds. The rest of the area is in a terrible state.
After finishing her meal, Yao Sisi felt warm and comfortable all over. She stretched and said, "I don't think there's any rush to tidy up the mountain peaks. Jinming Peak is so big, and there are also smaller peaks attached to it. It can't be finished in a day or two. Let me take a look at the gift that Fellow Daoist Qin gave me first."
Qin Fubao had already left by then, and he was eager to go back and fuss over his new gift.
Yao Sisi pulled out the exquisite little gift box and asked curiously, "Let me see what's inside. I'm guessing there should be some pills."
Unwrapping a gift is always a pleasant experience, and she was no exception. With a smile in her eyes, she opened the gift box, took out a small, warm white jade bottle, and revealed an expression of certainty: "See, I guessed right, there really are pills inside!"
Seeing that she was happy, Qi Mu did not interrupt her, but simply followed her words and said, "Quickly see what kind of pill it is."
Yao Sisi glanced at the bottle, which was engraved with the words "Qingling Pill." "Qingling Pill! It's used during breakthroughs. It can resist inner demons and make the mind clearer. When I break through to the Golden Core stage, I'll definitely attract tribulations and inner demons. This pill is really timely! The Qin brothers really put a lot of thought into the gifts they gave me!"
Qi Mu nodded, making a mental note of this favor. "According to Fellow Daoist Qin Fubao, his brother is a high-level alchemist with extensive connections. He certainly doesn't intend to curry favor with us. The fact that he's giving us this gift shows that he values his younger brother."
Yao Sisi wholeheartedly agreed with him, "I see that Qin Fubao has such a lively personality and no gloomy demeanor, he must be so confident because he is so loved."
The two reached an agreement and then checked the other gifts. There were three bottles of pills like this. The other two were Meridian Nourishing Pill and Yuan Nourishing Pill, both common Foundation Establishment pills used for building a foundation and cultivation.
The difference between a cultivator from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core is significant. Although there are specialized body cultivators, the physique of a Golden Core cultivator is much stronger than that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. This is why spells cast by a Foundation Establishment cultivator are greatly less effective when used on a Golden Core cultivator, as their fundamental physique is fundamentally different from that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Moreover, those in the Foundation Establishment stage have to control themselves to abstain from grains, but those in the Golden Core stage can abstain from grains even without control, and have gradually surpassed the mortal body.
"Both bottles contain high-grade pills. Although they are common pill names, low-grade and mid-grade pills are relatively common, but high-grade pills are not so common."
Yao Sisi took out a few Meridian Nourishing Pills from the pill bottle and gave them to Qi Mu: "You have only recently established your foundation and are a sword cultivator who is prone to injury, so your meridians are especially important. Take these pills to cultivate, so that you won't be cut by sword energy when you practice swordsmanship and suffer unbearable pain."
Qi Mu didn't answer: "I'm fine, it doesn't hurt. Don't you also repair swords? Those are hard weapons, they also have sword energy..."
Yao Sisi said, "It's different. Although I can't fully explain the difference between us, my sword isn't primarily about killing and sharpness, but rather stability and ruthlessness. Yours, on the other hand, seems to prioritize killing and resistance, with stability being secondary."
It's as if the more you suppress them, the harder they try, like a butterfly struggling to break free of its cocoon, constantly enduring the pain of being torn apart.
She sealed the pill and placed it in his hand, saying, "Take this and cultivate diligently!"
What she didn't say was that cultivation was actually a very interesting and fun thing, but for him it was like a tragic novel script, with a style completely different from hers. The young master was sometimes too serious, but that was his personal habit, and outsiders couldn't judge it.
Nobody says that cultivation in this world has to be a mindset or a method, right?
Her gaze shifted to the gift box. "There's also a small bag here. I wonder what's in it."
Qi Mu saw that her attention quickly shifted from the pills to the small bag, while he was still immersed in what she had just said, in her concern and the lingering warmth of her palm.
Was he too awkward before that made her uncomfortable?
He silently observed her reaction, but could no longer discern her preferences. He thought to himself: If she found me awkward, why would she examine the gift so easily without showing the slightest displeasure?
Clouds often drift across the sky, displaying different patterns, as if they are ever-changing thoughts, making them unpredictable.
What he didn't know was that people who have a crush are most prone to getting caught up in strange atmospheres, and can't help but do reading comprehension at the slightest thing.
Yao Sisi opened the small bag and exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? These are spirit plant seeds!"
Inside, different kinds of seeds were wrapped in hemp fabric; some had names written on them, while others did not.
"I don't know as much about spiritual plants as you do. You should take a look and see if they're suitable for us to grow."
Qi Mu pursed her lips, took the seeds she handed over, and examined them. There were several rather good spiritual plants among them. She explained them to her one by one, "Spiritual herbs are very small grasses. They don't grow tall, but they are lush and green and very cute. They are suitable for large-scale planting. Fellow Daoist Qin sent a lot of them. Although they cannot be used as medicine, they nourish the soil and can generate spiritual energy in a cycle, making them very suitable for decoration on mountain peaks. And this..."
As Yao Sisi listened to his gentle tone and his meticulous explanation of the uses of these spiritual herbs and flowers, as well as the suitable environments for planting several spiritual medicines, she said, "Changing the environment is our top priority. So, while we wait for the disciple-acceptance ceremony, let's decorate our new home!"
When Qi Mu saw her use the word "home," he paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "It really is home. After wandering for so long, we can finally live here in peace."
Yao Sisi nodded: "That's right. Before, I wandered around the Xuan Beast Forest like a vagrant, and then I rented a house in Maoling City. I didn't feel like I had any real sense of being rooted. Only now do I feel more settled."
Over the next few days, the group on the mountain began to tidy up the peaks. Even Ning Xiu was no exception and helped out. He had been staying by Yao Sisi's side without contributing much, but whenever there was something he could do, the little guy was more diligent than anyone else.
Yao Sisi knew that Jinming Peak was too large, and a few people couldn't handle it alone, so she simply issued tasks within the sect, such as clearing weeds, etc.
For a small amount of spirit stones, disciples would take on the task. With many people involved, and the added bonus of magic from cultivators, the work was very efficient. The large-scale cleaning task was completed in just one day. Of course, Yao Sisi also spent over a thousand low-grade spirit stones, but the results were still very obvious.
After finishing the task, she saw that the group was exhausted, their spiritual energy almost completely drained by the incantation. She couldn't help but tease the group not far away, saying, "Who was it that was worried about the money and wanted to do everything themselves back then, huh?"
The exhausted group lay sprawled out in the main hall, their eyes unfocused as they stared at the ceiling, panting heavily. Only Qi Mu maintained the manners of a young master, though he was actually just trying to save face. Yao Sisi noticed that his hand holding the cup was trembling slightly when he drank water.
He swallowed a few mouthfuls of refreshing spring water, feeling his body recover slightly. Then he looked at Yao Sisi and said, "Tomorrow is the planting day. Do we need to find someone else for this? I'm worried they won't do a good job."
Yao Sisi said, "Then let's do it ourselves. I'll be in charge of digging the holes, and you can be in charge of planting, okay?"
Qi Mu nodded, "Okay, then we'll all go back and rest."
He was so tired that he felt unwell; his meridians were dry, and his limbs were numb and he couldn't muster any strength.
Yao Sisi wasn't much better off than them. It wasn't like she didn't have to work; on the contrary, because of her higher cultivation level and more abundant spiritual energy, she did more work.
The next morning, everyone was fully awake. Thanks to a night's rest, they were all back to normal.
Qi Mu first divided the mountain into countless areas according to the habits and varieties of the spiritual plants. They did not intend to finish it all in one day, nor was it possible to finish it all. Even if they had eight hands, it would be a pipe dream.
"Today's task is to finish the area near the main hall and the area at the foot of the mountain that is frequently visited. Although these areas are less than one percent of the entire mountain, the task is very important."
The group started planting from the ground up. Yao Sisi cast spells over a large area, digging small pits in the ground. Because the spirit-nourishing grass didn't grow very big and its roots weren't particularly long, the seeds didn't need to be planted very deep. About four or five centimeters from the ground was enough, which saved a lot of effort compared to seeds that needed to be buried deep.
She used magic to create thousands of holes at a time, and then Qi Mu would sow appropriate seeds in the holes. Digging the holes didn't need to be particularly precise; there could be some differences in distance. However, sowing the seeds had to be precise, otherwise they would be outside the holes. Sowing seeds didn't require much strength; the main focus of spiritual energy consumption was on precise control.
If it weren't for his alchemy skills, which gave him a much stronger grasp of spiritual energy than ordinary cultivators, he wouldn't be able to achieve such efficiency.
Ning Xiu and Liu Yuan were not idle either. Ning Xiu was in charge of adding soil, while Liu Yuan was in charge of watering.
However, Ning Xiu couldn't keep up with Yao Sisi and Qi Mu's speed in cultivating soil on his own, so Liu Yuan also had to cultivate soil. Fortunately, there was a special minor spell for spreading rain, which was relatively easy except that it required a certain level of cultivation, and it wouldn't work if the level was too low.
The seeds of the Spirit Nourishing Grass are also extremely small, smaller than sesame seeds. A small handful contains hundreds of seeds, and the small packet given by the Qin brothers must contain at least tens of thousands of seeds.
By the time they finished planting all the spirit-nourishing herbs, it was already afternoon, and everyone was exhausted.
Yao Sisi said, "Since we're out of seeds anyway, let's take a break!"
Just then, Qin Fubao sent a message talisman. Yao Sisi opened it, and his voice rang out in front of them.
Qin Fubao: "Fellow Daoist Yao, do you need to go to the small market to buy some things? I just moved here. Although my brother has prepared most of it for me, there are still some things I need to buy myself. I heard that it's popular for disciples to organize their own small markets. I'm so curious, but everyone on Danfeng is so engrossed in alchemy that no one is going to take me there. I thought since you've just moved in, you must also have a lot of things you want to buy, so I came to ask you."
After listening, Yao Sisi looked at Qi Mu and the others and said, "Why don't we go and join in the fun? Anyway, construction isn't something that can be done overnight. How about we all go out and relax?"
Qi Mu also felt tired at this moment. After being busy for so long, she had very little spiritual energy left in her body, so she might as well go out for a stroll and take a break.
"In that case, let's go take a look and buy what we need while we're at it."
Yao Sisi sent Qin Fubao a message, telling him that the others were waiting for him at the foot of Danfeng Mountain, and that he should get ready before going over.
After sending the message, she threw out Lingyun, stuffed a few spirit stones into it for power, and called to Qi Mu and the others, "Let's go!"
Jinming Peak and Dan Peak are not far apart, and given Qin Fubao's slow flying speed, Yao Sisi simply led a few people to find him. When they arrived, they found Qin Fubao already waiting there. He didn't stand on ceremony, jumped onto Lingyun, and even touched it with his hand.
"This flying artifact is quite impressive!"
Yao Sisi thought to herself: That's naturally great. When I was refining it, the inspiration came from Sun Wukong's somersault cloud. He can travel 108,000 li in one somersault. Just thinking about it is impressive.
Where is the small market you mentioned?
Qin Fubao: "We'll arrive after we go around three mountain peaks."
Following his directions, the group arrived at the location in no time. This small market was set up by the disciples in their spare time. People come here to sell things every day. Because it is within the sect's territory, the transactions are very safe. Moreover, the disciples of the Enforcement Hall also come here to buy and sell things when they have nothing to do. Everyone likes this place.
However, since it's not a shop, the items sold are not fixed, but the prices are generally much cheaper than in a shop. If you're in a hurry to buy something, don't come here, as it's a waste of time. If you're not in a particular rush, you can come and browse around; you'll often find great value for your money.
The group descended from Lingyun, initially expecting the small market to have only a few hundred people. However, upon arrival, they discovered, wow, there were so many people setting up stalls within the sect! It wasn't just a few hundred; there must have been tens of thousands...
She couldn't help but ask, "How many people are there in our sect?"
The booklet didn't specify the exact number of members in the sect. I don't know if it's because it's a matter of sect privacy or something else, but in any case, it wasn't mentioned.
Qin Fubao: "I estimate there must be several million cultivators. We are a major sect. Although major sects mainly look at the number of high-level cultivators, there must be tens of thousands of alchemists on Dan Peak alone. Dan Peak has a relatively small number of disciples. Of course, your peak is a very special case, so we can't count it for now."
Yao Sisi: "How many people are in our sect's Weapon Peak?"
Qin Fubao: "The number of people is much larger than that of Danfeng, at least three to five times more."
Yao Sisi said, "That's true. I also feel that refining weapons is simpler than refining pills. At least at the lower levels, you can easily forge something, and at most the quality will be poor. But you can't just make pills casually. They'll explode all the time, and you might even make poisonous pills, which are too dangerous."
Qin Fubao: "You're being modest. I think they're all quite difficult."
Yao Sisi said, "It's not exactly modesty. It's just that spirit herbs are very fragile. It's a hassle to handle them gently. Just thinking about that scene gives me a headache. Look how good my refining materials are. They can be thrown around without any problem. If I'm in a bad mood, I can even step on them."
Qin Fubao: "..." So you don't find alchemy difficult, you just find it annoying.
Seeing the two chatting, Qi Mu, being an alchemist himself, made a promise: "I will improve my alchemy skills as soon as possible, and then I will be able to refine higher-level pills."
Yao Sisi waved her hand: "It's okay. I rely mainly on my strength, not on taking drugs. You just need to focus on refining pills steadily."
Qi Mu pursed her lips, not suggesting slowing down, but simply replied, "Okay, I'll try to be as steady as possible."
They chatted as they walked, seeing many things along the way. These were things the disciples had acquired through their own training or things they had crafted themselves. Yao Sisi had never even heard of many of these things before. They were essentially learning as they strolled through the streets, since some stall owners would occasionally offer a few words of advice to sell their goods.
After walking for a while, the group came across a stall selling spirit beast pills. Yao Sisi hadn't planned to stop, but the stall owner happened to be introducing the spirit crane to someone else, saying, "Although the spirit crane's cultivation level isn't high, isn't it much cheaper to buy it as a mount than to buy a flying magic weapon? A decent flying magic weapon costs thousands of spirit stones, and a good one can easily cost tens of thousands. But within the sect, buying a spirit crane only costs a few spirit stones. You don't even need to feed it anything special, and it can be used for many years!"
Yao Sisi stopped in her tracks. In the future, her mountain peak would not be lonely with only a few people. At that time, low-level disciples would not have money to buy flying magic artifacts, but they could summon spirit cranes. These low-level demonic beasts are gentle by nature and have elegant appearances. They can not only beautify the mountain peak as decorations, but are also very practical.
Moreover, disciples only need to exchange food for the cranes, a small "bribe" is enough, and they don't need special feeding, making them a very suitable means of transportation.
She bent down and asked, "Do you have any newly hatched cranes for sale here?"
Stall owner: "Yes! But not many. We just had a few hatched last month, and they already weigh seven or eight pounds."
Upon hearing this, Yao Sisi said, "Okay, let me see it."
The stall owner said, "We don't usually buy shelled shells. I don't have one with me. Please let me have someone bring it over. It will be quick."
Yao Sisi said, "Then have someone bring it over first. I'll go look around the neighborhood and then come find you."
Stall owner: "Okay!"
Yao Sisi saw Qi Mu looking at something at a stall not far away. She squeezed over and found that it was selling seeds. Because of the incident with the spirit crane, she suddenly had an idea and said to him, "Young master, I'm planning to buy a few spirit cranes. I heard that they like to eat fruit and such. Let's buy some fruit tree seedlings while we're at it. Do you have any recommendations? I'll go buy them."
Qi Mu said, "Wait a minute, let me take a look at the seeds here first, and then we'll go together in a bit."
He had already bought several packets of seeds and was looking at others at the stall. When he finished selecting these and was about to pay, he noticed a hand reaching out to pay for the packets.
He turned to look at her, and Yao Sisi looked back and said, "The mountain is under my name, how can I let you spend money all the time? Young master, you should save your money to improve your cultivation!"
Qi Mu said, "Can the money for a few packets of seeds be worth more than the pills you gave me? Miss Sisi, we've already lost sight of that."
Yao Sisi scratched her head: "You're right, that makes sense, but these lines feel so strange, like I've heard them somewhere before."
It looks so familiar!
Qi Mu: "I think I told you this before!"
Yao Sisi waved her hand, "No, it's not the feeling you described. It's just a very special line. Never mind, let's go check on the saplings."
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