"Little Uncle Lu, I've found out everything."
"The insect infestation at his house was resolved by that chubby cultivator. As for the larval corpses after the cleanup, I didn't get a strong impression. They must have been taken away by the cultivator."
Not long after, Zhang Xiu Yuan sprinted out, gasping for breath. His words made Lu Xuan's heart involuntarily tighten.
"Keep investigating!"
He exhaled a deep breath of turbid air and said firmly.
He visited two more loose cultivators, but the responses were identical.
Qin Ming, after resolving the infestation, had casually taken away the larval corpses.
Suddenly, thoughts surged chaotically in Lu Xuan's mind. An entire thread of logic emerged, growing increasingly vivid.
"Why is it that, despite being cultivators of Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, Qin Ming's fees for taking action are one-tenth or even two-tenths lower than those of Lingyun Fairy or sword cultivator Li Xu?"
"Why does he always take the larval corpses after handling Black Bud Worm infestations?"
"Why is it that I, as a cultivator at Qi Cultivation Second Layer, don't even qualify to earn a tiny amount of Spirit Stones?"
"Because those Black Bud Worm larvae were planted by Qin Ming himself!"
"He releases adult Black Bud Worms into loose cultivators' spirit fields, secretly allowing them to lay eggs. Then, he uses the vitality of the spirit plants to nourish and cultivate the larvae. Once the larvae mature, he retrieves them under the pretense of exterminating the infestation."
"This explains why, despite the same cultivation level, hiring Qin Ming is so much cheaper compared to other cultivators of Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer."
"His specialty in Ice System Techniques enables him to separate the larvae without damaging the spirit plants."
"He can also choose to freeze the larvae rather than kill them outright. After extraction, he thaws them out again."
"This way, he can earn Spirit Stones while conveniently reclaiming the larvae parasitizing the spirit plants—a win-win situation."
*Lu Xuan was suddenly enlightened, understanding Qin Ming's unrelenting aggression.*
*Not only had he earned Qin Ming's Spirit Stones, but he had also killed the Black Bud Worm larvae Qin Ming had painstakingly nurtured.*
*And most importantly, he was just a small loose cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Second Layer.*
"So, the Black Bud Worm larvae I dealt with earlier, along with the adult worms I killed at midnight, were secretly planted by him."
*As Lu Xuan realized this, he clenched his teeth in anger.*
*He had unknowingly helped Qin Ming raise larvae using his spirit plants and then spent Spirit Stones to hire him to take the mature larvae away...*
If not for the appearance of the white light clusters, timely acquisition of the protective array, and the Golden Sword Technique, his spirit field would have suffered insect infestations repeatedly—until Qin Ming swallowed him whole, leaving no remains.
"As expected, the strong prey on the weak."
*Still, if anyone thought they could easily manipulate him just because he was weak, they were gravely mistaken.*
Lu Xuan pulled a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, his eyes glowing brightly.
Returning home, the first thing Lu Xuan did was inspect every corner of the protective array around his courtyard.
The Grass Puppet sensed its master's aura and extended a gray grass rope, slithering behind him like a snake.
After confirming that the array was intact, Lu Xuan approached the Grass Puppet and took out a Broken Spirit, stuffing it into the large tumor formed by gray grass on its head.
"The gap in apparent strength is significant, and the interest conflict is substantial. It seems Qin Ming likely won't let me off."
"It works out—I don't plan to let him off either."
"It's just that, even though my cultivation level, formula methods, elixirs, and talismans have all greatly improved recently, Qin Ming is still at Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer. I wonder what my chances are if we fight now."
"The most urgent task is to focus on increasing my own strength. I'll postpone dealing with the insect infestation for now to avoid giving him any openings."
*With determination, Lu Xuan decided to temporarily stay at home, working on improving his strength while preparing for the possibility of Qin Ming barging in.*
Over the next few days, he stayed home cultivating spirit plants and instructed Zhang Xiu Yuan not to wander out aimlessly.
The remaining fourteen Moon Erosion Fruits had all ripened since the last harvest: twelve of good quality and two of superior quality.
Lu Xuan collected fourteen faintly shimmering white light clusters.
"Harvested one Moon Erosion Fruit and obtained First Grade Artifact, Silver Rift Blade (remnant)."*3
"Harvested one Moon Erosion Fruit and obtained a First Grade Talisman."*6
"Harvested one Moon Erosion Fruit and obtained one Yuan Cultivating Pill."*3
The rewards from the twelve good-quality Moon Erosion Fruits matched Lu Xuan's expectations.
Three pieces of silver-white blade fragments filled the sword's last gap.
A thin sword blade emerged before Lu Xuan, its surface a faint silver-white color, exceedingly inconspicuous whether in daylight or darkness.
Lu Xuan controlled the silver-white blade with his spiritual power, letting it dance freely in the air. The blade moved with remarkable speed and was exceptionally sharp.
He tested it on a piece of decayed spirit wood, and the blade sliced cleanly through the dense material as though cutting tofu.
With a single thought, the silver-white blade swiftly split into dozens of irregular silver-white thin slices, resembling a swarm of silver butterflies flying rapidly around Lu Xuan.
Seconds later, the thin slices consolidated seamlessly into a perfectly intact short blade.
"Finally, the Silver Rift Blade fragments have been fully collected."
Lu Xuan exhaled in relief, knowing the blade's sharpness had noticeably improved now that it was complete. It could also instantly split into dozens of fragments.
During its incomplete period, Lu Xuan's control over the fragments still felt somewhat sluggish.
But now, even with more fragments, his control was smooth and natural, almost effortless.
"The greatest value of this First Grade Artifact, Silver Rift Blade, lies in its ability to fracture into fragments."
"As a sword blade, it can only be deemed a decent First Grade Artifact. But during a fight, if it abruptly splits into multiple fragments to attack the opponent, its value immediately jumps two grades higher."
Lu Xuan twirled the silver-white blade through intricate patterns in the air, utterly enamored with it.
*This blade represented his best chance at dealing with Qin Ming for now.*
All six talismans were First Grade Talismans with no new types among them.
Lu Xuan carefully stored them away. First Grade Talismans were already powerful enough to harm Middle-Stage Qi Practitioners. If he amassed enough of them...
"All fear stems from insufficient firepower!"
*The sight of so many talismans collected recently offered Lu Xuan some reassurance.*
Apart from that, there were also three First Grade Yuan Cultivating Pills.
The two superior Moon Erosion Fruits yielded two elixir recipes for First Grade Yuan Cultivating Pills.
*Absorbing them, Lu Xuan felt his theoretical knowledge in refining Yuan Cultivating Pills become extraordinarily rich.*
*It was as if, though he hadn't yet practiced, he had absorbed countless manuals—ready and waiting to be put to use.*
The next ten days passed in tranquility, without incident.
Qin Ming seemed to have completely disregarded Lu Xuan.
*Lu Xuan, however, remained cautious, vigilant every day.*
Aside from tending to the spirit plants in the yard, he stayed indoors, refusing to step out.
The Spirit Firefly Grass in the spirit field had matured significantly under his meticulous care. Over the past ten days, several had reached their harvesting stage.
Lu Xuan harvested six Spirit Firefly Grasses: four of good quality and two of superior quality.
From the moment he planted the Spiritual Firefly Grass Seeds, Lu Xuan had carefully monitored their growth and provided the optimal conditions for cultivation. His efforts paid off as the probability of superior-quality plants increased considerably.
Among the six light clusters harvested, three offered cultivation progress directly.
"Harvested one Spirit Firefly Grass and obtained six months of cultivation progress."*2
"Harvested one Spirit Firefly Grass and obtained nine months of cultivation progress."
With these rewards, Lu Xuan's spiritual power surged within his body, recklessly rampaging through his meridians.
*Then, as if breaking through an invisible barrier, the spiritual power gradually calmed down.*
"Finally, I've reached Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer."
Lu Xuan's face filled with satisfaction.
After working tirelessly on cultivation while at Qi Cultivation Third Layer for an extended period, the new light clusters brought nearly two years of cultivation progress, allowing him to break through and become a Middle-Stage Qi Practitioner.