"Thank goodness I could pay with a mix of contribution points and spirit stones. Otherwise, I really would've had to think twice…"
After bidding farewell to Old Luo and Niu Ba, Li Ye returned to his residence, still wincing a little as he clutched his storage pouch.
He knew such cultivation techniques didn't come cheap outside the sect, one could never get something like this for just fifty spirit stones.
It was only thanks to being a sect disciple that he could access it at a discount.
But the truth was, Li Ye was still far from wealthy. The pills he refined hadn't started selling for much yet; he was still in the stage of building up his reputation hence his habit of pinching every coin.
"In the early stages of body cultivation, the demand for qi and blood-enhancing resources isn't too high. Even though I haven't managed to refine Blood Qi Pills yet, a hundred strands of Blood Grain Rice Essence should be enough…"
Taking out the copied jade slip containing Elephant Armor Force, Li Ye began studying it.
He had already skimmed through the beginning of it before paying and taking the oath. He'd even taken the time to sneak a peek at the other four techniques on the second floor.
And as it turned out Niu Ba had been spot on.
One of the incomplete techniques, Wood Titan Body, did seem to align more closely with his wood attribute. But it was so badly damaged that even the introductory portion was vague and contradictory, full of apparent errors.
Li Ye didn't consider himself particularly lucky those tales of protagonists stumbling across secret, broken techniques and somehow completing them didn't apply to people like him.
Better to grasp a fully functional technique in hand than chase after broken dreams.
He carefully read through the manual as time flew by. After about an hour, he finally rubbed his eyes and set the jade slip down with a tired sigh.
Elephant Armor Force consisted of three stages, each corresponding to a sub-stage of the Qi Refining realm.
"The first stage starts with coordinating punches with spiritual energy to stimulate the body for adaptation. Once the initial threshold is crossed, the body is to be tempered through physical training and medicinal baths. If qi and blood supplements are maintained regularly, the results improve drastically until the first stage is fully achieved."
"But after that, the resource consumption increases even more…"
Shaking his head, Li Ye gave a bitter smile.
"So the path of body cultivation is just burning resources to pave the way forward… Only those with solid backing can afford it its reputation is well-earned!"
If it weren't for the fact that he'd recently taken over a large plot of spiritual farmland, earning both Blood Grain Rice Essence and experience points steadily, and that he was close to upgrading his pill refinement once again he wouldn't have dared commit to this path.
"Still, even though it's resource-intensive, the returns are more than worth it… Not only can successful cultivation lock in your vitality, preventing blood decline with age and helping in Foundation Establishment"
"It also allows for the refining of a drop of Elephant Demon blood. Though dormant most of the time, once activated, it grants a burst of strength powerful enough to turn the tide of battle!"
With such potential and combat power, it was worth the cost!
Li Ye had already fully grasped the entry-level punches and the accompanying spiritual energy flow. Feeling ready, he stood up, took off his robe, and walked into the small courtyard outside.
He began to regulate his breathing, adopting a steady, grounded stance. Then, punch by punch, kick by kick, he slowly began practicing the technique.
Though his movements weren't fast, each one was performed with precision and a sense of overwhelming strength.
His spiritual energy followed the movement of his limbs, stimulating his flesh and muscles, subtly altering his body.
Within moments, Li Ye's breathing grew heavy. Beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his face, staining his clothes with patches of moisture.
This phase was the most dangerous for any beginner.
If one fails to sync their spiritual energy with their physical movements properly, it could lead to internal injuries from energy deviation!
Fortunately, Li Ye's spiritual energy was pure and under control. Though the technique was unfamiliar, he managed to maintain the coordination.
He gritted his teeth and pressed on, finishing a full set of punches. By the end, he was drenched in sweat, his robe completely soaked.
His muscles squirmed subtly, his qi and blood surged his entire body felt like it had just stepped through a newly opened door!
Once his breathing calmed, Li Ye sat down cross-legged and immediately brought out a strand of Blood Grain Rice Essence to begin refining.
Compared to the Greenbud Elixir, this one was just as pure, though it carried a faint, blood-tinged sweetness in its aroma.
As he swallowed and refined it, most of it quickly transformed into qi and blood essence, flowing through his limbs and being hungrily absorbed by his body.
In just a few moments after his very first practice session with Elephant Armor Force Li Ye already felt his physical strength and blood energy strengthen noticeably!
"The Blood Grain Rice Essence didn't disappoint…"
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Li Ye's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"With this supplement, I'm confident I can reach the first stage even faster than the manual suggests!"
Zhang Liangfu carefully tended to the spirit herb in front of him, his expression tense, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Only when everything was finally in place and he gently covered the roots with soft soil did he stand up and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Working in this spirit herb garden is way tougher than tending to the outer spiritual fields…"
Wiping the sweat from his forehead with the towel hanging around his neck, Zhang Liangfu sighed sincerely.
The spiritual energy here was richer than outside. Just being in this place, using spells to care for the plants every day, would bring a slight increase to one's cultivation.
But naturally, the work here was far more difficult as well.
The spirit herbs being cultivated were many times more precious than the spirit rice he used to grow. Damaging too many of them could even lead to disciplinary action.
Even though Zhang Liangfu had received a lot of guidance from Li Ye back when he was still in the outer fields, he had never actually worked with real spirit herbs before. He had the theory, sure but turning that into real skill would take time.
So all he could do now was be extra cautious.
"I wonder how Junior Brother Li is doing now… I heard he caught the eye of an elder and became the spirit field caretaker for their residence…"
"That's practically a meteoric rise, isn't it? Li-shidi is something else…"
He had thought about visiting Li Ye to ask for more advice.
But now, their statuses were no longer the same. Back when they both worked the sect's spiritual fields, they were on equal footing. Not anymore.
Even someone as cheerful and straightforward as Zhang Liangfu couldn't help but hesitate, afraid Li Ye might think he was trying to curry favor or disturb him.
"Hey! Old Zhang! Give me a hand over here!"
Suddenly, a shout from another spirit farmer nearby snapped Zhang Liangfu out of his swirling thoughts. He quickly called back,
"Ah, coming, coming!"
Now that he was here, with low cultivation and nothing particularly outstanding in skill, even being friendly with other spirit farmers still left him near the bottom of the pecking order.
If he wanted to get pointers from anyone more experienced, being their free labor was simply part of the deal.
He had long since accepted that.
Zhang Liangfu jogged over to the field and, under the other disciple's instructions, began working diligently.
Then, faintly, the sound of commotion and chatter drifted from the entrance of the herb garden.
What puzzled him was that the noise was getting closer as if headed directly for their area.
"Looks like Senior Brother Yao and Senior Brother Gu are back! Those two are top-tier among us spirit farmers they're already close to reaching Rank Two!"
The disciple next to Zhang Liangfu looked up in surprise.
The names sounded vaguely familiar to Zhang Liangfu, but he didn't lift his head to look he just focused on his work.
"Huh… Why are they headed this way?"
The disciple muttered in confusion, his voice quickly trailing off.
"Is Junior Brother Zhang Liangfu here?"
A deep, hearty voice rang out. Zhang Liangfu froze, and the spirit farmer next to him immediately responded,
"Yes, yes, he's right here!"
"Old Zhang, get up! The senior brothers are here for you!"
The man clapped Zhang Liangfu on the shoulder and half-pulled him up.
Staring at the smiling young man in short robes and the sturdy, rough-looking man beside him, Zhang Liangfu was completely bewildered.
Then the young man pulled a jade slip from his storage pouch and handed it to him.
"Junior Brother Zhang, I'm Yao Shaohui, and this here is Senior Brother Gu Daojin… This is something Junior Brother Li asked us to deliver to you."
"From now on, if you have any problems at all, feel free to come find us."
"Junior Brother Li…"
Zhang Liangfu held the jade slip in a daze.
The disciple beside him frowned slightly,
"Junior Brother Li… Wait, do you mean Li Ye?"
"That's right," Gu Daojin replied with a nod, casting a scrutinizing glance at him, his expression a bit cold.
He knew very well what went on in this spirit garden.
Under that sharp gaze, the disciple began to panic and turned quickly to Zhang Liangfu, trying to explain himself.
"Old Zhang, why didn't you tell me you were close with Li Ye?!"
If you had said something, how would I have dared boss you around like that?
"Heh…"
Zhang Liangfu simply shook his head and smiled sheepishly.
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