Chapter 15: The Return of Qing Yu

Gao Yuyao.

Watching a wisp of pink smoke drift away with the wind, Song Qingming couldn't help but mutter the name he had just heard.

After finally obtaining a bottle of spiritual pills capable of increasing his cultivation, Song Qingming had rushed back to Spirit Source Mountain and hurried home, eager to test their effects.

The Qi-Nourishing Pill was a mid-grade spiritual pill. The spiritual energy it contained was roughly equivalent to the amount a normal mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator would refine in a month. After refining one pill, Song Qingming clearly felt a small surge of spiritual energy within his body, which brought him a secret sense of joy.

The effects of the Qi-Nourishing Pill indeed did not disappoint him. This bottle of pills could save him nearly a year of bitter cultivation; unfortunately, such pills could be taken at most once a month.

Spiritual pills are refined from the essence of plants, spiritual water, and spiritual objects. Ordinary pills all carry a trace of pill toxin and cannot be consumed without restraint. For low-grade spiritual pills like the Qi-Nourishing Pill, it takes about a month for the pill toxin to be completely expelled from a cultivator's body.

If one consumes pills excessively for a long period, the toxins will accumulate in the body, posing a great risk to the cultivator's future progress.

This bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pills was enough for him to cultivate alone for a year. Any surplus could be taken to the Gold Treasury Pavilion to earn a few spirit stones.

With the long-term supply of cultivation pills provided by Gao Yuyao, Song Qingming finally had a way to increase his cultivation speed. Whether it was his previous study of formation refining or his later learning of talisman making, his purpose for earning spirit stones had always been for his own path of cultivation.

Without reaching Foundation Establishment, a Qi Refinement cultivator has a limited lifespan; after a hundred years, they will eventually turn into a pile of yellow dust.

A Qi Refinement cultivator's lifespan is only about one hundred and twenty years, whereas after Foundation Establishment, it increases by two sexagenary cycles (120 years). Combined with the consumption of certain second-grade longevity herbs, one can generally live to around two hundred and fifty years old.

For a cultivator wishing to reach Foundation Establishment, it is best to reach the ninth layer of Qi Refinement before the age of sixty. After sixty, a Qi Refinement cultivator's internal energy and vital blood will gradually deplete, making Foundation Establishment increasingly difficult.

Although Foundation Establishment was still far off, if he practiced normally, it would be a question whether Song Qingming could even reach the late stage of Qi Refinement by the age of sixty. He had to accelerate his cultivation speed.

After a night of cultivation, early the next morning, Song Qingming was about to head out to inspect the mine. Just as he reached the edge of Moon Crescent Lake, he suddenly felt a ripple in the mountain-protecting formation. A white transmission talisman slowly drifted through the formation and entered Spirit Source Mountain.

The four martial masters guarding the formation array at the village entrance saw the talisman flying in from outside. Just as they were about to report to Song Qingming, they saw him approaching from a distance. Song Qingming caught the talisman, examined it closely, and a smile appeared on his face. He hurriedly ordered the martial masters to open the mountain-protecting formation.

Outside the formation stood a dozen figures, with the first two already approaching Song Qingming.

Leading them was a graceful woman in white, appearing to be around thirty years of age, accompanied by a young girl of about ten.

The graceful woman was a member of the Song family's "Chang" generation, Song Changling, a sixth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator and one of the only two high-grade talisman makers in the Song family.

Song Changling's cultivation talent was average—she was merely a four-spirit root cultivator—but she possessed significant talent in the way of talisman making. When Song Qingming was previously learning talisman making, he had specifically gone to seek her guidance.

"The little girl's cultivation has progressed well recently, but she is quite homesick. The Great Elder allowed her to return home for a day's visit and entrusted me to bring her here, while also collecting the Black Iron ore from this half-year," Song Changling said, pointing to the young girl behind her.

The girl beside Song Changling was none other than Song Qingyu, whom Song Qingming had sent to Mount Funiu a few months ago. At this moment, she had already guided Qi into her body and become a first-layer Qi Refinement cultivator.

A three-spirit root cultivator was indeed extraordinary. Song Qingming had spent half a year just to successfully enter the path of cultivation, yet this girl had reached this realm in only three or four months. This speed was more than just a little fast.

Seeing the impatient look in Song Qingyu's eyes, Song Changling gave her a slight nod. Seeing this, the girl giggled, greeted Song Qingming, and then dashed toward his home in a few quick strides.

"Fifth Aunt, why have you come alone this time?"

Song Qingming was also somewhat surprised to see only the two of them. Transporting Black Iron ore worth forty spirit stones was enough to incite the greed of late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators. In the past, when the Song family came to transport ore, they would dispatch at least three cultivators at or above the mid-stage of Qi Refinement. This way, even if they encountered an ordinary rogue cultivator of the late stage, they could hold out until family reinforcements arrived.

This time, only Song Changling had come, and she also had to look after Song Qingyu, who had just stepped onto the path of cultivation. If they encountered a group like the bandits from last time, their chances of survival would be slim.

Seeing Song Qingming's concern, Song Changling explained with a smile, "After the Gao family caused trouble last time, Qinghe County has become much more peaceful. The Second Elder also came this time; he is waiting for us at the foot of the mountain. For an important matter like escorting Black Iron ore, how would the family dare let me come alone?"

Song Qingming led Song Changling and the others to the ore warehouse to collect the Black Iron mined over the past six months.

The dozen or so family martial masters brought from Mount Funiu had traveled to Spirit Source Mountain many times to deliver ore and were very familiar with the place. Song Qingming called dozens of laborers to help. The group spent half a day unloading the supplies from several horse carriages and then loading the collected Black Iron ore onto the carriages.

Spirit Source Mountain was located in a valley consisting of uneven terrain, unlike the flat surroundings of Mujiao Town, which allowed for large-scale farming. The mortal population of the family here always faced food shortages and required annual subsidies from Mujiao Town.

Every time the family came to collect ore, they would also bring along daily necessities that the mortals in the mountains could not normally obtain, satisfying their needs. Whenever this happened, the villagers of Spirit Source Mountain would happily bring large and small sacks and bamboo baskets to the village threshing floor to wait for the supplies, making for a very lively scene.

Having cultivated at Mount Funiu for several months, Song Qingyu had few children her age to play with; her days were filled with nothing but tedious study and cultivation. Returning to Spirit Source Mountain was a true liberation of her childhood nature.

Not long after visiting her parents, Song Qingyu ran out to find her old playmates from the village. As she spoke, she shared her experiences in the mountains and demonstrated her extraordinary abilities gained from cultivation, leaving the village children staring in awe.

A Qi Refinement cultivator's strength alone was several times that of an ordinary mortal. The little girl ran around the village with the group of children, demonstrating a few small spells she had just learned.

With flames in one hand and rain in the other, she frightened the surrounding villagers into quickly grabbing their children and bringing them indoors, fearing that this ignorant little "immortal" might accidentally hurt them.

When the little girl finally saw that she was left all alone, she felt a bit bored and could only return home somewhat dejectedly.

Since Song Qingming arrived at Spirit Source Mountain, the operation of the Black Iron vein had been quite smooth, and this year's output was five percent higher than last year. Looking at the ledger of Black Iron ore quantities handed up by a martial master, Song Changling nodded at Song Qingming in satisfaction.

Spirit Source Mountain produced several hundred pieces of Black Iron ore every year. The Song family generally did not sell this ore directly in the markets; instead, they would first transport it to Mount Funiu, where family weapon refiners would craft it into various magical tools before selling them in the family's shops in Qinghe Market. This allowed them to double the original value of the Black Iron ore.

Just after noon, after everyone had finished their meal, they prepared for the return journey. The little girl also left her parents with great reluctance.

Song Changling led the group slowly down Spirit Source Mountain.

(End of Chapter)