After casting Plant Growth four times, Qi Ping felt his mind begin to grow weary. However, concentrating his focus to comprehend the Wood-Flame Manual was still manageable. This was the limit he had tested for himself.
When he was at the third level of Qi Refinement, once he cast the level 2 [Plant Growth] skill more than four times, he would be unable to concentrate on cultivation, which easily led to errors. After breaking through to the fourth level, his soul had strengthened slightly, but he still couldn't reach five casts; he simply felt more relaxed after four. Therefore, casting the skill four times at peak mental state was the relative limit to ensure he could still cultivate normally.
After finishing the nurturing of the Fire Spirit Grass and seeing the plants grow significantly, Qi Ping finally felt at ease enough to study the Wood-Flame Manual. As long as the spirit herbs were growing rapidly, he had "grain in the silos," and his heart did not panic.
However, the sight of Qi Ping accelerating the growth of the Fire Spirit Grass completely stunned the Li-Fire Crow. Its intelligence and understanding were far higher than those of the Golden Marrow Bees; it understood the terrifying power and potential of this spell far more clearly.
"Caw, caw... (Boss, you... you...)"
"Caw, caw... (What kind of spell is this? Such a terrifying effect! It's too miraculous!)"
The Li-Fire Crow was so shocked its voice trembled. It discovered that it was one thing for Qi Ping to cast a spell that accelerated herb growth, but it didn't even seem to consume much of his energy! As an animal companion, it could clearly sense that Qi Ping's state was still quite good.
If this was the case, the significance and potential of this spell were truly immense.
"This is my unique talent. Didn't I say I would help you restore your bloodline? Don't worry, leave it to me!"
Facing the crow's question, Qi Ping smiled and continued, "It will take some time to nurture the Fire Spirit Grass. When they reach a higher year-count, I can slowly help you restore your bloodline. Later, I'll also try refining the grass into medicinal liquids and honey to enhance the effects."
"Caw, caw... (Boss is mighty!)"
Flapping its wings, the Li-Fire Crow almost prostrated itself before Qi Ping in admiration. Qi Ping suddenly realized that this crow, which had looked so extraordinary and dignified at first glance, seemed to have the potential to become a sycophantic henchman for a villain.
Qi Ping didn't mind, however. He instructed the crow to bask in the sun to recover its bloodline while he focused entirely on comprehending the Wood-Flame Manual.
'Wood and Fire dual-attributes...'
'Using Wood to generate Fire...'
'Wood's gentleness as the form, Fire's ferocity as the intent...'
'As expected of a high-tier dual-attribute Qi Refinement technique!'
'Though it's difficult to comprehend, it is indeed extraordinary!'
Nearly two weeks had passed since Qi Ping began studying the manual. Utilizing the Forest Druid's bonus to comprehension and mental focus within the forest, and using his experience with the Wood Shield technique as a foundation—combined with the Li-Fire Body's affinity for fire energy—he had barely managed to grasp the basics. He had finally reached the point where he could attempt to transition his cultivation.
Qi Ping did not feel he had wasted time; on the contrary, he felt it was highly worthwhile. After truly studying the Wood-Flame Manual, he found that this technique was far superior to the Wood Shield technique, allowing him to walk a stronger and more stable path in the Qi Refinement stage.
More importantly, with the [Li-Fire Body] talent as his foundation, he could make his cultivation base even more solid.
After experiencing the Li-Fire Body talent, Qi Ping finally understood why the major sects placed such importance on aptitude when recruiting disciples. Without talent, one had to either endure excruciatingly slow progress or use various spirit herbs to pile up one's cultivation level, which resulted in an unstable foundation, low control over spiritual power, and chaotic spiritual energy in the dandean (TN: Elixir field).
Low talent wasn't just about the speed of absorbing spiritual energy; it also affected the refining speed, the degree of absorption, and efficiency. After Qi Ping used honey to break through from the first level to the fourth level of Qi Refinement, these problems had begun to surface. He found it difficult to achieve meticulous, total control over the energy in his dantian. Not to mention the reduction in power due to low control, the fact that spiritual energy was more prone to going out of control was a more serious issue, especially during breakthroughs.
'It's only because my mental energy is stronger than that of average cultivators—thanks to constant consumption and recovery—that the problem isn't more obvious.'
While there were ways to solve these problems, and the cultivation world had no shortage of people with mediocre talent who became giants, the overall probability was far too low and the difficulty too high. Screening disciples by talent was the most efficient and effortless method.
'Fortunately, after contracting the Li-Fire Crow and obtaining the Li-Fire Body talent, plus the Forest Druid's bonus while in the woods, I don't need to worry about aptitude before reaching Foundation Establishment.'
Qi Ping was immensely relieved that he had obtained the Li-Fire Body talent, allowing him to rebuild his foundation while transitioning to the Wood-Flame Manual. He estimated that without the talent boost, it would have taken him months just to touch the threshold of the manual—much like when he first practiced the Wood Shield technique and Old Man Zhou called him a "blockhead."
"Let's begin!"
After more than two weeks of preparation, Qi Ping was finally ready for the transition! He had studied the Wood-Flame Manual over and over until the basic cultivation methods were etched into his heart. Simultaneously, his body and spirit were at their peak, and his mindset was ready.
He had hidden himself deep within the forest and even temporarily stored his spirit herbs in his storage bag to guard against the sudden appearance of the blue-clad woman from the Qingyuan Sect. With such thorough preparation, Qi Ping felt no anxiety about the transition, only absolute confidence. He had rehearsed the process many times, ensuring nothing would go wrong.
The worst-case scenario was merely his cultivation dropping a level or two, which wouldn't have much of an impact.
After confirming everything was in order, Qi Ping slowly began to guide the Wood Shield technique's energy to dissipate. At that moment, his spiritual energy began to grow restless, even showing signs of spiraling out of control.
Faced with this, Qi Ping's expression remained unchanged. He calmly began to circulate the Wood-Flame Manual.
This was destined to be an arduous time for him! The spiritual energy was rampaging, and his body felt as if it were being gnawed upon. For nearly two full days, Qi Ping endured this difficult cultivation transition.
The chaotic energy put immense pressure on his physical body, but he could only grit his teeth and persevere. Fortunately, the Wood-Flame Manual shared the wood-attribute energy of the Wood Shield technique, which made the transition slightly smoother. If injuries appeared, he could use [Healing Touch] to treat his body.
Finally, after two days of agonizing effort, Qi Ping, who had been suppressing and organizing the energy within him, snapped his eyes open. His eyes were currently bloodshot.
However, the excitement and joy within them were impossible to hide!