The final medicinal ingredient, the Spirit-Storing Fruit, was the easiest to obtain. Sister Nan grew a large number of them on her own peak.
The following morning, Qi Ping set out for Peak No. 5. Upon arrival, he found that Sister Nan was not in her small courtyard. Only a dozen or so Blue-feathered Chickens were pecking at corn in the yard, looking as though they had just been fed.
'Did she head out so early to tend to the fruit trees? Just as well, that is exactly why I am here.'
Qi Ping continued toward the area where Sister Nan cultivated her Spirit-Storing Fruits. He soon spotted her halfway up the mountainside, pruning the leaves of the fruit trees. The soft morning sunlight bathed her plain clothes and long hair. Dew-drenched leaves clung to her sleeves and tresses as she worked.
"Sister Nan, starting your busy day so early?"
Hearing Qi Ping's voice, Sister Nan turned her head. Her face was lit with a relaxed and pleasant expression.
"Xiao Qi? What are you doing here?" Her voice betrayed a cheerful surprise. She quickly set aside her tools.
Qi Ping was slightly taken aback. His impression of Sister Nan was that of a mature, cautious, and thorough older sister. He had never seen her in such a carefree state.
"I came to buy some Spirit-Storing Fruits from you."
"Buying them? Why talk about buying between us? How many do you need? I'll pick the best ones for you!" Sister Nan began scanning the trees for the highest quality fruit.
"I want all the ripe ones!"
"All of them?" Sister Nan turned back to look at him in shock.
"Yes, every single one. That's why you must charge me. Otherwise, I won't take them!"
Sister Nan did not have a cheat like he did. She relied on these fruits to survive and earn spirit stones for her cultivation. If he just took them, she would truly be left with nothing.
"I see. In that case, I will give them to you at a twenty percent discount from the market price. No refusing, or I won't sell them to you!" she added firmly.
"Let's make it ten percent, Sister Nan!"
Sister Nan rolled her eyes at him. Who on earth haggles in the wrong direction? "Fine, I'm too lazy to argue with you. Ten percent it is!"
She set off to harvest the fruits. Qi Ping did not step in to help; picking and selecting Spirit-Storing Fruits was a skilled task, and interfering without knowing the technique would likely do more harm than good.
After a while, Sister Nan had harvested all the ripe fruits. Qi Ping noted that their quality was exceptional, no worse than those grown in C-District. Sister Nan certainly had a knack for producing spiritual fertilizer.
However, that skill was of little use to Qi Ping. When he accelerated the growth of spirit herbs, they consumed the spiritual energy of the earth at an accelerated rate. Without the replenishment of an actual spirit vein, the energy in spirit fertilizer would be sucked dry in moments. The cost-effectiveness of making fertilizer was far lower than simply renting a high-grade spirit land with a natural spirit vein.
"With the ten percent discount, the total comes to forty-eight low-grade spirit stones!" Sister Nan calculated the price quickly after a final tally.
"Deal."
Without hesitation, Qi Ping counted out the spirit stones. He placed the fruits into his storage bag. Once the transaction was complete, Sister Nan suddenly made a suggestion.
"It has been a while since we shared a meal. How about I stew some chicken soup for you?"
Qi Ping shook his head; he was anxious to begin his pill formula experiments. "Next time, Sister Nan. I have urgent matters to attend to."
"Very well..."
"By the way, Sister Nan, I might be moving away from here in a while."
Sister Nan froze. "Ah? Moving where?"
"I'm planning to rent a plot in B-District. The spiritual energy density in D-District is too low, and the space is too small."
"B-District? I thought you were leaving Bluestone County entirely! You gave me a fright."
"How could I? I am not familiar with other places. Going somewhere unknown might be even more dangerous."
"Alright. Just give me a call when you move. I'll come and help you!"
After bidding her farewell and returning to his peak, Qi Ping felt that Sister Nan had changed. In the past, she always seemed to be suppressing a certain tension, giving off a sense of constant urgency. Now, that tension seemed to have dissipated, replaced by a tranquil nature. She had even become more talkative.
Qi Ping didn't overthink it; this was a good thing. Rather than living a lifetime of high-strung stress, it was better to live freely. Without natural talent, the road to higher cultivation was as difficult as ascending the heavens—not one in a hundred succeeded. Sister Nan's current state was ideal; by balancing life and cultivation and maintaining a relaxed mindset, her efficiency might not be lower than when she was constantly on edge.
Once the Spirit-Storing Fruits were ready, Qi Ping brought out all his spirit herbs.
'Fire Spirit Grass, Blood Ginseng, Flowing Light Grass, Spirit-Storing Fruit, Luminous Vine...'
Qi Ping first created fifty different combinations of these ingredients. Each combination contained anywhere from two to seven types of herbs, with entirely different ratios. He then prepared small portions of herbs for each combination. Once finished, he assigned these fifty combinations to different Brewer Pot-bellied Bees and marked them carefully.
'These spirit herbs need at least seven days of brewing within the bees' bodies to be converted into honey.'
'I will check the results in seven days. At that time, I'll let the Li-Fire Crow test them to see which combination best maximizes the effects of the Fire Spirit Grass.'
In seven days, he would be able to identify which mix was best at drawing out the fire-attribute power of the grass. Once he determined the percentage increase in efficacy compared to raw Fire Spirit Grass, he would use that specific combination when his 100-year Fire Spirit Grass was ready. This would maximize the power used to restore the Li-Fire Crow's bloodline.
Qi Ping would also select the best combination for himself to practice the Wood-Flame Manual, making it his dedicated cultivation honey.
'It is a pity that my knowledge of alchemy and spirit herbs is still too shallow. Otherwise, I could identify suitable combinations directly and buy targeted herbs for the bees to try, rather than this blind experimentation.'
Qi Ping realized that he could only truly unlock the value of the Brewer Pot-bellied Bees if he possessed fundamental knowledge of herb combinations, formulas, and medicinal fusion. He even suspected that even after he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, even if he hadn't nurtured second-tier bees yet, a first-tier peak-rank Brewer Pot-bellied Bee could still earn him a fortune if he had the right high-efficacy, low-cost formulas.
Furthermore, because it was only first-tier honey, a Foundation Establishment cultivator like his future self wouldn't have to worry too much about drawing unwanted greed.
Overall, Qi Ping felt that the true value of the Brewer Pot-bellied Bee had yet to be fully developed. After assigning all the combinations, a satisfied smile spread across his face. Having good animal companions was wonderful; otherwise, these fifty experimental trials would have exhausted him to death. Not only would it be tiring, but his results probably wouldn't even match those of the bees.
Additionally, Qi Ping gave the formula for the Fire Spirit Tempering Pill to a bee as well. Once the honey was produced, he would see how the bee-brewed version compared to the actual pill formula.