"That's great!"
"Big brother, you are so kind!"
Qingyu saw that her big brother wasn't joking, excitedly gave Lu Qingfeng a kiss on the cheek, and then hopped and jumped on the spot, obviously thrilled.
Perhaps her thoughts weren't that complex at the moment.
Just being able to cultivate like big brother and second brother, none of the other girls in Black Wood Village could cultivate, and after cultivating she could go to Yellow Ganoderma Mountain to rescue second brother—
Just that was enough to make Qingyu so excited that she couldn't sleep for days and nights!
"Big brother!"
"I'm going to learn to read tonight!"
Qingyu looked at Lu Qingfeng, waiting for her big brother's affirmative answer.
"No problem, as long as you don't complain," Lu Qingfeng nodded and said.
"I wouldn't do that, I'm not like second brother!"
Qingyu beamed with joy.
Seeing her so happy, Lu Qingfeng said helplessly, "Qingyu, help big brother get up first."
"Huh?"
"Oh!"
Qingyu noticed that her big brother really hadn't gotten up for a long time, so she quickly went over to help him up.
Lu Qingfeng struggled to his feet, leaning on Qingyu, and moved his numb legs waggingly from side to side.
Gurgle!
And then, his stomach embarrassingly growled, a strong sense of hunger struck.
"Big brother, it's not time to eat yet."
Qingyu looked up at the sky, seeing that it was not yet dark, and then pointed at Lu Qingfeng's stomach and shouted.
"I know," Lu Qingfeng said helplessly.
The Postnatal Stage of cultivation is about refining essence to Qi. Before reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, it's impossible to absorb the Spiritual Energy freely floating in the world and introduce energy into the body. The only way to replenish the energy consumed by cultivation is through eating.
After all, Inner Breath doesn't come out of thin air; it's the result of refining Essence Qi.
Lu Qingfeng was already frail, and his daily food intake was only enough for the basic operations of his body. Now that he had started cultivating, even though he hadn't yet comprehended Qi Perception or birthed Inner Breath, the physical exhaustion was significant.
The saying 'the poor stick to the pen, the rich go to war' came to embody its meaning.
"One coarse grain cake a day can't support my cultivation of the Flame Sun Scripture!"
Lu Qingfeng felt so hungry that he was dizzy.
He had no choice but to hurriedly take out half a coarse grain cake from his chest and swallowed it in a few bites. This was his meal for the night, but now he had to use it in advance.
"Do you want to eat now?"
After finishing his meal, Lu Qingfeng, holding the remaining half of the coarse grain cake, asked Qingyu.
"I don't want it. If I eat now, I'll be hungry at night," Qingyu shook her head.
"Okay, I'll keep it for you then," Lu Qingfeng stuffed the half piece of coarse grain cake into his chest.
Qingyu swallowed her saliva, suddenly remembering, "Oh no, we didn't forage for wild vegetables this afternoon!"
Their home never had meat, so wild vegetables were the only side dish.
Usually, they would work on the five acres of dryland in the morning, and forage for wild vegetables in the afternoon. Now the afternoon was almost over. Thinking that there would be no wild vegetables to eat at night made Qingyu somewhat disheartened.
"Today we're not eating wild vegetables, we'll eat something else."
Seeing Qingyu's eyes suddenly light up, Lu Qingfeng couldn't help but smile.
"The food stored at home, carefully managed, will barely last until the autumn harvest, and Qingshan's appetite will definitely increase a lot after joining the Returning to Truth Sect."
The food stored by Lu Qingfeng was just enough for Qingshan, a big eater, and now with him included, they probably couldn't last even a month.
By that time, let alone cultivating, it was questionable whether they could even survive.
So, he thought of herbal medicine!
"Alchemy Introduction" recorded forty-six basic herbs, including those that stave off hunger and others that nourish yuan and replenish Qi. The villagers in Black Wood Village might know three to five kinds of herbs for treating colds based on life experience.
But they definitely didn't have as detailed records as "Alchemy Introduction".
Lu Qingfeng had mastered "Alchemy Introduction", although he hadn't started practicing yet, but the information on forty-six herbs was firmly implanted in his mind.
In "Alchemy Introduction", there were not only the processing methods for these herbs but also detailed information about various herbs. To process the herbs, basic information about them had to be understood.
Based on this information, it would not be difficult for Lu Qingfeng to find these wild herbs in reality.
"Among the forty-six herbs, White Atractylodes, Licorice, Goji, Yellow Ginseng, and others, are all very common herbs for nourishing yuan and replenishing Qi, and they are essential materials for refining Yellow Dragon Pills. The effect of using them alone will definitely not compare to Yellow Dragon Pills, but at this stage, it can solve the urgent need!"
Among them, Licorice is sweet-tasting, and after processing, it can be taken directly. Eating a small amount not only benefits the body but is also a pleasant sweet, and Qingyu will definitely like it.
"Let's go!"
"Big brother will take you to gather herbs!"
Lu Qingfeng got up, holding a woodcutter knife in his left hand and a Black Wood Hoe in his right, and headed for the back of the terraced fields.
"Gathering herbs?"
Qingyu followed behind Lu Qingfeng, puzzled.
To the west of the terraced fields, there was a large area of mountains yet to be developed.
White Atractylodes and Licorice were very common, and in Black Wood Village, people knowledgeable about medicinal herbs were rare, so they should not be difficult to find.
Indeed.
Before even going deep into the forest, just on the outskirts, it didn't take long for Lu Qingfeng to find three patches of White Atractylodes and two Licorice plants.
"That's enough."
Seeing that it was getting late, Lu Qingfeng prepared to go back.
According to the methods of "Alchemy Introduction", just pick out the impurities from Licorice, wash it, soak it in water until it's 80% soaked, scoop it out, cut it into moistened slices, and let it dry.
Slice White Atractylodes, fry with powdered Fu Long's liver until the surface is dusted with earth color, and sieve out the excess soil.
Both herbs can be processed that way.
In that case.
Tomorrow, the well-processed Licorice and White Atractylodes can be used to supplement the consumption of cultivation.
"Can we eat these?"
Qingyu, watching Lu Qingfeng busy for a long time, couldn't help asking.
"Of course we can eat them, this is sweet," Lu Qingfeng raised his two plants of Licorice.
"Sweet!"
Qingyu's eyes lit up again.
"In the next few days, we can prepare more Licorice and White Atractylodes, and when we go to Yellow Ganoderma Mountain the day after tomorrow, we'll bring them to Qingshan."
Lu Qingfeng brought Qingyu, who had been longing to taste licorice, back to the Black Wood House, and pondered secretly.
He didn't yet have the capability to confront the Returning to Truth Sect or to flee Black Wood Village with Lu Qingshan and Lu Qingyu. He could only resort to this method to ensure Lu Qingshan wouldn't suffer unspeakable misfortunes due to his weakened body before Qingfeng's own cultivation bore fruit.
After processing the White Atractylodes and licorice,
Lu Qingfeng and Lu Qingyu each ate a root of licorice.
"It really is sweet."
Lu Qingyu broke off half of her coarse grain cake from dinner and handed it to Lu Qingfeng, "Big brother, you eat more. Otherwise, you'll get hungry and won't sleep well at night."
"No need, you eat it."
Before Lu Qingfeng finished speaking, Lu Qingyu repeated her usual trick, stuffing the coarse grain cake directly into his mouth.
"I'm still young, it's okay if I eat less."
Lu Qingyu swallowed saliva, tidied up the table, and sat upright, "Big brother, teach me how to read now!"
"You need to eat more precisely because you're young."
Lu Qingfeng shook his head, took out a charcoal pencil and tree bark, and taught Qingyu how to read.
Night fell.
Lu Qingfeng lay on the bed and logged into "Primordial."
...
[Because the player has not eaten for an extended period, you have now died. Please select Resurrection/Reincarnation]
Lu Qingfeng floated in the boundless Chaotic Space, stunned. In front of him flickered a system prompt with crimson letters.
That's right.
He was dead.
Starved to death.
"From last night when I logged out of the game until now when I logged back in, at most it's been eight hours. Yet in 'Primordial,' it has already been three months and one day?!"
"The time discrepancy is about a hundredfold!"
"No, that's not right."
"If there's a time difference between the game and reality, since I spent several hours in the game last night, not much time actually passed in reality. So the time when I logged out of the game was around eleven hours."
"That is, a hundredfold time difference."
Lu Qingfeng checked the death record and found that three months had passed in "Primordial."
And since his physical body had remained in the Green Stone Talisman without eating for a long time, he had already starved to death more than two months ago. Even at the First Level of the Fetal Breathing Realm, he was still of mortal flesh. Without eating or consuming a Fasting Pill, he could not survive for three months.
Now Lu Qingfeng faced the choice of Resurrection or Reincarnation.
"No wonder I felt that time passed especially slowly last night."
Lu Qingfeng finally understood where that strange feeling came from and also why he felt so energetic this morning.
Sufficient sleep, naturally brings robust Essence Qi and spirit!
"Based on various information from 'Primordial,' other players enter the game with a synchronized time between reality and game time. My experience is an exception, likely due to being in a different world or due to transmigration."
This is also why Lu Qingfeng directly logged off last night without considering the time flow rate.
For average players, the ratio of reality to game time is one to one.
But for Lu Qingfeng, it is one to one hundred.
This is probably due to differences in the world he's in, much like how he cannot log into the game with his True Body.
"A hundredfold time difference!"
"If I could log in with my True Body..."
Thinking this, Lu Qingfeng shook his head, one must not be too greedy.
A one to one hundred time difference, even just at the level of spiritual consciousness, was already immensely beneficial to Lu Qingfeng.
Although, as it seemed, a small accident had occurred.
"Resurrecting takes effect immediately, I'm currently only Level 0. The loss from level drop is negligible to me. But it would damage my foundation, and my cultivation potential may decrease, affecting my future progress."
"As for reincarnation, sixteen years in the game would be only two months in reality for me."
Lu Qingfeng pondered for a moment and chose to resurrect.
Two months in reality is enough time for too many things to happen; he could not take the gamble.
As for the game's foundation, if there were a need, he could spend two months to reincarnate and recover after resolving the crises in reality.
[Player is currently Level 0. Resurrection requires consuming one Low-Grade Spirit Stone, do you choose to resurrect?]
"..."
"I choose to reincarnate and start a new life!"
[Please choose: Reincarnation in current map/random map]
"Current map."
Lu Qingfeng was more familiar with Black Sand Town, naturally, he wanted to stay there.
[Player has chosen to reincarnate in current map, please wait——]
[Reincarnation successful, growth progress: 1/16].
Just like the first login, he had to live until sixteen years old before continuing the game. For average players, it's a wait of sixteen years in reality. But for Lu Qingfeng, with a hundredfold time difference, it's just a short two months.
Name: Lu Qingfeng
Title: None
Cultivation: None
Level: 0 (0/1)
Life Span: 1/68
Root Bone: 1
Merit: Unknown
Karma: Unknown
Cultivation Technique: Yellow Court Scripture First Layer (Unbegun) [Traits: Derivation Technique (First Layer); Yu (First Layer); Karma Removal (First Layer)]; Flame Sun Scripture First Layer (Beginner) [Deriving];
Magic Technique: None
Divine Skills: None
Equipment: None
Alchemy: Alchemy Introduction (Unbegun) [Deriving]
Now, back to square one. Fortunately, he still had the Yellow Court Scripture, and the proficiencies in Flame Sun Scripture and Alchemy Introduction had not been lost.
His level and cultivation weren't high to begin with, so not much was lost.
The only cost for Lu Qingfeng was two months of real-world time.
"These two months, I must be extremely cautious."
...