**Chapter 29: Fourth Layer of Qi Refining**
Qin Ming's gaze was resolute as he took out another high-quality Qi Gathering Pill and swallowed it.
The medicinal power surged through his body, repeatedly washing over and expanding the energy reservoir in his dantian.
After consuming the fourth pill, he quickly followed with a fifth, then a sixth... until he reached the eighth pill.
By that point, the magical energy in his dantian had reached its limit, unable to contain any more.
Like a dam bursting, a massive surge of power erupted from within him.
*Bam!*
The aura of magical energy around Qin Ming suddenly doubled.
Everything fell into place naturally as an endless stream of Evergreen Energy began flowing through his meridians.
"Finally, my cultivation has broken through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining!" A sharp glint of determination flashed in Qin Ming's eyes.
He exhaled deeply, expelling a breath of impure air.
His current magical energy reserves were now more than double that of others at the same level, equivalent to someone at the fifth layer of Qi Refining.
"With this breakthrough, I can increase both the duration and frequency of the Advanced Spirit Rain Technique," Qin Ming thought to himself. "At least now, with mid-stage Qi Refining strength, I have enough energy to work with."
"This time, I owe much of my success to Alchemist Su Yuqing's pills. If I had relied on ordinary Qi Gathering Pills, even consuming all of them might not have been enough to break through."
While Qin Ming was pleased with his progress, he also realized a pressing issue.
To reach the fourth layer of Qi Refining, he had consumed so many high-quality Qi Gathering Pills.
These pills carried a risk of resistance; the more he used the same type, the less effective they became.
Clearly, high-quality Qi Gathering Pills would no longer suffice for future breakthroughs.
If this trend continued, the quantity and quality of spirit pills required for his further cultivation would become astronomical.
"It seems I need to start producing my own pills soon," Qin Ming mused. "My resources won't last long if I keep burning through them like this!"
---
In the days that followed, Qin Ming consumed the remaining two high-quality Qi Gathering Pills to solidify his newfound cultivation.
Then, he resumed eating Blood Locust Rice while practicing the sixth layer of the *Hundred Treasures Glazed Sutra*.
Compared to his magical energy cultivation, his physical body benefited greatly from the abundance of Blood Locust Rice, which accelerated his progress at an astonishing rate—progress so rapid it could be described as advancing a thousand miles in a single day.
Each breakthrough in the *Hundred Treasures Glazed Sutra* required exponentially more spiritual materials.
Qin Ming's stockpile of Blood Locust Rice was dwindling, but he still had enough to last until the next batch of Beast Tooth Rice matured.
By then, he planned to use the *Catalyze* trait he had acquired. He had already saved some seeds of Blood Locust Rice, allowing him to continue catalyzing new crops.
Completing the *Hundred Treasures Glazed Sutra* using Blood Locust Rice seemed entirely feasible.
When finished, his physical cultivation would reach the ninth layer, granting him powers far surpassing those of ordinary cultivators at the same stage.
At the very least, within the Green Sun Market area, he would possess sufficient self-defense capabilities.
---
Time passed swiftly. In early May, inside Su Yuqing's alchemy workshop, Qin Ming sweated profusely as he stared intently at the pill furnace.
After enduring over a dozen catastrophic failures, a fragrant aroma finally wafted from the furnace.
"It's done!" Qin Ming waved his hand, and three blue pills floated into his palm.
They were Basic Detoxification Pills, unranked and commonly used by apprentice alchemists for practice.
Holding the three pills, Qin Ming's excitement was palpable.
Over the past month, he had observed Su Yuqing refine pills countless times, gradually grasping the basics.
Now, Qin Ming was ready to attempt refining low-grade first-rank spirit pills.
Su Yuqing sat leisurely in the courtyard, sipping tea. Seeing Qin Ming's joy, he chuckled, "It's just detoxification pills. You're acting like you've struck gold."
"Brother Su, I can't compare to you," Qin Ming replied humbly. Over the weeks, their interactions had grown increasingly familiar. "This is my first real step forward. These three Basic Detoxification Pills are practically my debut masterpiece."
"Let me take a look," Su Yuqing said, reaching for the pills. After examining them for a moment, he remarked, "Barely passable," before tossing them back to Qin Ming.
Despite the critique, Qin Ming felt reassured. Barely passable was better than failure.
---
By the end of May, the first harvest of Golden Spirit Rice ripened.
**Name:** Golden Spirit Rice
**Trait:** Weak Magical Energy (Maturity 100%, Ready for Harvest)
Qin Ming reaped the golden ears of rice, and two white trait slips appeared in his consciousness.
Thanks to the nourishment provided by the Advanced Spirit Rain Technique, the yield from his three mu of land was staggering—twenty stones of Golden Spirit Rice! After deducting the 45% tax imposed by the Spirit Feather Sect, he still retained six hundred jin of spirit rice.
His quarterly production ranked number one, leaving other spirit farmers envious.
When Supervisor Du Haifu weighed the harvest, he stared at the numbers on the weighing device in disbelief. "Such an enormous yield from just three mu of land—I've never seen anything like it in my life!" he muttered. "This is the true power of mastering the Advanced Spirit Rain Technique."
With the Golden Spirit Rice fields secured, Qin Ming turned his attention to the Beast Tooth Rice fields and his two mu of medicinal plots.
Among the seventy-two Frostgrass plants and eighteen Spirit Candle Fruits, all had grown halfway to maturity.
Considering his goal to advance to mid-grade first-rank Spirit Planter status, Qin Ming purchased dozens of mid-grade first-rank 'Black Tongue Orchid' seeds from Shopkeeper Liao and planted them in a corner of the field.
He chose Black Tongue Orchids because they were useful for refining low-grade first-rank spirit pills.
Through constant practice and study of the notes given to him by Su Yuqing, Qin Ming slowly began to understand the intricacies of refining low-grade first-rank spirit pills.
---
Three months later, the second season of Golden Spirit Rice ripened.
Unfortunately, no *Catalyze* trait appeared in the fields.
Nonetheless, Qin Ming harvested another twenty stones of Golden Spirit Rice along with three additional *Weak Magical Energy* traits.
"Sigh, it seems higher-grade spirit plants have a lower chance of generating better traits," Qin Ming reflected. But he wasn't worried—it wouldn't be long now.
The Frostgrass, Spirit Candle Fruits, and Black Tongue Orchids in his two mu of fields had already flowered and would mature in just a few months.
Releasing his swarm of Four-Winged Frost Bees from the Spirit Beast Bag, Qin Ming directed them to pollinate the plants in the fields.
Combined with the effects of the Advanced Spirit Rain Technique, the fields flourished with vitality.
Even Elder Gu of the Spirit Feather Sect, who came to collect the spirit rice tax, couldn't help but show a flicker of emotion upon seeing the thriving mid-grade spirit plants below.
Especially the three mu of Beast Tooth Rice—Qin Ming himself hadn't expected such results.
Under the continuous care of the Advanced Spirit Rain Technique and meticulous daily maintenance, the crop was not only doubling in yield but also trending toward becoming Premium Beast Tooth Rice.
After all, Qin Ming had consumed plenty of Premium Beast Tooth Rice in the past and possessed extensive experience in catalyzing growth.
---
One day, as Qin Ming commanded the bees to pollinate the herbs in the medicinal field, he received a message via his Communication Talisman.
It was from Shopkeeper Liao.
"Fellow Daoist Qin, I have confirmed news about the rental space in the market you asked about. However, I cannot make decisions regarding this matter. You should speak directly with our pavilion master."
(End of Chapter)
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