Master Hei Shui was still recovering from his severe injuries. Master Qingmu’s life hung by a thread; he had sacrificed his Withered Wood True Body, using its residual power to suppress the Demon Fire and barely escape with his life.

Zhou Suqing gave the Tier Three Top-Grade spiritual land left behind by Ancestor Yang to the two of them so they could recuperate and heal their injuries.

The Core Formation Demon Cultivators had retreated, leaving only a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Ghost Spirit Sect lingering outside Feiyue Lake.

Bai Zichen suppressed the killing intent in his heart and turned, heading for the Lake Heart Island.

If a Core Formation Cultivator hid their tracks and lurked in the shadows, he wouldn’t be able to discover them.

’There’s no need to reveal a flaw in the Tier Three Grand Array and put myself in danger again just to kill a few Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators.’

Master Hei Shui’s injuries had mostly healed. Of course, the cultivation he had lost could not be recovered; he would have to cultivate it all over again.

A 60-year cycle was a significant amount of time, even for a Core Formation True Man with a five-hundred-year lifespan.

Bai Zichen grew secretly vigilant. ’If I ever run into Jiang Yuhua, I must be extremely careful. I absolutely cannot let that Black Lotus touch me.’

’I wonder if the Seven-Quartet Profound Bead will be able to block the Black Lotus once it advances to a Magical Treasure... It’ll probably be difficult. After all, even if the upgrade succeeds, it will only be a Low-Grade Magical Treasure.’

Master Qingmu’s condition hadn’t improved much. While his injuries were no longer worsening, he remained in a coma.

He was no longer in his Withered Wood form. His face was covered in a black miasma, and his body alternated between being as hot as fire and as cold as ice.

According to Master Hei Shui’s estimation, it would be another six months before he woke up.

It was highly likely that, like Ancestor Yang, his foundation would be damaged and his lifespan greatly reduced. He would probably not live to the full age of a Core Formation True Man.

"Junior Martial Uncle Bai, the Dragon Tooth Rice harvest was completed today... Compared to the last one, the yield is down by another twenty percent."

Cai Heng stood deferentially, already showing signs of old age.

He was already getting on in years, and having started as a Loose Cultivator, he had squandered too much time in his youth.

Even with the aid of Feiyue Lake’s cultivation environment and Bai Zichen’s guidance, he was only at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer. Any hope of reaching Foundation Establishment was gone.

To be able to manage the Spirit Fields so meticulously while everyone was in a state of panic during the sect war was a testament not only to his diligence but also to his capability.

"The Spirit Plant Masters haven’t slacked off, and there were no mistakes at any stage... We had Elder Tong take a look, and it seems to be an issue with the Spirit Seeds."

"After three generations, the Spirit Seeds grow progressively weaker, and the yield per mu inevitably declines. That Honored Guest Elder from the Shennong Sect mentioned this as well."

"They don’t have a solution for this problem either. They have to rely on the environment of the Holy Lotus Sect’s Medicine Garden Secret Realm. Every hundred years or so, they manage to find one or two mutated Spirit Seeds, which restores the Spirit Rice’s yield to that of the first generation."

The yield of Dragon Tooth Rice was declining year by year. It had already fallen to half of the first generation’s yield per mu.

This loss in yield was coming directly out of the net profit.

This meant that after deducting all costs, this year’s Dragon Tooth Rice harvest would bring Bai Zichen less than ten thousand Spirit Stones.

"Since it’s unavoidable, you don’t need to blame yourself..."

Bai Zichen felt it was a slight shame. Over the last few planting cycles, his total earnings were over a hundred thousand Spirit Stones less than he had anticipated.

Most importantly, this put an end to his dream of acquiring his own Spirit Vein, cultivating vast Spirit Fields, and becoming a great landlord to earn Cultivation Resources.

The current income from the Dragon Tooth Rice was merely enough to keep him comfortable. It was far from enough to make others green with envy.

Moreover, the lease on the Spirit Fields was expiring. Next year, they would have to be returned to the Sect, and the Spirit Field Hall would reassign them for planting new Spirit Rice.

"Make sure to store the Spirit Rice properly. Don’t let it get damp or eaten by pests... Once the Ghost Spirit Sect has completely retreated, we can sell the Dragon Tooth Rice to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion."

"As for the Tier One Spirit Rice, there’s too much of it, and long-term storage isn’t cost-effective. Do as you suggested before and brew it all into Spirit Wine."

Since the war between the two Sects began, the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion hadn’t come to Feiyue Lake to purchase Spirit Rice in years.

The Dragon Tooth Rice was one thing, but the Tier One Spirit Rice wasn’t very valuable on its own. Having to assign guards and set up Arrays just to store it wasn’t cost-effective.

"Rest assured, Junior Martial Uncle. I have already asked a junior brother from the Array Hall to set up an Array in the granary. It will keep out moisture and prevent pests from getting close... I have also arranged for personnel to patrol day and night."

In recent years, Cai Heng had started a family, taking a female Outer Sect disciple as his Dao Companion. He was currently saving up Spirit Stones to properly nurture his future children.

Seeing that Tong Huan had become Bai Zichen’s disciple gave him some ideas, and he became even more diligent and conscientious in his work.

"As for brewing the Spirit Rice into wine, not many in the Sect know how... However, I happened to meet a Clan Cultivator who possesses several brewing recipes and has exceptional skill."

"I plan to give him a hundred pounds to test his brewing first. If the quality of the Spirit Wine is acceptable, I will report back to you, Elder, and we can scale up production."

"Handle this matter as you see fit."

Seeing there was nothing else, Bai Zichen waved his hand and dismissed Cai Heng.

He had met with seven or eight people today, including the Patriarch of the Monkey Mountain Liu Family, the person in charge of the Spirit Field Hall’s operations at Feiyue Lake, and his most capable subordinates.

These meetings were partly to maintain connections, but more importantly, to stabilize morale.

With the sect war against the Ghost Spirit Sect dragging on, morale was low. Many disciples lived in constant fear, worried that the Sect would be breached and they would be taken captive.

This was to say nothing of the Clan Cultivators who were taking temporary shelter with them.

From his conversation with Patriarch Liu, Bai Zichen could tell what he was implying: now that the Ghost Spirit Sect’s main army had withdrawn, they wanted to leave Feiyue Lake and return to Monkey Mountain.

Bai Zichen could only advise Patriarch Liu that there was still a chance the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Demon Cultivators would return in force.

He assured him that once the situation stabilized, the Qingfeng Sect would support the Liu Family in rebuilding their clan.

Cultivation, cultivation, and more cultivation.

After dealing with these miscellaneous affairs, Bai Zichen returned to his Quiet Chamber. He calmed his mind, endured the solitude, and focused on his Cultivation.

He would consume an Elixir and refine its Magical Power. While he waited for the Earth Spirit Flame to finish integrating into his Dantian and Sea of Consciousness, he would use the intermittent time to comprehend the True Enlightenment Sword Technique.

’This Star Luo Swordsmanship is fascinating. It’s no wonder it’s the only swordsmanship in the True Enlightenment Sword Technique created by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator... It emulates the Circulation of the Stars, a truly profound concept. It already has a hint of what it means to enter the Dao through technique. Unfortunately, limited by the creator’s cultivation and vision, it can’t truly replicate the transformations of a sea of stars like the Star River Sword Array does. Still, if I study it for a bit now, it will help me comprehend the Star River Sword Array in the future.’

The True Enlightenment Sword Technique contained all the swordsmanship created and collected by the disciples of the Naihe Sect over tens of thousands of years. It was truly a Vast Sword Manual.

The minimum requirement for inclusion was a swordsmanship created by a Core Formation Cultivator, and it even included many works by Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

The creator of the Star Luo Swordsmanship was merely a nameless Foundation Establishment Cultivator, a minor figure who didn’t even leave his name in the annals of the Naihe Sect. Only his swordsmanship gained recognition and was included in the True Enlightenment Sword Technique.

Bai Zichen used his finger as a sword, practicing the Star Luo Swordsmanship. Streams of Sword Qi crisscrossed the air, seeming to resonate with the stars in the sky.

Broadly speaking, this Star Luo Swordsmanship had a slight connection to the Star River Sword Array. This, combined with its lofty concept, filled him with an expert’s delight.

Unlike the other techniques in the Sword Manual, which he only skimmed to familiarize himself with the basics before moving on, this one was different.

He remained immersed in the Star Luo Swordsmanship for six or seven days, right up until the Earth Spirit Flame in his Qi Sea vanished, transforming into a new drop of Liquid Magical Power.

Without hesitation, he stopped his comprehension of the Starfall Sword Technique and threw himself back into cultivating the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture.

He was clear on his priorities.

’Until I reach Foundation Establishment Perfection, I can’t let myself get distracted. None of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation, not even the Five Crystal Glaze Body or comprehending Sword Techniques, can be allowed to impede my advancement.’

’Once the situation stabilizes, I’ll take a trip to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion to see if they have any more elixirs like the Nine Revolutions Dragon Tiger Pill... They have limits on how many you can take, but a single pill is a Miracle Elixir worth several years of bitter cultivation. I’d accept it even at a significant premium, as long as it shortens the time I need to refine Magical Power.’

Bai Zichen was confident in his Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword Embryo. Its true quality exceeded Tier Four, so the Erysipelas left behind by a Tier Three elixir—at the very most—could be casually swept away by the arcs of electricity it emitted.

’With such a powerful tool at my disposal, how could I not take full advantage of it?’

In the blink of an eye, six months had passed. During a break in his cultivation, Bai Zichen noticed his Elder Token flashing frantically, though it gave no specific message.

He changed into a new, plain-colored Daoist Robe, tied a silk sash around his waist, and strode out of his Quiet Chamber.

"Did something happen?"

Bai Zichen flew into the air. The disciples hurrying back and forth all had expressions of joy and pride, a stark contrast to the gloomy atmosphere of the past few years. He grabbed a passing servant disciple and asked.

"Greetings, Elder Bai... News has come from Ancestor Ge Cang! The Ancestor escaped from the Lotus Secret Realm, and when he heard the Ghost Spirit Sect was attacking our Sect, he went straight to Hejian County. He set up a position at the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Mountain Gate and has been blockading their entire sect by himself for a month!"

The servant disciple’s voice was loud, swelling with vicarious pride, even though the news he had was only fragmented and incomplete.

The war with the Ghost Spirit Sect had been going on for years. In terms of cultivator casualties, the Qingfeng Sect wasn’t actually at a disadvantage—

Ancestor Yang had self-detonated his Core, taking one of the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Core Formation Cultivators with him and severely injuring another.

And with a God of Slaughter like Bai Zichen on their side, the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators the Ghost Spirit Sect had lost was actually several more than Qingfeng Sect’s own losses.

But they were fighting on their home turf, pinned inside their own Mountain Gate by the Ghost Spirit Sect, barely able to defend themselves by relying on their Tier Three Array.

Outside the Grand Array, all their resources had been abandoned, left for the enemy to plunder at will.

Feiyue Lake, in particular, had come dangerously close to its array being breached and everyone inside being annihilated.

Every disciple knew full well who held the upper hand.

Without the protection of the Tier Three Grand Array, the Qingfeng Sect would have been no match for the Ghost Spirit Sect. They would have been wiped out a hundred times over by now.

Now, Ancestor Ge Cang had made a powerful return and turned the tables, blockading the Ghost Spirit Sect’s own Mountain Gate. How could this not electrify every disciple in the Sect?

’One man, blockading an entire Sect... How incredible. What power!’

Bai Zichen flew straight toward the Lake Heart Island, certain that Zhou Suqing would have more detailed information.

When he arrived, the hall was already buzzing with excitement. All of Feiyue Lake’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators were present.

"Senior Sister Zhou, has any specific intelligence come from the Mountain Gate?"

"That’s right, Elder Zhou! Did Ancestor Ge Cang really charge into Hejian County and take on the Ghost Spirit Sect alone?"

"Has the Ancestor returned to the Sect? Or is he still in Hejian County?"

Zhou Suqing had to raise her hand twice before the hubbub died down and everyone quieted to listen. "That’s right," she said. "The initial news arrived yesterday, with a more detailed report coming in today."

"Ancestor Ge arrived in Hejian County a month ago. He cut a swath through their territory, slaying countless Demon Cultivators... Near the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Mountain Gate, he ran into White Bone True Man, Fairy Taohua, and the Nine-Child Yin Demon. After a world-shaking battle, he defeated all three of them!"

"White Bone True Man’s Lifebound Magical Treasure was destroyed! And four of the nine Naked Infants that the Nine-Child Yin Demon relies on were purified by the Ancestor’s supreme Divine Thunder... If Daoist He hadn’t arrived to reinforce them, and if they hadn’t been so close to the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Mountain Gate, at least one of them would have fallen right then and there!"