Starting as a spiritual plant master, may I eventually become the master of all lands.

After learning about the Emperor's Dew, Song Chuan returned to Lanxiang Garden and began preparing to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining.

He originally wanted to suppress his cultivation level to avoid arousing suspicion from others.

However, it's better to break through as soon as possible. Otherwise, even if I obtain the Emperor's Elixir, it will be all for nothing if I don't reach the ninth level of Qi Refining within five years.

After all, breaking through each level in the later stages of Qi Refining takes much longer than breaking through in the middle stages, and even with the beads, I can't guarantee my aptitude.

He released the orchid beetle into the garden, letting it patrol the spirit garden on his behalf and keep an eye on all kinds of small demonic insects to prevent them from overeating the spirit plants.

He then found a ley line, descended into it, and burrowed inside.

……

Seasons change, and time flies.

On this day, the six major sects of Qi jointly announced a piece of news:

One year later, the adventure in Kongsang begins!

This time, sixty mountains in the Kongsang Mountains have been opened, allowing no more than two thousand Qi Refining cultivators from the Qi Kingdom to enter together.

Each of the six major sects has 200 slots, all the small and medium-sized sects and families have a total of 500 slots, and independent cultivators have 300 slots!

This news caused an uproar in the cultivation world of Qi!

The reactions varied: some were bewildered, some were doubtful, some were excited, and some were simply unaware. Some cultivators even thought this was the manifestation of some secret realm.

The reason is that the Kongsang Cult has not been held for more than a hundred years, and the Qi Refining cultivators who participated last time, except for those who were able to establish their foundation, are no longer alive.

Even those Foundation Establishment cultivators who participated during the Qi Refining stage probably don't have much lifespan left.

On ordinary days, a few cultivators do venture into the outer reaches of the Kongsang Mountains to explore, but many of them do not survive.

Immediately, all the cultivators began to search and inquire about the strange things happening in Kongsang.

"Fellow Daoists, I have confirmed that this is a mission from the six major sects to defend against the beast tide; you must not participate!"

"Bullshit! Did they send so many people to their deaths themselves?"

"Fellow Daoist Yin is right! With the support of the six major sects, even just picking a few spiritual plants in the Kongsang Mountains would be enough to make a small fortune!"

"You've made a small fortune. Didn't you hear there are only three hundred spots available for independent cultivators? Focus on securing a spot first!"

On a mountain peak in a small town in Langyi County, several Qi-refining cultivators chattered amongst themselves.

……

"I've heard that the Kongsang Mountains are located in the easternmost part of the Qi Kingdom. There is a kind of spiritual fruit there that can help one establish their foundation if they eat it. That's why Qi Refining cultivators are curious about Kongsang."

An old man at the ninth level of Qi Refining was talking animatedly to several cultivators at the third or fourth level of Qi Refining.

"Can one achieve Foundation Establishment after consuming a Qi Refining Level 3 item?"

"You're such a smart kid."

……

"Senior sister, have you found any news about Emperor Liujiang?"

"I've found it. This item is quite important for your future foundation building. I will definitely get it for you."

"Senior sister, don't worry, once I've reached Foundation Establishment, we will definitely become Daoist partners!"

……

While the Qi cultivators of Qi Kingdom were scrambling to explore the wonders of Kongsang, a major sect like Tenghua Valley had already selected two hundred candidates.

That was four years ago. All cultivators who came with the Spring Sprout Token had to participate, except for those with outstanding talent and those with special spiritual bodies and special skills who had three spiritual roots and four spiritual roots.

The remaining spots will be filled by regular disciples of the sect.

As for the goals and rewards that Teng Huagu set for the two hundred people this time, they were a mixed bag.

The good news is that the rewards are quite generous:

The first prize is a Foundation Establishment Pill and a top-tier cultivation technique. Elders who have reached the Core Formation stage may choose this as their disciple.

Second-class rewards include various elixirs for improving cultivation, top-tier magical artifacts, and a choice of sect missions.

Third-class rewards include low- to mid-tier magical artifacts and secret techniques.

The worry is that while these rewards seem tempting, they are actually extremely demanding.

Because the sect provided a list that included everything from first-tier to third-tier spiritual plants.

Do you think you can get a Foundation Establishment Pill without picking a few Tier 3 spiritual plants? You're dreaming!

Most of the regular disciples of Teng Hua Valley are actually not interested in this matter. Isn't it better to grow flowers and raise insects in the sect?

Of those two thousand people, who knows how many have died.

The sect's records show that for the Kongsang Curiosity Hunt, which only opens after a hundred years, it's considered good if half of the creatures actually emerge each time.

The so-called defying fate requires you to actually win!

However, some disciples, in order to try their luck with the Foundation Establishment Pill and the Emperor's Elixir, still chose to grit their teeth and participate.

So the two hundred spots were quickly decided by Teng Hua Valley.

But the other major and minor sects in Qi were a different story.

Some sects had so few disciples who volunteered that the higher-ups had to force them to participate by name.

Some sects, on the contrary, have too many disciples who want to participate, so they have to decide by fighting.

As for the three hundred slots for independent cultivators, the six major sects jointly crafted a "Kongsang Token," which was far more fiercely contested than the "Spring Sprout Token."

After all, there is one advantage to independent cultivators going in: they don't need to pay any fees to anyone when they come out; they can take everything with them on their own.

This can be considered a small consolation for the rogue cultivators.

The news of Kongsang's curiosity also had a consequence: it disrupted the prices of goods in many small and medium-sized markets in the State of Qi!

The prices of magical artifacts, talismans, and healing pills of all grades have continued to rise, reaching an unbelievable level in a short period of time.

Six months after the incident caused a stir, Song Chuan opened his eyes in an underground layer of soil in Canxiang Garden.

Two earth dragons in the demon transformation stage were leisurely turning over the soil next to him when they were suddenly startled and "whoosh" disappeared to another place.

Song Chuan smiled, moved, and landed on the ground.

Sunlight shone on him, and he stretched, saying, "Finally, I've reached the seventh level of Qi Refining!"

Thankfully I bought two Earth Essence Pills; one wouldn't have been enough to break through.

This was even after he had been cultivating in the soil with the help of the bead since he reached the fourth level of Qi Refining, resulting in his earth elemental power being purer than others.

Even for ordinary cultivators with four spiritual roots, breaking through with just two is difficult.

This further strengthened his determination to obtain the Imperial Elixir!

After he broke through the seventh level of Qi Refining, he added two more spells to the "Nu Tu Jue".

One of them was actually the Flying Stone Technique given by Sun Da! When Song Chuan saw it, he was speechless and wanted to curse.

Another is the Earth Wall Technique, which can condense earth and stone into a defensive wall.

Song Chuan shook his head upon seeing it; the wall would shatter with a single blow from a black horn hammer.

Such low-level techniques and free spells are really not very good.

However, thinking of the magical artifact, he went into the wooden house, sat cross-legged on the couch, and with a flick of his wrist, the straw-hatted man's honey-cutting knife flew out of his storage bag.

He erased the straw-hatted man's divine consciousness and began the ritual.

A moment later, a hint of joy appeared on his face.

The inside of this honey-cutting knife is actually filled with a special liquid called "melting honey."

This liquid was originally used by beekeepers to melt the beeswax of demon bees, and it also has the ability to corrode magical artifacts!

There is a small groove on the blade. During a battle, the molten elixir can flow through this groove and reach any magical artifact it touches without anyone noticing.

This is the change that the man in the straw hat mentioned that day.

This knife is a high-grade magical artifact; if used properly, it might have miraculous effects.

Satisfied, he put the knife back into his storage bag and then refined the green leaf flying artifact.

Logically, he could go to the Salary Hall to collect a green-leaf flying artifact now, but he doesn't want to show himself yet.

Several of Fenglu Hall's disciples were quite familiar with him.

He took out Xing Yifei's book of strange insects and began to study it.