Cultivation begins with harvest.

Chapter 257 Comprehending the Flame and Understanding the Law

On the other hand, the small spiritual vein within the spiritual spring provides it with spirit stones every month. Given the richness of the spiritual energy in this area, the spiritual vein within the spring is actually being nourished, and it will most likely provide two spirit stones.

This isn't because a very small spiritual vein can only produce two spirit stones a month, but rather that there are only two surplus spirit stones. Taking away the surplus spirit stones won't damage the spiritual vein. Right now, Chen Guang sees a nascent spirit stone forming in the solidified, misty spiritual light at the bottom of the spring. It will take about three days to form, but this cannot be taken. This is the root of the spiritual vein. If one is taken away, more than ten more need to be taken back to make up for the supporting role of this one spirit stone in the spiritual vein.

The spirit stones produced by the spirit vein have a natural connection with the spirit vein itself. If they are not taken away, they nourish each other. Once they are taken away, it will be of no use to take them back. That connection has been broken and cannot be renewed.

Only by accumulating spirit stones produced by the spirit vein itself can the spirit vein eventually grow to a larger scale and extend its lifespan.

Therefore, Chen Guang will not touch any of the spirit stones here until he needs them. The longer he stays in Shouling Mountain, the more valuable this spiritual vein will become.

Other spirit farmers who settled in Tianheng Plain, even with spiritual veins, couldn't obtain spirit stones. But I'm different; I have my own spiritual vein, which is outside the scope of the Nine Xuan Sunflower Water Golden Turtle Void Array's isolation and sealing. I'm guaranteed at least twenty-four spirit stones a year. My wealth exceeds their imagination.

Therefore, Chen Guang had many seemingly impractical plans. It was because he had these spirit stones as a safety net that those five-year minor competitions—no, even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators—would pale in comparison to him.

After looking around for a while, as darkness fell, he flew towards his cave.

After dark, Chen Guang reserved time for his own cultivation.

The cave was furnished with simple tables, chairs, beds, and benches, and had several separate rooms. As soon as Chen Guang returned, he went to take a look at one of the rooms where colorful clouds floated by.

The twelve Xiajun butterflies lay on the floating oily cloud soil as if they were asleep. However, with the rhythm of their breathing, the array patterns on the floating oily cloud soil flickered, and wisps of gray-white cloud mist flowed into their bodies. This was the enslavement method recorded in the "Black Gu Golden Chapter". It took a long time, but the connection between their minds was more precise. Even the Purple Poison Spider did not have such treatment. All arrays require spiritual power to operate, and this array continuously consumed the cloud mist spiritual power in the floating oily cloud soil.

Before leaving, Chen Guang glanced at the three-colored clouds. Although he had obtained them from Qu Xunjiang, he had no special skills. These were excellent carriers for the Xiajun Butterflies to rest in the future, and he would need to fly up to the sky to collect the clouds himself. Fortunately, this place was at the foot of Ziling Peak, where the morning glow was abundant.

When things in the world are in full bloom, the clouds and the rosy clouds also flourish, because both of these belong to the "long-lasting nature" among the nine natures. They are constantly changing, gathering and dispersing, and have no fixed form. Chen Guang did not have a deep understanding of the long-lasting nature, but he knew that the enlightenment of cultivation always followed the five elements and the nine natures.

The essence of Daoist practice lies in understanding the Five Elements Dao. Upon reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, one must progress towards the Golden Elixir by condensing the Golden Nature, which is achieved through understanding the Nine Natures.

The feathered snipe embodies harmony, and harmony signifies a fusion and stability, which is why alchemists and weapon refiners often adhere to this principle.

Chen Guang only had a general understanding of the Five Elements and Nine Natures. Some of them were deduced from what he knew, while others were recorded in ancient books and were relatively easy to find. For example, the categories of clouds and rosy clouds are usually interchangeable and rise and fall together. When the purple clouds stretch for miles in the morning, there are rosy clouds that can be collected. Among the rosy clouds, there are several basic types such as orange rosy clouds, golden rosy clouds, purple rosy clouds, vermilion rosy clouds, and pink rosy clouds. Three-colored rosy clouds are considered a relatively simple type of first-order rosy clouds, which can be mastered with a little learning.

"I hadn't thought of this aspect before. Clouds and rosy clouds are all subject to change. Perhaps my Wind Manipulation Technique can gain some insight from this."

The Xiajun Butterfly belongs to the Xiaguang category, while the Chishou Zhenyan Turtle belongs to the fire and cloud categories. Once they break through to the second rank, they will develop their own growth potential. However, to enter the Golden Core realm, the rudimentary form of these nine elements is far from enough. But for Qi cultivators, even a first-rank Chishou Zhenyan Turtle is more than enough.

Chen Guang then entered another room, which was decorated with the same oily cloud soil. The key pivot point was made of the Heart Star Stone. At the center was a pure white oval egg with crimson cloud patterns. Every day, the cloud patterns on it would change and decrease. With each decrease, it was closer to being born. It was estimated that the crimson cloud patterns on it would take more than ninety days to completely fade away. After observing for a while, Chen Guang, as usual, dripped a drop of his essence blood and then left.

Sitting cross-legged in the main room, I practiced the flame technique, hoping to find inspiration for other basic spiritual flames within it.

"Whoosh!"

A ghostly blue flame surged from his palm, splashing onto the ground like a basin of water. It spread out along the ground, scorching the earth. Any pebble or protrusion that passed through it would become extremely fragile after being burned by the flame, and could be turned into ashes with a single breath.

The temperature of the ginseng flame was not that intense, but its burning ability was all-pervasive, extremely adept at penetrating and spreading. If it continued to expand, even Chen Guang himself would lose control.

The entire floor, after being repeatedly burned, has become extremely smooth, revealing some layers of glaze. The process of practicing the flames also makes the main room more clean and beautiful.

The eerie flames shimmered like a mirror.

Wait, that's not how it is—no, it's not like that—

Chen Guang stared at the pale blue flames on the ground that did not leap, silently reciting the process of summoning the Ginseng Flame. Strange illusions were merging in his mind—not mere random thoughts, but rather the nascent inspiration caused by the Ginseng Flame in an instant. They were extremely vague and indescribable, yet they clearly appeared in his mind, as if about to vanish in an instant.

The formation of wind manipulation techniques, groves, and the submerged soil of slave dwellings —

water----

fire----

The wind between heaven and earth —

Everything seemed unrelated, yet there was an extremely vague connection. Chen Guang didn't insist on figuring out this inspiration, but instead began to search for and reproduce that initial spark of inspiration.

The flame is withdrawn, and then released and activated again and again.

But gradually, without realizing it, the path of the ginseng flame in his mind was no longer purely focused on the ginseng flame. The images of Mount Shouling, the text of the Wind Manipulation Technique, and the Qi Stabilization Technique were merging into his mind again and again, becoming clearer and clearer. If other cultivators who control spiritual fire knew this, they would be shocked. The process of spiritual fire condensing is through the meridians and generated in the dantian. A single wrong thought can damage the meridians, and then it would be too late to regret it.

Moreover, it is rare for someone who cultivates spiritual fire to suffer a qi deviation at the Qi Refining stage!

It's unimaginable that someone would not concentrate fully but instead be so bold as to be distracted by other thoughts.

"Shh"

Chen Guang exhaled and slowly opened his eyes. A ghostly blue flame flashed across his eyes, and then flames flew out directly from his five orifices, illuminating the cave with a ghostly blue light. Chen Guang was not injured at all. On the contrary, the flames in his hands could fly up and down and change at will, sometimes large and sometimes small, and he only had to use a small part of his magic power. This was completely different from before.

Finally, a smile appeared on Chen Guang's face. He stretched out his finger, and countless flames flew from his fingertip, merging into it and eventually turning into a blue dot. It flickered twice and then disappeared.

Water and fire are incompatible, yet they can also complement each other. By skillfully utilizing their respective strengths, each can exert its own power. This is a concept from formations, and the underlying principle is the same. In simpler terms, it's like cooking: if you use both water and fire, does it necessarily result in a mess? The conditions for nurturing spiritual beings within a small area are actually the interaction of different energies; some act as catalysts, while others act as receivers.

Some are harmonizers—whatever they are, however many, the final convergence of various parties, after removing the portion that balances them, the excess mixed with them, as long as it finds a suitable vessel, becomes a spiritual object. This is the essence of the environment that nurtures spiritual objects. "Purple Flower Azure Guidance" is actually just using pure spiritual energy as a harmonizer and the purple energy of dawn as a driving force; this is the essence of the Wind Manipulation Technique.

Chen Guang's eyes brightened, and he understood the essence. Did that mean he had mastered it?

Yes or no.

Knowing that a dish requires oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and vegetables, it's obviously not enough to just throw them all in at once; the amounts need to be adjusted. This cooking process is the space where the Wind Manipulation Technique is applied. Ultimately, when the environment is stable, if it's just right, it may nurture spiritual beings.

The reason it's only a possibility is because the art of wind manipulation is too profound. Whether one can truly master the art of wind manipulation is still unknown.

"Perhaps I really do have a talent for gourmet food, otherwise how would I have thought of these things?"