Lu Ye’s mind raced in the darkness, images flooding into his consciousness like a torrent. The leaves of the Celestial Tree carried the Sharp Spirit Rune, so could the other leaves also bear different spirit runes? Each leaf seemed like an untapped treasure, filled with endless possibilities. If he could light up more of these leaves, wouldn’t that mean he could acquire more spirit runes and, in turn, master more types of power?
The thought stirred excitement in Lu Ye. The Celestial Tree, with its vast and boundless crown and densely packed leaves, seemed like an unopened world, waiting for him to explore it one by one. But how could he light up the other leaves? That was still an unsolved problem. Lu Ye was filled with doubt, but there were no answers at the moment, so he had no choice but to put these questions aside and focus on his cultivation at hand.
"Cultivation is the priority," Lu Ye took a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts. He knew that improving his cultivation was the most important thing right now, and unlocking the spirit aperture was the first step on the path of cultivation. Lu Ye had already opened the Source Spirit Aperture, which was the foundation of his cultivation. Next, he needed to continue breaking through, unlocking more spirit apertures, accumulating spirit power, and thus improving his cultivation.
As this thought rose within him, a long-forgotten desire began to stir in Lu Ye's heart. The path of a cultivator was long and difficult, but as long as one could go further, they would gain ever greater power. Especially that book, The Golden Cicada's Carefree Formula, which seemed to offer him more opportunities for breakthroughs. However, Lu Ye was not yet able to use this technique. After all, his Source Spirit Aperture was not fully matured, and his spirit power was not sufficient to support the opening of more apertures.
But Lu Ye was not in a rush. He knew that to break through his Source Spirit Aperture, he first needed to saturate the spirit power within it. Only then could he successfully open the next aperture. To do this, he had to keep cultivating and strengthen his spirit power.
Inside Manager Yang’s storage pouch, Lu Ye found many useful items, including several spirit pills. However, he was not in a hurry to use them. He knew that although spirit pills could quickly boost one’s cultivation, their effects were not lasting, and since he didn’t fully understand the properties of each pill, he dared not take risks, fearing unforeseen consequences.
In contrast, Lu Ye's most trusted cultivation method was to absorb and circulate spirit energy, but in this mine tunnel, he couldn’t sense any spirit energy around him. For now, this method was not an option.
"It seems the only thing I can do is to refine essence into qi," Lu Ye made a decision in his heart.
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Refining essence into qi simply meant refining the blood and qi in his body to transform it into spirit power. For Lu Ye right now, this was a viable path. He had already broken through the Source Spirit Aperture, and his physical constitution had improved significantly. Now, he just needed to use the Blood Qi Pills to accelerate the process, allowing him to accumulate enough spirit power in a short time.
Lu Ye knew that while this cultivation method seemed simple, it was far from easy. Turning blood and qi into spirit power required intense focus and determination, and that was exactly the path cultivators had to walk if they wanted to reach a higher level.
Thus, Lu Ye crossed his legs and sat down, throwing himself into the process of refining essence into qi. Following the method of The Golden Cicada’s Carefree Formula, he closed his eyes and began to feel the flow of blood and qi within his body, silently guiding it.
At first, the process of refining essence into qi was not going smoothly. Lu Ye could only feel the faint flow of blood and qi within his body but had difficulty directing them to transform into spirit power. He didn’t give up, continuing to adjust his breathing and mindset, gradually entering a deeper state of concentration.
After some time, Lu Ye finally began to feel slight changes in his blood and qi. The blood and qi gradually began to condense, becoming fuller. As time passed, the flow of blood and qi became smoother, and Lu Ye’s cultivation began to get on track.
"Finally, some progress," Lu Ye felt a surge of joy in his heart. He knew this was a good start. As long as he persevered, he would soon fill the Source Spirit Aperture with spirit power, thereby opening the next aperture and advancing to a higher level of cultivation.
However, as his cultivation deepened, Lu Ye gradually realized that while refining essence into qi was an effective method, it required a huge investment of time and energy. Especially in a mine tunnel like this, where spirit energy was thin, cultivation became especially difficult.
Fortunately, Lu Ye had already mentally prepared for a long struggle. At this moment, other than cultivation, he had no other options.
After several days of cultivation, Lu Ye’s injuries had nearly healed. Though he still felt some fatigue and weakness, that sense of weakness would soon disappear. After all, his physical constitution and spirit power were intertwined—his cultivation was improving, and his body was naturally becoming more resilient.
However, Lu Ye did not let his guard down. He was fully aware that the current situation was still fraught with uncertainty. In the mine, the threat of the Haotian Alliance remained, and disciples of the Evil Moon Valley might also come in the future. To ensure his safety, Lu Ye decided to stay hidden in the mine until his injuries were completely healed and his spirit power accumulated to a sufficient level. Then, he would seek an opportunity to escape.
"One month. I’ll definitely get through this time," Lu Ye silently made a resolution in his heart.
In the dark mine tunnel, time seemed to stretch endlessly, but for Lu Ye, every moment of cultivation was fulfilling. Every bit of effort was paving the way for his future breakthroughs. His eyes sparkled with determination, and his heart was filled with hope for the future.