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Chapter 9: Time Passing Like Sand

Chapter 9: Time Passing Like Sand

The incident of the fog had already been forgotten when the news spread that Qing Chen had reached the First Layer Of Energy Refinement Realm.

Bai Zian, Feng Liang, Zhao Ling and even Mu Qingfeng came out to celebrate this news.

As Qing Chen was the youngest among everyone present here he was loved by everyone not only because he was the youngest but also because he was the only hard worker among a group of Lazy people.

Everyone cheered that Qing Chen was a genius, a prodigy that would one day shake this continent.

But Qing Chen was destined to fail their expectations. He had decided to stop his cultivation and continue harvesting, Cleaning and helping plants and Herbs to earn Harmony Points. His Goal was to Breakthrough 3 Major Realms in one go.

A year later, Feng Liang Revealed that he had reached Ninth Layer Of Energy Refinement and the Valley Master, Mu Qingfeng rewarded him with a Foundation Building Pill. This was a pill that usually every Cultivator used to breakthrough because it increase the chances for Cultivators with average talents to reach Foundation Building Realm. While Geniuses mostly avoided these pills, not for some grand reason just because their self esteem did not allow them to use Pills that Average Cultivators used.

Qing Chen did not care whether Feng Liang Used it or Not.

The next day. Feng Liang left on his own towards the direction of Outer sect. Qing Chen felt a hollow feeling in his heart. It might be because the face he was used to seeing daily was no longer there. The Herbs Valley remained the same. Qing Chen continued his duties even after his breakthrough to the First Layer Of Energy Refinement Realm. Although senior brother and Bai Zian said that he should focus on increasing his strength. But he did not listen and continued what he was supposed to do.

At some point even they stopped saying it. Not because they thought he was arrogant but they believed that Qing Chen was more mature then them and knew his limits. But they also said that Cultivation is all about breaking through these constraints set on them by the Heavens.

But humans sometimes tend to forget that everything in the world has its pros and cons. Human with limited lifespan are able to achieve what demons take 1000's of years to achieve. Humans are more intellectual then demons and are also more dangerous.

The next year, Qing Chen received a new news that Bai Zian had left the sect with a note saying that he would return one day. Qing Chen was not much worried because he knew that Bai Zian had already reached the peak of Nascent Soul Realm. Although not enough to say that Bai Zian had become invincible but someone like Bai Zian, an old monster regaining his strength life outside the sect would be much better.

Qing Chen was sure that Bai Zian was an old monster, while he never counted himself because he too was growing at the same pace as Bai Zian but he did not think that anyone other then him can have a system. That caused him to grow like Qing Chen.

At fifteen, Qing Chen stood as a quiet enigma within the Herbs Valley, his presence unassuming yet oddly reassuring. The years spent working tirelessly among the spiritual herbs had sculpted him into a figure of understated strength. His lean frame, though lacking the imposing build of a cultivator, carried the wiry resilience of someone attuned to both labor and balance.

The sun cast a warm glow over his features as he knelt beside a cluster of luminous spirit grass. His youthful face, kissed by faint freckles from countless days beneath the valley’s golden rays, was serene as he worked. Dark brown eyes, filled with quiet determination, scanned the delicate herbs with the precision of one who understood their value deeply. If one looked closer, they might notice the faintest hint of silver shimmering in his irises—a subtle, otherworldly mark of his growing connection to the valley’s spiritual energy.

Jet-black hair, tied loosely into a low ponytail, swayed gently as he moved. A few strands framed his angular jawline, softening the maturity that had begun to settle there. Though his robes were plain, made of rough brown fabric befitting a servant, they were meticulously kept—free of stains despite his constant toil. At his waist hung a simple belt, its pouches filled with seeds and small tools for tending the valley’s treasured herbs.

There was something about Qing Chen that defied explanation—a calm that lingered like the faint, soothing fragrance of the spiritual plants he cared for. It wasn’t the assertive aura of a cultivator, but rather an unshakable serenity. While others in the valley fretted over breakthroughs and rivalries, Qing Chen seemed untouched by such concerns, content to sow seeds and nurture life.

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Yet even as he worked, his mind often wandered. He would pause, glancing toward the distant peaks, where the valley’s guardians and elite disciples trained. What lay beyond those mist-shrouded cliffs? What stories did the wind carry from the outer sects? Qing Chen shook his head, dismissing such thoughts.

“Focus on the soil beneath your hands,” he muttered to himself, returning his attention to the task at hand. “The valley provides all that I need.”

Still, as the breeze swept through the valley, carrying the distant hum of leaves, Qing Chen couldn’t help but wonder. His world was small, bound by the valley’s borders, but the faint glimmer in his eyes hinted at something greater—a potential not yet realized, waiting patiently to awaken.

Harmony Points: 4786

Qing Chen had accumulated many points, sometimes his hands itched to increase his strength. But he always calmed his beating heart to slow down.

The speed is slow.

Qing Chen knew that at this speed it would take Qing Chen forever to increase his Realm. He had to find more ways to earn points.

The eve of the New Year was a quiet affair in the Herbs Valley. Qing Chen sat under the sprawling canopy of a Tree, listening to the tales of the outer sect that Feng Liang had brought back. The older disciple’s voice was filled with excitement, recounting adventures that spanned treacherous mountains, dangerous missions, and newfound camaraderie.

“You’d enjoy it out there, Qing Chen,” Feng Liang said, his eyes glinting with nostalgia. “The missions are tough, but they make you stronger. You meet people, face challenges… It’s better than being stuck in this backwater, tending herbs all day.”

Qing Chen smiled faintly, his expression unreadable. “Perhaps,” he said, his tone polite but noncommittal. He didn’t envy Feng Liang’s world. The serenity of the valley, the hum of spiritual energy flowing through the herbs, and the steady accumulation of his Harmony Points—these were enough for him. Or so he told himself.

The next day, Qing Chen resumed his work, the memory of Feng Liang’s stories lingering in his mind. It was during one of his routine tasks—clearing weeds near an overgrown section of the valley—that he stumbled upon something unusual.

The patch of weeds was thicker than usual, the roots tangled around old, moss-covered stones. As he pulled the stubborn growth away, a faint shimmer caught his eye. A symbol—worn and weathered but unmistakably a formation mark—gleamed faintly beneath the grime.

Qing Chen paused, his breath hitching. He glanced around to ensure no one was watching before brushing the dirt away with trembling hands. The mark was part of an ancient array, its spiritual energy long dormant.

“An entrance?” he whispered to himself, tracing the formation with his fingers.

Recalling old stories he’d heard from the Senior Brother about forgotten gardens once used by alchemists, Qing Chen couldn’t contain his curiosity. With careful precision, he poured a sliver of his spiritual energy into the formation. It flickered faintly, then stabilized, revealing a narrow, concealed path leading deeper into the mountainside.

The air grew cooler as Qing Chen stepped into the hidden space. What greeted him was breathtaking—a garden shrouded in mist, its flora untouched by time. Luminous herbs with faint auras of spiritual energy grew in wild abundance. Some were ancient varieties that he had only read about in passing.

The garden had been forgotten for centuries, its protective formations keeping it sealed off from the outside world. Yet, it was clear that neglect had taken its toll. Many of the herbs were wilting, their spiritual essence fading due to the imbalance of energy.

Qing Chen’s eyes glimmered with a mix of excitement and determination. Here was an opportunity—one that aligned perfectly with his Harmony Points Collection System.

He set to work immediately, carefully removing the dead growth and clearing the clogged pathways of spiritual energy. With every act of restoration—whether it was stabilizing the soil with his Harmony Points or pruning overgrown vines—Qing Chen felt the garden respond.

The garden, once dormant, began to stir. The spiritual energy became richer, the herbs recovering their vitality. Qing Chen couldn’t help but smile as his Harmony Points steadily increased, ticking upward with every effort he made.

By the time he left the garden, night had fallen. Qing Chen sealed the entrance once more, leaving no trace of his discovery. As he returned to the valley’s main grounds, he felt a quiet sense of accomplishment.

His Harmony Points now exceeded 10,000, and the garden was thriving once more, hidden from prying eyes. For Qing Chen, it wasn’t just about the points—it was the act of nurturing life, of bringing balance to something long forgotten.

That evening, as he sat under the Verdant Willow Tree once more, Qing Chen’s thoughts wandered. Feng Liang’s tales of adventure and glory were enticing, but they weren’t his path. The hidden garden, the herbs, and the valley’s quiet beauty were enough for him—for now.

He glanced at his hands, calloused from years of work, and then at the distant mountains shrouded in mist.

“Strength isn’t always about fighting,” he murmured to himself, his voice barely audible. “Sometimes, it’s about preserving what matters.”

As the stars shimmered above, Qing Chen closed his eyes, feeling the tranquil energy of the valley resonate within him. Somewhere deep in the hidden garden, the spiritual herbs swayed gently in the night breeze, their vitality restored, and their essence glowing faintly under the moonlight.

And Qing Chen, the quiet servant of the Herbs Valley, remained an enigma—unseen yet irreplaceable.