If Hongye's Land of Rain was like a lean combatant versed in every martial technique, then what Wei Yuan faced now was a massive, flabby brute—imposing at first glance, but bloated and hollow. Clearly, the former had been far harder to deal with.
Yet if a bloated weakling possessed boundless stamina and could continually regenerate, handling him was exhausting all the same.
The battlefield situation was far from optimistic, but Wei Yuan's cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds. The more yin souls gathered in the Yellow Springs Grotto-Heaven, the faster it breathed the origin qi of heaven and earth. From the depths of the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, specks of starlight drifted up from time to time—spiritual essence born from the transformation of heaven and earth's origin qi. Most of it was absorbed by the immortal plants, while a fraction settled upon the mortals.
Any mortal who received this spiritual essence would undergo a rebirth, shedding mortal flesh and bone. A select few awakened distinct constitutions and earned names of their own.
The war was grueling but under control, so Wei Yuan stopped fretting. Instead, he systematically trained recruits, sending them to the front lines only after they had completed their training in strict accordance with regulations. Guided by veterans and grounded in passable military discipline, these new recruits suffered casualty rates only slightly higher than seasoned soldiers, well within acceptable limits.
Wei Yuan felt as though he had returned to his days at the northern mountain gate: the front lines stalemated, each day's fighting repetitive and dull.
In the blink of an eye, the great war had raged for over a month. The Shaman offensive settled into a rhythm, eventually branching into seven legions that joined the main battle line in besieging Qingming. Li Zhi held off one legion on his own, while Wei Yuan divided his forces to handle the rest.
The evolution of the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World also indirectly influenced Qingming. The new season's grain harvest saw a modest increase, which Perfected Chuhe attributed to more abundant earth qi raising yields per mu. It was not just the grain fields and the Medicine Garden; ordinary beasts and spirit beasts grew more lively as well. Even mortals found their vigor swelling and their Body Casting progressing faster.
By now, Qingming had fully transformed into fertile soil, beginning to produce scattered traces of spiritual essence and transition toward a spirit land.
Qingming now had a population of over thirty-one million. In a little over a month, a dozen or so points of spiritual essence had naturally emerged, all ultimately absorbed by mortals. Under the Grand Array of the Heavenly Constellations, the changes in these mortals could hardly escape Wei Yuan's discerning eyes. Thus, three were singled out by Wei Yuan personally, while another two shone brilliantly during Body Casting, advancing at such a rapid pace that their supervising instructors reported them up the chain of command.
This was the first time such an occurrence had taken place, so Wei Yuan arranged detailed examinations for them and invited Ji Liuli and other cultivators to inspect them together. The final conclusion was that all of these individuals possessed the potential for an Earth-grade Dao Foundation. Yet judging from a comprehensive assessment of their past performances, they would normally have struggled to form even a template Dao Foundation.
Once Qingming advanced further, it would yield even more spiritual essence. It was merely a question of which lucky souls would receive it and ascend to the heavens in a single step.
This was wonderful news, and Wei Yuan was naturally pleased. As for the remaining fortunate souls, Wei Yuan did not intend to seek them out. With their aptitudes enhanced, they would naturally stand out over time; there was no need to hunt them down right now.
Still, in a realm as vast as Qingming, generating only a dozen-odd motes of spiritual essence over a month meant barely a hundred or so in a year. While that might be a major event for an ordinary sect or clan, in Qingming—where template Dao Foundations were plentiful—gaining an extra hundred-odd Dao Foundations a year was truly nothing extraordinary.
To Wei Yuan now, Earth-grade Dao Foundations were thoroughly dispensable—mediocre at best, incapable of great undertakings yet unwilling to perform petty tasks. In practical work, they were far less reliable than diligent template workers, while their chances of achieving a Dharma Idol were so slim that pursuing the grand Dao held little point. As the saying went: ambitions higher than the heavens, a fate thinner than paper; the body of a maidservant, the mind of a young mistress. That was precisely what they were.
Hence, Wei Yuan did not dwell on the matter and continued directing the war.
Soon, however, an unexpected guest arrived in Qingming: an envoy from Lu Changhe. Greatly surprised upon learning the visitor's identity, Wei Yuan received him in person, curious to hear what an immortal with whom he had virtually no dealings wanted to say.
The envoy was an elderly man of dignified countenance and profound, measured presence, possessing the cultivation of the Scenery Command realm. He sat upright in the reception hall with his eyes half-closed, silent and still, quietly waiting.
As Wei Yuan stepped into the hall, the elder finally opened his eyes, stood, and bowed in greeting. "Lu Weihu of the Lu clan, here by decree of the Immortal Ancestor to meet with Lord Wei."
The elder's manners were impeccable, yet carried a palpable aloofness; his deep-seated pride was impossible to conceal.
Wei Yuan understood immediately. The man had deliberately addressed him as "Lord Wei." By using Wei Yuan's official title, he bypassed the strict seniority rules of the cultivation world, sparing both sides awkwardness.
Wei Yuan returned the courtesy, and host and guest took their seats. Wei Yuan asked, "May I ask what instructions the Immortal Monarch has for me?"
Lu Weihu replied, "The Immortal Ancestor observed the heavenly phenomena by night and saw Qingming's karmic luck surging with wondrous omens, revealing that it has become a spirit land. A cause for great celebration indeed! For so vast a realm to transform from toxic wastes into living land, from living land into fertile soil, and from fertile soil into a spirit land in a mere dozen-odd years is truly extraordinary. Blessed lands and grotto-heavens are well within reach! Realm Lord Wei's vision and acumen are rarely seen in this world."
Wei Yuan sighed. "The Immortal Monarch flatters me. Qingming's rapid development is merely due to ceaseless battles and heavy casualties, allowing it to transform faster than normal. Moreover, the true key was an immortal treasure placed here by an elder of my sect. That was celestial fortune, something that can only be met by chance, never sought."
Above a spirit land lay blessed lands and grotto-heavens, the foundation upon which one could establish a sect or anchor an aristocratic clan for ten thousand years.
Yet once an area reached the stage of a spirit land, taking the next step required a vast stretch of time; it was not something achieved overnight—unless there were several more things like the immortal dog's severed head. But while immortals were many in this world, there was only one Little State Preceptor.
After the pleasantries, Lu Weihu stated the purpose of his visit: "The Immortal Ancestor dispatched me here with the intention of gathering qi in Qingming."
"Gathering qi?" Wei Yuan was taken aback, then inquired further, "May I ask how it is gathered?"
Lu Weihu explained in detail, and Wei Yuan soon understood.
This so-called qi gathering was the extraction of the innate spiritual essence born after Qingming advanced into a spirit land.
Such spiritual essence was intangible and invisible, and Wei Yuan had never interfered with it. Yet immortals possessed sublime methods and had devised various techniques to collect this innate spiritual essence and refine it into treasures.
Qi gathering was fairly commonplace among the major aristocratic clans. Each possessed unique techniques that varied in efficacy depending on the immortal's rank and immortal arts. However, they all shared one thing in common: innate spiritual essence was exceedingly delicate. As cultivators put it, it dispersed upon meeting the wind and dissolved upon touching water; the slightest mishandling caused it to dissipate or deteriorate, rendering it useless.
Therefore, qi gathering inevitably incurred loss, usually wasting over half of what was gathered.
Lu Changhe was considered young among immortals, yet his qi gathering method was quite sophisticated; it was said he could preserve six out of every ten wisps of spiritual essence.
Having finished his explanation, Lu Weihu said, "The Immortal Ancestor intends to use this innate spiritual essence to refine an immortal pill known as the Sun-Swapping Three Immortals Pill. Each furnace produces three pills, which possess the miraculous effect of transforming a cultivator's innate bone structure. Once the pills are completed, the Immortal Ancestor will grant you one as compensation for gathering qi here."
Wei Yuan's expression remained unchanged as he listened. "What originally belonged to over a hundred people as their opportunity will now become the opportunity of just one?"
Lu Weihu replied, "The so-called opportunity of a hundred people is merely wasted on mortals who have no connection to either of us. Having that spiritual essence fall upon them is sheer squandering. This Three Immortals Pill, however, is a targeted opportunity; the two are completely different.
"Never mind that giving those mortals an opportunity accomplishes nothing. Even taking a step back, if a hundred or a thousand of them achieve the Dao, what does that have to do with us? Helping one's own scions take another step forward—that is what truly matters."
Wei Yuan sat motionless, anger quietly stirring within him. Was this not forcibly stripping away opportunities rightfully meant for mortals, refining them down, and bestowing them upon one's own descendants?
Such practices were commonplace among aristocratic clans. Beyond spiritual essence, even karmic luck and fate frameworks could be gradually stripped away and transferred. When prominent clans discovered so-called children of karmic destiny, most of them would be coerced through various means into surrendering opportunities that could have transformed their entire lives. Some noble houses were more benevolent and offered modest compensation. Others simply kicked aside the drained children of destiny once their utility was spent, or even murdered them to silence any witnesses.
Wei Yuan had heard tell of such things from time to time, but they had always seemed too distant to concern him. Today, however, someone had come knocking on his door, declaring right to his face that they intended to transfer the fortunes of countless mortals onto their own clan's children.
Wei Yuan's expression remained impassive. "I appreciate the Immortal Monarch's kind intentions. However, these mortals have bled and risked life and limb for Qingming over the years. I truly cannot bear to rob them of the scant fortune they have earned. Therefore, speak no more of this."
Lu Weihu stared in astonishment. "Does Qingming not belong to you? Any spiritual essence it produces should belong to you as well. What does it have to do with those mortals? You are the one granting them this fortune, so what is wrong with taking it back?"
"Celestial fortunes arise naturally from heaven; it is best to let nature take its course."
Lu Weihu's expression darkened, and he said coldly, "Lord Wei, the Immortal Ancestor did not hold a particularly high opinion of you to begin with. Would it not be wonderful to use this occasion to draw closer? Lord Wei, do not fail to appreciate favors when they are offered!"
Wei Yuan's expression did not waver in the slightest. With a faint smile, he said, "Safe travels. I shall not see you out."
Chapter 856