Cultivation Starts from Farming Chapter 924 - 405: Fourth Rank Upper Grade Talisman Inheritance; Duan Shuang Breaks Through to Mid-Stage Nascent Soul_3

Such a favor carries immense weight.

Liang Ming hurriedly expressed his gratitude and smiled, saying, "Fellow Daoist Xu, you are too kind. It is the fortune of our Mystic Water Sect to forge such a strong bond with you."

His statement rang true from the depths of his soul.

For the sect, backing a cultivator of endless promise whose present power rivals a Late-Stage Great Cultivator promises vast long-term gains.

They exchanged a bit more on outer world affairs and cultivation wisdom before Liang Ming rose to depart.

Xu Ping saw him off the island himself.

...

Having bid farewell to Liang Ming, Xu Ping headed straight to Duan Shuang’s cave abode.

He pulled out the cold jade treasure box and passed it over to her.

As the lid lifted, the peculiar aroma of the Star Spirit Ganoderma filled the air anew.

"Shuang’Er, take this treasure."

"Refine your mana diligently in the days ahead, steady your mind, and gear up for Mid-Stage Nascent Soul breakthrough," Xu Ping instructed softly, eyes gleaming with hope.

"Xu Lang..."

Duan Shuang gazed at the starlit Ganoderma inside the box, then at Xu Ping; her lovely eyes sparkled like stars, brimming with thanks and love.

She knew full well the rarity of this treasure.

Xu Ping just smiled faintly, caressed her cheek tenderly, and teased lightly:

"Shuang’Er, advance soon, boost your Divine Sense immensely, so dual cultivation with your husband yields the utmost rewards."

"It’s all for my sake."

At these words, Duan Shuang’s fair cheeks bloomed with crimson blush; she shot Xu Ping a flirtatious glance.

Lightly nibbling her lip, she nestled her soft form against Xu Ping, her breath sweet as blooming orchids:

"This concubine... will not let Xu Lang’s expectations down..."

Embraced by her warm, fragrant softness, any mortal man would have lost focus long ago.

But Xu Ping stayed composed, grinning as his hand rested on Duan Shuang’s slender waist: "Good, clear your thoughts now and concentrate on getting ready."

"Success will bring a fine ’reward’ from your husband."

Her face deepened to a peach-like scarlet; she bashfully poked at Xu Ping, eyes alight with eager hope.

After tender guidance, Xu Ping departed Duan Shuang’s cave abode at last, heading back to Blood Bone Hall’s underground cavern.

...

Underground cave.

A mere thought from Xu Ping, and his Divine Sense called forth the Spirit Worm from below ground; he gave it the pouch of Fourth Rank Lower Grade Spirit Vein fragments.

"Integrate these gradually into the primary Spirit Vein; the extent of enhancement rests on your ability."

"Fear not, master—I’ll pour in every effort!"

The Spirit Worm eagerly took the storage bag, sensing the pristine Spirit Vein essence inside, buzzing with thrill.

Absorbing and merging foreign Spirit Veins profited it too.

Clasping the storage bag tight, the Spirit Worm dove swiftly into the depths of the soil.

Xu Ping’s mighty Divine Sense probed downward next.

Plain as day, he observed Blood Bone Island’s core Spirit Vein—at Fourth Rank Middle Grade now—guided by the Spirit Worm.

Resembling a vital beast, it sent out myriad fine Spiritual Qi filaments, delicately enfolding the fragments to draw in and fuse their pure vitality bit by bit.

No sound marked the procedure, but it pulsed with the grand force of terrestrial veins.

Spiritual Qi density in the cavern started climbing steadily, slow yet relentless, increment by increment.

"Impressive—building up steadily. As these Spirit Vein remnants feed it gradually, pushing to Fourth Rank Upper Grade speeds up considerably."

"Should it fall short of Fourth Rank Upper Grade prior to the Water Rat Lake breakthrough, no issue once I hit Late-Stage Nascent Soul," Xu Ping nodded, pleased.

Naturally, these scraps alone won’t suffice; he relies on the Outer Sea Alliance to hunt down more.

...

Four years slipped by in a flash.

In that span, ancient demons poured increasingly from the Ancient Demon Hall.

Xu Ping often teleported to the front lines via the alliance’s array, guarding against and purging demonic beasts.

Leveraging his overwhelming might and the Soul-Breaking Needle—lethal to ancient demons—he felled at least a dozen Mid-Stage and Early Nascent Soul ancient demons, plus innumerable Golden Core demonic beasts.

His feats shone brilliantly!

Xu Ping’s reputation echoed with awe across frontline territories.

Some even hailed him the second strongest cultivator in the Outer Sea, but countless cultivators rejected such lofty praises.

Yet Xu Ping couldn't shake a hint of regret.

In these four years, another chance to kill a Late-Stage Nascent Soul ancient demon never came his way.

Part of it was that Late-Stage ancient demons proved scarce and slyer still, slipping back into the Ancient Demon Hall whenever they sensed the tiniest threat.

Another reason lay in the absence of that prime ambush like before, where he could cripple their Divine Soul via the Soul-Breaking Needle.

Directly eliminating a foe of equal power hell-bent on fleeing is no easy feat at all.

On this day, Xu Ping made his way back from the frontline to Blood Bone Island yet again.

This came after Duan Shuang's message declaring her readiness to enter seclusion for the push to Mid-Stage Nascent Soul.

For such a pivotal breakthrough of Duan Shuang's, Xu Ping had to stand guard personally, of course.

Inside the cave.

Duan Shuang sat cross-legged, aura honed to perfect peak.

She'd absorbed nearly all the Star Spirit Ganoderma, its tremendous medicinal might and Star Essence now infused into her Nascent Soul and every limb.

Upon performing the final Spell, the Nascent Soul in her Dantian snapped open its eyes and struck a hand seal.

Boom!

A tremendous pulling force exploded from Duan Shuang’s body.

Spiritual Qi drawn from Blood Bone Island’s Spirit Vein, plus the heaps of Spirit Stones placed around her beforehand, all rushed toward her like tributaries joining the vast sea.

A colossal Spiritual Qi vortex took shape above her head.

"It has begun."

Cross-legged atop Blood Bone Island, Xu Ping’s eyes flashed while his Divine Sense blanketed the area, guaranteeing ironclad security.

Through his seasoned gaze, the breakthrough's early stage looked utterly steady.

Inside the cave.

Solemn-faced, Duan Shuang vigilantly shielded her mind, channeling the surging Spiritual Power and Star Spirit Ganoderma’s medicinal potency to batter the intangible barrier over and over.

Not everything went perfectly; the barrier held rock-solid, and repeated assaults fell short of breaking through.

Sweat beaded on Duan Shuang’s forehead, her face paling slightly.

But just then, the Star Spirit Ganoderma’s medicinal power revealed its genuine prowess.