Chapter 164: A Solid Foundation, a Flurry of Leaves

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The small leaf was initially only the size of a grain of rice, but as the immortal root in Qin Haoxuan’s dantian madly absorbed spiritual energy, unreservedly providing nutrients for this second leaf, it quickly grew to the size of a soybean, finally stopping when it was the size of a fingernail.

The path Qin Haoxuan was strolling on was the main road from the dormitory area to the spirit fields. Many diligent disciples were on their way to work when they suddenly felt the ripples of spiritual energy emanating from him—ripples that were exactly like those of a breakthrough. One by one, they stopped in their tracks, dumbfounded, and stared at the somewhat dazed-looking Qin Haoxuan.

“What… what is going on…” These disciples stared, completely stunned, at Qin Haoxuan, who had just grown a leaf while taking a walk.

“Did Qin Haoxuan just grow his second leaf while on a stroll?” a disciple who had witnessed the scene firsthand asked the senior brother next to him in disbelief. “I’m not seeing things, am I?”

“I think I saw it too. Are we dreaming?” He pinched his own face and, because he had used too much force, winced in pain and sucked in a breath. “Hiss… it hurts… this dream feels so real.”

“I remember when I grew a new leaf, the feeling of breaking through was already at its peak, yet it felt like I couldn’t get over that final hurdle. I had to frantically eat all sorts of spiritual medicines to force the breakthrough at the critical moment. But why doesn’t he even need to sit cross-legged in meditation? He can grow a leaf just by walking?”

“It’s so strange. He’s just a weak seed! Never mind his fast cultivation speed; his method of breaking through is just monstrous!”

“Hehe, that’s where you’re ignorant. I bet this is all thanks to the Qi-Circulating Powder that Xu Yu refines for him. Otherwise, how could a weak seed grow another leaf in such a short time? I remember he only grew his first one three days before entering the manor. How long has it been since then?”

“That makes sense. Many people who bought Xu Yu’s powder have had their cultivation speed increase a lot. I heard from my Guiding Senior Brother that ever since she started selling it in large quantities, the overall cultivation speed of the sect has greatly improved. The Sect Master might even reward her for it! And I remember she refined a few Qi-Circulating Pills yesterday and gave two of them to him. I heard you even have to take Meridian Protecting Powder with them, otherwise the spiritual energy is so potent it can rupture your meridians. Can you imagine how powerful that pill must be?”

Not only were the onlookers curious, but Qin Haoxuan himself was also very surprised. His first leaf had appeared inexplicably, and now his second had done the same. What was going on? He was puzzled, but after thinking it over for a long time, the only possible explanation he could come up with was the combined effect of the Dao Heart Seed Demon Art and the Sea-Gathering Art.

Qin Haoxuan infused a stream of spiritual energy into the new leaf and discovered that seven veins had appeared on it. Although it wasn’t a golden leaf, he was still very happy. After all, the heavens couldn’t favor him all the time, and to grow a seven-veined leaf was something ordinary disciples wouldn’t even dare to dream of.

After breaking through to the Second-Leaf of the Spirit Sprout Realm, the first thing he wanted to do was share his happiness with Xu Yu. He walked quickly towards her room. When he arrived, he found a crowd of people gathered outside, pointing at her room and clicking their tongues in amazement. Luo Jinhua was standing guard, her face a mask of shock and anticipation.

As he drew closer, he could clearly feel that she was madly absorbing spiritual energy. She must have taken one of the pills.

“Is Junior Sister Xu about to break through? Her speed of absorbing spiritual energy is so terrifying…”

“If I had a pill like that, I could reach a high realm in just a decade. I wouldn’t still be stuck at the Fifth-Leaf.”

“With your aptitude, even eating her powder is a waste, let alone a pill like that!”

Just as the crowd was marveling at the terrifying speed of her energy absorption, a series of intense spiritual energy fluctuations suddenly erupted from Xu Yu’s room. Huge spiritual energy vortexes began to revolve around her house, and the spiritual energy in the area became so thick it was almost tangible. A few opportunistic disciples immediately sat down to try and absorb some of it, but soon opened their eyes in shock. “The energy is so thick, but I can’t absorb any of it! Her absorption speed is too terrifying; before I can even begin, the energy is already gone!”

A fierce wave of spiritual energy after another pulsed from her room, knocking back the weaker disciples several steps. Even Luo Jinhua, at the Twentieth-Leaf, couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, thinking to herself, The aura of Junior Sister Xu’s breakthrough is frightening!

Not long after, the spiritual fluctuations gradually subsided, and the giant vortexes shrank and disappeared. The door creaked open, and Xu Yu walked out. The first person she saw was Qin Haoxuan.

“Brother Haoxuan, I grew another leaf,” she said with a sweet, happy smile.

Qin Haoxuan smiled faintly. “What a coincidence. I just grew a new leaf too.”

“Then congratulations to you too, Brother Haoxuan!” she replied.

When Qin Haoxuan said he had also broken through, Luo Jinhua’s expression soured slightly. The onlookers quickly understood. “So that’s how he broke through so fast! Xu Yu must have given him one of the pills she refined!” someone whispered. “What a waste! To use such a precious pill on a weak seed who only reached the Second-Leaf.”

Just then, a figure with a solemn aura slowly walked over. “Junior Sister Xu, the Sect Master summons you.” The Daoist cultivator walked up to her, not even glancing at Luo Jinhua or anyone else, as if they were all just air.

Xu Yu, who had been summoned once before, recognized him as the Sect Master’s attendant. She bowed and replied, “Yes.”

After she left with the attendant, the crowd began to speculate about the reason for the summons. As they were talking, another wave of spiritual energy fluctuations suddenly came from Li Jing’s room.

“Li Jing is about to break through too!”

Qin Haoxuan looked towards the room, thinking to himself, He must be cultivating the Tyrannical True Dragon Art.

Soon, Li Jing broke through to the Seventh-Leaf of the Spirit Sprout Realm. He walked out, his stride like a dragon’s, his bearing magnificent. His aura was more restrained than before, but one could clearly feel a domineering and majestic power emanating from him. His followers immediately swarmed him with congratulations, their faces beaming with pride.

Li Jing saw Qin Haoxuan passing by his door and walked over with a smile. His eyes narrowed slightly. “Congratulations, Junior Brother Qin, on breaking through to the Second-Leaf. Such a cultivation speed is truly admirable.”

Qin Haoxuan smiled faintly. “It is Senior Brother Li’s Seventh-Leaf cultivation that I truly admire.”

As Li Jing drew near, he could clearly feel the domineering aura coming from him and was even more certain that he was cultivating the Tyrannical True Dragon Art. Li Jing’s eyes were confident and majestic. It was clear that after cultivating the new art and rapidly advancing, his self-confidence had soared. When he saw Qin Haoxuan now, he no longer tried to actively recruit him, but just made some polite small talk.

In the distance, Zhang Yang watched with rabid jealousy. He was still only at the Third-Leaf, yet Qin Haoxuan, with Xu Yu’s pills, had already reached the Second-Leaf and was about to catch up to him. Meanwhile, all three of the Purple Seeds, whom he considered his rivals, had left him far behind in the dust.