Infinite Professions-Chapter 158 - 73: Construction

A true man can flex and yield!

Watching Long Yu, who clearly knew when to act appropriately, Shen Hex didn’t waste any more words. He directly formed a spell and activated the Spirit Control Contract.

Long Yu lay on the ground, allowing the contract to be established. Its eyes were slightly moist, a hint of its shattered Dragon King’s dream.

However, as the contract formed, it quickly collected itself and adapted to its new identity, hugging Shen Hex’s leg, looking at the Fish Dragon Seal in his hand with hopeful eyes: "Master, this would greatly aid my cultivation, could you..."

"No!"

Shen Hex directly shattered its hopes.

"Oh~!"

Seeing Shen Hex so cold and unfeeling, Long Yu couldn’t help but draw out its voice, then sat pitifully to the side, looking thoroughly wronged.

"This will serve as an array eye, enhancing the Spiritual Qi of Fish Dragon Island."

Shen Hex rarely gave an explanation, then tossed a few bottles of White Spirit Pills to it: "As for your cultivation, make up for it with pills. Don’t worry, I won’t treat you unfairly."

"Pills?"

Long Yu caught the jade bottles, intending to open them to look inside, but its large fish head and short fins clearly couldn’t perform this action, so it could only throw the jade bottle into its mouth, chewing it along with the pills.

"Hmm!?"

After some chewing, its fish eyes immediately widened, and it quickly tossed the remaining White Spirit Pills into its mouth.

"Not bad, not bad, really not bad!"

Downing several bottles of spirit pills, it instantly came out of its despondency and looked expectantly at Shen Hex: "Master, do you have more?"

Shen Hex looked over it: "One White Spirit Pill is worth a thousand jin of Spirit Rice. I’ve given you five bottles, each with nine pills, making forty-five pills, forty-five thousand jin of Spirit Rice, and you’ve just eaten it all like that?"

"I’m still growing, that’s why my appetite is a bit big."

Hearing his words, Long Yu felt a bit embarrassed: "I used to rely on the Spiritual Qi from the Fish Dragon Seal, but now that the Fish Dragon Seal is gone, naturally I eat more. If you don’t have that many pills, Master, you could temporarily give the Fish Dragon Seal to me..."

"Rest assured!"

Before it could finish, Shen Hex interrupted, patting its fish head with an inexplicable smile on his face: "If there’s one thing I have in abundance, it’s Spirit Rice and Spirit Pills, plenty for you!"

With that, he shoved a few more bottles of White Spirit Pills at it.

It’s not just it, but the Golden-Winged Roc, Seven-Star Dragon Carp, Copper-backed Tuo Dragon, all the contracted Spirit Beasts were given spirit pills to share.

"Master is generous!"

Though they couldn’t understand why Shen Hex was so generous, Long Yu was delighted with the spirit pills in its hand, tossing another bottle into its mouth.

"Take your time eating!"

Shen Hex didn’t mind it and carried the Fish Dragon Seal, standing up and walking towards the heart of the lake.

This lake was already small, and the Crystal Palace built on it was quite tiny. Now it has been entirely dismantled, turned into spirit stones of various sizes and grades placed along the shore.

"Even Top-grade Spiritual Stones exist here. Clearly, the owner of this seal is by no means ordinary."

Shen Hex collected the spirit stones, then jumped into the water and dived beneath the lake. Using the Fish Dragon Seal and the spirit stones from the dismantled Crystal Palace, he set up an array at the center of the lake island, gathering Spiritual Qi to nourish the earth vein.

There’s no need to nurture it even; this Fish Dragon Seal contains its own Spiritual Source, and the Crystal Palace yielded a large number of spirit stones. Shen Hex could directly use them to form an earth vein, instantly turning Fish Dragon Island into a Spiritual Land.

He indeed did so, first laying spirit stones at the heart of the lake island to form the root of a spirit vein deep in the earth, then splitting into several branches spreading to the four directions; soon, clouds and mists surrounded Fish Dragon Island, and Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirit filled and materialized, seemingly a piece of a paradise.

The Spirit Array was complete, and the earth vein was deeply rooted.

Moments later, as the mist began to dissipate, a thin vapor still lingered. The Spirit Array and earth vein hidden within the lake island not only provided a continuous supply of Qi but also subtly enhanced the quality of the Spiritual Land.

Spiritual Lands also have grades, corresponding to the cultivation levels of cultivators. For instance, Red Maple Valley is a Tier Three Spiritual Land, enough for Qi Refining cultivators to cultivate and support their progression into the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Now, with the Spirit Gathering Array set up, using the Fish Dragon Seal and numerous spirit stones to lay the earth vein, this artificially created Spiritual Land has reached Tier Four, capable of supporting the cultivation of Foundation Establishment and even Core Formation cultivators.

This is just the beginning. With the effects of the Spirit Gathering Array and the Hidden Cultivator’s land, Fish Dragon Island could further increase in rank, possibly becoming Tier Five or even Tier Six Spiritual Land.

A Tier Four Spiritual Land can support Foundation Establishment, forming hopes for Core Formation.

If Tier Four is already such, imagine what Tier Five or Six would be. Speaking of the potential for Nascent Soul is not an exaggeration; it could undoubtedly ignite a life-and-death struggle among numerous cultivators, possibly even redirecting the battles of the Four Righteous and Demonic Sects.

Shen Hex had inquired that in the entire inland Cultivation Realm, only one Tier Five Spiritual Land exists: Xuanxiao Mountain, home of the Xuanshao Sect. The rest, including Cloud Dragon Sect, Wanshou Mountain, Netherworld Sect, and Yellow Springs Valley, are all Tier Four Spiritual Lands, each with unique features, barely able to sustain continuous Core Formation.

As long as he manages Fish Dragon Island well, surpassing the major Core Formation Sects is only a matter of time.

With the Spirit Array and earth vein established, Shen Hex summoned Long Yu and the other contracted Spirit Beasts: "This lake stands atop the earth vein, with Spiritual Qi condensed. It holds great convenience. I intend to plant Cyan Lotus, White Lotus, and other Spiritual Objects here, and allow each of your tribes to move in, guarding the earth vein and the Spirit Plants."

"Thank you, Master!"

Although the Crystal Palace has been dismantled, it is said that one can still reside in this lake. Long Yu was overjoyed and again tried to latch onto the opportunity.

Shen Hex kicked it away and then said to the Seven-Star Dragon Carp and Copper-backed Tuo Dragon, "Let me warn you beforehand, whoever can’t control their mouth and steals the unripe Spiritual Lotus Root or other spirit plants, I’ll stew them, got it?"

"I wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare!"

Long Yu knew this was most likely directed at him, so he immediately made assurances.

...

After setting up the fish pond, Shen Hex picked up a hoe and sickle to clear the spirit plants and fields on the island.

This dead fish, Long Yu, having the Fish Dragon Seal, wasn’t very attentive to other Spiritual Objects, completely in a free-range state, leading to the wastage of spirit grass he planted years ago, and many of the spirit fields he painstakingly cultivated.

Although nourished by the Spiritual Qi from its ’Crystal Palace’, these spirit grasses and Spirit Rice didn’t completely wither, and some even thrived, it was all growth without planning, competing for nutrients and Spiritual Qi from each other.

This parasitic planting method might eventually yield some High Tier spirit plants, but the harvest does not equate to the effort, being an extremely serious waste.

Shen Hex wouldn’t allow this; he needed to plan these spirit plants properly.

He took up the sickle and hoe, separating these wildly growing and entangled spirit plants, then reopened the weed-ridden spirit fields, removing various useless or even harmful weeds, and replanted Spirit Rice and Spirit Medicine.

In such a way, not knowing how long it took, the spirit fields were opened one by one, with clear divisions of grains, separate stands of medicinal herbs, rice paddies, medicine fields, along with floral and fruit trees, arranged neatly.

It’s simply a blessing for those with OCD!

After finishing the fieldwork, Shen Hex took out materials to construct an Alchemy and Artifact Room.

Whether in alchemy or tool refining, firepower is essential.

This fire isn’t ordinary fire, but Spirit Fire, ignited with Spiritual Qi as the fuel.

Low Tier alchemists and artifact refiners don’t have the means and can only use their magical power to ignite Spirit Fire, but this consumes a lot and doesn’t last long, only suitable for refining Low-tier Pills.

To refine high-tier pills, one must establish an alchemy room, place a pill furnace within, and harness Spiritual Qi or directly invest Spirit Stones, to fuel the Spirit Fire through external aid.

This method, however, is just a second-rate alchemy technique; the top-tier technique involves directly channeling the earth vein, using it as the fuel source for the Spirit Fire.

This Spirit Fire, otherwise known as Earth Fire, burns persistently and steadily, of high quality, greatly enhancing the success rate in tool refining and pill concoction.

But earth veins are precious, the core of a Spirit Land; using it to fuel Earth Fire is even worse than burning Spirit Stones, ordinary forces can’t sustain it.

According to Shen Hex, only the five Core Formation sects have Earth Fire Furnaces in the Inland Cultivation Realm, and they dare not use them lightly, only activating them for Tier Four Spirit Pills or Tier Four Spiritual Artifacts.

Because of this, the five Core Formation sects have virtually monopolized the Foundation Establishment Pill market, and the spirit artifacts are largely controlled by them; other forces or loose cultivators must either pay a hefty sum to buy from them or take their chances.

Shen Hex, in Spirit Control Martial Dao, had entered Tier Four, his Immortal Dao Refining Qi nearing perfection; in a few years, he could attempt Foundation Establishment.

Although he was confident he could succeed without pills, given the chance, he wanted a Foundation Establishment Pill.

He had already researched this; the greatest benefit of the pill wasn’t to enhance success rate, but to ensure survival.

Because Immortal Dao Foundation Establishment condenses Essence, Qi, and Spirit into one, with Essence as the body, Qi as magical power, Spirit as the Divine Soul, formed into Three Splendors, also known as Three Flowers; the establishment means Three Splendors gathering at the top, transforming and condensing into Spiritual Sense.

The process is exceedingly dangerous, as messing up could damage Essence, Qi, and Spirit, even obliterating entirely, necessitating a Foundation Establishment Pill as a realm-breaking protective, ensuring safety even if establishment fails, preventing harm to Three Splendors. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Although Shen Hex had numerous advantages, cultivating immortality is something akin to a maiden’s first carriage ride.

Thus, if conditions allow, he wanted a Foundation Establishment Pill for himself.

Better safe than sorry!

After much effort, endlessly long, Shen Hex finally completed the construction of the Alchemy and Artifact Room.

The room directly connected to the earth vein, the Earth Fire can ignite at any time, providing significant assistance in both alchemy and tool refining.

"Whew!"

After forming arrays to gather spirits, opening fields, and finally constructing the rooms, even a cultivator felt a bit tired from such exhaustive labor.

But compared to fatigue, satisfaction was greater.

Shen Hex looked around and saw the lake island enshrouded in mist, with neat fields, square ponds, Spirit Rice, Spirit Medicine, spirit grasses, spirit trees, alongside spirit beasts and Clam Maiden, Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals.

Both a terrestrial paradise and a pastoral scene.

"Cultivating immortality?"

"Haha!"

Shen Hex chuckled, immensely fulfilled, then called up the professional panel to check the Hidden Cultivator’s level.

Sure enough, it was full.

Next step...