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Chapter 80: Spirit Vein Formation
After the complete stabilization of Deep Earth Spirit General's divine body, Meng Zhang summoned all the disciples for a meeting in the sect's main hall. Besides addressing sect affairs, Meng Zhang introduced Deep Earth to everyone. Concealing Deep Earth Spirit General's true identity, he only stated that he was the new guardian appointed by Taiyi Sect. From then on, the guardian Deep Earth became an integral part of Taiyi Sect, with the same status and treatment as the elders.
As for Deep Earth's specific duties, he would be dispatched wherever his services were needed. According to Deep Earth Spirit General, even a Gold Core Daoist Master would find it challenging to discern the true nature of his Guardian Spirit General without a special Divine Ability. In the eyes of most cultivators, he was just an ordinary cultivator.
Having served as the Taiyi Sect Master for some time, Meng Zhang had gradually established his authority within the sect. Since he didn't disclose Deep Earth Spirit General's origins, nobody pressed for further information. The members of the sect considered Deep Earth as a Refining Qi completion stage cultivator.
Regardless, the addition of a Refining Qi completion cultivator to the sect was cause for celebration. During the meeting, Tian Zhen, who was in charge of the sect's mundane affairs, reported the recent changes in Sweetwater Oasis and the consumption of lower-grade spirit stones required to maintain the formation.
After the meeting dispersed, Deep Earth Spirit General approached Meng Zhang privately. It turned out that Deep Earth Spirit General not only naturally excelled in various earth-based spells but also possessed the skills of a Geomancer. Even though his cultivation base hadn't fully recovered, most of these abilities remained intact.
A Geomancer was a profession proficient in various arts such as feng shui, formations, and divination within the cultivation world. They could utilize the power of the earth to alter the land and were considered a high-level comprehensive occupation, difficult to cultivate, yet indispensable.
Geomancers could locate and survey mines, estimate reserves, and use feng shui and divination to find spirit veins and sense earth energies. Advanced Geomancers could even manipulate and cultivate new spirit veins, making them a rare sight in the cultivation world, usually available only to major powers. Even Flying Swan Sect had only a few low-ranking Geomancers, and these individuals were highly treasured.
Learning that Deep Earth possessed the abilities of a Geomancer, Meng Zhang was pleasantly surprised. Geomancy seemed to hold greater value than Deep Earth's Refining Qi completion cultivation base. Deep Earth voluntarily offered to go to Sweetwater Oasis and help nurture the forming spirit vein.
Deep Earth Spirit General understood that to fully recover his cultivation base, he needed to accumulate slowly and not devote all his time to cultivation. He only needed a certain amount of time each day to absorb spiritual energy and magnetic power. The rest of his time could be utilized freely.
Agreeing to Deep Earth's proposal, Meng Zhang allowed him to spend at least half of his time at Sweetwater Oasis, carefully nurturing the spirit vein. In the meantime, Meng Zhang focused on his cultivation of the "Sun-Moon Wheel Turning Sutra."
To practice the "Sun-Moon Wheel Turning Sutra," one first needed to separately cultivate Solar True Qi and Lunar True Qi, two opposing types of true qi. Having a foundation in Lesser Yang True Qi cultivation, Meng Zhang smoothly progressed in cultivating Solar True Qi.
Lesser Yang True Qi cultivation involved absorbing the newborn yang energy between heaven and earth during sunrise and incorporating it into one's true qi. In contrast, cultivating Solar True Qi required absorbing the most intense and scorching yang energy at noon, refining one's true qi through this extreme heat. Unlike the gentle and tame morning sun's energy, the scorching yang energy was difficult to control and could cause significant harm to the body.
Despite the discomfort, Meng Zhang endured the pain and, in a short time, adapted to the power of the scorching yang energy. In the evenings, he absorbed the bone-chilling Lunar True Qi that descended from the sky. The first strand of Lunar True Qi entering his body felt like being trapped in an ice cave, causing his limbs to grow cold and nearly freezing him.
However, by swiftly utilizing his Solar True Qi, Meng Zhang managed to warm his body and dispel the icy aura. After being tamed, the Lunar True Qi refined Meng Zhang's true qi, converting part of it into Lunar True Qi. Over time, his true qi gradually underwent this transformation.
Solar True Qi and Lunar True Qi both had opposing and complementary aspects. Meng Zhang skillfully controlled these two extreme forces, allowing them to coexist harmoniously within his body. It took him a whole year to complete the conversion of all his Lesser Yang True Qi into Solar True Qi and Lunar True Qi.
From this point on, Meng Zhang truly delved into the practice of the "Sun-Moon Wheel Turning Sutra." Meanwhile, under the careful attention of Spirit General Deep Earth, the spirit vein in Sweetwater Oasis fully formed.
Originally, Meng Zhang estimated that it would take at least three to five years for the spirit vein to form. However, with Deep Earth Spirit General's help, this process was significantly shortened, showcasing the value of a Geomancer.
After its formation, the spirit vein still needed extended nurturing before it could completely stabilize. Deep Earth Spirit General, being capable, took charge of all tasks related to the nascent spirit vein. This newly formed spirit vein was of First Rank middle grade.
Once the spirit vein was formed, not only did the oasis's spiritual energy become abundant, but the oasis's territory also expanded significantly. After a short time, when the spirit vein stabilized, Deep Earth Spirit General rearranged the First Rank Formation earth-wood great formation, making it depend on the spirit vein and no longer consuming lower-grade spirit stones.
Finally, Taiyi Sect was free from the burden of consuming vast quantities of spirit stones. The spiritual energy of the spirit vein was now confined to a certain area, exclusively available for Taiyi Sect's disciples to absorb. Any surplus spiritual energy accumulated in specific regions.
When the spiritual energy reached the required concentration, Deep Earth Spirit General approached Meng Zhang and proposed to open a spirit field within the oasis. While it was a beneficial endeavor, it required significant resources, imposing a heavy burden on Taiyi Sect. After thinking for a while, Meng Zhang recalled that Deep Earth Spirit General was proficient in the art of Earth Escapement. This sparked an idea, and secretly, he left Taiyi Sect, bringing Deep Earth along to the area where the scarlet copper mine was located.
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