Chapter 56. Hello, Foundation Building Stage
As I feel Ren Qingquan is getting too absorbed in talking with Fatty, I reminded him about the main goal of his visit.
[Host, remember your main goal for this visit. Please go near someone trying to break through. System is currently unable to do detailed scanning due to the distance.]
'I almost forgot.' Ren Qingquan talked to fatty about his goal this time. "Brother Zhang, I mainly came here to rent the room used to break through."
With a shocked face, Fatty Zhang replied. "What? Brother Ren, are you already at the completion of the Qi Refining Stage?!"
"Indeed. I already achieved it several days ago." Seeing fatty's even more surprised face, he continued "I am here to try how effective the room is at helping someone to breakthrough, so I can better prepare myself."
When I saw Ren Qingquan's arrogant face, I truly wished to slap him. Doesn't he know how to keep his secret? Why is he blabbering about his abnormal cultivation speed?
Fatty Zhang quickly congratulated Ren Qingquan when he heard it. Then, he started talking about the cultivation room used to break through. "Brother Ren, the cultivation room used for breakthrough is a bit different from normal cultivation room. Not only does it have a spirit gathering formation used to gather natural spirit qi, the wall on that room is created using special materials that help to block spirit qi inside the room from dispersing."
After introducing the room, he talked about the price, "Renting them will require 10 sect contributions or 10 low grade spirit stones per hour. Do you have any money to pay for it? Otherwise, let me lend you some spirit stones?"
As if realizing something, Fatty Zhang continued while holding a stone from his inner pocket. "Because I have just started my job and haven't received any salary, I can only lend you 20 spirit stones I got from my master though."
When I saw the stone in Fatty Zhang's hand, I found out they are exactly the same as the stones obtained from Lackey A's corpse.
Ren Qingquan also realized it as I saw him rummaging through his uniform's inner pocket, while asking me to pull those spirit stones from [Storage]. 'System, help me take 10 spirit stones I picked up from Lackey A.'
Releasing 10 pieces of low grade spirit stones to Ren Qingquan's hand. He pulled his hand from his inner pocket while grabbing all 10 stones and showed them to Fatty Zhang.
Ren Qingquan shows the spirit stones in his hand toward Fatty Zhang while saying. "There is no need. I already have it."
I saw Fatty Zhang clapping his hand upon seeing the spirit stones at Ren Qingquan's hand. "As expected of brother Ren, he has already gathered so many spirit stones!"
Hearing Fatty praising Ren Qingquan again and again, I rolled my eyes. It looks like a fatty is someone who rarely uses his brain.
While taking a circular jade green token with the number 1 written in it, Fatty Zhang said. "Brother Ren, here is the key to your breakthrough room. The jade green color means you can use it on any empty room on the fifth floor. The one hour timer will only start when you place the key into the room's core formation. Don't forget to pull the jade token and return it here. I apologize, I can't follow you because I still have work to do."
Ren Qingquan waved his hand as he said. "No worries. I will go on my own."
When he finally entered the pagoda, I immediately did a more detailed scan on everything. Just the data I gained from the first floor alone is incredibly amazing.
Whether it is the spirit gathering formation Fatty Zhang mentioned before, the defensive formation used, the data about energy circulation from those people cultivating, and many other things.
From seeing those people cultivating, I finally concluded something about spirit roots and natural ambient spirit qi. That is, cultivators can only absorb ambient spirit qi from the same element as their spirit root.
A fire root cultivator can only absorb fire elements spirit qi. While five element spirit roots cultivators like Ren Qingquan can absorb five types of spirit qi.
Of course, there are exceptions from the rule above. For example, every cultivator I met is capable of absorbing the spirit within spirit stones and from unknown pills. Which made me decide to call the spirit qi inside them a neutral element spirit qi.
Although I already guessed all this when the peoples attached with Lv 1 Subsystems are cultivating. But, due to the [Scan]'s low level, the details are a bit blurry so I am still a bit doubtful. Now that I think about it, I seriously need to think about upgrading my other skills instead.
By the way, absorbing spirit qi isn't the same as refining them. So, having more spirit root is still worse than having less. Because, refining took much more time compared to merely absorbing them.
While I am busy with my thoughts, Ren Qingquan has already arrived at the fifth floor. Focusing my attention on him, I sent him a message.
[Host, please walk nearby the room used by others to break through. The nearer the better, because the system can do a more thorough 'Scan'.]
Following my suggestion, Ren Qingquan moved suspiciously from one door to another. The way he moved is incredibly suspicious. If someone from our previous world saw him moving like that, he might get beaten up and suspected to be a robber.
[Congratulations for reaching the Foundation Building Stage! Hidden quest: Reach Foundation Building has been completed. You have been rewarded with 1000 points.]
Seeing my message, Ren Qingquan smiled and looked at his panel.
[Name: Ren Qingquan
Realm: Foundation Building 0/20
Absorbed Spirit Qi: 1/4 (Auto Refill OFF)
Point: 68.000
Profession: Formation master (Extremely Weak.)
Cultivation Method: Immortal Body Tempering (Immortal Ascension)
Magical Technique: Armaments Transformation (Perfection), Agile Step (Perfection), Body Hardening (Perfection), Super Duper ... Turtle Shell Technique (First Section), Turtle Divination Art (First Section)
System function: Devour, Shop, Scan, Library, Map (1000 meters radius), Calculate, System Storage (100 cubic meters), Sub system, Quest, Transfer (100 meter/points).]
The reward I sent him previously is just enough to offset the amount of energy used to activate [Transfer] to help him refill his spirit during his attempt at breaking through. Which makes the amount of points Ren Qingquan has to not change.
When he saw the amount of refined spirit required to reach the completion of the formation building stage, I heard Ren Qingquan thought. 'System, I want to buy 20 strands of refined spirit qi.'
When I heard him trying to purchase so many spirits at once, I asked him to rethink it.
[Ding! Are you sure you wish to spend 40.000 points to purchase 20 strands of refined spirit qi? System recommends the host to keep some points for emergency. ]
'Yes' Ren Qingquan answered before pausing for a moment. Thinking for a moment, he seemed to understand my concern and continued. 'Actually, I have thought about things thoroughly. My future main income will be coming from killing creatures and absorbing souls. The stronger I am, the safer and faster I can gather points.'
Hearing his reasoning, I nodded as it is quite logical. Guess my point hoarding illness relapsed just now, and I can't think rationally. So, I followed his plan and created 20 strands of refined spirit qi before sending them to Ren Qingquan.
[Ding! Successfully purchased 20 strands of spirit qi for 40.000 points.]
With this, his status panel is updated once again.
[Name: Ren Qingquan
Realm: Foundation Building 20/20 (Completion)
Absorbed Spirit Qi: 1/4 (Auto Refill OFF)
Point: 28.000
Profession: Formation master (Extremely Weak.)
Cultivation Method: Immortal Body Tempering (Immortal Ascension)
Magical Technique: Armaments Transformation (Perfection), Agile Step (Perfection), Body Hardening (Perfection), Super Duper ... Turtle Shell Technique (First Section), Turtle Divination Art (First Section)
System function: Devour, Shop, Scan, Library, Map (1000 meters radius), Calculate, System Storage (100 cubic meters), Sub system, Quest, Transfer (100 meter/points).]
One hour after placing the jade token into that depression, the spirit absorption array and defensive array turned off. Ren Qingquan then left the room and descended toward the pagoda's entrance