Cultivation begins with forming a bond with a spirit bee.

Qu Ye came here hoping to find a partner, and since she only had one pet, she was happy to have some peace and quiet. So why wouldn't she be happy?

"no problem."

"Very good." Hou Youde nodded slightly, took out a scroll of spirit contracts from his storage bag, and handed it to Qu Ye.

"Since there are no objections, let's take a look at this new Spirit Contract."

Qu Ye took the spirit contract and gently flipped through it.

The content on it is almost identical to what it was when I was raising bees.

For example, after raising a full cycle of spirit horses, one can apply to the Hou family to withdraw; one must not disclose the specific situation of the horse farm to outsiders; if a spirit horse dies due to an accident, the Hou family will not bear any responsibility, and the spirit contract worker will need to compensate for the loss himself, etc.

Only one thing is different.

Because the Fierce Cloud Steed's profits come from itself, unlike the Jade Spirit Bee which can be released for a short period of time, it requires long-term careful care.

Moreover, they have a fiery temper and yearn for freedom, requiring spiritual workers to slowly tame them.

There had been previous incidents of the Fierce Cloud Steed escaping, and the responsible Spirit Contract worker was severely punished as a result.

This means that Qu Ye will have to spend most of his time at Lingma Farm from now on, and will no longer be able to travel back and forth as frequently as before.

These are all acceptable.

Lingma Market is not far from the market, so you can buy more supplies at once.

But most importantly, how can he cultivate without a stable spiritual environment?

Seeing Qu Ye remain silent in thought, Hou Youde could easily see his concerns and laughed heartily:

"Don't worry, although there is no complete first-order spiritual vein in the horse farm, we can gather the dissipated spiritual energy through special means."

"Each room has a corresponding restriction. Once activated, the concentration of spiritual energy is comparable to that of a mid-grade first-level cultivator, much better than your original residence."

So that's how it is.

Qu Ye then put aside his concerns and signed his name on the spiritual contract.

As the spirit contract emitted a bright light and slowly closed, Hou Youde put it away and stood up.

"Come on, I'll take you to see your horse farm."

He led Qu Ye out of the courtyard and walked along the road into the depths of the basin.

The fences of the horse farm were made of spirit wood stakes, waist-high, with simple protective patterns carved on them. Over the years, the patterns have become somewhat blurred.

"Those are my Fiery Cloud Steeds, all of which are rated as good."

Hou Youde introduced Qu Ye, his tone revealing a hint of pride.

Qu Ye looked in the direction he was pointing.

In the distance, several magnificent steeds were grazing with their heads down, their manes gleaming reddish-brown in the sunlight. Occasionally, they would raise their heads, snort, and then lower their heads again.

"A fine steed is over three feet five inches tall at the shoulder, with a well-proportioned body and a reddish-brown coat. It can travel eight hundred miles a day."

After reading it, Hou Youde began to explain to Qu Ye how to distinguish between the three grades of spirit horses.

Qu Ye silently noted down the standards.

After walking for a while, they arrived at another horse farm, where there were only two Fierce Cloud Steeds, one a fine breed and the other much thinner.

"Look, this is Hu Si's horse farm, the one you just saw in my yard."

"He neglected to take care of Lieyunju this time, and actually raised a bad one. As a result, I was severely reprimanded by Brother Fang Ping, so he made me do some hard labor in my yard as punishment."

Qu Ye suddenly realized that he had been wondering why there was a middle-aged cultivator in Hou Youde's courtyard. It turned out that he had been punished.

After saying that, Hou Youde pointed to the thinner Lieyun Steed: "This kind of inferior breed is less than three feet five inches tall at the shoulder, thin, hunched back, with dull or mixed colors in its coat, and can only travel no more than five hundred miles a day."

"After they are raised, most of them are sold; if they can't be sold, they are slaughtered and eaten."

Qu Ye nodded to indicate that he understood, and then asked, "Uncle De, what about Youpin?"

"A top-quality horse," Hou Youde thought for a moment. "There are very few spirit steeds rated this high; there are only three at the moment. Once bred, they will mostly be used as stallions."

"Its shoulders are over four feet tall, its chest is broad and its back is straight, its limbs are strong and powerful, its muscles are full, its fur is bright, its strength is comparable to the fifth level of Qi Refining, and it can travel a thousand miles a day."

"But don't even think about this quality. I've been a stable manager for so long and I've only managed to breed one like that."

Qu Ye didn't ask any more questions.

When they reached the easternmost edge of the plain adjacent to the mountains, Hou Youde stopped in front of a fence.

There was only one foal in the enclosure, all brown and reddish-brown, with long legs and a mane that hadn't fully grown in yet, sticking out in a messy, upright manner.

It was lying on its side basking in the sun when it saw someone coming. It twitched its ears, slowly got up, and tilted its head to look at Qu Ye.

"This is your horse ranch." Hou Youde patted the fence.

"The one inside is only three months old and has just been weaned. It's a bit temperamental. Don't go in yet; wait until it gets used to you."

Qu Ye stood outside the fence, sizing up the foal.

"What's it called?"

The foal looked at him, snorted, and turned its head back to continue sunbathing.

"It doesn't have a name; you'll have to choose one yourself."

Hou Youde took a bunch of keys from his waist, picked one out and handed it to him, "This is the key to the gate."

Qu Ye took the key, weighed it in his hand, and put it into his storage bag.

Afterwards, Hou Youde led Qu Ye across the horse farm to the place where the plain meets the mountains, where a brick and stone courtyard was located.

He opened the courtyard gate and stepped inside.

Qu Ye followed him inside and found that the courtyard in front of him was much larger than the one in his own market town.

Hou Youde then took out a small token and a booklet from his storage bag, handed them to Qu Ye, and said, "This is your residence. This token is the key to unlocking the restriction. Please keep it safe."

"As for this booklet, it records some techniques for raising spirit steeds, which must not be passed on to outsiders."

"clear."

Qu Ye accepted the two items and bowed to express his gratitude.

Hou Youde waved his hand, "I've said what I needed to say. Now it's up to you to do what you can."

"You'd better pack your things and move over in the next couple of days. The Fierce Cloud Steed is not allowed to be taken out of the horse farm by the Spirit Contract Worker."

After saying this, Hou Youde put his hands behind his back and slowly returned along the same route.

After watching Hou Youde leave, Qu Ye closed the courtyard gate and went inside.

The room was quite tidy, with a wooden bed against the wall and the bedding neatly folded.

He pushed open the back window, and outside was a mixed forest, with sunlight filtering through the gaps in the tree canopy, creating dappled patterns.

The cultivation room was right next door. Qu Ye first used his divine sense to scan the area, and after finding no hidden methods, he sat down cross-legged and took out his small token.

As magic power was channeled in, Xiao Ling immediately resonated with a certain restriction in the cultivation room.

Soon, wisps of spiritual energy were gathered together.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the concentration of spiritual energy in the cultivation room reached its limit. Qu Ye closed his eyes and sensed it, confirming that it was indeed mid-grade first rank.

He couldn't wait to practice the Gold-Refining Technique, ready to experience it properly.

Instantly, a much denser spiritual energy surged into Qu Ye's body.

About an hour later, Qu Ye opened his eyes, felt the improvement in his cultivation, and smiled.

"Compared to the market, the cultivation speed here is 20% faster."

With the addition of his Spirit Gathering Talent and the Essence Enhancement Pill, he estimated that he could break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining within two years.

Qu Ye stood up, deactivated the restriction, and the dense spiritual energy gradually dissipated.

"However, there is no market formation to protect this place. It is a desolate wilderness surrounded by mountains. If we rashly continue our cultivation here, there may be some dangers."

After thinking it over, he decided to go back to the market first and move the Jade Spirit Bees over as early as possible tomorrow.

With the bees patrolling outside, not only will the Fierce Cloud Steed be safer, but I can also relax and cultivate to my heart's content.

Anyway, one more day won't make a difference.

Qu Ye made up her mind and left the courtyard.

Passing by the horse farm.

The foal was still lying in that spot, curled up in a ball, fast asleep.

Qu Ye stood outside the fence for a few moments, then quickened his pace, preparing to inform Hou Youde first.