Immortality and Cultivation: I can extract entries from all things.

In the backyard of the pharmacy, Fang He sat cross-legged on a stone couch in the quiet room, his eyes slightly closed, his expression focused.

In seven days, he fully restored his mental strength to its peak.

After reaching the seventh level of Qi Refining, the spiritual energy liquefies, and the energy flowing through the meridians is far superior to before, which also makes the recovery speed of mental strength faster.

Fang He opened her eyes and looked at the panel in her mind.

[History Retrospective Panel]

[Holder: Fang He]

[Realm Level: Seventh Level of Qi Refining]

[Activated entry]

【Zhou Tian Tong Tai】 (White), increases the speed of Zhou Tian circulation by 20%.

[Dantian Nourishment] (White), Dantian recovery +15%

[Spiritual Affinity] (White), Spiritual Sensitivity +20%

[Water Spirit Affinity] (White): Increases water activity by 30%, and grants brief control over weak water currents.

[Formation Mastery] (Green): Formation understanding +50%, deployment efficiency +30%

……

Fang He carefully analyzed these entries and had already made up his mind.

After two fusions, he gained [Water Spirit Affinity] and [Array Mastery], which gave him a taste of success.

Now that his mental strength has recovered, he has decided to continue trying.

"【Fire Affinity】and 【Micro-Control of Alchemy Fire】both belong to the fire element. Let's try fusing them first."

Fang He focused his attention on the two white entries.

With a thought, the panel glowed slightly.

[Integration Launch]

[Two white entries detected. Confirm merging?]

[Success rate increased by 20% for similar keywords]

Fang He did not hesitate.

"confirm."

[Merger Confirmed]

In an instant, two white bars floated out from the panel and converged in the void.

A feeling of peeling away layers came from my mind, and my mental energy flowed out like a trickle, merging into the fusion area.

The two entries began to rotate and intertwine, the light gradually changing from grayish-white to orange-red, and the temperature continued to rise.

Fang He felt a scorching aura rising in his sea of ​​consciousness, but it was not uncomfortable; instead, it brought a sense of warmth.

A few breaths later, the light faded.

【Successful integration】

[Acquired entry: Fire Control (Green)]

[Effect: Fire spell power +40%, fire control accuracy in alchemy +30%]

A hint of joy flashed in Fang He's eyes.

It became.

Once you get a green attribute, its power is more than twice as strong as a simple white attribute.

He didn't rush to test the new ability, but instead rested for a while to recover the mental energy he had just consumed.

About an incense stick later, Fang He got up and walked out of the quiet room to the open space in the backyard.

The afternoon sun shone down, casting dappled shadows on the old locust tree in the courtyard.

The surroundings were quiet, with only the faint sounds of the distant market coming from behind.

Fang He took a deep breath and raised his hand to form a hand seal.

"Fireball"

The spiritual energy within his body surged, and a ball of flame condensed in his palm.

The flames expanded rapidly, growing from the size of a fist to the size of a head, and their color changed from orange-red to incandescent white, with the temperature increasing significantly.

Fang He could sense that the energy contained in that flame was more than 40% stronger than before his breakthrough.

"【Flame Control】...The power of Fireball has increased by at least 40%."

He flicked his finger, and a fireball shot out, striking a blue stone three zhang away.

boom--

The flames exploded, and the surface of the bluestone was instantly charred black and covered with cracks.

Fang He nodded slightly.

This power is enough to effectively kill a monster in the late stage of Qi Refining.

He withdrew his hand and turned to walk towards the main hall of the pharmacy.

The alchemy furnace is still there. Although the medicinal materials are not plentiful, it is not a problem to try controlling the fire once.

Fang He stood before the furnace, closing his eyes to sense the changes brought about by [Control of Flames].

In his mind, a sense of precise control over the flames arose spontaneously.

He seemed to be able to sense the temperature of every wisp of spiritual fire and the slightest fluctuation in the heat.

Turn on the furnace and start the fire.

Fang He raised his palm slightly, and spiritual fire rose from the furnace.

He didn't add any medicinal herbs; he simply felt the flames.

The fire was ignited, and the bright white flames danced in the furnace.

With a slight thought, Fang He began to precisely control the flame temperature.

Rising, falling, stabilizing, fluctuating—each state is as responsive as an extension of one's own arm.

"Fire control accuracy has improved by at least 30%."

Fang He estimated it in his mind.

With this ability, the success rate of alchemy will be raised to a new level.

He extinguished the fire, returned to the stone table in the backyard, sat down, poured himself a cup of cool tea, and savored it slowly.

The first fusion was a complete success; now it's time to try the second one.

Fang He looked at the panel again, focusing his attention on [Spiritual Insight] and [Crisis Intuition].

This is a fusion across sensory types.

One is divine perception, and the other is intuitive warning.

Although they both belong to the category of perception, strictly speaking, they are different categories.

[Sharpened Spiritual Senses] (White): Spiritual Sense Range +15%

[Crisis Intuition] (Gray): Danger perception +10%

"The success rate may not be as high as fire-type fusion, but it's worth a try."

Fang He no longer hesitated and initiated the fusion.

[Integration Launch]

[Two terms detected. Confirm merging?]

[Consumes approximately 20% of mental energy]

[Warning: Cross-type fusion has a slightly lower success rate]

Fang He narrowed his eyes.

As expected, there was a risk warning.

But he has plenty of mental strength, so even if he fails, there is still room for improvement.

"confirm."

[Merger Confirmed]

This time, the two entries performed very differently.

[Sharpened Spiritual Sense] transformed into a silver-white light, while [Intuition of Crisis] transformed into a wisp of pale golden mist.

The two intersected and collided in the sea of ​​consciousness, nearly separating multiple times only to be pulled back by some force.

Fang He felt a sense of tension spreading through his mind.

The integration process was much more difficult than the first time, and failure was always a possibility.

He calmed himself down and did not interfere with the fusion process.

The two lights went back and forth for about ten breaths.

Suddenly, the pale golden mist shrank abruptly and merged into the silvery-white light.

【Successful integration】

[Acquired entry: Divine Sense Warning (Green)]

[Effect: Divine sense perception range +50%, danger warning time +30%]

Fang He breathed a sigh of relief.

Cross-genre fusion has actually succeeded.

He savored the changes brought about by the new term and felt the wondrous perception within his sea of ​​consciousness.

This perception is not simply an expansion of the scope of spiritual awareness, but rather carries a "warning" function.

When attention is focused in a certain direction, the presence of danger will trigger a subtle sense of alertness.

Fang He got up and walked out of the backyard of the pharmacy.

Pedestrians came and went on the street, vendors called out their wares, and everything was as usual.

He stood at the doorway, quietly activating his [Divine Sense Warning] ability.

In an instant, the world seemed to change.

Fang He's divine sense extended forward like invisible tentacles, and he saw a lazy tabby cat basking in the sun on the street corner and heard its heartbeat.

I sensed a cultivator in the early stages of Qi cultivation sitting in a daze on the second floor of the noodle shop across the street.

They even vaguely sensed a fluctuation of spiritual energy somewhere three streets away.

That means someone is practicing a cultivation technique.

The range of perception has indeed expanded by more than 50%.

Fang He turned his consciousness in another direction.

That's the direction of the northeastern sea area, the location of the Dark Abyss Pavilion's beast-driving formation.

At first, there was nothing.

Then, a vague unease rose from the depths of his consciousness, as if some kind of danger was lurking in that sea.

Fang He frowned slightly.

"That direction... is where the Dark Abyss Pavilion's Beast Control Array is located. This uneasy feeling is making them move faster."

He withdrew his divine sense, his expression darkening.

It seems that the Dark Abyss Pavilion's conspiracy has not been put on hold due to the Zhou family's investigation.

The beast-driving formation is still operating, and its operating speed may have increased.

After the two fusions, Fang He felt a wave of fatigue wash over him.

With more than half of my mental energy depleted, it's not advisable to attempt any further fusion.

There are still quite a few possible combinations of terms to merge, but he decided to stop for now and wait until his mental strength has fully recovered before trying again.

Some entries need to be retained for future reference.

For example, being quick-witted might be a lifesaver in a critical moment.

"The next integration plan is as follows: after mental energy is restored, prioritize trying combinations of spirit plant-related affixes to improve the efficiency of spirit plants; secondly, combat-related affixes to enhance survivability."

He wrote down the plan and got up to stretch his muscles.

A knock came from the courtyard gate.

Is Manager Fang home?

It was a familiar voice.

Fang He raised an eyebrow and strode towards the front yard.

A middle-aged cultivator stood at the entrance, dressed in a gray robe, with a formation master token hanging at his waist; he was none other than Qian Zhenshi.

"Brother Qian."

Fang He cupped her hands in greeting, "What brings you here?"

Qian Zhenshi sized up Fang He, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"It's only been seven days, but your aura... has changed."

The liquefied spiritual energy flow, unique to the later stages of Qi Refining, was much richer than it had been seven days prior.

Master Qian gasped, "You broke through?"

Fang He nodded and welcomed Qian Zhenshi into the courtyard.

Su Yun'er was arranging medicinal herbs in the lobby when she saw guests arrive. She quickly put down her work and served tea and water.

"Shopkeeper, please have some tea, sir."

Qian Zhenshi took the teacup, smiled and thanked him, then looked eagerly at Fang He.

"Seventh level of Qi Refining? When did that happen?"

"I just stabilized my cultivation level yesterday," Fang He said casually.

"OK!"

Master Qian clapped his hands and laughed, completely forgetting to drink his tea.

"You kid, your cultivation speed is much faster than mine was back then. The hurdle of going from the sixth to the seventh level of Qi Refining took me two whole years, but you did it in just two months."

Fang He remained noncommittal.

He knows where his strengths lie.

The accelerated circulation of Qi in the body with the "Zhou Tian Tong Tai" skill, the restoration of the Dan Tian with the "Dan Tian Wen Yang" skill, and a series of auxiliary attributes make cultivation efficiency far exceed that of ordinary people.

But there's no need to say these things.

"Brother Qian, your visit today isn't just to offer congratulations, is it?"

Master Qian put down his teacup, his expression becoming more composed.

"I heard your formation techniques have improved rapidly, so I came to see for myself."

He took out an array plate from his sleeve, the very one he had used when setting up the defensive array for the pharmacy.

"The formation I set up has become a bit loose these past two days, and I wanted to discuss with you how to repair it. I also wanted to see if your formation skills have improved recently."

Fang He understood.

After breaking through to the seventh level of Qi Refining, his knowledge of formations did indeed improve considerably.

The enhanced understanding brought by the "Mastery of Formations" skill allowed his mastery of formations to advance by leaps and bounds.

"Brother Qian, please wait a moment, I will demonstrate it for you now."

Fang He led the array master to the open space in the backyard and took out the array materials from his storage bag.

He made hand seals, gathering spiritual patterns at his fingertips, and began to inscribe array patterns on the ground.

[Mastery of Formations] activated, and the formation patterns appeared in his mind like flowing clouds and water.

Fang He's movements were much faster than before, each stroke precise and without the slightest hesitation.

Qian Zhenshi's eyes widened.

Half an incense stick later, a small complex array took shape on the ground.

A combination of an alarm array and a trapping array, capable of detecting intruders and releasing an entangling spell to trap them.

"this……"

Master Qian gasped and stepped forward to examine it closely.

The array patterns flowed incredibly smoothly, with seamless connections, making it almost impossible to find any flaws.

Setting up the same formation would take more than an incense stick's time, and the precision would be far inferior to this one.

"In just seven days, your mastery of formations has improved dramatically!"

Master Qian marveled, circling the formation three times, still unable to believe it.

Fang He withdrew her hand, her expression calm.

"A slight breakthrough."

"Breakthrough? This is far from a slight breakthrough." Master Qian shook his head, his eyes gleaming. "At your level, you have already caught up with, or even surpassed, a late-stage Qi Refining Array Master."

His gaze toward Fang He changed, becoming more serious.

"Brother Fang, who is your master?"

Fang He shook his head: "I didn't have a master, I had to figure it out myself."

Master Qian remained silent for a moment, without pressing further.

Some opportunities in this world cannot be obtained by asking for them casually.

The two took their seats, and after a moment's thought, Master Qian spoke:

"Since you have such a talent for formations, I have a few insights I'd like to share with you."

Fang He said solemnly, "Brother Qian, please speak."

"Did you know that there's a trick to setting up an array: leaving a backdoor?"

Fang He was slightly taken aback: "The back door?"

"Yes." Master Qian nodded. "Make some concealed adjustments to the key array patterns. In a critical moment, you can use minimal spiritual power to destroy or counter the enemy's array."

He paused, then continued:

"For example, this alarm trap formation. If the enemy breaks through the formation, you can detonate a certain array pattern, causing the formation to self-destruct and releasing a wave of attacks. Although it cannot harm the enemy, it can buy you time to escape."

Fang He's eyes lit up.

He had never thought of this approach before.

"If we leave a backdoor when setting up the defensive formation, wouldn't we be able to counter enemy formations like the Beast Taming Formation?"

Qian Zhenshi was taken aback, then burst into laughter.

"Brother Fang is indeed clever; he understands immediately."

He gave a thumbs up: "That's right, that's exactly the point. Although the Beast Driving Formation is powerful, it is still essentially a formation. If we can reserve countermeasures in the defensive formation, they may come in very handy at critical moments."

Fang He noted this idea down in his mind.

The design of a triple composite array requires the inclusion of a countermeasure mechanism.

Master Qian's words were like sending charcoal in snowy weather.

The two chatted for about half an hour before Master Qian got up to take his leave.

When he reached the courtyard gate, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at Fang He.

"Oh, right, there's something I need to remind you of."

Fang He asked, "What is it?"

"The beast-driving array of the Dark Abyss Pavilion is operating faster than it did a few days ago." Array Master Qian frowned. "I've investigated from afar, and the frequency of the array patterns has increased by at least 20%."

"The sea activity is more frequent than usual. Please be extra careful."

Fang He looked solemn and bowed to express his gratitude.

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Qian."

Master Qian waved his hand and turned to leave.

Fang He watched his figure disappear around the street corner, her brows furrowed for a long time.

The Dark Abyss Pavilion has accelerated its actions.

They knew the Zhou family was investigating, but they still proceeded step by step.

This is either confidence.

They were confident that the Zhou family wouldn't be able to find them.

Either they are too eager, so eager that they disregard the risks of exposure.

In either case, he doesn't have much time left.

Fang He returned to the backyard and looked at the complex formation he had just set up, already having a new plan in mind.

"A triple composite array... plus a countermeasure mechanism. The design must be completed by tomorrow."

He turned and walked to the quiet room, took out paper and pen, and began to deduce the structure of the formation.