I fabricated myths to guide the revival of spiritual energy.

Only forty-five days have passed since the first batch of [Azure Jade Spirit Rice] was planted.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of millions of "spiritual farmers" who work day and night like a perpetual motion machine to replenish their spiritual energy, the spiritual rice, which originally required several months to grow, miraculously yielded a bumper harvest.

Looking out, on the vast expanse of dark, spiritual soil, waves of green wheat, half a person's height, roll in the air. Each grain of rice is as plump as the finest mutton-fat jade, weighing down the branches and emitting a rich, refreshing fragrance that soothes the whole body with just a sniff.

"In another half day, we'll be able to harvest everything! I'm counting on this batch of new rice to break through the bottleneck of the second level of Qi Refining!"

On the edge of the field, Wang Qiang, whose skin was already tanned dark by the sun, was wiping away sweat with a towel around his neck, his eyes fixed on his "responsibility field" with a fanatical and greedy gaze. For the past month and a half of "symbiotic farming," he had only slept three hours a day, spending the rest of his time frantically operating the "Spiritual Plant Symbiotic Method."

Not only him, but the vast majority of the millions of spirit farmers in the entire base have experienced a qualitative change in their cultivation, with their qi and blood becoming extremely vigorous.

However, the vibrant life force that Lingmi exudes when it matures attracts more than just humans.

"BOOM—!!!"

A muffled, deafening roar suddenly erupted from the steel defenses surrounding the base. Immediately afterward, a piercing, highest-level red alert ripped through the tranquil wheat fields!

"Enemy attack!! The third defense zone is under attack by a horde of mutated beasts! Conventional fire suppression has failed! Repeat, conventional fire has failed!"

Wang Qiang suddenly stood up and looked in astonishment toward the high wall.

A terrifyingly large wild boar, over five meters long and covered in black, steel-like barbs, smashed through a half-meter-thick concrete wall! Large-caliber armor-piercing rounds struck its towering body, but aside from sending up a shower of sparks, they didn't even scratch its skin!

Behind it, hundreds and thousands of mutated wolves and wild dogs with bloodshot eyes and grotesquely large bodies surged through the gap like a tidal wave, frantically rushing towards the spiritual rice field that exuded a deadly allure.

"It's spiritual energy! The Earth's native wild beasts have mutated into monsters under the stimulation of the abundant spiritual energy! They're here to steal our food!" Base Commander General Chen roared over the loudspeaker, "All personnel retreat! Retreat to the underground shelters!"

retreat?

As he watched the "armored giant pig" charging towards the rice field like a heavy tank, Wang Qiang's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, as red as a demon.

That was his lifeblood, nurtured with every drop of his spiritual energy, painstakingly raised every day! It was his only hope for breaking through his cultivation level and living like a human being in this apocalyptic world!

Stealing his spiritual rice would drive him even crazier than killing his entire family!

"Get out of here my foot! They dare touch my livelihood?! Brothers, grab your weapons and kill these bastards!!"

There was no fear, no screams, and no one backed down.

Wang Qiang grabbed the specially made farm tool beside him—the "spiritual energy hoe"—which contained a small amount of high-strength alloy, and instantly poured his abundant Qi Refining stage spiritual power into it. Under the stimulation of the spiritual energy, the blade of the hoe actually lit up with a faint but deadly blue light.

"kill!!!"

One hundred thousand spirit farmers, whose blood and energy surged and whose strength increased dramatically from farming every day, were like a pack of mad wolves guarding their food. Wielding hoes, shovels, and sickles, they launched a irrational counterattack against the terrifying mutated beast tide!

What was originally supposed to be a one-sided massacre of the beast tide has turned into an extremely primitive and brutal hand-to-hand combat.

"Die!"

Wang Qiang leaped high into the air and slammed his hoe into the head of the giant boar charging at the front. To his horror, he discovered that the force of his blow had sent the several-ton boar staggering, its skull cracking with a sickening sound!

"My strength...is actually this great?!"

After more than a month of nourishment from the spiritual rice, their meridians were already incredibly resilient. This battle of defense became the first touchstone for testing the cultivation of these lower-level cultivators.

……

Two hours later.

The beast tide left behind thousands of enormous corpses, howling as it retreated in disarray.

The spiritual rice at the Third Agricultural Base was saved. However, General Chen and a group of experts from the Academy of Sciences were troubled by the mutated beast corpses scattered all over the ground.

"General, the flesh of these mutated beasts is completely inedible."

Academician Lin Guodong pointed to a piece of meat that had just been cut from the giant pig, his face full of bitterness.

"Their muscle fibers have been completely crystallized by the violent spiritual energy, and even retain the toxins from the void radiation. Just now, a soldier tried to eat a bite raw, and his meridians immediately reversed, causing him to vomit blood and faint." Academician Lin sighed, "It's such a pity to see mountains of flesh scattered all over the ground, only to be burned as hazardous waste."

As mortals improve their cultivation, eating ordinary rice is no longer enough to satisfy their body's cravings for qi, blood, and protein.

"If conventional methods don't work, what about unconventional methods?"

Just then, an extremely clear and cold voice, as if descending from the heavens, suddenly exploded in everyone's minds.

Everyone looked up abruptly.

Suddenly, a Xuanjia Dao soldier riding a flying sword appeared in the sky above New Chang'an City. He looked down at the corpses of mutated beasts scattered on the ground and casually tossed down a huge obsidian stone tablet.

"boom!"

The stone tablet crashed heavily onto the plaza of the base, its surface engraved with countless intricate array diagrams and ancient seal script—"The Basics of Kunlun Spiritual Cuisine Cooking".

"All things in heaven and earth can be used as medicine; the flesh and blood of demons and beasts can also be used as food."

The Taoist soldier's voice was devoid of any human emotion: "Ordinary fire cannot cook demon flesh; it must be simmered with spiritual fire of cultivation; spiritual rice must be used as a catalyst to neutralize the remaining violent toxins in its flesh and blood. Only when the meat is paired with spiritual rice can it be called 'spiritual cuisine'."

As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of sword light appeared, and the Dao soldier disappeared into the clouds.

The entire square fell silent for a full three seconds. Then, Academician Lin Guodong burst into near-maniacal laughter:

"I understand! I understand! Mutual generation and mutual restraint! Spirit rice is mild and nourishing, while demon flesh is ferocious. Only by combining the two and cooking them together can we transform poison into a highly nutritious food!"

……

That evening, an extra-large alloy pot with a diameter of ten meters was set up in the center of the base.

Following the instructions on the stone tablet, dozens of the most skilled spirit farmers painstakingly dismembered the giant pig using weapons infused with spiritual energy. Several cultivators with fire-elemental talents gritted their teeth and channeled their spiritual energy, igniting a ghostly blue spiritual fire at the bottom of the pot.

In the pot, the first batch of top-grade [Azure Jade Spirit Rice], freshly harvested, glistened with moisture, tumbling together with crystallized chunks of demon pork and several auxiliary medicinal ingredients. Spiritual fire slowly rose from the bottom of the pot, its flames unhurried and gentle. The medicinal properties were gradually extracted by the heat, intertwining and recombining with the remaining demonic power in the meat and the spiritual energy in the rice, quietly creating a transformation that transcended ordinary cooking.

Two hours later.

The moment the pot lid was lifted, a rich, golden aura of blood and essence, accompanied by an intoxicating aroma of meat, shot into the sky!

Wang Qiang was given a large bowl of "spiritual rice stewed with demon meat".

With trembling hands, he stuffed a piping hot steak into his mouth.

boom--!!!

The meat melted in his mouth, transforming into a scorching blood energy ten times more violent and intense than the spirit rice he had eaten alone. It surged through his body like a volcanic eruption! But this energy was tightly enveloped by the warm and moist energy of the spirit rice, preventing it from damaging his meridians. Instead, it was frantically absorbed by his greedy cells!

"Snap!"

A crisp cracking sound came from within Wang Qiang's body. The bottleneck of the second level of Qi Refining that had troubled him for half a month was instantly torn apart like paper under the terrifying impact of this bowl of spiritual food!

"I broke through... I just ate a meal of meat, and I actually broke through to the third level of Qi Refining!" Wang Qiang roared to the sky, tears mixed with grease from his mouth flowing down his cheeks.

That night, thousands upon thousands of breakthrough auras rose and fell in the Third Agricultural Base!

Humanity finally discovered that this seemingly perilous wasteland was not hell at all. Before the "Guide to Spiritual Cuisine" passed down by Kunlun, those ferocious mutated beasts were nothing more than mobile "resource stores for cultivation," capable of allowing them to fly and burrow underground!

……

[Ding! Earth's food chain restructuring progress: 30%!]

[Ding! The human faction under your command has initiated the "Great Hunting Era"!]

Gu Qing didn't speak immediately, but just stared at the message.

After a long while, he chuckled softly.

"It's faster than I expected."

He raised his hand and slowly pulled the holographic projection away. In the image, the wilderness beyond the city gradually unfolded—

Teams were ready to go, some studying the habits of monsters, some adjusting talismans, and some allocating rations of spiritual food. They weren't forced to set off; they were doing so voluntarily.

That wasn't blind madness, but a conscious choice driven by self-interest.

Gu Qing picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and spoke calmly.

"When the food system is stable, resources will expand outward. This is the nature of humankind."

He looked at those eager figures, his eyes not cold, but calm as if he were surveying the whole situation.

"If you want to eat better meat and grow stronger spiritual rice, you have to go out and explore."

"This is the price of evolution, and also the instinct of civilization."

The radiance within the Faith Pool surged, echoing the atmosphere of battle in the wilderness below.

Gu Qing put down her teacup.

"Go."

"Every time you fight, you make this world a little more stable."

His voice was soft, but it didn't sound like he was controlling anyone.

It's more like pushing a tide that has already begun.