Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

After finalizing her team members and completing the registration, Ning Xuan entered another phase of secluded Cultivation. She didn’t use any medicine, relying solely on the Soul Nourishing Scripture to cultivate her spiritual power. The day before the graduation assessment, she successfully broke through to S-Class, her Spiritual Power Value reaching 10,476.

「The day before heading to the New Star Body.」

The Military Department convened a mobilization meeting for the core members of each team. The military representatives stated that all who successfully passed the graduation assessment, regardless of their scores, would be eligible to enter the Federation Core Army as long as they returned safely.

This graduation assessment was tantamount to participating in the development of the New Star Body. The more information gathered on the New Star Body during the assessment, the greater the rewards.

At the mobilization meeting, a representative from the Military Department announced the reward details. A holographic projection expanded, displaying a list of tantalizing rewards: "Based on the degree of exploration contribution, we will establish the following reward tiers:

1. Basic Exploration Award: Submitting a sample of one new species will earn one S-Class Alienation Value Clearing Potion. Submitting no fewer than three new species samples or identifying two developable resource points will earn one box of S-Class Alienation Value Clearing Potions and one box of S-Class Gene Modification Potions;

2. In-Depth Exploration Award: Mapping 500 square kilometers of precise terrain and marking three strategic locations will be rewarded with a set of customized neural-link Mecha; 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

3. Major Discovery Award: Discovering rare minerals or Primitive Civilization Ruins will be rewarded with one S-Class Starship;

4. For the top five teams in the overall ranking, all members will receive the ’Star Medal’ and a direct commission as field-grade officers.

The hall instantly filled with gasps of astonishment. Ning Xuan noticed that several team captains in the front row were already whispering to each other, itching to get started. The military representative then added, "A special reminder: all collected data must be uploaded in real time at a military supply point through an encrypted military terminal. This is especially true for new species and resource development points—it’s first come, first served."

"Likewise, all previously developed locations and discovered species will be publicly announced at military supply points or safe zones. Therefore, students, for your own safety, for greater development efficiency, and to accumulate Merit Points, you must first find a safe zone or a supply point upon arriving on the New Star Body."

After the meeting, Ning Xuan’s communicator received several encrypted messages: "S-Class Team Exclusive Mission: 1. Explore the energy anomaly zone at coordinates (47.3, 89.1). Successfully determine the cause of the energy anomaly to be rewarded with one month of access to the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm, limited to 13 people; 2. Explore the Dark Forest at coordinates (83.4, 87.9). Successfully map the Dark Forest to be rewarded with one S-Class Energy Cabin and three S-Class Starships; 3. Explore the Red Sand Sea at coordinates (15.3, 121.4). Successfully map the Red Sand Sea to be rewarded with three months of access to the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm, limited to 13 people."

The messages were signed "Military Department Special Operations Division."

As she received the encrypted messages, she felt several probing gazes on her from different directions. ’This assessment is far more complex than what’s been publicly announced,’ she thought. ’The military has secretly assigned a Level to every team based on the information they submitted.’

Ning Xuan looked at the messages, her interest piqued by the "Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm." She searched for it on the Star Network but found no useful information. Since Yun Han was with her at the mobilization meeting today, she asked him if he knew anything about this "Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm."

Yun Han nodded affirmatively. "Contractor, the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm is one of the highest-level cultivation resources controlled by the Military Department. It’s for the cultivation of Companion Spirits. Under normal circumstances, a Companion Spirit is born from a Spirit Controller’s bloodline and is limited by the Spirit Controller’s personal comprehension and genetic lineage. The Companion Spirit’s growth is passive; generally, a Companion Spirit’s level will match whatever level its Spirit Controller can reach. But in the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm, a Spirit Controller can fuse with their Companion Spirit in a short amount of time, fully experiencing the Companion Spirit’s Talent Skill and other parameters. It allows one to break the natural shackle of the ’unidirectional constraint between Spirit Controller and Companion Spirit.’"

"In conventional cultivation, a Companion Spirit is merely a reflection of the Spirit Controller’s abilities. But the ’Inverted Crystal Tower’ in the Secret Realm can construct a special energy circuit. According to the records of the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm, after one S-Class Spirit Controller cultivated there, their Companion Spirit autonomously awakened the ’Space Wrinkles’ ability, which became a second Talent Skill for the Spirit Controller. And there are many similar examples."

"If that’s the case, the effects of the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm are indeed powerful," Ning Xuan mused. "But heaven-defying opportunities are usually accompanied by risks. Are there any dangers associated with this Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm?"

"There are," Yun Han said. "There are records of a Spirit Controller’s Companion Spirit evolving, but upon leaving the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm, it was no longer compatible with the Spirit Controller’s lower-level bloodline, making fusion impossible. However, such cases are very rare. Overall, the danger of the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm is not high. Among the military’s Merit Point rewards, it’s considered a High Level reward."

"Have you ever entered the Spiritual Ability Secret Realm to cultivate?" Ning Xuan asked Yun Han.

"I have. Just once, for seven days," Yun Han replied. "The last time I was so severely injured and Little White was trapped outside my body, the reason it could survive for so long was related to that session of Spiritual Energy cultivation."

"I haven’t seen Little White in a long time. How has Little White been lately?" As she spoke with Yun Han, Ning Xuan had already walked out of the Military Department compound and boarded a private Flying Car. Yun Han consciously knelt beside Ning Xuan’s seat, ready to attend to her.

"Little White spent too much time outside my body and is extremely weak. It’s currently recuperating within my bloodline. If the Contractor wishes to see it, I can summon it for you," Yun Han said, a blush creeping up his face.

"Let it rest a while longer. There’s no rush." She was, on the whole, satisfied with Yun Han’s conduct since he had come to her side.

Returning to her villa, Ning Xuan gathered all her team members. On her side were two Contractors, Chen Nan and Lin Mo, and one Contracted Slave, Yun Han. All were graduates from the last three years, participating in this joint examination as external support.

As a Female Controller, Ning Xuan could bring two Contractors or slaves to participate in the joint examination. She was bringing Lan Xin and Di Youlin.

As a Female Controller, Tang Xue could also bring two Contractors or slaves. She was bringing Min Wu and Nine-tailed, whom Ning Xuan had entrusted to her.

That made nine people. In addition, there was the reconnaissance expert, Zhang Nan, whose Companion Spirit was a Golden Hamster; the mechanics expert, Wang Yue, whose Companion Spirit was a Giant-Eyed Spirit Monkey; the weapons expert, Wang Teng, whose Companion Spirit was a Fire-Winged Bird; and a Half-beastman slave named Qinghe, who had been pushed onto the team by Chairman Wang from the Controller Protection Association and was registered as external support for the joint examination.