Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

The entrance to the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm looked like an ordinary cave, roughly three meters in diameter and pitch-black. Entry was only possible by holding a Guiding Key. Inside, the Secret Realm followed its own spatial laws; each person would enter a separate space that corresponded to their Spiritual Energy attribute.

Upon entering the Secret Realm, Ning Xuan immediately sensed a pure Fire Element Energy. This external energy resonated with her own bloodline, causing her Companion Spirit to automatically leave her body and transform into a Vermilion Bird more than three meters long. Ning Xuan’s vision swam, and when she tried to perceive her body, she discovered she was now *inside* the Vermilion Bird. Her physical form was curled up in its abdomen, but her Divine Sense could roam freely throughout its body.

’Is this what it means to merge with a Companion Spirit?’

Using the Vermilion Bird’s vision, she could see the flowing paths of the Fire Element within the Spiritual Power Space. Without her having to do anything, countless Fire Elements swarmed toward the Vermilion Bird, surging into its body and surrounding it like stars orbiting the moon.

The Vermilion Bird’s consciousness awakened with a roar deep within her bloodline. As her ten fingers spread and clenched the empty air, wild Flame Energy transformed into golden-red threads that wove between them. She heard a sharp, clear cry from high above, its rhythm matching her own heartbeat. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"Rise!"

In response, the solid ground beneath her feet shattered, and she shot upward like a crimson meteor, tearing through the space.

The Vermilion Bird’s wings unfurled behind her back, each feather flowing with fiery patterns. The gale they kicked up sent tremors through the space.

’So this is the Vermilion Bird Fire... Li Huo...’ Ning Xuan flexed her wrist—her claw. What leaped in her palm was not a flame, but a ball of brilliant golden light. When she hurled that dazzling light toward the sea of clouds before her, the thick layer of clouds vaporized in an instant.

Ning Xuan took a running start, her body shooting forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. Amid the electrifying speed, she quickly mastered the Vermilion Bird’s method of flight.

One of the Vermilion Bird’s Skills: High-speed Flight.

Ning Xuan reveled in the freedom of the Vermilion Bird’s body, soaring through the boundless space. After more than ten minutes of High-speed Flight, a massive volcano appeared before her. She could hear the deep rumble of magma churning within the earth’s veins.

Scorching magma spewed constantly from the base of the volcano, and out of it crawled one Magma Puppet after another. Within these puppets, she could sense the aura of a Flame True Spirit.

Sensing the aura of the Flame True Spirit, Ning Xuan immediately dove, twisting fire into a long whip and lashing it at a Magma Puppet. CRACK! The impact sent a shower of sparks flying, but the Magma Puppet remained completely unharmed.

After several failed attempts, Ning Xuan finally discovered the right way to attack. She abandoned manipulating flames with Spells and simply swiped a claw straight down at the Magma Puppet. SMASH! The puppet split in two, and a wisp of golden-red Flame True Spirit flew out, merging into the Vermilion Bird’s body.

As the golden-red wisp of Flame True Spirit entered its body, Ning Xuan could sense the Bloodline Energy within the Vermilion Bird pulse with light. The Vermilion Bird’s own Flame True Spirit had grown stronger.

"’Two hundred and thirty-ninth.’ Standing on the scalding Basalt, Ning Xuan focused on cleaving one Magma Puppet after another. Each time she split one open, a golden-red wisp of Flame True Spirit would fly into the Vermilion Bird’s body. As she destroyed more puppets, their numbers dwindled, and the time between new ones emerging from the magma pool grew longer."

When Ning Xuan felt her Divine Sense beginning to tire, she made a swift decision, beat her wings, and flew out of the volcano, returning to the vast plain.

Ning Xuan returned her Divine Sense to her own body. Closing her eyes, she began to meditate, mobilizing her Bloodline Energy and circulating the Guiding Spirit Scripture. The flow was sluggish at first, but soon a torrent of Fire Element Energy poured into her. Her insides became a sea of fire, and the searing pain coursing through her meridians contorted her face.

A clear cry echoed above her as the fiery red Vermilion Bird shrank, turned from solid to illusory, and finally merged back into Ning Xuan’s body.

Once the Vermilion Bird had merged with her, the searing pain eased considerably. Ning Xuan touched the flame-shaped mark between her eyebrows; it still felt searingly hot.

"Congratulations, Contractor. You’ve mastered the correct way to cultivate with your Companion Spirit," Yu Mingche’s voice suddenly sounded in her ear. "No wonder your power is increasing so quickly. Not only is your genetic Bloodline Talent formidable, but your aptitude for the path of Cultivation is simply outstanding."

His tone was filled with genuine awe and undisguised praise, making Ning Xuan blush.

"Where are you?" Ning Xuan asked, confused. "I thought everyone entered a separate space. How did you find me?"

"It’s a unique skill of my Companion Spirit, the Nine-tailed Fox. It’s a bit complicated to explain," Yu Mingche clarified. "But I was able to find you so quickly because your Companion Spirit is incredibly powerful. The moment the Vermilion Bird emerged, the energy flow of the entire Spiritual Ability Secret Realm was affected, which allowed me to track you down."

"So where are you now? Can you enter my space?" Ning Xuan asked.

"I’m in another space," Yu Mingche replied. "It’s not impossible for me to enter yours, but crossing between spaces consumes a massive amount of energy. There’s no need to do it unless it’s absolutely necessary."

"Oh, I see. Well, don’t worry about me. Since you’re here, you should focus on your own Cultivation," Ning Xuan told him.

"Very well, Contractor. Good luck." As he spoke the last words, Yu Mingche’s voice gradually faded away.

Yu Mingche was extremely familiar with the Spiritual Cultivation Secret Realm. Even after he ended the communication, he could still monitor her situation.

After Yu Mingche’s voice faded, Ning Xuan took out a few vials of medicine from her Space Button to restore her spiritual power and stamina. After drinking them, she once again threw herself into her Cultivation.

When Ning Xuan’s body separated from the Vermilion Bird, a portion of the newly acquired Flame Energy was injected into her. Her main task while cultivating in human form was to refine this Flame Energy, guiding the purified energy to every part of her body to enhance its strength and attributes.

As her Cultivation deepened, Ning Xuan could feel her body becoming lighter, her meridians broader and more resilient, her vision sharper, and her senses more acute. The explosive power of her muscles felt more immense and tempestuous than ever before.

On the ninth day, after the Companion Spirit Vermilion Bird finished its own Cultivation, it merged back into Ning Xuan’s body. Combining the insights she had gained about the Vermilion Bird’s flight over the past days, Ning Xuan manipulated her Flame Energy, condensing it at her shoulder blades to form a pair of fiery wings about three meters long.

With a mere thought, the wings began to beat, lifting her from the ground. She had flown countless times in the Vermilion Bird’s body, but this was the first time she had ever flown with her own.