It was good that I didn't ascend to the Upper Realm, otherwise I would have been utterly outmatched.
Putting aside other matters, the lack of spiritual energy in public areas alone would force all cultivators to strive.
For instance, take two cultivators of similar cultivation with enmity between them.
One diligently earns spirit stones to cultivate within a spirit-gathering formation, their cultivation speed tens to hundreds of times faster than the other who cultivates in public areas.
How could the latter dare not strive?
If you dare not strive, I dare cultivate for hundreds of years and emerge to crush you to death.
Li Qi felt increasingly that his choice to safely lie low in the Earthly Void Realm was correct.
After all, even if poor, breathing spiritual energy was at least free.
"Heh heh, now you know the preciousness of spirit stones, don't you?"
Zhang Qingfeng, standing beside him, chuckled.
"If your world has other cultivators ascending in the future, try to have them bring more spirit stones if possible."
"However, according to my grandfather, your lower realms seem even more barren. For an entire world to support a spirit stone vein that can yield ten thousand spirit stones annually would already be considered good. It's unlikely that these spirit stones could all be taken by those who ascend."
Upon hearing this, Li Qi's eyes flickered, but he didn't retort. Instead, he asked,
"May I ask how the sizes of spirit stone veins are differentiated?"
Zhang Qingfeng smiled and replied,
"A vein that can yield over a hundred thousand spirit stones annually without damaging its foundation is a large spirit stone vein. One that yields over fifty thousand is a medium-sized vein. One that yields over ten thousand is a small vein. As for the smaller spirit mines, most are non-renewable; once depleted, the mine is ruined. The place we are going this time is..."
"Qingfeng."
Zhang Qingan frowned and reprimanded him, causing Zhang Qingfeng to quickly shut his mouth.
He had almost let slip.
However, they didn't notice the subtle change in Li Qi's expression, which quickly returned to normal.
In truth, Li Qi's thoughts had become peculiar.
As the Lord of this Plane, he was acutely aware of the spiritual vein situation within the Earthly Void Realm.
If what Zhang Qingfeng said were true.
In his world, there were at least dozens of large spirit stone veins, hundreds of medium-sized ones, and nearly a thousand small ones distributed throughout the land.
As for the non-renewable ones, there were even more.
Yet, even with the mining of so many spirit stones, it couldn't satisfy the consumption of spirit stones for cultivation by all the cultivators in the world.
He had previously believed his Earthly Void Realm to be just an ordinary lower realm.
The spirit stones brought by Feng Dengxian and the others were merely the average amount for ascending cultivators from a lower realm.
But after hearing their words, it seemed that cultivators from other lower realms were also not very wealthy.
And the spirit stone veins in his own Earthly Void Realm… seemed to be a bit too affluent.
Zhang Qingan attempted to change the subject, casually asking,
"Heh heh, may I ask if your world has any spirit stone veins?"
Li Qi heard this, his expression unchanged at first, then he sighed slightly.
"According to what you two have said, my small world seems to only have one renewable vein that can yield eight thousand spirit stones annually. I initially thought the spirit stones in your Upper Realm were different from what I know, which is why I wanted to see your spirit stones. I didn't expect that the spirit stones used in both the Upper and Lower Realms are the same."
As a seasoned schemer, Li Qi knew the principle of not revealing one's wealth.
If news of the abundance of spirit stone veins in his Earthly Void Realm were to leak out, who knew what trouble might arise.
Zhang Qingan nodded and said, "Eight thousand spirit stones, that's not bad. After all, it's the essence of a small world."
After learning about the Upper Realm,
Li Qi placed the two Zhang brothers in the Heavenly Dao Space.
However, this time, knowing that the Earthly Void Realm seemed to be somewhat special.
Li Qi clearly began to guard against these two, lest one of them, in a fit of pique, take another look at the Earthly Void Realm and discover something amiss.
Fortunately, the purpose of the two brothers' visit to the Earthly Void Realm was simply to recover their spiritual energy and rest.
In just a few days, their condition had fully recovered.
They then thanked Li Qi and bid farewell, departing once more.
After watching the two Zhang brothers completely leave the Earthly Void Realm and disappear,
Li Qi also left the Heavenly Dao Space and returned to the Earthly Void Realm.
...
In the Earthly Void Realm.
Li Qi was digesting the information brought by the two brothers.
Unknowingly.
Li Qi found himself back near the Flying Sand Sect.
The Flying Sand Sect was unusually lively at this moment.
It seemed to be holding some kind of celebration; even Zhang Yinjun, the Sect Master of the Flying Sand Sect, was seated on a high platform with a smile.
Suddenly, Zhang Yinjun sensed something and noticed Li Qi in the distant sky. He immediately flew out.
"Senior Martial Uncle Li, you've returned. Coincidentally, the Flying Sand Sect's decennial Outstanding Disciple Commendation Ceremony is about to begin. If Senior Martial Uncle has time, would you honor us by presenting awards to the disciples?"
Li Qi was stunned. He truly had nothing else to do at the moment.
Without overthinking, he was drawn along by Zhang Yinjun.
There was a sea of people around, with at least a thousand disciples looking at Li Qi, their ancient ancestor, with curious and admiring gazes.
Zhang Yinjun whispered conspiratorially to Li Qi,
"Senior Martial Uncle Li, this time our Flying Sand Sect has gone to great lengths for the Outstanding Disciple Commendation Ceremony. We've prepared a full eight thousand spirit stones to reward our excellent disciples."
"Eight thousand! That's so many."
Li Qi, who was still digesting information about the Upper Realm, was suddenly startled.
"Ah? Senior Martial Uncle Li, what are you talking about?"
In response, Zhang Yinjun looked at him with some confusion.
"Senior Martial Uncle Li, although our Flying Sand Sect isn't a top-tier sect yet, offering eight thousand spirit stones to encourage disciples at our decennial commendation ceremony isn't a significant amount."
"It's nothing, it's nothing. I was just lost in thought."
Returning to his senses, Li Qi realized he had been thinking too much about the information from the Upper Realm and had almost gotten carried away.
Shaking his head.
The competitive atmosphere of the Upper Realm wouldn't affect the Earthly Void Realm anyway. In the future, he would just make sure ascending cultivators were careful not to let anything slip, and he would continue to lie low in the Earthly Void Realm.
Subsequently, the Flying Sand Sect's commendation ceremony commenced under the watchful eyes of everyone.
And Li Qi, as the special invited guest of the Flying Sand Sect, who appeared rarely, presenting the awards, pushed the ceremony to its climax.
By evening, all awards had been distributed, and the disciples' faces still held residual excitement.
And Li Qi had, at some unknown point, vanished again.
He had returned to the Heavenly Dao Space.
Li Qi's gaze was fixed, watching the boundless void outside the Heavenly Dao Space.
At this moment, the spiritual energy in the void near the Earthly Void Realm was being slowly drawn into the Earthly Void Realm.
Suddenly.
Li Qi slightly raised his arm, a spiritual light flashing on his finger.
He began to sketch something once more.