I’ll Take That Opportunity Chapter 3 - Advancing To The Third Layer Qi Refinement Stage

Ye Lin glanced at Zhang Liang's panel with doubt, but then still proceeded walking toward the farthest edge of the medicinal field.

The idea of a spirit fruit being in this field was hard to grasp, no matter how much he pondered. For Zhang Liang to leap from the 3rd to the 5th layer of Qi Refinement stage, the spirit fruit had to be at least mid-grade basic-tier. Yet, this medicinal field was strictly for cultivating low-grade basic-tier herbs. Higher-grade plants were not assigned to the outer sect.

Reaching the back of the field, Ye Lin began gathering herbs while discreetly searching for the spirit fruit.

“Found it.”

After several minutes, Ye Lin’s face brightened. His eyes landed on a bright yellow fruit partially buried in the soil. Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, he quickly dug it out and hid it in a fold of his clothing near his chest, before resuming his work.

“Don’t let me catch you slacking off! If you dare slack off, I’ll break your legs!”

Zhang Liang’s harsh voice rang out as he strode into the medicinal field, hands clasped behind his back, his sharp eyes scanned the surroundings. By chance—or design—he headed directly toward Ye Lin.

Noticing Ye Lin diligently harvesting herbs, Zhang Liang nodded approvingly before continuing forward. Suddenly, his gaze froze.

“What’s this? A hole?”

Crouching, Zhang Liang examined a small hole in the ground.

The spirit herbs were meticulously numbered, and harvesting required cutting them at the soil’s surface, leaving the roots intact for regrowth. This hole was completely out of place here.

Suspicious, Zhang Liang shot a murderous glare toward Ye Lin in the distance, then reached into the hole.

Moments later, he pulled out something.

“A spirit fruit?”

Zhang Liang's face lit up with excitement. However, compared to the one Ye Lin had just unearthed, this spirit fruit was noticeably smaller.

“A low-grade basic-tier spirit fruit. If I consume this, it can further solidify my 3rd layer Qi Refinement foundation.”

Zhang Liang’s eyes gleamed with greed as he stared at the bright yellow fruit in his hand.

The value of spirit fruits far surpassed that of medicinal herbs. While medicinal herbs needed to be refined into pills to unleash their effects—otherwise, they had little to no impact—spirit fruits could be consumed directly, offering immense medicinal power.

“My luck is as strong as ever.” Zhang Liang murmured to himself, holding the spirit fruit.

Next, he tucked it securely close to his chest, then scanned the field before continuing his patrol.

Ye Lin had witnessed the entire scene.

“So, they were companion spirit fruits—one growing atop the other...” Ye Lin muttered.

Companion spirit fruits were a rarity. When they appeared, only one typically survived, absorbing the other’s essence to grow stronger. It was clear the fruit Zhang Liang found had been almost completely absorbed by the one Ye Lin had dug up earlier.

Time passed swiftly, and soon, the afternoon heat bore down. The scorching sun turned the task into a grueling ordeal. These were mortals, untouched by cultivation, and it was remarkable they had lasted this long.

“That’s enough for today. Go back and rest!” Zhang Liang barked.

A wave of relief swept over the group as they straightened up, dropping their baskets in front of him.

“Now, get lost!”

Zhang Liang dismissed them with a wave of his hand, and the group scattered.

Exhausted, Ye Lin stumbled back to his quarters. He collapsed onto his small bed, only to jolt upright as a sharp pain shot through his back.

Groaning, he carefully removed his clothes, revealing a large swollen area. He winced, cursing under his breath, “Damn it.”

Despite his discomfort, his gaze fell upon the bright yellow spirit fruit in his possession. A faint smile tugged at his lips—it had been worth the effort.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Ye Lin consumed the spirit fruit without hesitation. As soon as he swallowed, the fruit dissolved into a stream of pure spirit qi, coursing through his body like a rushing river.

“This feels amazing,” Ye Lin murmured, exhilarated by the sensation of growing stronger little by little. However, his joy was short-lived.

A sudden surge of pain coursed through him, draining the color from his face. A violent torrent of spirit qi surged into his body, clearing his blocked meridians and making them smooth.

The spirit qi was overwhelming. It crushed his bones, only to reconstruct and strengthen them moments later. The excruciating process was too much for Ye Lin to bear, and he collapsed onto his bed, unconscious.

As his body underwent this transformation, a dark substance seeped out of his pores, coating his skin in a foul, sticky layer.

Meanwhile, in a lavish chamber elsewhere, Zhang Liang sat cross-legged on an ornate bed, his gaze fixed on the small, exquisite spirit fruit in his hand. A gleeful smile spread across his face.

“Whether I can step into the 4th layer Qi Refinement stage depends on you.” He said softly, placing the fruit in his mouth. He chewed a few times and swallowed.

Three minutes passed. Then five. Ten.

Zhang Liang’s expression grew puzzled. Why wasn’t anything happening?

“Could it be that this spirit fruit is of an exceptionally high grade and needs more time to take effect?” He muttered, trying to rationalize the lack of results.

His thoughts were interrupted when his expression abruptly twisted in pain. Clutching his stomach, Zhang Liang bolted toward the latrine.

Moments later, a foul stench filled the air, triggering a chorus of angry curses from nearby disciples.

Five hours later, Zhang Liang stood into the courtyard, his face pale, his legs trembling. Fury burned in his eyes.

“Damn it! What kind of trash spirit fruit was that?” He spat angrily.

It had been five miserable hours in the latrine, and his ordeal wasn’t entirely over. He silently thanked his cultivation base; without it, the experience would have killed him.

Meanwhile, back in his quarters, Ye Lin stirred. After five hours of unconsciousness, his eyes slowly fluttered open. He raised his hand to rub his face but froze as his eyes widened in shock.

“What’s going on?”

His arms—and his entire body—were coated in a dark substance emitting an awful stench. Confusion filled his mind as he inspected the grotesque layer.

Then, he looked down, and a transparent panel suddenly appeared before him.

[Name: Ye Lin]

[Cultivation base: 3rd layer Qi Refinement]

[Fate grade: black (fraught with calamity)]

[Fate trait: shrouded in misfortune, transcendental perception]

[Fate prediction: in half a month, you will participate in the handyman competition to contend for the position of handyman overseer. During the competition, you will face Zhang Liang, who will ambush you with Bone-Melting Powder, leading to your death.]

[Upcoming opportunity: none]

[Shrouded in misfortune: you are prone to accidents and betrayals.]

[Transcendental perception: you possess an incredible ability to grasp cultivation methods, mastering in days would others take months to learn.]

"3rd layer Qi Refinement?"

Upon seeing his cultivation base, Ye Lin clenched his fists, his face glowing with joy.

Not only had his strength increased significantly, but even his defense had grown much sturdier. To his surprise, a dense mass of spirit qi lingered, suspended within his dantian.

The spirit fruit’s spirit qi was far beyond what someone at the 1st layer Qi Refinement stage could fully absorb. After unblocking his meridians and cleansing his marrow, there was still an excess of spirit qi waiting to be refined.

“If I refine this spirit qi slowly, I’ll definitely step into the 4th layer Qi Refinement stage.” Ye Lin murmured.

When Ye Lin saw his fate prediction, he silently acknowledged that reaching the 3rd layer Qi Refinement stage wasn’t enough. While he now had the strength to contend with Zhang Liang, the panel revealed a grim truth: despite his improvements, he was still destined to die in a surprise attack.

“No, there’s still half a month left. I’ve already reached the 3rd layer Qi Refinement stage. If I trade for a cultivation method and use the remaining Spirit Stones for—plus the remaining mass of spirit qi in my dantian—I should be able to break through to the 5th layer Qi Refinement stage in half a month.” Ye Lin muttered to himself.

At the 5th layer Qi Refinement, Ye Lin’s cultivation base would reach a level where he could decisively crush Zhang Liang and avoid his sinister ambush.

The Azure Cloud Sect divided disciples into five tiers: handyman disciple, outer disciple, inner disciple, personal disciple, and holy disciple. Among these, most outer disciples were at the 4th or 5th layer Qi Refinement stage.

“First things first… I need a bath.”

Ye Lin’s thoughts returned to the present as an unbearable stench assaulted his nostrils, making him feel nauseous.