Fang Hao had a sudden flash of inspiration: since he possessed all seven types of Spiritual Roots, could he utilize the Spiritual Qi environments surrounding different Spiritual Plants to assist his cultivation?

Thus, in his spare time, Fang Hao began to consciously choose to sit in meditation near various Spiritual Plants. He tried to sense Fire Spiritual Qi next to fire-attribute plants, Water Spiritual Qi next to water-attribute plants.

This method actually worked. Although progress remained slow, Fang Hao could finally clearly sense Spiritual Qi of different attributes.

Another month passed. While Fang Hao was cultivating near a Spiritual Plant called Lightning-Struck Wood, he suddenly felt a numbing electrical sensation course through his entire body—he had successfully drawn Lightning Qi into himself.

At the same time, his other six Spiritual Roots seemed to be activated, producing sensations one after another. Fang Hao finally broke through his Bottleneck and officially stepped into the first layer of Qi Refining.

At that moment, Fang Hao was so moved he almost shed tears. Although this was only the most Elementary stage of the path to immortality, for a Wasted Spiritual Root like him, it was already a massive Breakthrough.

However, the good times did not last. The next day, while working in the medicine garden, Fang Hao accidentally damaged a nearly mature Purple Cloud Lingzhi. This Purple Cloud Lingzhi was an important material for refining foundation establishment pills and was extremely precious.

Deacon Wang rushed over upon hearing the news and was absolutely furious. "You, Fang Hao. So clumsy.How dare you damage such a precious Spirit Medicine? It seems you won’t learn the rules without a punishment."

No matter how Fang Hao argued it was an accident, or how Deacon Li pleaded for him, Deacon Wang insisted on a heavy punishment: deducting three months of cultivation resources even though a Servant Disciple didn’t have many to begin with and transferring him to the Sect’s most grueling post—the Spirit Stone Mines—to work as a laborer.

As the news spread, the Servant Disciples were abuzz with discussion.

"Did you hear? That Wasted Spiritual Root, Fang Hao, has caused a huge disaster."

"Damaging a Purple Cloud Lingzhi? He’s really seeking death."

"His cultivation was already slow, and now that he’s going to the mines, he’ll have even less time to Cultivate. He’s completely finished."

Fang Hao felt bitter in his heart but was powerless to resist. In the world of cultivation, strength was respected; a Disciple without strength didn’t even have a voice.

The next day, Fang Hao was escorted to the Spirit Stone Mines, located a hundred miles away from the main Sect.

The environment here was a hundred times harsher than the medicine garden. The mines were located deep underground, dark and damp, with dust permeating the air. Servant Disciples had to work sixteen hours a day, using special tools to mine raw Spirit Stone ore.

The overseer was a man with a face full of scars and rough features, extremely strict with the Servant Disciples, often resorting to beatings and verbal abuse. In just a few days, Fang Hao’s hands were covered in bloody blisters, and his whole body ached uncontrollably.

Worse still, the Spiritual Qi in the mines was thin, making it entirely unsuitable for cultivation. Fang Hao felt that the path to immortality he had just stepped onto was about to be cut short right here.

One night, Fang Hao dragged his exhausted body back to the crude shed, lay on the hard wooden bed, and looked at the hazy moonlight outside the window, unable to help thinking of his hometown and his parents.

If he hadn’t been chosen back then, he would probably still be in Nine Slopes Village. Although life was poor, at least he was free. But now...

Suddenly, Fang Hao felt a faint light emanating from his robes. He reached in and pulled out that copy of Basic Breathing Technique. Strangely, the pages were emitting a weak glow.

Curious, Fang Hao flipped through the book and found that on the last few pages, which were originally blank, some never-before-seen text and patterns had emerged. At the very top were four small characters in ancient seal script—Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing.

Fang Hao’s heart jolted as he began to read carefully. The more he read, the more astonished he became. This seemed to be an extremely ancient cultivation method, completely different from the popular methods used today.

Typical cultivation methods emphasized refining purity, only absorbing a single attribute of Spiritual Qi that matched one’s own Spiritual Root while excluding other Impurities. But this Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art did the opposite, emphasizing all rivers flowing into the sea. No matter the attribute, all Spiritual Qi could be absorbed and converted. The more Spiritual Root attributes one had, the faster the cultivation speed.

Wasn’t this a Cultivation Technique tailor-made for someone with a Wasted Spiritual Root like him?

Fang Hao’s hands were trembling with excitement. But as he read further, his heart sank again—this technique required an extremely massive amount of Spiritual Qi support, and in the Qi-depleted mines, there was no way to Cultivate it.

Was he to stand before a mountain of treasure and be unable to enter?

Refusing to give up, Fang Hao continued reading and finally found a line of small text at the end of the technique.

"All things have spirit, all can be sources. Spirit Stone veins are especially suited for this art."

Fang Hao sat up abruptly, his eyes shining with startling brightness.

Spirit Stone veins? Wasn’t he in a Spirit Stone Mine right now?

Although the mined Spirit Stones had to be handed over to the Sect, what about the Spiritual Qi contained within the vein itself?

A bold idea formed in Fang Hao’s mind. He quietly got out of bed, slipped out of the shed, avoided the patrolling guards, and went deep into the mine tunnels.

In a remote branch of the vein, Fang Hao found a hidden corner. The Spiritual Qi here was noticeably denser than outside. Following the method of the Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art, he pressed his hands against the mine wall and attempted to sense and absorb the Spiritual Qi within the vein.

At first, there was no reaction, but Fang Hao persisted in his attempts. Just as dawn was approaching, he suddenly felt a surge of Spiritual Qi as vast as the sea gush out from the wall, flowing through his arms and into his body.

This Spiritual Qi was incredibly chaotic, with metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, and lightning attributes all intertwined. To an ordinary Cultivator, it would be as toxic as poison. But following the circulation method of the Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art, this chaotic Spiritual Qi circulated and transformed within Fang Hao’s body, eventually settling as pure spiritual power.

After just one cycle, Fang Hao felt his cultivation grow significantly, more progress than a month of cultivation in the medicine garden.

Both shocked and delighted, Fang Hao quickly stopped his cultivation and slipped back to the shed. By now, the sky was starting to brighten, and the miners were about to wake up for work.

Lying on the wooden bed, Fang Hao’s heart was racing. It turned out he wasn’t a Wasted Spiritual Root; he just hadn’t found the right cultivation method! This Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art was practically made for him.

But amid his excitement, Fang Hao also realized the danger of this technique. Once discovered, it would surely cause a massive uproar. He understood the principle that possessing a treasure can be a crime.

From that day on, Fang Hao worked honestly during the day and secretly sneaked deep into the mine tunnels at night to Cultivate the Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art. His cultivation grew rapidly without anyone noticing.

Meanwhile, Fang Hao also heard some news about Ye Qing. After being taken under an Elder’s wing, that single-attribute Spiritual Root Genius had progressed at lightning speed, breaking through to the third layer of Qi Refining in just three short months. He was hailed as a once-in-a-century talent of the Sect and was the center of attention.

In contrast, Fang Hao, the Wasted Spiritual Root Servant Disciple, had long been forgotten in a corner.

But Fang Hao was no longer anxious or self-deprecating. He had his own path to walk and his own immortal destiny.

Myriad manifestations swallowing the heavens, all rivers flowing into the sea. Even starting as a Servant Disciple, it didn’t mean one couldn’t reach the Peak of the immortal path.

Fang Hao looked at the flickering light of the Spirit Stones deep in the mine, a firm glint shining in his eyes.

His path to immortality had only just begun.