Chapter 29
Qi Refinement Level-5
Compared to the large number of cultivators who often fought and killed in the wild or in the swamp, alchemists, talisman masters, artifact masters, and others who cultivated arts were relatively safe and comfortable. If they did not want to build a foundation and live a long life, their lives were often very carefree.
However, in order to master these four main skills, apart from talent, one also needed to accumulate a lot of time.
After many cultivators tried for the first time and realized that they did not have talent, they would choose to give up. Because they couldn’t afford to waste time.
Originally, it was already very difficult for ordinary rogue cultivators to increase their cultivation. It would be fine if they had some achievements after accumulating the arts. However, if they did not, they would never have the chance to build their foundation in this life.
And it was already not bad for someone like Shen Ping who could make high-grade talismans at his age. Therefore, Shopkeeper Chen’s attitude became even more fervent. He did not even hesitate to use a price higher than the market to rope Shen Ping in.
The status of a High-grade Talisman Master was comparable to that of a Foundation Building cultivator in some aspects.
Shen Ping agreed casually. He thought to himself that when the talisman-making rate increased, he would be able to sell them in the Spring Embroidery Pavilion. This way, he could deepen his relationship with Shopkeeper Chen and also reveal his potential so that he could obtain more valuable information.
Back at Yunhe Alley.
He stayed in the house again. Other cultivators might have an exciting longevity path, but he would rather cultivate peacefully than have such a variety of opportunities and dangers coexist.
Days passed. In the blink of an eye, it was June. The streets and alleys of the market were filled with announcements of the Golden Sun Sect’s recruitment of miners.
The general content was that as long as one was willing to go to the depths of the Cloud Mountain Swamp to mine, they would be given an additional ten spirit stones every month. Moreover, if they reached twenty years of mining time, they would have priority in obtaining the qualifications to purchase the Foundation Establishment Pill.
For low-level cultivators, this benefit was indeed very good. An additional ten spirit stones every month could allow them to live in Red Willow Alley without having to worry about renting a house. However, the high-level cultivators did not care.
The Foundation Establishment Pill was important. However, they wanted the purchasing channel, not the qualifications.
Late at night, Shen Ping felt his wife tremble and slowly retreated. He held Wang Yun in his arms and opened the virtual interface.
[You dual cultivated with your wife once and gained 4 experience in Dao of Talisman.]
[Your wife is deeply in love with you. Current favorability: 100+20]
[Duo Cultivation Bonus: 6]
[Talisman Master: Level One High-grade (40,584/50,000)]
His experience in the Dao of Talismans increased very quickly. In another three months or so, he would be able to reach the breakthrough requirements. His Spiritual Roots were still rising steadily, but it was still far from being comparable to the Dao of Talisman.
Furthermore, as his experience in the Dao of Talismans exceeded 30,000, his success rate in crafting talismans increased significantly. For example, he could craft three Spirit Protection Talismans, which had complicated spiritual runes, with ten sets of materials. On the other hand, the easier Golden Light Talismans had a higher success rate. Sometimes, he could craft one with two sets of materials.
Although the remaining Explosive Talismans, Ice Arrow Talismans, and Earth Meteorite Talismans were not as exaggerated, they had reached the level of the previous Spirit Protection Talismans.
“I can accumulate more than a hundred mid-grade spirit stones every month after deducting the various expenses from the sales of talismans. Those in my storage bag are enough to exchange for three high-grade magic obes, but I’m still a little short of auctioning the Beauty Pill.” Shen Ping pondered.
He had been actively participating in the auction of the True Treasure Pavilion for the past few months. Although he had not bought anything, he had seen it many times and it had broadened his horizons. He had indeed seen many good things.
Among them, there were several types that could help increase one’s cultivation. However, the price was not low, so he had never been willing to buy them.
After all, the Yellow Spirit Pill, the Clear Accumulation Pill, and a few other ingredients were enough for him to use at the mid-stage of Qi Refinement. It would be a waste to buy other cultivation resources.
But after considering his age, he decided to buy it once to see the effect after hesitating for so long.
…
A few days later, Shen Ping wore a bronze mask and walked out of the True Treasure Pavilion. He went to the Talisman Treasure Hall with ease. After making sure that no cultivators were paying attention, he took off his mask and walked around the market before returning to Yunhe Alley. It was the same every time. He tried his best to ensure that there were no problems.
At night, in the quiet room. He sat down cross-legged and took out an exquisite jade bottle from his storage bag. This was a specially treated diluted spirit liquid. There was only one drop inside. However, the auction price was as high as 300 mid-grade spirit stones, so there were not many cultivators competing for it.
Hoo.
Ha.
He took a deep breath and emptied his spirit platform. All distracting thoughts were gone. He raised his head and swallowed the spiritual liquid in the jade bottle.
Boom.
Spiritual liquid entered his stomach. Boundless and pure spiritual energy quickly spread throughout his body. Before Shen Ping could circulate his cultivation technique, the spiritual energy in his dantian instantly became violent. It surged out of his dantian like a headless fly and entered his meridians.
He hurriedly circulated his cultivation technique. His divine sense tried its best to guide the spiritual energy along the circulation of the heavenly cycle.
This is a difficult process. However, compared to Shen Ping’s suppression of the venom day and night, it seemed ordinary.
Time passed slowly.
Six hours later.
Shen Ping’s aura began to rise. Just as he was about to reach a certain bottleneck, it quickly calmed down. However, just as he thought that he had failed to break through to the fifth level of Qi Refinement with the spiritual liquid, the high-grade spiritual root in his body actually began to absorb the pure spiritual energy that seeped into his limbs and bones.
Boom!
The originally calm spiritual energy swept over like a wave again. He seized the opportunity to break through the bottleneck of his meridians in one go. His aura rose again.
Another ten minutes passed. Shen Ping slowly opened his eyes, his pupils revealing a trace of joy.
Qi Refinement Level-5!
That night, in order to celebrate, he had taken his wife and concubine five times in a row. The joy in his heart slowly dissipated the next morning as he carefully recalled the details of yesterday’s breakthrough.
“The total amount of spiritual energy in the diluted spiritual liquid isn’t much. It’s roughly equivalent to the results of half a year of bitter cultivation. However, the pure spiritual energy in it is very helpful in breaking through the bottleneck of cultivation. From the looks of it, this diluted spiritual liquid is the most cost-effective when breaking through.” Shen Ping pondered.
During the auction, the person in charge of the True Treasure Pavilion had said that it was best to use diluted spiritual liquid when breaking through. Moreover, the better the spiritual root’s aptitude, the better the absorption effect. It would be a waste for people who had four or even five types of pseudo spiritual roots to use it.
Although he had four types of impure spiritual roots, the metal and wood spiritual roots had already reached high-grade. The absorption effect was much better than expected.
“If I have enough spirit stones, I can bid for it once or twice in the future to speed up my cultivation.” He had worked hard to make talismans and earn spirit stones to increase his strength. On this point, he would not be stingy. “I can only postpone my wife and concubine’s high-grade magic robe.”
Shen Ping felt guilty, but he quickly suppressed it. His cultivation and strength were the most important. If he did not have the strength to protect them, they would not be able to survive in Yunhe Alley.
“Husband, the meal is ready.” At this moment, his wife and concubine brought the dishes to the wooden table one after another.
After the success rate of making talismans increased, he improved his daily meals again. Just this meal alone consumed four low-grade spirit stones.
“Husband, Senior Yu hasn’t been back for a while. Could it be…?”