Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Improving Spiritual Root Aptitude

As the sun and moon alternate, a month passes in the blink of an eye.

During this month, apart from his daily cultivation and completing the monthly hemostatic pills required by the Hundred Pill Hall, Wu Fan spent the rest of his time refining and using the "needle"-type magic weapon he obtained from the strong man's stall.

He discovered that although this large needle magic weapon had a single attack method, it was quite powerful. If it was launched as a surprise attack, the opponent would likely find it difficult to defend against if they did not have a defensive magic weapon.

However, when Wu Fan was controlling the large needle magic weapon, he found it difficult to drive another low-grade magic weapon, the Azure Edge Sword, as he was far less agile than when he was controlling one alone.

This made him feel slightly uneasy, and he couldn't help but sigh softly.

If other Qi Refining cultivators knew his thoughts, they would probably be shocked first and then angrily rebuke him for being ungrateful.

It should be noted that cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining have not yet developed spiritual consciousness and have limited mental power; being able to control a single magical artifact is already their limit.

Even if there are those who can control two at the same time, only those with naturally strong divine sense, as recorded in ancient texts, can do it; such geniuses are one in a hundred years.

Generally speaking, it is normal to control one magic weapon in the early stage of Qi Refining, two in the middle stage, and three in the later stage.

Of course, this also depends on the quality of the artifacts. If the quality of the artifacts is too high, it will be extremely difficult to control three of them later on.

After mastering the magic weapon, Wu Fan rested for a few days to recharge before participating in the Qi-Inducing Pill assessment at the Hundred Pill Hall.

The assessment lasted three days, and the result was exactly as he expected, a sure thing.

Even without the Five Elements Beads, he successfully refined six batches of Qi-Inducing Pills.

He could have actually completed seven batches, but he didn't want to be too conspicuous, so he deliberately let the last batch fail.

With a success rate of 60%, which far exceeded the assessment requirements of the Hundred Pill Hall, he successfully signed a new contract with the Hundred Pill Hall.

It was no longer the apprenticeship contract, but a labor contract.

The contract stipulates that Bai Dan Tang shall provide Wu Fan with 100 sets of materials for refining Qi-Inducing Pills every month, requiring a success rate of at least 50% and at least three pills per batch. This translates to a minimum of 150 Qi-Inducing Pills to be submitted each month.

After that, in addition to a fixed monthly allowance, Wu Fan would receive a 30% commission for each pill he produced beyond the quota.

Wu Fan did a rough calculation in his mind. With his success rate of over 60% in completing pills, he could earn at least fifteen low-grade spirit stones every month in addition to his fixed monthly allowance. This was a conservative estimate.

This increased his monthly income several times over. More importantly, he was able to secretly keep a lot of high-quality Qi-Inducing Pills for his own cultivation, so he would never have to worry about pills again.

It seems that no matter what world you're in, having a skill and a reliable platform means you'll never have to worry about making a living.

"Angkor, are you there? Angkor!"

In the courtyard, Niu Dazhuang shouted into the house, his face beaming and his steps light, clearly having recently encountered a happy event.

Upon hearing this, Wu Fan immediately guessed that his marriage into the Bai family must have been arranged.

No wonder, Niu Dazhuang is a strong man with dark skin, but he has a handsome appearance and a kind and honest nature. In the eyes of the elders, he is a good candidate for raising children and is reliable. The Bai family could have chosen him as the most suitable person.

In contrast, Wu Fan, who spends most of his time indoors, has fair skin, regular and well-defined features, a strong and sharp jawline, and an inherently resolute and composed temperament, which is also the type that elders would like.

"Dazhuang, you're here!"

Wu Fan came out to greet them and followed Niu Dazhuang toward the market.

They were going to rent a spirit horse.

This spirit steed is a hybrid of an advanced spirit beast and a common horse. Although it cannot be considered a true advanced spirit beast, it is more endurance and faster than a common horse, and its price is more affordable, making it the preferred mode of transportation for low-level cultivators when going out.

This time they were going to Falling Star Valley Market. The journey wasn't extremely long, but it would still take them half a month to travel by spirit horse.

Fortunately, Wu Fan had already signed a contract with Bai Dan Tang that would take effect next month. He could take advantage of this month to explore the scenery of the cultivation world. After that, he would probably have to focus on his cultivation and would hardly have such leisure time again.

After waiting for a while, and once the spirit horse had been fed enough fodder, a Qi Refining Level 4 cultivator with a crooked mouth led two horses over.

After the handover was completed, the two men led their horses toward the exit of the market.

Only when their figures were almost gone around the street corner did the crooked-mouthed monk withdraw his gaze, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips, and turn to walk towards the corner behind the stable.

From the corner, a woman in a peach-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) emerged, covering her nose and frowning. "It stinks! Zhang Tiekai, is everything arranged?"

If Wu Fan were here, he would definitely recognize her.

It was Wang Yan, the woman he had met on a blind date a month ago.

Don't worry!

Zhang Tiekai patted his chest, his tone smug, "I added something to their horse feed. When they feed the horses next time, the horses will have an attack within an hour and won't be able to run for several hours."

That will be our chance to make our move.

"Well, at least you're somewhat useful."

Wang Yan's tense brows relaxed, revealing a smile.

She was already pretty, but her smile made her even more radiant, captivating Zhang Tiekai so much that he stared at her in a daze.

"Swallow, you are so beautiful."

Zhang Tiekai said in a simple and honest manner.

A hint of disdain and disgust flashed through Wang Yan's mind, but she still smiled and said, "Zhang Tiekai, haven't you always wanted to become my Daoist partner? This time, as long as you help my brother raise enough spirit stones to buy a high-grade magic weapon, I'll agree to your proposal."

Zhang Tiekai's eyes suddenly lit up, then he looked puzzled: "That kid bullied you last time, I definitely won't let him get away with it. But does he really have that many spirit stones?"

"Hmph, this kid's parents left him some inheritance, and he also has a shop to rent out. But his cultivation is low, and he hasn't made much progress. He probably hasn't spent many spirit stones on cultivation, so he must have accumulated quite a bit. Robbing him will get us at least several hundred spirit stones!"

As Wang Yan spoke, she seemed to recall something unpleasant, and her face immediately darkened, revealing anger as she clenched her teeth.

......

Day two.

Wu Fan and Niu Dazhuang sped along, covering more than a thousand miles, long since leaving the area of ​​Yunxi Market.

The two spirited horses were panting heavily, so the two men stopped by the roadside and fed them hay.

"Brother Wu, can you now achieve a success rate of over 60% in refining Qi-Inducing Pills?"

Niu Dazhuang was shocked, but then his face lit up with joy.

He and Wu Fan had known each other since childhood at Baidan Hall, and Wu Fan had always taken good care of him.

Although he looks much older than Wu Fan, he still has the heart of a young man and regards Wu Fan as his own brother from the bottom of his heart.

Seeing Wu Fan's emerging talent in alchemy and his promising future, he was genuinely happy for him.

After the initial joy, a hint of melancholy flashed across Niu Dazhuang's eyes.

Wu Fan keenly sensed his emotions and instantly understood his thoughts.

It's nothing more than feeling uneasy and confused about one's future.

"Dazhuang, whether you venture out into the world or marry into the Bai family, as long as you don't give up your cultivation and don't let yourself down, you will surely achieve great things in the future."

Wu Fan patted him on the shoulder, his tone solemn, "Cultivation and being a person are the same principle; the most crucial thing is to keep your spirit alive. As long as you hold onto hope, everything in this world flows like the five elements, endlessly regenerating. When you encounter an opportunity in the future, you will be able to seize it firmly."

Listening to Wu Fan's words, Niu Dazhuang seemed to understand something, and his eyes gradually regained their sparkle.

Just as he was about to respond, the spirit horse that was grazing not far away suddenly became restless, pawing at the ground and kicking its hind legs haphazardly.

Wu Fan and Niu Dazhuang turned their heads at the same time, their faces showing surprise and confusion.