Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

Sumali nodded: "That's right. I've purified enough rare metals these past few days to construct the ritual array."

"That's great! Mary, you're amazing!"

Liu Xingmo picked up his wife and excitedly spun her around the room.

The candlelight cast the shadows of the two people, shifting and changing on the stone wall.

the next day.

As soon as Liu Xingmo came out of the mine, he drank all the blood-activating potion on his body. He jumped into the hot spring river to wash himself quickly, and then rushed home without waiting.

Inside the stone house, the hall had been cleared out, and a carpet with intricate geometric patterns was laid out on the floor.

"Are you done, Mary?"

"It's ready. The method for using the first type of Philosopher's Stone is quite mature. I'm using the secret method of Silvermoon Keep, which comes from an ancient vampire who is proficient in alchemy."

"Vampires? Anyway, you can condense blood energy, right?" Liu Xingmo closed the door, took off his coat, and asked, "Should I sit inside the formation?"

"Your location is here," Sumali pointed to a blank circle.

Liu Xingmo sat down as instructed, calmed his mind, and entered a meditative state: "I'm ready, let's begin!"

Sumari said no more, and flames appeared in her palm. With a flick of her wrist, the flames landed precisely at the nodes of the magic circle.

The neat circles and straight lines were instantly illuminated, outlining a beautiful formation.

The materials in the large and small rings react and change one by one; some ignite with green flames, while others emit red smoke.

Among them was a small cluster of tiny gemstones that emitted a dazzling light; these were none other than the top-grade earth-level medicinal herb—Seven-Colored Coral.

Sumali lit up several more nodes, and the light flowed in layers within the magic circle, eventually converging on Liu Xingmo.

Liu Xingmo suddenly felt a strong surge of heat.

It felt as if he were placed in a raging fire, being forged by the high temperature. The blood and qi within his body instantly boiled, surging and flowing between his meridians, his flesh and blood body becoming a high-pressure reactor.

It was very uncomfortable, but it really worked!

Liu Xingmo gritted his teeth and focused all his energy on refining his own blood and qi.

Sweat trickled down his forehead, across his eyebrows, nose, and chin, before dripping onto his thigh.

Wisps of white smoke rose from above, and the fluctuations of spiritual energy created ripples in the space.

An hour has passed.

Liu Xingmo clearly felt that the blood and qi that had filled his body were compressed, leaving his body feeling somewhat empty. The newly generated blood and qi was so condensed, and its quality was far superior to the original.

His strength has advanced further, from the fifth level of the first tier to the sixth level of the first tier.

Liu Xingmo suddenly opened his eyes.

Sumali, who had been standing guard by the side, asked, "How are you feeling?"

Liu Xingmo stood up, jumped out of the array, and hugged his wife tightly: "Mary! You're amazing!"

The woman's slender arms wrapped around the man's shoulders and head. Sumari said softly, "This is all I can do."

"What do you mean by 'only'? You are far more capable than the vast majority of people in this world!" Liu Xingmo pressed his face against the soft body and rubbed it vigorously.

After the two played around for a while, Liu Xingmo reluctantly put his wife down.

Organize and collect all the materials from the magic circle, and roll up the diagram. These things can be used again next time.

Two ounces of the seven-colored coral have been used, leaving eight ounces.

Thanks to this treasure, the difficulties that would have taken years of hard work to overcome were easily overcome.

Although the cultivation of the later levels after the first stage became increasingly difficult, Liu Xingmo's confidence grew stronger.

If everything goes smoothly, I might be able to advance to the second tier the year after next.

A twenty-year-old second-tier expert is a renowned genius, no matter where he is.

However, it is also important to accumulate experience and not to be impatient for quick results, which could lead to a weak foundation.

No soul imprint was created during Liu Xingmo's advancement.

Because he had broken through several levels in the past few months, but his soul had not improved in the same way, his spiritual sense was insufficient.

This flaw reveals the direction to follow: to control qi with divine power, to diligently hone secret techniques, and to enhance divine consciousness and the soul.

After cultivating for a while, I will naturally be able to condense a soul imprint. Next spring, I will go out to capture a new contracted beast.

At the dinner table.

Liu Xingmo wolfed down his food, trying to fill the emptiness and exhaustion in his body. Su Mali served him bowl after bowl of rice.

After eating five bowls, Liu Xingmo was finally full.

He found a poplar leaf the size of a mat in the pile of firewood, spread it on the pile of weeds, lay down, and stretched comfortably.

The dimly lit woodshed was quiet and peaceful.

The aroma of dried leaves mingled with the lingering fragrance of food, and the ashes in the stove emitted a faint red glow.

As Su Mali cleared the dishes, she asked, "Xingmo, how's work in the mine? Can you keep going?"

"It's nothing special. Sigh!" Liu Xingmo sighed deeply. "I originally thought that even without Bao Hei, with the knowledge in my head, I could at least make some money. I never imagined that in this mine, my only role would be as a laborer!"

"In the art of ink painting, there's a huge difference between theory and practice. That's normal. No matter how detailed the written descriptions of secret techniques are, very few people can actually master them, right?" Sumali put a stack of bowls and chopsticks into the bamboo bucket, then turned to look at her husband.

"This job is such a waste of my feelings!" Liu Xingmo said angrily, then changed his lying position. "Sigh... I'm still so unwilling. I originally wanted to make a fortune at Silver Mountain."

"Do you still intend to rely on the magical black turtle to search for treasures in the mine?"

"I don't want to think about it anymore, at least not now. I'll consider divination and treasure hunting once I have second or third-tier strength."

Liu Xingmo lay blankly on the firewood, his slightly vacant eyes staring at the dark stone slab above him.

His voice was low and somber: "Just today, a major accident occurred in the mine next door, not far from me. Foreman Ishikawa launched a rescue operation at top speed, but all he brought back were a few mangled, bloody bodies..."

His voice trembled: "Sigh—! I can't talk about it anymore, it's too painful to think about."

Su Mali put down the bowl and chopsticks in the water, sat down on the pile of firewood, and reached out to stroke the man's forehead: "Xingmo, actually, if we slow down for a few years, we can still live very well. Don't put pressure on yourself."

"Slow down for a few years? Hopefully, there's still time. The Yin Kingdom is eyeing Black Dragon Village covetously, and the surrounding beast tribes would love to uproot us completely." Liu Xingmo's voice was filled with worry. "At least a third-tier strength is needed to have the ability to escape in the worst-case scenario."

Sumali stood up and silently continued doing her housework.

The gurgling of running water and the crackling of dry firewood echoed in the narrow stone room.

Early the next morning.

Liu Xingmo was awakened by the sound of bells echoing throughout the mine.

He woke his wife from bed: "Mary, get up quickly, we have something important to do today!"

Sumali curled up in the silk and down comforter: "What's so important? Can't you handle it yourself?"

"We need to buy land! We'll build an alchemy workshop after spring! Of course, the choice of location will depend on you, the great alchemist."

"Hmm?" Sumali pulled back the covers. "Buying a piece of land in the dead of winter?"

"That's it!" Liu Xingmo nodded.