May I seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, and live a long and prosperous life.

Li Heng shook his head: "He went to explore the secret realm and perished there."

Yan Bao scratched his head, feeling a bit depressed. He had clearly warned Meng Jishao to go outside last year, but he still couldn't resist the temptation and went to explore the secret realm.

Finally, Yan Bao left, cursing all the while.

In his heart, he had already cursed Meng Ji and Su Changsheng as short-lived ghosts.

Meanwhile, Li Heng returned to his cave to continue his cultivation.

Currently, two-thirds of the spiritual energy within Li Heng's body has been refined into solidified spiritual energy. It is believed that, with the use of the Waste Pill, he will be able to refine all of his spiritual energy into solidified spiritual energy in about a year.

By then, he will be able to break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Once he reaches the fifth level of Qi Refining, his cultivation level will be considered high-level in the outer region of Crimson Cloud Mountain. At that time, he will feel more at ease lying low in the outer region, as even the leaders of the three major forces of Crimson Cloud Mountain will not be a match for Li Heng.

……

Two months later, Su Changsheng and Meng Ji's cave dwelling welcomed a new master once again.

The new owners are a middle-aged couple, both of whom are at the third level of Qi Refining cultivation.

The couple was very loving; the man's name was Cui Bolao, and the woman's name was Feng Yan.

A few days later, the couple finally arrived at Li Heng's cave dwelling, intending to pay him a visit.

Li Heng also warmly welcomed the middle-aged couple inside the cave.

During the conversation, Li Heng talked about his cultivation experience and some interesting stories about cultivation. Finally, Li Heng told them the story of Su Changsheng, the former master of the cave, and Meng Ji, the former master of the cave.

After speaking, Li Heng sighed, feeling sorry for their short lives.

The couple were also a bit bewildered after hearing their story.

It turns out this cave dwelling isn't very auspicious; two consecutive owners of the cave have met with misfortune, both dying young.

Will they be next?

What bad luck, what bad luck!

When they left Li Heng's cave, neither of them looked well.

Six months later.

Inside the cave, Li Heng sat cross-legged on a futon.

At that moment, he suddenly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of white air.

Li Heng's face was beaming with smiles.

Because all the spiritual power in his body had been refined into solidified spiritual power, he had reached the pinnacle of the fourth level of Qi Refining.

"It's time to break through!"

So, Li Heng activated various concealment formations and, after preparing everything, began to break through the barrier of the fifth level of Qi Refining.

At this moment, his barrier was incredibly sturdy. Even those peerless geniuses with only one spiritual root would immediately feel despair upon seeing such a barrier, believing that it could not be broken through by human hands and that even taking a barrier-breaking pill would be useless.

Only Li Heng, who possesses solid-state abilities, could break through this abnormal barrier.

Moreover, even for him, it would take considerable effort to completely break through the barrier.

Finally, after three hours, Li Heng broke through the barrier and reached the fifth level of Qi Refining.

After advancing to the fifth level of Qi Refining, Li Heng's strength improved by leaps and bounds once again. He could casually unleash a fireball spell with tremendous power, far beyond what a fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator could possibly cast.

A few days later, Wanbaoge, located in the outer market of Chixia Mountain, held a grand auction.

Wanbaoge therefore sent out invitations to prominent cultivators in the outer regions of Chixia Mountain to participate in the auction.

Li Heng, who was also an alchemist at the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, was invited to participate in the auction.

All the alchemists in Baicao Pavilion received invitations. Wanbao Pavilion naturally knew that alchemists were highly sought-after and generally never lacked money. Famous alchemists could be as rich as a country.

It is evident that Wanbaoge's invitation list was carefully considered, and it was not a random invitation to cultivators of high cultivation levels to attend the auction.

Zheng Bingwen naturally received an invitation, but unfortunately he did not go.

In reality, once Zheng Bingwen reached his position, unless he could break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining, nothing else mattered to him.

Breaking through to the eighth level of Qi Refining is not easy; it requires a vast amount of cultivation resources. Otherwise, the leaders of the three major gangs in the outer region of Crimson Cloud Mountain would not have remained at the sixth level of Qi Refining, the peak of the final stage.

However, it's not that the leaders of the three major gangs couldn't break through to the sixth level of Qi Refining; in fact, they didn't want to break through either.

Because there is a rule in Crimson Cloud Mountain that only cultivators at the sixth level of Qi Refining can exist in the outer area. Once they exceed this level, they must enter the inner area of ​​Crimson Cloud Mountain.

In particular, the leaders of various gangs, once they reach the seventh level of Qi Refining, must enter the inner layer and are absolutely not allowed to linger in the outer layer. If they are found to be there, they will be severely punished.

Unless certain non-combatants are allowed to remain in the outer area, such as alchemists, weapon refiners, and talisman makers.

Therefore, in order to enjoy power for a little longer, the leaders of the three major gangs tacitly and deliberately did not break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining. Once they went to the inner level, they would instantly become the lowest level.

To reiterate, if breaking through to the seventh level of Qi Refining is already so difficult, let alone breaking through to the eighth level.

In fact, starting from the fifth level of Qi Refining, the difficulty increases dramatically with each subsequent breakthrough.

Of course, starting from the fifth level of Qi Refining, each breakthrough in the next level greatly increases combat power.

A Qi Refining cultivator one level higher can completely crush a Qi Refining cultivator one level lower. Unless it is a few abnormal cultivators such as those single-spiritual-root geniuses who can challenge those of higher levels, no one can defy this rule.

Therefore, the fifth level of Qi Refining is a watershed. Those who can cultivate to the fifth level or above can have a certain status in the outer area of ​​Chixia Mountain. Even if they do not join the three major gangs, the Blood Slaughter Sect, the Black Fiend Gang, and the Evil Tiger Gate will not dare to bully them at will.

If you join one of the three major gangs, you will at least become a core member and be entrusted with important responsibilities.

Without reaching the fifth level of Qi Refining, one is destined to be a low-level rogue cultivator, someone who is exploited and oppressed, whose life and death are in the hands of others.

……

On the day of the auction, Li Heng arrived at the first floor of Wanbaoge on time.

Wanbaoge, located in the very center of the market, is extremely magnificent. This place is where every inch of land is precious, but Wanbaoge is able to occupy such a vast area in the center, which shows that it is very powerful.

Of course, Wanbaoge, which is located in the outer area of ​​the market, is just a branch, just like Baicaoge.

Wanbaoge is a top-tier power in the Qingming cultivation world, and it is said that a Nascent Soul ancestor is stationed there.

Its business spans the four realms (East, West, South, and North) and two seas (Azure Sea and Five-Colored Sea) of the Azure Cultivation World. In each region, Wanbaoge sets up a regional headquarters.

Wanbaoge's regional headquarters in Chixia Mountain is located in the inner area of ​​Chixia Mountain.

At this moment, a large number of cultivators gathered in the main hall on the first floor of Wanbaoge.

These monks often gathered in pairs, exchanging pleasantries or information.

The noise was deafening. Li Heng stepped inside and frowned.

It turns out that these cultivators are all low-level rogue cultivators below the fourth level of Qi Refining. The reason they gathered here today is because Wanbaoge is going to hold a grand auction today.