Cultivation: I can see the proficiency level

The news of the Lu family of Taixi Lake issuing a bounty has spread like wildfire throughout Taixi Lake and the surrounding areas, with many cultivators discussing the generous reward.

The reward is as follows:

Our clan members... have been tragically murdered. Anyone who provides valid clues will be rewarded with 100 catties of spirit rice, 50 spirit stones, a bottle of Hundred Spirit Pills, and one low-grade magic artifact of their choice.

Such a reward, offered solely to track down the murderer who murdered three generations of his descendants, is already extremely generous. Behind this reward lies the Lü family's determination to pursue the matter to the end.

This in turn deterred many independent cultivators and thieves within the Taixi Lake area.

Those cultivators who originally intended to steal chickens and dogs, and casually pick up some spirit stones to enjoy, all began to stop and observe.

The generous reward attracted many cultivators to the Lü family. With the idea of ​​"trying their luck even if there's no reward," they all provided the Lü family with clues that they believed to be reliable.

"A few days before your family's fairy was murdered, a group of rogue cultivators stayed at the White Fish Inn. They all had fierce expressions on their faces, and they might be the murderers who killed your family's fairy," the middle-aged cultivator explained.

The Lü family cultivator who was taking notes said, "Thank you for the clues, fellow Daoist. If they are useful, the Lü family will invite you to visit us again to express our gratitude."

The middle-aged cultivator thanked him repeatedly, then bowed and took his leave.

The cultivator in charge of recording took out a communication talisman and sent out the message. Others would then verify the situation, investigate the person's origins and whereabouts, and determine if they were suspected.

Before long, more cultivators arrived.

"Fellow Daoist, last month a cultivator had a conflict with your family's cultivators at the Moon Gazing Pavilion. During the exchange of harsh words, the cultivators warned your family's cultivators to be careful when going out, as it was easy for them to get into trouble."

"My neighbors have long harbored resentment over the distribution of the sacred land, often saying that the Lü family is inhuman and takes too much of the profits, and they are very resentful."

"I know someone, or perhaps the murderer, who has an old grudge against your family's third branch."

"Several officials led sheep into the country today, and then quickly left..."

The Lu clan cultivator who recorded the many fragmented clues sighed slightly. Most of these clues were useless, and many even implied that the Lu clan acted domineeringly and exploited the cultivators within their territory too much.

The Lü clan, an immortal clan that has existed for eight hundred years, has accumulated many grudges. Now that the bounty has been issued, it will more or less bring up some old hatreds and new grievances.

It is said that some clansmen seize other men's wives, some clansmen bully others by abusing their power, and some clansmen engage in monopolistic practices in the market.

The Lü family originally had no foundation, and now they have lost the support of the people. The various branches of the Lü family are fighting amongst themselves, and there are problems everywhere.

If things continue like this, how many generations can this enormous Taixi Lake estate be preserved?

He sighed softly, his voice carrying little weight, and looked into the distance. The sun was setting, casting its light on the shimmering waters of Taixi Lake.

As dusk approached, a young cultivator arrived and said, "A few months ago, a strange cultivator came with his dog demon pet and rented a small courtyard for a long period. He went out early and returned late every day, never showing any skills or making a living, and this continued for several months."

He continued, "About half a month ago, I left the courtyard and haven't seen anyone since. However, although that person only has the first level of Qi Refining cultivation, the aura of the demonic pet beside him is close to that of the middle level."

The Lü family cultivator in charge of recording paused, his pen pausing: "Almost at the middle grade?"

If a demonic pet is about to break through to the middle grade, and has been further refined to the first level, it might be able to commit murder.

His behavior seemed suspicious, so he made a point of noting those words down.

The cultivator's tone was unequivocal: "I am at the third level of Qi Refining, and I can vaguely sense that I am no match for that dog demon. Although that person's speech and behavior are like those of an ordinary person, his sudden appearance and disappearance are somewhat abnormal."

Wealth is a powerful motivator, and younger cultivators are more concerned about their cultivation resources; the newcomer was no exception.

Moreover, that person's early departures and late returns were indeed suspicious.

The cultivator from the Lü clan expressed his gratitude: "If the clues you provided are useful, I will be extremely grateful."

As darkness fell, after seeing off the last cultivator who came to provide clues, the Lü family closed their grand gates and shut themselves off to visitors.

.......

Fallen Mountain, Pine Forest Pool.

The torrential rains of the past few days have washed the verdant hills spotless, making their green hue even more vibrant. The rain shows no sign of letting up today, much to Bai Jiuniang's delight, as she has always loved rainy days.

She squatted in front of the cave entrance, watching the rain. Azure demonic energy flowed around her, appearing and disappearing. Compared to the past few days, the demonic energy was clearly much stronger, and its aura had become more profound and solid.

This transformation brings them one step closer to the intermediate level.

In the stone chamber not far behind Bai Jiuniang, the sound of swords pierced the air continuously until it stopped.

Lately, it's been like this every day.

Bai Jiuniang was closest to Wang Mian. With the sharper senses of a demon beast, she clearly felt the changes in Wang Mian over the past few days, his cultivation becoming more profound and his aura becoming sharper each day.

Jiu Niang often lingered outside the stone chamber, her gaze fixed on the figure who had practiced swordsmanship until he was exhausted.

Whenever Wang Mian finished practicing his sword, exhausted and his clothes were soaked with sweat, it would send a gentle, magical breeze to dry his clothes, and then bring out a bowl of spirit rice porridge.

If Wang Mian were to practice his internal energy cultivation, it would guard the entrance of his cave to protect him. Even the chirping sparrows on the high branches would be cleaved in two by the green blade.

Wang Mian, who was obsessed with cultivation, often needed Bai Jiuniang to remind him to eat. If he was allowed to cultivate, he would cultivate all day long, forgetting to eat and sleep, until he was unbearably hungry.

It delivered breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the door, and it was only after being reminded by it that Wang Mian suddenly realized he hadn't eaten yet.

Whenever she saw Wang Mian wolfing down his food, Jiu Niang's tail would wag even more enthusiastically.

Inside the stone chamber.

Wang Mian stood holding a long sword, his eyes closed, examining the golden characters in his mind.

[Four Seasons Swordplay: Practice eighty times diligently to master the basics of swordplay.]

[Lower-grade Qi Refining Method: Diligently practice 129 times until the skill is perfected, then you can enter the second level of Qi Refining]

Today marks the fifth day since I returned to Luopo Mountain.

With ample spirit stones at his disposal, Wang Mian no longer relied on the meager spiritual energy in the spiritual land for cultivation. Instead, he practiced his cultivation technique four times a day, as well as his sword technique, while consuming spirit stones.

With relentless practice day and night, his swordsmanship and cultivation progressed in tandem, advancing rapidly. In another half month, he would be able to master the basics of swordsmanship.

In just one month, his cultivation level will also break through to the second level of Qi Refining.

Perhaps by the end of the year, he will be able to break through to the third level of Qi Refining.

Among the young cultivators on this desolate mountain, very few of those around Wang Mian's age possess the cultivation level of the second stage of Qi Refining.

They were all similar to Wang Mian, lacking resources, crude cultivation techniques, spirit stones, and pills, and most of them were still stuck at the first level of Qi Refining.

Wang Mian was the same way before. He cultivated once a day and never stopped, but his cultivation level improved like a snail climbing a tree or a crippled person walking.

With abundant spirit stones and spiritual energy, Wang Mian has been cultivating relentlessly for the past few days. This tireless cultivation, which allows him to feel the sword technique becoming more powerful and his cultivation level constantly improving, makes him wish he could practice it a few more times.

In the pursuit of immortality and enlightenment, one should not strive for immediate results, but rather for a steady, continuous progress, like a gentle stream flowing endlessly, with cultivation advancing day by day.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; even an iron pestle can be ground into a fine needle.

"Continue cultivating!" Wang Mian sheathed his longsword, his hand brushing across his storage bag, and two spirit stones fell into his palm: "Break through to the second level of Qi Refining as soon as possible."

Five days later.

Wang Mian, engrossed in his cultivation and sword practice, left the stone walls of the chamber covered with countless sword marks, and the spirit stones in his storage bag were gradually dwindling.

The price of gradually increasing cultivation level is the depletion of cultivation resources.

After ten days of continuous cultivation, Wang Mian had used up three spirit stones, leaving him with seventeen.

The bottle of Spirit Enhancement Pills had not yet been used. It was just in time for Bai Jiuniang to break through her cultivation barrier. Her aura was getting stronger every day, and she might break through in the next few days. It was more difficult for demon beasts to break through their cultivation barriers than for cultivators. Wang Mian kept the pills for future use.

Ten days of practice yielded many gains.

Wang Mian originally practiced a low-level Qi Refining technique, and his magical power was loose. After switching to a different technique, it gradually became more solid and dense. After each day of practice, the magical power in his dantian steadily increased, approaching the second level of Qi Refining.

The characters on the gold seal emerged.

[Four Seasons Swordplay: Practice sixty times diligently to master the basics of swordplay.]

[Lower-grade Qi Refining Method: Diligently practice 109 times until the skill is perfected, then you can enter the second level of Qi Refining]

The completion of the mission is in sight.