Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

The Blazing Fire Sect's frontline for pioneering the wilderness is located in the eastern part of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains, in the northwestern hinterland of the Southern Continent, a sparsely populated area.

The winters here are bitterly cold.

A cold wind howled outside, but the cultivators inside were not bothered by the cold at all, and were practicing their skills with great enthusiasm.

……

boom!

[Yi Jin Jing (Beginner): First Form, Old Tree Roots 49/50]

He suddenly exerted force with his feet, crushing a bluestone slab.

Li Xiuyuan felt his qi and blood circulating more frequently, and his breathing rhythm was also changing.

He stood with his legs apart, one in front of the other, and clenched his fists, his blood and energy rapidly converging in them.

The veins in my arms are taut, like a bowstring drawn to its fullest extent.

Brush brush!

He then forcefully slammed his fist into a black rock about half a person's height, the punch resounding like thunder.

"Zzzzz"

The fist was withdrawn, and the stone cracked!

[Yi Jin Jing (Minor Completion): First Form, Old Tree Roots 50/300]

[Yi Jin Jing [White Rune]: Increases Qi and Blood (Refinable)]

"This time, the rune directly boosts Qi and Blood, so the body refinement progress can be accelerated."

Li Xiuyuan finished his practice and used his divine sense to examine the rubble not far away.

"Hmm, the force of that punch was probably no less than two hundred jin. I'm still eight hundred jin short of the first level of Body Refinement. To achieve such results in just one month of training, could I really be a Body Refinement genius?"

A flicker of joy crossed Li Xiuyuan's mind, but he quickly suppressed it.

"We must not be complacent; we must continue to strive for self-improvement!"

Li Xiuyuan glanced at the sky; the sun was gradually dimming, and night was not far away.

He returned to his bed and sat upright on the prayer mat.

He took out the copper coin, a magical artifact given to him by Liu Guanyi yesterday, from his pocket and examined it carefully in his palm.

"Yesterday's investigation was only cursory; I never imagined that the restrictions inscribed on this copper coin were so exquisite."

"This array master Liu's mastery of both array formation and weapon crafting is truly unfathomable."

He discovered that the base material of the copper coins was refined iron ore, not made from precious materials.

This copper coin would be worth at most three to five spirit crystals in the outside world.

However, the array formations and restrictions inscribed on it are profound and mysterious.

Li Xiuyuan infused his spiritual power to activate the copper coin in his hand and tossed it into the sky.

The next moment, he focused all his energy on creating a fireball and shot it straight at the copper coin.

"Buzzing!"

Just as the fireball was about to touch the copper coin by three inches, a pale yellow halo stopped the melon-sized fireball.

"Hmm, it withstood a full-force attack from a level three Qi Refining cultivator without its spiritual light dissipating. A good item!"

The only difference between mid-stage and early-stage cultivators is the amount of spiritual energy within their bodies; there is no essential difference between the two.

Only when a cultivator's spiritual power undergoes a qualitative change in the later stages can it be released as protective qi to resist magical attacks.

They can even cast spells for extended periods, which truly sets them apart from lower-level cultivators.

With his keen eye, he could see that the defensive restrictions on the copper coins were no less ingenious than the defensive formations of his cave.

It should be noted that the array formations of the various cultivators' caves in the outer city all originated from the second-tier grand array "Li Huo Fen Tian Array" of Shanyang Market.

The branch formation is comparable to a mid-grade first-tier formation, capable of withstanding continuous attacks from several late-stage Qi Refining cultivators for half a quarter of an hour. Cultivators below the late stage cannot break the restriction.

This is also why the rent for cave dwellings remains high, yet many cultivators are still unwilling to leave, and even many independent cultivators from other places come here to settle down.

The Blazing Fire Sect follows the rules and always delivers what you pay for.

"It seems that this array master Liu has an extraordinary background. If we are fortunate enough to befriend him, it would be a wonderful thing."

Li Xiuyuan put away the copper coins and turned his attention to refining the Heart-Clearing Pill.

"Each Qingxin Pill costs one spirit stone, and that's with the big shops offering a discounted price. If you put it among the independent cultivators, it could even fetch a few spirit crystals more."

"I need to speed up the refining of the Mind-Clearing Pills. Wasting a day means losing a day's worth of spirit stones!"

Li Xiuyuan took out the "Detailed Explanation of the Refining of Qingxin Pill," which was readily available in the market, and began to carefully read it.

"The Blazing Fire Sect is quite generous. They have fully disclosed the refining method, steps, and precautions for the Qingxin Pill, which shows a spirit of 'open source'."

Otherwise, Li Xiuyuan would not know where to find the method of alchemy.

He processed the medicinal materials methodically, following the steps outlined in the manual.

The processing of raw materials affects both the yield and the quality of the finished product in the alchemy process.

In other words, it is no less important than the alchemy process.

Just like building a tall building on flat ground, if the foundation is unstable, the ground will shake.

If the alchemy materials are subpar, no matter how superb the alchemy techniques or how top-tier the alchemy furnace, it will all be in vain.

It took Li Xiuyuan three days to process and refine all the raw materials, striving for perfection.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

Li Xiuyuan thoroughly cleaned the blackened alchemy furnace inside and out, intending to present it in a completely new light for the refining of the Heart-Clearing Pill.

ignition!

Fire the furnace!

……

Puff puff!

Opening the top of the furnace, I looked inside at the dark, charred mass, which had a slightly bitter, burnt smell.

Li Xiuyuan's eyes were bloodshot and his face was ashen.

Failed.

He completely broke down!

This is the ninth time, and it's failed again!

Today is the third day of refining the Heart-Clearing Pill.

He refined the products steadily and meticulously, at a rate of three batches per day.

The idea is wonderful, but the reality is far from it!

Without exception, all of them failed.

"Are grade-one pills really that difficult to refine? Do we really need to use runic power?"

Li Xiuyuan originally thought that after several months of training, he had an extraordinary talent for alchemy and was very confident in refining the Qingxin Pill.

But reality dealt him a heavy blow; he failed to refine pills nine times.

He kept recalling every detail of the steps involved in refining the Heart-Clearing Pill.

"The ratio of 'heart-clearing herb' to 'eye-brightening bamboo leaf' is absolutely correct at three to one..."

"Add the bamboo leaves for brightening the eyes first, and then add the heart-clearing herbs after the green leaves gradually fade... That's also correct."

"There's enough cinnabar, the fire is strong, and the furnace fire is well controlled. It's not a problem with the heat, is it?"

"Could it be a problem with my alchemy technique?"

Li Xiuyuan finally discovered the reason for this failed alchemy attempt: his alchemy skills had not yet reached the first-grade lower level.

It's like an insurmountable chasm blocking our way.

He did not step into the first step for a single day.

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't refine the rank-up pill.

Li Xiuyuan gradually realized that he was indeed not a genius at alchemy.

It's impossible to achieve the kind of "above-level" alchemy like in folk tales, then show off in front of others and slap them in the face.

After a period of self-pity, Li Xiuyuan lost interest in alchemy.

Put away the alchemy furnace and clean it thoroughly.

Sitting on the stone stool in the courtyard, I gaze at the distant smoke rising from the setting sun.

"There's no use in overthinking. Let's rest for today, adjust our mindset, and try refining the Bigu Elixir again tomorrow!"

He knew the principle that haste makes waste, but he was confused because he wanted to accumulate spirit stones quickly.

"You can also earn spirit stones by using the Bigu Pill, though less. But accumulating little by little is the right way."

"I can refine the Mind-Clearing Pill after I successfully advance to the next level using the Fasting Pill!"

He didn't use the Qingxin Dan runes to refine pills, just to keep a backup plan.

To avoid repeating the tragic fate of the furnace explosion in his previous life.

Li Xiuyuan composed himself, stood up, and assumed a lunge stance.

But then he saw spiritual energy flowing at his fingertips, and Xiu Yuan remained silent, only shooting out flames.

He used the training posts in the yard to vent his anger!

Fireball +1

Fireball +1

Fireball +1

...For half an hour straight, from dawn to dusk.

A series of fireballs unleashed at full power exhausted his spiritual energy.

Despite gaining 20 points of proficiency, he still hadn't obtained any runes.

Exhausted, he returned to bed, sat upright on the futon, and circulated his energy to replenish his spiritual power.

After a complete cycle of the Great Heavenly Cycle, one-sixth of the spiritual energy within the body was restored.

After another full cycle, it had recovered about one-sixth of its original size.

That's all.

This is the current state of low-level cultivators: their bodies are weak, and their spiritual energy has not yet undergone transformation.

The body's limit is that one can only practice two or three times a night at most.

As the moon rose above the willow branches, Li Xiuyuan drifted off to sleep.

By the next morning, his spiritual energy had barely recovered to a quarter of its original level.

It takes about four to five days to recover the spiritual energy lost in one day.

This is why Li Xiuyuan rarely goes out; lacking sufficient strength, he is always on edge when he goes out.

Therefore, Li Xiuyuan got up early in the morning and sat cross-legged to meditate and recover his strength.

He only wanted to restore his spiritual power as soon as possible; his cultivation level was his source of security.

After the Lesser Forging Fire Technique completed one full cycle, one-sixth of the spiritual energy was restored.

He activated the panel with his divine sense.

[Immortal Lord: Li Xiuyuan]

Lifespan: 30/32

[Spiritual Root: Mid-grade Fire Spiritual Root (Twelve Strands of Fire Spiritual Aura)]

[Realm: Qi Refining Level 3: 1/100]

[Cultivation Technique: Lesser Yuan Refining Fire Technique, Advanced Level: 88/100]

[Spells: Fireball (Minor Mastery) 190/300, Fire Control (Minor Mastery) 110/300]

[Cultivation Skills: Bigu Pill (Mastery) 450/500, Weapon Refining (Beginner) 30/50]

Looking at the panel, Li Xiuyuan was slightly taken aback.

Lifespan remains unchanged.

He guessed that he would need to truly break through the first level of body refinement and possess a thousand jin of strength before he could improve.

His health bar is essentially locked, and body tempering is only a temporary fix, not a permanent solution.

The key issue is still erysipelas.

This also explains why he worked so hard to refine pills and earn spirit stones; in fact, his junior sister confessed.

He wanted to live, but even more so, he wanted to live forever.

He must cultivate step by step to reach the peak and seek immortality!

His cultivation level remained unchanged at the third level of Qi Refining.

He wasn't surprised by this.

The skill proficiency increased by three points, but I didn't feel any change.

The spells have improved significantly; the Fireball spell has increased by twenty points.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any runes.

The Qingxin Dan (清心丹) technique is not yet mastered, perhaps because the pill refining process has not been truly completed.

He wasn't annoyed; failure is the mother of success.

This is a tribulation he must overcome.

Perhaps because he had been staying at home for too long, Li Xiuyuan also wanted to relax.

He thought that taking a walk at the entrance might help him clear his head and increase his success rate in refining pills.

He will not leave the market now, as a joint law enforcement team is maintaining order within the market.

Once outside the market, dangers abound, and someone at the third level of Qi Refining is prone to getting into trouble.

He hadn't walked far when a commotion came from the neighboring courtyard.

"As the ancients said, the plan for the day is made in the morning, and this is the best time for young people to cultivate themselves."

"It only cost three spirit stones and one Qi-Nourishing Pill. I didn't break through to the third level of Qi Refining, so there's no need to worry about it."

"Look at that kid next door, Li. He's almost twenty years older than you, and he's been cultivating immortality for nearly twenty years, but he's still only at the second level of Qi Refining."

"..."

Hey, hey, hey, go ahead and discipline your son if you want.

Why are you dragging me into this?!

Li Xiuyuan smiled bitterly to himself as he heard footsteps approaching.

Su Sanmei arrived, carrying a broken wine jug, and said with a smile, "Old Liu is eager for his son to succeed. We're all neighbors, so it's nothing unusual. Don't take it to heart."

Li Xiuyuan didn't care about these things. Seeing that Li Xiuyuan didn't respond, Su Sanmei went to the side and drank by herself.

On the contrary, Liu Dahu, who lived in the courtyard, came out when he heard Su Sanmei's voice.

"Third Sister's Uncle!"

"Um."

Liu Dahu is in his forties.

He was a rogue cultivator who sold talismans at the market. He had one son, Liu Erhu, and his wife, Su Hui, had died young.

Liu Dahu glanced at Li Xiuyuan, seemingly considering something, before asking in a low voice, "Has the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range been experiencing trouble from time to time lately?"

Li Xiuyuan remained silent, but listened attentively.

Su Sanmei had been in this area for decades and was known as a "know-it-all" because she was very well-informed.

"Trouble? Where in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains has there ever been peace? Every day, cultivators eat people and are eaten."

Su Sanmei pulled a golden lamb leg from her bosom, tore it into a large bite, juices splashing everywhere, and then gulped down a mouthful of wine.

It whets the appetite of viewers.

"This guy really knows how to enjoy life; he'd probably be a mukbang genius in his past life!"

Li Xiuyuan thought to himself.

"I heard that quite a few people have died in the eastern part of the outer city these past few days?"

Liu Dahu was naturally impatient and couldn't suppress his thoughts.

Su Sanmei spat out a bone, her expression changing.

"It's true. You'd better not go out these next few days. Who knows, some late-stage Tier 1 monster might have broken into the outer city."

"What? A late-stage Tier 1 demonic beast!"

Li Xiuyuan was shocked upon hearing this!

A late-stage Tier 1 demon beast, its strength is even slightly greater than that of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

Beasts possess the power of innate cultivation bloodlines, making them stronger than cultivators within the same level.

Ordinary late-stage cultivators can at most protect themselves in its clutches.

To truly kill it, it would require the intervention of several experienced late-stage cultivators.

Or perhaps a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Blazing Fire Sect intervened to subdue the demon.

"I understand! Thank you, Uncle Third Sister!"

Liu Dahu thanked him repeatedly, saying that he was the only one in his family who had reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and that he had cultivated for fifty years and was now at the fourth level of cultivation.

His son, Liu Erhu, was even younger, nearly twenty years old, and only at the second level of Qi Refining.

If they were to encounter that ferocious beast, the paper-mache father and son would only face certain death.

Su Sanmei chewed on the fragrant roasted lamb leg and turned to look at Li Xiuyuan, who had been silent all along.

He said with a half-smile, "You're quite the low-key kid, quietly breaking through to the third level of Qi Refining!"

Li Xiuyuan smiled helplessly, "I've made some progress lately, but it's all just luck!"

He had no intention of hiding it, so his aura was not concealed.

Having known Su Sanmei for many years, they were extremely familiar with each other's auras and there was no need for pretense.

Liu Dahu's family was well-known, and even if they were robbed and repaired, they would still be called "poor devils".

Li Xiuyuan smiled bitterly, for he had staked his entire fortune on alchemy.

Liu Dahu was indeed surprised and exclaimed.

"Level 3 Qi Refining!"

"He even managed to refine low-grade fasting pills?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Dahu looked Li Xiuyuan up and down with a complicated expression.

As the saying goes, troubles arise from comparison.

Both being rogue cultivators and laborers, Li Xiuyuan had reached the third level of Qi Refining.

They can also refine fasting pills, which can earn at least dozens of spirit stones every year.

In contrast, his two sons consume a Qi-Nourishing Pill every year, along with dozens of spirit stones for cultivation.

How come it's a level two Qi-refining area where nothing comes out?

Could it be his seed?

Su Hui, how cruel you are!

Then he thought again, Erhu looked just like him, and back then he would tell everyone he met that he looked like him.

After much thought, he finally felt at ease.

He recalled the words he had just used to reprimand Erhu, fearing that Li Xiuyuan had overheard them all, and his face burned with embarrassment.

I hurriedly made up an excuse and went inside.

A short while later, a series of curses and shouts came from Liu Dahu's house.

"You wasteful good-for-nothing! You squander dozens of my spirit stones every year, and you're still only at the second level of Qi Refining! I'll kill you!"

"Awooo, awooo!"

A scream rang out.

The two exchanged a smile and then went their separate ways.

Li Xiuyuan returned to his room, and the bitterness of his failed alchemy attempt seemed to vanish like smoke.

He was full of energy, like he was on steroids.

He set up the alchemy furnace and skillfully began refining the fasting elixir.

[Grain-Breaking Pill +1]

[Grain-Breaking Pill +1]

[Grain-Breaking Pill +1]

……

[Grain-Breaking Elixir (Complete) 500/1000]

After one night, his mastery of the Bigu Pill reached the Great Perfection.

A new rune has appeared!