Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

"Brother Li, are you alright? I heard you've been cooped up at home lately, I was so worried!"

Li Xiuyuan opened the door, and Wang Daniu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Li Xiuyuan's face was rosy and glowing.

"Big Niu, your older brother here is tough; I won't die so easily!"

Upon seeing Da Niu, Li Xiuyuan was moved and a smile appeared on his face, something he hadn't done in a long time.

Wang Daniu, his good buddy who was abducted to Shanyangfang Market with him.

Both of them were sold. Da Niu was honest and simple, and he was born with mixed spiritual roots. The Dan Ding Sect didn't want him, so he was taken away by the Lian Qi Chu family in the market.

More than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. The farm boy who used to go up the mountain to chop wood and hunt is now dressed in gold and silver, looking like a wealthy man, and his cultivation level is at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

Seeing Li Xiuyuan's feigned composure, Da Niu knew exactly what was going on and let out a long sigh.

"Brother Li, we've been through thick and thin all these years, so failure is nothing to worry about."

Seeing Wang Daniu's genuine concern, Li Xiuyuan felt a warmth in his heart.

He knew that Da Niu was a son-in-law who married into the Chu family and that his life in the Chu family was not easy.

When the Chu family and the Lianqi Han family fought over a small mineral vein, the Chu family suffered heavy losses. To replenish their manpower, the restrictions were lifted.

Otherwise, how could someone with mixed spiritual roots possibly have several wives and concubines and enjoy spiritual vein cultivation?

Thinking of this, Li Xiuyuan glanced again at the low-grade magic robe on Da Niu's body.

It goes without saying that only when a bull gives birth to one calf a year, producing three offspring with spiritual roots, can it receive the reward.

"Come in, come in and let's talk!"

Without a word, Li Xiuyuan dragged Wang Daniu into the courtyard and eagerly boiled water to make tea. Several plates of spiritual fruits were placed on the octagonal table.

"Hey, Brother Li, what's this...?"

Wang Daniu assumed that Brother Li had given up alchemy and therefore did not use the ten coins to buy medicinal herbs.

He was initially delighted, but then a sense of regret arose out of nowhere.

"Brother Li, you're not planning to refine pills anymore?"

Wang Daniu is straightforward and outspoken. He studied the etiquette of the Chu family for more than ten years, but he could never change this personality.

"Refining pills? Why aren't you doing it? What, you look down on your older brother's skills!"

Li Xiuyuan pushed the inferior Yunwu tea in front of Da Niu.

He then took out a small ceramic bottle from his pocket and handed it to Wang Daniu.

"Look what this is?"

When Wang Daniu saw Brother Li looking at him with a half-smile, his heart tightened. Then, as if he had thought of something, he quickly opened the bottle and took a look.

"A fasting pill! And a mid-grade one at that!"

Wang Daniu exclaimed in surprise!

He quickly stood up, his massive body nearly overturning the table.

Seeing this, Li Xiuyuan used his magic to hold the tea in place.

He quickly grabbed the ecstatic Wang Daniu and said with a smile, "That's right! A few days ago, I had a sudden inspiration and broke through several times in a row. I actually succeeded!"

Wang Daniu grinned, seemingly recalling Brother Li's previous hardships, and said, "My brother has finally made it through. Good days are ahead."

"Brother Li."

Wang Daniu remembered the purpose of his trip, his smile faded, and he looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Brother Li, if it were in the past, I, Da Niu, would definitely go to Ling Shan Lou and order the best wine and dishes."

"I've thought about it over and over, and only you can help me with this."

"What's wrong, Da Niu? We're brothers, just say what's on your mind."

"My daughter is seven years old this year, and as usual, she has to start school for her early education."

"My husband was planning to use connections to get Niu Niu into the Blazing Fire Academy. Maybe she could even get into the Blazing Fire Sect in the future, which would be a huge future. The broker said, 'The sect has ordered an increase in land reclamation, so the donation will have to go up...'"

"This is my fault, Da Niu, you keep it!"

Although Wang Daniu didn't finish his sentence, Li Xiuyuan was unaware of it.

He searched his entire body and found exactly ten spirit stones.

He stuffed the pills into Wang Daniu's arms, saying, "I'm a bit short on cash these days, so help me refine more Bigu Pills. Niu Niu's congratulatory gift will definitely be substantial."

"Brother Li, it's not your fault. It's this cannibalistic world that makes it impossible for people to live!"

Wang Daniu did not refuse the spirit stones offered by Li Xiuyuan. His face flushed red, and he lowered his head in extreme embarrassment.

I dare not look at Li Xiuyuan again.

"Da Niu, don't be shy. If you hadn't lent me ten spirit stones, I wouldn't have been able to refine the Bigu Pill."

"I will always remember this kindness!"

Li Xiuyuan said firmly.

After seeing Da Niu off, Li Xiuyuan stood under the eaves, looking out at the heavy snow falling all around.

He couldn't help but sigh, "They're all single now! They're completely broke!"

"Da Niu has finally made it! He's wearing a low-grade magic robe, has three offspring with spiritual roots, and Niu Niu even has a chance to enter the Blazing Fire Academy. His future is bright!"

Li Xiuyuan closed the door, picked up the teapot, and drank it down in one gulp.

To quell the melancholy in her heart, she then carefully cleaned and processed the medicinal herbs she had purchased the day before.

"But I still have these two hundred portions of medicinal herbs; that's my capital for a comeback!"

……

On the morning of the third day, Li Xiuyuan was still sitting by the alchemy furnace, controlling the fire to refine pills.

[Grain-Breaking Pill +1]

[Grain-Breaking Pill +1]

[Grain-Breaking Pill +1]

The days of alchemy are always tedious and boring, but the sense of accomplishment that comes with each improvement in proficiency is real.

Even when he reached the critical point of triggering the rune, Li Xiuyuan's heart would race.

"no."

"no."

"No, not again."

He had refined two hundred portions of medicinal herbs, and shipped out a total of thirty high-grade Bigu Pills and twenty mid-grade Bigu Pills, his face showing disappointment.

"Not a single rune has appeared!"

"Is it true that you have to wait until the bottom of the 180-pull pack to get a rune?"

Li Xiuyuan believed that he must have offended the adults by forgetting to recite the name of the Kitchen God when he lit the fire a few days ago.

This is why he refined two hundred pills without getting a single rune.

"Alright, I'll definitely do it next time!"

The room was filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs, and Li Xiuyuan carefully packaged the pills one by one.

Sit upright on the futon, concentrate your mind and calm your breath, and circulate your energy to restore your magical power.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

After one complete cycle, the dantian, which had been depleted due to alchemy, recovered one-sixth of its spiritual energy.

He got up, intending to fry the remaining pieces of monster meat, have a delicious meal, and then sell the fasting pills he had on him.

"Not a single coin left! Having experienced the speed of spirit stone replenishment, this primitive method of meditating to recover spiritual energy is truly unbearable!"

Li Xiuyuan tore into the fragrant roasted meat with big bites, while his bamboo chopsticks quickly rummaged through the spirit rice in the large bowl.

"Waaah, the spirit rice in this house is almost gone. We need to buy more and stock up. If the monster crisis intensifies, prices will skyrocket."

Li Xiuyuan had a premonition that the demon wolf Pang Dehai had mentioned that day was definitely not a benevolent creature, judging from the demeanor of the law enforcement team.

This conflict between transgender people is not going to end anytime soon.

He had seen many such things in the past ten years or so in the market.

Whenever there is a monster uprising in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains, rogue cultivators flock to the market.

Major shops quickly tightened their sales channels and limited the amount of goods that could be purchased. Several chambers of commerce monopolized supplies and manipulated prices.

The lives of those who cultivate at the bottom are miserable; they are truly living in misery!

Meanwhile, those powerful families and noble clans relied on their privileges and the system to make a fortune from the war, each of them eating their fill of oil!

"Damn capitalists in the cultivation world! Bah!"

Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but curse when he thought of the days when he couldn't even get enough to eat.

Then, after a moment's thought, he sighed, "Who can blame them for their higher cultivation? No, wait, it's all the fault of the demons deep in the mountains! They deserve to die!"

……

Walking on the stone path covered with frost and snow, the monks on both sides of the road were enthusiastically hawking their wares.

Judging from this trend, there is no sign of it.

In the bustling outer city, many courtyards had red ribbons hanging in front of their gates, adding a touch of worldly New Year atmosphere.

Li Xiuyuan occasionally heard news about the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains.

"Have you heard? A few days ago, a late-stage Tier 1 demon wolf broke into the outer city and killed more than a dozen mid-stage cultivators, as well as several late-stage Qi Refining cultivators!"

"A late-stage Qi Refining cultivator is dead? Really?"

"It's true, it's said that even a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Blazing Fire Sect couldn't subdue that beast, and it escaped!"

"Tsk tsk, this beast has really gotten better at his methods; even a Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't kill him!"

"Hey, I heard that there's a rogue cultivator named Han Huohuo in Shannan Market who went into the mountains and killed several late-stage demonic beasts, obtained the Crimson Flame Flower, and was exceptionally promoted and brought into the inner sect by the sect leader!"

"We're practically his family now, so I wish I could be appreciated by the adults!"

"Get lost! With your talent for being so scornful, you're dreaming!"

……

Li Xiuyuan walked very fast and soon arrived at Lingbao Pavilion.

"Good day, Fellow Daoist Li!"

As usual, Pang Dehai stood at the counter with a smile to greet them.

"Xiao Liu, bring a pot of Cloud Rain Flying Snow Tea to Shanshui Garden later!"

"Fellow Daoist Li, let's go inside!"

Li Xiuyuan did not refuse, knowing that he had reached an agreement with Pang Dehai that day, and their relationship had taken a step further.

He can afford to enjoy this treatment.

Pang Dehai led Li Xiuyuan through halls and rooms, across several winding corridors, before finally arriving at the "Shanshui Garden".

The two sat down at the table, and Li Xiuyuan didn't waste any words, directly taking out a porcelain bottle from his person.

There were about thirty medium-grade items and five low-grade items, which was similar to the last time.

This was something he deliberately controlled to avoid causing unnecessary trouble.

"Fellow Daoist Pang, please count the numbers."

Pang Dehai glanced at it casually, a surge of joy in his heart.

"What Fellow Daoist Li said is true. In just two days, he has refined two hundred portions of medicinal herbs into pills."

He quickly counted them: "Thirty mid-grade, five high-grade, and twelve spirit stones!"

"Fellow Daoist Li, please take inventory!"

"Huh, how come there are more spirit stones again?"

Li Xiuyuan did not accept the spirit stone, but calmly looked at Pang Dehai.

Pang Dehai explained with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Li, it's not that I'm being nosy this time; the price of pills really is this now!"

He looked around but didn't notice anything unusual; the servant who was supposed to make tea hadn't arrived yet.

He said mysteriously, "The prices of basic supplies in the market are about to rise, no later than the day after tomorrow. We're in the same boat, so I won't hide this from you, Fellow Daoist Li. Just pay the spirit stones according to the increased price."

"The price has gone up?"

"Fellow Daoist Pang, could it be that the demonic threat has returned?"

"Fellow Daoist is right. The demon wolf that escaped from the clutches of the sect leader is a bloodline atavistic, possessing the potential to become a demon king!"

"The demons of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains plan to launch a beast tide ahead of schedule in order to eradicate the bloodline of the Demon King."

"I wonder how many people will perish this time!"

Pang Dehai sighed deeply, a hint of regret on his face.

"A storm is brewing!"

Li Xiuyuan was deeply moved upon hearing this.

"Furthermore, I heard that the Grand Master has decided to increase taxes and issue a demon-slaying decree, calling on independent cultivators to go to the front lines of the wilderness to assess the demonic threat!"

"In order to encourage cultivators to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path, the sect took out a lot of Foundation Establishment spiritual items and ancient cultivation techniques from its treasury and gave them to cultivators in exchange."

"Everyone can accept the demon-slaying order, take on demon-slaying missions, and exchange points for treasures."

"A Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object, is this really true!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan's heart tightened. Could it be that a noble family patriarch or a member of the immortal sect was truly showing great kindness?

He didn't believe it, knowing that those powerful families and immortal sects were ruthless in their exploitation of resources, taking every last penny and using it like dirt.

"This assessment of the demonic chaos has even included the release of controllable treasures like Foundation Establishment level spiritual artifacts. It seems this demonic scourge is quite formidable!"

How could he not know the value of a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object!

This is a treasure that all Qi Refining cultivators dream of, and may not even obtain in their entire lives.

That's how it is in the cultivation world; even a wandering cultivator at the bottom might never reach the Foundation Establishment stage in their entire life.

But if one has divine elixirs and the assistance of the spirits of heaven and earth, one can ride the wind and soar straight to the clouds.

Take Li Xiuyuan for example. His spiritual root is not outstanding; it is a mid-to-low-grade fire spiritual root.

He also cultivates the common Minor Forging and Refining Fire Technique, which is useless without the help of a cheat code.

Even in another sixty years, they will still not reach the edge of perfect Qi cultivation, let alone the insurmountable barrier of Foundation Establishment.

It's a well-established fact in the cultivation world that after the age of sixty, the probability of a cultivator reaching the Foundation Establishment stage drops significantly.

If one has top-tier cultivation techniques combined with miraculous pills, one can break through to the Foundation Establishment stage within eight to ten years!

This is the opportunity that countless cultivators have been seeking but have yet to obtain.

"Do you have Foundation Establishment Pills?"

Li Xiuyuan asked a question without leaving a trace.

"Yes, a full ten!"

"A Foundation Establishment Pill that can increase a cultivator's chances of establishing a Foundation Establishment by 30%!"