Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

After the Qingxin Pill was perfected, Li Xiuyuan reduced its production.

Besides refining and selling a portion each month, he earns enough spirit stones to meet his cultivation needs.

He spent the rest of his time studying how to refine Qi-Nourishing Pills.

Improving one's cultivation level is the top priority right now, and the Qi Nourishing Pill is perfect for Li Xiuyuan, who is at the third level of Qi Refining.

He had previously worked as a pill refiner and had refined the auxiliary ingredient for the Qi-Nourishing Pill, the Qi-Nourishing Powder. In addition, the "Detailed Explanation of Alchemy" given to him by Du Wuxin recorded in detail the refining process of the Qi-Nourishing Pill, the key points of refining medicine, the timing of purification, the secrets of fire control, etc.

Furthermore, with a deeper understanding of the Crimson Fire Pill Technique, Li Xiuyuan's confidence in refining Qi-Nourishing Pills grew stronger.

……

That day.

The last batch of Tranquilizing Pills was completed, and three runes flickered deep within the sea of ​​consciousness.

【Clear Mind Pill [White Rune]: Clear Mind Pill Technique (Refinable)】

[Cleansing Heart Pill [White Rune]: Great Fire Control Technique x2 (Refinable)]

He was delighted to see the three runes, especially the one called [Great Fire Control].

It was very similar to the [Mid-Grade Fire Control Technique] he had refined before, which was undoubtedly a timely help for him.

With the help of this rune, his chances of successfully refining the Qi-Nourishing Pill are greatly increased.

Without hesitation, Li Xiuyuan carefully cleaned the alchemy furnace.

Then they started to light the furnace.

This time, he planned to refine the Qi-Nourishing Pill in one go.

Li Xiuyuan methodically added Qi-nourishing herbs, diluted spiritual water, and Shanyang mushrooms...

He manipulated the Crimson Fire Pill Technique in his hands, using his own Yuan Forging and Fire Refining power to cleanse the pill furnace.

At the same time, the flames are continuously manipulated to burn the spiritual herbs inside the alchemy furnace, accelerating their transformation into liquid.

Inside the furnace, the medicinal properties of each spiritual herb were purified and transformed, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance amidst the fire snakes.

Next came the preparation of the medicine, the transformation of Yin and Yang...

Half an hour later.

When it came to the final step of condensing the elixir, he continuously poured his magical power into it.

In the dead of night, Li Xiuyuan calmly looked at the alchemy furnace, his brows furrowed with slight weariness as he reclaimed his magical power.

"brush……"

Two bright yellow pills emerged together.

Li Xiuyuan glanced at it and saw that the pill had a rich color, a fragrant aroma, and a faint spiritual light flowing through it.

Upon closer inspection, the fragrance of the medicine is refreshing and lingers for a long time.

"The Qi-Nourishing Elixir is complete!"

Li Xiuyuan smiled slightly.

"It truly is a Qi-Nourishing Pill! Just smelling it makes me feel my spiritual energy flowing faster. It really lives up to its reputation as one of the 'Three Heroes of Qi Refining'!"

Li Xiuyuan was overjoyed. His first successful refinement of the Qi-Nourishing Pill was not just an improvement in his alchemy skills.

It also means that one's cultivation level can be improved rapidly, along with a greater income of spirit stones...

According to market prices, one low-grade Qi-Nourishing Pill costs two spirit stones, and the price is very stable.

After all, only cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining can use it. Although the demand is large, the alchemists who refine this pill produce even more.

Rogue cultivators wouldn't buy it; those at the mid-stage of Qi Refining or above would use the Qi Awakening Pill. The target audience is mostly wealthy sect and family disciples and juniors.

They came from privileged backgrounds and were unwilling to linger too long in the early stages of Qi Refining.

Therefore, it is often taken in combination with Qingxin Dan (a traditional Chinese medicine formula) to allow one to quickly refine spiritual energy without distraction.

"If I take the Mind-Clearing Pill and Qi-Nourishing Pill every month, it will be enough to increase my cultivation speed by 50%."

"At most two and a half years, I will be able to perfect my cultivation level and break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining."

This saves you from consuming hundreds of spirit stones and the hardship of breaking through the bottleneck.

"I will refine a superior or even top-grade Qi-Nourishing Pill with less toxicity and better efficacy before attempting to break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining!"

Li Xiuyuan smiled nonchalantly.

No wonder alchemy, array formations, talismans, and artifacts rank among the top of the various arts of immortal cultivation, with alchemy being the foremost. This is a testament to their value and worth.

……

Time passed slowly.

Li Xiuyuan continued to refine and sell pills steadily, occasionally taking on one or two easy merit-based tasks to accumulate merit.

He was extremely envious of the many spiritual objects, magical artifacts, talismans, and even cultivation techniques in Lingbao Pavilion.

Even Foundation Establishment items can be exchanged, but the tens of thousands of merit points required are daunting.

In the past six months, Xiao Huo visited him three times.

Half a year had passed since they last met, and Xiao Huo's aura had become even more profound, giving Li Xiuyuan the feeling that he was about to face a raging inferno.

Every time Xiao Huo came, he would ask Li Xiuyuan to buy some daily necessities, such as the Bigu Pill and the Qingxin Pill.

But somehow he learned that Li Xiuyuan could refine high-grade Qingxin Pills.

They forcefully used spirit stones to break Li Xiuyuan's rule of only refining ten batches of Qingxin Pills per month.

For the sake of the spirit stone, Li Xiuyuan, with tears in his eyes, refined over a hundred high-grade Qingxin Pills for him.

As they spent more time together, their relationship grew increasingly intimate.

Li Xiuyuan used ten high-grade Qingxin Pills, worth sixty spirit stones, to exchange for sixty catties of Blood Spirit Rice from Xiao Huo.

Xiao Huo was delighted to accept this. Both of them were skilled in various arts, and he felt uneasy that Li Xiuyuan was the only one making money off him.

……

With ample support from spirit stone resources, Li Xiuyuan's body refinement progressed by leaps and bounds!

Time passed, and six months later.

He not only perfected the first move of the Yi Jin Jing, "Old Tree Roots," but also mastered the second move to a minor level.

If those who practice the Yi Jin Jing were to find out, they would probably be so depressed they would die.

In just one year, Li Xiuyuan mastered the second form of the Yi Jin Jing.

The effects of body refinement undergo a qualitative change with the birth of primordial qi and blood.

His own strength reached three thousand jin, and nine drops of his original blood and qi were generated.

One-eighth of the forty-eight drops of primordial qi and blood that are needed to complete the transformation into primordial essence and blood in the Yi Jin Jing are now complete.

Such a strong source of Qi and blood will greatly benefit his future breakthrough of the three Foundation Establishment stages: the Qi and Blood stage.

Following Xiao Huo's instructions, Li Xiuyuan simply rinsed the Blood Spirit Rice with clean water.

Then simmer it over a low flame with inferior cinnabar wood for half an hour.

A rich, vibrant energy filled the entire kitchen.

Li Xiuyuan simply picked up a bowl, about two or three ounces.

The cooked Blood Spirit Rice, with grains resembling red beans, emitted a blood-red spiritual light that made Li Xiuyuan's cheeks glow red.

Li Xiuyuan smiled slightly as he smelled the refreshing aroma of the spiritual rice.

He slowly scooped up a spoonful of Blood Spirit Rice and put it in his mouth.

brush!

A surge of immense and powerful energy rushed straight to the spine.

Li Xiuyuan felt a tingling sensation running through his joints from his pig bones all the way to his crown chakra.

A creaking sound came from beside my ear, and I unconsciously straightened my back.

He quickly began circulating the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic) to transport Qi and blood throughout the body, refining his marrow and exchanging his blood.

In an instant.

Thick layers of blood mist appeared around Li Xiuyuan's body.

His vital energy and blood surged rapidly, and his blood began to boil.

As the body's Qi and blood are continuously refined and purified, they gradually change, eventually giving rise to a drop of original Qi and blood.

He ate the rest of the Blood Spirit Rice.

The person's energy and blood are concentrated to their peak.

brush!

Li Xiuyuan opened his eyes, his skin becoming increasingly golden-bronze, before disappearing from sight.

He opened the panel and looked at it:

[Yi Jin Jing (Da Cheng): Second Form: Iron Bridge Locking Tendons, 300/500]

Having mastered the second form of the Yi Jin Jing, I am about to begin practicing the third form.

The condensed primordial qi and blood have reached the sixteenth drop.

"Three thousand seven hundred jin of strength—just one step away from the fourth level of Body Refinement!"

Li Xiuyuan picked up the abandoned alchemy furnace made of first-grade refined iron ore beside him, squeezed it hard with his palm, and the furnace was comparable to a semi-magical artifact.

It shattered into pieces instantly, and then he took out the Green Bamboo Sword and slashed his arm, leaving a white mark.

This was the last pound of Blood Spirit Rice he had refined, paired with a 'Blood Qi Amplification' rune.

The effect of body tempering on cultivation is significant.

In just one year, I had the opportunity to advance to the fourth level of Body Refinement!

……

The following days.

Li Xiuyuan lived a very ordinary life.

In order to obtain more Blood Spirit Rice, he put all his effort into refining Heart-Cleansing Pills.

He quickly pushed his proficiency in the Qingxin Pill to perfection.

In addition, he gained ten 'mixed magical powers', which he enhanced with the Blood Spirit Rice and the 'blood and qi amplification' dual core.

His physical cultivation has progressed at an astonishing speed.

This was accompanied by his tedious and monotonous ascetic practices.

Another half year passed.

Li Xiuyuan kept his eyes closed.

This period of repeated marrow refining and blood exchange has condensed the original qi and blood.

His vital energy had reached a critical juncture: 4,900 jin of strength!

He only needs to overcome the 5,000-jin strength barrier to master the second form of the Yi Jin Jing: Iron Bridge Locking Tendons.

To achieve "muscles and tendons, bones and muscles, and blood and qi stagnation".

This gives the meridians the property of "force absorption," allowing them to withstand the claw attacks of mid-stage Qi Refining monsters and the slashes of low-level magic weapons.

Without hesitation, Li Xiuyuan decisively refined the five 'Qi and Blood Enhancement' items within his sea of ​​consciousness.

In an instant, a sea of ​​blood and qi, as if falling from the heavens, engulfed him.

It felt as if Li Xiuyuan was surrounded by a sea of ​​qi and blood, making it difficult for him to breathe.

Splash!

Li Xiuyuan could hear the sound of his breath circulating and his blood flowing.

When we met again, the scene before my eyes suddenly changed.

He used his inner senses to see that he was in a vast, blood-red ocean.

The body is like an unmoored boat, surrounded by a vast and boundless body of qi and blood.

He was enveloped by profound and boundless energy of qi and blood.

Li Xiuyuan felt insignificant as he stood in the sea of ​​qi and blood.

next moment.

From the depths of the sea of ​​blood, it seemed as if a hundred beasts were roaring!

Splash!

Countless crimson bubbles enveloped him, taking him away to who knows where.

Half an incense stick later.

Li Xiuyuan's divine sense was awakened, and he felt that his original vital energy had grown to an unprecedented level.

A full twenty drops of primordial qi and blood continuously nourished Li Xiuyuan's physical body, bones, and even constitution.

A gorgeous, blood-red robe, as thin as a cicada's wing and shimmering with light, covered every inch of her skin.

This clearly shows that Li Xiuyuan has mastered the second form of the Yi Jin Jing, "Tendons and Veins Locking Bones, Qi and Blood Condensing Shield".

His physical body has completely entered the fourth level of body refinement, and a qualitative change has occurred as a result.

"At the fourth level of body refinement, one cannot be harmed by mid-grade magic weapons, nor can one be killed by mid-stage demonic beasts."

"If the second move alone is this powerful, what about the others?"

Li Xiuyuan felt his strength had greatly increased and couldn't help but look forward to the next steps in the cultivation technique.

His rapid breakthrough was due to the powerful boost to his blood and qi brought by the Blood Spirit Rice.

Otherwise, if we rely solely on practicing fist techniques and striking stakes to artificially cultivate 'Qi and Blood Boosting' runes and eating low-grade monster meat to replenish Qi and Blood, we don't know when we'll get the spiritual materials needed for the Yi Jin Jing.

Li Xiuyuan immediately felt extremely comfortable.

Give it a quick wash.

With a thought, he gathered all his energy and blood, appearing as if nothing had happened.

His skin still resembled that of an alchemist, with a slight golden hue from long hours of exposure to the furnace.

However, his overall energy and spirit were completely different from before, and this change stemmed from his improved strength.

His sharpness is concealed, his gaze is mysterious, and his small body hides a thousand pounds of strength!

"Now I can finally protect myself in the turbulent world of cultivation."

"Finally, we have a trump card. Hopefully, we won't need to use it."

"Cultivating immortality is harder than ascending to heaven!"

From this day forward, Li Xiuyuan truly possesses the power to protect himself!