Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

To his even greater delight, he had successfully refined a superior Qi-Nourishing Pill!

【Nourishing Qi Pill (Complete), 309/500】

Li Xiuyuan held the superior Qi-Nourishing Pill in his hand, which was radiating a brilliant light and had a wonderfully fragrant aroma.

His eyes were filled with undisguised joy.

Needless to say, the pills he refined in this batch were top-grade Qi-nourishing pills.

……

Half a month later.

Li Xiuyuan sat cross-legged on the futon, his eyes closed, concentrating his mind and calming his spirit.

The divine sense reached the panel deep within the sea of ​​consciousness:

[Realm: Qi Refining Level 3: 95/100]

"Gurgle."

Once the distracting thoughts in his mind had subsided, he took out a high-grade Qi-nourishing pill from the medicine bottle and swallowed it.

As the pill entered his stomach, a pure and warm spiritual energy spread throughout his body.

This spiritual energy was vast yet gentle.

Li Xiuyuan made hand seals, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

A layer of pale red spiritual light appeared around him, and his dantian magic power circulated continuously throughout his body.

As the medicinal effects gradually dissipate, the water in the magic pool continues to rise, nearing its critical point and about to overflow.

The next moment, this torrent of magical power seemed to be just a hair's breadth away from breaking through an invisible high wall.

Without hesitation, Li Xiuyuan refined the five shimmering "mixed magical powers" within his sea of ​​consciousness.

The next moment, the previously weak torrent of magical power became exceptionally fierce, with a continuous stream of magical power pouring into it.

This allows the previously stagnant dantian pool to expand rapidly.

His internal magical power was also rising continuously at an unprecedented speed!

Fourth level of Qi Refining!

As the saying goes, Li Xiuyuan overcame the initial bottleneck in Qi Refining.

[Realm: Qi Refining Level 4: 1/100]

[Mana +1]

[Mana +1]

[Mana +1]

[Cultivation Technique: Minor Forging of Yuan Fire Technique, Mastery Level: 1/100]

He continued to absorb the medicinal power of the superior Qi-Nourishing Pill and the 'mixed magical power' until his newly broken-through realm stabilized, at which point he stopped.

[Realm: Qi Refining Level 4: 10/100]

"It directly increased my proficiency by ten points, completely stabilizing my realm strategy. It saved me half a year of hard work. The combination of top-grade pills and rune power is truly unstoppable!"

As Li Xiuyuan felt the surging magical power within his dantian, a hint of joy appeared on his face.

At the mid-stage of advancement, he possessed more than twice the amount of magical power as usual.

This was not an effect his cultivation technique could produce. "Could it be that refining this 'mixed mana' can increase the upper limit of mana in my dantian?"

Li Xiuyuan had a thought in his mind: he thought that he might be able to complete the Foundation Establishment before he turned sixty!

……

Time flows like water, and days pass as usual.

Li Xiuyuan continued his work of refining elixirs and medicines in peace.

He never revealed his ability to refine high-grade Qi-nourishing pills to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"I don't have many spirit stones left, so I need to speed up the refining of Qi Nourishing Pills."

With a thought, Li Xiuyuan opened the furnace to refine elixirs.

He discovered that even after advancing to the mid-stage, the effects of the superior-grade Qi-Nourishing Pill in enhancing cultivation still existed.

It's just not as effective as before, but he can't find a mid-grade pill formula now.

He discovered that the combination of a superior Qi-Nourishing Pill and a Gold-Swallowing Spirit Bowl to purify spiritual energy was just as effective in improving cultivation.

Taking four Qi-Nourishing Pills daily, along with refining spirit stones, has led to a rapid increase in cultivation level.

……

Time flies, the years are like a shuttle.

Three months have passed.

With ample support from spirit stones and pills, Li Xiuyuan's cultivation progressed rapidly.

His cultivation level at the fourth level of Qi Refining surged like water.

[Realm: Qi Refining Level 4: 45/100]

"At this rate, I'll be able to break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining in less than two years!"

"My body is becoming increasingly resistant to the Qi-Nourishing Pill, and its effects are diminishing. I need to find the Spirit-Awakening Pill or another pill formula to enhance my cultivation as soon as possible."

Li Xiuyuan muttered to himself, he did not intend to continue his seclusion.

Cultivating immortality is never about shutting yourself away and taking pills to refine your qi.

He also had some questions about spiritual practice and urgently needed to find like-minded people to discuss them with.

Bring along the Qi-Nourishing Pills and Mind-Clearing Pills that you have refined during this period.

Li Xiuyuan left the training room and headed towards the market.

……

Lingbao Pavilion.

He was greeted by Pang Dehai as always.

During this period, Li Xiuyuan refined a large number of Qi-Nourishing Pills in order to earn more spirit stones.

The Qi-Nourishing Pills he refined were sold by Li Xiuyuan, who was disguised, in several shops, so he was quite adept at it.

However, when it comes to purchasing resources and selling spiritual items, he still prefers to come to the Spirit Treasure Pavilion.

It's not for any other reason than it's his habit.

Just like in his past life, every night after get off work he would go out for a plate of tomato and egg fried rice, and casually tease the beautiful proprietress.

This habit lasted for more than half a year until I was fired by the lousy company the day before my internship was due to be officially hired, which finally ended the habit.

Even the shop owner thought he had fallen in love with someone else and was heartbroken for several days!

……

Inside a private room at Lingbao Pavilion.

"Fellow Daoist Li, it's been a long time!"

Pang Dehai warmly received Li Xiuyuan and personally led him into the inner courtyard.

He ordered his men to order a table full of fine wine and food, and with a smile on his face, Pang Dehai kept toasting.

"It's been a long time! Fellow Daoist Li has broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining. Congratulations!"

"Come on, let's drink until we drop tonight!"

Pang Dehai smiled broadly, his joy evident in his eyes.

After several rounds of drinks, Li Xiuyuan and his companion were full and satisfied.

Pang Dehai then changed the subject, smiling as he asked, "Fellow Daoist Li, how many Qi-Nourishing Pills do you have left...?"

Li Xiuyuan picked up his wine cup, took a small sip, and then calmly took out the Qi-Nourishing Pill.

"One hundred low-grade Qi-Nourishing Pills and thirty mid-grade Qi-Nourishing Pills, all here!"

Pang Dehai's eyes gleamed, his gaze burning as he stared intently at the thirty mid-grade Qi-Nourishing Pills.

He reached out and examined it carefully.

a long time.

A hint of joy appeared on his face. "Fellow Daoist Li's Qi-Nourishing Pill is truly excellent. Its quality is even better than the last one, almost reaching the superior grade!"

He looked at the wisp of golden light inside the Qi-Nourishing Pill.

A rare look of excitement appeared on his usually composed and capable face.

"We'll earn a lot of spirit stones this time!"

After counting the quantities, he said, "One hundred low-grade Qi-Nourishing Pills and thirty high-grade Qi-Nourishing Pills, totaling four hundred and twenty spirit stones."

As he spoke, he handed Li Xiuyuan a bag full of spirit stones.

Then, with a smile, he asked, "Is there anything you need to buy, Fellow Daoist Li?"

"Do you have any fire-based spells for sale? Preferably mid-grade ones."

"What are the specific requirements?"

"Ideally, it should be powerful, energy-efficient, and cost-effective."

Li Xiuyuan spoke calmly.

"You're treating me like a wishing well."

Pang Dehai rolled his eyes in annoyance and replied.

"I do have a fragment of a powerful and inexpensive manual called the Golden Flame Heaven-Burning Technique. It is an ancient divine skill that leads directly to the mysteries of the Golden Core, allowing one to control all the fires of heaven and earth for one's own use. Its power is boundless, and it is priced at five hundred spirit stones."

"Ancient divine skill? Really?"

Li Xiuyuan was immediately drawn to the words "ancient divine skill".

"Indeed, an ancient divine skill. The current chief disciple of the Blazing Fire Sect, Fairy Chi Lianxin, adapted the technique, and the master personally taught it to 'increase the probability of condensing a golden core by 30%!'"

"This technique allows for extremely rapid breakthroughs, granting immense and domineering magical power, making one virtually invincible among those of the same level. The Crimson Heart Fairy relied on her [Golden Flame Burning Heaven] technique to become unrivaled throughout the world, ascending to the top of the five sects with only a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation!"

At this point, a dazzling light flashed in Pang Dehai's eyes, as if he were recalling a spectacular battle scene.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan was deeply shocked. "Extremely fast breakthrough, invincible among those of the same level, domineering magical power..."

Every word seemed to strike his heart as he spoke of Chi Lianxin challenging the five major sects with his late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.

As if that heroic figure was still before his eyes, Li Xiuyuan felt a surge of desire to compete with such a prodigy!

The next moment, Pang Dehai suppressed his excitement and said with a hint of regret, "This method has a huge flaw. To break through to a higher realm, one must devour a powerful spiritual fire. In addition, a large amount of rare and precious materials are needed as fuel to temper the body and meridians with the help of the spiritual fire, so as to cultivate a powerful physique to resist the unruly spiritual fire of heaven and earth and the immense magical power several times that of a person, and avoid the backlash of the spiritual fire, which could cause the meridians to burst and lead to death."

"The Supreme Sect, moved by the plight of all living beings and the lack of avenues for solitary cultivators to seek the Dharma, has made this Dharma public, hoping that the talented individuals of the world can refine it and benefit humanity!"

At this point, Pang Dehai burst into tears, as if he were moved by this spirit of universal love and selflessness.

Li Xiuyuan remained silent, not immersing himself in Pang Dehai's narrative logic.

Instead, he was pondering the feasibility of this ancient divine skill for him!

"A large quantity of spiritual materials is needed. As an alchemist, gathering such materials is a piece of cake!"

His success rate in alchemy was extremely high, and the quality of his pills was beyond that of ordinary people. He was also adept at collecting spiritual materials needed for cultivation.

He was confident that he could obtain the spiritual materials needed for this cultivation method, and as for physical cultivation, the Yi Jin Jing he practiced was sufficient to meet his needs.

These shortcomings were insignificant to him; the key was that the grand opening of the Upper Sect was imminent.

If he wants to get a share of the pie, he can seek Foundation Establishment spiritual objects, or even first-grade or second-grade alchemy inheritances.

They all urgently need him to quickly improve his cultivation and combat power.

This method has almost no bottlenecks, which perfectly meets his needs.

"Can one advance to the next level by absorbing spiritual fire?"

"Spiritual fire?"

"Wouldn't Master Gu's ley line fire be perfect for this?"

Li Xiuyuan was extremely excited. He quickly made up his mind that he had to get his hands on this method.

"This is a golden opportunity; if we miss it, we'll regret it!"

"May I take a look at this technique?"

Li Xiuyuan spoke calmly, seemingly curious about the magic.

Pang Dehai was delighted to hear this, not expecting that someone would actually be willing to take on this hot potato that he had casually mentioned.

He quickly sent a message to his servant, instructing him to deliver the jade slip containing the transmission of this cultivation technique.

He exchanged pleasantries with Li Xiuyuan in the private room, while Li Xiuyuan subtly inquired about the Crimson Heart.

"A Heavenly-grade spiritual root, seven days to draw Qi into the body, one hundred days to establish the foundation—in just thirty years, he has already reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment!"

"Alone with a sword, he ventured into the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains and the Black Dragon Abyss, slaying three late-stage Foundation Establishment Black Water Dragons..."

"So this is a cultivator with a Heavenly Spiritual Root? Truly worthy of being called a favorite of Heaven!"

Li Xiuyuan kept chewing on Chi Lianxin's life story, his eyes filled with admiration and envy.

A burly servant brought over a jade slip inscribed with the "Golden Flame Burning Heaven Technique."

Pang Dehai nodded in acknowledgment, and the servant then presented the cultivation manual to Li Xiuyuan.

Li Xiuyuan picked up the jade slip and saw that the cultivation technique was divided into nine levels.

The first three levels can be cultivated by Qi Refining cultivators, while the middle three and the last three levels can be cultivated by Foundation Establishment cultivators and Core Formation cultivators, respectively.

Furthermore, after mastering three levels, one can use a unique supernatural power specific to this technique.

Once the first three levels are mastered, one can unleash a crimson divine light, about an inch long, using only their hands without any magical artifacts.

In terms of power, it is comparable to a top-grade magic weapon!

As for the subsequent six layers of cultivation techniques being sealed, Li Xiuyuan was unable to examine them due to insufficient cultivation level.

"I want it!"

After reading the introduction to the cultivation techniques for the Qi Refining stage, Li Xiuyuan decisively chose to acquire the [Golden Flame Burning Heaven Technique].

There's no other reason than that the Crimson Flame Divine Light Divine Power, which is "comparable to a high-grade magic weapon" at the Qi Refining stage, far surpasses the Lesser Forging Yuan Refining Fire Technique.

After all, this purely "fire-making" technique has no accompanying offensive or defensive techniques.

This has resulted in Li Xiuyuan possessing great cultivation but having no means of protection.

As for using merit points to exchange for cultivation techniques at the Lingbao Pavilion, Li Xiuyuan had long given up on that idea.

The reason is simple: it's just too expensive.

Even low-grade cultivation techniques require hundreds of merit points, not to mention mid-grade or even high-grade techniques.

Now that we've encountered this ancient divine skill, there's no reason for us to miss it.

"I'm quite interested in Fellow Daoist Pang's cultivation technique. Could you make it a little cheaper?"

Upon hearing this, Pang Dehai was overjoyed and, fearing that Li Xiuyuan might change his mind, hurriedly said, "Fellow Daoist, name your price."

"Two hundred spirit stones!"

"this……"

"Hey, hey, Fellow Daoist Li, don't go! I didn't say I wouldn't sell!"

"And you want to give me a 15% discount!"

"good!"

Pang Dehai accepted the token and spirit stones with a deathly pale face. Had he lost money on this deal?

"I want to sell this batch of Qi-Nourishing Pills for five more spirit crystals!"

……

Half an hour later.

At the entrance of Lingbao Pavilion.

"Goodbye, Daoist Li. See you again next time!"

Pang Dehai saw Li Xiuyuan off with a professionally friendly smile on his face.