Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

Li Xiuyuan's expression shifted slightly beneath the black robe, and he immediately understood the other party's meaning.

This was to see if he had enough wealth; otherwise, he would definitely not be qualified to look at the remaining jade boxes.

Before coming to the market, Li Xiuyuan had brought with him three hundred top-grade Clear Mind Pills and Nourishing Qi Pills.

These three hundred top-grade pills were all flawless and free of toxicity. Li Xiuyuan had a rough idea of ​​their quality, but he didn't know their exact price.

He was confident that with the 760 spirit stones he had on him, exchanging them for magical artifacts and talismans shouldn't be difficult.

Instead of taking out all three hundred top-grade pills from his storage bag at once, he first took out a precious jade box from the storage bag.

One hundred and fifty top-grade Qi-nourishing pills were inside the box.

He naturally knew the principle of acting cautiously, as the saying goes.

"Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse"—appropriate packaging is also necessary.

At least it can highlight the value of the elixir, since the exquisite jade box isn't worth much anyway.

With a flick of his robe, Li Xiuyuan revealed an exquisite jade box on the table.

Seeing this, Liu Ruyan, whose mind was firmly fixed on Li Xiuyuan, became curious about the contents of the box.

She reached out her delicate hand and opened the jade box.

Upon seeing that it was a medicinal pill, he was taken aback for a moment, then gently inhaled its fragrance.

"Qi-nourishing pills?"

"Top-grade? No, the medicinal fragrance is even stronger, the elixir aroma is lingering and doesn't dissipate, and there seems to be no residual elixir toxin. Could it be a supreme-grade elixir?"

Upon determining the quality of the pill, the woman gasped in shock, her small face filled with astonishment.

She clearly knew the value of the elixir.

Seeing the other party's shocked and discomfitured expression, Li Xiuyuan had a hunch and then fell into deep thought.

"It seems that the value of a top-grade flawless elixir is even higher than I imagined. Exchanging it for these three treasures shouldn't be a problem."

"It's still too conspicuous for a mere Qi Refining cultivator to produce such a flawless pill."

"If my fate were not uncertain on this trip, I would never have put it up for sale. I must be extremely careful in the future."

Liu Ruyan belatedly realized her lapse in composure and quickly regained her composure. "This is bad, I can't negotiate a lower price now!"

The woman muttered to herself.

But she didn't care about that anymore. If she could get her hands on this flawless pill, whether she held an auction or sold it directly, it would make Jubaolou's business boom.

"It seems Steward Liu is very satisfied with these pills. It seems I've come to the right place."

Li Xiuyuan interrupted Liu Ruyan's boundless fantasies, seizing the initiative and secretly guiding the direction of the transaction.

A glint flashed in Liu Ruyan's beautiful eyes, and a hint of reproach flickered between her brows. Then she said seriously, "Being able to produce over a hundred flawless pills, you are naturally a distinguished guest of Jubao Tower. Of course, I will offer you the most favorable price."

At this point, the woman gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and said sincerely, "It's not enough to exchange these Qi-Nourishing Pills for all the treasures in the jade box."

She opened the last jade box, revealing a pale blue talisman.

"This is a rare and top-grade talisman that can turn the tide of battle in critical moments—the Heavenly Thunder Talisman.

"This talisman was forged by a mysterious cultivator who extracted and refined the lightning of heaven and earth. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator who tries to withstand this talisman will be obliterated by the lightning sealed within it. This one was obtained with great effort by our organization!"

After saying this, Liu Ruyan revealed a smug look in her eyes, as if she had won back a point against Li Xiuyuan.

Li Xiuyuan was moved upon hearing this; even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could be killed.

Such a powerful treasure is truly rare. Having one for protection would be like having an extra trump card when venturing into the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains.

The price is estimated to be frighteningly high, otherwise it wouldn't be so unpopular.

"If you don't find these treasures appealing, my shop can buy all the Qi-Nourishing Pills. I will definitely give you a satisfactory price."

"What do you think, fellow Daoist?"

Liu Ruyan spoke with confidence and determination, as if she would not give up until she achieved her goal.

Li Xiuyuan pondered in his heart that he wanted all of these treasures.

Silently estimating the value of the two items, and finding them to be roughly equal, he smiled faintly, then took out an identical jade box from his storage bag and said, "Since Steward Liu is so sincere, I naturally won't disappoint you. I'll exchange these two pills for all the treasures."

Li Xiuyuan's tone was calm, but it revealed his determination to win.

Shopkeeper Liu was both surprised and delighted. He didn't have time to respond to Li Xiuyuan's conditions and hurriedly opened the jade box to check it.

Upon discovering that it was a Mind-Clearing Pill, she took a closer look and realized that it was of the same flawless quality as the Qi-Nourishing Pill. Only then did she stare intently at Li Xiuyuan with a strange gaze.

After all, she had never seen anyone who could produce three hundred flawless pills at once in the more than ten years she had lived here.

"I can certainly accept this deal, but I'm a little curious, where did you find these flawless elixirs, brother?"

"If you ever obtain similar elixirs in the future, I hope you will give priority to our establishment. I will certainly make you satisfied!"

After saying that, Liu Ruyan's eyes revealed a hint of allure, and her thin, gauze-like front clung tightly to his right arm, exuding a warm, fragrant, soft, and supple sensation.

Li Xiuyuan slightly turned to the side, creating some distance, chuckled a few times, and nodded in agreement.

But he sighed inwardly. The other party had already become suspicious, and he would never sell flawless quality pills so easily in the future.

The slightest carelessness will inevitably lead to a fatal disaster.

Liu Ruyan was naturally unaware of Li Xiuyuan's inner thoughts, and was overjoyed to see him nod in agreement.

If the person in front of her could still obtain the flawless elixir, then losing some spirit stones or even her beauty today would be worthwhile.

The two quickly completed the transaction, packed their things, and were overjoyed.

Li Xiuyuan took his leave and left, not daring to linger in the inner city, quickly blending into the chaotic crowd of independent cultivators in the outer city.

He was afraid that Jubaolou might secretly send experts to follow him, so he didn't even leave the market for several days.

I'll also sell all the low- and mid-grade Qi-Nourishing Pills and Rejuvenation Pills I have on me.

He has a large number of runes around him, so the pills these early-stage cultivators take have little effect on him.

He wandered around the market for several days in a row, setting up his stall and selling goods day and night.

He didn't leave until he had sold everything and earned more than two hundred spirit stones.

He went into a shop and bought a low-grade light blue robe and twenty high-grade Spirit Awakening Pills, spending a total of one hundred and eighty spirit stones.

Disguised as a young master, he went to "Immortal Abode" to rent a cave dwelling. He spent three spirit stones to rent a two-story pavilion for three and a half months.

With nothing else to do, he used the power of pills and runes to quickly improve his cultivation and refined his magical artifact to achieve perfect harmony, thus avoiding the storm until the day he left before emerging from seclusion.

Rumble!

Following the instructions, he activated the control jade tablet, and with a buzzing sound, the cave's restrictions were activated.

A cloud of white mist enveloped and obscured the entire pavilion, making it disappear.

……

Li Xiuyuan sat cross-legged on the stone bed.

Close your eyes and empty your mind.

"Waaah."

Once his mind was calm, he took out three Spirit Awakening Pills from the jade bottle and swallowed them.

Once the pill entered the stomach, it transformed into an incomparably pure and warm medicinal power, flowing through all the meridians and the entire body.

This familiar and immense spiritual power circulated rapidly throughout his body according to his Golden Flame Burning Heaven Technique.

Li Xiuyuan skillfully manipulated the magic seals, patiently guiding the movement, and a faint golden aura appeared on his body.

In the past, he would never have dared to refine three Qi-Enlightening Pills at the same time.

However, his physical body underwent a transformation, and his body refinement reached the fifth level.

The original Qi and blood constantly nourish and strengthen the meridians, which are the thinnest and weakest meridians.

It can also withstand the powerful impact of the medicine.

But then he saw the perfect circulation of spiritual energy within his body, transforming and purifying the medicinal power into his own magical power, continuously filling his dantian and gradually making it perfect.

Suddenly, as if sensing some kind of energy pulling him, Li Xiuyuan gradually felt the spiritual energy in his dantian surging.

The spiritual energy in the Qi Sea continued to rise, seemingly reaching a peak.

Looking at the internal panel:

[Realm: Qi Refining Level 5, 30/100]

He smiled calmly, and with a thought, opened the storage bag, revealing four exquisite jade boxes one by one.

The crimson-gold small sword "Golden Light Sword", the golden small shield "Golden Armor Spirit Shield", the "Thick Earth Escape Talisman" and even the Heavenly Thunder Talisman all appeared before my eyes.

The golden sword was about five inches in size and its entire body shimmered with golden light.

Li Xiuyuan placed the Golden Light Sword in his palm and slowly infused it with magical power to refine it.

……

Three days later.

Li Xiuyuan refined all three life-saving talismans, including the Golden Light Sword, the Golden Armor Spirit Shield, and the talisman given to him by Du Wuxin.

He then skillfully operated the ritual implement until he could control it fluently.

However, activating a high-grade magic artifact requires a great deal of magical power.

With his Qi Refining Level 5 cultivation, he could only activate it for a short period of time; if the time was too long, his magical power would be insufficient.

But with superior offensive and defensive magical artifacts in hand.

He was confident that he could fight against cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining.

The prerequisite is that they cannot be from the direct lineage of major immortal cultivation clans; he still cannot defeat these prodigies.

These people possess many treasures, and their spiritual roots and aptitudes far surpass his; they are not someone he can deal with with his mediocre skills.

Battles between low-level cultivators are usually judged by the strength of their magical power, the quality of their magical artifacts, and the number of talismans they possess.

Unless it's a Foundation Establishment cultivator refining their Qi, which represents a significant gap in cultivation level, there are still many factors that determine the outcome of a battle between cultivators of the same cultivation level...

However, if one encounters a high-level cultivator who is separated by a major realm, there is basically no chance to fight back. One can only pray for good luck and how to escape with one's life!

It's no wonder Li Xiuyuan was so cautious; examples of killing and robbing for treasure are commonplace in the cultivation world.

Apart from cultivators who die before their lifespan is over, most cultivators perish while fighting against others.

If it weren't for the strict prohibition of fighting within Shanyangfang City, the presence of a joint law enforcement team outside, and Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed inside, it would be a different story.

Someone as insignificant and unskilled as him as a rogue cultivator would never dare to settle down for long.

Several days later, Li Xiuyuan refined the Qi-Enhancing Pill again to improve his cultivation. This process repeated itself for two months.

……

Three months later.

Inside a sealed room.

The small golden sword in Li Xiuyuan's hand danced freely.

A small golden shield surrounds him for defense.

After three months of work, Li Xiuyuan had finished refining the two magical artifacts and was now able to wield them with ease.

[Sword Technique +1]

[Sword Technique +1]

[Sword Technique +1]

【Yi Wood Sword Technique (Minor Success), 150/300】

[Yi Wood Sword Technique [White Rune]: Sword Shadow Splitting Light Technique x5 (Refinable)]

Looking at the five sword technique runes he had gained in his sea of ​​consciousness, Li Xiuyuan's lips parted slightly.

During this period, in addition to improving his cultivation, he constantly practiced and comprehended sword techniques in his spare time.

Through tireless and relentless practice day and night, he finally mastered the intermediate-grade sword technique, the Yi Wood Sword Art, to the minor level.

"I must say, this mid-grade technique is indeed difficult to cultivate, it relies too much on swordsmanship talent. But I'm not afraid of pressure, I have a cheat code, and I'll reap the rewards if I practice hard."

This Sword Shadow Splitting Light Technique is a unique divine ability of sword cultivators.

This supernatural power can conjure sword shadows when fighting enemies, which can confuse them and allow the magic sword to fight alongside them.

Depending on the level of swordsmanship mastery, the power of the sword shadows initially increases from one-tenth to gradually increase.

When the supernatural power is fully developed, the sword shadow can unleash one-third of the power of the magic sword itself!

He sheathed his magic sword, and a profound understanding arose in his heart.

Li Xiuyuan was overjoyed, knowing that his breakthrough was imminent.

After three months of arduous training, this is the time to prepare.

He decisively took out the Gold-Swallowing Spirit Bowl, activated it, and then laid out a hundred spirit stones, crushing them all together.

He guided an immense amount of spiritual energy into the spirit bowl, where it was repeatedly refined and purified.

With a thought, he triggered the white spirit fish [mixed magical power] that flickered deep within his sea of ​​consciousness.

It instantly refined its remaining five mana runes.

next moment.

His physical body seemed to break through some kind of limit, and the magical pool that was originally unable to expand suddenly expanded.

The surging magical power was compressed and condensed into a powerful golden flame, which continuously expanded the capacity of his Qi Sea.

Whether it took three days or ten days, the turbulent aura emanating from Li Xiuyuan gradually subsided.

Qi Refining Level 6!

With effortless grace, Li Xiuyuan broke through to the sixth level.

His internal magical power increased rapidly, exceeding the total of the fifth level of Qi Refining by one-third, before stabilizing.

He continued to absorb the medicinal power of the Qi-Enhancing Pill until his newly broken-through realm stabilized, and then slowly stopped practicing.

Open the panel:

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Level 6, 5/100]

[Technique: Golden Flame Heaven-Burning Technique, Initial Understanding: 80/100]

"It feels so good to become stronger!"