Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

Li Xiuyuan listened to the old man recount the whole story without changing his expression, and he quite agreed with what he said.

But he didn't say anything, picked up the replica jade slip, and turned to walk towards the passage.

……

Back in the cave.

Li Xiuyuan immediately went to his usual training room.

He eagerly took out a copy of the formula for refining the Foundation Establishment Pill and began to read it carefully, word by word.

Li Xiuyuan was completely focused, as if he were dealing with a rare treasure.

Several hours later, he let out a long breath.

He carefully put the jade slip away and fell into deep thought.

Half an hour later, he finally got up with a clatter.

Frowning, he opened his storage bag and poured out all the herbs inside, celebrating them one by one.

"I have two-thirds of the thirty-three kinds of auxiliary materials, including Thousand Spirit Flower, White Grass, and Osmanthus Fragrance. The rest are also common items in major shops."

"But the main ingredients, Red Sun Grass, Heavenly Spirit Flower, and Jade Marrow Lingzhi, are a bit troublesome. Even someone as knowledgeable as me has never seen these spiritual herbs before."

Li Xiuyuan was depressed for a long time, but he still decided to ask someone. The person was undoubtedly his senior brother Du, who was well-versed in pharmacology and had a gentle personality.

Li Xiuyuan made up his mind and picked up the other one.

Making the "Divine Refining Pill" is much simpler than making the Foundation Establishment Pill.

It requires neither innate true fire nor spiritual fire of heaven and earth, nor any medicinal herbs that he does not recognize as raw materials.

These are all common spiritual objects that enhance spiritual awareness.

The only thing that left him speechless was that the main ingredient for refining this pill had to be the essence blood of a demon race with a bloodline of at least Earth Grade. Only when this ingredient was combined with spiritual objects could its medicinal properties be maximized.

No wonder Li Xiuyuan had never heard of this elixir.

After all, even if that cultivator were willing to use the blood essence of a low-grade bloodline demon beast or demon king to refine elixirs, it was beyond the knowledge of a Qi Refining disciple like him.

But this wasn't a big problem for Li Xiuyuan, as he possessed two kinds of strange insects with true spirit bloodlines.

Presumably, using their essence and blood as raw materials, and further supplemented with spiritual objects that enhance spiritual awareness, refining this pill should not be a problem.

The only problem is that these spiritual objects that enhance one's spiritual awareness are quite hard to find.

Once he's sorted out the Foundation Establishment Pill matter, he'll refine another batch to try.

After all, he wanted to see if this object was as mysterious as described in the jade slip.

It can greatly enhance a person's spiritual power, giving Foundation Establishment cultivators a spiritual power no less than that of Core Formation cultivators.

After packing his things and getting dressed, Li Xiuyuan headed towards Du Wuxin's cave.

……

"Red Sun Grass, Heavenly Spirit Flower, Jade Marrow Lingzhi?"

Du Wuxin squinted at the low-key and composed junior brother Li in front of him.

"Haha, it seems Junior Brother Li has already obtained the ancient Foundation Establishment Pill formula, which is why he's inquiring about the whereabouts of the Crimson Sun Grass, Heavenly Spirit Flower, and Jade Marrow Lingzhi. But Junior Brother Li, don't you want to know why this Foundation Establishment Pill formula is so readily available?"

Du Wuxin's face was full of satisfaction, as if his junior disciple, whom he had watched grow up, had achieved something.

"Of course I want to know, but it concerns the important matter of Foundation Establishment. I am a new cultivator who has just entered the sect and has few connections. I don't know any alchemy masters. After thinking it over, I had no choice but to come and disturb your cultivation. I hope you will forgive me."

Li Xiuyuan bowed respectfully, looking at his immortal "benefactor" with great reverence.

"Since you praise me so highly, Junior Brother, I shouldn't be so stingy. These three types of spiritual objects are all derived from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. They are naturally born from heaven and earth. Since the 'Celestial Change,' only some of them have survived in those 'dangerous places' and 'secret realms.'"

"Couldn't we transplant them from dangerous areas and let them grow naturally in a simulated natural environment?"

Li Xiuyuan asked with a hint of doubt.

"Haha, these ancient alchemists certainly tried, and without exception, they all failed. The reason is that these spiritual creatures grew in peculiar environments in the past. Even if the seedlings were transplanted into a simulated environment, they still could not survive. No matter how hard they tried, it was all in vain."

Du Wuxin's tone carried a hint of regret.

"There are no seeds!"

"That's right, naturally there are no seeds, otherwise cultivators across the land would have planted them extensively long ago, and the Foundation Establishment Pills wouldn't be gradually decreasing."

Du Wuxin sighed slightly, then seemed to remember something and said something else.

"Don't even think about getting your hands on those secret realms. Those places are extremely dangerous and impossible to approach under normal circumstances. Only at specific times can they be entered by the sect elders casting spells."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyuan was overjoyed and immediately pressed for details.

It turns out that such medicinal herbs had become rare even before the "heavenly change".

They have disappeared in many places, and the only places where they can be found are so-called forbidden areas where few people go.

These forbidden areas are either dens of demons or desolate places where heaven and earth have collapsed. Some even retain many ancient restrictions, requiring a Golden Core cultivator to cast spells to enter.

Meanwhile, most of the cultivation sects in the Chu Kingdom, such as the Blazing Fire Sect, have relied on a forbidden area for their Foundation Establishment Pills over the years.

This place is sealed by a strange ancient restriction, which the cultivators of the five sects alone cannot break.

Later, it was discovered that the restrictions on this place would decline every ten years.

At this time, by having several Core Formation cultivators cast spells together, the restriction can be broken, allowing a certain number of cultivators to enter.

This forbidden area also has restrictions; only disciples at the Qi Refining stage can retrieve large quantities of rare spiritual herbs from it without any hindrance.

These spiritual objects can not only be used to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, but many can also serve as the main ingredients in ancient pill formulas.

To refine elixirs that are beneficial to cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage and even those at the Core Formation stage.

This discovery immediately caused a sensation throughout the cultivation world of the Chu Kingdom.

Therefore, every ten years, the five major sects would send a large number of Qi Refining disciples to the forbidden area to collect spiritual herbs.

Of course, the main ingredients of the Foundation Establishment Pill are secondary; the most important are the spiritual items that are useful to Golden Core cultivators.

However, over the past thousand years, spiritual objects within the forbidden area have become increasingly scarce, and the power of the restrictions has grown stronger.

The major sects judged that this place would be completely destroyed within a thousand years at most.

At first, the disciples from different factions were able to get along harmoniously and act independently.

The selected disciples also considered it a wonderful opportunity.

As disciples from various sects gradually plundered the area, the rare spiritual materials within the forbidden zone became increasingly scarce.

The various factions fought fiercely over a certain elixir, engaging in mutual attacks.

Even a century ago, some of the most elite disciples lost their lives in the fighting.

That bloody conflict that resulted in deaths directly shattered the facade of harmony between the various factions.

The world of cultivation is a dog-eat-dog world, where the ruthlessness of heaven and earth is revealed.

He even encouraged his own disciples to steal other people's spiritual medicines, causing bloodshed to occur in the forbidden area.

As a result, spiritual herbs became increasingly scarce, and the struggles between cultivators intensified.

Over the past century, the number of disciples who have survived from the forbidden area has been decreasing, to less than a quarter of what it used to be.

The elite disciples of each faction suffered heavy losses, and many even avoided the trip.

There were many instances where no one was available.

As for the idea of ​​forcibly apportioning the burden, that's utter nonsense.

Disciples who genuinely do not wish to enter the forbidden area to search for medicine only need to find a safe place to hide for a few days.

It's not unheard of for someone to slip away unnoticed once the time is up.

Even if you try to persuade them with the righteousness of the sect or force them with the power of a real person, you can't just send them to their deaths in vain.

As a result, the major sects abroad had an even more urgent need for spiritual medicines, and very few cultivators were willing to go to the forbidden areas.

They agreed to jointly establish rules: offering substantial rewards to Qi Refining disciples participating in the forbidden area, linking spiritual herbs with spiritual stones and magical artifacts, and providing great incentives.

Simply by registering, you can receive rewards of mid-grade spirit stones and top-grade magic artifacts.

Afterwards, a generous reward will be given based on the rarity and quantity of the medicinal herbs.

From spirit stones to magical artifacts and even miraculous elixirs, everything was available, and many people even obtained Foundation Establishment Pills.

These things are enough to make a low-level disciple take a gamble.

As fate would have it, with such great benefits at hand, the number of cultivators who survived the forbidden area was even smaller, less than one-fifth!

Very few disciples managed to bring out the elixir alive; aside from being severely injured, they gained almost nothing.

Not to mention exchanging for Foundation Establishment Pills.

Du Wuxin suddenly changed the subject, speaking in an extremely admiring tone.

"Heaven has favored cultivators like us. A rogue cultivator from the Chu Kingdom discovered a Foundation Establishment Pill formula adapted from the ancient one by the 'True Monarch Qingmu' ten thousand years ago within an ancient cave. The True Monarch used an ingenious secret method to replace the main ingredients, such as the Crimson Sun Grass, Heavenly Spirit Flower, and Jade Marrow Lingzhi, with the spiritual core of a pure-blooded demon race. He developed a new type of Foundation Establishment Pill. Although its effect is far less than the ancient Foundation Establishment Pill's 50% success rate, it can still be considered a solution to the urgent problem of cultivators in the Chu Kingdom's cultivation world having no medicine for foundation establishment."

Li Xiuyuan carefully pondered these words, "the forbidden land was destroyed within a thousand years," and thought of how the five sects of Chu spared no effort to open up the wilderness and hunt down demons.

Could this be the reason? There must be a deeper plan at play.

But a new problem arises: the pure demon cores that can be used to refine Foundation Establishment Pills.

Its rank will not be lower than that of the mid-stage second-tier Azure Spirit Serpent that Li Xiuyuan encountered in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains last time.

How could a Qi Refining cultivator possibly kill such a being?

No wonder the rogue cultivators entrenched in the market are willing to be driven by the Five Sects.

If it weren't for this wave of pioneering spirit, it would have been impossible for a small, insignificant alliance of demon hunters and loose cultivators to hunt demons and obtain their cores from the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains and escape unscathed.

After confirming that the next trial in the "Ancient Forbidden Land" would be in ten years, Li Xiuyuan left Du Wuxin's cave.

Back in his cave, Li Xiuyuan was listless for the next few days.

He repeatedly weighed the information he had gleaned from the other disciples, meticulously analyzing the pros and cons and the risks involved.

Trying to find a suitable solution.

Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck him.

The sect's cultivators ventured deep into the wilderness and achieved victory in the last great battle, so there should be quite a few demon cores stored within the sect now.

He only needs to spend a few contribution points to exchange for it.

If he doesn't have enough contribution points, he can exchange them with other people using spirit stones.

This is an unspoken rule within the sect, known to everyone.

He's an alchemist; he may not have much else, but he has plenty of spirit stones.

How could they possibly risk their lives to hunt monsters and explore the desolate front lines and forbidden areas?

Anything that can be solved with spirit stones is a minor matter.

"There are spiritual items in the forbidden area that can help Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators improve their cultivation. I must go there after I reach the second level of Body Refinement, since the Core Formation spiritual items in each major sect are limited."

The Foundation Establishment stage only lasts for a lifespan of about two hundred years. If he doesn't try to compete for it...

Are we just going to sit here and wait for our lifespan to end?

Although it is said that the Golden Flame Burning Heaven Technique has no bottleneck before the Golden Core stage, this is just a rumor.

No one has confirmed this.

Even Chi Lianxin, who is known as the number one person below the Core Formation stage in our sect, hasn't reached the Core Formation stage yet, has he?

With his mid-grade spiritual root aptitude, he naturally had to gather as many spiritual treasures related to Core Formation as possible, making preparations in advance.

Li Xiuyuan left the cave to clear his mind.

A sound transmission talisman was found floating outside the cave.

"Li Xiuyuan will be stationed in Shanyangfang for five years, starting six months from now..."

Li Xiuyuan returned to his cave and examined the communication jade talisman in detail, discovering that it was a task personally issued by Elder Zhuxie.

"What are this elder's plans?"

Li Xiuyuan was completely baffled and couldn't figure out how he had any connection with Elder Zhuxie.

But he did not reject the idea.

Firstly, the garrison at Shanyangfang City is different from the previous Black Wind Mining Area.

Shanyang Market is a key transit point for the Blazing Fire Sect between the front lines of the Wilderness and the heartland of the sect.

It holds an extremely high strategic position. The Blazing Fire Sect alone has several Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed here, and there is even a joint team of several hundred people from the Five Sects, all of whom are late-stage Qi Refining cultivators who have been through many battles.

There's no need to worry about safety.

Secondly, this place is a hub for barbaric cultivators to exchange goods with the outside world.

The prosperity of the Immortal Cultivation Market made it extremely convenient for Li Xiuyuan to refine materials for alchemy, such as Foundation Building Pills.

Thirdly, his task was almost identical to Du Wuxin's previous one, which was logistical work.

Li Xiuyuan didn't need to patrol the market or suppress evil cultivators. He was stationed in a first-tier spiritual land, working with four outer disciples who were at the mid-stage of Qi Refining.

As always, he simply had to hand over the required amount of spiritual items each month.

Although Shanyang Market was located in the heart of the sect, Li Xiuyuan's sense of crisis remained constant.

The sect is quite far from Shanyang Market, and no one knows whether all of the Beast Taming Sect's spies are dead or not.

They can't defeat Foundation Establishment or Core Formation cultivators, and it would be bad if they went berserk and retaliated against lower-level disciples.

To protect his life and fortune, he planned to first sell the first-grade mid-level pills he had practiced making during this period to exchange for spirit stones, and then purchase a batch of talismans and pills for unforeseen circumstances.

Especially treasures like the "Thick Earth Escape Talisman," which can help one escape from the clutches of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, are always welcome.

Having come up with an idea, Li Xiuyuan began by learning magic.

He learned several intermediate-level spells in the sect's library, including auxiliary spells such as "Wind Control" and "Concealment".

These spells are specifically designed for escape, and are exactly the spells that Li Xiuyuan needs most.

As for the spells that come with the Golden Flame Burning Heaven Technique, Li Xiuyuan also put a lot of effort into learning them.

Thus, Li Xiuyuan diligently practiced spells such as "Wind Control Technique" and "Concealment Technique" during the day, and devoted himself to refining pills at night.

Four months later.

Li Xiuyuan withdrew his aura and slowly retracted the last layer of his cultivation technique.

He opened the panel:

[Spells: Fire Escape Technique (Minor Mastery), 230/300; Fire Sword Technique (Minor Mastery), 200/300; Fire Shield Technique (Minor Mastery), 270/300; Wind Control Technique (Major Mastery), 400/500; Concealment Technique (Major Mastery), 399/500]

As a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, learning these intermediate spells was naturally a piece of cake for him.

He not only mastered these spells completely, but also perfected the skills of "Wind Control" and "Concealment".

Not to mention the large number of runes accumulated through cultivating magic.

He turned his gaze to his sea of ​​consciousness, only to see countless white rune spirit fish playing happily deep within it.

Fire Release Technique [White Rune]: Advanced Fire Release Technique x5 (Refinable)

[Fire Sword Technique [White Rune: Advanced Fire Sword Technique x5 (Refineable)]]

Fire Shield [White Rune]: Advanced Fire Shield x5 (Refineable)

【Wind Control Technique [White Rune]: Advanced Wind Control Technique x5 (Refinable)】

[Concealment Technique [White Rune]: Advanced Concealment Technique x5 (Refinable)]

Having experienced the power of these advanced spells, Li Xiuyuan estimated that these spell runes were comparable to a first-tier advanced spell cast at full power by a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

At least, a person with ordinary Qi Refining at its peak cannot withstand it.