Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

Upon hearing this, Yu Liuli smiled radiantly, displaying her graceful demeanor.

She bowed respectfully to Shui Lian and whispered, "Thank you, Senior Sister."

Shui Lian pulled her arm away, flicked Yu Liuli's forehead lightly with her finger, and said with a doting smile, "As long as you're alright, that's good. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to explain to Master."

She turned to look at Li Xiuyuan, the doting look in her eyes gone, replaced by a serious expression: "Junior Nephew Li, do you still remember the battle? Tell me in detail, and what were the characteristics of those Tribulation Cultivators?"

Li Xiuyuan naturally dared not delay and hurriedly found the four pieces of corpse buried to the side.

He then explained the details of the duel in detail, even describing every single action of the two of them.

Finally, he carefully handed over two sections of black, pointed cone and a cracked disc.

Shui Lian looked at Li Xiuyuan's meticulous and detailed report, and then briefly glanced at the two corpses and the damaged magic artifacts with her divine sense.

A cold glint flashed in her eyes, and a cold blade flew out from her fingertips.

Then, with a loud "boom!"

The bodies of the Dragon and Tiger brothers turned to dust, leaving no trace of their remains.

She then formed another hand seal, imprinting their magical artifacts with her own. The next moment, she drew a wisp of energy into her palm and channeled it into a jade pendant, coldly saying, "With this, we can track the location of these tribulation cultivators. Junior Nephew Li, is this task yours?"

Shui Lian's tone was filled with murderous intent; if you didn't agree, it was as if she would kill you to silence you at any moment.

This startled Li Xiuyuan, who cursed inwardly, "Bah! It's not easy to take advantage of Foundation Establishment cultivators. They're treating me like a paid servant!"

Despite his inner dissatisfaction, Li Xiuyuan remained humble and polite on the surface, respectfully smiling as he said, "Junior nephew will certainly complete the task assigned by Senior Uncle and live up to the sect's high expectations!"

Oh well, since Su Nu Feng is the one who least wants to get involved in karma, and since I've taken her benefits, I can only do things for her.

"These female Taoist priests are truly hypocritical; their words are sweeter than their deeds. Bah!"

Now that Shui Lian has found her junior sister, she naturally won't personally take action to capture a group of Qi Refining stage cultivators.

She planned to send her junior sister back to the sect first, to avoid any unforeseen complications.

Thinking this, he controlled the flower basket magic artifact to rise a few feet, pulled Yu Liuli up and jumped on, then turned around and asked, "Junior Nephew Li, are you also returning to the sect? If it's on your way, your uncle will give you a ride."

"Thank you for your kindness, Uncle-Master. But I still have to go and eliminate the calamity cultivators to prevent more disciples from being persecuted and our sect's foundation from being destroyed. This cannot be delayed."

Li Xiuyuan responded respectfully.

"This female Taoist priest's thoughts are hard to fathom. I'd better go and deal with the remaining cultivators first."

"He who takes money must do the work!"

Li Xiuyuan bowed again and said loudly, "Respectfully seeing off Martial Uncle and Junior Sister Liuli!"

As he watched the flower basket and ritual implements gradually disappear into the distance, a strange feeling welled up in Li Xiuyuan's heart.

He deftly checked the storage bags of the two brothers, Longhu and Duanhu.

The two of them together had only a little over two hundred spirit stones, three bottles of Qi-gathering powder, and ten bottles of antidote pills.

A dozen or so mid-grade and low-grade talismans, and the remaining four damaged mid-grade magic artifacts, totaling less than eight hundred spirit stones.

Among cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining, this is not considered extremely wealthy or powerful.

……

Half a month later, at Black Wind Market.

That's right, Li Xiuyuan has returned to Black Wind Market, where he used to be stationed.

Guided by the jade pendant, Li Xiuyuan secretly inquired over the past few days and learned that the group of cultivators were actually members of the "Heaven and Earth Society".

Since Zhong Shenxiu of the Demon Flame Sect led his team to invade the Black Wind Mine, this place has suffered tremendous damage. Although the base was later taken back by the Blazing Fire Sect.

However, the Liu family of Lianqi secretly colluded with the Demon Flame Sect.

They became troublemakers who secretly gathered information about the Blazing Fire Sect and disrupted the internal unity and stability of the Chu Kingdom.

As a result, cultivation families like the Lingzhi Zhou family and the Beast Taming Wang family, who were dependent on the Blazing Fire Sect, had no choice but to give up some of their interests in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range.

After all, the Demon Flame Sect is far away, while the Blazing Fire Sect is very close to them!

These immortal cultivation families, who have relied on the five sects of Chu for hundreds of years, have a large population, numerous descendants, deeply entrenched power, and complex interests.

It's impossible for them to be like those minor Qi-refining clans and rogue cultivators, who can defect to the enemy at will.

Putting aside everything else, these families alone number in the millions of ordinary people, and many of their blood relatives have become the backbone of the five sects.

We are intertwined, and have long been an inseparable part of the State of Chu.

Besides eliminating the Heaven and Earth Society, Li Xiuyuan had another important mission on this trip.

To eliminate the Liu family, reclaim the remaining Qi-refining forces, and maintain the stability and rule of the Blazing Fire Sect in the Black Wind Mine.

The special mark on this jade slip was the mark of the Demon Flame Sect. Li Xiuyuan recalled that he had seen this mark in the "Records of Things Seen and Heard in the Northern Regions".

The information recorded in the jade slip is a secret communication between the Demon Flame Sect cultivators who infiltrated this place and the rogue cultivators of the Heaven and Earth Society.

The Demon Flame Sect cultivators promised that as long as the Heaven and Earth Society cooperated with them to capture the Blazing Fire Sect's resource points and made contributions, they would bestow upon the Heaven and Earth Society's leader one of the Foundation Establishment spiritual items, the 'Refining God Grass', upon success.

It is well known that the three stages of Foundation Establishment are extremely difficult to pass, but the Refining Spirit Grass can enhance the strength of a cultivator's spiritual sense, allowing the cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage to receive the protection of medicinal power when their spiritual sense undergoes transformation, which can increase the probability of Foundation Establishment by as much as 25%, making it extremely precious.

Seeing this, Li Xiuyuan finally understood that the allure of foundation-building spiritual objects was immense for any Qi Refining cultivator who aspired to establish their foundation.

It was enough to make anyone take risks, so it was expected that the Heaven and Earth Society would choose to rebel against the Blazing Fire Sect.

Calling them rebels is absolutely right!

As an inner disciple of the Blazing Fire Sect, Li Xiuyuan believed that colluding with foreign forces and attempting to overthrow the sect's rule was no different from being a heretic or evil sect.

Li Xiuyuan was also very interested in the Refining Spirit Grass. He briefly analyzed his own strengths and weaknesses in Foundation Establishment.

He then switched his cultivation to the Golden Flame Burning Heaven Technique, and there were no obstacles before he reached the Golden Core stage.

Although the cultivation method says that breaking through the barriers and advancing to the next level is as easy as turning one's hand, he has never seen anyone achieve it. He needs to make several preparations in case of unforeseen circumstances.

As for his physical body, he only needs to practice the Yi Jin Jing steadily. Once he has mastered the body refinement, he can break through to the second stage without the need for insufficient physical strength and declining blood and qi during the foundation building stage.

His only worry was the barrier of spiritual consciousness, even though his spiritual consciousness was extraordinary.

The cultivation of divine sense is the most ethereal and elusive, but now that a spiritual object that can transform divine sense is right in front of him, coupled with the Refining God Technique, how could Li Xiuyuan possibly miss it?

The jade slip details that the Liu family of Qi Refining has colluded with the Demon Flame Sect.

The three parties secretly plotted to launch an attack on the spiritual herb garden of the Zhou family, located 300 miles outside Black Wind City, in ten days.

Li Xiuyuan put down the jade slip, tapped the table lightly with his knuckles, and frowned slightly.

He was considering whether to report it to the sect, as this was a special task that Shui Lian had given him.

If he reports this to the sect, and the sect sends someone to help, he will definitely not get any of the Refining God Grass.

If he doesn't report it, it would be too dangerous for him, with his Qi Refining Level 8 cultivation, to fight against the three forces.

In addition, turmoil has occurred among the demon race in Black Wind Valley. It is said that the ancient cultivator's cave that was opened earlier is located in the valley, and it is suspected that it contains earth veins. Some cultivators have collected the Earth Core Lotus Seed, a foundation-building spiritual item that can enhance fire-type magic power, from the earth veins.

All these pieces of news excited Li Xiuyuan, as the two Foundation Establishment spiritual items were exactly what he needed.

……

The situation in Blackwind Market became even more chaotic after the invasion of the Demon Flame Gate.

Besides the local powerful clans, there were also many rogue cultivators, demonic cultivators, and evil cultivators who had fled from the Qin Kingdom during the war between the two countries.

This place is more like a "no man's land," with the Black Wind Valley demons causing trouble and attracting many demon hunters, making the situation here unpredictable and volatile.

Even with Li Xiuyuan's current cultivation level, he had to be careful to avoid being caught off guard and losing his life.

Who knows if there might be some eccentric Foundation Establishment expert who disguises themselves as a low-level demonic cultivator or a rogue cultivator to play around in the mortal world?

But heaven rewards those who persevere, and Li Xiuyuan's efforts were rewarded after dozens of days of waiting.

He finally caught a piece of information: Zhu Ritian, the leader of the Heaven and Earth Society, was greedy and lecherous, and would appear at the "Pleasure Pavilion" in Black Wind Market every day to enjoy the services of "female cultivators".

After collecting rent in the market's unaffiliated cultivator area, he left the market alone with the spirit stones and returned to Black Wind Stronghold, the residence of the Heaven and Earth Society members.

On this day, Li Xiuyuan disguised himself and came to the outside of Black Wind Market.

As is customary, one pays a bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pill at the registration office for independent cultivators setting up stalls in exchange for a receipt.

Then they set up a small stall in a proper manner, wrote down the prices, and displayed a few bottles of low-grade pills that they had taken from the Dragon and Tiger Brothers.

Li Xiuyuan felt that simply displaying these few bottles of pills was too monotonous, so he also took out the talismans from his storage bag and the defensive jade pendant from the demonic cultivator at Baicaotang to sell.

The jade pendant was severely damaged by Li Xiuyuan's attack, and the restrictions inside the magic artifact were greatly damaged, causing its grade to drop. It's no longer of any use to him, so it's better to sell it and exchange it for spirit stones.

As for the magical artifacts of the Dragon and Tiger Brothers, Li Xiuyuan did not take them out, fearing that they might attract the attention of those with ulterior motives and alert the Heaven and Earth Society, which would be bad if he stirred up trouble.

Afterwards, Li Xiuyuan brewed himself a pot of tea, sat upright on a futon, and waited for someone destined to take the bait.

Pills, being rapidly consumed items, are extremely popular among independent cultivators, especially in chaotic places where bloodshed and slaughter take place every day.

Before long, a cultivator dressed as a rogue came to the stall.

He was overjoyed to see rare mid-grade pills on the stall, and even more delighted when he saw the price.

He tried to bargain, after all, he was a rogue cultivator, the kind of person who would try to save every penny he could from a spirit stone.

"No bargaining, don't even bother asking!"

Li Xiuyuan glanced at the rogue cultivator and slightly released the pressure of the seventh level of Qi Refining so that he could sense it.

This rogue cultivator was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, very ordinary, and probably couldn't even scrape together a hundred spirit stones.

Li Xiuyuan had no intention of haggling with him. The best way to deal with rogue cultivators was to demonstrate absolute strength.

Although crude, it works incredibly well.

The rogue cultivator intended to argue after hearing Li Xiuyuan's words, but when he sensed a cultivation level far exceeding his own, he realized that Li Xiuyuan's was far superior.

A hint of apprehension flashed across his face, and he stopped talking.

However, this Qi Gathering Powder is extremely rare, especially after the invasion of the Demon Flame Sect, when many cultivation forces withdrew from this place.

The medicinal resources here are scarce and precious, and the price of these medicinal herbs is much cheaper than those from unscrupulous shops, saving him a few spirit stones. He really couldn't bear to leave empty-handed.

After repeatedly confirming that the Qi Gathering Powder was fine, he reluctantly took out fifty spirit stones, bought three doses of the powder, and hurriedly left.

After the rogue cultivator left, Li Xiuyuan took out other pills to fill the gap.

Waiting for the next guest.

Time passed slowly, and the sales of these pills were indeed good, selling out in less than two hours.

Li Xiuyuan had only intended to kill time, but unexpectedly he made a small fortune instead.

He can sell all these things before he goes down the mountain at the latest.

Just as he was thinking this, a burly monk, dressed in a luxurious robe and reeking of alcohol and perfume, walked up to the stall.

The male cultivator in fine clothes exuded a powerful aura, and his cultivation level was slightly higher than Li Xiuyuan's, appearing to be at the peak of the eighth level of Qi Refining.

He stood in front of the stall without saying a word, just staring blankly at the pills on it.

He slurred, "Did you sell all of these? Can I take a look?"

Li Xiuyuan naturally had no objections, thinking to himself, "The fish has finally taken the bait."

He smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist, please feel free to examine it."

With Li Xiuyuan's approval, the man in fine clothes smiled and picked up a jade bottle, opened it, and gently sniffed it.

Then, a Rejuvenation Pill was poured out, and the eyes lit up. This Rejuvenation Pill was of superior quality in both color and aroma, much better than those sold in the market, which showed the high level of skill of the alchemist.

Thinking of this, a greedy glint flashed in his beady eyes: "The alchemy technique is truly amazing, hiccup. Are you an alchemist, fellow Daoist?"

After saying that, he stared intently at Li Xiuyuan, no longer discussing business, but instead trying to find out Li Xiuyuan's background.

Li Xiuyuan had no objection; he was already waiting for Zhu Ritian to come, so he started talking nonsense.

Born into a collateral branch of a family of alchemists, he possessed great cultivation and alchemy skills, yet he was suppressed by the main branch's legitimate son and mistress, who were jealous of his talent and feared seizing power from the main branch.

In a fit of anger, he ran away from home. To prove himself, he was determined to make a name for himself and make that foolish mother and son, who didn't recognize his talent, regret their actions... and so on.

The two became close friends in the end, as if they regretted not having met sooner.

They wished they could become sworn brothers on the spot.

Zhu Ritian even openly and secretly promised that as long as he joined Black Wind Stronghold and became a "respected" alchemist, he would enjoy the treatment of the deputy leader.

At that time, his status will be second only to the emperor.

Li Xiuyuan, however, never responded, always managing to gloss over the issue with a laugh.

This made Pig-Head curse inwardly, "What a cunning fellow!"

Half an incense stick later.

"Consider these bottles of pills a gift to Brother Ritian. It's a pity we haven't met sooner."

"Oh, oh, oh, how can you do this, Brother Yuan? I'm the one who's benefiting from this. Come to my Black Wind Stronghold in a few days, and you'll be greeted with fine wine and beautiful women. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

"Then I thank you in advance, brother, hahaha."

"Hahaha, it's alright, it's alright..."

The two, each with their own ulterior motives, "chatted happily" until they sent Pig Daytian out of the loose cultivator gathering area.

Li Xiuyuan's face darkened. "This dead pig is truly insatiable, trying to kidnap me to be his 'chieftain alchemist.' He should take a good look at himself in the mirror! Humph, I'll be paying him a visit in a few days!"

Previously, he was dressed as a grinning drunkard, Zhu Ritian, but he was out of Li Xiuyuan's sight.

Suddenly reverting to his usual ruthless and decisive demeanor as the leader of the Heaven and Earth Society, he roared with murderous intent, "So you've got some nerve! You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences. I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget. Who really is in charge of this Black Wind Valley that stretches for hundreds of miles!"

Pig Daytian randomly activated a communication talisman, "Tiger Head, Snake Tail, call a few capable brothers over, a fat sheep has come to our door."

……