Divine Tang Era

Inside the room, a single lamp flickered dimly.

Xu Dan leaned against the bed, flipping through the cultivation manuals he had bought today. These books were quite good; they would easily cost more than four hundred spirit stones on the black market, not to mention he also got a free storage bag. It seemed those calls of "sister" weren't in vain; he'd have to keep calling her that often.

I never thought I'd be able to make a living off my looks. Life is so unpredictable!

Xu Dan thought shamelessly.

The bright moon hangs high outside the window. In the vast starry sky, the clear moonlight, as pure as a secluded pool in a valley, sprinkles down from the sky, carrying an indescribable gentleness that stirs the heart.

Xu Dan stirred slightly. Wasn't this the perfect time to cultivate the Northern Dark Tortoise's Sun and Moon Ingestion Technique?

He immediately sat cross-legged on the bed, facing the bright moon outside the window. Following the incantation, he opened his mouth wide and swallowed, visualizing the essence of the moon being swallowed into his stomach, which then swelled up. When it reached its maximum size, Xu Dan closed his mouth, held his breath, circulated the incantation, and refined the moon's essence. Strands of pure energy flowed into his dantian.

This is precisely:

A bright moon hangs high in the sky, its myriad rays of light illuminating the void.

Swallow it into your belly to prove the Great Dao, and refine it to become a flawless true person.

The root, dust, and dharma nature are all empty; only through their wondrous functions can one know that they are not the same.

After an unknown amount of time, as the moon began to set in the west, Xu Dan finished his practice and sensed that the true qi he had cultivated in his dantian was actually more than what he had previously consumed from the Qi-Nourishing Pills. This was truly bizarre! If the Qi-Nourishing Pills were less effective than his own cultivation, why bother buying them? And most importantly, they even had a market for them—it was truly a strange situation.

He secretly decided that he would never take Qi-nourishing pills again and would just cultivate on his own; there was no need to waste that money.

After practicing for a while, I felt refreshed and showed no signs of wanting to sleep.

Xu Dan simply took out his storage bag and organized it, putting away the more valuable items like the quiver, leaving only the living creature that Yu Longzi had transformed into—Fatty. Because time was frozen inside the storage bag, it couldn't store living beings; Fatty would die if it went in, so it had to stay outside. He'd heard there were spirit beast bags on the market that could hold spirit pets, but unfortunately, they were too expensive for him to afford.

There is also a storage bag that combines storage and the placement of spirit pets.

This thing is more expensive than storage bags and spirit beast bags.

Unlike storage bags or other similar items that create space from inanimate objects, the Treasure Bag is crafted from the powerful stomachs of beasts that possess supernatural abilities, making it a living entity. Because it contains life force, it is often refined into a small, independent paradise, also known as a miniature fairyland, a blessed realm, or a treasure realm.

These independent, secluded paradises are often rich in spiritual energy, making them ideal for cultivation or the planting of medicinal herbs, and are therefore highly sought after.

It is said that long ago, storage bags were very cheap.

But times change, and things have changed drastically. Now it has become a hot commodity.

Xu Dan hadn't been wasting his time; while wandering around the city and chatting with people, he'd gleaned some information and was quite knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the business. Putting away his belongings and counting his remaining spirit stones, Xu Dan shook his head and sighed inwardly: "Making money is tough!"

Buying just a few books costs four hundred spirit stones, not to mention other things. It seems I need to make some money; I can't keep selling jade dragons forever.

Selling two today already hurt my wallet; I can't sell any more. I could sell the golden cordyceps, but it's fat food; selling it would just starve it.

After thinking it over, Xu Dan decided to make some quick money.

Now that the snow line has receded, it's the perfect time to dig for medicinal herbs like Jade Dragon Seeds. You can see huge crowds lining up to dig at the city gates before dawn every day. You can spot the spiritual creatures in the distance, and venturing a little further shouldn't be too difficult.

It's getting late, and although I'm full of energy, I still need to take a nap.

Before going to sleep, Xu Dan remembered how he had fallen asleep quickly after taking an insect pill the day before. Wondering if it could actually help him sleep, he took one, swallowed it, blew out the light, and lay down on the bed. He fell asleep almost immediately.

"call..."

The next morning, as soon as Xu Dan opened his eyes, he saw the little magpie blowing air into his ear.

Seeing that he was awake, Little Magpie put her hands on her hips and said, "Brother Xu, children shouldn't stay in bed late. I got up very early, Black Bear got up too, and the rooster started crowing a long time ago, but you didn't get up."

"Okay, kid."

Seeing that it was getting late, Xu Dan quickly got up and took Xiao Que'er to the rooftop to collect some auspicious energy.

He had already tried the new technique last night, and it was far more effective than his haphazard methods of gathering qi. So today, he taught Xiao Que'er the newly learned Northern Dark Turtle Sun and Moon Inhalation Technique. He didn't have any intention of keeping it to himself; after all, it wasn't a treasure, just a technique.

The little magpie is clever; it learns quickly.

In her mind, it wasn't a difficult thing at all. Wasn't it just like eating steamed buns, pancakes, and water—swallowing them down? She already knew how to do it; she didn't even need Brother Xu to teach her.

After observing her for a while and seeing that she had learned it, Xu Dan began to operate according to the formula.

Soon, the gloomy sky faded away.

Egg white appeared on the horizon, and the sky began to brighten. Below the horizon, a fiery red sun was brewing, eager to break free of its shackles and burst forth from the earth. Just then, a purple aura surged forth, illuminating the heavens and earth. Xu Dan and Xiao Que'er were already familiar with this, and quickly opened their mouths wide, swallowing the purple aura and refining it through their magic.

After a while, the rising sun leaped out of the ground, radiating boundless golden light, making Xu Dan and Xiao Que'er, who were sitting on the roof, look like golden figures.

After collecting the qi, Xu Dan jumped down, holding the little magpie.

Little Magpie obediently ran to the side to practice Taibao Divine Fist. Xu Dan stood in the courtyard, recalling the "Establishing the Cauldron and Sealing the Furnace Technique" he had bought yesterday. After familiarizing himself with it, he began to practice. He faced east, his body relaxed, standing naturally.

Breathing softly and continuously, with nothing in one's mind, empty of all emptiness.

Standing in the courtyard, though short in stature, he appeared as majestic as a towering pillar.

After a moment, he slowly stepped out with his left foot, stretched out his arms, and slowly raised them from in front of his body to shoulder level. He then bent his knees and squatted into a horse stance, simultaneously bending his elbows, pulling his arms inward, pressing his tongue against the upper palate, tucking in his buttocks and lifting his anus, gripping the ground with his toes, inhaling and exhaling through his nose, and focusing his mind on his dantian.

At this moment, Xu Dan was as still as a golden cauldron, without any thoughts or desires.

My heart is empty, devoid of anything.

At first, there was nothing unusual about his body. But after a while, a sound suddenly rang out from inside him, like the babbling of a stream, so refreshing, so natural, so melodious.

Hearing the sound, Yunniang looked over, but Xiao Que'er was still engrossed in practicing Taibao Shenquan.

The sound of flowing water grew louder and louder, like a river rushing swiftly.

Within Xu Dan's body, the qi and blood that had been resting peacefully throughout began to surge, converging in one direction. Like babbling brooks becoming mountain streams, murmuring streams becoming rivers, and rushing rivers becoming mighty rivers. The river surged and roared ceaselessly.

"Boom, boom!"

Loud noises came from Xu Dan's body. Xiao Que'er, who had just finished practicing her boxing, ignored the sweat on her brow and ran over curiously, wanting to see what was wrong with her brother Xu. Yun Niang quickly stepped forward and pulled her aside.

Within the body, endless qi and blood converge at the central position, merging into a golden cauldron phantom.

"control..."

A sound like thunder or a giant drum suddenly emanated from the cauldron, shaking the five internal organs and the soul.

Xu Dan couldn't help but shudder, instantly snapping out of his empty, thoughtless, and profound state of mind. Recalling what had just happened, he quickly focused his gaze on the center, where a golden, ancient cauldron floated in the void within his body, radiating light. Streams of surging blood and energy continuously converged from all sides towards the center, and the golden cauldron was constantly changing, gradually transforming from a phantom into a solid entity.

These transformation techniques are all described in the manual. Once it is solidified, it means that he has the power of a cauldron and has entered the basics of the technique.

"The Golden Cauldron Sealing Technique isn't that hard to learn!" Xu Dan thought.

If Li Zhu, the master of Mingfeng Tower, knew his current situation, she would definitely be dumbfounded with surprise. Although the Golden Cauldron Sealing Technique is not difficult, it is absolutely impossible to master it in a single day.

"Brother Xu, what's wrong? I just heard your stomach growling loudly. Are you hungry?" Little Magpie ran over and asked with concern.

Xu Dan patted her head. "You're hungry. Let's go eat."

"Yes, I'm hungry too, and the black bear is hungry too."

After Little Magpie finished speaking, she ran to the side, picked up the silly black bear who was watching the commotion, and ran towards the dining room.