Treasure Gathering Immortal Furnace

Seeing Lu Fan's nonchalant tone, Wang Qingzhu was speechless.

"You have a good idea. You can advance one level every five years. There are still five years left until the Demon Extermination Conference. Even if you cultivate without sleep for five years, it will be difficult for you to reach the tenth level of Qi Refining."

Even if you reach that level, you might not get the Foundation Establishment Pill. And even if you do get it by chance, the success rate for someone with a mutated mixed spiritual root to establish their foundation with just one Foundation Establishment Pill is less than 10%.

Wang Qingzhu revealed Lu Fan's current predicament.

"I understand, but there's nothing I can do," Lu Fan sighed.

"Never mind, if this demon-slaying tournament goes well, I might be able to get an extra Foundation Establishment Pill, and I'll give it to you then."

Whether you can establish a foundation depends entirely on your destiny.

Wang Qingzhu felt helpless about this abandoned child she had personally brought to the Dao Sect. She wanted to ignore him, but since he was the one she brought here, she was only an outer sect Foundation Establishment steward and had no power to help him.

In fact, Wang Qingzhu was just like that—cold on the outside but warm on the inside. After all, if it were some other cultivators, and they brought Lu Fan to the Dao Sect and found that his spiritual root was not good, they probably would never talk to him again, let alone help him.

"Thank you, Uncle-Master," Lu Fan said respectfully.

Wang Qingzhu then handed the bamboo slip in her hand to Lu Fan, saying, "This is a secret sword technique that I obtained by chance during my recent training trip. It is called the Sword Shadow Splitting Light Technique. After learning it, you can create sword shadows to fight your enemies."

"There are six levels in total. Each level can increase the number of sword shadows. When you reach the sixth level, the number of sword shadows can reach a thousand, and the power is considerable. Take it and cultivate it well."

Upon receiving the sword manual from Wang Qingzhu, Lu Fan quickly expressed his gratitude: "Thank you so much for this treasure, Martial Uncle!"

"Remember, the Demon Extermination Conference is no child's play. In addition, your lifespan is not long, so you must take it seriously. In these last five years, you must not only cultivate to the tenth level of Qi Refining."

"Moreover, you need to master this sword technique to the third level, otherwise it will be difficult to defeat those elite disciples of the inner sect."

Wang Qingzhu gave her instructions.

Lu Fan nodded slowly and asked, "Uncle-Master, what criteria are used to judge qualifications for this Demon Extermination Conference?"

"Based on the number of evil cultivators killed, generally speaking, one must kill at least five evil cultivators at the Qi Refining Level 10 during the Demon Extermination Conference to qualify for the Foundation Establishment Pill," Wang Qingzhu said.

"This isn't too difficult," Lu Fan muttered.

"Not difficult? Those evil cultivators have many methods and resort to all sorts of underhanded tricks. Moreover, there are even Foundation Establishment stage evil cultivators mixed in among them. If you're not careful, you'll die on the spot. You can't be careless," Wang Qingzhu warned.

"Yes, I will follow your teachings, Uncle-Master." Lu Fan humbly accepted the instruction with his hands clasped.

"Sigh, I hope I can gather all the materials for the Golden Marrow Pill during this Demon Extermination Conference. If I can successfully form the core, I won't have to be trapped in the Dao Sect anymore," Wang Qingzhu sighed softly, her lazy yet bright eyes looking at the birds flying freely in the distant treetops, slightly lost in thought.

"Uncle-Master is an outer sect steward, and a cultivator who is about to form his core. How could he be trapped in the Dao Sect?" Lu Fan asked in confusion.

"You don't understand," Wang Qingzhu seemed to have some unspeakable secret.

In fact, Lu Fan had figured it out a few years ago. Back then, Wang Qingzhu even asked him about Mo Li's storage bag, implying that she wanted the Golden Core stage puppet.

Now he laments that he must quickly form his core and break free from the Daoist sect.

This clearly hides some unknown secret.

"Don't worry, Uncle Wang, I will definitely repay your life-saving grace and the many times you have helped me when I am able to do so in the future," Lu Fan said, cupping his hands in greeting.

To Lu Fan's words, Wang Qingzhu simply smiled and said, "It's enough that you have the heart. Go back and cultivate diligently."

Wang Qingzhu naturally didn't really think that a disciple with a mutated mixed spiritual root could have any great future; whether he could even live past seven years was still unknown.

Therefore, he wouldn't take it to heart. Helping Lu Fan was purely to fulfill his responsibility. If Lu Fan really passed away, this karma would come to an end.

After leaving the Hall of Affairs, Lu Fan returned to his thatched cottage.

The next time I see Wang Qingzhu will probably be at the demon-slaying gathering.

Over the next five years, Lu Fan will make thorough preparations to achieve remarkable success and acquire all the resources.

...

Dao Zong, thatched cottage.

Lu Fan took the bamboo slip containing the Sword Shadow Splitting Technique given to him by Wang Qingzhu and began to examine it carefully.

This bamboo slip must have been infused with some spiritual energy. As Lu Fan looked at it, some moves and meridian circulation routes automatically appeared before his eyes.

Unbeknownst to him, Lu Fan, just like Wang Qingzhu before him, raised two fingers and waved them in front of him, making a sword gesture.

From the storage pouch at his waist, a long sword flew out automatically and circled above Lu Fan's head.

And so, he sat there for ten days.

After ten days of continuous practice, the flying sword hovering above Lu Fan's head seemed to be able to split into two sword shadows, but according to the bamboo slip, it seemed that being able to split into ten sword shadows was required to reach the first level.

Of course, Lu Fan didn't think he could reach level one in three days.

Although Lu Fan's comprehension was not bad when he was practicing some basic spells.

However, the Sword Shadow Splitting Light Technique is, after all, a sword manual, and only a born sword genius can master it quickly.

Compared to those monstrous geniuses in swordsmanship, he is far inferior.

The only thing worth praising is that diligence can make up for lack of talent.

However, Lu Fan did not devote himself entirely to cultivating the sword technique, as this was not something that could be mastered in a day or two.

However, his Qi Refining level can be increased rapidly.

Therefore, in the final five years of his sprint, Lu Fan will still focus on increasing the number of cultivation levels.

He also looked forward to the day when he would be able to reach the fortieth level of Qi Refining Foundation Establishment, and how powerful he would become.

With this expectation, Lu Fan entered the cave again.

...

And so, day after day, the Qi-stabilizing pills that Lu Fan had previously obtained were being consumed at an alarming rate.

Occasionally, he would practice the Sword Shadow Splitting Light Technique, and the days passed by like a wild horse, never to return.

Fortunately, hard work pays off. In the fifth year of Lu Fan's seclusion, he almost ran out of the Qi-stabilizing pills, leaving him with ten pills.

His cultivation had reached the peak of the thirty-ninth level of Qi Refining, just one step away from the fortieth level. As for the Sword Shadow Splitting Light Technique, he had also cultivated it to the second level, and could split into twenty sword shadows.

This seemed far from the third level that Wang Qingzhu had hoped for, but there was nothing she could do; Lu Fan couldn't focus all his attention on sword techniques.

Lu Fan then swallowed the last ten Qi-stabilizing pills and began his final sprint.

Because of his proficiency in refining and clearing layers, he reached the fortieth layer without much difficulty.

Refining Qi to the fortieth level is an extremely insane level in the cultivation world, beyond exaggeration.

The Qi Refining stage is mainly about building a foundation. For ordinary cultivators, reaching the eleventh or twelfth level of Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment is already considered to have a solid foundation.

But Lu Fan pushed the foundation up to the fortieth floor. To put it another way, while others were building their foundations on eleven or twelve floors, it was like building a house on compacted soil.

But Lu Fan's strength wasn't solidified soil; it was diamond!

This foundation is so perfect that it is almost impossible to find any flaws.