Chapter 10: "White Jade True Technique

Over the past three years, Lu Qingfeng has never slacked off.

First and foremost is the !

After strengthening it four consecutive times, consuming a total of 150 experience points, he directly enhanced the to the refined level.

A refined level cultivation technique fundamentally differs from a basic level one.

Firstly,

A basic level technique can only be practiced up to the Foundation Establishment level, whereas a refined level technique is a powerful method that points straight to the Golden Core. It is extremely rare in the entire Wanxiang City region and even in the jurisdiction of the Seven Sword Mountain Range, which encompasses eight hundred mountains and one thousand two hundred cities!

Secondly,

The inner breath cultivated at each level of a refined level technique cannot be compared to that of a basic technique.

When Lu Qingfeng was practicing the initial version of the , he only had a total of 10 points of inner breath at the pinnacle of the First Level of the Fetal Breathing Realm.

But after switching to the four times strengthened refined level , at the same pinnacle of the First Level of the Fetal Breathing Realm, his total inner breath reached 20 points, which is double the previous amount and equivalent to the total inner breath at the pinnacle of the Second Level of the Fetal Breathing Realm when practicing the !

The multiplication of inner breath stored at every level signifies an increase in strength far beyond just a simple doubling.

Both endurance and explosive power are enhanced!

In addition, the quality of the inner breath has also been raised from basic to refined, reinforcing the 'Flame Sun Power' characteristic, further increasing combat capabilities!

"With the same First Level of the Fetal Breathing Realm, even without using martial techniques or spells, relying on double the inner breath, refined inner breath quality, and the Flame Sun Power characteristic, I can now confidently defeat three to five of myself practicing the !"

Lu Qingfeng appears to have stagnated in rank but, in reality, his foundation has been continuously accumulating!

This Flame Sun Power may sound ordinary, but its effects are quite significant.

Inner breath imbued with Flame Sun Power is more powerful and has stronger explosive force. It greatly enhances fire attribute techniques and martial skills like the Fire Bomb Technique and Burning Heart Palm.

Combined with the Fire Bomb Technique and Burning Heart Palm, along with the formidable power of a refined level technique, Lu Qingfeng at the Fetal Breathing Realm level can even fight across several ranks!

"Fire Bomb Technique, Luo Smoke Step, Burning Heart Palm; the combination of these three techniques means I have means to defend against enemies at close and long range. What I lack now is a defensive magic."

Lu Qingfeng sat in front of his stall, contemplating the combination of techniques.

Though he had a hundredfold time difference, he still cherished time immensely and was unwilling to waste it.

For Lu Qingfeng, who is a 'Root Bone: 1' waste material, three years isn't considered long. Apart from the time spent in reality, Lu Qingfeng could only utilize about two years effectively.

In these two years, he had to manage exchange of materials for Fasting Pills and Yellow Dragon Pills, to survive and cultivate. He also had to practice cultivation techniques and study alchemy, so the time he could set aside to practice techniques was already limited.

Therefore, he couldn't afford to cast a wide net but had to make targeted choices.

Among the low-level techniques available in the Fetal Breathing Realm, the Fire Bomb Technique is one with great power. After being enhanced twice and boosted by the Flame Sun Power, it became extraordinary and suitable for long-range attacks.

The Burning Heart Palm is a fire attribute hand technique. After two enhancements and the addition of the Flame Sun Power, it has respectable power in close combat. Like a red-hot branding iron, one palm strike can crush hearts and shatter lungs!

The Luo Smoke Step is a qinggong technique. It allows for flexibility and variation when facing an enemy and enables a retreat with ease if overpowered.

As for the last technique, Heavenly Eye Skill, it is a must-learn for cultivators, allowing them to observe the cultivation levels of other cultivators; only by fully understanding the enemy, can one stand on invincible ground!

Being able to master these four techniques in such a short period is already the limit for Lu Qingfeng. Even so, the last mastered Luo Smoke Step and Burning Heart Palm still require lots of practice to become fluent.

"Brother Lu, two bottles of Fasting Pills."

While pondering, a middle-aged daoist stood in front of the stall.

Lu Qingfeng collected his thoughts and looked at the newcomer.

"So it's Brother Fang, was your trip to Silver Light Mountain smooth?"

This 'Brother Fang' is an old player named Fang Jiu, whom Lu Qingfeng met six months ago. Roughly built and in his forties, he has been stuck at the True Qi Realm Third Level for ten years.

Now he is searching for opportunities everywhere to improve his cultivation.

"Pretty okay, I managed to get a Blood Spirit Grass, so the trip wasn't in vain." Fang Jiu said nonchalantly, but his face was already blooming with joy.

"Blood Spirit Grass?"

"That's great stuff, congratulations to Brother Fang!"

Blood Spirit Grass is like the common medicinal herb Red Oil Flower, but the difference between the two is significant.

Common medicinal herbs can only be used to refine low-level elixirs like Fasting Pills and Yellow Dragon Pills, or intermediate elixirs like Golden Marrow Pills.

However, even the lowest level first-rank spiritual grasses can serve as the main ingredients for advanced and top-level elixirs, which is extraordinarily valuable.

With just one Blood Spirit Grass, Fang Jiu's trip to Silver Light Mountain was a complete success.

Seeing his beaming face, it was clear that besides the Blood Spirit Grass, he probably had other gains as well.

"Haha!"

Fang Jiu laughed heartily.

He was indeed in a good mood due to his fruitful rewards.

Taking the two bottles of Fasting Pills from Lu Qingfeng's hands, Fang Jiu handed over a cloth bag from his waist, "Here are three hundred portions of basic medicinal materials, Brother Lu, will you count them?"

"Brother Fang, you must be joking."

"But next time, please treat these herbs a bit better. Just tossing them all into a sack like this—"

Lu Qingfeng opened the bag and saw hundreds of medicinal materials mixed with fresh soil, they did not exactly present well.

"Brother, I risk my life out there. With demon beasts and ferocious beasts everywhere in Silver Light Mountain, I had to grab these herbs and leave. There was no time to sort them." Fang Jiu laughed heartily, waved the two bottles of Fasting Pills in his hand and said, "I better get going, I have some things to sell."

Seeing this, Lu Qingfeng quickly added, "Brother Fang, don't you need to replenish some talismans?"

"Talismans?"

"Alright then, I'll patronize old Huang's business for the sake of Brother Lu!"

Fang Jiu stopped and indeed bought a stack each of Fiery Flame Talismans, Hundred Ice Talismans, and Golden Light Talismans from Lu Qingfeng's stall before leaving.

However, calling it Lu Qingfeng's stall might not be quite accurate.

This spot belongs to Huang Luo, who Lu Qingfeng met during his first visit to the market three years ago.

Since then, Lu Qingfeng would visit the market every few months as a respite from his cultivation. Over time, he got to know Huang Luo.

Lu Qingfeng has been studying alchemy for a long time and has a rough mastery of refining Fasting Pills.

As for the more complex and precious Yellow Dragon Pills, occasionally with good luck, he might refine one or two inferior pills. When luck is bad, a whole batch of materials could be ruined, resulting in a loss with nothing to show for it.

Let's not delve into Yellow Dragon Pills.

Fasting Pills were used by Lu Qingfeng for practice to hone his skills, but he himself didn't need so many. Therefore, he decided to sell the surplus in the market.

Renting a stall in the market was expensive, and Lu Qingfeng couldn't afford it. Fortunately, Huang Luo, being kind-hearted, agreed to let Lu Qingfeng use his stall while he was in seclusion drawing talismans.

Daoist Huang Luo did not charge Lu Qingfeng any rent; he only asked him to help sell his talismans while selling the Fasting Pills.

Lu Qingfeng was overjoyed and readily accepted.

Daoist Huang Luo's talismans were of good quality, and Lu Qingfeng's Fasting Pills had gained a bit of a reputation.

"Alchemy Analysis" had been reinforced twice, yielding a elixir recipe that was even more refined than those from Luo Sheng Alchemy Workshop and those circulated in Black Sand Town.

A regular Fasting Pill could relieve one from hunger for six days, but the Fasting Pills refined using "Alchemy Analysis" by Lu Qingfeng could do so for eight days, and the price was increased only by twenty percent.

Fair prices naturally retained many repeat customers, including Fang Jiu.

Thus, Lu Qingfeng's Fasting Pills were sold alongside Huang Luo Daoist's talismans, with surprisingly good results.

"A regular Fasting Pill's standard price is ten portions of processed basic medical herbs; an alchemy apprentice proficient in Fasting Pill refinement can produce one pill at a cost not exceeding five portions of basic medical herbs—this includes the failure rate. The profit is more than double."

"The Fasting Pills that I refine, at twelve pills per bottle, are sold for one hundred and fifty portions of basic medical herbs. The average selling price per Fasting Pill is 12.5 portions of basic medical herbs, while the comprehensive cost is only four portions."

"That's a threefold profit!"

Whether alchemy, artifact refining, or talisman-making, these skills are notoriously expensive.

Take Lu Qingfeng; although he has now mastered the refinement of Fasting Pills and has a threefold profit, the amount of medical herbs he wasted before was in the thousands!

Even now, as he endeavours to study the refinement of the Yellow Dragon Pill, the wasted medical herbs are even more. The basic medical herbs earned from the Fasting Pills are not enough to fill this bottomless pit.

Alchemy apprentices and alchemists, except for those with exceptional talent, almost every one of them struggled through hardships. Those without substantial family wealth simply couldn't afford to play this game.

This also led to the fact that out of the 500,000 population in Black Sand Town, with over 200,000 cultivators, the number of alchemy apprentices does not exceed one hundred!

Among these hundred, most are at low or intermediate levels; only a very few can reach high or top levels!

"My talent in alchemy is mediocre, but luckily I have the feature to enhance elixir recipes, so I'm not running at a loss."

Lu Qingfeng sighed, then closed his eyes to comprehend the "Green Wood Flame Sun Scripture".

Before long, it was evening.

...

"Qingfeng, I have found the defensive martial art you requested," Daoist Huang Luo arrived, bringing good news to Lu Qingfeng.

"Found it?"

"Thank you, Brother Huang!"

A smile spread across Lu Qingfeng's face.

He now possessed skills for ranged attacks, close combat, and lightness skill maneuvering, lacking only a defense skill. Daoist Huang Luo was a high-level talisman apprentice with extensive connections.

Lu Qingfeng had asked him to find one on his behalf.

Unexpectedly, in just a few days, there was already a result.

Lu Qingfeng eagerly looked at Daoist Huang Luo, who shook his head with a smile, "You have just entered the 'Primordial', you should focus on cultivation first. Techniques and alchemy can be put off for later. Remember, cultivation does not tolerate any slack; one step behind is to fall behind at every step, and by the time you..."

He got carried away as he spoke.

Then looking up, he saw Lu Qingfeng appearing attentive and tossed a scroll at him, "Enough, no matter how much I say, you won't listen. This 'White Jade True Technique' belongs to a friend of mine, and when practiced to the extreme, it can ignore attacks at the Fetal Breathing Realm level without any changes in posture, meets your requirements, right?"

[Skill: White Jade True Technique]

[Grade: Low-level, a total of three layers]

[Description: A horizontal training martial art, when cultivated to the extreme, the body is like white jade, invulnerable to all threats within the Fetal Breathing Realm!]

"It meets the requirements, it does!"

Lu Qingfeng eagerly took the "White Jade True Technique".

With this martial art, he could make up for his last weakness.

"Brother Huang, how much did the 'White Jade True Technique' cost?" Lu Qingfeng asked Daoist Huang Luo.

"Defensive martial arts at the Fetal Breathing Realm level aren't pricey, but 'White Jade True Technique' is among the top at this level. It can also boost your strength a bit after reaching the True Qi Realm level; it costs a total of five spirit stone fragments," Daoist Huang Luo said casually with a slight smile.

"Five spirit stone fragments?!"

Lu Qingfeng was stunned.

As Daoist Huang Luo said, ordinary techniques or martial arts at the Fetal Breathing Realm level aren't valuable. Techniques like the "Luo Smoke Step" and the "Burning Heart Palm" did not exceed the cost of one spirit stone fragment.

But this "White Jade True Technique" cost more than five times that!

One spirit stone fragment holds significant purchasing power, enough to buy a hundred Yellow Dragon Pills or ten Golden Marrow Pills.

"White Jade True Technique!"

Five hundred Yellow Dragon Pills?!

"All right, don't make that face."

"I've already paid the five spirit stone fragments for you; just pay me back later. I see you have a talent for alchemy, but you must concentrate on your cultivation. Still, lingering in the First Level of the Fetal Breathing Realm after three or four years, I really don't know how you've been practicing!" Daoist Huang Luo shook his head, looking helpless.

"Thank you very much, Brother Huang!"

"Qingfeng will definitely pay back as soon as possible!"

Lu Qingfeng thanked him earnestly. He was indeed short of money right now.

With the failure rate of the Yellow Dragon Pill at 95%, all his wealth was invested there. Presently, he only had a little over twenty Yellow Dragon Pills, far from the equivalent of five spirit stone fragments (five hundred Yellow Dragon Pills).

"Go on, go on!"

"Don't hang around in front of me, it's irritating!"

Daoist Huang Luo waved his hand.

Lu Qingfeng smiled, stayed with Daoist Huang Luo for a while, then stood up and left.

...