tom

Chapter 334: Chapter 3: Gathering Place of Rogue Cultivators_2

This is also a method used by powerful forces to strip and suppress cultivators from small countries.

Wang Ba heard quite a bit about this from Wen Yong, even though Wang Ba isn't a tool refiner.

But thinking about finally being able to refine the Class II Spirit Cook's magic tool that he has yearned for, Wang Ba was filled with anticipation.

Because refining Spirit Chicken Essence was truly time-consuming.

It took about a thousand lower grade Class I spirit chickens to produce one Essence bottle.

And if Class II spirit chickens were used instead, not only would the efficacy of the Spirit Chicken Essence significantly improve, but the number of chickens needed would also greatly decrease.

In this way, it could save time and increase productivity – it was the best of both worlds.

Although he was excited and a bit impatient, he still calmed his emotions.

With patience, Wang Ba processed and refined the spirit chickens at hand and finally got half a bottle of Spirit Chicken Essence.

After cleaning up, the Defense Array was finally deactivated.

He strode out.

As he stepped out, the Power of the Yin God silently started to turn.

In others' eyes, he transformed once again into 'Zhao Wei'.

A handsome man, looking about forty years old.

Even if perceived through others' spiritual senses, his Mana aura and Soul aura were similar to that of an ordinary early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

This was a silent change that happened after the Power of the Yin God had become stronger.

This change was not recorded in "Book of Yin God's Grand Dream" or "Divine Dream".

According to the Cultivation Method,

Normally, the Power of the Yin God can only obscure the five senses and is easily seen through by Spiritual Sense.

Even after progressing to the second layer through the "Book of Yin God's Grand Dream", it only grants an ability to invade another's soul and alter their cognition.

Now, even if scanned with Spiritual Sense, one could only sense an average-looking middle-aged Cultivator in the early stages of Foundation Establishment.

The performance was far better than the "Intense Darkness" technique that Zhao Feng had taught him.

Wang Ba guessed that it had something to do with the faceless statue in the Spiritual Government.

Over these years, as he progressed with his Power of the Yin God, the contours on the face of the faceless statue had become somewhat deeper.

Though unfortunately, he still couldn't make out the statue's identity.

Of course, the current Power of the Yin God could only maintain such an effect if he didn't use any Mana. Once he did, it would be difficult to fool others.

At this moment.

"Oh! Senior Zhao, it's rare to see you out."

Just as Wang Ba stepped out, he saw a lean old man with three long beards, smiling as he greeted him.

"Hehe, after cultivating for a long time, I also need to get some fresh air."

Wang Ba also smiled and nodded in response.

To the casual observer, he didn't seem different from an average rogue cultivator.

Wang Ba's gaze then habitually scanned his surroundings.

This was a typical location where the Rogue Cultivators gathered, majorly influenced by the distribution of the 'Spiritual Lineage'.

Located near a river and against a mountain…

The diverse houses, some elegant and some rugged, were scattered irregularly across the slope.

There were many houses compactly arranged together in order to occupy the spiritual lineage beneath them.

Most of these houses were owned by Qi Refining stage cultivators who lacked power and resources.

There were also those who manipulated a large area using formations, like him.

In fact, Foundation Establishment Competitors, for various reasons, would mark a large area around a high-grade spiritual lineage if they had extra resources.

Nobody would object to this.

Every cultivator is a rogue, relying on their abilities.

Only if someone went too far would others intervene. Under normal circumstances, a simple value system was followed— the strong are given priority.

Among the rogue cultivators, there was no doubt that those at the Foundation Establishment stage were the strongest.

However, even among the Foundation Establishment stage rogue cultivators in this area, Wang Ba was relatively low-key. The space he occupied wasn't large and he only occupied a rare Class II middle-grade spiritual lineage in this area, generally keeping a low profile.

Many Foundation Establishment Cultivators occupied multiple spiritual lineages and had much larger territories than him.

At the moment, it was already evening and some cultivators were having conversations in small groups outside.

Occasionally, some cultivators would set up stalls in front of their homes, mostly featuring common talismans and low-grade elixirs to trade items.

There were also cultivators with low-grade spirit beast corpses hanging around.

The place was full of life.

Even near the central part of the Foundation Establishment cultivators' dwelling area, a small-scale alley had been built, containing shops and stalls. It faintly resembled the early stages of a market.

Someone who knew about it indeed referred to it as such.

They had even named it 'Insect Market'.

Suggesting that these rogue cultivators were surviving in the Cultivation World like insects.

It was full of self-mockery and helplessness of the low-tier cultivators.

This had formed gradually after Wang Ba's arrival.

But it had nothing to do with Wang Ba. It was mainly due to the invasion of the Kingdom of Immortals that drew away a large group of sect disciples. The cultivators living here had to come together for trading purposes, which led to it gradually forming.

Instead of being in a hurry, Wang Ba took a walk around the Insect Market to see if there were any interesting items.

However, after a round, he didn't find anything particularly eye-catching.

He didn't feel disappointed. After all, having collaborated with Wen Yong for many years, he had seen quite a few good things and had used many as well.

With his current discerning eye, probably only Class III items could catch his attention.

He eventually reached the only spirit tea café in the market.

It was a small place with only seven or eight tables.

The environment was truly ordinary.

Wang Ba didn't mind and ordered a pot of middle-grade Class I spirit tea, took a few sips, and then turned his ears towards the chatting cultivators in the café.

Chapter 335: Chapter 3: Gathering Place of Rogue Cultivators_3

Every once in a while, he would come and sit here.

Not because the tea was particularly good, but mainly to keep himself connected with the current environment.

Though these rogue cultivators are at the bottom level, because of this, they can see things from different angles.

Through their casual conversation, he might even learn the latest happenings in Yan State.

"Senior Zhao, greetings!"

"Senior Zhao, you're here for tea again?"

A few Qi refining stage cultivators who were chatting noticed Wang Ba and immediately stopped their conversation, respectfully standing up to pay homage to Wang Ba.

Wang Ba casually waved his hands with a smile, "Continue with your chat, don't mind me."

Although there are a lot of people gathered at this rogue cultivator's gathering place, there are only a few Foundation Establishment Competitors, and even though Wang Ba kept a low profile, almost everyone, except the newly arrived cultivators, recognized him.

Everyone knew that this 'Senior Zhao' had a mild temperament and mostly kept to his cultivation, only occasionally coming here for tea.

He almost never had any arguments or unpleasantness with other cultivators.

Consequently, even when they saw Wang Ba, they did not feel too tense, and upon hearing his words, they all sat down again and resumed their quiet chatter.

The teahouse was primarily a place for everyone to exchange information, so as long as they didn't speak too loudly, they didn't have to worry about disturbing others.

So, while sipping his tea, Wang Ba listened to the whispers of the cultivators.

In their conversations, there were all sorts of strange and curious matters.

From sharing experiences of refining lower grade Class I elixirs, to a local rogue cultivator who tried to rob another cultivator and ended up getting killed himself.

There were also anecdotes like a rogue cultivator stumbling upon an immortal cave left behind by a Foundation Establishment Competitor while he was out, procuring many elixirs and magic tools. No one expected that this Foundation Establishment Competitor was a demon cultivator and his cave had many malicious traps; the rogue cultivator got entrapped, barely managed to escape, but his injuries worsened, leading to his death. The only thing he left behind was a beautiful dao companion.

Some people were interested in exactly what kind of elixirs these were, while others were more curious about the whereabouts of that beautiful dao companion.

This probably was a common fault of people, regardless of their cultivation base or realm.

Even Wang Ba couldn't help but stop drinking and start eavesdropping.

However, soon, he paused with the tea cup in his hand.

"Have you heard? The cultivators from Xuli Sect that went to the frontlines in Wei State suffered heavy casualties, reportedly even a Golden Core master fell."

"What? Even a Golden Core master died?"

There was an immediate gasp from the surrounding cultivators.

The speaker, clearly pleased with the reaction his words caused, boasted:

"I heard it from a senior, Xuli Sect suffered heavy losses this time, a lot of Foundation Establishment Masters died too. I reckon, after they return this time, they certainly won't dare to lay hands on us rogue cultivators anymore."

Immediately someone replied with a sense of relief:

"Good! Excellent! Those people from Xuli Sect have always been extremely cruel to rogue cultivators, sucking our blood dry using Xuli Market, some of our dao friends were even sold off to that devil cult in the west by them. Now that they have suffered severe losses, it can be considered a great relief to our relentless resentment!"

"Exactly, in my opinion, it is not necessarily a bad thing even if the Kingdom of Immortals comes. I've heard that there are no sects in the Kingdom of Immortals, everyone is of equal status and resources are divided equally, unlike those sects that ride over our heads, shitting and peeing on us."

A cultivator with a bitter face couldn't help but say.

These treasonous words, which would be perceived as heinous by the sect cultivators, actually garnered much approval from the many cultivators present.

"That's right, if the Kingdom of Immortals invades, we will be the first ones to show them the way!"

"There's not a single good person among the sect cultivators!"

Listening to these rogue Qi Refining cultivators, Wang Ba secretly shook his head.

If it were really about equal status and equal division of resources, it would be fine, but after searching the soul of a Yin God cultivator, he knew that it was far from the truth.

Incense burning Dao cultivators face immense challenges in their normal cultivation practices, even though they need resources, the demand is not so high.

Instead, they constantly need to expand their territories, propagate faith among the masses, collect incense fire for the deities in order to receive their blessings and rapidly advance their cultivation.

So, for incense burning Dao cultivators, the struggle for cultivation resources is far less important than the struggle for followers.

Additionally, the upper limit for incense burning Dao cultivators is also heavily restricted by the deities.

If one becomes an incense-burning Dao cultivator, one would probably end up following the path laid by the deities, rendering services for them for the rest of their lives.

However, there's no point in saying these things, because even if he did, it wouldn't make much of a difference.

It would be more accurate to say that these people approve of the Kingdom of Immortals primarily due to their deep resentment towards the sect powers than actually having a belief in the former.

And just when the cultivators at another table heard the conversation of these people, they immediately chimed in:

"The loss of Xuli Sect this time is not as considerable as the loss ZhenLing Palace suffered. They lost three Golden Core masters at once, reportedly while pursuing the forces of the Kingdom of Immortals. The people of Zhenling Palace must be mourning their loss."

"Three of them died?! Wow! Their status as the number one sect of Yan State, seems uncertain now!"

Someone exclaimed in shock.

"Hehe, do you think Zhang Daobai isn't there? Even if all the four remaining Golden Core masters of Zhenling Palace die, as long as Zhang Daobai is there, they will remain the number one sect in Yan State."

"Zhang Daobai? That old man who never dies? Wasn't it said that he was heavily injured and couldn't go when the Chu Dynasty sent people to recruit him last time?"

"You believe that? He has been injured for decades! This was just to fool you guys and Chu Dynasty's people."

A cultivator with silver hair and an old look scoffed.

"Heh! Regardless, I'm happy no matter how many of those sect people die, it would be best if all of them died!"

A cultivator with a horrifying scar on his face and a broken arm was grinding his teeth, expressing his hatred.

Clearly, he had a difficult, unforgettable past.

Sensing the strong resentment of the cultivators around him towards the powers of the sects, Wang Ba felt empathy.

After all, although he had been through East Saint Sect and Tianmen Cult, he had always been the one oppressed, and there wasn't much difference between him and these rogue cultivators.

It was only now that he had some freedom.

However, just then, a cultivator spoke up, making Wang Ba's heart leap in an instant.

"Speaking of all of them dying, I do have a piece of news, but I am not sure if it's true or false. You all know about the devil cult in the west, right? Someone sneaked in and you know what?"

"There's not a single cultivator in the devil cult, the whole place is empty!"

Chapter 336: Chapter 4: Class II Spirit Cook's Magic Tool_1

"The entire Devil Cult is empty? Are you talking about the Tianmen Cult? How is that possible?"

"Exactly, it's said that within the Devil Cult, there might exist an Immortal Master of Nascent Soul. For such a large cult, who could possibly infiltrate? And how can it just disappear one day?"

After a moment of shock, many Cultivators immediately expressed their doubts.

"As I've said, I also don't know if it's true or not. I just heard it from others."

The black-faced Cultivator who had spoken earlier seemed helpless.

To the side, Wang Ba, without uttering a word, quietly noted the aura of the black-faced Cultivator who had spoken.

After this interlude, the Cultivators' mood of criticizing the Sects subsided a bit, and the topic returned to some market rumors.

"By the way, in a few days, it's said that the 'Baidan Society' is holding a meeting in Lingbi City, what do you guys think? Are you going there?"

Someone suddenly asked.

Upon hearing 'Baidan Society', Wang Ba showed a slight reaction.

The Baidan Society is a small gathering organized by Foundation Establishment Rogue Cultivators for selling elixirs.

Like the Insect Market over here, it got popular about a decade ago.

It's said that there are also Class II Alchemists from small countries who have sought refuge there. Their skills are exquisite, and they can refine a considerable amount of high-quality elixirs in one go.

Wen Yong has brought it up several times, intending to collaborate with these Alchemists.

But Alchemists have a prestigious status and are not short of people like Wen Yong seeking collaboration, so the progress is not significant. He could only take regular elixirs for the Sacred Auction.

Wang Ba didn't care that much. He was not particularly interested in elixirs. Consuming chicken essence might be slower, but it is safer and doesn't have the risk of elixir poisoning.

And adding other cultivation resources, it was more or less sufficient.

"Baidan Society? Is it happening again? Those Alchemists really make elixirs fast, it was just a little over a month ago the last time, wasn't it?"

One of the cultivators couldn't help expressing his astonishment.

But he was soon contradicted by a shake of the head from another cultivator:

"Fast it may be, but they also have a lot of elixir poison. I'm not planning to go. I'd rather try my luck in the Linglong Ghost Market and buy some less toxic elixirs."

"Exactly, why go to the Baidan Society? The prices are outrageously high, I cannot afford it. The key point is that there's a lot of poison. After consuming it, it takes a long time to detoxify. It's better to rely on the spiritual lineage for cultivation."

"It's not as easy as you think, without the help of elixirs. Just counting on us dozens of people guarding a Class I spiritual lineage, we'll never hope to reach Foundation Establishment in this lifetime."

"Indeed, although there's elixir poison, even Sect Cultivators use these elixirs. Can we be stronger than them?"

"Brother Yu, let's go together when the time comes."

"Let's go together, it's better to have a companion on the road."

Elixirs are cultivation resources that a vast majority of Cultivators cannot bypass. As soon as this was mentioned, the teahouse became bustling again.

Just then, a Cultivator with a bearded face at the corner table couldn't help saying:

"I would say, instead of spending so much spirit stone on elixirs, why not buy the spirit chicken essence refined by Master Shen!"

"There are no elixir toxins, and it even carries essence blood energy, which can benefit future breakthroughs."

There was an immediate silence in the teahouse.

Then, most of the Cultivators shook their heads in agreement.

A Cultivator with a steady countenance said helplessly:

"That thing is good, but we can't afford it! Besides, I heard it's even more expensive than elixirs. We can barely afford elixirs, let alone spirit chicken essence."

"I'm afraid the only ones who are willing to use it are really the Master during the Foundation Establishment stage, or Cultivators from those Sects."

"So, as I said, despite Master Shen being famous and the spirit chicken essence being a good thing, it has nothing to do with us. We're nothing but despised bugs, incapable of using such treasures."

This statement immediately resonated with many Cultivators.

Seeing 'Senior Zhao' sitting on the side, sipping his tea, a Cultivator plucked up the courage and asked with a smile:

"Senior Zhao, have you used the spirit chicken essence? How does it compare to elixirs?"

Seeing that the eyes of all the Rogue Cultivators in the room were on him, Wang Ba coughed a bit, then squeezed out a bit of a smile on his face:

"Not bad, he he, it's pretty good."

Despite giving a rather vague answer, he still attracted envious glances from many Cultivators.

"Has Senior Zhao met Master Shen? I heard that Master Shen is very mysterious."

Someone else asked curiously.

"Well, I haven't met him either. This man indeed is mysterious,"

Wang Ba chuckled.

Discussing himself with others, this feeling was quite strange for Wang Ba, especially hearing the praises of himself in others' words. This experience, he had never had before. For a while, Wang Ba was somewhat excited. His smile grew wider.

"In that case, many people's guesses might be correct. This Master Shen might very well be an Earth Cultivator."

It was again that black-faced Cultivator, stroking his chin, who suddenly spoke up.

The smile on Wang Ba's face suddenly froze.

"Ea…Earth Cultivator?"

"Why do you say that?"

Someone had already asked the question Wang Ba had in his heart.

"Think about it, of all the famous masters in our Yan state, who wouldn't often make public appearances?"

"If they don't make public appearances, how can they become famous?"

The black-faced Cultivator retorted.

Immediately, someone contradicted him:

"There is, apart from Master Shen, the talisman-expert Master Xin also has never… Oh right, it's said Master Xin is an Earth Cultivator…"

"That's what I'm saying! Master Shen is probably like Master Xin, both are Earth Cultivators. They don't like to make public appearances and is probably afraid of being plagued by some shameless Cultivators."

Chapter 337: Chapter 4: Class II Spiritual Cook's Magic Tool_2

The black-faced cultivator made a compelling argument.

Unable to hold himself back, he revealed his eager hope:

"I wonder if Master Shen has a companion… If I could marry Master Shen, I would have no worries in this life!"

As soon as he said this, for some reason, he felt a chill run down his spine.

He felt a cold sensation wash over his back.

Turning his head, he saw Senior Zhao looking at him with a smiling face.

The black-faced cultivator immediately breathed a sigh of relief, laughing:

"Senior Zhao, you think the same, don't you?"

"Hehe…"

…

In a mountain recess.

Wang Ba's gaze flickered as he watched the black-faced cultivator, whose eyes had lost their focus. A trace of red disappeared from the cultivator's eyes.

He had originally planned on politely questioning this person about the affairs of the Tianmen Sect.

However, later… he changed his mind.

The process became somewhat more violent.

Nevertheless, he obtained the information he wanted smoothly.

"Several years ago, it was rumoured that cultivators from Chu were summoned by the Tianmen Sect to push back against the Kingdom of Immortals, but it was unexpectedly discovered that the Sect had likely been destroyed nine years prior."

"Everything within the sect was swept clean, not a single person to be found. What was strange is that there was no trace of battle, and even their formations were operating normally."

"…Nine years ago, is exactly the time when I left."

Wang Ba thought quietly.

He had previously been worried that members of the Tianmen Sect would come to hunt him down. However, during his vigilance and waiting, he discovered that no members of the Sect had appeared here.

Thinking about it now, based on this rumor, it had probably already happened when he left.

Although he didn't know what happened after he left, he was very relieved at the moment that he had left in time.

"In that case, I probably don't need to hold onto this second Dantian."

Wang Ba couldn't help but look down at his waist.

In order to protect themselves from the Spirit Sending Signs the Tianmen Sect might still have, he and Bu Chan chose not to abandon their second Dantians.

Despite this, Wang Ba decided to keep his for now.

After all, the second Dantian and the main Dantian operate separately. Retaining it wouldn't place any burden on him.

Sometimes, it could produce unexpected effects.

Having withdrawn his Power of the Yin God, without any more hesitation, Wang Ba mounted his flying magic tool and swiftly made his way towards Lingbi City.

He and Wen Yong had agreed on a time, and after all this fuss, he was somewhat in a hurry.

Fortunately, he arrived near the boundary tablet before the agreed time.

Sensing Wang Ba's aura,

A ripple appeared on the boundary tablet, and immediately, a portal quietly surfaced.

Without any hesitation, Wang Ba stepped through.

Upon entering, he found that the once-empty hall was filled with all kinds of items.

Various puppets counted the items one by one, while Wen Yong stood among them. Seeing Wang Ba arrive, he promptly put down the magic tool he held in his hand, and came over with a laugh.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist Shen. I just received news that the Class II Tool Refiner we are meeting will wait in Zhenling Palace for a while, shall we go directly there?"

Just about to start talking, Wang Ba suddenly appeared surprised upon hearing this:

"In Zhenling Palace?"

Wen Yong shook his head:

"The Tool Refiner initially planned to come directly here, but Zhenling Palace recently sent aid to Chu and suffered heavy losses on the frontlines in Wei State, allegedly losing three Golden Core cultivators. They are currently in mourning. Since he has received guidance from a cultivator from Zhenling Palace before, he decided to go and offer his respects."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ba nodded his head.

He had heard about this news previously in the insect market, and immediately understood.

However, Wang Ba quickly expressed his doubt: "That place is a Sect. Would it be inconvenient for us, rogue cultivators, to go there?"

"Fellow Daoist, you need not worry. The Zhenling Palace is the largest Sect in Yan State, and they handle matters quite moderately. Besides, at such an occasion, there will most likely be many sects and rogue cultivators visiting. As long as we are careful, there should be no issue."

Wen Yong said with a smile, "Besides, I have some friends in Zhenling Palace. If anything happens, they would most likely give me a heads up."

Upon thinking it over, Wang Ba nodded his head.

Not only has Wen Yong always been reliable and trustworthy in his actions, but Wang Ba also thought there shouldn't be any problems in just making a magic tool.

So, he agreed.

"By the way, I've recently acquired a copy of the 'Tianpu Yunsheng Sword Sutra'. It's a cultivation method suitable for those with water, wood, and earth spiritual roots. Do you want to check it out?"

As if remembering something, Wen Yong snapped his fingers, and a puppet took out a jade slip from a pile and presented it to Wang Ba with its hands.

Wang Ba glanced at it and then shook his head declining:

"No need, that 'Three-Phase Creation' from last time is enough."

Although the 'Three-Phase Creation' couldn't completely satisfy Wang Ba, it was still the most suitable cultivation method for him that he had come across so far.

It was capable of continuously improving his physical body. Although it's far from matching any body cultivation method, it was good enough. It was also similar to his cultivation method 'Ren Water Four Tactics' as it would also store a lot of mana. However, the speed of cultivation was faster than 'Ren Water Four Tactics' by a bit.

Also, it was barely able to transform the power of the three spiritual roots, mimicking the effect of a Five Elements Spiritual Root.

Of course, the effect was certainly not comparable to the effect of the real Five Virtues Body.

However, for Wang Ba, before reaching the Golden Core stage, it was sufficient.

It was after changing to this cultivation method that he quickly broke through.

After they had prepared some gifts and spiritual materials, they flew toward the north of Yan State through the night.

…

Although Zhenling Palace is in the north, the Canglan City, which Wang Ba was somewhat familiar with, was in the northwest, while the Zhenling Palace was in the northeast of Yan State.

Chapter 338: Chapter 4: Class II Spirit Cook's Magic Tool_3

After two days and nights of flight and several uses of the teleportation array, he finally managed to reach the boundary of Zhenling Palace without any hitch.

The landscape here was gentle with numerous sprawling plains, on which sat several cities.

The Zhenling Palace was located among these cities, standing tall atop a cloud-kissed mountain peak, akin to a celestial abode.

However, for some reason, not long after entering the territory of Zhenling Palace, he experienced a fleeting and subtle sensation in his heart.

Trying to tune in to it proved difficult as it was impossible to capture that feeling again.

After some thought, he attributed it to his own illusion.

Without any surprises, Wang Ba and Wen Yong quickly found the Class II Tool Refiner leisurely strolling in a ghost market on the periphery of Zhenling Palace.

To Wang Ba's surprise, the person was a Foundation Establishment cultivator in his late stage, with a pleasant and gentlemanly demeanor, and an aura no less than that of Wen Yong's, with a well-proportioned physique.

"Greetings to Fellow Cultivator Li."

Wen Yong's smile was quite amicable, and he quickly became acquainted with this surnamed Li Tool Refiner.

Upon hearing that Wang Ba wanted to refine a Class II Spiritual Cook's magic tool, this surnamed Li Tool Refiner looked at Wang Ba in a bit of surprise:

"Could you be Master Shen Fu that many cultivators often mention?"

Seeing his reaction, Wang Ba knew it was impossible to deny, so he nodded in affirmation.

However, he was quite surprised that even the surnamed Li Tool Refiner knew of his fame.

In his view, he had merely refined some spirit food, which hardly warranted such fame.

For example, he was doing nothing significantly different from Bao Chao back in Jiantao Station.

However, Bao Chao had always been confined within the Tianmen Cult, and was not highly regarded by the cultivators of the Tianmen Cult, apart from those who, like himself, did not follow the Demon Dao.

Bao Chao never returned after the fight against the Incense Fire Dao.

In Yan State, however, the majority followed the traditional Qi refining path, thus the demand for spirit food always existed.

The spiritual cook's heritage in this place was not targeted at Spirit Beasts, but Spirit Rice.

There were a few Spiritual Cooks in Xuli Sect who specialized in using spirit rice as raw material to make spirit food.

However, the essence of spirit rice they made was far less effective than the essence of spirit chicken, and more often served as a supplement to the elixirs, rather than a direct substitute.

Lee, the Tool Refiner, wasn't aware of Wang Ba's thinking, but exclaimed at once:

"What a coincidence! I was just planning to look for you!"

Wang Ba asked in confusion, "Looking for me?"

"Not to hide it from you, I have several children, and only one of them has a Spiritual Root, unfortunately, his qualification is mediocre and is unlikely to reach Foundation Establishment in this lifetime…"

The surnamed Li Tool Refiner said with a sigh.

His spirits revived immediately and he looked at Wang Ba with anticipation in his eyes:

"But the spirit chicken essence you refined can reportedly improve one's physique and even help break through bottlenecks. Several cultivators have recommended it to me."

"So, I wanted to find Fellow Cultivator Shen to purchase a batch of spirit chicken essence."

"Ah, I see."

Wang Ba suddenly realized, and then understood why he was so important to him.

The essence of Spirit Chicken does help cultivators to break through bottlenecks. This is mainly because the spirit chicken used by Wang Ba is all bred from the variety of Precious Chicken.

The book "Everything about Poultry" by Master Jiaohu had recorded that consuming large amounts of Precious Chicken was beneficial for cultivators to break through bottlenecks.

The essence of spirit chicken is derived from the extraction of a large amount of spirit chicken, so its effect is naturally more obvious.

However, this effect couldn't be exaggerated and could only increase the chance of breakthrough by ten or twenty percent at most.

Even so, for most cultivators, it was of great value. More importantly, the increase in mana was comparable to elixirs, and there was no risk of elixir poisoning.

This was the fundamental reason why Wang Ba was named a master with just one achievement.

With this need, the transaction between the two became much easier. Wang Ba directly took out two bottles of Spirit Chicken Essence, while the surnamed Li Tool Refiner brought out his own refining materials, prepared for the early-stage of tool refinement according to Wang Ba's requirements.

Compared to Wang Ba's refinement of spirit chicken essence, Tool Refining was much more complex.

Not only did it require choosing the appropriate spirit fire according to the corresponding refining materials, but it also required adjusting the proportion of the components in the refining materials and so on.

The most critical point was that the funeral ceremony of Zhenling Palace had begun, and the surnamed Li Tool Refiner had to stop his work to attend it.

Both Wang Ba and Wen Yong did not attend.

The funeral ceremony lasted for seven days.

When the surnamed Li Tool Refiner returned, he had a complicated expression and couldn't help expressing his astonishment:

"In the past, Zhenling Palace had seven Golden Core cultivators, and Master Zhang presided over it. In Yan State, nobody dared to challenge them. Now it has withered overnight."

"With Master Zhang around, Zhenling Palace could recover its vitality in a short time."

Upon hearing his words, Wen Yong uttered something similar to what Wang Ba had heard before.

However, hearing Wen Yong's words, the surnamed Li Tool Refiner hesitated for a while, set up a sound-isolating talisman, faltered a little, and spoke:

"I'm afraid Master Zhang may not make it this time. With such a grand occasion, Master Zhang did not preside over it…"

"What? Master Zhang didn't show up?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Yong's face turned to shock, and he immediately became serious.

Zhang Daobai is a banner of Zhenling Palace, especially in the context of the fall of the three Golden Core cultivators, it is necessary for him to step forward to re-establish the prestige of Zhenling Palace.

However, such a solemn funeral, Zhang Daobai did not appear, the meaning behind this would send chills down the spine of any cultivator of Yan State after a little thought.

If Zhang Daobai really is no more, the three major sects in the south might not remain silent…

"Yan state is likely to fall into chaos!"

Wen Yong looked serious, expressing his worries.

This was the first time Wang Ba had seen Wen Yong in such a state.

The surnamed Li Tool Refiner nodded slightly at Wen Yong's words, clearly acknowledging them.

"Brother Wen, why don't you go back first and make arrangements? I'll wait here until Li has finished refining, then I'll return on my own."

Wang Ba suggested after giving it some thought.

Wen Yong hesitated.

Li, the Tool Refiner, spoke up: "After I have successfully refined it, I can accompany Shen back. Wen, you can rest assured."

In the end, Wen Yong bit the bullet and left.

Meanwhile, Wang Ba and the surnamed Li Tool Refiner rented a set of refining rooms in the local market and began to refine the Spiritual Cook's magic tool.

Half a month later.

Wang Ba stared at the complete set of exquisite stove-like magical tools in front of him, feeling immensely satisfied.

"Finally, I can refine the essence of the Class II spirit chicken!"