236-245

Chapter 236: Progression Goals

With the sun still high in the sky, a dark Skyrunner could be seen approaching the city of Calm Port, one of the settlements on the westernmost edge of the Luminescent Domain.

The people inside were naturally Li Lang and his group. It had been over a week since they departed from Emberglow City. Traveling from city to city was a refreshing experience for these young cultivators but also tiring. Luckily, their guides from Nightmoon Valley had prepared a comfortable route for them, with cities to rest in each night.

The cities weren't all equal distance apart. That meant sometimes they would arrive at these pit stop in when night had already fallen while other times the sun would still be near its zenith. For this stop, it was the latter.

Li Lang spent this extra time wisely. He would continue his attempts at artificing while redoubling his efforts to assist his students in training.

Having realized their shortcomings from the encounters they experienced, Li Lang also worked hard with his companions to come up with an improved curriculum. Now that there were several students in the Foundation Establishment realm, and Wei Ping had broken through as well, there was no reason to believe the other students wouldn't do so in the near future as well.

That meant they could dial back on the experimental nature of their teachings and focus more on refining what worked. 

Then, for those who had already broken through, it was time to help them catch up on what they were missing. Every single one of their students rushed their cultivation, as Li Lang prioritized his research about the Foundation Establishment Realm. They were lacking training in Qi arts, combat experience, and all the miscellaneous skills that made a cultivator a well-rounded powerhouse.

For the sake of this matter, he was determined to converse with as many experienced experts as possible and find various Earth-grade techniques to expand their foundational knowledge. 

It became the main goal of this trip as the trio realized their chances in the Dark Sea Arena were slim. It couldn't be helped, as there were too many monsters in this realm who had lived for hundreds of years. Their accumulation wasn't something they could hope to contest for the time being.

While Li Lang had expected to have to reach Sword Saint Isle before any of these matters would have results, he was happy to be proven wrong. Both his quest to streamline the breakthrough process to the Foundation Establishment Realm and artificing were making quick progress.

For the breakthrough process, Wei Ping happened to have some useful information stemming from his own experiences. He was the only person besides Li Lang to have broken through this bottleneck despite only having grade one aptitude. His foresight was quite valuable to Li Lang.

From their conversations, the two suspected that their breakthroughs were successful not only because of the Ascension Technique, but because of moments of extreme determination. For those with low aptitude, the requirements were much more stringent in this regard.

"Hm, we've been measuring the kids' willpower by depriving them of the pleasures of tasty food, but I think we need to come up with a better way to strengthen their resolve," Li Lang muttered as they settled into their inn. "Maybe something like meditating under a waterfall?"

"I've d-done training like that before," Wei Ping answered. "I think it h-helped, but my teacher then told me there were more effective m-methods, but those required access to proper facilities. Facilities only the b-big factions have. That means there should be a b-better way."

"Hmm, an effective way," Li Lang pondered. "What did we do to train our own resolve? Did we really only succeed because of the amount of time we trained? If that is so, there wouldn't be so many people stuck as a mortal then, right?"

Li Lang thought back to his childhood with his adoptive father, Zi Zun. The man was an influential and wealthy merchant but was still stuck at the peak of Energy Gathering after several decades. He even had grade-two aptitude, so he had been in a much better position than both Li Lang and Wei Ping.

What did I do or encounter that a typical cultivator wouldn't?

Dredging up the memories of his journey so far, his thoughts naturally focused on the Clearing Drug and the Ascension Technique. However, neither of those was likely to have a significant effect on willpower. 

Wait, that's it! I possess a heavenly flame!

Memories of his encounter with the Primordial Star Fire resurfaced in his mind. The heavenly fire didn't submit to him right away. In fact, it had tried to attack him! A silver of the flame snuck into his head and tortured him for what felt like an eternity.

Wei Ping must've been tempered through a similar experience during his training with the mentor he encountered on his travels. I can either pursue the method I went through or his!

Li Lang quickly made a decision and grabbed hold of his only Spirit-grade artifact.

"Blue, I have a question for you."

"Yes, Master?"

"The Primordial Star Fire. Can my students go into the cave where that heavenly fire is and obtain it?"

"That place cannot be opened with the key. They would have to pass the alchemy trials like Master did and be rewarded with it. We can push the realm towards selecting this reward for them, but just like with the other rewards, they will have to take the trials first. Though—"

"What else? Feel free to speak your mind."

"Master—even if we can, it may not be a good idea to allow every single student access to the Primordial Star Fire. The process of taming a fire seed can cause great harm or even death if one fails. It's why only those who are deemed fit for it are given this reward."

"I see. Well, I'll keep that in mind. I don't think it's my first option, anyway. I'd rather have my students save their reward for something that complements them if I can help it."

Li Lang drew his attention away from his artifact spirit and back to reality, where his two companions were. The three of them shared a room, while the two from Nightmoon Valley shared another. The absence of outsiders allowed them to speak freely.

"I think we may need to start exploring how to mediate under a waterfall to temper willpower or something with a similar effect. Once we get back, of course. Unless we find a better way during our trip."

"I'll t-try to ask around once we get t-to the Sword Saint Isle."

"This is starting to feel like we're only going to gather intelligence at this point."

"No way!" Long Yi chimed in. "I'm in it to win it."

"Well, you're a better fighter than us, so your chances are surely higher, but I doubt you're the only person there gifted in combat. You may have crafted your own sword artifact, but it's only a Mortal-grade weapon. In our case, we don't have any combat artifacts at all. I think I'll try crafting one another go."

"Then I will too!"

With plenty of time left before dinner, the two began another session of artificing in their pursuit of creating an artifact.

Throughout their journey, they had stopped at the various Artificer Guilds to consult the experts there about the art of artifact creation. Each school of artificer had its own unique insight, so they were able to make quite a bit of progress in the traditional way of artificing.

With a stable supply of materials as well, the two got to work. They expertly manipulated the bars of various alloys in their possession, melding them to the form they desired. 

Long Yi already made a large broadsword, so he attempted to create armor this time. Li Lang naturally pursued a spear that could replace his current mundane one.

Their robes got drenched in the process as they were focused on their work. However, their stamina as Foundation Establishment cultivators wasn't to be underestimated. Long Yi soon finished first, crafting a heavy chest plate.

He opened his eyes as he finished channeling his artificing techniques. He carefully inspected his work before sighing. Even without the examination, as the creator, he knew he had failed. Still, he had held on hope that it would miraculously transform after he put on the finishing touches.

With another failure under his belt, he quickly tossed the chest piece into his space ring. Due to using the unique techniques of artificing that drew out the latent potential of the material, it could no longer be reforged for another attempt. This caused a small collection of mundane armors to build up.

Letting out another sigh, Long Yi glanced over at his friend, to observe how he was doing. At that exact moment, a bright red light shone into his eyes, causing him to blink rapidly. Upon closer inspection, Long Yi realized it was coming from the short spear before Li Lang!

Letting out a gasp, he carefully watched as his friend proceeded toward the last few steps of his crafting session. Wei Ping naturally noticed the situation as well. They both reacted in the same way, which was to silently observe. They didn't dare to make a sound lest it distract their friend from the final and crucial moments of artifact creation.

The same question lurked in their minds.

"Will he finally succeed this time?"

Chapter 237: Baby Steps

Artifact creation was not easy. Even experienced artificers couldn't create them on demand. It required skill, preparation, and most importantly, luck. That was due to the fact each beast core used in the process was unique. 

According to what Li Lang learned, the cores contained a remnant spirit of the beast it once belonged to. Just like humans, each beast had a unique disposition. This made every artificing session unpredictable.

One had to possess all the basic qualities first before they could even take part in this dice roll. There was a reason Li Lang and Long Yi had failed to create an artifact using the traditional methods when their cultivation was still in the Energy Gathering Realm.

Now that they both broke through, their chances of succeeding were much greater. In fact, Long Yi had already succeeded once, having created his green broadsword.

However, this artifact of his hadn't made any notable waves since he obtained it. That was because it was only a Mortal-grade artifact. Just like with cultivators, there was a huge gulf between Mortal-grade and Earth-grade artifacts. Mortal-grade artifacts only provided a minimal boost to their combat capabilities.

It basically only allowed them to channel more Qi into their weapons without breaking apart. They had no special abilities to talk about. Regardless, they were still many times better than mundane weapons.

As aspiring artificers, Li Lang had to take things step by step, focusing on mastering Mortal-grade artifacts first before moving on to Earth-grade ones.

After countless attempts and squandering a large sum of materials, Li Lang was currently nearing his first successful crafting session. The spear before him shone brightly, as it was filled with energy. There were only the finishing touches left before it was complete, but these final steps were also the most crucial. Messing up now could destroy the spear, so he had to be careful up until the last moment.

Spectators like Long Yi and Wei Ping couldn't see much happening from their perspective. Only the artificer themselves would be able to grasp their current situation. That was due to the struggle taking place in the mental realm, where Li Lang's spirit was facing off against the remnant soul within the beast core.

Li Lang had to carefully subdue his opponent without outright obliterating them. He couldn't push too hard. He had to exert just the right amount of willpower to force the remnant sprit to conform to his wishes.

The better fit between the physical form of the artifact and its spirit, the higher the success rate. As the most crucial moment where the beast core's spirit merged with the spear came, Li Lang was finally able to tell how compatible they were.

This—should be no problem! This is my best attempt yet.

Letting out a deep breath, the light from the spear began to fade. When it subsided entirely, a huge wave of Qi burst out from it. Thankfully, the trio had the foresight to set up a basic barrier to contain the shockwaves. 

They had learned their lesson during Li Lang's previous success during the auction. It drew a lot of attention last time, so they learned to use Qi barrier talismans. Still, the barrier had a limited range, so it couldn't hide the disturbance from the two sitting right beside Li Lang. Long Yi and Wei Ping instantly recognized this as the phenomenon that happened when an artifact was successfully created!

"You did it!" Long Yi shouted. "About time, too!"

Opening his eyes, Li Lang nodded.

"Yes. This is quite a different experience from the time I created the Weave Press. I can feel the curiosity of the nascent artifact spirit. Too bad Mortal-grade spirits aren't able to communicate anything more than some vague emotions."

"But this experience should be helpful, right? Will you be working on an Earth-grade artifact from now on? Or will you be trying to create another Mortal-grade one again?"

"Hmm, I think I'm ready to try tackling the challenge, but we don't have any Earth-grade beast cores yet. I'm going to try creating something for Wei Ping next until that changes."

"S-Stop bothering boss," the man in question interjected. "He should b-be itching to test out his new weapon."

"Let's head to the courtyard, then. Why don't we have a spar while we're at it?" Long Yi suggested.

Seeing no reason to decline, the trio headed out of their room and went out back to a small courtyard behind the inn.

Li Lang carefully examined his new spear, doing a few test sweeps and thrusts to warm up.

His new spear was much heavier than his previous one. It was made entirely of metal. The silver shaft had many grooves on it to improve the user's grip on it and was hollow to reduce the weight. All in all, it was a simple spear with no fancy frills to it.

Compared to his mundane spear, which had a hidden compartment to inject poisons, the appearance of his new weapon wasn't too impressive. However, as an artifact, it was unquestionably better at conducting Qi and exponentially more durable.

"How w-will you employ your poisons now, boss?"

"Hmm, I have the same question. That's something to think about in the future. I still have the needles if I really need them. My current arsenal of poisons isn't that effective against opponents of our realm, anyway. I'll have to focus on that next if I want to improve my combat capabilities."

"It's a good opportunity to practice your close combat skills the traditional way, then," Long Yi added. "No offense to your poisons, but they're useless if you aren't good enough to inflict them against your opponent!"

Letting out a sigh, Li Lang spun the spear in a graceful art and gestured for Long Yi to come at him. While he was reminded of his many shortcomings, Li Lang agreed it was a good opportunity to brush up on his Gliding Coil Spear Art. The sound of metal clashing resounded throughout the area as the two got into a heated exchange.

Another week quickly passed, and Li Lang's group finally neared their destination, Sword Saint Isle.

They had left an entire month early in anticipation of any delays, so they were on pace to arrive a full two weeks early.

Sword Saint Isle, as its name implied, was an island. It was located northeast of the Luminescent Domain. It required traversing the ocean to reach, which was where most delays happened. Thankfully, their journey was smooth, having only encountered good weather instead of storms and powerful Qi beasts that lurked beneath the ocean.

As they drove over the glistening ocean, they soon spotted a figure in the distance. They were riding a Skysword close to the surface of the water. Having spotted them as well, the rider shot straight toward Li Lang's group.

Neither Ma Kong nor Zhu Yi panicked upon seeing this, so the trio didn't complain either. The newcomer soon came to a stop once they got close enough to converse.

"Greetings, friends from afar. I am Jun Hao, a disciple of Sword Saint Isle. May I ask if you're here for the Dark Sea Arena?"

Zhu Yi clasped her fist toward the newcomer and nodded. She introduced herself as a member of Nightmoon Valley, escorting friends to the event. The Sword Saint disciple didn't ask too many questions and simply told them to be careful before flying away in the opposite direction.

"Where do you think he's going?" Long Yi asked. "Shouldn't he be staying for the event as well?"

"He's just patrolling the area around their island," Zhu Yi answered with a smile. "As a neutral territory, they're mindful about the safety of their guests coming into their territory."

Seeing Long Yi's confused expression, Wei Ping elaborated.

"Remember, both c-cultivators from the Luminescent Territory and orthodox sects will be p-participating."

"Oh."

The group ignored Long Yi's antics and continued on their way. Now that they encountered patrols, they were naturally close. Despite being early, Li Lang was eager to explore the island. 

The Dark Sea arena was an event that was big enough to attract members of two opposing factions. He believed there must have been numerous cultivators there already. He was eager to meet new people and gather information from them.

Unlike disciples of big factions, Li Lang didn't have any experts to guide them in the way of cultivation. This trip was his chance to bridge that gap.

Like that, their group soon spotted land. Instantly, their eyes were drawn to the towering mountains on the island. That was because it didn't have the appearance of any normal mountain. Instead, it was shaped like a longsword! It stood upright with its tip buried in the island. It was as if a giant had left their weapon there. 

However, Li Lang and his companions could tell it wasn't a real sword. The mountain itself was shaped like a sword for some reason!

"I guess that's why this place is called Sword Saint Isle, huh?" Long Yi muttered what was on his companion's mind.

Chapter 238: Sword Saint Isle

As the group got closer to Sword Saint Isle, they could soon make the silhouette of an island in the distance. The most eye-catching of all was the giant sword-shaped mountain, with numerous Skyrunners flying around. A city built up around this mountain, with no walls, and the rules on flying above its airspace seemed to be quite loose compared to other cities.

"Go ahead and fly right in. Members of our Nightmoon Valley are staying at the Sword Saint's manor, so we'll have to find our own lodging, but there should be plenty of places to choose from," Zhu Yi said from her position perched up above the Skyrunner.

"Our lodging? Shouldn't Seniors be joining your fellow comrades?" Li Lang asked.

"No. Our mission this time is to escort you. As safe as Sword Saint Isle is, we take our duties seriously."

"I see. Thank you, but—do you think you can reach out to Senior Jian if he is here already? I'd like to meet him if he is."

Zhu Yi directed a look over to Ma Kong. The stoic man simply nodded before a Skysword materialized underneath him, carrying him away. He headed straight for the summit of the sword-shaped mountain.

"It's hard to say how punctual our Head Disciple is. You should expect him to come find you tomorrow if he has already arrived."

With the matter settled, the group quickly descended into the city proper. They took a tour around while looking for a suitable inn. The infrastructure here was simpler than most cities they had passed through. Only simple houses or two-story buildings could be seen. No manors or estates could be spotted anywhere.

With nothing of note to see, they quickly settled on an inn and checked into their rooms. They didn't linger there for long, though. The sun was still high in the sky. They took advantage of the sunlight remaining to scour for places where cultivators gathered.

"This place is just like Polarity City," Li Lang muttered. "Everyone here seems to take cultivation seriously. Over half the people on the streets are in the Foundation Establishment Realm."

"Only disciples of the Sword Saint himself permanently live on this island," Zhu Yi explained. "Everyone else are visitor, and naturally, those who could step foot here have some accomplishment to their name."

Li Lang nodded. He had heard of the dangers of traversing the sea, but he hadn't encountered anything perilous himself. The ocean was just too large. Even if it was teeming with Qi beasts, there was a chance they wouldn't encounter any of them as they flew by, but if they did, the Qi beasts would at least be comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Just as they were conversing about the traits of the city, Li Lang's group suddenly came to a stop when they drew near the base of the sword-shaped mountain. The area around it was paved with roads. There was even a set of sturdy stone gates that were currently opened wide. A long line of people were queued up before it, waiting their turn to enter the interior of the mountain.

However, what drew the group's attention wasn't the structure, but the people in the line. Everyone there was surrounded by at least one or two disheveled people in chains.

"Is that—slave trading?" Li Lang couldn't help but ask.

"Oh no, Sword Saint Isle may have looser rules, but they are honorable people. They would never engage in slave trading. That there is an entrance to their jail, so those should be criminals. Deviators or rogue cultivators of the orthodox path who have turned bandits. Many of them show up during these events, trying their luck at ambushing the people traveling here. The disciples of the Sword Saint are quite efficient at capturing them."

"These so-called criminals thought it was a good idea to ambush powerful cultivators from various large sects and organizations? Are they in their right mind?!"

"They're plenty of inexperienced cultivators that have recently broken through, but possess large sums of wealth participating in these big events. Many of them are overconfident in themselves after their breakthrough and travel here alone. It makes these people think it's worth a shot to target these vulnerable people," Zhu Yi answered while flashing a meaningful glance at the trio.

"Well—I guess we can't argue with that one."

Li Lang quickly dropped the topic as they continued their tour of the city. It didn't take them long to find a more bustling area filled with restaurants and teahouses. It was just the type of place Li Lang was looking for.

He entered the most crowded teahouse without hesitation and began eavesdropping on the conversation all around.

"I heard both the Iron Tempest Prince and Whispering Leaf Tyrant aren't coming this time. Do you think it's because they've been falling behind in their cultivation and are scared to lose to the other Eight Demon Pillars?"

"Nonsense! I don't know about the Whispering Leaf Tyrant, but the Iron Tempest Prince has always been famed as the second strongest demonic cultivator within the Foundation Establishment Realm, behind only Slithering Shadow. He must simply be busy with some other matter."

"Well, we can't complain, considering Slithering Shadow is here along with the Blood Prince. They are more than enough to represent our Luminescent Domain. They'll surely show up those hypocrites that has the audacity to call themselves the Four Enlightened Ones."

"You two can't discount the Sword Saint's disciples either. The Stormsword technique they practice isn't to be underestimated."

Numerous people were discussing the upcoming event. Many of them made it no secret they were only here to see a good show.

The prizes that could be earned in the Dark Sea Arena were alluring, but many of them didn't believe they stood a chance. There were numerous hidden dragon and crouching tigers even in the early-stage Foundation Establishment division. Most who participated really just did so for the sake of experience. It made the event truly more of an exchange rather than a proper tournament.

Having entered this place, swimming with information to be learned, the trio quickly split up. Wei Ping was an expert in gathering information from these types of places, while his two companions employed a more straightforward method. They directly approached tables that were discussing things that piqued their interest while Zhu Yi faded into the background to watch over them.

This lasted half the afternoon before they reconvened to share their findings. There was a plethora of topics discussed in these teahouses. From famous cultivators to the latest news happening in the Luminescent Domain. It was apparent that the people in the teahouse were demonic cultivators, so they had to visit other teahouses if they wanted to gather news about the righteous sects.

From the intel they gathered, they learned about an open marketplace nearby where people traded their valuables.

The group didn't hesitate to use the remaining time before sunset to visit this marketplace.

They soon found the place where numerous people set up makeshift stalls around a large plaza. They laid out their items on wooden tables or laid them on thick woven mats. Others simply had a sign that advertised the type of knowledge they were willing to trade.

Before the group could even take two steps into this plaza, Li Lang was already glued to the first stall he saw. A middle-aged man with a neatly trimmed beard had a stall that was filled with cultivation manuals of all sorts.

Just from a cursory glance, you could see martial and Qi arts of various affinities. Not just the five main elements, but even more obscure ones like sound or sand. Upon closer inspection, there seemed to be a high proportion of sword techniques.

"Boss, can you give me a discount if I buy in bulk?" Li Lang excitedly asked the bearded man.

"I don't do discounts. I'd rather take my time than sell them for cheap. You either have enough red crystals or put up your own techniques for trade."

Li Lang's companions could only helplessly watch on as he went on a shopping spree. Li Lang was determined to collect techniques of various attributes, as he wanted a healthy sample size for his research. He had yet to choose an affinity for himself, and he was quite open to all possibilities.

Since he was already at a disadvantage compared to other cultivators due to his lack of spiritual roots, he needed to carry out a meticulous study before deciding his future direction.

Should I find one that has an affinity to poison? Maybe metal? But what about fire? I have a heavenly fire, after all. Hmm, how come there are barely any techniques that incorporate more than one affinity!?

Just as Li Lang was about to ask the stall owner about multi-element techniques, a voice interrupted his chain of thought. It came from right beside Li Lang and sounded young, which caught his attention.

"Excuse me, fellow Daoist, do you have any Qi arts that utilize the power of emotions? I am willing to trade any for a copy of Scorch Wind Descent."

Turning toward the speaker, Li Lang frowned. The person had the appearance of a young teenager and looked particularly familiar for some reason. He stood there, staring at this newcomer without blinking as he dug into his memories.

However, his antics didn't go unnoticed.

"Umm, may I help you?"

Seeing how rude Li Lang was being, his companions could only facepalm.

Chapter 239: The Young Elder

Li Lang stared blankly in response to the unknown boy's question. It made him uncomfortable as a stranger looked straight at him without blinking or saying a word. Seeing the scene, Li Lang's companion was about to step in when the man in question suddenly broke his silence.

"Elder Nong?!"

Hearing this, the boy frowned. He carefully regarded Li Lang's face with an expression that said he was trying his best to rummage through his memories. After a brief moment, he wore an embarrassed expression as he clasped his fist in greeting.

"Apologies. I don't seem to recognize you. May I ask who you are?"

"Um, it's been some time, so it's no surprise you don't recognize me. My name is Li Lang. You once helped me when I was young, bringing me from Lingyu Town to Xiang Yang City. You also taught me about cultivation when I knew nothing about it!"

Upon explaining himself, Li Lang quickly glanced down as if he had made a mistake. He wasn't sure if he should've blurted out those words in public. The young man before him was somewhat trustworthy and had a notable identity. He was an elder of the Clear Heart Sect! That meant he was a member of an orthodox sect. 

Li Lang had a pleasant impression of the young elder. He was the one who had taught him the basics of cultivation. Throughout their interaction, Elder Nong had been nothing but kind, despite him being nothing more than a talentless mortal back then.

"Li Lang? The big-headed kid from what back? How can this be? You've reached the peak of Energy Gathering already?! But you only have grade one aptitude. What kind of fortuitous encounter did you have during the few years since then?"

For better or worse, Li Lang had maintained the habit of using his Wave Dampening Art. It was often useful to have others underestimate you. All it cost in exchange was the respect afforded to a Foundation Establishment Realm expert. If Elder Nong knew about his real cultivation, his eyes would surely pop out of their sockets.

Still, it had come as quite a shock to Elder Nong that the little boy he had helped on a whim had made such quick progress. Normally, by the time mortals with grade one aptitude reached the peak of the Energy Gathering Realm, they would be middle-aged. It was why all the sects never recruited them. The time and investment they needed to put into these untalented individuals until they were useful was more than they could bear. It was simply a losing investment.

"It's a long—"

Elder Nong held up a hand and turned his sharp gaze behind Li Lang. It was directed at the lone Nightmoon Valley disciple, Zhu Yi. He took a moment to assess the people before him and knitted his brow.

"Li Lang, it seems you have some interesting people with you."

The tone of the young boy quickly turned frigid. His previously relaxed demeanor disappeared without a trace.

"Elder Nong, as I was saying, it's a long story. It'll take some time to explain, but if you are willing to hear me out, then I'm more than happy to explain."

"Hmm, very well, but first, let us move elsewhere. We're blocking this good gentleman's business."

Their group was indeed still standing in front of the market stall, trading in cultivation techniques. The street vendor was graciously minding his own business, sitting on the mat with his wares, looking elsewhere. There were thousands of cultivators constantly coming and going throughout the entire market, so they were familiar with the minor incidents that could happen when members of the demonic path confronted members of the righteous sects. They naturally learned how to ignore them.

Still, Li Lang's group and Elder Nong tactfully agreed to move their conversation elsewhere.

The elder from the Clear Heart Sect quickly finished his transaction with the vendor before he walked further into the market alongside Li Lang's group.

"We can talk as we take a look around. There isn't much time left until the plaza closes. Here, take this and channel some Qi into it. It will allow us to converse discreetly."

"Okay, that works."

Li Lang was handed a small stone, and when he did as instructed, a voice sounded out directly in his mind. There was no learning curve. He could directly speak with the young elder without the need to verbalize anything. It was just like the AI chips he had once installed into his brain.

With Elder Nong temporarily joining their party, Li Lang explained the events that led him to live in the Demonic Cultivator Territory.

Li Lang didn't have many qualms with explaining to those of the orthodox path. In fact, he wanted to proactively do so with as many parties as possible. As an orthodox cultivator himself, the resources in the territory of the righteous sects were invaluable to him. The more parties he could have a good relationship with, the better.

However, gaining opportunities to explain his side of the story was never easy. Trying to get the typical arrogant disciples of sects to understand his situation was even harder. That was why Li Lang welcomed this conversation with Elder Nong so much.

Compared to others, Elder Nong was also much more trustworthy. The risk of him revealing his secrets to the organizations of the Luminescent Realm was almost zero. That basically removed the worst-case scenario of someone relaying the information to demonic cultivators with malicious intentions. A group of weak orthodox cultivators was attractive enough to tempt many demonic cultivators, not just deviators.

"I see." Elder Nong's words were accompanied by a sigh that was audible through their mental connection. "I can promise you I'll keep your secret, but there isn't much I can do to help you. As lofty as my title of an Elder is, in the end, I am simply a slightly more talented disciple within my sect. I don't have the influence to help you conduct trade in our territory without the permission of the sect. I wouldn't recommend talking to any sects either unless you have something of value to trade with. Otherwise, no sect would give you the time of day."

"Wouldn't going to them with something they want just be asking to get taken advantage of in our situation?" 

"No. If you're living in the Demonic Cultivator Territory, then there isn't much they can do to you. I'm just saying you need to have something of lasting value before trying to approach them. Otherwise, they won't take you seriously. They may even capture you for being a spy." 

"Hmm, well, I can understand how no sect would want to do business with a bunch of suspicious individuals coming out of their enemies' territory. Our reputation would automatically start at the lowest point, and they wouldn't trust us."

Trust was the basis of all forms of cooperation, including business dealings. That was why businessmen cared so much about their reputation. Sects and organizations all cared about it as well. It was oftentimes a crucial prerequisite to getting onto the negotiation table.

"Maybe in the future, when I climb to a higher position, I will be able to help. But for now, sorry. There's nothing much I can do."

"No worries, Elder Nong. I'm just glad you're so understanding of our situation and aren't judging us harshly."

Li Lang soon returned the stone to the elder, and they redirected their attention back to shopping around the plaza. The two spoke no further about these complicated topics and solely focused on finding rare items and good deals.

Sword Saint Isle was currently a gathering place for the greatest Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Violet Isle region. Li Lang naturally found numerous Earth-grade treasures up for trade. He may not possess any precious pills and artifacts of this level, but he did have a healthy sum of spirit crystals.

Li Lang had never slacked off with his money-making business. While they were still in Emberglow City, he hadn't stopped producing pills and talismans. Those may be low-margin items, but the pure quantity he dealt with earned him more than most cultivators around him.

It was only when he had retreated into the Crucible that his business activities slowed down. He couldn't purchase the materials as readily anymore, nor did he have a chance to sell anything.

That's why Li Lang was spending like crazy now. He was determined to restock on raw materials and begin researching how to produce products of the Earth-grade instead of the Mortal-grade. It was vital to keeping his financials in the black.

Having achieved a breakthrough into a new realm, he knew his spending would only increase. With his disciples and companions taken into consideration, the expenses were going to rise almost exponentially.

It was time for him to work with Earth-grade materials.

Chapter 240: Breaking Down the Attributes

When the sun finally went down, Li Lang's shopping spree finally ended.

Elder Nong from the Clear Heart Sect quickly bid farewell as they each returned to their own lodging. When Li Lang's group entered their inn, they found Ma Kong waiting in the lobby with his usual stoic face.

"You're back," Zhu Yi greeted. "How was it?"

"Beiyun will come tomorrow."

That was all the man had to say to satisfy the group. They knew better than to wrestle more words out of him, so they all returned to their rooms. Consistent throughout the journey, Wei Ping, Long Yi, and Li Lang shared a room. It was the safest arrangement when traveling abroad.

The moment Li Lang entered the room, he wasted no time and deployed the Crucible on the ground. Wei Ping and Long Yi tried to chase after their friend, but when they entered, he was already nowhere in sight.

That was because Li Lang had ordered the artifact spirits to directly teleport him into his private chamber.

"Blue, make sure to keep a lookout outside. Alert Wei Ping if someone enters our room in the outside world so he can deal with it."

"I understand, Master."

With the trivial matters out of the way, Li Lang took out his haul for the day and allowed Ruby to absorb them. He then dove into Ruby's artifact space and began playing around with his new toys.

Anyone who knew him would know this was how he would spend the entire night.

Dozens of Earth-grade materials were now at his disposal. He had over two orange crystals' worth of resources, and that was only because he bought a small sample of each one.

Now that he was at the Foundation Establishment Realm, Ruby naturally could analyze them without taking weeks, unlike before. However, there hadn't been any updates regarding the new power Ruby suspected of gaining after his breakthrough yet.

Despite the auto-analyzer now being able to complete its work much faster, the sheer quantity of materials Li Land brought meant it'd take quite some time to get through all of it.

Nevertheless, Li Lang happily digested what he could. He started off with alchemy materials. While he waited for the auto-analyzer to work, he wasted no time and began using those same materials to refine Earth-grade pills.

The recipe for common pills was easily obtainable from the guild, and the process was quite similar to the Mortal-grade version. It was just that the power involved was much more volatile, so additional time and power were needed to tame the energies.

Li Lang started by trying out the traditional methods of alchemy, as he would only attempt his mass-production method when the auto-analyzer had completed its task. That meant he was working with a lack of knowledge regarding the unfamiliar ingredients. 

"These Sparking Petals sure are shiny," he muttered.

Just as he scattered them into his pill cauldron, his vision was robbed from him, as all he could see was the color gray. A short moment later, everything returned to normal. It took him a few seconds before he realized the cauldron had exploded in a bombastic fashion.

"Master, are you okay?" Ruby's voice resounded throughout the lab.

"Yes—it seems like I'll need to upgrade my cauldron before attempting any of this in real life. The current ones can't contain the power within if anything goes wrong. This is going to hurt my wallet."

Li Lang chuckled to himself and got into it again without any hesitation. While he was rightfully worried if he were to refine Earth-grade materials in real life, he was currently in the artifact space. Thanks to the power of the miraculous artifact known as Ruby, there was no need to fear for his safety. Not only that, it also provided him with unlimited amounts of materials to play around with. It was a dream come true for any dedicated craftsman.

Like that, he explored the wonders of all his new materials. He went from alchemy to brushweaving, and then to artificing. He hadn't produced any tangible results, but that wasn't the point. He was happy just growing his familiarity with these new resources. After all, when employing the traditional methods for any crafts, mastery of the ingredients was quintessential to their work.

"I wonder—will the Weave Press be able to create Earth-grade talismans? Or will it be unable to contain the elevated levels of power?" Li Lang muttered to himself.

"Master! Wake up, master! Can you hear me?"

It took Ruby a dozen tries before Li Lang finally reacted to her shouts.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"It's morning already, Master! Your friends are waiting for you. Don't you have something scheduled for today? They say they'll be late because of you."

"Oh, right. Jian Beiyun is coming. Well, that works just fine, too. I've got a lot of questions to ask about Earth-grade cultivation techniques."

Li Lang exited his lab and returned to where his companions and students were inside the Crucible. They didn't idle and quickly returned to the real world.

They arrived at the diner part of the inn and found their acquaintances from Nightmoon Valley already gathered, digging into their breakfast. When they noticed Li Lang's group approach, one of them waved enthusiastically at them.

"Over here, you guys!"

Disregarding the vigor of the young woman's actions, the trio strolled over with grace before clasping their fist to the Nightmoon Valley cultivators.

"Good morning Senior Zhu, Senior Ma, and greetings, Senior Jian," the trio greeted in unison.

"How many times do I have to tell you guys to quit it with the stuffy formal talk?" Jian Beiyun teased with a smile. "Have a seat."

"Hey! What about me!" the girl sitting in the adjacent seat complained. "How dare you three ignore me!"

"Oh, Princess Sima, good day to you," Li Lang retorted mockingly.

The young woman growled at him as they got seated. Everyone at the table beside her couldn't help but chuckle at the childish display.

The waitress came in with perfect timing, delivering some food without even being asked. It managed to stop Sima Xue from blowing her top.

"Okay, okay. Stop acting cute, little Xue. It's your friends' first time here. We should introduce them to Sword Saint Isle."

The young woman in question scoffed in annoyance and turned away from her Senior Brother.

Ignoring her, Jian Beiyun proceeded to go over the unique characteristics of the island. The trio had heard a big part of it the previous day already, but they gave Jian Beiyun face and let him explain from beginning to end without interruption. However, once he was done, Li Lang immediately pestered him with questions. Normally there were no issues with that, but the bad habits of the eccentric former scientist meant he launched a flurry of inquiries that had nothing to do with what Jian Beiyun had talked about at all.

"Senior Jian, do you have any advice for selecting an Earth-grade cultivation technique? I know you went over this briefly before, but I'm trying to understand the difference and impact of selecting a particular attribute. Actually, what attribute is the technique you practice? Is it like Senior Zhu and Senior Ma's, with light and darkness?"

"Umm, calm down, Li Lang. I can't answer if you ask several questions at once."

"Hey! You're bothering my Senior Brother," Sima Xue complained, finally rejoining the conversation. "You know, this upcoming event is quite important for him. I will answer your question in his stead!"

Seeing his junior sister stepping in to take his place, Jian Beiyun stealthily exited the interrogation and went to talk to the others at the table instead.

"You?" Li Lang questioned.

"What do you mean, you? Are you looking down on me?"

"Okay, okay. I'll stop with the jokes," Li Lang surrendered, putting up both hands. "I wanted some help with making sense of Earth-grade cultivation techniques. So far, I've gathered over fifty, but I still don't have a clue on what type of technique I should pursue."

"Hmm, I never had to think too much about it," Sima Xue replied as she put a hand on her chin. "Our Nightmoon Valley has a complete set of cultivation techniques for us to practice. There aren't a lot of choices for us. Oh, and just so you know, our techniques aren't of the light and dark attribute. Instead, it's night and moon, just as our name implies."

"I see—I'm guessing that isn't a secret of any kind, then."

"Yup. Everyone knows about it. Only you country bumpkins somehow don't!" Sima Xue flashed a victorious smile at having the opportunity to fire one back.

"Please magnanimously educate me." Li Lang played along, bowed down, and placed his hands together to beg.

"Well, there isn't much to talk about, is there? Pick a technique, then you'll be able to gather and manipulate Qi belonging to the attribute it aligns with. That's it."

"What about multiple attribute techniques? I've seen a few, but they're so rare in comparison."

Hearing this question, Sima Xue's eyes brightened with excitement. It was evident she was eager to share her knowledge.

"Splitting your focus will weaken you most of the time. If you face an opponent of the wood element, and you practice fire and water, you'll only have half your reserve to counter them. Fire and water also conflict with each other, so you'll have to execute their techniques separately, or else they'll grow even weaker. Either way, it'll result in you gaining minimal advantages in exchange for more weaknesses, so it's a waste to pick two conflicting attributes." 

The young Nightmoon Valley disciples flashed a self-satisfied smile before continuing. 

"Picking two complementing attributes is a different story. You'll still have to split your Qi reserves in two, which complicates your strengths and weaknesses while requiring you to do twice the work. Only geniuses who can handle the load should practice multiple attributes, or so my master says. And I'm one of these geniuses!"

"I expect nothing less," Li Lang stated in a monotone voice. "And how do you determine if someone is a genius suited for multi-attribute? Is it aptitude gain?"

"Oh, no, it's different. My master administered a test to see if I was suitable for controlling two attributes at once. It requires a lot of sensing around and consciously controlling how you absorb ambient Qi to transform them into different attributes at once."

Absorbing ambient Qi? Doesn't that mean it's something to do with the spiritual roots, then?

Chapter 241: Decidedly Uncertain

Li Lang fell silent as he pondered the relationship between the talent of cultivating multi-attributed techniques and spiritual roots. From what he learned, Foundation Establishment cultivators had an easier time absorbing and manipulating Qi of the same attribute as the cultivation technique they practiced. He theorized this was due to the techniques affecting their spiritual roots.

In the Energy Gathering Realm, one of the main jobs of spiritual roots was to act as a Qi filter. They filtered out toxins from the ambient energies entering the body. The other role was to be the muscle that exerted control over Qi.

If Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators could exert greater control over specific attributes of Qi, then changes to the spiritual roots would naturally be the most likely conclusion.

"Li Lang?" Sima Xue asked upon seeing the young man frozen in place.

"Oh, sorry. I wanted to ask what kind of tests your master had you do to see if you were talented in cultivating multi-attribute techniques."

"It's not that complicated. He had me absorb the two types of Qi our technique had an affinity with."

"Hmm, so you need the assistance of someone who already cultivates that particular Qi type, then?"

"It's not mandatory. Master said special Qi stones or heavenly materials can do the same thing."

"So if I want to test my affinity for fire and water, I just need resources that contain that type of Qi and absorb it?"

Sima Xue nodded. "That's right."

"And just to be clear, this talent you are talking about is simply being able to control both energies at the same time?"

"Yes. It'll make more sense once you've tried it. By doing so, you'll also be able to test out how the Qi of different attributes will interact. Consider it a trial period, to see how it is before committing to it, though I can't say much on that matter. As you can tell from our organization's name, the core of our techniques lies in the synergy between the night and the moon. It is a variant of the concept of yin and yang, where the two energies feed into each other."

The vagueness of how this talent was measured got Li Lang thinking, but he quickly shelved those thoughts and continued asking questions.

"So technically, there isn't a limit to how many attributes a technique encompasses, right? If Nightmoon Valley's techniques are derived from yin-yang, doesn't that mean there is room for a lot of other concepts, like the three phases of water, or even the five main elements?"

"Umm, yes, but I've never heard of anyone talented enough to split their attention to so many different attributes. Some have tried practicing techniques with three attributes, but either fail or end up weaker than the average cultivator of their rank. Being too ambitious isn't a good thing, Li Lang."

"I know. It's not like I'm jumping at the opportunity of trying it out. I just want to learn more about various possibilities and, if possible, a plethora of different techniques to compare how they work."

"Well, that's everything I know. Can we just hurry up and finish breakfast and head out already? I don't want to stay here all day."

As much as Li Lang wanted to say no and continue his investigation, he nodded. Sima Xue along with Jian Beiyun, had come here first thing in the morning to greet them. It would be too rude, even for Li Lang, to question them all morning. They were here to take them around Sword Saint Isle, and that worked out fine for Li Lang, too.

The group soon finished their food and departed from the inn. Under their hosts' guidance, Li Lang's group began touring the city once more. Just as they suspected from the previous day's outing, there wasn't too much to see in the city. It was more accurate to call the place a small town, owing to the lack of amenities, but that wasn't entirely true either.

Once they've had their fill of the area by their inn, Jian Beiyun took them around the sword-shaped mountain. Flying on a Skyrunner, the group could easily spot the large arena in the middle of a thick forest. It stood out like a sore thumb.

"This here is the venue for The Dark Sea Arena. They had finished constructing it before I even got here, so that visitors from afar could inspect the grounds ahead of time. Many already use it as a gathering place with their fellow cultivators and conduct constructive exchanges. There should be quite a few people down there sparring already."

The venue wasn't anything fancy like the coliseum back in Spirit Grove Sect. There was a large clearing at the center, with some elevated platforms surrounding it. Any decent formation master could've built this within a day.

"Don't underestimate this place just because it looks so simple," Jian Beiyun explained, having read the group's expression. "You see those four pillars around the arena? Those are the work of a powerful three-star formation master. No one under the Violet Core Realm could ever hope to damage the barrier."

"That's perfect!" Long Yi shouted. "I can observe fights up close without having to worry!"

The adults from Nightmoon Valley simply nodded at his words.

The group soon landed by the arena and spectated the ongoing fights taking place. There were nine platforms in total within the area the four pillars surrounded. The barrier Jian Beiyun mentioned could be easily seen by focusing Qi into their eyes. A dome enveloped each platform. Whenever any stray attacks from the participants dueling made contact with this dome, it instantly disappeared without a trace.

Three of the nine platforms were currently occupied, with a small crowd around each one. The spectators all noticed Li Lang's group immediately and began whispering to each other. It didn't take long before Li Lang realized all their gaze was drawn to their guides.

"Your organization sure is popular around here," he commented.

"Oh on, it's not us that they're so interested in," Sima Xue defended. "It's Senior Jian in particular. He's famous throughout the entire Violet Isle as one of the strongest cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Realm! They even came up with a moniker for him. He's called Slithering Shadows!"

The man in question shook his head, and they continued to walk closer to the active platforms. "It's undeserved. Numerous talented cultivators exist throughout our Luminescent Domain and beyond. I don't doubt there are many hidden talents that are much better than me."

"No need to be so humble, Senior Brother! Your reputation is good enough as it is."

Instead of replying, Jian Beiyun quickened his pace, leading the group to the fight with the most spectators. While many people continued to stare at the head disciples of Nightmoon Valley, the fighters in the ring remained focused on their fight.

Their figures could barely be seen as their silhouettes flickered like phantoms, constantly vanishing from view. All Li Lang could make out was that a spear-wielder was facing off against a cultivator proficient in fire Qi arts.

"I heard from Senior Zhu and Ma that you guys experienced some difficulties on your way here," Jian Beiyun stated casually as he watched appreciatively at the ongoing battle. "Witnessing a life-or-death battle is definitely an invaluable experience, but the spars you'll be able to spectate for the next few weeks are just as important."

"I have no objection about that," Long Yi said. "The variety of techniques I'll be able to witness will definitely give me a lot of inspiration for how I want to proceed!"

"It's not only that. Unlike fights in the mortal realms, the attribute of the techniques you practice will matter a lot. One must learn about the potential matchups you may face and how to deal with each of them. I suggest you pay more attention to cultivations of the same affinity as you. While your techniques will not be the same, the tactical thinking in most situations will be similar."

All the talks regarding attributes made Li Lang thoughtful. His companions and students who had broken through so far had decided on an attribute with no issue. Only he was undecided after so much time had passed. The more he learned, the more uncertain he was.

It was the result of him not excelling in any particular areas of combat, combined with the anxiety of realizing he would be at a disadvantage no matter what he picked. Those with more spiritual roots could exert greater power. With only five spiritual roots, he was so lacking that no matter what he chose, he would only gain an edge in the most perfect matchups.

Is there a way I can make up for my lack of power?

Chapter 242: Brimming with Questions

While Li Lang was lost in thought, the match taking place on the platform continued to unfold.

Several tornadoes or fire circled one of the cultivators, desperately trying to fend off the spear-wielding opponent. It was apparent the fire wielder was at a disadvantage, as his opponent constantly managed to close the distance. He barely hung on by parrying the barrage of sharp thrusts and diving for cover behind his firestorms.

"Fei Yan shouldn't be losing this badly against some independent cultivator of the orthodox path! Is he holding back, so he doesn't reveal his cards early?"

"Hmm, that may be the smart thing to do, but does he have no pride? How can you still dwell on such matters when he's being beaten black and blue? He's embarrassing the Pyrewatchers' name!"

In the heat of the action, the man the spectators were gossiping about seemed to have overheard their comments. He abruptly glanced with over a furious gaze, startling the young man who had publicly mired his reputation.

Almost immediately, a giant fire tornado began to expand around him. The spear wielder simply hovered in the air, waiting for Fei Yan to exhaust himself with his flashy move. However, what he didn't expect was the other party suddenly charging out through the flames.

He rushed to dodge out of the way, and thanks to his quick reaction, there was an ample amount of leeway for him. Everyone in the audience could see that the fire specialist was too slow compared to his opponent.

"What is he doing? Fei Yan specializes in Qi arts. Why is he charging at a martial arts expert?"

"Ha!" The previously startled young man recovered somewhat, seeing the foolish scene. "He doesn't even know to keep his distance to maximize his range advantage. The new generation of Pyrewatchers sure pale in comparison to the older—"

Just as the spectators thought they knew what would happen, the sword in Fei Yan's hand was suddenly engulfed in flames. The more experienced people in the venue gasped upon recognizing what was happening.

"—What? How is that anything special?" The young man was soon left speechless when the relatively slow Fei Yan managed to catch up to his opponent. "How did he catch up? He's not moving any faster at all!"

"Youngling these days," an elder gentlemen sighed as he shook his head. "They can't even recognize a martial intent when it happens before their eyes."

"What?! You mean that Fei Yan masted the fire intent?!"

The spear-wielder grimaced upon recognizing the encroaching enemy. It was only for a split second before he prepared to unleash another thrust with his spear. Suddenly, both parties froze in mid-air. It was only for an instant before the two clashed, but it caused an even greater stir among the spectators.

"That young man is an independent cultivator, right? How can he master a martial intent at such a young age as well? What was his name again? Li something?"

"It's Ri Xin, Senior Brother."

Upon hearing that name, Li Lang finally snapped out of his musing. It was a name he recognized.

"Ri Xin?" he muttered as he turned to Long Yi.

"Is that who I think it is?"

"Who?"

"Oh, never mind. I forgot you entered Spirit Grove a year later than me."

"Hey, I recognize him!" Sima Xue chimed in. "Don't forget I entered the sect the same year as you. He's that independent cultivator who showed up in the sect competition, right?"

"Yeah." Li Lang stared at Sima Xue wordlessly for a brief moment before looking back at the fight. He didn't want to uncover the lid he put on the awful memories he had of Sima Xue, or to be precise, Ling Xue.

There were too many things for him to worry about than to hold a grudge against every little thing. He understood Ling Xue meant no harm, so he had to put it behind them to focus on more fruitful endeavors.

"Anyway, I guess it shouldn't be surprising he has made great progress since then. He has a unique physique, after all."

"Nevertheless, mastering a martial intent in the early stage of Foundation Establishment is nothing to scoff at," Jian Beiyun added. "There are plenty of Violet Core cultivators who haven't mastered an intent yet."

"Senior Jian," Li Lang called out in a serious tone. "Doesn't that mean some talented cultivators in the Foundation Establishment realm can defeat some of the weaker Violet Core experts?"

"Oh, no. Martial intent doesn't give you that big of an advantage. It affects the soul and spirit directly. The higher your cultivation, the stronger those two aspects become. Even at the level of early-stage Foundation Establishment, it's only able to cause their opponent to stiffen for a split second. Less when both parties have mastered an intent."

"A sp-split second is still a big deal, though," Wei Ping commented.

"That's true."

The group continued to silently watch the fight unfold for a while longer before it came to an end. The spear-wielder had emerged victorious. With both of them revealing the same trump card, it naturally canceled each other out. The one who had the advantage retained it until the end.

Under the applause of the spectators, the stern-looking Ri Xin walked back to an old man wearing a large straw hat.

From their conversation, it was soon revealed that this man was his master. The people around them soon lost interest as the next spar began. Only Fei Yan continued to stare daggers at the two—or so he thought.

Just as he was about to approach Ri Xin to formally challenge him to a rematch, a young man had reached the talented independent cultivator first. This newcomer had a head that was slightly larger than the average. It was naturally Li Lang.

"Ri Xin, it's been some time," he greeted warmly.

The man in question turned around with a puzzled look. He stared straight into Li Lang's eyes with a confused expression.

"And you are?"

"I'm Li Lang. We met when you visited Spirit Grove a few years ago."

"The boy with the oversized head?"

"Haha, that's right, but I have grown up somewhat now."

Ri Xin smiled and nodded at his words.

"That, you have. I remember you had only just entered the sect back then. It seems you've had your own fortuitous encounters to have reached the peak of Energy Gathering."

"Well, it's a long story. Anyway, do you have some time to spare? I would like to catch up and ask you a few questions."

"That—"

Before Ri Xin could answer, Li Lang's companions caught up. They hadn't expected him to slip away so quickly.

"Don't b-be selfish, boss. You can't be asking others f-for their time on such short notice. We have t-to reciprocate Senior Jian's kindness for giving us his time as well."

Wei Ping's intense gaze almost caused Li Lang to flinch back. It sternly reprimanded him for trying to ditch their guides just because of his own selfish desire to interview someone new. It made Li Lang turn back to Ri Xin and politely clasp his fist.

"Apologies. I was getting ahead of myself. If you don't mind, maybe we can get together sometime in the coming week?"

"Sure, no problem. I'm staying at Wind Shell Inn. You can send someone over once your schedule is more clear and we can work things out."

With the matter settled, Ri Xin quickly left the venue with his master. He was understandably in need of rest. Even the competitive Fei Yan was tactful enough not to approach him any longer. He could only swallow his pride and wait for another opportunity to schedule his rematch. For now, he just stared venomously at Li Lang for making him have to endure.

For better or worse, Li Lang was completely oblivious to such matters. He followed his group to spectate another fight taking place on the neighboring platform. There were numerous talented experts around and plenty of techniques to witness. His only regret was his inability to obtain a copy of the techniques these fighters used. After all, it would be too crass, even for Li Lang, to blatantly ask a cultivator for their technique right after their match.

Hmm, I'll have to visit the marketplace again tomorrow. For today—I'll interview my students for their techniques and get their impressions instead!

Chapter 243: Interview and Test

Returning to their rooms, Li Lang spared no time and entered the Crucible. Their two-day tour of Sword Saint Isle was over, so he had to quickly get his students situated before they came out of the pocket realm. 

While Nightmoon Valley knew about the existence of the Crucible, the same could not be said for the others on the island. Once they came out, they would have to rely on themselves and feign being strangers to their teachers should they cross paths. Posing as independent cultivators was the best way to avoid drawing attention to their group overall.

However, despite how important this was, Li Lang rushed through this briefing. It was because he was enamored with the study of Earth-grade cultivation techniques. At the arena today, he had witnessed numerous impressive techniques and was eager to study them further. The best interview candidates around were his students. They were already used to his antics, so he could barrage them with as many questions as he liked.

After going over the things they needed to pay attention to while staying at Sword Saint Isle, Li Lang asked his Foundation Establishment Realm students to come speak to him in private. They were forced to line up outside his room, as he spoke to them one by one.

The first person invited into his room was Xiao Dong, the first among their students to have broken through.

"Tell me about the technique you chose to cultivate. I believe it's called Metal—something?"

"Metal Heart Mantra, Teacher. It's not anything special, quite a typical technique of the metal affinity that can strengthen my sword techniques. It also touts making the practitioner more resistant to illusions and other harmful techniques that target the mind."

"I see, well why did you choose it?"

"I simply wanted to focus on using the sword. I know we haven't learned many Qi arts before and that I can work to catch up now that I have broken through, but I don't see myself being talented enough to close the gap with even the more average cultivators. I'd rather focus only on one thing—-martial arts-focused on swordplay."

"Well, I won't say much if that is the correct decision or not. It's your own choice. You'll find out eventually. If it doesn't work out, you can always find a new technique from the Crucible here. We have control of it now, so you don't have to stick with what you found in the bazaar. Now is the time to explore techniques before you finalize your foundation. Otherwise, if you wait until you've already broken through to the next stage, you'll have to return to the early stage of Foundation Establishment if you change techniques. Anyway, I'm more curious about any changes you've felt since you practiced this technique."

"Changes? Well, it's become easier to infuse Qi into my sword. Is there anything specific I should have noticed?"

"Hmm, how about when you cultivate? Feel anything changing regarding how you absorb Qi into your body?"

"Not really? Nothing out of the ordinary has happened. Following the instructions of the cultivation manual, most of the Qi I absorb is of the metal element now. It's been a slow and steady process, just like the others are experiencing."

"That's a given." Li Lang nodded. "Foundation Establishment cultivators have a lifespan of approximately five hundred years. While that sounds like a lot, it takes a long time to make any progress in this realm. We can't afford to be complacent."

Li Lang had done some preliminary information gathering relating to how one progressed in his new realm of cultivation. The bottleneck for Energy Gatherers was cultivation overdosing, where they had to take breaks to prevent toxins from accumulating too much. In the Foundation Establishment Realm, this was no longer the case. The main bottleneck in this realm was the quantity of Qi one needed to fill the ocean within their core.

Other than that, they also had to construct structures within the core. There was no outline of what to construct and was mostly based on the cultivator found suitable for themself. This part wasn't something Li Lang had figured out yet. It wasn't something he had to do in the early stages yet. For now, he was focused on gathering more techniques to research and find a suitable one for himself.

"Um, then there isn't really anything else," Xiao Dong said with a shrug.

"How about your ability to control Qi of other affinities? Is it the same as before you practiced the Metal Heart Mantra, or worse?"

Xiao Dong put on a thoughtful look as he deliberated about it for several moments. He then sighed and shook his head.

"I don't think there's a difference. If anything, it got weaker, but only by a little bit. However, my control of metal-attributed Qi is rising, so I can't really say for sure. I haven't really learned any techniques of other attributes, so it's hard for me to say."

"I understand. How about crafts? Have you been studying any of them?"

"I've been wanting to. Since I chose the Metal Heart Mantra, I plan to try artificing once I get a chance."

Li Lang nodded at his reply. His students were kept in the pocket realm, so they didn't have the chance to go to the various guilds or even connect with a mentor through The Orchid Covenant they were a part of. It was the downside of living in the Crucible and something he had to address sooner or later.

"When this trip is over, things should change. With everyone having learned the Wave Dampening Art, once you guys have brushed up more on martial arts or Qi arts, you should have the ability to defend yourself. Then you can roam outside to gain experience."

After a few more questions, Xiao Dong was finally released. Another student would take his place and they would be asked similar questions. Li Lang spent the majority of the night going through all his students in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Once he was done, he made sure to record everything in his lab within Ruby and then began performing some tests. Sima Xue had gone over the steps to test the talent someone had for practicing multi-attribute techniques. While Li Lang didn't possess anything that contained rare types of Qi like the moon, his collections of materials had plenty of the more common types of Qi.

He took out some Yellow Wind flowers along with some Ashen Clovers. They were materials that could provide him with wind-attributed and fire-attributed Qi. He grasped them tightly in his hands and focused on absorbing their energies.

Normally, one simply focused on their cultivation technique to absorb the ambient Qi around them. For Li Lang, he employed his black hole method, but that indiscriminately absorbed all types of Qi. He had yet to practice any Earth-grade techniques that allowed him to be selective.

Thankfully, he could still complete the task of absorbing specific types of Qi. There was already a pure source present, so he didn't have to do any filtering. He directed one of his five spiritual roots to each of the heavenly materials in his hands. Very soon, two types of Qi flowed toward his dantian from their respective pathways within his body.

"This—isn't that hard?" Li Lang muttered.

From his previous discussions, he expected this task to be a lot more difficult than it currently was. Still, he didn't jump to conclusions and persisted with the test. The two types of Qi soon came within the sphere of influence of each other within his dantian. They floated above his sea of Qi. Under his direction, they moved closer and began reacting to each other when they drew close enough.

As the distance closed, the reaction only intensified, and a small portion of the wind Qi was assimilated into the fire Qi, allowing the latter to be empowered at the cost of the former.

"So this is how you observe the interaction between two types of energies. Wind feeding into the fire isn't that surprising. There should be numerous combinations that I can test out, but the problem is sourcing the energy for the rarer attributes."

Li Lang took some more time to observe and experience how to control two different types of Qi. The longer it went on, the more doubtful he became.

Am I actually talented when it comes to controlling multiple types of Qi? Sima Xue talked about it as if it's a herculean task, but—it's not.

The possibility that he was talented in something lurked within his mind, but he didn't dare to fully believe it. His luck was never that good. He was afraid of believing that had changed, only to be proven wrong.

The uncertainty within him began to nag at him. He was desperate for a way to confirm if he was overthinking it or not. He wished there was a simpler method with a clear-cut answer, like the orbs used to measure aptitude.

As he was hesitant about what to do next, his eyes wandered to the pile of resources he had summoned for the test. An ambitious idea began to sprout within his mind. He immediately wanted to dismiss it, but it was far too late. It had already taken root.

Taking a deep breath, Li Lang couldn't suppress his curiosity any further and reached out toward the pile of resources.

If controlling two is this easy, maybe I can do three?

Chapter 244: Multi-Attribute Test

Li Lang had been told it was a challenging task for cultivators to maintain control of Qi of different attributes at the same time. It was much easier to either focus on one attribute or none at all. Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators normally went with the former. That was because non-attributed Qi was the jack of all trades and master of none. It had no strengths to speak of.

Just like with selecting beast cores for artificing, specializing in an attribute was much more powerful while non-attribute only had the advantage of being flexible.

Due to that, almost all weapon artifacts were made using beast cores specialized in a certain attribute. The non-attributed ones were only used in utility artifacts or certain defensive artifacts. The resulting armors weren't able to block the attacks entirely, but they could weaken attacks of various elements, making them useful in many situations.

However, when it came to the cultivators themselves, being the weaker party in almost all situations was unacceptable. Almost all Earth-grade techniques specialized in a particular element for that reason. Some of the rarer ones made use of multiple attributes, but they required talented individuals who could multitask between the different types of Qi.

Right now, Li Lang found himself wanting to tackle the challenge of controlling three different types of Qi at the same time.

He grabbed another heavenly material from his pile, a common alchemy material by the name of Lighthorn. While continuing to absorb the energies from the Yellow Wind Flower and Ashen Clover, he began his attempt on the third material of the day. He assigned one of his remaining three spiritual roots to this task, and a new type of Qi began to travel toward his dantian.

"It's—it's working?"

This time, Li Lang was truly befuddled. There was barely any additional strain. It was completely different from what he had heard. Surely, he couldn't have lucked out and possessed tremendous talent.

While thousands of things raced across his mind, he mechanically repeated the same steps of bringing the new Qi into his dantian. The Qi of light attribute didn't seem to react in any particular way with the existing energies. Li Lang didn't have the capacity to dwell on that as he completely focused on his little test.

Several moments passed, and he found he could maintain the connection with the three heavenly materials without any issue. Three constant streams of energy flowed into his dantian with no issue. Seeing this, his ambition began to grow as he reached out again for his pile of heavenly resources.

Just as he was rummaging through the pile, he abruptly came to a stop and took a deep breath.

I'm getting ahead of myself. I may have five spiritual roots, but there's only three meridian channels that lead into my dantian. If I keep pushing, the different types of Qi will have to clash within my channels. I can't believe I almost did something so dangerous without taking proper precautions.

"Blue, Orange, Green, are you three there?"

Within a breath of time, three globes of light floated into his room and then transformed into three young humans.

"How may we help, Master?" Blue called out as the representative of the other two.

"Keep watch over me. I'm not sure if anything will happen, but if you see anything wrong, do try your best to save me or transport me to someone if you can't deal with it."

"Um—Understood, Master."

The three of them kept looking between me and the pile of heavenly resources and it seemed like they wanted to say something, but didn't dare. Having noticed their hesitation, Li Lang called out to his other trusty artifact spirit.

"Ruby, can you watch over me as well? You should be able to monitor the Qi within me more clearly than the others."

"Of course, Master! Leave it to me."

Then, it was Li Lang's turn to hesitate as he wondered if he should call Wei Ping. His heart was telling him not to, as it was possible he would try to convince him not to go through with this test. However, the logical side of him reprimanded himself for wanting to take these risks without preparing for every scenario he could think of.

Finally, his rational side won out, and he ordered the three artifact spirits to summon his friend and research assistant. With the power the spirits had over their domain, the young man wearing the wooden mask was teleported straight into his room.

"Wei Ping, I need you to monitor my vitals while I try something. Hmm, get some Recovery Pills ready just in case."

"B-Boss? What is this all of a sudden?"

"I'll tell you about it later. In fact, I think I'll need you to do the same thing later."

"Shouldn't you get th-the students to test it out first? Half of th-them are in the Foundation Establishment Realm now."

"No, they've already selected their cultivation technique. The only one left besides me who hasn't selected one is you, since you just broke through recently."

Wei Ping looked down thoughtfully, and no longer argued. He could hear it in Li Lang's tone that he was at a critical juncture, so he swallowed down the things he wanted to say.

Seeing this, Li Lang nodded appreciatively to his friend and proceeded to grab another resource from the pile. This time, he took hold of an Azure Tearstone, a material used in brushweaving. It was used to create inkstones and ink. It contained rich water-element energy.

Once again, he focused on one of the two unoccupied spiritual roots and began absorbing the water-attributed Qi.

The scene replayed itself, but this time, he could sense the new water Qi eventually being ushered into the same passageway as the light Qi! He took a deep breath as he waited for the inevitable collision. He braced himself for what was to come, but to his surprise, nothing happened. 

The two streams of Qi flowed in the same direction without any conflict. There was even a sliver of space between them. It was as if an invisible barrier separated them. Only when the Qi reached his dantian did they start interacting as before. 

Li Lang didn't dwell on the matter for now. His breathing quickened when he soon realized that he had yet to reach his limit. He didn't dawdle and grabbed a fifth material from his pile. Nothing special happened either with this fifth attempt.

"This—How can this be? The difficulty has barely increased."

Li Lang supported his chin with a fist as he closely observed the situation within his dantian. Five small orbs of Qi floated above his spiritual sea. Each of them was tethered to one of his spiritual roots, where a constant stream of energy was entering.

As he had yet to practice an Earth-grade technique, the orbs simply floated there peacefully. He couldn't maintain them permanently and add them to his reserve. He could either use it or it'd dissipate in time.

Seeing this, he couldn't help but try to push even further. He retrieved yet another material with a different affinity.

I only have five spiritual roots, so I'll have to make this sixth type of Qi share the same pathway as one of the other ones. There isn't any issue right now even when they share the channels, so it should be okay.

When he attempted to take in this new stream of Qi, the spiritual root he directed to this task inadvertently ceased absorbing from the Yellow Wind Flower it had been focused on. He tried several times, but it could only handle one type of Qi at a time. 

"Is this my limit?"

It soon became obvious that there was no way he could get it to work with two different energies at the same time. He promptly gave up for now as he focused on the implications of what he had just accomplished.

"Does this mean I am capable of practicing a technique that involves five attributes?" Li Lang muttered. "But how does that make sense? Those with dozens of spiritual roots can barely handle two."

"Boss?" Wei Ping called out in surprise. "What d-do you mean?"

"Hmm, give me one moment," Li Lang replied, holding up a hand.

I can slowly investigate why I can control five types of Qi later. I need to consider the impact this will have on my trajectory.

The five attributes I can control just now are wind, fire, light, water, and mist. I didn't plan any synergy for this matchup. Going by logic, the most suitable five-attribute technique for me would be something utilizing the five main elements.

Li Lang felt like he was skipping many steps just to rush things along, but he really wanted to go through with it. The adrenaline from the possibilities presented to him had urged him to continue exploring.

He replaced several materials so that he had one of each of the five main elements. That meant he was now holding a heavenly resource that corresponded to fire, earth, water, metal, and wood.

He repeated his previous feat of absorbing the Qi from five different sources concurrently, and soon, five orbs of energy formed above his spiritual sea once again. He immediately noticed a significant difference compared to the last interaction.

The five elements were grouped together for a reason. The relationship between them was extraordinary. The locals believed these elements maintained the balance of the natural forces of the world. Seeing these five energies interact allowed Li Lang to get a glimpse into why this was the prevailing belief.

The five bodies of energy naturally began to spin around each other, and they began to tether to each other. Their size began to grow even faster than what could be explained by what the heavenly resources provided.

This is the generation cycle they talk about! The wood Qi is feeding the fire, the fire creates earth, the earth produces metal, the metal enriches water, and the water nourishes the wood!

A self-reinforcing positive feedback loop facilitating continuous energy transfer and transformation across distinct states, potentially exhibiting autocatalytic behavior or an open thermodynamic system with sustained input and minimal dissipation. No—from the rate it's growing, it may not merely be recycling energy or drawing from an external source, but could in fact be generating energy from nothing. This directly defies the second law of thermodynamics!

Just as Li Lang was astounded by his new discovery, the spinning orbs of energy destabilized. Two of the five orbs began lagging behind the other three in growth. It put the entire system out of balance, causing the overall growth rate to decrease dramatically. It dropped until it matched the absorption rate of the materials. That meant its miraculous growth had stopped and was now only being maintained by the upkeep from the heavenly resources.

Why is this happening? The input of all five streams going into my dantian is consistent with each other. Why in the world did it lose balance?

Chapter 245: New Stipulations

Noting down his observations, it didn't take long for Li Lang to form a theory. 

"The three elements that cannibalized the other two are fire, water, and metal," he muttered as he stared at the computer screen in his lab. "Prima facie, these elements are all ones I've often been using for the three crafts I practice."

Li Lang recalled the time when he was being tested by Tie Qian, his artificer mentor. He was almost rejected because of his lack of metal affinity. When he readjusted his mindset, that changed. His artificer mentor also talked about how working with metals more often would increase his affinity. It wouldn't be surprising he had better control of the attributes he was familiar with.

He naturally began suspecting the reason for the five elements failing was because his mastery of the five elements was uneven. 

He was significantly better with Qi of the fire, water, and metal attributes. It explained why those orbs of Qi grew quicker, causing the other two elements to lag behind.

"Master, are you okay?" a soft voice asked.

"I'm fine, Ruby. Just let me note down my findings and you can let me out."

"Understood!"

It wasn't long before Li Lang opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was the figure of Blue, Orange, and Green staring at him. To his side was Wei Ping, sitting with a perfect posture next to him.

"My test is done. Thanks, everyone."

The three artifact spirits bowed politely while Wei Ping stood up.

"Care t-to explain now? You said you wanted m-me to do the same test next, right?"

"Hm, all I have are theories based on many presumptions right now, so if you don't mind that, I can."

Wei Ping nodded, urging Li Lang to elaborate. Li Lang did just that, retelling everything he had experienced and the reason why he had called him over to stand guard. 

Having heard Li Lang's retelling of his reckless actions, Wei Ping didn't have any words to reprimand him with. He only sighed. It simply wasn't surprising, considering who he was dealing with.

"Anyway, it's getting late," Li Lang continued. "There's no need to rush this. You can take a shot at it tomorrow or something."

"B-Boss, just because it went okay for you does not mean it will for me."

"I haven't heard of anything that can go wrong when it comes to this kind of test. I'm sure our fine friends from Nightmoon Valley will tell us if there are really dangers to these tests, with their long history and all that."

The conversation was soon cut short as the hour got late. As excited as Li Lang was about his new discoveries, even he knew to take a break from time to time. All the low-hanging fruits had been plucked. Any further progress he would make required more testing and observations.

The next morning, he sent one of the inn's errand boys to set up a meeting with Ri Xin, the independent cultivator, before rounding up his students.

"It's been decided. We'll start letting those of you who have reached the Foundation Establishment Realm out of the pocket realm starting next week. You'll be released individually or in pairs to avoid attention. I hope you'll all take this last bit of time to train as hard as you can. That goes double for those yet to break through. This event is the perfect place to gain insight from those who have tread the path you'll be taking in the future."

As much as the trio wanted to let everyone out, it was too dangerous to permit the Energy Gatherers to move about unsupervised. With so many experts gathering, the chances of conflict arising were too great. Without enough strength, they wouldn't be able to even defend themselves until help arrived. 

When the young students were done shouting affirmations to his instructions, his eyes landed on the group of Energy Gatherers. Like him, they all had grade one aptitude and thus, were the closest match to him. 

They had been trying their best to break through, and with the insights of both Wei Ping and himself, they should be crossing the vital hurdle at any time now. When they did, they would be the most representative test subjects for Li Lang. That's why he urged them over and gave them additional guidance.

"You guys have been working hard, I know, but in order to stimulate you even more, I've decided on a new system for our resource distribution."

The half a dozen kids looked puzzled at Li Lang's sudden declaration.

"Resource distribution?" Wu San repeated.

"So far, I've been giving you Foundation Pills whenever you needed it, but I believe that is having a negative effect on you all. From what we observed from Teach Wei's breakthrough, having more at stake should have a positive effect on your willpower."

"You want us to replicate Teacher Wei's feat of breaking through without using a Foundation Pill?" Ouyang Jie shouted out excitedly. 

He was usually timid, but he idolized Wei Ping. He was crazy enough to want to follow in his idol's footsteps, but had always been denied the opportunity by his saner teachers.

"Of course not. That is too dangerous," Li Lang mercilessly shut his overzealous student down. "What we'll be instating is the method to earn the Foundation Pill. If you haven't realized, this pill is valuable to even the biggest sects and organizations. While I can afford to supply them to you now, that may not always be the case. Especially if we'll be taking on more students in the future."

Li Lang scanned his students as he allowed them some time to process his words before continuing.

"From now on, you'll only be given a Foundation Pill if you manage to defeat ten Qi beasts whose powers are on par with you. That means Peak Energy Gathering beasts. You can do so at your discretion. The artifact spirit of the Crucible will keep track."

"What?!"

The students cried out in disbelief. Since they had little combat training, for them, the task of facing off against a Qi beast of the same cultivation was a herculean task. They could barely beat one if they relied on hit-and-run tactics, using the terrain to shield them from harm. Even then, it was a war of attrition, where they had to grit their teeth and endure a long fight.

Having heard they had to complete this task not once, but ten times, the young cultivators grimaced.

"Don't complain. You're fortunate enough to be able to obtain Foundation Pills already. Many disciples in big organizations have to work for years to be afforded this opportunity."

None of the kids argued against their teacher. They simply looked at the ground and accepted the new terms. All except for one person, Wu San, who raised a hand up.

"Question? Let's hear it."

"Teacher Li, may I ask what kind of tests you have in mind for us once we break through?"

"Hm, what do you mean?"

"Teacher, if you're urging us to break through, it can only mean you have a need for us right now, right? I'm willing to help, but I'm also curious. Are our seniors not enough or do they not meet your requirements somehow?"

Hearing these questions, Wei Ping and Long Yi, who were off to the side, couldn't help but chuckle. Even one of the young students could read Li Lang like a book now. They took joy in how even kids could see right through him.

Li Lang couldn't even say anything to shut them up. He simply ignored his two friends and dutifully explained what he had in mind. He couldn't wait to get this over with, so he could head out and procure more cultivation manuals for his study.

After all, he now had an inkling as to what kind of Earth-grade cultivation he wanted. However, he suspected a technique involving the five elements wasn't so easy to find. Even those with two or three attributes were rare, one that had to do with such a powerful concept like the five elements was likely to be a legendary secret technique, if they even existed. 

He had a feeling that he would have to create the technique himself if he wanted to obtain one within the next century. To do so, he would have to study as many samples as possible.

At the same time, he would also have to consider starting dabbling in the art of formations and woodsmithing soon. His mastery of the earth and wood element was lagging behind the other three. If he wanted to dabble with the five elements, he was confident it was necessary to shore up these shortcomings.