Chapter 13: Breaking Through to the Sixth Level of Qi Refining

Inside the secret chamber in Qingfeng Town.

Lin Tianming sat cross-legged on his cushion, motionless.

After spending a day refining a Spirit Origin Pill, he had reached the peak of the fifth level of Qi Refining. He had attempted to break through three times, but each attempt ended in failure. His sea of Qi had expanded to its limit, just one step away from the breakthrough.

His first life-and-death battle had nearly cost him his life. If not for his substantial wealth and the red-robed cultivator being severely injured and operating at less than thirty percent of his full strength, the outcome would have been dire.

Determined, Lin Tianming vowed to break through today. With a resolute look, he took out another Spirit Origin Pill and swallowed it whole. He activated his cultivation technique and began to frantically refine the pill's energy.

He guided the violent spiritual energy through his meridians, repeatedly impacting his sea of Qi. After several attempts, he finally succeeded on the sixth try. His sea of Qi expanded significantly, and his spiritual energy multiplied several times over. Overjoyed, Lin Tianming had spent two days refining two Spirit Origin Pills, finally achieving a breakthrough.

Feeling the surge of his powerful new level, Lin Tianming realized that if he were to face the red-robed cultivator again, he wouldn't be so helpless. Though he had just broken through, he needed to stabilize his new level.

Lin Tianming continued to cultivate, consolidating his breakthrough. Three days later, his cultivation stabilized.

In the secret chamber, three spirit swords and two giant hammers lay before Lin Tianming. These were the spiritual weapons of the Jin-named cultivator and the red-robed man. He had been recovering from his injuries and focusing on breaking through, leaving no time to refine these weapons. Now, he could finally take the time to enhance his arsenal, increasing his chances in future battles.

He examined the three spirit swords carefully. Each one was a mid-grade spiritual weapon, and combined, they had the power of a high-grade spiritual weapon—a formidable set. Unfortunately, without a sword formation technique, he couldn't fully harness their power. Nevertheless, he decided to refine one of the swords since it would still be more powerful than his low-grade Green Bamboo Sword.

Lin Tianming chose one of the swords, erased the previous owner's spiritual imprint, and began to refine it.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Lin Tianming successfully refined one of the spirit swords and decided to name it Qingfeng Sword, as he had acquired it while guarding Qingfeng Town. The two giant hammers would be exchanged for merit points or sold at a market.

Ten days later, Lin Tianming emerged from seclusion. His cultivation was solidly at the sixth level of Qi Refining, his complexion was healthy, and his aura was stable. After spending over a month recovering from his injuries and breaking through, it was time to check the surroundings of Qingfeng Town.

As usual, he flew out of the town, circling a hundred li around it. After half an hour, he reached the small hill where he had fought the red-robed cultivator. The battle scars were gradually being covered by new trees and underbrush, making it hard to tell there had been a fight.

He continued his patrol, but found no traces of demonic beasts. A few unlucky wild animals were easily killed and brought back to Qingfeng Town for the mortals to enjoy. With his improved cultivation, the patrol took less than half a day, compared to the previous half-day, thanks to his deeper and more abundant spiritual energy.

After returning to the secret chamber in the pavilion, Lin Tianming took out the alchemical insights from the Jin-named cultivator.

A blue-green jade slip appeared in his hand. He used his spiritual sense to probe the jade slip's contents. The slip contained the insights of Master Yuhua, a mid-Core Formation stage cultivator and a third-tier lower-grade alchemist from Jingzhou, who had died over three thousand years ago. Master Yuhua had been one of many who came to Qingzhou to seek fortune and adventure.

Over tens of thousands of years, many cultivators from other states had flocked to Qingzhou. Cultivators from families and sects also came in droves. Qingzhou had abundant natural treasures, but being close to the territory of the demon clans, the conflicts between mid- to low-tier human and demon cultivators were never-ending.

Risk and opportunity coexisted. Many cultivators perished in Qingzhou, while others soared to greatness after securing substantial resources. Qingzhou never lacked opportunities or casualties. Master Yuhua had been one of the many who perished in pursuit of fortune.

The jade slip detailed Master Yuhua's understanding of alchemy and included dozens of common pill recipes, some even for third-tier pills. Pills like the Spirit Origin Pill, Rejuvenation Pill, Essence Stabilizing Pill, and Detoxification Pill could be refined up to the fourth tier, potent enough for Nascent Soul cultivators.

The slip contained four pill recipes that Lin Tianming had not yet seen.

The Spirit Nourishing Pill, a high-grade first-tier pill, was for spirit beasts and had effects similar to the Spirit Origin Pill but was more potent and suitable only for demonic beasts. Some ingredients overlapped with the Spirit Origin Pill, but the main ingredients were much rarer.

The Body Tempering Pill, a high-grade first-tier pill, enhanced a cultivator's physique and reduced pain during body refinement. It was an expensive auxiliary pill for body refinement cultivators.

The Spirit Strengthening Pill, a high-grade first-tier pill, slowly increased spiritual consciousness, making it extremely precious. One Spirit Strengthening Pill was as valuable as a Barrier Breaking Pill. Though its effects were modest, regular consumption could yield significant benefits. However, the materials were too rare and costly for most cultivators.

The Minor Foundation Establishment Pill, a low-grade second-tier pill, increased a cultivator's chances of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage by twenty percent. It was a simplified version of the Foundation Establishment Pill, with only a fraction of its efficacy but still remarkable.

Lin Tianming was ecstatic. The Foundation Establishment Pill was hard to come by. Each one the family acquired required decades of accumulation and immense risk, which was why the Lin family had only two Foundation Establishment cultivators despite having several at the peak of Qi Refining. The family lacked the resources to support everyone.

If he could refine the Minor Foundation Establishment Pill, those stuck at the peak of Qi Refining in his family would have a much better chance of advancing. The Foundation Establishment Pill was rare due to its primary ingredient, White Jade Grass, which was hard to find and even harder to cultivate.

The Minor Foundation Establishment Pill used Hidden Spirit Grass instead, which, while also rare, was not as scarce as White Jade Grass.

Lin Tianming carefully stored the jade slip. The value of the Minor Foundation Establishment Pill recipe alone was comparable to a Foundation Establishment Pill.

The Minor Foundation Establishment Pill could significantly alleviate the family's financial strain and give those at the peak of Qi Refining a real hope of advancing.