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Seeing Zhao Yu earn five hundred Spirit Stones in one go, some cultivators in the Market couldn't help but feel envious, but no one dared to make a move against him there.
If Zhao Yu had still been living on the edge of the Market in Huangli Alley, someone might have taken the risk, but he lived in the Market Center District. His neighbors on either side were master cultivators at the Great Circle of Qi Refining and the Eighth Level of Qi Refining, respectively, and right next to him was the Cangling Sect Law Enforcement Team's station. Which robber would be foolish enough to attack him?
Zhao Yu directly packed up his stall and returned to his small courtyard in the Market Center District.
Zhao Yu spent three mid-grade Spirit Stones to purchase thirty-two bottles of Yellow Spirit Pills from Xiong Zhenye all at once, then swallowed twenty-nine bottles in succession, converting each of them into proficiency with Yellow Spirit Pills.
"Alchemy Cultivation Level: 0th Level (30/100)."
"Alchemy — Yellow Spirit Pill: Proficient (0/400)."
Zhao Yu laughed excitedly, "Hahaha! At last, I've also become a Pill Master!"
"There are three more Yellow Spirit Pills left, just enough to enhance my cultivation level!"
Zhao Yu took out a Yellow Spirit Pill and swallowed it whole. A surge of immense heat flowed through his body, and he immediately circulated his Earth Elemental Skill to absorb this heat, transforming it little by little into his own mana.
"Cultivation Level: Earth Elemental Skill Second Level (33/100)."
"One Yellow Spirit Pill increased my proficiency by twenty points! With just four more Yellow Spirit Pills, I can advance to the Third Level of Qi Refinement! On the path of cultivation, resources are really too important! With enough elixirs, even someone with my level of talent can cultivate into an immortal!"
After refining the power of that Yellow Spirit Pill, a trace of excitement flashed in Zhao Yu's eyes. He finally saw hope for rapid advancement in his cultivation level.
In the following period, Zhao Yu did not rush to start alchemy but instead purchased two more Yellow Spirit Pills from Xiong Zhenye. He continued his arduous practice of the Martial Path, drew talismans, and went on to refine Yellow Spirit Pills.
One month later, in the Quiet Room.
Zhao Yu sat cross-legged, operating his Earth Elemental Skill as mana flowed within his body, breaking through another barrier. His mana instantly increased by twenty percent, becoming more lively and pure.
"Cultivation Level: Earth Elemental Skill Third Level (0/100). Qi Refinement Third Level!"
Feeling the pure mana coursing through him, Zhao Yu couldn't help but laugh excitedly, "Hahahahaha, finally at the Third Level of Qi Refinement!"
With the core area of a First-Level Spirit Vein, plus five Yellow Spirit Pills, and the aid of the Dao Fruit, Zhao Yu finally advanced to become a cultivator at the Third Level of Qi Refinement.
An ordinary cultivator at the Second Level of Qi Refinement would need a significant amount of time to completely refine a single Yellow Spirit Pill and also worry about the accumulation of pill toxins, requiring a period of detoxification after refining each Yellow Spirit Pill.
Zhao Yu, with the Dao Fruit he possessed, could easily refine the pill toxins and also rapidly refine the Yellow Spirit Pills, turning them into nourishment for his practice.
"Uncle, dinner is ready!"
Coming out of the Quiet Room into the living room, Zhao Yu saw that Li Xianjiao had already steamed the Spirit Rice and prepared the braised Demon Beast Meat.
Zhao Yu said, "Didn't I mention that I might be late with my practice? You could have eaten first."
Li Xianjiao replied, "Mother always said, a family should eat together!"
Li Yunhai is such a waste, to have driven such a good wife and daughter to this state, what a pity.
Zhao Yu cursed silently in his heart and sat down at the table.
Zhao Yu said, "Later, I'll test your Spirit Root for you. If you have one, you can set foot on the path of cultivation in the future."
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Li Xianjiao looked at Zhao Yu with her clear-cut, black and white big eyes and asked, "Can you save my mother?"
Zhao Yu replied, "If you can cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Stage in the future, you'll be able to save your mother!"
A single Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator could occupy a piece of Spiritual Land and establish a Foundation Establishment family. Throughout the entire Xiao Heishan Market, Zhao Yu had inquired through various channels and found that there was only one Cangling Sect Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator in residence.
If Li Xianjiao could advance to become a Foundation Establishment Expert, simply asking for someone from the Hundred Flowers Building would ensure that person was delivered without fail.
Li Xianjiao declared, "Then I must cultivate! I want to become a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator!"
Zhao Yu smiled inwardly, not taking her seriously in the slightest.
In the entire Xiao Heishan Market, there were numerous Loose Cultivators; Zhao Yu's neighbor, Xiong Zhenye, was even a Great Circle of Qi Refining Pill Master who certainly wasn't lacking in Spirit Stones. Yet, among so many Loose Cultivators, not a single one had become a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator, which showed just how difficult advancing to Foundation Establishment was.
After dinner, Zhao Yu took out a Spirit Testing Talisman that he had purchased for a Spirit Stone and pressed it onto Li Xianjiao's body, then infused it with Mana.
The Spirit Testing Talisman ignited immediately, and a mysterious power enveloped Li Xianjiao.
A layer of blue mist rose from Li Xianjiao's body and then transformed into dazzling purple light.
"Single Water Spirit Root, Heavenly Spirit Root! Eh? This doesn't seem like a good thing!!"
Seeing this scene, Zhao Yu was both shocked and pleased, but then he felt a great headache looming.
Spirit Roots were classified as Low-grade Spiritual Roots, Medium-grade Spiritual Roots, High-grade Spiritual Roots, Earth Spirit Roots, and Heavenly Spirit Roots. Medium-grade Spiritual Roots were already enough to meet the standards for joining the Cangling Sect.
If Li Xianjiao had only possessed a High-grade Spirit Root, Zhao Yu would have been very happy, foreseeing that with cultivation, she could become an excellent assistant in the future.
However, Li Xianjiao possessed the legendary Heavenly Spirit Root; given abundant resources, she could unquestionably cultivate to become a Golden Core Ancestor, and even advancing to Nascent Soul Expert had a twenty to thirty percent chance of success.
Typical Qi Cultivation strong practitioners would rack their brains and even resort to head-breaking competition for a chance at a Foundation Establishment Pill, whereas for unparalleled geniuses with Heavenly Spirit Roots, such a pill was utterly unnecessary. They could easily achieve Pill-less Foundation Establishment.
Within the Beihuang territory, there were four great sects: the Cangling Sect, the Dan Ling Sect, the Thousand Mysteries Sect, and the Beast Taming Sect.
The Cangling Sect had once become embroiled in a dispute with the Beast Taming Sect over a genius with an Earth Spirit Root, which led to outright conflict and sparked a war within the Northern Desolate Cultivation World.
In the end, that Earth Spirit Root genius was personally killed by an ancestor of the Cangling Sect, and the defeated Beast Taming Sect had to pay a large sum of Spirit Stones, cede much territory, to end the war.
If this was the situation for someone with an Earth Spirit Root, the case for a Heavenly Spirit Root was even more significant. After all, the strongest ancestors in the four great sects were only Golden Core Ancestors; should a genius like Li Xianjiao, with a Heavenly Spirit Root, be discovered, it would inevitably trigger another great war in the Northern Desolate Cultivation World.
Geniuses with a Heavenly Spirit Root would be contended over by many powerful factions even in those regions where the Cultivation civilization was flourishing, and Nascent Soul Elders abounded.
Zhao Yu pondered, "First, I should cultivate her, and then let her enter one of the great sects. Once she has advanced to Foundation Establishment, Golden Core afterward, I'll have another friend and an additional way out in the future."
The next day, Zhao Yu visited the Duo Bao Building in the Market.
The manager of Duo Bao Building sneered at Zhao Yu, losing interest upon realizing he was merely a third-level Qi Refinement practitioner.
An attendant proactively approached and said, "Fellow Daoist, our Duo Bao Building has countless treasures and curiosities. What might you be interested in purchasing?"
Zhao Yu asked, "I would like to inquire, how many Spirit Stones are needed for a Cultivation Technique that goes from the eighth level of Earth Elemental Skill to the Early Foundation Establishment?"