Chapter 17: Spirit of the spirit cultivator fight? Bugger off.

As Arius continued his journey back to Nezier Town, his senses remained sharp, constantly scanning his surroundings for any signs of danger.

Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted from the distant mountain range, shaking the air around him.

Even though the source of the sound was dozens of miles away, the booming noise was like rolling thunder, loud enough to make his ears ring.

The sound carried faint waves of spiritual energy—undeniable proof that cultivators were battling nearby.

Only cultivators at the Level 1 Realm or higher could harness the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to cast such powerful spells.

Realizing this, Arius immediately became more cautious, retreating swiftly in the opposite direction.

A clash between Level 1 cultivators was not something a mere Bone Tempering cultivator like him could afford to get involved in.

A single full-power strike from a Level 1 cultivator could easily cover hundreds of meters, annihilating everything within range.

In the face of such power, even a peak Organ Tempering cultivator would be as insignificant as an ant.

As Arius quickened his pace, the distant explosions gradually faded.

Only when the world behind him returned to silence did Arius allow himself to relax, exhaling softly.

Encounters like this were rare near Purple River City.

In the hundreds of miles surrounding the city, even Body Tempering cultivators were uncommon, let alone Level 1 cultivators, much less ones fighting in the wild.

After all, the region lacked high-grade spiritual veins or rare heavenly treasures to attract such powerful individuals.

The two Level 1 cultivators battling in the distance were likely just passing through and happened to clash.

In the world of cultivation, conflicts between cultivators were as routine as eating or drinking.

Two cultivators of the same level might come to blows over resources, a technique, or a secret realm, often fighting to the death.

For lower-level cultivators, even the slightest offense toward a higher-level one could mean losing their lives on the spot.

After crossing two more mist-shrouded, beast-infested mountain ranges, Arius finally returned to the De Molinos family estate in Nezier Town just before sunset.

Though there had been a minor interruption on his journey back from the Immortal Market, things had gone smoothly overall.

The moment Arius returned, he began sorting through his spoils:

9 fragments of spirit stones

3 Organ Tempering cultivation techniques

12 bottles of Body Tempering Pills (36 pills total)

10 Fire Talismans

3 Spirit Poison Bottles

A severely damaged Level 2 grade Spirit Gathering Array

In addition, Arius still possessed his most valuable items:

The Crimson Flame Path Scripture, capable of cultivation to the Level 4 Realm.

The century-old Spirit Purification Herb, with seven leaves remaining.

The Level 1-grade Three-Talent Formation Flags, his greatest trump card.

Arius kept the Three-Talent Formation Flags close at all times, knowing it was the key to his survival.

Once activated, it made him practically invincible against anyone below the Level 1 Realm.

The 9 spirit stone fragments, however, were not intended for cultivation. Instead, they were reserved for powering the Three-Talent Formation Flags.

Without reaching the Level 1 Realm, Arius couldn't fully utilize Level 1-grade artifacts without using spirit stones to fuel them.

After carefully organizing his inventory, Arius retrieved the Mirror of Immortal Appraisal and placed two chests of gold ingots on its surface.

Immediately, a mysterious celestial light began to shimmer across the mirror's surface.

Holding the mirror in his hand, Arius directed it at one of the Fire Talismans.

Shhhh!

The radiant, mysterious light enveloped the talisman.

In an instant, the once-ordinary Fire Talisman began to emit a faint spiritual pressure.

Even from two meters away, Arius could feel an overwhelming sense of danger radiating from it.

The power of the Fire Talisman had increased at least a thousandfold.

Originally, its effects were limited, capable of mildly inconveniencing an Organ Tempering cultivator at best.

Now, the spiritual pressure it released was no weaker than that of a Level 1 cultivator in the early stages.

And this was before the talisman had even been activated.

Once triggered, it might even pose a serious threat to a Level 1 cultivator.

After putting away the enhanced Fire Talisman, Arius brought out chest after chest of mundane gold and silver, continuing to use the Mirror of Immortal Appraisal to upgrade various items.

For the next two full hours, Arius meticulously enhanced every object he owned.

By the end of it, the De Molinos family's entire stockpile of gold and silver had been completely depleted.

During the process, Arius had even attempted a bold experiment: using enhanced items as resources to fuel the mirror, creating an infinite cycle—an endless loop of strengthening one item after another.

Unfortunately, the attempt failed.

While items enhanced by the mirror could indeed undergo secondary or even tertiary enhancements, they could not be used as consumable resources to enhance other objects.

Looking around the secret chamber at the array of strengthened items, Arius's curiosity about the mirror's origins grew even deeper.

But regardless of where it came from, the fact that it had fallen into his hands seemed like fate—or perhaps, a stroke of fortune for the De Molinos family.

As the last cultivator of the De Molinos family, Arius knew that if he fell, or remained stuck in the Blood Tempering stage, the family's decline would be inevitable.

But as long as he lived and grew stronger, he could protect the De Molinos family for another century, another millennium, or even longer.

Eventually, the family would produce descendants with spirit roots, and their cultivation foundation would rise.

With time and patience, the De Molinos family's strength and legacy could ascend to entirely new heights.

The Mirror of Immortal Appraisal wasn't just Arius's good fortune—it was the salvation of the De Molinos family.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't successfully enhance the Level 2-grade Spirit Gathering Array…"

"To upgrade it, I'd likely need to use spirit stone fragments—or better yet, a complete lower-grade spirit stone," Arius muttered, glancing at the incomplete array spread out before him.

Shaking his head, he decided to put the array aside for now.

The nine spirit stone fragments in his possession were reserved for powering the Three-Talent Formation Flags, his most critical artifact.

As for the Spirit Gathering Array, with thirty-six Body Tempering Pills in his stockpile, Arius could still advance his cultivation in the short term without relying on the array's benefits.

After carefully storing the Spirit Gathering Array, Arius turned his attention to the rest of his items, organizing the enhanced talismans, Spirit Poison Bottles, and other tools.

The strengthened Spirit Poison Bottles were now powerful enough to threaten even Level 1 cultivators.

With these tools in hand, and with sufficient preparation, Arius was confident he could handle not just one Organ Tempering patriarch from the Ashfell family, but several.

Even so, Arius wasn't one to leave things to chance.

To ensure victory, he resolved to consume his pills and push his cultivation to the Organ Tempering stage as quickly as possible.

Breaking through to Organ Tempering would not only grant him a significant increase in strength but also extend his lifespan by another twenty years.