Chapter 138: Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement

Jade Balance Realm, Great Qian Calendar Year 4871.

Profound Pill Sect, Azure Dragon Peak, Azure Dragon Palace.

Han Yi and Yan Ru walked side by side.

Twenty-two years had passed since Han Yi's transmigration. His appearance had matured, becoming more composed and steady, but showed no signs of aging.

Yan Ru, walking beside him, also bore few marks of time on her face. However, the profound changes within the Profound Pill Sect over the years had deeply impacted all its disciples. The cold aloofness that once characterized her had vanished, replaced by a serene detachment born from weathering significant events.

"Junior Brother Han," Yan Ru said, her voice gentle, "I never imagined you would cultivate so swiftly. It's only been a few years since we last met, yet you've already broken through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement. Truly remarkable!"

Yan Ru's lithe figure was barely concealed by her dark azure robes. Her warm smile radiated genuine admiration for Han Yi.

Though she had also cultivated diligently—enduring hardships far greater than his, gritting her teeth in private—she had only recently reached the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement after years of silent perseverance.

In contrast, Han Yi's cultivation speed seemed to defy logic, accelerating as he reached higher realms.

But everyone had their secrets. Yan Ru simply admired him and felt genuinely happy for him, harboring no ulterior motives.

"Thank you, Senior Sister Yan," Han Yi said, brushing aside the mutual compliments. "But you've also broken through to the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement. Reaching the Ninth Layer should be no problem for you either."

Changing the subject, he asked, "By the way, Senior Sister Yan, has Senior Sister Chu returned?"

Yan Ru shook her head. "I haven't seen her."

Though she hadn't paid much attention to Chu Jinmo in recent years, Yan Ru would occasionally inquire about her return from familiar disciples whenever she visited White Tiger Palace. The answer was always negative.

"Speaking of which, Junior Brother Han, now that you've broken through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, why not compete for the position of Outer Peak Lord?"

After emerging from seclusion, Han Yi had learned of the sect's three new policies, but he hadn't given them much thought.

While becoming a Peak Lord would grant him preferential access to cultivation resources, it would also bind him to certain responsibilities. For others, the trade-offs might be worth considering, but for him, the disadvantages far outweighed the advantages.

"I'm accustomed to secluded cultivation," he replied. "The role of Peak Lord simply isn't suited to me."

Yan Ru smiled, almost forgetting that ever since she had first met Han Yi on Little Sea-Viewing Peak, he had always been deeply immersed in rigorous cultivation, rarely seen more than a few times a year.

They chatted briefly about recent events, mostly with Yan Ru sharing her news while Han Yi listened.

What news could Han Yi possibly have? Only more cultivation, and more cultivation.

After half an hour, Yan Ru departed. Their encounter had been purely coincidental—Han Yi had just emerged from seclusion and happened to run into her, so they had exchanged a few words. There was no special reunion planned.

Han Yi descended Azure Dragon Peak and turned toward Combat Peak, where the vibrant atmosphere of two years prior had already been restored.

With the Escort Program and the New Peak Lord Plan in full swing, the Inner Sect Disciples were producing more Peak Qi Refining cultivators than ever before.

Previously, only the top thirty on the Earth Ranking had reached Peak Qi Refining, but now the threshold had expanded to the top fifty.

Han Yi had thoroughly analyzed these three policies and developed his own conclusions.

Stripping away the surface details, the essence of these policies was to cultivate high-end combat power at the Foundation Establishment Stage and beyond.

The first policy—the Sect's mass distribution of Foundation Establishment Pills and the Supreme Elders providing protective guidance—aimed to ensure a steady stream of newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivators each year, targeting a substantial annual quota.

This was internal acceleration.

The second policy—the Consultant Elder Program—served as external reinforcement.

Of course, such a reinforced contractual relationship wasn't entirely secure. Han Yi, unaware of the specifics, would have undoubtedly included numerous restrictive clauses in the agreement to ensure smooth cooperation and prevent betrayal.

The third policy, the New Peak Lord Plan, served the first. Becoming the new Outer Peak Lord also meant placement on the Earth Ranking, eligibility for a Foundation Establishment Pill, and protection from a Supreme Elder.

In short, all three policies aimed to achieve a significant breakthrough in high-end combat power within a short time, primarily through numerical expansion.

"The Sect's policies are intricately linked, like gears in a machine," Han Yi mused. "These three seem to be nearing completion."

He reviewed every policy the Sect had implemented since the Great Immortal-Demon War, realizing that whether it was the Inner and Outer Peak Great Competition, the Joint Grand Competition with the Primal Beast Sect, the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain hunting missions, the Cave Heaven Trials, the Combat Peak challenges, or the promulgation of these new policies, all were designed to cultivate more and stronger Qi Refining Stage disciples.

This expanded foundation of disciples, combined with the New Peak Lord Plan, ultimately supported the Escort Program, driving a massive numerical increase in the Sect's Foundation Establishment Stage combat power.

Turning his gaze away from the Combat Arena, Han Yi focused his thoughts and approached the Nine Dragons Merchant Guild. The shopkeeper was still He Fangwei, though he appeared noticeably older than he had a few years prior. Yet his eyes still sparkled with a bright, shrewd intelligence.

"A rare visitor indeed, Fellow Daoist! Please, come in," He Fangwei greeted him with a broad smile, swiftly ushering Han Yi into an elegant private chamber.

"I have some magic artifacts I need to sell," Han Yi said, retrieving unused artifacts from his Storage Pouch.

These artifacts had been obtained recently, after he reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement and broke the seals on six previously unopened Storage Pouches. Unable to utilize some of them effectively, he decided to sell them outright.

"The Cloud-Shattering Pagoda, Violet Light Box, Quicksand Bell..."

Most of the artifacts Han Yi produced were Low-Grade or Mid-Grade Magic Artifacts. The sole High-Grade artifact was the Cloud-Shattering Pagoda, seized from the Robber Cultivators outside Daofu City.

After settling the transaction over a cup of tea, Han Yi prepared to leave, having not purchased any new sword artifacts.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait!" He Fangwei called out, stopping him. "Didn't you inquire about High-Grade daggers two years ago? I've been keeping an eye out."

"In a month, Tong City will host an auction featuring a set of top-tier High-Grade Magic Artifact daggers," He Fangwei said. "I've personally verified this information, and it's highly reliable. Fellow Daoist, if you wish to attend, you may present this invitation from the Nine Dragons Merchant Guild."

He Fangwei handed Han Yi the invitation, which Han Yi accepted without ceremony, storing it in his Storage Pouch. After clasping his hands in thanks, Han Yi departed the Nine Dragons Merchant Guild.

Back in his courtyard on Azure Dragon Peak, Han Yi retrieved the invitation and examined it, a hesitant expression crossing his face. Ultimately, he couldn't make up his mind and returned the invitation to his Storage Pouch.

Two years ago, Han Yi had indeed sought to acquire a set of daggers at least of High-Grade Magic Artifact quality. However, the Nine Dragons Merchant Guild had no such artifacts available, offering only the Nine Li Daggers, a Mid-Grade Magic Artifact that was even inferior to his Wind Demon Dagger.

Subsequent testing confirmed the Nine Li Daggers' mediocrity. While still serviceable for cultivators at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, they offered little utility for Han Yi, who had already broken through to the Ninth Layer.

A set of top-tier High-Grade Magic Artifact daggers would still be desirable, but for now, there was no immediate urgency.

In his meditation chamber, he began to inventory his current Magic Artifacts:

Top-Grade Magic Artifacts: Golden Light Shuttle, Green Ripple Sword High-Grade Magic Artifact: Coiled Dragon Sword

Mid-Grade Magic Artifacts: Wind Demon Daggers (three, incomplete), Nine Li Daggers (nine, complete), Blazing Blade, Heavenly Ascent Spear, Laughing Heaven Sword.

Low-Grade Magic Artifacts: Various sword and blade artifacts.

Among these, the High-Grade Coiled Dragon Sword came from the burly cultivator wielding a halberd in the Myriad Demon Mountain Range, while the Blazing Blade, Heavenly Ascent Spear, and Laughing Heaven Sword were obtained from the Robber Cultivators outside Daofu City.

Of the six Storage Pouches Han Yi had recently acquired, the one belonging to Liu Heng of the Liu Clan in Daofu City contained the fewest Spirit Tools—only a single Low-Grade Magic Artifact, and one he couldn't even use.

However, Liu Heng's Storage Pouch held a substantial number of Spirit Stones, totaling over 70,000 Low-Grade stones, which made Han Yi's eyes light up.

Han Yi speculated that Liu Heng's other Magic Artifacts had likely been damaged during the Immortal Manor trials in the mysterious realm, leaving only unusable Spirit Stones.

His hesitation about descending the mountain to purchase a High-Grade Dagger also stemmed from the fact that he now possessed the High-Grade Coiled Dragon Sword.

For his current needs, his Magic Artifacts were already sufficient. Acquiring another set of daggers would be more of a luxury than a necessity.

After a moment, Han Yi stored his Magic Artifacts in his Storage Pouch.

He then began counting his current Spirit Stones.

To his surprise, the burly cultivator's Storage Pouch contained only about 500 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. However, in addition to these, there was also a single High-Grade Spirit Stone.

The High-Grade Spirit Stone was stored in a jade box. Han Yi took it out to examine it, his first time seeing such a stone, and it matched his expectations perfectly.

The stone was predominantly grayish-white, but inside it contained a pale purple mark about the size of a fingernail—the characteristic appearance of a High-Grade Spirit Stone. Legend held that Top-Grade Spirit Stones were entirely purple.

Another Storage Pouch, belonging to Liu Heng of the Liu Clan from Daofu City, contained over 70,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, equivalent to more than 700 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. Judging solely by the value of the spirit stones below the High-Grade level, this pouch contained slightly more than the one from the halberd-wielding cultivator.

The remaining Storage Pouches, seized from the Robber Cultivators, contained far fewer spirit stones. Combined, they held only 300 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and 40,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones. In total, Han Yi had acquired one High-Grade Spirit Stone and nearly 2,000 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

His two years of cultivation had depleted his original stockpile of over 500 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. These newly acquired resources would perfectly replenish his reserves, freeing him from worrying about securing stones for his training.

After tallying his magic artifacts and spirit stones, Han Yi turned his attention to the faint crimson, illusory panel floating before his eyes:

Name: Han Yi

Lifespan: 43/149

Cultivation Realm: Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement (17/100)

Cultivation Technique: Fire Astral Profound Art (Perfected 8/100)

Skills:

- Alchemy Technique (Perfected Purity 49/100)

- Spirit Void Finger (Peak Perfection 11/100)

- Sword Control Technique (Peak Perfection 23/100)

- Light Body Technique (Peak Perfection 19/100)

- Fire Shield Technique (Peak Perfection 9/100)

- Turtle Breath Technique (Perfected Purity 65/100)

- Wind Wall Technique (Perfected Purity 39/100)

- Li Fire Sword Manual (Perfected Purity 49/100)

- Aura Concealment Technique (Masterful 29/100)

- Qi Observation Technique (Masterful 11/100)

- Talisman Crafting Art (Initial Glimpse of the Dao 29/100)

When Han Yi first transmigrated, he was twenty-one years old. Now, he was forty-three. In his previous life, this age would have been considered middle-aged, but in the Cultivation World, he still appeared youthful.

After two consecutive fortuitous immortal encounters, his Root Bone had transformed into a Dual-Attribute True Spiritual Root, making him one of the most outstanding Inner Sect disciples, second only to those with the rare Heavenly Spirit Root.

Upon breaking through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, his lifespan had increased to 149 years.

Under normal circumstances, the maximum lifespan for a Qi Refining cultivator was 160 years, adding one jiazi (60 years) to the base of 100.

Aside from the changes in his lifespan and cultivation realm, Han Yi's skills had also progressed significantly. His Fire Shield Technique had reached Peak Perfection, while his Wind Wall Technique had attained Perfected Purity. Other spells, such as the Aura Concealment Technique, had also shown noticeable improvement.

Han Yi closed the Proficiency Panel, his expression calm, though a flicker of excitement inevitably showed in his eyes. He took a deep breath.

"My next goal is to prepare for Foundation Establishment."

"The most crucial thing is the Foundation Establishment Pill."

Han Yi pondered the various methods to acquire this vital elixir:

First, he could earn it through meritorious service by performing a great service for the Sect.

Second, he could accumulate Sect Points, but the sheer number required seemed daunting, enough to deter even him.

Now, a third option had emerged: the Escort Program. By securing a spot in the top ten of the Earth Ranking, he could earn ten escort slots per year, entitling him to a free Foundation Establishment Pill from the Sect and the protection of a Supreme Elder.

Finally, he could independently procure the pill through self-sufficiency: refining it himself, trading for it outside the sect, or purchasing it from the Sect's private merchant guild.

However, purchasing Foundation Establishment Pills through merchant guilds or auctions would be prohibitively expensive, often exceeding the price of even ordinary Top-Grade Magic Artifacts.

Han Yi had previously inquired with He Fangwei and learned that Foundation Establishment Pills sold at auction could fetch as high as eight thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. Even at normal market prices, the minimum price was over four thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. With only two thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones in his possession, he had no chance of affording one through these channels.

Han Yi could afford a Foundation Establishment Pill by selling his two Top-Grade Magic Artifacts, especially the Golden Light Shuttle, renowned even among Top-Grade artifacts and likely to fetch a high price.

However, having only recently reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement, Han Yi would only consider selling his artifacts as a last resort.

The method he was now considering was the most challenging path even for Legendary Qi Refining cultivators. Yet, for him, it offered the highest chance of success:

Refining the pills himself.

Firstly, Han Yi refused to be beholden to others or engage in a high-profile competition for a spot on the Earth Ranking just to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill.

The most critical factor was the second: as his cultivation realm advanced, especially after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, his cultivation resources would become insufficient.

After breaking through to the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining, his rapid progress had been largely due to three journeys—to Heavenfall City, the Myriad Demon Mountain Range, and Daofu City—where he had acquired three substantial batches of Storage Pouches. He had essentially profited from others' misfortunes to fuel his own growth.

But such a path couldn't be relied upon forever. As the saying goes, "One can't walk along the riverbank without getting their shoes wet." In the long run, he needed a sustainable source of wealth.

Therefore, he decided to return to his old trade: Pill Refinement.

Alchemy Technique (Perfected Purity 49/100)

Han Yi understood that with his current Perfected Purity-level Alchemy Technique, successfully refining a Foundation Establishment Pill was virtually impossible. His immediate priority was to advance his technique to Peak Perfection.

Once he reached Peak Perfection, Han Yi speculated that even if his success rate for refining Foundation Establishment Pills remained low, he could at least guarantee he wouldn't lose money.

As long as he could profit, he was willing to proceed.

Anticipating future needs, Han Yi finalized his plan and headed to the Azure Dragon Palace.

Having broken through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, Han Yi no longer felt the need to sneak into the Inner Peak market for raw materials. Instead, he purchased them directly from the Sect Management Hall, where his status as an Inner Sect Disciple earned him a slight discount.

Two years later, he stepped into the Azure Dragon Palace once more. To the astonishment of the steward on duty, he purchased a thousand sets of raw materials for Gold-Silver Pills and exchanged a thousand pounds of Spirit Sand.

These weren't ordinary Qi Nourishing Pills. Gold-Silver Pills were highly effective for cultivators at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining in refining their Mana. The raw materials for a single batch, including spirit herbs and medicinal plants priced at ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones, plus the Spirit Stones and Spirit Sand consumed by the Pill Furnace, cost around twenty-three Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Once successfully refined, however, the market price soared to two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

The spirit herbs and medicinal plants in Han Yi's thousand sets of materials alone cost him a staggering ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones—equivalent to one hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, or one-twentieth of his entire current wealth. This substantial investment underscored his unwavering determination.

With these materials, he intended to push his Alchemy Technique proficiency to the realm of Peak Perfection.

Just as Han Yi turned to leave, the stunned steward finally snapped out of his daze and called out to him.

"Junior Brother Han, Sect records show that you haven't completed any Inner Sect Disciple tasks since advancing to the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining."

"Would you like to accept a task now to avoid a negative record?"

Han Yi suddenly remembered; he had almost forgotten about this requirement.

At the Profound Pill Sect, Outer Sect disciples had minimum point requirements, while Inner Sect disciples had their own set of tasks. However, these Inner Sect tasks were not strictly mandatory and could be accumulated before completion. If left unaddressed for too long, a steward would personally remind the disciple.

These were the Sect's rules, and Han Yi had no intention of violating them. After a moment's thought, he decided that pushing his pill refinement progress wasn't urgent and nodded.

"Are there any pill refinement tasks available?" Han Yi asked. He planned to grind his Alchemy Technique proficiency next, and a relevant task would be ideal.

The steward on duty flipped through the task log.

"Yes, there's a pill refinement task from Pill Sword Peak. It requires a cultivation realm of Eighth Layer of Qi Refining or higher to assist in refining a medicinal pill called the Yangxia Pill."

"Yangxia Pill?"

"That's right. Oh, and there's a new requirement added below: the disciple must have prior experience refining Yangxia Pills."

The duty steward looked up at Han Yi. Seeing him shake his head, the steward skipped over the task and found another.

"Here's another pill refinement mission, but this one was posted by Consultant Elder Lu. It requires an Inner Sect Disciple to travel to Mengshan City for a month to teach pill refinement to his family's disciples."

"Mengshan City?"

"Exactly. Consultant Elder Lu Xia's family is the Lu Clan, a cultivation family based in Mengshan City. This mission is available year-round, and the rewards are significantly higher than ordinary pill refinement tasks."

"However, Elder Lu requires disciples accepting the mission to be at least at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining. Moreover, their alchemy technique must pass his personal assessment before they can officially take on the mission. Even if they fail the assessment, Elder Lu will still compensate them for their travel expenses."

Han Yi pondered briefly, not about the mission's details, but about its location. Mengshan City—that's where he had been sent after his transmigration.

"Are there any other pill refinement missions available?"