Senior Brother Chen smiled and looked at the disciples around him, who were busy with their own tasks, and said in a low voice,
"There aren't many spots available. Think it over carefully. Things over there are urgent, and we can't do them half a day at a time like we do here. I'm afraid we'll be busy for months. I'll submit the list tomorrow. Just give me an answer after you finish today."
Li Yun replied immediately.
"Senior Brother, I don't need to think about it. Since it's your arrangement, I will obey. I don't think Senior Brother would harm me."
"You rascal!"
Senior Brother Chen chuckled, tapped Li Yun's forehead with his hand, and then said
, "Then it's settled. I'll leave later today. I have a few words to say." "Yes!" Li Yun nodded and thanked
him again. He didn't try to give him any 'small favors' because Senior Brother Chen was a very upright person and didn't like such things. He was happy if you worked diligently under him, but if you had to do these things, he would only dislike it. With the matter settled, Li Yun suppressed his joy, silently reciting the incantation several times to calm his mind before continuing to cleanse the Flowing Cloud Grass. This was the proper way to cleanse spiritual materials using water magic—the mind must be as still as an ancient well; otherwise, mistakes are easily made. Two or three more hours passed, and it was getting late. This time, Senior Brother Chen didn't arrange dinner; he simply counted the number of Flowing Cloud Grass processed by the disciples, recorded them, and then dismissed everyone. Li Yun noticed that Cheng Yang seemed to be secretly watching him, so he went over and said, "Senior Brother, Senior Brother Chen has something to discuss with me. I'll talk to you about it later. Don't worry, I've already thought it through." The words "I've thought it through" were like a reassuring pill, instantly easing Cheng Yang's expression. He replied with a smile. "Junior brother, it's good that you've figured it out. Would your senior brother possibly betray you? Since it's Senior Brother Chen's business, you go ahead and get busy. I'll wait for you outside the hall, no matter how late!" Li Yun nodded and walked towards Senior Brother Chen. Besides him, there were four other people there, all skilled at handling spiritual materials in the Spirit Rhyme Pavilion. The Spirit Rhyme Pavilion was a good place, not just anyone could enter, but that didn't mean that once you entered, you could definitely stay. In fact, there were some people who weren't very good at their work, and Senior Brother Chen had even dismissed them before. As the saying goes, time will tell. Senior Brother Chen had secretly observed everyone who worked under him, whether they did well or not, whether they were attentive or not.
These five people, including Li Yun, were among his most efficient workers. If his master hadn't personally requested them and specifically asked him to pick some skilled individuals, he might not have been willing to let them go.
Of course, this was a temporary group; they wouldn't immediately become part of the Pill Hall upon arriving. They were only seconded to help out, and would likely return in about two months.
Senior Brother Chen secretly pondered this, then coughed and said,
"You should know why I asked you to stay."
Everyone replied in unison,
"We know."
Senior Brother Chen nodded, giving everyone a satisfied look, and continued,
"This beast tide was sudden, resulting in significant casualties. Several masters from the Pill Hall were drawn to the front lines, but the sect lost several disciples. The remaining alchemists in the Pill Hall are somewhat stretched thin. Our Lingyun Pavilion specializes in processing spiritual materials for the other halls, so we're quite skilled. Since it's the higher-ups' decision, of course we must support it!"
He paused, then continued.
"Besides, this is also an opportunity. The Pill Hall is one of the most lucrative places in our Xuanzhen Dao Sect. If you can catch the eye of any Pill Master and be taken as a disciple, that would be a blessing earned over many lifetimes. Even if you can't stay, learning a little bit in a few months would be enough to ensure you have no worries about food and drink!"
The eldest of the five, who looked even older than Senior Brother Chen, was named Wang Siyuan. His cultivation was at the sixth level of Qi Refining, and he was said to be almost fifty years old. He had no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment in this lifetime and seemed to only want to save more spirit stones for his clansmen.
Wang Siyuan stepped forward, cupped his hands, and smiled.
"Senior Brother Chen is too kind to us. Thank you, Senior Brother Chen."
The others also expressed their gratitude.
Senior Brother Chen readily accepted, but said,
"Your departure represents our Lingyun Pavilion. You must not disgrace our Lingyun Pavilion. Be meticulous and careful in your work, and do not be careless. You are all experienced and skilled, but working in the Pill Hall is different from here; the requirements are even stricter. If you suffer any grievances, you will have to endure them for now."
"Understood!"
Senior Brother Chen sighed,
"Alas, life is difficult. After all, I am only a Qi Refining disciple. This order came from the Pill Hall, which is fortunately not a bad thing. However, there is no specific date for this transfer, and as for the remuneration..."
Senior Brother Chen turned his back and whispered,
"According to the daily rate, three spirit stones a day, that's ninety a month. That's five or six times more than here. But if you want his money, he'll exploit you to the death. I advise you to be mentally prepared; this money isn't so easy to get!"
Li Yun glanced at the others beside him, who seemed shocked by the figure of ninety spirit stones a month. They were all excited and only gave perfunctory replies to Senior Brother Chen's advice.
Senior Brother Chen didn't say much more, but finally said,
"I've added a magic seal to your disciple jade tokens. Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), someone will guide you in front of the Pill Hall. Your salary for this month will be paid in full at the end of the month. If you can't stand the hard work in the Pill Hall, you can come find me."
Everyone bowed and thanked him.
Senior Brother Chen then let them leave, but as Li Yun was about to leave, Senior Brother Chen secretly handed him a bottle of pills and transmitted his voice.
"Your cultivation level is the lowest among this group. Take this bottle of Rejuvenation Pills; I'll deduct it from your monthly salary."
Li Yun felt a warmth in his heart at Senior Brother Chen's smile. Without saying much, he simply clasped his hands in thanks.
After placing the light yet heavy bottle of Rejuvenation Pills into his storage bag, Li Yun walked out. Just as he stepped out of the hall, he saw Cheng Yang, who was already waiting.
Perhaps bored, he sat under a jade pillar by the hall entrance, muttering to himself.
Seeing Li Yun emerge, he immediately went to greet him, forcing a smile.
"Junior Brother Li, I've been waiting for you for ages! Um…"
He rubbed his hands awkwardly, chuckling for a long time, his appearance truly making Li Yun want to laugh out loud.
Li Yun didn't hesitate, taking out a pre-prepared cloth bag from his storage bag at his waist, his expression very serious.
"Senior Brother Cheng, this is all I have left. Please don't let me down!"
"This...this..."
Cheng Yang was momentarily flustered as he looked at the cloth bag Li Yun casually handed him. He knew Li Yun earned more from the Spirit Rhyme Pavilion each month than he did, and he knew Li Yun was still under protection for three years and received a monthly stipend from the sect. He
also knew Li Yun was frugal and rarely spent money, accumulating a considerable amount of spirit stones.
However, he never imagined that his junior brother would actually produce spirit stones so easily just because of his words.
Li Yun laughed at Cheng Yang's flustered state.
"Senior Brother Cheng, if it were anyone else, they'd have to give me an IOU, but for you, it's fine. Here's a total of fifty-seven spirit stones."
[I hope readers remember our domain name, Taiwan Novel Network, for a great experience: 𝔱𝔴𝔨𝔞𝔫.𝔠𝔬𝔪]
Cheng Yang was stunned for a moment, holding the bag. Although he had earned twenty spirit stones in one go at the black market last night, he had exchanged them for spirit spring water, which his cousin had been saving up.
To raise money, he even sold everything he had. But this Junior Brother Li…
Cheng Yang stared blankly at Li Yun, who chuckled and said, "When Brother Xun achieves Foundation Establishment, don't forget me!"
Cheng Yang shook his head and lowered it, saying, "It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow. Junior Brother Li, don't worry, I will definitely talk to Brother Xun properly, and I will never forget you!!!" The
two then walked down the mountain talking. At this moment, Cheng Yang truly seemed to be having a heart-to-heart talk with Li Yun, rambling on and on. He talked
about how Brother Xun was favored by that steward, had already reached the Qi Refining stage in less than thirty years of cultivation, and had a bright future. He
talked about how close he and Cheng Xun were when they were young, how strong their family ties were, and how he had been taken care of after joining the sect.
He also talked about the situation in the Hometown Association and Brother Xun's current plans.
You know what, this really revealed a lot of inside information to Li Yun.
In the past, Cheng Yang would only give a vague answer, but this time he was completely open about it.
The Lixiang Association initially consisted of members from the same hometown, but later it also recruited people from other places. However, the core and main members are still from Lixiang.
Currently, there are three leaders, one president and two vice presidents. The two vice presidents are at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, while the president is at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. He has been at Foundation Establishment for the longest time and has the most profound cultivation.
It is said that the Lixiang Association has been passed down for several generations, but it has never produced a Golden Core Realm elder. Otherwise, the Lixiang Association would not be what it is today.
The current leader of the association is named Qiu Yungao. He has lofty ambitions and is a Grade B aptitude, but he is considered to be of superior quality among Grade B aptitudes. He also seems to possess a Pure Spiritual Body, although it is the most common type of spiritual body, it is of great help to cultivation, making his cultivation quite smooth. He even passed the Foundation Establishment stage one step less than others. This
is why he was able to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage before the age of forty, and then broke through another stage within ten years, reaching the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. However, the Pure Spiritual Body is only helpful in the Qi Chain stage to the Foundation Establishment stage, and has little effect on breaking through to the Core Formation stage.
Therefore, he has not been valued by the elders and has remained an ordinary inner disciple to this day.
The other two are Yu Xiu and Bai Qi. Bai Qi is very optimistic about Cheng Xun and has reportedly invested in him. The two vice-leaders, Yu Xiu and Bai Qi, have some private disagreements, so Cheng Yang's comments about them also contain some criticism of Yu Xiu.
Li Yun doesn't comment, knowing that one's position determines one's perspective. Cheng Yang is Cheng Xun's younger brother, and Cheng Xun is part of Bai Qi's faction, so his dissatisfaction with Yu Xiu is understandable.
The Lixiang Association has an estimated 300 members. Besides the three leaders who are at the Foundation Establishment stage, the rest are at the Qi Chain stage. Including
Cheng Xun, there are eight people at the Qi Chain Perfection stage, but two of them are over sixty years old, their Qi and blood declining, making it difficult for them to pass the Qi and blood stage of the Foundation Establishment stage, thus eliminating their
hope of ever reaching Foundation Establishment. That means six people still have a chance to reach Foundation Establishment and are actively accumulating resources.
Do these people who have infiltrated an organization like the Lixiang Association seem to have powerful backers?
If they had any connections within the sect, they wouldn't be able to mingle in the Lixiang Association.
So either they have no background whatsoever, or the people behind them can't afford the cost of nurturing a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Once they reach the Qi Refining stage, they basically have to rely on themselves.
Cheng Xun is a typical example of this. Speaking of his background, his family is purely mortal, offering no help whatsoever. They even always hoped he could return from the immortal sects and become a pillar of the clan. His
aptitude isn't bad, but it's not outstanding enough. There's also a steward in the Spirit Rhyme Pavilion who has high hopes for him and is trying to cultivate him, but he himself is only at the Foundation Establishment stage, so the help he can provide is limited. They've already taken good care of him a lot on a daily basis. Could they really produce a Foundation Establishment Pill for him?
Furthermore, Foundation Establishment is a major hurdle in the path of immortality, a hurdle that eliminates many people. A Foundation Establishment Pill is actually just a safety net, increasing the success rate by only about 10%. Its greatest effect is actually protecting the meridians and internal organs, so that even if one fails, they won't be injured or have their foundation damaged, allowing them to quickly make a comeback.
After all, the younger one is, the higher the chance of breaking through. If one fails and has to delay cultivation for three to five years, the path to
immortality will be filled with many twists and turns, and one might even be stuck like that for life, with no hope of ever reaching the Immortal Path again. In other words, to be determined to nurture a Foundation Establishment cultivator often requires more than just one Foundation Establishment Pill.
Therefore, Cheng Xun still has to rely on himself and fight with all his might, that's all!
If he fails, the outcome waiting for him won't be good either. But at this critical juncture, every day of delay increases the possibility of failure. Since he is determined to pursue the Immortal Path, there is absolutely no possibility of retreating!
Speaking of this, Cheng Yang also sighed sincerely.
"Junior Brother Li, I know my own aptitude. To think that I can cultivate to the Foundation Establishment or Foundation Establishment stage on my own is a pipe dream. But since I have the aptitude, I don't want to let my life pass by like this. But relying on myself is too difficult, so I want to rely on a benefactor. Brother Xun is my benefactor. This is his best opportunity. The beast tide has suddenly appeared, and the battle merit list has been opened!"
His eyes seemed to suddenly light up with hope!
"Battle merits are more worthwhile than contribution points, and there are even meridian-protecting pills and jade marrow. As long as Brother Xun can establish his foundation, everything will be fine. So I will definitely do everything I can to help him. Junior brother, you have really helped me a lot. From now on, I will definitely help you with your work at the Spirit Rhyme Pavilion!"
Li Yun laughed and said, "Senior brother Cheng, you don't know yet, Senior brother Chen said that the Pill Hall is short-handed, so he transferred me to help. I will be gone for two or three months, and I will receive this amount each month!"
Li Yun held up his finger, indicating a number, and said with a smile.
"If it weren't for these spirit stones, I really wouldn't have been willing to take them all out."
Cheng Yang was taken aback, then smiled with relief.
"I was just saying, Junior Brother Li, you can't be that stupid. You've given me all your wealth, and I still feel a little bad about it. Now that you say that, I'm relieved."
Li Yun continued, "Hey, it's not a freebie. Senior Brother Cheng, didn't you say that if I join the Leaving Home Association, I'll have plenty of spiritual spring water? If I go to the Pill Hall, I'm afraid my cultivation won't be enough and my spiritual power won't be sufficient. This spiritual spring water can help restore my magic power, which is perfect for me. Senior Brother Cheng, can you help me drink a few gourds?"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Yang's expression immediately changed, and he just chuckled foolishly.
Li Yun naturally knew that Cheng Yang had already sold him all the spiritual spring water he had accumulated, perhaps even more than he had. He wouldn't be able to get any more now, and he probably wouldn't even get a single drop later. Seeing Cheng Yang's embarrassed expression, Li Yun joked
, "Alright, Senior Brother Cheng, I was just kidding! Let's go!"
Li Yun patted Cheng Yang's shoulder with a smile, and Cheng Yang quickly followed. "From now on, you're a member of our Hometown Association. Remember to tell me if anyone bullies you!" "I know!" Li Yun said, waving goodbye, and strode forward, disappearing at the end of the mountain path in the blink of an eye. Cheng Yang murmured, "Junior Brother Li, I'll remember you!" Upon returning to the disciples' quarters, Li Yun first went to visit Steward Wu. Deacon Wu was drinking tea inside when Li Yun arrived, but he wasn't surprised. A year had passed, and the two had become quite familiar. Especially since Li Yun, practicing the *Hundred Refinements True Technique*, often came to him with questions about cultivation, never arriving empty-handed. Deacon Wu always greeted him with a smile. "Hey, you kid, you've already reached the third level of Qi Chain?" Deacon Wu glanced at him, immediately noticing Li Yun's further progress, and frowned, saying, "This technique seems very suitable for you. Your speed is basically on par with a second-grade aptitude." "Just lucky," Li Yun chuckled, unusually showing a touch of naiveté, though inwardly he thought... "That's because you don't know how much spirit rice and demon beast meat I've secretly consumed, and I've even extracted spiritual energy directly from spirit stones in my hands. With resources like that, if my cultivation progress is slow, I might as well hang myself!" Deacon Wu nodded and said, "That's for the best. It means you're progressing naturally. However, the transition from the third to the fourth level of Qi Chain is a threshold between the early and middle stages of Qi Chain. You've also seen the insights left by previous practitioners of this technique that I gave you. This is a hurdle, and there might be some obstacles at that time." Deacon Wu said in a deep voice. "You absolutely must not rush it. You need to proceed slowly, otherwise it's easy to damage your meridians. At best, you'll need to recuperate for several months; at worst, you'll damage your foundation. But after passing this hurdle, the fifth and sixth levels of Qi Chain will simply be about accumulating spiritual energy; it's just a matter of patience and perseverance."
Li Yun naturally agreed, but he knew in his heart that it was because the mental formula of the "Hundred Refinements True Technique" published by the library was wrong. In fact, there should not have been any obstacles in these places, but there was no need to explain it to Deacon Wu in detail, so he just smiled apologetically.
The two then chatted about the details of cultivation and daily life. Li Yuncai said,
"Senior Brother Chen said that recently the Pill Hall has transferred many alchemists to the front lines of Canglu Mountain. Now the Pill Hall is short-handed, so he recommended Senior Brother Wang, Senior Brother Zhao, Senior Brother Qi, Senior Sister Jin, and me to help."
Upon hearing this, Steward Wu pondered for a moment and said, "That's a good thing!"
Steward Wu took a sip of his tea and said,
"Working in the Pill Hall is hard, but everyone is eager to be an apprentice. In fact, what you do in the Spirit Rhyme Pavilion is not much different from what apprentices do in the Pill Hall. Every alchemist has to start by learning to identify herbs, recognize materials, and process various spiritual herbs. No wonder the Pill Hall is drawing people from the Spirit Rhyme Pavilion—they prefer experienced people to inexperienced ones!"
Li Yuncai nodded, his face full of hope, and said,
"That's what I think too. If I can learn some skills in the Pill Hall, I'll become an alchemist in the future!"
Steward Wu pondered for a moment, seemingly considering something, then took two more sips of tea before saying:
"If you truly wish to become an alchemist, it's not just wishful thinking. Do you know that among the nine true disciples passed down by our Xuanzhen Dao Sect's founder, one inherited our founder's unparalleled alchemy skills, using a nine-patterned Qiankun Cauldron as his foundation? To this day, the successive Dan Hall Masters still hold a high and influential position within the Xuanzhen Dao Sect!"
Li Yun replied,
"Who doesn't know that? The Dan Ding Peak is incredibly glorious among the nine main peaks of the Xuanzhen Dao Sect, but that has nothing to do with me."
Li Yun shrugged helplessly, but Deacon Wu shook his head.
"Didn't you feel it when you practiced the 'Hundred Refinements True Technique'? Aren't you adept at handling spiritual materials?"
Li Yun was taken aback. That was indeed true. The spiritual energy he cultivated was pure, and he always achieved twice the result with half the effort when using various methods to refine spiritual materials. It seemed as if he was born to do this, which was why he was able to gain a foothold in the Lingyun Pavilion as soon as he entered the Qi Refining stage.
Deacon Wu's recommendation was just a stepping stone; after entering the sect, he still needed to work diligently on his own. Otherwise, why would Senior Brother Chen, with his personality, favor him so much?
"Could it be that there's some explanation behind this?"
Seeing Li Yun's puzzled expression, Deacon Wu smiled and asked.
"The Hundred Refinements True Technique is the cultivation method practiced by our patriarch. Since it's called 'Hundred Refinements,' there's a reason for it. Besides refining a pure true qi through countless hammerings, it also forges a perfect physical body. What's even
more remarkable is that all things in heaven and earth are within the furnace; what can't be refined?" Deacon Wu stroked his beard and smiled, his expression now quite profound.
Li Yun hadn't thought of that much, and simply asked, "Does practicing the Hundred Refinements True Technique also enhance alchemy?"
Deacon Wu nodded proudly, "Of course!"
"A qualified alchemist identifies herbs, recognizes materials, and processes various spiritual herbs. After everything is prepared, he uses the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—to refine them. Of course, the mainstream method is still fire refining, removing the impurities and retaining the essential medicinal properties, then combining them into a pill!"
Deacon Wu spoke eloquently, his words flowing smoothly, while Li Yun nodded repeatedly.
"So, the spiritual power cultivated from the 'Hundred Refinements True Technique' has an advantage not only in processing spiritual materials but also in the process of refining medicinal herbs into pills?"
Deacon Wu smiled proudly and said, "Of course! Otherwise, why would our ancestor have specifically established the true lineage of alchemy? Although the alchemy of my Xuanzhen Dao Sect is not as good as that of the Supreme Dao, it is still first-rate in the world. This is all the legacy left by our ancestor, and we, the descendants, have carried it forward. Since you want to go to the Pill Hall..."
Deacon Wu pondered for a moment, then turned around and searched through the bookshelves behind him for a while. He then took out a small booklet, which was almost identical to the one given to Li Yun on the night he had just chosen his merit and officially decided to cultivate the 'Hundred Refinements True Technique'.
"I originally planned to give you this book when you reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining, but since you're going to work at the Pill Hall now, you can take a look first. This is the cultivation method of the Hundred Refinements True Fire, a technique that accompanies the 'Hundred Refinements True Technique.'"
"However, copies from the library are not included. This True Fire has some profound mysteries; you can study it carefully. If you intend to develop in the Dao of Alchemy, it will surely be of great help to you!"
Li Yun subconsciously took it, then asked, "Deacon Wu, isn't this a private exchange, violating the sect rules?" Deacon
Wu shook his head, somewhat helplessly saying, "How could I do such a thing? I have the authority to teach this technique. Give me your disciple's jade token!"
Li Yun immediately handed it over respectfully. Deacon Wu gently tapped it, and a beam of spiritual light descended, authorizing Li Yun to learn it.
"Thank you very much, Deacon Wu!"
Li Yun quickly expressed his gratitude. Deacon Wu simply shook his head and said,
"Your dedication to cultivation is enough to thank me. If you can master the Hundred Refinements True Technique and become famous within the sect, then you will not have let me down."
Holding the Daoist book "Hundred Refinements of True Fire" given to him by Deacon Wu, Li Yun still felt somewhat incredulous. He knew that Deacon Wu himself cultivated the "Hundred Refinements True Technique," but it was strange that he had the authority to teach Daoist arts.
Unlike Wen Yu's "Yun Sheng Qi Qiao Secret Manual," which was passed down within his family and was considered private property that he could share at his own discretion, "Hundred Refinements of True Fire," being a complementary technique to the "Hundred Refinements True Technique," naturally belonged to the sect and was passed down from the patriarch.
The Xuanzhen Daoist Sect had many disciples, most of whom obtained Daoist manuals and techniques from the library, even newly initiated disciples.
When they received a copy of a Daoist book during their first merit selection, they had to swear an oath not to pass it on privately.
A Google search for TWKAN
reveals this isn't a martial arts world. The vows spoken are indeed fulfilled. While it's true that if one remains in the Qi Refining stage their entire life, without advancing to Foundation Establishment and avoiding the torment of inner demons, the materials they possess are merely complete Qi Refining stage manuals, of low value.
As cultivation progresses, the techniques and arts they cultivate become increasingly precious and wondrous, and the inner demons they swore oaths with also grow stronger. Even during ordinary meditation, not on the day of breaking through a cultivation barrier, these demons will constantly harass them.
Further up, some crucial sect texts require planting secret methods within the soul, making it impossible to obtain complete information even through soul searching.
This demonstrates the Xuanzhen Dao Sect's strict management of its Daoist texts. Even outer sect lectures only teach common, ubiquitous spells—the most basic ones like gentle breezes, clear water, and fireballs.
Other spells aren't something they don't want to teach, but something they can't!
Yet, Deacon Wu so casually authorized him to learn and use them.
Li Yun increasingly felt that Deacon Wu was no ordinary deacon.
It was true he cultivated the *Hundred Refinements True Technique*, and now, having reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he had become a deacon. This meant that
he had high aspirations back then, intending to become a true disciple!
Moreover, unlike himself, who possessed the authentic incantation and cultivation method, he cultivated a modified version, overcoming numerous obstacles along the way, yet still managing to smoothly break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
"Deacon Wu... is not simple!"
Li Yun sighed inwardly, then thought to himself,
"Fortunately, as long as I cultivate the *Hundred Refinements True Technique*, he will be my elder and a source of assistance. As for whether he has ulterior motives... well, I'll have to wait until I'm ready to reap the rewards. Besides, Deacon Wu doesn't seem like a bad person to me. Could it be that he wants to transfer his inherited memories and cultivation to me, but at the cost of making me forget all my memories?"
Li Yun pondered for a moment in the room, but he simply couldn't fathom what Deacon Wu was thinking, after all, he was only from a lower-level cultivator's perspective.
Deacon Wu looked old, but as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was already two hundred years old. Li Yun had asked him, and he said he still had at least sixty years of lifespan left, so he wasn't in a hurry at all. Usually, he just told Li Yun to put more effort into cultivating the "Hundred Refinements True Technique," and he didn't see anything particularly special about it.
In fact, many times, if Li Yun didn't go to him, he would completely ignore him. He only learned from Senior Brother Chen that this Deacon Wu had repeatedly tried to cultivate his disciple in the "Hundred Refinements True Technique." If it was for the purpose of seizing a body and extending his lifespan, this was a plan that was far too early!
"Perhaps I'm worrying unnecessarily..."
Li Yun shook his head, banishing those messy thoughts from his mind. This was the Xuanzhen Dao Sect, not some demonic sect or holy sect. The fellow disciples were friendly and harmonious; there was no such nonsense here.
He then opened the booklet containing the "Hundred Refinements True Fire" manual. This was the manual given to Li Yun by Deacon Wu, and it had naturally been translated from the Dao patterns, eliminating the need for Li Yun to decipher it himself.
Moreover, like last time, it contained not only the incantations and techniques but also many insights and experiences from previous cultivators, with annotations being a significant treasure.
The "Hundred Refinements True Fire" manual was a complementary spell to the "Hundred Refinements True Technique," using refined spiritual power to ignite true fire, possessing numerous profound mysteries.
The manual stated that after the Hundred Refinements True Fire was successfully refined, a seed of fire would be generated within the dantian. Once mastered, it would automatically absorb and release spiritual power within the body, making it even purer—essentially a non-stop, 24-hour automated cultivation system, completely automatic, operating automatically once mastered, requiring absolutely no further effort.
However, it only purified spiritual power; it couldn't directly increase his cultivation level.
However, this is not easy. The Qi Chain technique involves passing through the three stages of Foundation Establishment: the blood and qi of the physical body, the essence of the spirit and
soul, and the spiritual power of the meridians. The blood and qi of the physical body must be abundant
, the spirit and soul must be strong, and the spiritual power of the meridians must be pure. The "Hundred Refinements True Technique" inherently strengthens the physical body. The blood and qi barrier is unobstructed, and after cultivating the Hundred Refinements True Fire, the spiritual power is constantly refined by the true fire, naturally resulting in purity. Therefore, if one cultivates to the perfection of Qi Chain using this method, only the strength of one's spiritual power remains a question.
Moreover, besides purifying spiritual power, this Hundred Refinements True Fire can also be used for combat, refining weapons and pills—all are excellent methods, truly wonderful!
"Wonderful, wonderful! However, the difficulty of cultivation is quite high. It's best to gather and refine a spiritual fire from heaven and earth. If there is no spiritual fire as a seed, it will consume a lot of spiritual power to create a fire seed, and the subsequent nurturing will also consume a lot of spiritual power. This can be considered as cultivating a Foundation Establishment cultivator's natal spell during the Qi Chain stage!"
Li Yun closed the booklet and muttered to himself again, a hint of unease appearing on his face.
After reading the advantages, he considered the disadvantages. The "Hundred Refinements True Fire" technique, once mastered, would transform into a fire seed residing in his dantian, supposedly purifying spiritual energy continuously for twelve hours. However, this also meant consuming the spiritual energy he had painstakingly cultivated.
Although he was consuming the impurities, those were still part of his cultivation.
It was essentially exchanging quantity for purity, making it difficult to judge whether it was a gain or a loss.
"However, if I have enough cultivation resources, that's another major advantage. If I consume enough, all sorts of impurities, even pill toxins, can be dissolved by the true fire—wouldn't that be like taking drugs!"
Thinking of a certain Dao Ancestor with poor aptitude who ascended to the upper realms by taking drugs, Li Yun felt a pang of envy. However, he wasn't a reincarnated Dao Ancestor, nor did he possess the little green bottle.
Oh, I have Hextech, I almost forgot, never mind then.
"Alright, I'll practice it first. Anyway, it's not something you can master in one go. This book says that although this method is a Dao technique that comes with the 'Hundred Refinements True Technique,' it is quite difficult. Even with spiritual fire, it is not easy to cultivate. Especially since I am only at the third level of Qi Chain, my cultivation is insufficient. I can't just succeed by practicing casually, can I?"
"Success?"
Looking at the faint flame in front of him, Li Yun was speechless for a moment. He had just tried it casually, but who knew it would succeed so easily, almost effortlessly.
He had only mentally reviewed the incantation twice, and then tried it casually. This Daoist technique, which his predecessors had described as extremely difficult, was mastered by Li Yun.
"Sometimes I really wonder if I'm a genius..."
Li Yun didn't know what to say at this moment, but he felt the same way when he was cultivating the "Hundred Chains True Technique"—smooth and without any obstacles.
The spiritual fire was very weak, and Li Yun had no intention of testing its power. He simply opened his mouth and inhaled, and the spiritual fire transformed into a stream of light that entered his mouth. Then, Li Yun closed his eyes and looked inward.
He saw a bright yellow flame appear in his dantian, the flame warm, and it began to absorb and release the spiritual energy within his body. With each inhale and exhale, he had completed a cycle of breathing exercises.
The spiritual energy emitted by the spirit fire seemed unchanged, but it had become slightly purer. Although the change was subtle, this was an automatic cultivation cheat code that ran non-stop for twelve hours, so Li Yun naturally wouldn't expect too much. Since
things had come to this, it was time to eat.
Because he had cultivated so quickly, and seeing that it wasn't too late, Li Yun simply brought out the rice bucket again, just in time to try out the taste of the purple-veined pearl rice he had bought from the black market. Furthermore, when cooking, Li Yun didn't use ordinary spring water, but instead used the spiritual spring water he had bought from Cheng Yang.
Seemingly remembering something, Li Yun paused in rinsing the rice, then gently spat it out. The newly cultivated Hundred Chains True Fire appeared before him. He channeled the spiritual fire into the stove, thinking to himself,
"Spiritual spring water, purple-veined pearl rice, cooked with true fire—I wonder if Foundation Establishment cultivators are as extravagant as I am! But I've heard that many Foundation Establishment cultivators, feeling hopeless about reaching the Golden Core stage, start indulging in pleasures once they reach the Foundation Establishment realm. I envy them!"
Imagining those Foundation Establishment cultivators surrounded by beautiful women and enjoying fine wine and delicacies, Li Yun could only hurry up and eat. Fortunately, the purple-veined pearl rice steamed with spiritual spring water was indeed delicious, truly a high-end ingredient, just a bit expensive. Even with [red envelopes] to supplement his finances, he couldn't eat it often.
However, after finishing the meal, Li Yun immediately noticed something different. The Hundred Chains True Fire became even more active after he ate his fill, its speed of absorbing spiritual energy in his dantian increasing significantly. Li Yun even keenly sensed that his body's absorption of the spiritual rice had also improved considerably.
"Hiss... This isn't mentioned in the manual. Maybe the older generation didn't have the luxury of four dishes and a soup... It's not a bad thing for me..."
Li Yun pondered for a long time, realizing that this was indirectly increasing his cultivation speed.
Previously, he used spirit rice and demon beast meat to aid his cultivation, but these were spiritual materials, and as a cultivator in the early stages of Qi Refining, his digestive capacity was limited. While a single meal might help his cultivation, he couldn't eat spirit rice for every meal, or he would suffer from indigestion.
Of course, this wasn't the kind of indigestion he experienced on Earth, which could be easily resolved with a few digestive pills. Essentially, his body couldn't process these spiritual materials, causing blockages in his meridians—a serious and troublesome condition.
Therefore, Li Yun had always strictly controlled his intake, preferring to eat more refined spirit rice rather than large quantities of ordinary spirit rice, only occasionally indulging in a small portion of his welfare meal when working overtime.
But now, after successfully cultivating the Hundred Chains True Fire, Li Yun estimated that his digestive capacity had increased by at least 30%, meaning that with sufficient resources, his cultivation speed would increase significantly.
For cultivators with limited resources, the improved digestive capacity from the True Fire would make them hungry faster, and the purification of spiritual energy would slow their cultivation progress.
But for Li Yun, this wealthy man, it was no big deal; it simply helped him build a more solid foundation.
"The Hundred Chains True Technique is excellent!"
Li Yun silently thanked his ancestor before officially beginning his meditation practice for the day.
...
A peaceful night passed. Li Yun, remembering it was his first day reporting to the Pill Hall, got up early and took a flying boat there.
The Pill Hall belonged to the Pill Cauldron lineage and was a key location within the sect. However, Li Yun was going to the outer branch of the Pill Hall.
It was mainly responsible for refining pills for the outer disciples. Of course, the Pill Hall held a higher status than the Spirit Rhyme Pavilion. While the Spirit Rhyme Pavilion was already magnificent, the Pill Hall surpassed it in appearance.
It occupied a larger area, and the buildings were grand and imposing. Even before approaching, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted over. Li Yun looked up and saw a familiar face who had come with him from the Spirit Rhyme Pavilion.
"Senior Sister Jin,"
Li Yun greeted her. The person in front of him was dressed in a gold and red palace gown, clearly a formal outfit, presumably specially made for her first visit to the Pill Hall.
This Senior Sister Jin was named Jin Yao. She was young, at the sixth level of Qi Refining, and well-maintained, looking like a girl in her early twenties. Her face was beautiful with a touch of heroism, and her eyebrows were slightly raised. She wasn't familiar with Li Yun, only knowing each other's names.
However, since both of them had been transferred from Lingyun Pavilion to the Pill Hall, they felt a bit closer.
Jin Yao smiled slightly and said, "Junior Brother Li, you've arrived early."
Li Yun nodded and smiled, "I'm new here, so I dare not be negligent."
"So you mean I'm being negligent?"
At this moment, a loud laugh came from behind. It was Wang Siyuan, who was wearing the sect's standard Daoist robe and walking quickly over.
Behind him were two other people. The five greeted each other and then stood at the entrance of the Pill Hall. Wang Siyuan raised his hand and emitted a ray of spiritual light. A moment later, a boy walked up to the five with a jade pendant, looked them up and down, and then said,
"You're from the Spirit Rhyme Pavilion?"
The five replied in unison, "That's right!"
The boy looked them over carefully and then focused his gaze on Li Yun, muttering, "Didn't they say they were going to send some good fighters? Why are they stuffing even those at the third level of Qi Chain here? What do they think this place is?"
Li Yun felt very embarrassed upon hearing this and could only say, "This was arranged by Senior Brother Chen. I dare not disobey. Please forgive me, Senior Brother."
As he spoke, Li Yun reached out and handed over a small cloth bag. The boy took it casually, gave a soft hum, and didn't say much. He simply made a hand seal, and a ray of spiritual light spread into the five disciples' jade tokens.
"Now you can enter the Pill Hall. Follow me first, greet Pill Master Qi. Oh, and don't try anything funny with him, he won't respect you. Just do your job properly!"
Li Yun naturally had no choice but to smile obsequiously. The others followed suit, each stuffing something into the boy's hand until the boy's smile broadened.