Chapter 48: Qi Cultivation Level 6
Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Qi Cultivation Level 6
After buying the Pills, Lu Zhao returned to his room. He had made a do-or-die decision: no matter the cost in Pills, he would break through to the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer within the next three months.
Time flew by. Two and a half months later, in a corner of the Hundred Arts Camp’s Spirit Gathering Array, a young man in green robes sat cross-legged, his body seething with turbulent Magical Power.
He seemed to have transformed into an invisible vortex, greedily devouring the surrounding Spiritual Qi. One quarter-hour, two quarter-hours...
A torrential amount of Spiritual Qi continuously poured into his body. Finally, the man’s tightly shut eyes snapped open, and an aura unique to the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer flashed from his body before vanishing—this man was none other than Lu Zhao.
Sensing the advancement in his Realm, Lu Zhao let out a long sigh of relief. The great weight on his mind had finally lifted. He then stood up and walked back to his stone house with a brisk stride.
Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Lu Zhao recalled the frantic cultivation journey of the past two and a half months, and even he felt a little shocked by it.
In order to break through to the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer, he had extravagantly consumed nearly twenty Vessel-Protecting Pills and sixteen Ice Jade Pills. It was only by relying on this spare-no-expense method that he had managed to rapidly advance his Cultivation.
After briefly stabilizing his new Realm, Lu Zhao focused his mind and performed an Introspection, sensing the changes within himself. Then, out of habit, he glanced at the Puppet Bead’s status panel floating in his Sea of Consciousness:
Name: Lu Zhao
Cultivation: Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer (Middle-Grade Water Spirit Root)
Lifespan: 26/120
Main Cultivation Method: Little Spirit Rain Technique
Magic: Others at Great Success, Thousand Overlapping Waves Skill (Minor Achievement), Thousand Threads Technique (Three Divine Threads)
Puppetry (Tier One Lower Grade):
Flowing Cloud Sparrow (Success Rate: 55%)
Ice Mouse Puppet (Success Rate: 65%)
Ironwood Guard (Success Rate: 35%)
Besides the breakthrough in his Cultivation, his skill in Puppetry had also advanced by leaps and bounds with an ample supply of materials. The success rates for the Flowing Cloud Sparrow and Ice Mouse Puppet were both over fifty percent. Even for the more difficult-to-refine Ironwood Guard, the success rate had risen to a respectable thirty-five percent.
Now that his Cultivation had broken through, Lu Zhao knew that reaching the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer would take several years of effort, not to mention the bottleneck of the Late-stage Qi Cultivation that lay in his path.
For the next few months, aside from his necessary daily cultivation, he decided to pour all his Heart Power into Puppetry. His primary goal was to increase the success rate of refining an Ironwood Guard to forty percent, laying a solid foundation to become a Tier One Middle-Grade Puppet Master.
As for the materials needed to refine the Tier One Middle-Grade Ice Wind Wolf Puppet, he had gathered most of them a year ago. The only thing he still lacked was the corpse of a Tier One Middle Stage Demon Wolf.
After some inquiries, he learned that a hired Wanderer at Late-stage Qi Cultivation happened to have one. Using his connection to the Zhou Family to get in touch, Lu Zhao successfully traded a fully refined Ironwood Guard for three wolf corpses the man possessed.
This meant he would have three precious opportunities to try! Although the number of attempts still felt tight, it was enough to give it a shot.
Fortunately, when refining a Beast Puppet, the Puppet Core and the body could be crafted separately. The most difficult part was inscribing the Puppet Core, but the Ice Wind Stone he had accumulated was enough to support ten attempts at refining a core, which should be sufficient.
Just as Lu Zhao was engrossed in Puppet Refining, an arrival shattered the peace he had enjoyed for over a month.
That day, during the Hour of the Goat, the sun blazed high in the sky. A series of short, urgent knocks came from outside his stone door. Lu Zhao’s hand trembled, the tip of his carving knife dragging a crack across the Puppet Core. He frowned and looked toward the stone door. ’The Hundred Arts Camp has new rules now. Heavy penalties for privately refining Puppets, Magical Artifacts, and so on... Who would come knocking at a time like this?’
He opened the stone door, his mind full of questions. The sunlight silhouetted two figures. When he got a clear look at the hunched-over old man on the left, his breath caught in his throat. One of them was actually Zhou Kang, Shopkeeper Zhou!
However, the old man before him looked more than ten years older than when they had parted over a year ago. His face was gaunt, his skin hung loose, his white hair was sparse, and his once-clear eyes had become turbid. Seeing Shopkeeper Zhou’s somber, listless appearance, Lu Zhao felt as if a heavy stone was lodged in his chest, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
He suppressed the churning emotions in his heart, politely welcomed the two inside, and served them Spirit Tea. Once they were settled, Lu Zhao finally spoke up and asked, "Shopkeeper Zhou, what brings you here today? Is there some urgent matter?"
Hearing this, a bitter, self-deprecating smile appeared on Shopkeeper Zhou’s face. "I am no longer the shopkeeper of the Nine Abyss Pavilion... If you don’t mind me being presumptuous, just call me Uncle Kang."
Lu Zhao hesitated for a moment, but after a bit of thought, he went along with the request. "Uncle Kang, is there something you needed to see me about today? And this is..."
Before Zhou Kang could make the introduction, the middle-aged man in fine clothes spoke up, "I am Zhou Hua, the new Shopkeeper of the Nine Abyss Pavilion. I’ve come today, first, to pay my respects to Mr. Lu, and second, because there is indeed a matter I wish to discuss."
The man appeared to be in his forties. He wore an exquisite, deep purple brocade robe, his beard was meticulously groomed, and he exuded an air of mature composure.
Lu Zhao didn’t respond to Zhou Hua. His gaze first swept over the silent Zhou Kang. The old man was completely lifeless, like a candle about to burn out, seemingly uninterested in anything.
Seeing that Shopkeeper Zhou said nothing, he finally turned to Zhou Hua. "Please, speak your mind. What is it you wish to discuss?"
Zhou Hua didn’t beat around the bush. In a slightly showy tone, he said, "Mr. Lu is a discerning man. With the general offensive imminent, what is the most precious thing one can have? An item that can save your life, of course!" He paused slightly. "As luck would have it, I happen to have a Quasi-Tier Two Talisman in my possession—an Ice Sword Talisman. This Talisman can unleash an attack comparable to a full-strength blow from a cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer."
When Lu Zhao didn’t respond after he finished speaking, Zhou Hua felt a bit awkward. He quickly changed the subject and stated his purpose directly. "My youngest son has been fascinated with the art of Puppetry since he was a child. I was hoping to ask Mr. Lu to take my son as his disciple after this war. Please, consider this Ice Sword Talisman a small introductory gift. What do you say, sir?"
Hearing this, Lu Zhao remained silent, not giving an immediate answer. His gaze fell once more upon the quiet Zhou Kang, as if hoping for some kind of hint, but Zhou Kang remained as still as a corpse, not uttering a single word. Lu Zhao had no choice but to choose his words carefully and say slowly, "This is no small matter. Please allow me some time to consider it carefully."
The professional smile on Zhou Hua’s face instantly stiffened, and a flash of displeasure crossed his eyes. But he quickly suppressed it and put on a fake smile again. "Of course, of course. It’s a significant matter, so you should certainly think it over." Despite his words, his dissatisfaction was obvious to anyone.
An awkward atmosphere spread through the room. Seeing this, Zhou Hua’s face twitched. Half a quarter hour later, he announced his departure. He paid no mind to Shopkeeper Zhou beside him and left the house by himself. Just as he was about to step outside, his footsteps paused for a moment. He turned his head and left with a few meaningful words: "However, Mr. Lu, I hope you’ll make up your mind soon. There are quite a few people who have already come asking about this Ice Sword Talisman." With that, he didn’t linger and left without a backward glance.