Jade Knife, Mandarin Duck Axes

The Outer City Area had spiritual energy.

Whether it naturally permeated heaven and earth, drifted over from the Eastern Wilderness Million Mountains, or leaked out from the Inner City Area, there was always some spiritual energy, more or less.

Otherwise, so many rogue cultivators would not have gathered here from every corner.

But that concentration of spiritual energy was only barely enough for cultivation.

It was truly a bare minimum. When Luo Chen had painstakingly cultivated before, his realm progress bar had only budged a little after half a month.

In other words, if he wanted to fill the one hundred points of the Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage, it would take a full four or five years.

And he could not squander spiritual power during that time. He had to make sure every cultivation session brought gains.

In truth, the original owner had indeed endured for more than three years without his cultivation advancing an inch.

Of course, part of the reason was that he had struggled to make a living and lacked sufficient time to cultivate.

It was only after Luo Chen transmigrated and relied on the Proficiency Panel to grind the Evergreen Art proficiency to Mastery Level that the situation gradually improved.

Even so, he had been stuck at a progress bar of seventy-something for a long time.

In the end, Luo Chen had relied on a bottle of Qi Nourishing Pills, along with the Perfect Level Evergreen Art, to struggle into the Fourth Layer.

But if he had cultivated in the Inner City Area at that time—

The time needed could have been reduced by at least a third!

"This is the allure of a Spirit Vein!"

"And this is only a First-Order Spirit Vein!"

"It is hard to imagine how fast those sect disciples on Tier 2 and Tier 3 Spirit Veins cultivate!"

Luo Chen let out three consecutive sighs, showing just how unsettled he felt.

If he were in one of those places, could he reach the Qi Refining Ninth Layer before his lifespan ran out?

Luo Chen did not know. He only knew that his life was already far better than before.

From now on, he had to work hard to settle in the Inner City for the long term. This was the true land of cultivation.

Not a murky place like the Outer City, mixed with dirt and excrement, with the stench of blood drifting through it from time to time.

But when midnight arrived, such sentiments were frozen out of Luo Chen.

"Why is it so cold?"

"Even my Fourth Layer of Qi Refining physique can barely withstand it."

"I have to buy a quilt tomorrow!"

No, it was so cold that he could not sleep at all.

Luo Chen climbed out of bed and decided to find something to do.

Processing medicinal ingredients was out of the question. He lacked the tools and certain supplementary materials.

Luo Chen took out the set of Jade Knives and tried channeling spiritual power into them.

Buzz...

A crisp hum rang out, but the seven flying knives did not move.

"Where did it go wrong?"

He thought for a moment, then injected spiritual power into them one by one. Only after he channeled spiritual power into the largest wooden knife did all seven knives bloom with emerald light.

"So the child blades are controlled by the mother blade."

Once he understood this, Luo Chen became even more engrossed in playing with them.

Under his control, the seven flying knives drifted slowly around him like floating cannons.

"Go!"

Luo Chen pointed at the ground in the corner, and one child blade shot out in a flash.

Like an arrow, the child blade hummed and shrieked as it plunged into the ground.

It was very fast, and its power was not bad either.

The blue-brick floor was pierced as easily as tofu.

And this was only one child blade. What if all seven blades flew out together?

What if the seven blades formed a formation that could attack when advancing and defend when retreating?

Luo Chen was greatly interested, then awkwardly ran over to the corner and pulled out the little wooden knife.

"I absolutely have to buy an Attraction Art. This money cannot be saved!"

That was right. He had not learned the Attraction Art yet, so his mana could only travel in straight lines.

It was the sort of fighting style where, "I only provide brute force; you handle the miracle."

The Soul Severing Nail was fine, since it was meant to be a one-way trip.

But this set of Jade Knives emphasized advancing and retreating with ease, trees growing into a forest.

Without the Attraction Art to support it, this Magic Tool would be wasted far too badly.

After playing with the Jade Knives a while longer, Luo Chen reluctantly put them away in his Storage Bag.

Logically speaking, the Attraction Art was really just a flexible application of spiritual power. If one were sufficiently familiar with spiritual power, then even without knowing this spell, one could freely control all kinds of Magic Tools.

But clearly, Luo Chen did not have that proficiency, nor did he have that insight.

Or rather, the vast majority of low-level cultivators could not reach such a level.

They had little spiritual power to begin with, so where would they find the chance to become familiar with it?

That was why those of profound cultivation had created the Attraction Art for low-level cultivators.

Done playing with the Jade Knives, Luo Chen still had other ways to pass the time.

Lightness Skill and reading!

The room had not been furnished yet, so there was plenty of space.

Carefree Wander was not a Lightness Skill that pursued speed alone. At higher levels, it placed greater emphasis on carefree ease and unhurried composure.

Luo Chen moved and shifted through the room, sometimes vaulting onto the roof, sometimes dropping to the floor, doing his utmost to restrain his strength each time.

Compared to his former broad, unrestrained running, it gave him a different sort of insight.

In his hands was the Six Domains Customs Record, which Luo Chen had only read halfway through.

Previously, what he had learned most about was the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect and the Joyful Union Sect.

After all, one was the local Upper Sect, while the other was a sect with rather more romantic anecdotes.

"Mu Qingcheng of the Mandarin Duck Axes, one of Sky Sail City's six great killers and a rare female powerhouse among Golden Core Cultivators. Her pair of mother-and-child Mandarin Duck Axes possesses the might to turn heaven and earth upside down, to sever yin from yang."

Luo Chen clicked his tongue in amazement.

Among the Six Great Upper Sects of the Far Eastern Six Domains, one sect was famed throughout the world for artifact forging. That was Sky Sail City.

The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion in Great River Market was an industry of Sky Sail City.

This sect was exceptionally skilled at artifact forging. Beyond common Magic Tools, it particularly loved forging all manner of unconventional weapons.

Over the years, it had actually forged six powerful unconventional Magic Treasures.

Sky Sail City bestowed them upon six great Golden Core Cultivators, who had built a formidable reputation over the years.

Like the Mandarin Duck Axes' Mu Qingcheng whom he was reading about now: Foundation Establishment in ten years, Core Formation Stage in a hundred. Though she had never participated in the Founding War, she had now made a mighty name for herself among Golden Core Stage cultivators.

Relying on her Mandarin Duck Axes Magic Treasure technique, she had forcibly opened up a foothold for Sky Sail City's industries in lands beyond the Far Eastern Six Domains.

After reading of this female cultivator's deeds, Luo Chen marveled at her strength, but came away with only one realization.

"So even Golden Core Stage big shots have to fight desperately to earn Spirit Stones!"

What he was doing now was actually no different from what they did.

In other words, I am the equivalent of a Golden Core Stage big shot!

The layout of this single-entry courtyard was very traditional, with the main gate adjacent to the Rear Room.

Thus, when Luo Chen got up early in the morning and prepared to go out shopping, he happened to run into Miss Cai Yi returning from work.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning, yawn..." Cai Yi yawned, drawing attention to her slender waist.

"You are only getting back so late?"

Cai Yi said helplessly, "Business at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion has been excessively good lately. Those of us who dance and sing naturally have no choice but to suffer."

Excessively good?

Had the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion's business not always been good?

Seeing Luo Chen ready to leave, Cai Yi curiously asked, "Are you heading out? Oh, I still have not asked what you do. You are already living in the Inner City at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining."

"I refine pills. I usually set up a stall at the Southern City Rogue Cultivator Market. If there is anything you want to buy, I can bring it back for you," Luo Chen said.

"A Pill Refiner!"

Cai Yi's sleepiness instantly vanished.

Her neighbor was actually this impressive.

"We can talk later. I have a lot to do today."

Luo Chen waved and hurried out the door.

Miss Cai Yi leaned against the doorway, watching Luo Chen's departing back, not knowing what she was thinking.