Market

Market

Half an hour later, Lu Qingfeng stopped, a trace of delight appearing on his face.

"This is smoother than the Blazing Sun Scripture, and my cultivation speed seems to have improved as well!" Lu Qingfeng was pleasantly surprised.

Although the improvement was not great, at least it was not entirely useless.

"From the looks of it, fusing cultivation methods is full of uncertainty. With all sorts of factors tangled together, it might even result in the quality of a fused cultivation method declining."

"Strengthening a cultivation method, on the other hand, can directly improve its quality."

Lu Qingfeng tapped the Derivable label on the Azure Wood Blazing Sun Sutra, preparing to test the specific effects of strengthening.

The Azure Wood Blazing Sun Sutra is being derived. Experience Points required: 1/10

The Azure Wood Blazing Sun Sutra is being derived. Experience Points required: 10/10. Please select derivation direction: Strengthen/Upgrade/Fuse

The Azure Wood Blazing Sun Sutra has been derived!

Cultivation Method: Azure Wood Blazing Sun Sutra

Grade: Basic, nine layers in total

Deriving Methods: One fusion, one strengthening

Cultivation Requirement: None

Cultivation Method Trait: None

Description: Fused from the Azure Wood Art and Blazing Sun Scripture

There was still no Trait.

Lu Qingfeng did not mind and sat down cross-legged to cultivate once more.

This time, the strengthening of the Azure Wood Blazing Sun Sutra produced immediate results. Not only could Lu Qingfeng clearly feel that circulating the cultivation method had become smoother, but his cultivation speed had also noticeably increased.

"Looks like strengthening is the royal road!"

Lu Qingfeng was overjoyed.

Setting aside the game for the moment, the improvement in his cultivation method's quality alone was enough to make him grin from ear to ear because of the benefits it brought in reality.

Composing himself, Lu Qingfeng continued operating the interface, preparing to strengthen the Azure Wood Blazing Sun Sutra again.

The Azure Wood Blazing Sun Sutra is being derived. Strengthen: 0/20; Upgrade: 0/10; Fuse: 0/20

"The Experience Points required for strengthening and fusion have both increased!"

Only then did Lu Qingfeng notice that a second strengthening or fusion required 20 Experience Points. He did not know whether each additional attempt added 10 Experience Points or simply doubled the requirement.

But for now, there was no way to verify it.

Lu Qingfeng had not possessed many Experience Points to begin with. After strengthening and fusing once each, his Level had directly fallen to Level 2 (6/10). His remaining Experience Points were nowhere near enough for another strengthening or fusion.

"I'm still far from the True Qi Stage, so there's no rush to increase the number of layers in my cultivation method."

After thinking it over, Lu Qingfeng selected Medicine Refining Analysis and began strengthening it!

An instant later, the strengthening was complete—

Secret Manual: Medicine Refining Analysis

Grade: Basic

Deriving Methods: One strengthening

Annotation: A basic alchemy handbook that recorded the processing methods for forty-nine medicinal ingredients

As the strengthening was completed, the contents concerning Medicine Refining Analysis in his mind were disrupted and reorganized.

In the blink of an eye, Medicine Refining Analysis had taken on an entirely new appearance. Lu Qingfeng gave it a rough look and found that its information on medicinal ingredients had become more detailed, while its various processing techniques had become simpler and more practical.

"Not bad, not bad!"

After roughly skimming through it, Lu Qingfeng reckoned that once he mastered the strengthened Medicine Refining Analysis, his daily efficiency in processing medicinal ingredients would rise by at least twenty to thirty percent, and his success rate could reach ninety percent!

Originally, he could exchange for one Yellow Dragon Pill every eight days. Now, he could do it in just three or four days, more than doubling the efficiency!

"Whew, whew!"

Lu Qingfeng felt that today had brought far too many surprises, leaving his mind in turmoil.

"My mental state still needs work."

"Fine! I might as well go out for a stroll."

In this state, Lu Qingfeng could neither cultivate in peace nor calmly process medicinal ingredients.

So he rose to his feet and, for the first time in a month, stepped out of the Blue Stone Talisman.

Black Sand Town.

Lu Qingfeng put away the Blue Stone Talisman, revealing himself.

As he walked through the town, he saw countless cultivators coming and going, mixed among them were Ordinary People with no Cultivation whatsoever.

"Cultivation requires Root Bone. My Root Bone may only be 1 point, but at least I meet the threshold for cultivation. With the Yellow Dragon Pill, I can begin cultivating."

"But in this world, there are many people with no aptitude at all, unable even to take their first step."

In the end, this was not a glorious age where every person was like a dragon.

Root Bone was a heavenly chasm, separating immortals from mortals!

Thinking of it that way, Lu Qingfeng felt somewhat fortunate that he had not fallen into such a despairing plight.

He continued wandering.

The vast Black Sand Town was divided into several major districts. Lu Qingfeng was in the West City District, which included the Commercial District, Residential District, Cultivation District, Guild District, and more.

"Black Sand Town is a miniature World of Cultivation."

Rarely so leisurely, Lu Qingfeng walked through Black Sand Town, looking around in every direction and doing his best to understand this game world.

If nothing unexpected happened, he would be spending a long stretch of time in this town.

"Market."

After wandering until he was utterly disoriented, Lu Qingfeng arrived at a Market in the Commercial District.

"Come, come! Take a look! Fresh out of the forge, a Third Tier Talisman Artifact Black Iron Flying Shield! An unprecedented defensive talisman artifact containing seventy-six talismans! Refined from a massive piece of black iron from a Cold Yin Land, it is not only incomparably sturdy, but once activated with mana, it can automatically defend around you! An absolutely superb choice for securing your life and livelihood!"

"Golden Bamboo Talisman Brush: its tip is made from the neck fur of a Second Grade Demon Beast, the Golden Eyed Ape; its shaft is made from gold essence and black iron. It was refined with civil and martial fire for three days and three nights—only 20 Gold Marrow Pills!"

"A stack of Advanced Talisman Linked Thunder Talismans! First come, first served!"

"One Flame Yang Stone, produced at Flame Yang Mountain three hundred li away! The first choice for refining fire-attribute talisman artifacts, so don't miss it!"

Before he had even truly entered the Market, the cries of hawkers and the clamorous noise rushing toward him swept away the loneliness born from Lu Qingfeng's month of bitter cultivation.

"Talisman artifacts!"

"Medicinal pills!"

"Talismans!"

"Ores!"

Hundreds of stalls displayed a dazzling array of goods, so numerous that his eyes could scarcely take them all in.

After entering, Lu Qingfeng was immediately drawn in by the various astonishing talisman artifacts and talismans.

The magical treasures in Primordial Wilderness, from lowest to highest, were talisman artifacts, Earthly Fiend Magic Tools, Heavenly Astral Magic Treasures, and finally the most powerful treasures of all—the Postnatal Spiritual Treasures and Innate Spiritual Treasures that existed only in legend.

Black Sand Town was a Newbie Village. The highest Cultivation in town was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and Earthly Fiend Magic Tools were rarely seen. The only common magical treasures were the lowest-grade talisman artifacts!

Talisman artifacts were divided into four grades. First Grade was the weakest, while Fourth Grade was the strongest.

The Black Iron Flying Shield Lu Qingfeng had first seen was among the lower-tier Third Grade talisman artifacts. Yet because it could defend automatically, it was more sought-after than quite a few Fourth Grade talisman artifacts.

Unfortunately, the stall owner's asking price was too high, and it had remained unsold.

"With my Root Bone, achieving anything in cultivation in reality will definitely not be a matter of three to five days."

"If I can refine one or two talisman artifacts, I can greatly increase my Combat Power in a short time!"

Lu Qingfeng lingered among the many Market stalls, studying every talisman artifact for a long time and repeatedly questioning the stall owners. Only after understanding one completely would he move on to the next stall in search of the talisman artifact he desired most.

After a full half day, Lu Qingfeng sat beside a stall to rest.

"Among these talisman artifacts, if I can gather the Black Iron Flying Shield, Formless Needle, Cloud Stepping Boots, and Golden Cicada Mother-Child Blades, then in the Postnatal Fetal Breathing Realm and the True Qi Stage, I'll be invincible!"

The Black Iron Flying Shield could defend automatically. Once activated, it feared neither sneak attacks, blades, nor Spells.

The Formless Needle came without a shadow and went without a trace, capable of harming people invisibly.

The Cloud Stepping Boots could increase speed.

The Golden Cicada Mother-Child Blades consisted of one mother blade and eight child blades, all incomparably sharp. Holding the mother blade allowed one to control the eight child blades to attack enemies, making them impossible to guard against.

But—

"Gathering all four talisman artifacts in the game may still be possible. But gathering them all in reality would probably be no easier than raising my Cultivation to the Ninth Layer of Fetal Respiration Realm!"

Lu Qingfeng gave a bitter smile.

Leaving aside how much time it would take for a novice who knew nothing about artifact refinement to refine talisman artifacts such as the Black Iron Flying Shield, the various materials required for them alone were enough to make Lu Qingfeng stop in his tracks.

"Black iron, Essence of Five Metals, Cloud Stepping Beast Hide, refined iron and gold..."

"Even a decent iron tool is rare in Blackwood Village. Where could I find black iron and refined gold?"

Lu Qingfeng shook his head and buried his thoughts of artifact refinement deep in his heart. For now, artifact refinement could not help him solve his real-world predicament.

"Cultivation is the foundation of everything!"

"If I want to rapidly improve my Cultivation in reality, first, I can strengthen cultivation methods in the game; second, I can study alchemy!"

Lu Qingfeng's thoughts were clear.

Among the many skills along the path of cultivation, the one he most needed to master right now was alchemy.

Even with Yellow Dragon Pills to aid him in the game, his cultivation progress was still far from satisfactory. Once he returned to reality, without the aid of Yellow Dragon Pills, he feared he would find it impossible to advance even a single step!

Therefore, he had to master alchemy.

"Compared with artifact refinement, alchemy has lower requirements for Cultivation, and the various medicinal ingredients are far easier to find than artifact-refining materials."

"Still, while practicing alchemy, I can also study the art of talismans."

Lu Qingfeng's gaze fell upon several stacks of talismans at the nearby stall.

Talismans could be drawn through special methods to seal Spells within them. Activating them with Inner Breath, true qi, or True Essence Mana could trigger the Spells contained inside. They were perfectly suited for fighting enemies in the midst of battle.

If one had deep enough pockets, scattering dozens of Low Grade Talismans in one breath could heavily injure or even kill a True Qi Stage cultivator.

Blazing Flame Talismans, Hundred Ice Talismans, Invisibility Talismans, Earth Escape Talismans, Linked Thunder Talismans...

There were many types of talismans, each with its own effects.

If Lu Qingfeng carried several hundred talismans of various kinds, he might even be able to level Yellow Ganoderma Mountain!

Moreover, getting started with talismans was far easier than artifact refinement. For Lu Qingfeng, they were an excellent choice for increasing his strength as quickly as possible.

"I wonder whether cultivators exist in reality. If it is merely at the Martial Arts Level, or if its cultivation system differs, then from now on, medicinal pills, talismans, talisman artifacts, and magic tools will all have to be made by my own hands!"

Not to mention anything else.

Just drawing talismans would require Lu Qingfeng to make his own talisman brush, mix cinnabar ink, refine talisman paper...

Making a talisman brush also required a basic grasp of artifact refinement!

At that thought, Lu Qingfeng could not help feeling a headache coming on.

Even with the Hundredfold Time Difference, achieving attainments in alchemy, talismans, artifact refinement, and other fields would not be an easy matter.

"The path of cultivation is truly difficult!"

Lu Qingfeng sighed inwardly.

"Young Daoist Friend, you just entered Primordial Wilderness. Why aren't you cultivating properly and making money? What are you doing wasting time with This Daoist?"

A voice came from beside him.

Lu Qingfeng snapped out of his thoughts and saw that the stall owner beside him was looking at him with considerable helplessness.