Third Layer of Qi Refining

"Heh heh, this black cat of yours has quite the personality, Junior Brother!"

He Xiao gave an awkward laugh and did not dare try again, though his heart was filled with envy.

He was also somewhat puzzled. Had Marquis Qinghe's Estate become so extravagant that even a concubine-born son could afford a spirit cat?

In these times, demons and evil creatures were everywhere, while spirit beasts were especially rare and precious. Every one of them was worth a fortune; even many sect cultivators had no spirit beast by their side!

At that thought, the last shred of psychological superiority He Xiao had felt receded like the tide, leaving him somewhat listless.

After forcing out a few amusing stories from his work at the Hall of Seeking Offspring, he returned to bed and slept without removing his clothes.

That night, Li Qingyun heard more than just snoring. He also heard He Xiao's lascivious laughter in his dreams.

"Ah, I really need to change to an independent residence. Ideally, one like the wooden cabin Senior Sister Zhao built for herself in the creek valley..."

The next day, He Xiao continued working diligently at the Hall of Seeking Offspring.

Meanwhile, Li Qingyun quietly cultivated a total of twelve furnaces of mana and, without drawing any attention, stepped into the second layer of Qi Refining.

With such cultivation, he could already seek out an elder in the temple as his Daoist master, enter their tutelage, gain their protection, and enjoy all manner of conveniences.

But Li Qingyun had no such intention for the time being.

Deep down, he had a poor impression of Lu Nanling. He only felt that taking a master required caution; if he encountered the wrong person, he might instead be entangled by karma in the future.

Besides, even if he did not take a Daoist master within the temple, once his cultivation was sufficient, he could bypass the temple and enter the true mountain gate of the Lingbao Sect directly.

As things stood, Lingbao Temple was merely a temporary foothold on his long Dao Path. It was not worth devoting too much thought to.

Meditation, comprehension, practicing techniques, the Dining Hall...

Several days passed in succession. With the mysterious Daoist effigy's aid, Li Qingyun's cultivation had already broken through to the third layer of Qi Refining.

This progress was simply heaven-defying!

Under the cover of his increasingly refined Qi Concealment Art, he still appeared to be only at the level of having cultivated qi sense.

Yet by this point, he had clearly encountered a bottleneck. His cultivation stalled at around thirty furnaces of Mana, unable to break through no matter what he did.

Even while meditating, mana continued to arise. Yet this newly born mana was like mud sinking into the sea—after emerging, it scattered into the void within his body, unable to gather in the qi sea's Precious Furnace.

Lacking cultivation methods for the fourth layer of Qi Refining and above, Li Qingyun could only focus on comprehending the Qi Concealment Art and the Thunder Seal.

When Li Qingyun used the Thunder Seal now, he had begun to wield it with effortless ease—the seal moved, and thunder came at once.

He was now desperate to make money, thirsting for wealth like a parched man thirsting for water!

Over the past few days, Big Black Cat had slept by day and moved by night. Sometimes it brought back a bottle of Minor Grass Pills in its mouth; other times, it brought him a Ghost Suppressing Talisman.

Its injuries had mostly recovered as well, and Lord Cat had regained its majestic vigor.

The back mountain was bound to suffer. From now on, with this additional "calamity," if the many disciples of the back mountain failed to store away their valuables properly, having them vanish in the blink of an eye would become commonplace.

Li Qingyun was somewhat helpless. He had warned Yuanbao many times about this "wealth-attracting instinct," but spirit cats truly had their own proud and willful temperaments. It still did whatever it pleased.

All he could do was earnestly remind Yuanbao to stay alert and avoid the residences and important grounds of powerful people on the back mountain, lest it be caught.

As for everything else, let that vile beast do as it pleased!

In any case, he raised cats with a Buddhist mindset...

On the fifth day after returning from the creek valley cabin, Li Qingyun discovered that the Dining Hall was unusually lively when he went there to eat.

The Dining Hall, which usually never filled despite disciples constantly coming and going, was nearly packed today. The atmosphere was boisterous, filled with laughter and chatter.

For the first time, he saw the Gu Zizhan Zhao Yifan had mentioned—the "Great Wealthy Gu" whom people had often discussed these past days. He truly was lavish and magnanimous!

"Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers, everything in the Dining Hall today, including the Spirit Rice Porridge, is on my tab. Eat as much as you like..."

That Great Wealthy Gu stood amid the thronging disciples, brimming with high spirits. Bathed in the spiritual glow of the magical implements covering his body, he was the most dazzling figure in the Dining Hall.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Gu! Senior Brother is mighty and imposing!"

"Senior Brother encountered a ferocious corpse-eating rat while descending the mountain to subdue demons this time, yet he successfully slew it and returned in triumph! He has earned the high praise of Master Lu and several other Daoist masters. Let us congratulate Senior Brother Gu!"

"Thanks to Senior Brother Gu's generosity, I can finally drink two bowls of Spirit Rice Porridge..."

Amid the praises of the many disciples, Gu Zizhan, broad and sturdy with somewhat rugged features, repeatedly smiled and cupped his hands in return. Though generous and open-handed, he was quite approachable and showed no arrogance.

"Third layer of Qi Refining. His Daoist robe, hairpin, silk shoes, and the rest are all magical implements. This Gu Zizhan must be the legendary rich disciple!"

Across the crowd, Li Qingyun quietly assessed Gu Zizhan from afar.

He found the man quite forthright and approachable, and his spending was so generous. No wonder he was so popular among the back mountain disciples.

He squeezed toward the spirit-food counter in the Dining Hall and, with decent luck, snatched up the last piece of spirit beast meat.

Free food really tasted wonderful!

After sitting down and finishing it in two or three bites, Li Qingyun still wanted more.

Once the spirit beast meat entered his stomach, it swiftly turned into a warm current that nourished his body. His mana also seemed to rise by a faint trace.

"Good stuff. Too bad it's so expensive. Such a tiny piece of spirit beast meat usually costs one spirit stone!"

After finishing his meal, Li Qingyun also walked over to Gu Zizhan and thanked him across the crowd.

"Thank you, Senior Brother, for your generous hospitality. May your Dao Path succeed and your future shine like brocade!"

Gu Zizhan nodded and replied with a smile. He thought this unfamiliar junior brother had a sweet tongue, so he gave him an extra look as if to remember him, then resumed laughing and chatting with several elite disciples nearby.

"In Qinghe County, I have the reputation of the Young Gentleman of Benevolence and Charity, but this Senior Brother Gu is even more generous with his money..."

With that thought in mind, Li Qingyun walked out of the Dining Hall, about to return to the Bamboo Lodge.

"Li Qingyun, right? Wait a moment!"

A voice called out to him from behind.

Li Qingyun turned around and saw a middle-aged Daoist priest with an unfamiliar face, someone he had never seen before.

The middle-aged Daoist priest had ordinary features but an overbearing air. A scar ran along the left side of his face near the corner of his eye, and his gaze was sharp as an eagle's. Judging from the surging aura of mana around him, he was likely an elite disciple of Lingbao Temple.

Several disciples leaving the Dining Hall suddenly looked startled upon seeing the middle-aged Daoist priest with a scarred face. They respectfully saluted him, then hurried away.

"May I ask what advice this Senior Brother has for me?"

Li Qingyun's heart stirred slightly, but he immediately cupped his hands and asked gently.

The middle-aged Daoist priest with a scarred face looked at Li Qingyun from the corner of his eye. Seeing that Li Qingyun's mana aura was almost nonexistent, he raised his chin and said with a smile that was not a smile, "My name is Cui Xinghuo. Speaking of which, I am also under Master Lu's tutelage, so you should address me as Senior Brother Cui!"

The moment the middle-aged Daoist priest stated his name, Li Qingyun's expression changed slightly.

He felt the shadow of the Cui Clan enveloping him once more.

Since this man bore the surname Cui and had come looking for trouble, Li Qingyun immediately connected him to the Cui Clan.

Sure enough, Cui Xinghuo, the Daoist priest with the scarred face, said with disdain, "Someone asked me to look after you in the temple. But a piece of trash like you, without any Dao Bone Spiritual Root, should count yourself lucky just to survive in the temple."

"Oh, I almost forgot the main matter. You have been in the temple for some time now, yet you have no respect for your elders. What kind of conduct is that? My elder sister wrote and instructed you to send a letter home within the next couple of days, lest the family worry..."

Cui Xinghuo scolded him in a commanding tone, his manner tyrannical.

It was clear that he was used to throwing his weight around. He likely held some authority in Lingbao Temple.

Li Qingyun's handsome face turned slightly cold. He had initially wanted to retort, but when the words reached his lips, he abandoned the thought.

There was no point bickering with such a petty man now. Once he possessed divine abilities, all of this would be nothing but drifting clouds!

A trace of chill filled his eyes as he stared steadily at Cui Xinghuo for a moment. Then he nodded, turned, and left.

"You have some temper! A useless concubine-born son without the family's support—I'd like to see how long you can keep being stubborn in the temple!"

Cui Xinghuo snorted through his nose, then left as well with his hands behind his back.

Yet he did not see the fleeting sharp gleam of thunder in Li Qingyun's eyes as he turned away.

"This Cui family of Hejian truly disgusts me!"

Li Qingyun had not expected the Hejian Cui Clan, an Aristocratic Clan, to have stretched its hand so far that it even had people within Lingbao Temple.

One had to know that Maple Mountain Lingbao Temple was nearly a thousand miles away from the Hejian Cui Clan.

Cui Xinghuo looked rather old, and his cultivation was difficult to see through. He was likely above the third layer of Qi Refining. At his age and cultivation, it was clear he had entered Lingbao Temple long ago and had likely made something of himself there.

For now, it was unwise to confront him head-on. If he could find an opportunity to quietly eliminate him, that would be best.

Even within the Daoist temple, the Cui Clan still presses down on me, disturbing my Dao heart. This feeling truly is unpleasant! But if you want to know about my cultivation and the Spirit Devouring Gu within me, then why would I not use this chance to numb you, you vicious woman...