Slaying the Earth Cicada Scorpion, Rapid Progress!

Li Qingyuan said, "It's only interesting when it goes berserk."

"You wretched beast, let me see how capable you are."

Facing the spiritual power light wave that came shooting at him, Li Qingyuan rubbed his hands together and unleashed the Fireball Technique in a blaze of roaring flames.

With a bang, the Fireball Technique exploded. After shattering the fireball, the Earth Cicada Scorpion's spiritual light continued toward Li Qingyuan with its remaining force.

Iron Arm Technique

Li Qingyuan bent his arms and blocked with both hands, taking the light wave head-on as his body slid back several meters.

"That strike was no weaker than Second Elder Grandpa at the Qi Condensation Fifth Layer's peak."

Somewhere in the mountains, Second Elder Li Guangzong: "..."

Roar!

The Earth Cicada Scorpion roared again. Waves of spiritual light flickered over its ten-foot demonic body as spiritual power gathered in its mouth before blasting forth once more, streaking across the sky.

Li Qingyuan made a beckoning gesture with his right hand, and the Tier 1 Mid-grade Magic Tool, the Crimson Iron Sword, flew from his Storage Bag into his hand. The four-foot sword was crimson throughout, its double edges incomparably sharp.

After spiritual energy was poured into it, the blade burned like fire.

Whoosh!

Li Qingyuan swung his sword, sending a streak of Sword Qi flying through the air. It struck the incoming spiritual light head-on.

However, after the Sword Qi shattered, the demonic beast's spiritual light continued to come at him.

Li Qingyuan swung several more times in rapid succession, pouring spiritual power into the magic tool and unleashing sharp Sword Qi. The Sword Qi wove into a sword net, an indestructible net that swept through the air and shattered the demonic beast's spiritual light.

The sword net shattered, and so did the demonic beast's spiritual light.

Moon Shadow Technique

Li Qingyuan burst into motion, turning into an afterimage. After several flashes, he arrived at the Earth Cicada Scorpion's flank and hacked down with his sword, cutting into its body and sending blood spraying.

Roar! The Earth Cicada Scorpion screamed in pain, then swept a massive pincer through the strong wind, carrying the force of a thousand catties as it came attacking.

Li Qingyuan raised his sword to block.

With a clang, the Crimson Iron Sword collided with the demonic beast's pincer, producing a piercing metallic ring as sparks scattered in every direction.

Clang clang clang...

The Earth Cicada Scorpion wielded its pair of pincer weapons. Its pincers were like a pair of sharp giant shears, repeatedly clamping, grinding, stabbing, and smashing at Li Qingyuan in every manner possible.

Li Qingyuan used the Moon Shadow Technique footwork in tandem with the Crimson Iron Sword, counterattacking with the thirteen forms of basic swordsmanship.

Clang clang clang...

Man and beast fought head-on, sparks flying and spiritual power surging.

At the other side, Li Dingzhou said, "Yuan'er, as a cultivator, you must not only possess methods to remotely control magic tools and kill enemies, but also be proficient in using all kinds of spells against them."

"Furthermore, you must master basic swordsmanship, basic saber techniques, and close-combat fist and kicking techniques."

"Otherwise, if you encounter a body cultivator and let them get close, you will face calamity more often than not."

Li Dingzhou said, "Therefore, as your father, I require that during this hunt, you may only use spells to fight and engage in close combat with a magic tool in hand."

"Try not to control magic tools remotely to kill enemies."

"Of course, you may not use talismans either."

Li Qingyuan believed that Old Dad would not harm him.

Moreover, Old Dad's words had deeply moved him.

In any case, he felt that the hunting plan Old Dad had made was immensely beneficial to him.

After battling fiercely for a quarter of an hour, Li Qingyuan continuously wounded the Earth Cicada Scorpion. Its body was covered in sword wounds, bleeding without end, while the spiritual power within it grew increasingly depleted.

Die!

Li Qingyuan raised the Crimson Iron Sword high, gripping it with both hands as all the spiritual power in his body gathered within it. The sword hummed, and its radiance shone brilliantly.

Slash!

Li Qingyuan brought his sword down, swinging out a ten-foot sword light.

Clang!

The ten-foot sword light swept across horizontally. With a tearing sound, it cut the Earth Cicada Scorpion in half at the waist. Blood splattered everywhere, and the demonic beast died.

Li Qingyuan lightly leaped back thirty feet, sword in hand as he remained on guard. Only after confirming that the Earth Cicada Scorpion was completely dead and had no strength left for a dying counterattack did he finally let out a long breath.

"Phew~" Li Qingyuan exhaled a long breath of foul air and put away his magic tool.

Li Dingzhou stepped forward and swiftly removed the Demonic Beast Materials, explaining as he worked, "This Earth Cicada Scorpion was Mid-Tier First-Rank. Its actual strength was roughly equivalent to the Qi Condensation Fifth Layer's peak."

"The most valuable part of its body is this pair of pincers. Hard as iron and sharp as blades, they are one of the materials used to refine a Tier 1 Mid-grade Magic Tool."

"Selling this pair of pincers alone for twenty Spirit Stones would not be difficult."

Li Dingzhou said, "A few years ago, among the family Hunting Team, only the Second Elder could match this wretched beast in battle."

"Back then, when they encountered a Mid-Stage First-Rank Demonic Beast of this strength, the entire Hunting Team had to cooperate with the Second Elder to kill it at the smallest cost."

"If they encountered two Earth Cicada Scorpions of such strength at once, the Second Elder would usually order a retreat in order to preserve the family's strength."

A few years ago, and in the Li Family of even earlier times, earning twenty or thirty Spirit Stones required fighting desperately and everyone working together. Survival had been exceedingly difficult.

Li Dingzhou smiled. "Now, Yuan'er, you can kill one by yourself."

A quarter of an hour later, Li Qingyuan had recovered the small amount of spiritual power he had expended. He said, "Father, we can begin on the next target."

Li Dingzhou nodded. "Good, let's go!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Father and son sprang forward, each leap carrying them seventy or eighty feet. After attaching Lightness Talismans, they could leap over a hundred feet, even two hundred feet, racing deep into the towering mountains in search of suitable demonic beast targets.

Time flowed by, and in the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

Spiritual Sense Sword Control

Somewhere in the mountains, Li Qingyuan used his Spiritual Sense as a guide and spiritual power as fuel, controlling a mid-grade magic tool as it shot through the air. A streak of sword light darted forth, swift as lightning.

Pfft~! Pfft~! Pfft~!

Three First-Tier Early Stage Spirit Beasts were skewered three in a row by a crimson sword light, killed instantly by a single sword strike on the spot.

Li Qingyuan drifted down gracefully. With a gesture of his right hand, the Crimson Iron Sword flew back to his side, circling around him as its sword light dazzled and its blade hummed.

The three First-Tier Early Stage Spirit Beasts posed no training value to Li Qingyuan, so he simply launched a sword-control ambush and killed them in a single strike.

Li Dingzhou stepped forward to cut up the materials, teaching as he did so, "These three Spirit Beasts are called Swordtail Lizards."

The three giant lizards were over a meter long, with blackish-yellow scales and grayish-white bellies. Their tails were more than three feet long and sharp as swords. Double-edged barbs grew along their tails, making them exceptionally sharp.

That was how the Swordtail Lizard got its name.

Li Qingyuan stepped forward and followed Father's example in cutting up the materials.

Li Dingzhou said, "The barbs and pointed tail tips of Swordtail Lizards are materials for refining Low-grade First-tier magic tools."

"Also, it is best to skin their Hide Armor off in one complete piece. It can be used to refine Low-grade First-tier defensive armor."

Li Qingyuan copied what he saw, harvesting the materials and skinning off the Hide Armor.

After gathering the materials, father and son began to rest. Each had a flatbread and a flask of water.

Qi Refining Stage cultivators were merely mortals who had gained control of spiritual power. They still needed to eat grains and cereals, and their maximum lifespan was only two sixty-year cycles, no more than one hundred and twenty years.

Only those in the Foundation Establishment Realm could go without food.

After resting well, Li Dingzhou rose and said, "Yuan'er, after half a month of training and dozens of battles with demonic beasts, your swordsmanship has become quite proficient. Your sword moves are sharp, and you strike decisively."

"Furthermore, among the Six Family Techniques, aside from the Spirit Rain Technique, you have become more proficient in the other five Tier 1 Spells as well. Using them has become increasingly effortless."

"You have improved greatly during this training."

Li Qingyuan smiled and added, "I can also earn Spirit Stones to help support the household."

Over the past year or so, he had maintained a daily consumption rate of three Spirit Stones. When he had charged toward the Qi Condensation Fifth Layer and stabilized his cultivation, he had spent several dozen more Spirit Stones.

Of the eighteen hundred Spirit Stones he had possessed, only a little over a hundred remained.

Oh, right. He drew talismans for the family and received a monthly salary of seven Spirit Stones. Over a year and a half, that came to one hundred and twenty-six Spirit Stones; after duplication and doubling, he had obtained two hundred and fifty-two.

All the Spirit Stones on him amounted to only a little over three hundred, less than four hundred.

Li Qingyuan thought, Next, I'll go to Qu Mountain Marketplace and exchange them for Spirit Stones.

The resources in the two Storage Bags I obtained after killing Tumei and the others can be sold off while I'm there. I'll exchange everything for Spirit Stones to support my cultivation.

Li Qingyuan thought, Over this past year and a half, I've accumulated more talisman paper. I need to make another trip to the Spirit Talisman Building.

At that moment, Li Dingzhou said, "Let's go. We'll converge with the Second Elder and the others, then head to Qu Mountain Marketplace to sell the Demonic Beast Materials."