Qi Refining Layer Two: Boiling Liquid into Qi

Chen Ganliu had truly never experienced such a life of drifting from place to place in his previous life. When he was young, a great scholar had taken him away to study, and he had not budged for several years. Later, he had gone through the imperial examinations all the way to the capital, and then had not left the capital for more than a decade. After joining the Immortal Encounter Sect as a Servant Disciple, he had spent another twenty years without leaving the sect.

Even when he had cultivated with his senior apprentice sister at Blazing Light Cave, Twin Cloud Mountain, he had rarely gone out except to buy and sell talismans. And even then, he had done almost all of it at Shuangyun Immortal Market.

In this life, however, he could hardly stay anywhere for long.

"In my previous life, although I was a Servant Disciple in the Immortal Encounter Sect and was bullied everywhere, forced to grovel, and treated with contempt, I at least faced no danger to my life."

"But now I have cultivation arts and wondrous methods to improve my aptitude. Although the path is far more dangerous, my future is also far grander than it was in my previous life."

"If I had several years, once I cultivated the second layer of the Azure Emperor Jia Yi Art and completed the Heavenly Demon Vein Shifting Method, then refined this demon core..."

Bai Yunniang personally prepared a whole table of dishes and asked with a beaming smile, "That young man just now had a handsome appearance and fine character. His cultivation was just too low, and he was a little timid as well."

"How did the Young Mountain Master come to know him?"

Yang Xuesheng picked up her bamboo chopsticks, lifted a piece of fried fish, and said with a giggle, "The last time I passed through Chen Family Village, I saw Spiritual Gate of the He Shan Sect capturing zombies. He was Spiritual Gate's junior apprentice and had come along with his master."

"If it hadn't been for the He Shan Sect's patriarch, and if he hadn't seemed clever at the time, I would have captured him and brought him back to serve as a mountain-guarding boy."

Bai Yunniang giggled and said, "There are already far too many mountain-guarding boys on our mountain. What exactly does the Mountain Master want to do?"

Yang Xuesheng shook her head. "I don't know either."

Seeing that she did not want to say, Bai Yunniang did not ask further. Instead, she changed the subject and said, "How is the Young Mountain Master's art for refining spirit stones coming along?"

Yang Xuesheng immediately pulled a long face and replied, "This art is eighty percent incomplete. I've practiced it for ages, and I've already bought up all the raw spirit-stone ore from several Immortal Markets, but I still haven't mastered it."

"I originally wanted to master this art and give Father a surprise, adding another source of wealth to the mountain. But now it seems that it probably won't work."

Chen Ganliu spared no spiritual power as he urged Talisman Black Donkey onward, galloping until nightfall. Only then did he find a sheltered spot, clear the ground, and use stones to weigh down several talismans, suppressing the area in every direction.

Although this place was certainly not secure, Chen Ganliu had thought it through. Where in this mortal world was truly safe?

When it was time to cultivate, he had to cultivate.

He took out that jade-green pearl. Recalling the Heavenly Demon Vein Shifting Method in his mind, he circulated all the spiritual power in his body and attempted to practice this great art, which ranked among the thirty-six Forbidden Techniques of the Demon Race.

In the blink of an eye, the night passed. Chen Ganliu once again confirmed that his aptitude was indeed terribly poor, and he could not help sighing heavily as he muttered to himself, "What a difficult art."

This night of cultivation made Chen Ganliu understand one thing: without seven or eight months of practice, he absolutely could not complete the first step of cultivating the Heavenly Demon Vein Shifting Method—accommodating the demon core within his body. As for how to use the art to refine the demon core into a spirit vein afterward, that would require at least several years.

Chen Ganliu thought to himself, "I originally wanted to cultivate in seclusion at Jinyun Immortal Market, but powerful demons run rampant here, making it far too dangerous. My senior apprentice sister warned me not to come here. Truly, those were words of gold and jade."

"The spirit mountains and blessed lands of this world have long since been occupied. Ordinary places aren't safe enough either. Only Immortal Markets always have cultivators coming and going, with abundant spiritual energy. Compared to mortal lands, they are more conducive to cultivation and can shelter itinerant cultivators like us."

"I can't go to Qingyun Immortal Market, and I shouldn't return to Suiyang Immortal Market. Shuangyun Immortal Market is still dangerous, and now I can't safely return to Jinyun Immortal Market either. What if some powerful demon takes a fancy to me, sees that my flesh is fresh and delicious, plump and juicy, secretly drags me somewhere deserted, and swallows me whole? Wouldn't that be a tragic injustice? For now, I can only settle down at Talisman Collection Immortal Market."

Chen Ganliu had visited Talisman Collection Immortal Market once in his previous life. He had originally thought his talisman arts were quite extraordinary, but here they amounted to nothing. The blow had left him gloomy, and he had slunk away in disgrace.

After all, his cultivation had been too low. At the time, he had not comprehended the Heart Talisman Technique either. The talismans he drew sold for somewhat lower prices at Talisman Collection, and buyers often nitpicked them to death.

This time, he truly had no choice. The other Immortal Market was too far away, and Chen Ganliu did not want to waste any more time.

In any case, he had Talisman Coins and spirit stones on him. Even if business was bleak, it would not affect his cultivation.

By now, the sky was already bright. Chen Ganliu mounted Talisman Black Donkey and traveled without incident. When he reached his destination, he quietly entered Talisman Collection Immortal Market. Poor cultivators like him were common in every Immortal Market, so he did not attract anyone's attention.

Talisman Collection Immortal Market had also been thrown into chaos for a while recently, but after that demon had been "driven back" by the Immortal Encounter Sect, and since Talisman Collection Immortal Market had never suffered a demonic calamity like Suiyang Immortal Market, it had long since returned to its former appearance.

As for how many people the Immortal Encounter Sect had lost, these itinerant cultivators did not care. It was merely another topic for gossip.

Talisman Collection Immortal Market was different from Suiyang Immortal Market. Instead, it resembled Qingyun Immortal Market and was directly managed by Green Leaf Sect. Thus, young Daoists in robes embroidered with several green leaves could be seen everywhere throughout the market.

Some of these young disciples of Green Leaf Sect were setting up stalls to sell talismans they had drawn, while others wandered about at leisure, choosing items for cultivation. Although it was not currently one of Talisman Collection Immortal Market's major market days, it was still slightly livelier than Suiyang Immortal Market.

Chen Ganliu picked out a spot and set up a tent.

He propped several pieces of wood against one another, tied them together loosely, and wrapped them in a circle of mottled cloth. He then spread dry grass inside and stuffed in several newly made cushions and backrests. Although it was a little cramped, it was still enough to rest in.

He did not dare build a wooden hut.

If someone recognized him as having once appeared at Suiyang Immortal Market, and the Immortal Encounter Sect followed that thread to capture him, then he would truly have no one but himself to blame for his death.

Chen Ganliu did not even put on a show of setting up a stall. Once he had finished the tent, he hid inside and cultivated in peace.

Although his behavior was strange, cultivators were all somewhat strange to begin with. During the first few days, people still glanced at him a few extra times, but afterward no one paid attention anymore. They simply treated him like a stone.

At first, Chen Ganliu was often somewhat uneasy, but after more than a month passed without incident, he settled down. From time to time, he also sold a few talismans—not to make money, but merely to make himself appear a little more respectable.

This time, Chen Ganliu was continuing to refine the Wood Demon Pearl when the meridians throughout his body suddenly grew agitated. A surge of vital essence burst up from seven or eight acupoints, coursing through his meridians in an endless cycle. When the true qi flowed into his nasal acupoint, it suddenly sprayed out, transforming into two streams of white qi seven or eight inches long that stretched and contracted restlessly.

The sensation was incomparably familiar. Chen Ganliu had experienced it once in his previous life.

This was Qi Refining Layer Two: Boiling Liquid into Qi!

After leaving Chen Family Village, whether he had been at Suiyang Immortal Market, gone to Blazing Light Cave, Twin Cloud Mountain, or traveled to Talisman Collection Immortal Market, Chen Ganliu had always felt that his cultivation progressed a little faster. Especially after Mind-Wandering Zen Blade had "acknowledged him as its master," he did not know whether it was because the Great Vehicle Myriad Flower Fist had reached mastery and strengthened his body, making cultivation easier, or whether this Immortal Flying Blade had brought some supernatural effect. In any case, his progress was faster than before.

But no matter what, Chen Ganliu had never imagined that he could break through to Qi Refining Layer Two in such a short time.

His heart filled with boundless emotion as he silently counted the days. It seemed that nearly a year had passed since he left home.

He had secluded himself in Chen Family Village for three years to reach Qi Refining Layer One. Cultivating in various Immortal Markets was certainly far better than cultivating in Chen Family Village, but to break through in about a year...

Chen Ganliu suddenly had a thought and wondered inwardly, Was I held back by the Immortal Encounter Sect?

This couldn't go on. I've decided that tomorrow I'll definitely break through to the second watch...

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