Li Family Sisters

Upon reaching Qi Refining Level Seven, Luo Hong had gathered enough data to calculate the mana required to break through each subsequent level.

In truth, the mana requirements for each level of the Qi Refining Stage had always increased in a highly regular pattern. From levels one to seven, they were 1, 2, 4, 8, 64.

For Luo Hong to cultivate to Qi Refining Great Perfection, he still lacked 8,000 Mana Limit, which translated to 1,333 Yellow Dragon Pills.

Before befriending Old Demon Han, obtaining that many Yellow Dragon Pills would basically have been an impossible task.

Therefore, Luo Hong merely wanted his cultivation to surpass Level 9 Qi Refining within Three Years Later. That way, he could build a proper relationship with Old Demon Han as his senior brother.

Right, he still had to find time to learn some Five Elements Spells and replace Wu Feng as Old Demon Han's spell instructor.

For ten batches of Spiritual Herbs needed to refine Yellow Dragon Pills, Luo Hong paid fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones. The price was one or two stones above the Market Price, but if it left a good impression on Martial Uncle Ma, then Luo Hong had absolutely made a killing on this deal.

"Unfortunately, Martial Uncle Ma has recently been refining a batch of pills for himself. Otherwise, with his alchemy skills, even if I had to pay a few more Spirit Stones, I would still have begged him to refine Yellow Dragon Pills for me."

Luo Hong rode a green leaf toward the Land of Profound Fire. Of course, he was not planning to refine pills himself. Without the Sky Controlling Bottle, how could he afford to burn through such resources? He was going there to visit a Senior Sister he had known back in the clan.

The Land of Profound Fire was thick with fire qi, where not even grass or trees could grow. If not for the earthfire aiding pill refinement, this place would surely have been a vile land no one wished to visit.

"Junior Brother, these Spiritual Herbs are of excellent quality. They should raise the chances of success somewhat. However, out of ten furnaces, Senior Sister can only guarantee success in three. And for every successful furnace, no matter how many pills it yields, I will take two.

Can Junior Brother accept that?"

Li Xiaowan inspected the Spiritual Herbs Luo Hong had brought and proposed what she called the preferential terms reserved for family.

"Senior Sister need not belittle yourself. With Senior Sister's alchemy skill, refining a low-grade pill like the Yellow Dragon Pill could not possibly have a success rate lower than fifty percent."

Luo Hong knew the abilities of this short, round-faced Senior Sister well. She was currently the Li family's foremost alchemist in Yellow Maple Valley, refining who knew how many pills for the clan and sect every year.

The Yellow Dragon Pill was not some obscure pill either. She would definitely be able to refine it with ease.

"Ha, you investigated that thoroughly? Looks like I can't scare you off. But have you really thought this through? You want to use your one and only chance to ask me to refine pills on these Yellow Dragon Pills?"

Li Xiaowan curled her lips, feeling both helpless and displeased. She had no desire to refine such an unoriginal pill as the Yellow Dragon Pill, let alone ten furnaces in one go.

"Junior Brother has considered it carefully. I must trouble Senior Sister." Luo Hong bowed.

This chance is valuable? In three years, I'll be able to cozy up to the future Heavenly Alchemist. This is your only chance to prove yourself.

Li Xiaowan's shoulders slumped, and she immediately put on an expression as though life held no further meaning. Just as she was about to wave her hand and tell this annoying pretty boy to get lost, a noisy shout came from the entrance.

"Big Sister, I found out where Mount Wu on that Ancient Map is!"

A Junior Sister the same age as Luo Hong rushed excitedly into the main hall. Two rosy flushes colored her sweetly innocent face, making her especially adorable.

"Xiaoqing, don't make trouble. We have a guest." Li Xiaowan scolded her verbally, but her eyes and brows were full of affection, clearly showing how dearly she loved her younger sister.

"It's you. Huh? Y-you've already cultivated to Qi Refining Level Seven?!"

Li Xiaoqing had entered the sect alongside Luo Hong, and she remembered him well—the Luo Hong the clan had sent merely to make up the numbers.

"You still have the nerve to say that. When you entered the sect, all of you were at Qi Refining Layer Three. Yet because you were always engrossed in playing around with fellow disciples and neglected cultivation, you only broke through to Qi Refining Level Five recently.

Junior Brother Luo's cultivation has surpassed those of his peers today entirely through diligence. If you're envious, then learn from him properly."

Haha, Senior Sister flatters me. I only swallowed pills and soaked in baths every day. That hardly counts as diligence.

"Hmph, I don't want to learn from him! Big Sister, he's just trash with a False Spirit Root. How could he compare to my aptitude?"

Li Xiaoqing's words carried seven parts indignation and three parts jealousy.

"Junior Brother Luo, is what Xiaoqing said true?"

As fellow Cultivators in the Qi Refining Stage, Li Xiaowan could not see through Luo Hong's Spiritual Root aptitude at a glance.

"Hehe, it is indeed true."

Luo Hong sneered inwardly. This truly was that Cultivation World where the weak were meat and the strong ate. Those with False Spirit Roots deserved to be called trash.

In an instant, all the favorable feelings Luo Hong had developed because the two sisters were beautiful vanished like smoke.

"Big Sister, see? He admitted it! If he hadn't cheated with the Spirit Gathering Array the Ancestor bestowed upon him, I never would have lost to him!"

Li Xiaoqing said angrily, hands on her hips.

"So that's how it is. Junior Brother Luo, could you lend Senior Sister your Spirit Gathering Array? If you agree, I can refine these ten furnaces of Yellow Dragon Pills for free and even pay you some Spirit Stones."

The terms Li Xiaowan offered were not bad, but Luo Hong did not want to accept.

Merely using a Spirit Gathering Array to cultivate, even with the aid of pills, could not possibly allow a Cultivator with a Fourth-grade Spiritual Root to break through from Qi Refining Layer Three to Qi Refining Level Seven in a single month.

Li Xiaowan and the others had never used a Spirit Gathering Array before and did not know its precise effects, so they attributed the cause to it.

But once they experienced it for themselves, they would surely realize something was wrong and want to investigate the secret behind my rapid cultivation.

Therefore, I would rather forgo earning Spirit Stones than take that risk.

Using the excuse that he still needed it himself, Luo Hong temporarily put her off. He did not refuse outright only because the Yellow Dragon Pills had not yet been refined.

"Fine, then Senior Sister will wait for some time."

Based on her past experience, no one would lightly offend an alchemist. Li Xiaowan believed borrowing the Spirit Gathering Array was already as certain as a nail driven into a board. In her delight, she decided to refine Luo Hong's pills with proper care.

"By the way, Junior Brother Luo, Xiaoqing and I will be leaving the valley in a few days to gain experience. Would you like to come along?"

Gain experience?

Luo Hong recalled Li Xiaoqing shouting about the "Ancient Map" and "Mount Wu" when she entered. It was as though he could see a huge, blood-red character for "danger" appear above Li Xiaowan's head, and his heart immediately shrank back.

You're joking. Without a Talisman Treasure or True Treasure in hand, you expect me to leave the valley to gain experience?

No way!

"Big Sister! I don't want to!"

Luo Hong gave Li Xiaoqing a huge thumbs-up in his heart and immediately went along with it.

"Senior Sister, do not let Junior Brother harm the sisterly bond between you two. Compared with leaving the valley to gain experience, Junior Brother prefers cultivating within the valley."

After leaving the Land of Profound Fire, Luo Hong flew straight to the market established by Yellow Maple Valley. He planned to exchange most of his remaining Spirit Stones for materials used to make talismans.

In the Cultivation World, how could one lack a skill for earning Spirit Stones?

Common side professions for Cultivators included pill refinement, artifact forging, beast taming, spirit plant cultivation, formations, and talisman crafting.

Luo Hong had chosen talisman crafting after careful consideration.

"Based on the principles behind talismans, I should be able to find a loophole to exploit."