Third Layer of Qi Condensation (Requesting Follows Monthly Tickets Recommendation Tickets)

Time flowed on, and more than half a year quietly slipped by.

[You are cultivating the Spirit Flame Art. Stronger from Adversity +1, Comprehension +2, Spirit Flame Art Proficiency +2]

[You are absorbing spiritual energy. Spiritual Energy Affinity +1, Spiritual Energy +3]

Early in the morning, the Study Hall was silent as Zhou Ling cultivated with complete focus.

All of a sudden, he felt a muffled boom within his body. His twenty-first spiritual acupoint was activated as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

"Finally, the Third Layer of Qi Condensation!"

Zhou Ling's face lit up with delight.

He then let out a breath and opened his panel to inspect his attributes.

[Spiritual Root]: Five Elements Low-grade 2/100

[Cultivation]: Third Layer of Qi Condensation 2/100

[Body Tempering]: First-Grade Second Layer 26/100

[Physical Quality]: Comprehension (Average Talent 451/1000), Physique (Considerable Potential 31800/100,000)

[Unique Talent]: Stronger from Adversity (Second Order 180/1000)

[Growth Talents]: Naturally Malnourished, No Mother's Milk Feeding, Crisis Reaction (First Order 65/100), Physique Evolution (Third Order 1586/10,000), Mountain Treasure Hunt (Second Order 250/1000), Immortal Root Aptitude (Second Order 523/1000), Basic Insight (Second Order 558/1000), Spiritual Energy Affinity (Third Order 8380/10,000), Roar (Third Order 9520/10,000)

[Cultivation Art]: Spirit Flame Art (First Layer, Minor Success 630/1000)

[Techniques]: Great Yang Fist (First Layer, Major Success 870/1000), Basic Inscription Pattern (Major Success 970/1000)

Looking at the panel, Zhou Ling wore a satisfied expression.

His hard cultivation over this period had finally borne fruit.

Over the past half year, Zhou Ling had cultivated while spending his spare time hunting through Old Man Zhao's stall on Market Street for defective magic artifacts.

After repairing them, he would then resell them to Old Man Zhao.

Repairing several ordinary magic artifacts each month not only improved his inscription pattern skills, but also earned him a little spirit stone.

His days were busy and fulfilling.

At seven and a half years old, reaching the Third Layer of Qi Condensation was already quite impressive for a rogue cultivator.

Of course, his progress during this period came not only from his daily persistence in cultivation, but also from the boost provided by his talents and attributes.

Yet it was also inseparable from Wang Xin's occasional supply of medicinal pills.

After all, the Spirit Flame Art he mainly cultivated now had no spiritual items to assist it, so its cultivation speed could not be considered fast.

However, breaking through to the Fourth Layer of Qi Condensation would not be so easy.

This was a breakthrough from the early stage of Qi Condensation to the middle stage, a major realm advancement that came with a considerable bottleneck.

Its difficulty was far greater than breaking through from the First Layer of Qi Condensation to the Second.

He would need spiritual items to assist him, or pills for breaking through ranks.

"For my next stage of cultivation, I'll have to find a way to buy spiritual items like Fire Haze Grass to help me!"

Zhou Ling frowned slightly.

After several months of hard work, he had managed to save more than thirty low-grade spirit stones.

But he planned to exchange those low-grade spirit stones with the Dao Academy for methods of cultivating inscription seals, so he could improve his artifact refinement skills.

After all, his Basic Inscription Pattern had already reached the Major Success realm, and he had now broken through to the Third Layer of Qi Condensation.

That was enough for him to draw inscription seals.

As long as he could draw inscription seals, he would become a First-Grade Low-Rank artifact refiner.

Then, whether he repaired magic artifacts or refined them, he would earn far more spirit stones!

Only after quite some time did Zhou Ling's mood settle down.

"I need to earn more spirit stones before I can buy Fire Haze Grass!"

"Besides, now that I've entered the Third Layer of Qi Condensation, I should also start cultivating some offensive spells!"

Zhou Ling calculated silently.

Although he had been cultivating at the Dao Academy for over four years, he had yet to learn any offensive spells.

For one thing, his life largely followed the same route every day. His main range of activity was simply between home and the Dao Academy.

He only went to Market Street once or twice a month, where there was little danger.

Moreover, most of his time was spent cultivating the Spirit Flame Art, Basic Inscription Pattern, and Great Yang Fist.

So he simply could not squeeze out time to cultivate spells.

"Still, my first priority right now is to try drawing inscription seals."

With talents such as [Stronger from Adversity], [Basic Insight], and [Basic Analysis] supporting him, he still held a major advantage in inscription pattern refinement.

With a clear direction in mind, Zhou Ling continued sitting in meditation and cultivating.

He immediately felt the rate at which he absorbed spiritual energy rise noticeably by several tenths.

His divine sense had also grown considerably stronger.

At seven and a half years old and at the third level of Qi Refinement, his cultivation was above average among the six key Daoist classes.

Before long, the disciples gradually arrived at the Study Hall.

Yuan Hu sat down on the meditation cushion in front of Zhou Ling, his expression somewhat unnatural.

"Brother Ling, I might not be coming to the Dao Academy in a few days!"

Yuan Hu scratched his head and spoke to Zhou Ling in a low voice.

Zhou Ling froze for a moment upon hearing this, then could not help asking, "Why?"

"Something happened at home. We don't have enough spirit stones to support my continued cultivation."

Yuan Hu looked somewhat vacant. His gaze swept across the Study Hall, his face full of reluctance.

Zhou Ling was momentarily speechless.

Although the key class's monthly tuition was only three spirit stones now, as one's cultivation rose, the various other expenses were the real bulk of the cost.

Even someone like Zhou Ling, who saved wherever he could and received rewards from the Dao Academy, still had no small amount of expenses.

The usual consumption of Spirit Food and practicing Inscription Patterns alone cost two or three Low-grade Spirit Stones.

That did not even include the monthly tuition.

An expenditure of six or seven Low-grade Spirit Stones a month was an enormous burden for Rogue Cultivators at the bottom rung.

For Zhou Ling's parents, two working hands earning fifteen Low-grade Spirit Stones a month was already quite good.

Yet the household's various expenses alone took seven or eight Low-grade Spirit Stones.

By that calculation, they toiled bitterly every day, yet gained no cultivation resources at all.

Still, after studying at the Dao Academy until the age of seven or eight, a child could be said to have laid a foundation in cultivation.

Thus, quite a few Rogue Cultivators whose families could no longer hold on chose to have their children drop out.

Once they left the Dao Academy, without anyone to teach them and without inherited cultivation techniques, the road ahead was destined to be difficult.

More often than not, they could only do odd jobs at Workshops, kitchens, shops, and such places, or enter the mountains to seek herbs.

As for making any progress in cultivation, that was likely no longer something they could hope for.

Being able to scrape together a meal was already not bad.

Zhou Ling let out a faint sigh. Over these years of cultivation at the Dao Academy, he and Yuan Hu had formed something of a friendship.

But his own family's circumstances were not much better. His parents had given all their resources to him, yet their own cultivation had never improved much.

Nor did he have the means to help Yuan Hu.

"Yuan Hu, you... what happened to your family?"

At that moment, Wang Xin, who had just arrived beside them, asked with concern.

Yuan Hu said softly, "My Father was injured while fishing. He was accidentally pierced by the poisonous spine of the Ink Scale Fish and poisoned. Only a high-grade first-grade Detoxification Pill can save him."

"And a high-grade first-grade Detoxification Pill costs forty or fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones. Our family simply can't afford it."

As he spoke, tears welled in his eyes, and his voice gradually became choked with sobs.

After hearing this, Zhou Ling thought for a moment and asked, "Yuan Hu, how many spirit stones does your family have on hand right now?"

He currently had more than thirty Low-grade Spirit Stones. Though he had painstakingly saved them for seven or eight months.

But saving a life came first. If he practiced inscription imprints a few months later, then so be it.

Yuan Hu shook his head. "To send me to the Dao Academy, my family has no extra spirit stones at all."

Zhou Ling could not help frowning at that.

"I can find a way to get the Detoxification Pill for you!"

Wang Xin spoke at that moment.

Only then did Zhou Ling remember that Wang Xin's mother was a Second-Grade Alchemist.

He immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Since Wang Xin had agreed to help Yuan Hu, he would not have to drop out after all!

"Wang Xin, thank you so much!"

Yuan Hu's face was full of excitement.

His entire body trembled faintly.

"Mm!" Wang Xin nodded.