Fifth Layer of Qi Refining

After Meng Haoran opened the "Storage Bag," he found that it was not filled to the brim with Spirit Stones.

There were only around a hundred Spirit Stones, along with a small white porcelain bottle.

Meng Haoran did not pay much attention to the Spirit Stones. Instead, he held the white porcelain bottle in his hand and asked in confusion, "Clan Uncle Luohai, what is this?"

"A first-rank pill, a Spirit Gathering Pill," Meng Luohai replied.

"It's actually a Spirit Gathering Pill!"

Meng Haoran was overjoyed.

Though the "Spirit Gathering Pill" was a first-rank pill, far from being a Foundation Establishment Level Cultivation Resource, it was tremendously effective at improving and aiding the cultivation of mid- to low-level Qi Refining Realm cultivators like Meng Haoran!

Pills were divided into nine ranks, corresponding one by one to the realms of cultivators.

Cultivators of the same rank could only try their best to take pills of the same rank. Only then could a pill display its greatest effect.

It was not impossible to take higher-rank pills across ranks, but doing so required enormous mental effort, vast amounts of heaven and earth spiritual qi, and great exertion to digest them.

Meng Haoran looked up at Meng Luohai and smiled. "Clan Uncle Luohai, although I did make some contribution, it was all for the greater good of the Meng Family. This Spirit Gathering Pill is a little too precious for me."

"A treasured blade is bestowed upon a hero. Naturally, this Spirit Gathering Pill should be given to a clansman like you, who has rendered great service to the Meng Family!"

Meng Luohai waved his hand and forcibly pushed the "Spirit Gathering Pill" before Meng Haoran. Smiling, he said, "Hao Ran, you must accept this Spirit Gathering Pill no matter what. You are not allowed to refuse!"

Hearing Meng Luohai put it that way, Meng Haoran could no longer decline.

"Then Hao Ran will thank Clan Uncle Luohai in advance!"

Only after seeing Meng Haoran put away the "Storage Bag" containing the "Spirit Gathering Pill" did Meng Luohai finally feel at ease.

Although the "Spirit Gathering Pill" was particularly important to mid- and low-level Qi Refining Realm cultivators like Meng Haoran, Meng Haoran had rendered a great service to the Meng Family today!

Without Meng Haoran's suggestion, Meng Luohai likely would not yet have developed the "Spirit Taming Talisman."

And once the Lin Family's "Five Elements Defensive Talisman" appeared, it was clearly aimed at the Meng Family's talisman market.

If Meng Luohai had not developed the "Spirit Taming Talisman," the Lin Family's "Five Elements Defensive Talisman" would have dominated the talisman market in Qingyang County Town for at least over a month. Over that month, it would slowly devour the Meng Family's share of the talisman market.

Even if Meng Luohai completed the development of the "Spirit Taming Talisman" by then, he would have missed the best opportunity to contend against the Lin Family's "Five Elements Defensive Talisman."

To reclaim the Meng Family's original share of the talisman market, they would need at least a full three months.

Once those three months passed, the Meng Family's development would fall far behind the Lin Family's again!

The competition between cultivation lineages was truly a matter of seeing the vast through the tiny!

Falling behind bit by bit could very well lead to permanent backwardness.

Therefore, Meng Luohai had taken it upon himself to give Meng Haoran a "Spirit Gathering Pill." In his view, it was not excessive at all!

Meng Luohai looked at Meng Haoran, rose to his feet, and smiled. "Hao Ran, while I'm still in the pavilion, you can take this Spirit Gathering Pill directly. I'll stand guard for you in the next room!"

Meng Haoran's heart stirred at those words.

For the past half month, he had been working hard to improve his cultivation. He could vaguely sense that his realm was nearing the peak of the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining.

"Alright! Thank you, Clan Uncle Luohai!"

With that said, Meng Luohai took the initiative to leave, leaving Meng Haoran alone in the room.

After closing the door, Meng Haoran placed the small porcelain bottle containing the "Spirit Gathering Pill" on the wooden table, then laid out the Spirit Stones he had accumulated during this period as well.

After doing this, Meng Haoran quietly glanced toward the next room. With a flip of his wrist, the unfathomable "Heavenly Cauldron" suddenly appeared, filled with "Cauldron Liquid" brimming with spiritual qi.

"Everything is ready but the east wind!"

Meng Haoran formed hand seals with both hands and shouted in a low voice, "Forging Yin Refining Yang Method! Open!"

As soon as he spoke, every meridian in Meng Haoran's body began to tremble, while all the Spirit Stones on the wooden table floated around him.

Threads of incomparably pure heaven and earth spiritual qi drifted out from each Spirit Stone.

Refined through Meng Haoran's cultivation technique, the "Forging Yin Refining Yang Method," they flowed directly into his body.

At that moment, Meng Haoran suddenly opened his eyes. The "Spirit Gathering Pill" within the small porcelain bottle immediately floated out and flew straight into his mouth.

With a thought from Meng Haoran, the "Cauldron Liquid" inside the "Heavenly Cauldron" also shot out at once.

Like a water dragon drawing up a column, it poured directly into Meng Haoran's mouth.

Rumble!

Roaring sounds continuously rang out from within Meng Haoran's body, and even the skin exposed outside turned flushed red.

Hearing the commotion from Meng Haoran's room next door, Meng Luohai could not help but smile faintly. "That boy Hao Ran possesses outstanding cultivation talent. To reach the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining at such a young age, he is truly gifted beyond compare. If given enough time to grow, his future achievements may surpass even Brother Liuhai's!"

Thinking of this, Meng Luohai sighed softly again and said with a trace of resentment, "But if that boy Hao Ran grows too quickly while the Meng Family's development cannot keep pace with him, wouldn't that merely hold him back?"

Tilting his head toward Meng Haoran's room, Meng Luohai pondered briefly before murmuring, "It seems it is time to speak with Clan Leader Jingshan about Hao Ran!"

In the room next door, an unknown amount of time passed. Meng Haoran's skin gradually returned to normal, and the roaring within his body slowly faded away.

Just as Meng Haoran's skin fully returned to normal and the rumbling within his body ceased, his eyes slowly opened, shooting out two beams of sharp light.

Meng Haoran first took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. Clenching his fists, he smiled softly. "Fifth Layer of Qi Refining!"

Meng Haoran was quietly delighted. He had originally thought that after taking the "Spirit Gathering Pill," the "Cauldron Liquid," and a large quantity of Spirit Stones, he could at most raise his cultivation to the peak of the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining.

He had never expected that he would actually break through to the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining.

This truly surprised him.

Just as Meng Haoran rejoiced over his cultivation breakthrough in the Xinghua Meng Pavilion, night slowly descended over Xinghua Village on the other side.

Within Xinghua Village, aside from the Meng Family and the Lin Family, there was also the Chen Family.

Since the Lin Family and Chen Family had arrived later, the two families lived very close to one another.

Knock, knock, knock!

In the Chen Family's rear courtyard, Chen Jinmeng was sorting through his family's account books when he suddenly heard someone knocking at the door outside.

He turned and opened the door. Seeing the familiar face before him, he asked in slight surprise, "Brother Qingbai? Why have you come at this hour?"

Because the Meng Family had declined year after year, the Lin and Chen Families often cooperated against the Meng Family. Thus, Lin Qingbai's comings and goings at the Chen Family were nothing unusual to the other Chen Family clansmen.

Lin Qingbai wore a mournful expression as he said, "Brother Jinmeng, you have to save me!"