Qi Refining Level 5 (Request Follow Reading)

Ding Family Shop VIP Room.

"You want to increase the purchase volume of Spring Return Talismans?"

Hearing Shopkeeper Ding's request, Shen Xuan fell into thought.

Ordinary Spring Return Talismans were one thing.

But the High-grade Spring Return Talismans—aside from keeping some for his own use—he had deliberately reserved for Zhao Chunsheng to sell.

This not only concealed his true talisman crafting strength but also allowed him to drive Zhao Chunsheng to do things for him.

After all, a Late Qi Refining Stage monster hunter could save him a lot of trouble.

"Talisman Master Shen, for the sake of our forty-plus years of acquaintance, please help me out."

Shopkeeper Ding put on a flattering smile and said, "One high-grade can be counted as two. With Talisman Master Shen's ability, you can always produce a dozen or so each month."

"This is the clan elder's intention. If I don't have High-grade Spring Return Talismans, I won't be able to explain myself to the clan elder."

Shopkeeper Ding said with a face full of helplessness.

Hearing Shopkeeper Ding's request, Shen Xuan grew wary.

A Mid-grade Talisman Master was essentially a money tree.

Shen Xuan purchased talisman crafting materials and sold spirit talismans at Qinglong Bay Market.

The Ding family could earn dozens of spirit stones from him every month.

Forcing him to sell High-grade Spring Return Talismans was essentially tightening the squeeze on him.

As for him marrying the Ding family's mortal woman?

Heh. A mere mortal woman—how could the Ding family care about that?

Shen Xuan pondered for a moment.

In the end, he agreed to Shopkeeper Ding's request, promising to sell him ten more High-grade Spring Return Talismans each month.

However.

As soon as Shen Xuan returned home, he heard bad news.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao is going to sign up for corvée labor wilderness reclamation?"

"I have no choice. If I don't go, the substitute labor tax is forty spirit stones!"

Zhao Chunsheng said helplessly.

The substitute labor tax for Qinglong Bay cultivators was divided according to their cultivation realm.

Six spirit stones for Early Qi Refining Stage, fifteen for Mid Qi Refining Stage, and forty for Late Qi Refining Stage!

The higher one's cultivation realm, the more they were called to corvée labor, and the higher the substitute tax.

"This is the last batch of mantis shrimp. If you still need to purchase spirit fish and demon shrimp, or sell spirit talismans on consignment, you'll have to wait until I come back from wilderness reclamation."

"No matter."

After seeing Zhao Chunsheng off, Shen Xuan stared at the mantis shrimp in the fishing bag, his mood heavy.

For some reason, he felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding, as if something bad was about to happen.

He had married the Ding family's mortal woman.

According to the agreement, he was exempt from corvée labor.

Even so, he still felt a vague unease.

In the training room.

The Mysterious Jade Talisman withdrew its golden light.

All the mantis shrimp in the fishing bag flipped over, bellies up.

[Talent: Critical Hit Novice (2/100)]

[Dao Rhyme: 72]

[Spiritual Root: Water 16/100]

This time, Shen Xuan plundered the mantis shrimp's Critical Hit talent, taking only half a year.

Shen Xuan closed his eyes, slowly sensing the mantis shrimp's life experience.

There were many First-Order Middle Grade water-attribute monster beasts, abundant and cheap, but few with special talents.

Fortunately, Qinglong Bay Market was built along the Longze River, ensuring a steady supply of cheap spirit fish and demon shrimp.

Shen Xuan chose the mantis shrimp because he valued its unique bloodline talent.

The mantis shrimp had a pair of raptorial appendages, extremely formidable—folded, they struck like a heavy hammer shattering armor; extended, they pierced like a sharp awl.

When attacking prey, it could snap its appendages out in one-hundredth of a second, at speeds several times that of a pistol bullet. The instant friction generated heat so intense it made the surrounding water spark with electricity, its lethality terrifying.

And this was in water!

Imagine—if Shen Xuan's Water Condensation Edge Shaping Art, after being enhanced by the Water Control talent, was further boosted by the mantis shrimp's Critical Hit talent, its power would skyrocket, enough to severely wound a Late Qi Refining Stage cultivator.

[Critical Hit] talent points can be raised through diligent practice.

Shen Xuan added all 72 points of Dao Rhyme to his Self-Healing talent.

[Talent: Self-Healing Proficient (39/200)]

With Water Spirit Root Aptitude now at sixteen points, it was time to break through to Qi Refining Level 5.

Earlier, Shen Xuan had already sensed the breakthrough opportunity.

However, for the sake of raising his Water Spirit Root Aptitude, he had suppressed it for a few days.

He tried circulating the [Divine Treasure Canghai Technique], and his spiritual power flowed more smoothly through his meridians.

"Sure enough, Spirit Root Aptitude determines the upper limit of cultivation."

As long as he kept raising his Spirit Root, Shen Xuan could continuously break through the limits of his Cultivation Realm.

"Time to break through!"

Shen Xuan stopped overthinking and activated the Spirit Gathering Array.

Sitting cross-legged, he focused his mind, circulated his spiritual power, and began breaking through to Qi Refining Level 5.

The [Divine Treasure Canghai Technique] operated, and the spiritual power within his body gradually accelerated after cycling through several circuits. Guided by his Divine Sense, it surged and swelled, its momentum growing more and more vast.

His spiritual power, like a vast ocean, spread through all his meridians, filling his entire body.

This left Shen Xuan brimming with energy, like a drawn bowstring pulled taut.

Sensing the critical point, Shen Xuan crushed the two spirit stones in his hands.

The refined spiritual energy absorbed from his palms into his dantian was like pouring oil on a fire, instantly turning violent and filling his meridians.

Time passed bit by bit.

Two hours later.

Shen Xuan, who had been building momentum, seized the opportunity and broke through the bottleneck in one surge.

His aura rose again.

Shen Xuan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with joy.

He had broken through to Qi Refining Level 5!

It was easier than imagined.

As expected of a Water Spirit Root with a sensitivity as high as sixteen points!

His meridians were completely unharmed.

His Spiritual Sense and spiritual power had both increased by a full twenty percent!

"Sixty-five years old. Four years to break through just one level—truly not easy!"

This was even with Shen Xuan having purchased a Spirit Gathering Array in recent years and recharging spirit stones every day.

Otherwise, breaking through to Qi Refining Level 5 would have required waiting another two years.

Fortunately, after raising his Water Spirit Root's sensitivity to sixteen points, breaking through this minor bottleneck consumed only two spirit stones, and Success Came Naturally.

[Lifespan: 65/115]

[Cultivation Method: Divine Treasure Canghai Technique Proficient (132/400)]

[Realm: Qi Refining Level 5: 1/100]

His lifespan increased by three years.

The Divine Treasure Canghai Technique remained at the Mastery Stage.

It seemed that raising it to Minor Mastery would have to wait until he broke through to the Late Qi Refining Stage.

[Breath Concealment Technique]!

Shen Xuan concealed his aura, disguising himself as Qi Refining Level 4.

In the days that followed, Shen Xuan worked hard crafting [Spring Return Talismans] to Earn Spirit Stones.

Two months later, he had once again saved up a fortune of a hundred spirit stones.

Without hesitation, Shen Xuan went straight to Shopkeeper Ding and selected a Mid-grade Magic Artifact.

A pair of Water-Splitting Emei Daggers.

Each was a foot long, thick in the middle, and pointed at both ends.

The tips were flat, diamond-shaped with sharp points.

In the middle was a ring that could be slipped over the middle finger, allowing free rotation.

This magic artifact was forged from Xuanbing Cold Iron, making it suitable for combat in water and darkness.

Shen Xuan gave them a try.

Under Full Effort, the pair of Water-Splitting Emei Daggers felt like part of his body, moving as naturally as an arm directing a hand, operating with ease.

The spiritual power of the [Divine Treasure Canghai Technique] flowed through the Water-Splitting Emei Daggers without any obstruction.

This pair of Water-Splitting Emei Daggers was a Water-Attribute Magic Artifact, perfectly suited for Shen Xuan's use.

After a round of bargaining.

Shen Xuan finally purchased this Mid-grade Magic Artifact from Shopkeeper Ding for forty Spirit Stones.

Late at night.

In the Longze River.

At the riverbed, a hundred zhang deep, where light could not penetrate the pitch-black depths.

This was the very bottom of the Longze River, deep, cold, and utterly silent.

The overwhelming water pressure everywhere made it a place ordinary cultivators dared not approach.

But now.

The stillness was broken.

Shen Xuan's figure shot forward at great speed, faint cyan spiritual light radiating from his body.

This was the [Water Control] talent he had seized from the Green Feather Fish.

Even at the depths of the riverbed, his speed reached forty meters per second.

And ahead of him.

A school of unknown Spirit Fish, each half a chi long with sharp, grotesque teeth, numbering in the hundreds, swam through the riverbed. They hunted various riverbed creatures in a coordinated, military-like formation.