The Opportunity to Advance to Inner Qi Stage!

First, the things already obtained--

"Iron Token."

"This item can refine 'Essence Blood', it's a reliance for me and Xiaoshuang to establish ourselves before advancing to the Qi Refining stage."

This thing is still in the ground. Meng Nan didn't dare to touch it before, but now with the experience of his third life, there's no problem.

He'll dig it out tomorrow.

Then there's 'Alchemy Technique'.

In this life, Meng Nan spent seven years refining medicine without a single day's rest. Coupled with those notes and insights, his current alchemy skills would hold a certain status even in the 'Qingtian Market' of Immortal Calendar year 90. It would be enough to support his family and maintain his cultivation.

Not to mention the current time.

"Still cooperate with Senior Sister Qian Yu."

A while ago, Meng Nan wanted to cooperate with Qian Yu, mostly valuing her potential to easily advance to the True Essence stage and her straightforward personality. Now, after three lifetimes, Qian Yu's character has proven solid in each one. In the third life, they were even senior and junior disciples, working together for decades, their bond deepening. She is someone worth befriending.

Finding her to cooperate.

Actually, it also means offering support.

In the future immortal path, having more old friends and close companions walk alongside him would undoubtedly be a joyous occasion.

Thinking about these things.

He continued to sort through them.

"And the 'map'."

In this life, Meng Nan finally gained a better understanding of the area where Yinlian Village and Tianlin Cave are located, forming a general impression in his mind.

This is a good thing.

He's like an explorer now, the surrounding map hasn't been lit up yet, and it's all shrouded in fog of war. He needs to use the opportunities to enter the future timeline to clarify his surroundings, even the entire Southern Border, the entire world.

With a clear map, everything can proceed in an orderly fashion, allowing for calm cultivation.

This time alone was not a wasted trip.

Beyond that, things like the future situation of Tianlin Cave, including the war between [Chashan] and [Sky-Scraping Cliff], are still distant and not immediately pressing. But knowing about them in advance is helpful for Meng Nan.

Whether to confront or avoid this war in the future will depend on how many more times he visits the future.

For now, he just has a general idea.

Finally, there's the 'Giant Spirit God' secret technique, the spirit land, and the Spirit Sand mine.

"In Immortal Calendar year 40, Tianlin Cave will establish a city."

"The city site will be where the spirit land and Spirit Sand mine are located."

"Neither has been discovered yet."

"If I go there in advance, I can borrow the spirit land and Spirit Sand to cultivate the secret technique, and this technique can be mastered!"

Meng Nan sorted through the gains from this trip.

They were considerable.

Some were for the near future, some for the long term.

Some were macroscopic, some microscopic.

From the start of this life, his foundation has been thoroughly laid, truly showing some promise.

Even if he can no longer open the future timeline, with such a solid foundation, he still has hope of advancing to Qi Refining.

"Next life."

Meng Nan looked forward to it.

His emotions churned.

Dispelling his sorrow.

At this moment, he heard a faint snore by his ear. He turned his head and saw Zhao Xiaoshuang sleeping soundly. Meng Nan smiled silently and gently held Zhao Xiaoshuang's hand within the covers.

Then he closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning.

Zhao Xiaoshuang opened her eyes and saw Meng Nan meditating and cultivating in the room as usual. Her mood immediately brightened.

In just a few months, she found herself adapting to this life and wished it could last forever.

"The True Qi Stage allows one to live for several decades longer, and the True Essence Stage allows for another several decades."

"I must cultivate to the True Qi! True Essence!"

Zhao Xiaoshuang secretly vowed in the warm covers, then looked at Meng Nan who was cultivating and said something softly, her voice very low, clearly not wanting Meng Nan to hear.

It was more like speaking to herself.

Afterward, she got out of bed with a smug, secret smile.

As she dressed, she didn't notice Meng Nan, who was cultivating, twitch the corner of his lips as if a smile flashed and disappeared.

Morning practice ended.

Meng Nan spoke to Zhao Xiaoshuang, "Call me that from now on."

"Call you what?"

Zhao Xiaoshuang was stunned by Meng Nan's inexplicable words, then saw him raise an eyebrow slightly and gesture towards the bed.

"Ah!"

Zhao Xiaoshuang's face immediately turned red, and her ears turned red too. "You heard that? Weren't you cultivating?"

"I happened to hear it."

Meng Nan smiled, not teasing Zhao Xiaoshuang further. He stood up and went out to prepare breakfast.

When they were cleaning up after breakfast, Zhao Xiaoshuang suddenly stood up and snatched the bowls, pretending to be casual. "Husband, I'll do it."

Then, holding the bowls, she turned and quickly walked a few steps to the kitchen and didn't come out again.

"Haha!"

Meng Nan couldn't help but laugh.

Zhao Xiaoshuang, who was so shy after being called 'Husband', showed none of the unrestrained and free-spirited demeanor of her later years when she was eighty or ninety.

Next time she teased him, Meng Nan would have a way to counter!

With a pleasant mood, Meng Nan began his day.

In the future, he would definitely make alchemy his main profession; he wouldn't do much carpentry anymore. But alchemy had greater value, and he should at least wait until he advanced to Inner Qi in reality before fully revealing it.

If he became Inner Qi, he would be invincible in Inner Qi, capable of fighting True Qi.

Only then would he have a certain degree of self-protection.

It would be even better if he could reveal it when he was invincible in True Qi Stage; at that time, Meng Nan would not fear even the two True Essence Stage cultivators in Yinlian Village.

Judging by the progress of the previous three lives, it wouldn't take much time to reach the point of being invincible in True Qi Stage, comparable to True Essence Stage.

"One or two more trips should be enough."

"I now have 'Iron Token Essence Blood' combined with the 'Blood Arrow Secret Technique', making it easier to kill Inner Qi in the Fetal Breath Stage, and I can open the future timeline at will."

"I'll go again in a few days."

But even if he remained in the Fetal Breath Stage, the next time, the fourth life, would likely be Meng Nan's last time opening the future timeline in the Fetal Breath Stage.

In the previous few times, killing people was not easy, and the basic progress was simple.

Now, with 'Iron Token Essence Blood' combined with the 'Blood Arrow Secret Technique', killing Inner Qi across stages is easy, but Meng Nan is unwilling to kill indiscriminately. This way, confined to the small Yinlian Village in the Fetal Breath Stage, there aren't many people left for him to choose from.

This time, he had to kill four Inner Qi cultivators.

Next time, he would have to kill eight Inner Qi cultivators.

The 'sacrifice' would also become increasingly difficult.

Eight Inner Qi cultivators?

Yinlian Village wouldn't have enough such damned and killable Inner Qi cultivators.

And it wasn't just 'sacrifice'.

The basic progress would also become more difficult to complete--

"This season, the 'Suoluo Seed Tree' only has 114 seeds. Xiaoshuang won't need too many before she breaks through to Inner Qi; ten seeds are enough."

"There are 104 seeds remaining."

"Calculating at 9 points of Inner Breath per seed, it can at most help me cultivate 936 points of Inner Breath rapidly. Opening the second life previously required 100 Inner Breath, opening the third life required 200 Inner Breath, and opening the fourth life this time should require 400 Inner Breath."

"I can last at most until this time, and then the 'Suoluo Seeds' will be depleted. There won't be a new season of 'Suoluo Seeds' for nearly a year after this. After I advance to Inner Qi Stage, what will I use to rapidly increase my Inner Qi in the early stages?"

Thus, the basic progress also became a problem.

'Qi Circulation Powder' could supplement 'Suoluo Seeds', and Meng Nan could refine it, but the raw materials were hard to find.

"It seems I need to have a talk with my senior sister sooner rather than later."

Meng Nan made up his mind: "I'll do my best to hoard 'Qi Circulation Powder', and immediately break through to Inner Qi after the fourth life ends!"