Low-grade Magical Artifact

Withdrawing his focus from the Proficiency Panel, Su Yu looked at the empty Jade Bottle and could not help shaking his head. "Without Monster Beast Essence Blood, this plummeting cultivation speed really makes one uncomfortable."

Fortunately, he had finally broken through smoothly.

To break through to the Body Refining Technique Fourth Layer, Su Yu had exhausted all his resources over the past two months. The Monster Beast Essence Blood from his previous hunts had run out some time ago.

After receiving his monthly allowance, he bought some mid-stage First Order Monster Beast Essence Blood.

Only after spending all his spirit stones had he barely managed to break through to the fourth layer of Crocodile Demon's 108 Forms Body Refining Technique.

However—

Su Yu sensed the changes in his body, as well as the surging, violent strength hidden deep within it.

Those resources had been well worth the investment.

After the aura of blood and vitality around him had completely withdrawn, Su Yu stepped outside. He looked at the pitch-black night and the Medicine Fields, where only the chirping of insects remained.

"I can try hunting Earth Rock Rats now," Su Yu pondered inwardly.

Waiting for those people to settle down had truly not been easy.

If he did not earn some money soon, he would not even be able to afford his cultivation expenses going forward.

Returning indoors, Su Yu began grinding Beast Luring Powder. The materials he had bought earlier had been well preserved, so there was no problem using them now.

After grinding five portions of Beast Luring Powder, Su Yu left the house and quietly made his way to a remote Medicine Field. He mixed it with Spirit Rice and set five traps before leaving.

More than two hours later, Su Yu returned to inspect them.

The sight filled him with joy. Three of the five traps had caught unconscious Earth Rock Rats, including one large mid-stage First Order rat demon.

"Counting the bounty materials, that's at least sixty Low-grade Spirit Stones in hand." Delighted, Su Yu stepped forward, gripped the large rat demon's head in one hand, and viciously twisted.

Crack!

Its head spun a full three hundred and sixty degrees. Its eyeballs bulged from their sockets, and its skull was nearly torn off.

If there was any difference between twisting the head off a mid-stage First Order Monster Beast after breaking through to the fourth layer of the Body Refining Technique and doing so at the third layer, Su Yu felt that it was simply much easier.

Before, he had needed to unleash his physical strength to accomplish it. Now, with a casual motion, he could easily twist the head off a mid-stage First Order Monster Beast.

"Time to go back." After destroying the remaining two portions of Spirit Rice mixed with Beast Luring Powder, Su Yu quietly returned with the three Earth Rock Rats.

Early the next morning.

While everyone else had only just risen, Su Yu had already arrived before the Medicine Tower in the estate, carrying a sack as he entered.

Inside, a white-haired old man was frowning over the account books. When he saw Su Yu enter, his brows relaxed.

"Is something the matter?" the old man asked gently.

The moment Su Yu saw him, he stepped forward and respectfully bowed. "Third Elder, I've come to exchange a bounty."

As he spoke, he handed over the sack.

The old man was Su Chang, the Su Family's Third Elder. He was responsible for guarding the Medicine Garden, as well as overseeing the cultivation and operation of its spirit herbs.

This Medicine Tower was the heart of the Medicine Garden.

Seeing one mid-stage First Order and two Early Rank 1 Earth Rock Rats in the sack, Su Chang was slightly surprised. He looked at Su Yu. "You hunted these?"

Su Yu quickly said, "I hunted them together with several senior brothers. I'm just one of those here to collect the reward."

Su Chang still praised him. "Not bad. Being able to hunt a mid-stage First Order Earth Rock Rat means you've eliminated a great menace for the Medicine Garden."

This Earth Rock Rat demon pack was quite numerous, but most were merely Early Rank 1 Monster Beasts. Mid-stage First Order Earth Rock Rats were not often seen.

There had yet to be any sign of a Late Rank 1 Earth Rock Rat.

After praising him, Su Chang took out the bounty reward and the Low-grade Spirit Stones for the materials from the three Monster Beasts. Because that mid-stage First Order Earth Rock Rat had no essence blood to harvest, the total, including the bounty, came to only forty-two Low-grade Spirit Stones.

The bounty alone accounted for thirty Low-grade Spirit Stones.

Early Rank 1 Monster Beast materials were not worth much.

After collecting the spirit stones, Su Yu respectfully took his leave and departed from the Medicine Tower.

One week later.

At night, Su Yu ground another five portions of Beast Luring Powder. This time, he hunted two Early Rank 1 Earth Rock Rats.

The next day, he chose a time when Third Elder was not in the Medicine Tower, went to exchange them for the bounty, and sold the materials.

This time, he obtained fourteen Low-grade Spirit Stones.

Half a month later, he hunted for the third time.

This time, Su Yu hunted a full four Early Rank 1 Earth Rock Rats.

The following day, he exchanged them for twenty-eight Low-grade Spirit Stones.

Using the spirit stones he had saved, he also exchanged for a magical artifact suited to him at the Medicine Tower: the Crimson Luo Blade.

It was a Low-grade Magical Artifact forged from the special mineral Crimson Luo Stone. About two feet and two inches long, it resembled a short saber with a slightly curved blade and an edge on only one side.

It had only two strengths: sharpness and armor-piercing.

Its price of sixty Low-grade Spirit Stones was not expensive.

After obtaining the magical artifact, Su Yu still had twenty-four Low-grade Spirit Stones left.

For the time being, Su Yu no longer intended to hunt Earth Rock Rats so frequently. At most, he would hunt once every half month, or once a month.

Within the Medicine Tower, Third Elder Su Chang looked at the bounty records in slight surprise. In a little over half a month, that junior named Su Yu had actually hunted a full nine Earth Rock Rats.

That number was somewhat unusual.

Then he saw that not long ago, Su Yu had spent sixty Low-grade Spirit Stones to exchange for the Low-grade Magical Artifact Crimson Luo Blade.

"Good lad. He said earlier that he had hunted the Earth Rock Rats with several senior brothers." Su Chang laughed soundlessly. "Yet he turned around and bought a Low-grade Magical Artifact himself?"

If he had not personally examined the account book records, he would never have noticed.

"Could this boy have some trick for hunting Earth Rock Rats?" Su Chang found it rather interesting and took notice of Su Yu.

After all, Su Yu was only seventeen years old, and the records listed his cultivation as Qi Refining Stage Two.

Yet he could hunt mid-stage First Order Earth Rock Rats. That was highly abnormal.

However, Su Chang merely paid Su Yu a little attention. He did not go to great lengths to investigate Su Yu's secrets because of it. There was no need.

Returning to his own room.

Su Yu refined the Low-grade Magical Artifact Crimson Luo Blade and stored it in his dantian, nurturing it with mana.

This magical artifact was not meant for long-range use. He had bought it for close combat, to make full use of the advantages of his Body Refining Technique.

After all, compared to his mere Qi Refining Stage Two mana, the fourth layer of his Body Refining Technique was his greatest strength at present.

"Next, I'll focus on cultivating the Wutong Greenwood Art." Looking at the Crimson Luo Blade within his dantian, Su Yu quietly let out a breath.

With the fourth layer of the Body Refining Technique and a Low-grade Magical Artifact at his side, his safety had at least gained a little protection.

He was no longer a novice immortal cultivator to be slaughtered at anyone's whim.

Nurturing his magical artifact, cultivating mana, then using mid-stage First Order Monster Beast Essence Blood to cultivate the Body Refining Technique.

Su Yu's life in the Medicine Garden was very regular: nine to five every day. Watching his technique proficiencies steadily rise each day filled him with a sense of satisfaction.

However, after the Body Refining Technique reached the fourth layer, mid-stage First Order Monster Beast Essence Blood no longer had much effect on it.

The growth rate of his Body Refining Technique proficiency became as slow as the mana of the Wutong Greenwood Art.

This peaceful life suddenly changed more than half a year later.

Su Yu had just asked the Medicine Tower's Third Elder for leave, intending to return home to Jiang City for a visit. But before he could leave the Medicine Garden, bad news arrived.

Su Qingyi and several immortal cultivators from the Medicine Garden had taken leave to go out, only to encounter an ambush by the Lin Family. Su Qingyi alone escaped back to Jiang City, but he had suffered severe injuries.

The others had all been ambushed and killed by the Lin Family.

For a time, the immortal cultivators of Jiang City's two great cultivation families stood with swords drawn and bows bent, their relationship becoming exceptionally tense.