Leaving

With enough Spirit Stones gathered, Zhou Er eagerly went to Wanbao Pavilion and purchased the Purple Cloud Furnace.

The Purple Cloud Furnace was about three feet tall with a two-foot diameter opening, standing steadily on three legs. Its form was ancient and exquisite, yet it contained restrained spiritual energy.

Since Zhou Er didn't have a Storage Bag, he could only carry the Purple Cloud Furnace in his arms.

This scene was noticed by others, who all turned to look. After all, most of them were Outer Sect Disciples and Servant Disciples, and they rarely saw such a precious item.

Zhou Er ran back to his Courtyard and immediately equipped the Purple Cloud Furnace into an Equipment Slot.

[Name: Zhou Er]
[Cultivation: Qi Refining Fourth Layer (64.92%)]
[Equipment Slot (3/3): Purple Cloud Furnace, Spirit Gathering Pill, Bigu Pill.]
[Unsolidified Attributes: Refining (White), Spirit Gathering (White), Taotie (White).]
[Solidified Attributes: Rune Mastery (Tier 1), Self-Healing (White), High-speed Reaction, Wondrous Brush (White), Fire Attribute Amplification (White), Spirit Qi Purification (White), Qi Induction, Strength Increase (White).]

Zhou Er looked at the Purple Cloud Furnace equipped on his character with satisfaction. He then pondered where he could obtain a hundred types of herbs.

"Lin Shiyu's family grows over ten kinds of medicinal herbs. I can go and try my luck there."

Zhou Er thought about it. When Lin Shiyu finished her work, he went to her home.

"Shiyu, I bought a Purple Cloud Furnace. If you want to borrow it, you can come find me directly."

Zhou Er first mentioned the Purple Cloud Furnace.

"Senior Brother, you asked me to borrow Spirit Stones because you wanted to buy a Purple Cloud Furnace?"

Lin Shiyu immediately realized why Zhou Er had been so anxious to borrow Spirit Stones from her earlier. So, it was for her. In Lin Shiyu's opinion, Zhou Er himself had no use for an Alchemy Furnace, so buying this could only be for her.

Seeing this, Lin Shiyu tearfully embraced Zhou Er. This caused Zhou Er's words to halt mid-sentence. With a beauty in his arms, he was momentarily at a loss. Feeling the faint scent of Lin Shiyu's body, Zhou Er also felt a stir of emotion. This body was, after all, only that of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old Youth, full of vigor. They were currently in Lin Shiyu's room, undisturbed, and both were fond of each other.

A lone man and a lone woman, dry wood meeting fierce fire.

No need to say more, what should have happened, happened.

Originally, Zhou Er wanted to come and get free spirit herbs, but instead, he got himself stuck here.

But it's fine too, releasing suppressed desires is better than holding them in.

Moreover, Yin-Yang Harmony is, in itself, the Great Dao.

"Shiyu, you shouldn't go to work today. I'll ask for leave for you."

The next day, before dawn, Zhou Er said while holding Lin Shiyu.

"It's fine, Senior Brother. I'm already at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. These things are nothing."

Lin Shiyu didn't care about the slight pain. Instead, she didn't want to offend Elder He.

After all, she still had to learn alchemy knowledge from Elder He.

After a conversation with Lin Shiyu, seeing her insistence, Zhou Er had no choice but to send her to Elder He's Cave Mansion.

"Junior Sister, I need to take some of the spirit herbs in your yard."

Before parting, Zhou Er said.

"It's fine, Senior Brother. Take them! What's mine is yours."

Lin Shiyu stood on her tiptoes and whispered into Zhou Er's ear.

Zhou Er smiled slightly upon hearing this.

Returning to Lin Shiyu's room, Zhou Er began to touch and move the medicinal materials in the yard.

Zhou Er grabbed one of each type, and after consuming it, seeing the progress bar increase, he moved on to pluck another medicinal material.

[Refining (White): Own digestive ability increased by 50%.]

[Solidification Condition: Taste a hundred herbs, refine one hundred medicinal materials. (17/100)]

After eating all the medicinal materials planted by Lin Shiyu, the solidification progress of the Refining attribute increased by 17 points.

Fortunately, the requirement for "Taste a hundred herbs" only referred to medicinal materials, not spirit herbs. Otherwise, Zhou Er wouldn't have been able to gather enough in a short period.

Now, for the remaining medicinal materials, he only needed to go to the sect's Spirit Herb Garden and eat some ordinary herbs to increase his solidification progress.

Thus, after tidying up Lin Shiyu's courtyard, Zhou Er went to the Spirit Herb Garden.

The Spirit Herb Garden not only grew spirit herbs but also various ordinary medicinal materials. These materials were auxiliary herbs and their prices were not very high.

Zhou Er only needed to eat one stalk, or even just one bite, to increase his solidification progress. He didn't spend much Spirit Stone, only using a few Godspeed Talismans to bribe the Servant Disciples here.

Since the auxiliary herbs were planted in large quantities and grew quickly, Zhou Er only took a little, which was insignificant.

For any pill, there were more than ten types of auxiliary ingredients. Zhou Er easily ate enough of the remaining 83 types of medicinal materials to solidify the Refined Attributes.

Afterward, he hurried back to his room and placed the Purple Cloud Furnace inside.

He didn't need this furnace for the time being. Later, he would leave it for Lin Shiyu to try her hand at alchemy.

Then, Zhou Er didn't waste any time and continued to make talismans to earn Spirit Stones.

He was deeply in debt now and had to work hard.

However, this debt was very worthwhile as it could accelerate his cultivation.

When Lin Shiyu was almost back, Zhou Er had her come to his room and show her the Purple Cloud Furnace.

"Senior Brother, I will definitely repay you in the future."

Lin Shiyu was very moved.

"It's not too late now!"

Zhou Er teased.

However, Zhou Er did not indulge himself; his daily cultivation did not fall behind.

To avoid disturbing his cultivation, he did not live with Lin Shiyu. They still lived in their respective rooms.

Of course, the relationship between them had undergone a fundamental change.

Although it wasn't officially announced, all their friends knew about it.

Lin Shiyu had not reached Foundation Establishment and did not possess Foundation Establishment Spirit Fire, so she could only use mortal fire for alchemy.

Fortunately, the Bigu Pill was a pill of no rank, so it didn't have such high requirements. Although the fire of a Qi Refining Cultivator was not as powerful as Foundation Establishment Spirit Fire, it was barely enough to refine the essence of some grains.

As for the raw materials for refining the Bigu Pill, one Spirit Fragment could allow the Servant Disciples to transport thousands of pounds from the surrounding villages, which was enough for Lin Shiyu to refine for a long time.

Lin Shiyu was busy refining the Bigu Pill but failed several times.

The only time she was close to success, before she could even refine the grains, it turned into a large lump of rice balls, unable to meet the requirements for the Bigu Pill.

However, with the alchemy furnace, she could practice anytime, and her progress was very rapid.

Zhou Er was counting on Lin Shiyu to be able to refine the Bigu Pill as soon as possible so that he wouldn't have to spend Spirit Stones to buy it anymore.

Time flies when cultivating.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed. Zhou Er was only one step away from Qi Refining Fifth Layer, with his progress nearing one hundred percent.

Qi Refining Fifth Layer marked the beginning of the Qi Refining Mid-stage.

There was a small bottleneck between the Qi Refining Early-stage and the Qi Refining Mid-stage.

Those with outstanding talent would be stuck for ten days to half a month, while those with inferior aptitude would be stuck for a long time, even half a year.

Zhou Er had previously obtained the Spirit Qi Purification attribute. His spirit qi purity was extremely high, and he had a premonition that he would be able to break through this barrier with great ease.

However, it was still the breakthrough of a small bottleneck. To be safe, Zhou Er spent three Low-grade Spirit Stones to rent a Seclusion Chamber. He went into seclusion for a few days in the Seclusion Chamber to avoid being disturbed.

On the first day of cultivating in the Seclusion Chamber, Zhou Er felt the bottleneck loosen and easily broke through, reaching the Qi Refining Mid-stage.

Then, Zhou Er returned the remaining two days' rent and left the Seclusion Chamber.

Although the spirit qi concentration in the Seclusion Chamber was indeed much better than in the Outer Sect, there was no need to waste spirit stones for this slight increase in spirit qi concentration.

He was still in debt, so he had to save every bit he could.

Lin Shiyu did not ask Zhou Er to repay the spirit stones. After all, she had also enjoyed the convenience of the Purple Cloud Furnace, and she now felt like family with Zhou Er, so she naturally wouldn't bear to ask him for spirit stones.

Fu Qiu could recover some spirit stones every month and was not in a hurry for Zhou Er to repay them quickly.

It was just that the other Talisman Masters who had lent Zhou Er spirit stones would occasionally come to urge him to pay his debts.

Fortunately, Zhou Er could now produce fifteen to sixteen First-grade Talismans a day, earning two Low-grade Spirit Stones. His income had also increased, making the pressure to repay his debts even smaller.

In the blink of an eye, half a year passed. Zhou Er successfully paid off his debts and his cultivation broke through to Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

Not only that, but Zhou Er also successfully solidified the Bone Strengthening and Spirit Gathering attributes.

[Name: Zhou Er]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Seventh Layer (13.71%)]

[Equipment Slot (2/3): Low-grade Spirit Stone, Bigu Pill.]

[Unsolidified Attributes: Mana Abundance (White).]

[Solidified Attributes: Bone Strengthening, Refining (White), Spirit Gathering (White), Rune Mastery (First-grade), Self-Healing (White), High-speed Reaction, Wondrous Brush (White), Fire Attribute Amplification (White), Spirit Qi Purification (White), Qi Induction, Strength Increase (White).]

The Mana Abundance attribute would likely break through after reaching Qi Refining Eighth Layer.

Now, his strength could be considered upper-middle among the Outer Sect disciples.

His Dao Companion, Lin Shiyu, had also greatly improved her alchemy skills. At least she could now achieve a fifty percent success rate for Bigu Pills, refining one thousand catties of grain into about fifty Bigu Pills.

This level was already profitable, but her income was still too low, so she still worked part-time as a Fire Control Attendant.

The only regret was that she couldn't get her hands on any pill recipes, which meant she couldn't try to refine other pills.

She could only accumulate them slowly in the future.

Zhou Er didn't have time to bother with her; he was worried about something else now.

His cultivation had advanced too quickly, making him a little nervous.

Breaking through from a mere mortal to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer in just over a year was truly terrifyingly fast.

It was even faster than some Inner Sect disciples, and it was too attention-grabbing. Therefore, Zhou Er desperately needed an attribute that could conceal his cultivation, or a cultivation technique would also suffice.

Within the Xiayun Sect, he hadn't seen any similar attributes, whether it was because his level was too low or for some other reason.

There were too many old monsters in the sect. If his secrets were ever discovered, he would surely be dissected.

After some thought, Zhou Er decided to leave the Xiayun Sect for a while.

Coincidentally, the attribute Void Breaking, which was equipped with the Storage Bag, required hunting one hundred first-tier demonic beasts to be solidified.

He could take this time to go out and hunt demonic beasts, and while he was out, he could look for suitable attributes.

In short, he needed to stay away from the seniors in the sect to avoid them discovering his secret and searching his soul.

Among them, Zhou Er feared being discovered by Master Jide the most.

Master Jide knew his background. He was originally a mortal with no spiritual roots. Reaching the Qi Refining Seventh Layer within a year and a half was not something that could be easily explained.

Therefore, Zhou Er had to slip away as soon as possible.

Before leaving, Zhou Er bought a Storage Bag and prepared several stacks of various talismans for emergencies.

His only regret was that he didn't have enough Spirit Stones to buy a magical artifact for self-defense.

However, he was afraid it would be too late if he didn't leave soon, so he had to slip away early. Anyway, he had a lot of talismans.

If he really encountered a fight, with a sky full of Fireball Techniques flying around, it might not be less powerful than a magical artifact.

Before leaving, Zhou Er said goodbye to a few of his friends in the sect, and finally said to Lin Shiyu:

"Shiyu, I have something to attend to and need to leave the sect for a while. I won't be able to return anytime soon. Cultivate well in the sect and focus on alchemy. If you encounter any difficulties, you can seek help from Senior Brother Zhu Shunyang."

"Senior Brother! Why are you leaving so suddenly?"

Lin Shiyu was both confused and reluctant.

"It's hard to explain in a few words. In short, I'll leave the Purple Cloud Furnace to you. I hope it can help you."

Zhou Er couldn't explain, but he felt a sense of crisis.

In the sect, there are too many eyes and ears, it's not as comfortable as being alone.

If he found a better place outside this time, he might not come back.

Although Master Jide was the benefactor who led him to cultivate, this person knew too much. Once he got a little stronger, staying in the Xiayun Sect would be inconvenient in many ways, and it would be better to be a rogue cultivator.

Lin Shiyu had been with Zhou Er for so long, and she knew that Zhou Er seemed to be wary of something these days.

It seemed that Zhou Er would not return after leaving, and she felt a little sad, but she couldn't keep Zhou Er.

"Shiyu, don't worry, I won't abandon you. I just have something to do for now. Wait for me for a while, and I will definitely come back."

Zhou Er saw that Lin Shiyu was a little sad and immediately comforted her.

"Senior Brother, can you take me with you? I won't be a burden to you."

Lin Shiyu said.

"Shiyu, you worry too much. I'm not running for my life, what burden or not?"

Zhou Er waved his hand and said:

"I'll be back soon."

Zhou Er naturally couldn't explain more to Lin Shiyu, so he could only leave first.

Although the parting was a bit unpleasant, Lin Shiyu still accepted the fact that Zhou Er was leaving. She saw Zhou Er off and secretly vowed in her heart that she must refine pills well and make Zhou Er look at her with new eyes the next time they met.

Leaving the sect, Zhou Er didn't know where to go, but he decided to go home first.

When Master Jide brought him to the Xiayun Sect in the past, Zhou Er remembered the direction. He activated the Godly Travel Technique and hurried back.

However, his home was tens of thousands of miles away from the Xiayun Sect. Even with the Godly Travel Technique, it was not something that could be reached in a day or two.

Zhou Er traveled during the day, covering more than a thousand miles, and was almost away from the Xiayun Sect.

As evening approached, he found a village nearby.

The presence of a village meant that the vicinity was relatively safe. Zhou Er did not disturb the villagers, but casually found a large tree and sat down cross-legged under it.

Then, he released Xiao Cang, who was hidden on his body, and whispered:

"Xiao Cang, help me keep watch."

After that, Zhou Er leaned against the big tree, closed his eyes, and rested.

More than an hour later, Zhou Er was bitten by Xiao Cang and woke up immediately, holding four Fireball Talismans in his hand, ready to release them at any time.

He looked around. It was pitch black, with only the faint moonlight shining.

"Xiao Cang! Don't wake me up if there's no enemy," Zhou Er said, somewhat annoyed.

Although he had trained Xiao Cang for a long time, Xiao Cang was only a first-tier low-grade Demonic Beast, equivalent to a Cultivator in the Qi Refining Early-stage, with limited intelligence.

Xiao Cang nestled in Zhou Er's clothes, trembling.

Just as Zhou Er was about to pull it out and teach it a lesson, he saw it trembling as if in fear of something, and immediately realized there really was something around.