Sudden Change (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

[Lifespan: 25/85]

[Realm: Third Level of Qi Refining]

[Cultivation Technique: Three Yang Technique: Qi Refining Chapter (Third Level): 0%]

When I first transmigrated, the original owner was at 45% progress in the Second Level of Qi Refining. Based on that cultivation speed, Wu Tao estimated that he would break through to the Third Level of Qi Refining a year later, at the age of twenty-six.

More than half a year has passed, shortening the time by half. Wu Tao broke through to the Third Level of Qi Refining realm ahead of schedule.

"Having skills really pays off!"

"Breaking through one level also increased my lifespan by two years."

Wu Tao felt refreshed. From now on, obtaining resources through artifact refining and improving his cultivation would no longer be a difficult task. If he were to follow the original owner's unchanged trajectory, he might only cultivate to the Mid-Stage Qi Refining realm at most in his lifetime.

No, the original owner was afflicted by evil possession. Perhaps the grass on his grave would be three feet high by now.

Walking out of the cultivation room with high spirits, Wu Tao's mind suddenly flashed with a face. He chuckled, "Breaking through a realm is such a momentous occasion, it deserves a celebration."

"Packhorse Street, here I come!"

These past three days were spent busy with the breakthrough, and no one from the patrol squad had come to his door. This indicated that the death of the Gray-Clothed Loose Cultivator was unknown, or perhaps it was known, but the patrol squad was too lazy to waste energy investigating the killer of a mere loose cultivator.

Through this incident, Wu Tao also secretly warned himself that as a fellow loose cultivator, his life was equally insignificant in the eyes of those immortal sects and minor immortal forces.

To avoid meeting the same fate as the Gray-Clothed Loose Cultivator, he had to act and behave even more discreetly.

Of course, acting discreetly didn't mean being afraid. It just meant not actively seeking trouble.

If anyone were to plot against him, Wu Tao wouldn't mind letting them know the might of a Body Cultivator.

Passing by the table, the coffin nail on the surface caught Wu Tao's attention.

"No rush for celebrations. Let's first study this coffin nail and see what's so special about it?"

With that thought, Wu Tao sat on the chair, picked up the coffin nail, and carefully observed it from all angles.

This coffin nail was only six inches long, about the size of two fingers. It was entirely black, without any patterns, and had a layer of rust. It felt extremely heavy in his hand. It should be made of iron or something similar, but he couldn't tell what kind of iron it was.

Furthermore, it wasn't a magic tool. If it were a magic tool, it would definitely possess spiritual charm.

As an Artifact Refiner, Wu Tao knew this.

Of course, he couldn't be absolutely certain.

He was only a Rank 1 Level 3 Artifact Refiner, at the very bottom of the artifact refining pyramid. He hadn't even seen through the scenery at the bottom and still had much to learn.

Wu Tao probed it with spiritual energy but found he couldn't penetrate it. He then tried with his divine sense. This time, he managed to probe into it, but it was clearly just an ordinary coffin nail, unremarkable. He couldn't sense any restrictions within it.

"A common coffin nail, why would that Gray-Clothed Loose Cultivator carry it around?"

Wu Tao was a bit confused.

Suddenly, he thought of a possibility: "Could it be a Demonic Blood-Refining Magic Tool?"

Demonic Artifact Refiners mostly made Demonic Blood-Refining Magic Tools. Refining such tools required blood sacrifice, or sometimes soul sacrifice, which was extremely wicked. For every artifact refined, countless Cultivators met a tragic end.

Such artifacts harmed the natural order but were incredibly terrifying.

This was also why righteous Cultivators were sworn enemies with Devilish Cultivators, wanting them dead.

Suspecting it was a Demonic Blood-Refining Magic Tool, Wu Tao examined it closely. However, the coffin nail didn't look like one at all. It lacked that kind of resentment and Killing Aura.

"Let's try dripping blood on it and see."

An hour later, Wu Tao grabbed a rabbit, cut its ankle, and dripped blood onto the coffin nail.

The blood dripped onto the coffin nail, but nothing happened.

Wu Tao put down the rabbit, planning to stir-fry it with chili for dinner. He reached for the coffin nail, his face full of disappointment. "So I was mistaken. Perhaps that Gray-Clothed Loose Cultivator just had a peculiar hobby."

Just as Wu Tao was about to put the coffin nail down and toss it in a corner, a sudden change occurred.

The rabbit blood on the coffin nail detached and flew out. Then, with lightning speed, the coffin nail shot directly towards Wu Tao's glabella.

"My life is over!"

Wu Tao's pupils dilated. He felt a chill on his glabella, and this thought flashed through his mind.

A sharp pain shot through his glabella. Wu Tao's body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

After an unknown amount of time, Wu Tao slowly woke up. He scrambled to his feet, relieved. "I'm not dead? Where's that coffin nail?"

He touched his glabella, but couldn't feel anything unusual.

He picked up a bronze mirror and looked. A red spot, dried blood, appeared on his glabella.

An absurd thought flashed through his mind: "Could this coffin nail have pierced into my head?" He shook his head vigorously, but felt no abnormality.

Wu Tao's consciousness sank into his Sea of Divine Sense. Indeed, in the center of his mind, the coffin nail floated quietly. Wu Tao tried to use his divine sense to expel it, but found the coffin nail as immovable as a rock.

"My divine sense is still too weak." Wu Tao's face immediately became troubled.

He didn't know if the coffin nail occupying his Sea of Divine Sense was a blessing or a curse. After a period of worry, he realized that fretting was useless. He might as well accept it. If the coffin nail wanted to harm him, it probably would have killed him already.

"Alas, curiosity killed the cat. I must learn from this lesson."

Wu Tao sighed, feeling the need to go to Packhorse Street to clear his head.

Calming his emotions, Wu Tao left his residence and headed directly for Packhorse Street. In a short while, he had arrived.

There was a saying in the West Outer City: "Packhorse Street, Packhorse Street. There are horses and mules on Packhorse Street. If you want a horse, go to Upper Street. If you want a mule, go to Lower Street." Horses were found in fancy establishments like mansions, towers, and pavilions, with prices that were high-end and expensive. Mules, on the other hand, were found in secluded corners at brothels, with simple conditions and naturally low prices.

Wu Tao walked along Upper Street. On both sides, in the multi-story buildings, even though winter had arrived and it was a snowy day, the female cultivators leaning against the railings of the balconies were dressed scantily, their bosoms peeking out.

Seeing cultivators passing by, they would greet them with smiles.

Wu Tao finally entered The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Beauties. A madam, who was past her prime, stepped forward to greet him. "Hey, Fellow Daoist, do you have a reservation to be with which Fairy for spiritual union?"

Wu Tao looked at the blooming beauties in the pavilion. It truly lived up to its name, The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Beauties. They were all cultivators, so they naturally wouldn't be bad. He thought for a moment and said, "I'm here to find Zhang Li."

"Zhang Li, alright. Two Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Someone, take this Fellow Daoist to Zhang Li's place."

Wu Tao, in a daze, took out two Low-Grade Spirit Stones and placed them in the madam's hand. Immediately, someone dressed as a pimp stepped forward to lead the way. They arrived at a room and said, "Fellow Daoist, this is Fairy Zhang's room. You can knock yourself."

Wu Tao felt his heart beating a little faster and hesitated. But thinking that he had already spent spirit stones, he couldn't let them go to waste. So, he gritted his teeth and knocked on the door.

The door opened. Zhang Li saw Wu Tao and was a little surprised. Soon, she said with a hint of melancholy, "Fellow Daoist Li, you said you'd come to see me, but it's been so long. I thought you had forgotten me."

Wu Tao chuckled dryly. "Aren't I here now?"

Not long after, in the room, Wu Tao was using his index finger to probe. He said, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, you said you went to New Virtue Alley?"

Zhang Li watched Wu Tao's hand moving non-stop. She frowned slightly, suppressing her pleasure, and said intermittently, "Yes, two... two months ago. I wanted to... find you, but when I knocked... on the door, I realized you had already... moved. By the way, why did you move... away?"

Wu Tao used his index finger to probe. "After you moved, a Gambling Dog moved in next door. I was afraid he would pester me, so I decided to move out."

Zhang Li felt it was enough. "Then you should move... out... Come in!"

Two quarters of an hour later, Wu Tao's face showed regret. He looked at Zhang Li apologetically and said, "This... I got too excited, and there wasn't enough time."

Zhang Li smiled and said, "It's okay, I'll use my spiritual energy to force it out."

Wu Tao was stunned and felt as if he had witnessed a miracle.