Restriction Completed

In the days that followed,

Wu Tao cultivated the Sanyang Technique in the mornings and practiced inscribing restrictions in the afternoons.

Of course, whenever he returned from dumping the night soil in the early morning, he would see his female neighbor smiling as she saw off one of her guests.

Then she would take the initiative to pull him into conversation.

Though Wu Tao disliked it, out of basic courtesy—mainly because he feared the female neighbor might fly into a rage from embarrassment and have one of her lovers beat him up—he could only stop and listen to her polite nonsense about how sorry she was.

At such times, Wu Tao would secretly curse, You little slut. You say you're sorry during the day, yet scream louder and louder at night.

She truly was one of a kind.

Oh, right. After those brief chats over the past few days, they had exchanged names.

Zhang Li had introduced herself first. Forced by courtesy, Wu Tao had also revealed his name.

Zhang Li had once worked at the Spring Beauty Pavilion on Packhorse Street. After offending a guest, she had been swept out of the pavilion. To make a living, she had no choice but to start doing business from her residence.

Whenever she spoke of this, Zhang Li would sigh over her faded glory. The guests at Spring Beauty Pavilion had been lavish spenders, while the guests here were miserly to the bone. Some were even shameless enough to use spells to control themselves, just to hold out a little longer and make her look at them more highly.

"Fellow daoist Li Mo, wait a moment!" Seeing Wu Tao turn to enter his room, Zhang Li hurriedly called out to him.

For the sake of caution, even though he was not on Azure Spirit Sect territory, and even though there was only the faintest possibility of attracting Manager Wang's attention, Wu Tao still used a false name—Li Mo.

Wu Tao turned around and looked at Zhang Li in confusion. "Fellow Daoist Zhang, is there anything else?"

He truly did not want to hear Zhang Li recount her glorious past again. She made it sound vivid and lifelike, even spreading out all the details. It left Wu Tao's heart racing like a monkey and his mind galloping like a horse, tormenting him beyond endurance. Whenever that happened, he would find an excuse to return to his room because he had work to do.

Zhang Li turned and went back inside. She emerged shortly afterward carrying a long oil-paper parcel, which she handed over. "Here, this is for you."

Wu Tao looked at Zhang Li and thought, Have we really talked ourselves into feelings? That won't do. He quickly shook his head and refused. "Fellow Daoist, I cannot accept a reward without merit."

Zhang Li gave a carefree smile. "There's Calm Spirit Incense inside. It isn't worth much. Consider it an apology gift for disturbing you these past days. Light it at night—it will help you sleep. I hope you'll continue to bear with me in the days ahead."

"This..." Calm Spirit Incense was neither cheap nor expensive, yet it was also both cheap and expensive. One fragmented spirit stone could buy a single stick. Wu Tao still did not want to accept it. More than anything, he did not want to become entangled with Zhang Li.

Even if he truly wanted to in the future, he would pay. Business was business; he absolutely would not mix emotions into it.

Seeing his hesitation, Zhang Li stepped forward, directly took Wu Tao's hand, and placed the oil-paper parcel in his palm. Then, smiling sweetly, she lightly scratched his palm.

Wu Tao only felt a fragrant breeze wash over him, followed by an itch in his palm. Left with no choice, he accepted the Calm Spirit Incense and quickly retreated several steps. "All right. Thank you for your kindness, Fellow Daoist Zhang. I'll accept it!"

Zhang Li covered her mouth. Her Soul-Captivating Eyes seemed ready to spill with water as her gaze rippled and fixed upon Wu Tao. Smiling, she said, "Fellow Daoist Li, why has your face turned so red?"

Damn it, was she teasing me? Wu Tao could feel his face growing hot, but how could he admit it? He quickly said, "I have matters to attend to, so I'll excuse myself first." With that, he turned, returned to his room, and shut the door.

Knock knock knock!

Zhang Li found it amusing. Pressing her advantage without mercy, she knocked on the door and said, "Fellow Daoist Li, won't you invite me in to sit for a while?"

"Stop knocking. I'm going back to sleep."

Those words struck right at Zhang Li's heart. She smiled. "Just so happens I'm going back to sleep too. How about I join Fellow Daoist Li?"

"Men and women should not touch hands when giving or receiving things. Fellow Daoist Zhang, please conduct yourself with dignity. Do not lead yourself astray. Leave at once." Wu Tao was already beginning to regret being forced to accept Zhang Li's Calm Spirit Incense.

"Fellow Daoist Li isn't still a virgin, is he? No way? No way?"

Lady Bai's mocking voice rang out from outside the door. Hearing it, Wu Tao flew into a furious rage, his face flushing crimson. He wished he could rush outside and have a great fight right then, showing her how formidable he was. But he calmed down in an instant and remained silent. He would not fall for it.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Li, I'm going to sleep."

Footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by the sound of a door closing. Wu Tao sat in his chair, his emotions gradually settling. He muttered bitterly, "Truly one of a kind."

He opened the oil-paper parcel and saw ten sticks of Calm Spirit Incense resting quietly inside. He did not wish to say much about Zhang Li. He only found her complicated.

"Forget it. Once I remove the evil qi from my body, I'll work hard to earn spirit stones and move somewhere better."

Wu Tao cast aside his distractions and began cultivating the Sanyang Technique.

In the blink of an eye, he had already lived in New Virtue Alley for ten days. With the Calm Spirit Incense and the cotton earplugs he had made himself, he could finally sleep a little better at night.

On the fifth day, while practicing inscription, he triggered the Lucky Bonus three more times. At last, he successfully inscribed the Cooling Restriction.

At that point, he still had nine Formation Practice Boards remaining. He did not rush to refine a magic robe, because a magic robe whose main function was a First-Order Level 1 Cooling Restriction had no selling point. As a rogue cultivator, he understood perfectly well: people would rather be a little hot. Why buy something like that?

Thus, he prepared to practice inscribing the Wind-Speed Restriction.

The Wind-Speed Restriction was a First-Rank Level 2 restriction, far more difficult than the First-Order Level 1 Cooling Restriction.

It was correspondingly less easy to comprehend.

Its inscription practice also progressed much more slowly than the Cooling Restriction.

Wu Tao estimated that these nine Formation Practice Boards would not be enough for him to inscribe the Wind-Speed Restriction. Fortunately, he still had one spirit stone on him, enough to buy another twenty Formation Practice Boards.

There was another problem. As time passed, the Yin Evil Qi inside his body spread further. He needed to use more Spiritual Power and mental energy to resist it. He could only practice restriction inscription once a day, and that was becoming increasingly unsustainable.

It was also because of the evil possession that, despite cultivating the Sanyang Technique every day, he not only made no progress but actually regressed.

After meditating and cultivating for two shichen, Wu Tao stopped his cultivation and cooked a meal. Filling his stomach came first.

Only after his afternoon rest did he begin practicing the Wind-Speed Restriction.

The First-Rank Level 2 Wind-Speed Restriction was more complex than the First-Order Level 1 Cooling Restriction and consumed more Spiritual Power and mental energy. He had to be even more cautious when inscribing it, moving slowly.

A quarter of an hour later, his Spiritual Power suddenly became unstable. The supply of Spiritual Power was interrupted, the Restriction Rune snapped, and white smoke immediately rose from the Spirit Board, declaring it ruined.

"I've inscribed three-tenths of the Wind-Speed Restriction. I hope the Lucky Bonus triggers a few more times. There are only three Formation Practice Boards left. After resting a little, I need to go to the Marketplace and buy more."

Wu Tao set down the ruined Spirit Board, forcefully pressing his swollen forehead. He rose and paced around the small room, loosening up his limbs.

After resting for a while, Wu Tao got up and headed to the Marketplace.

Upon arriving in West Outer City, it was his first time entering the Marketplace. Though it was called a marketplace, it was really much like a rural fair from his previous life, nowhere near as bustling as a shopping mall in a major city.

He walked down the street, passing shop after shop.

"Yuanyou Talisman Pavilion." Wu Tao looked up at the Vermilion Gold-Plated Plaque. After pondering for a moment, he stepped inside.

Cultivators were already selecting talismans within the pavilion. Wu Tao examined them one by one until he stopped before an Evil-Breaking Talisman and saw the clearly marked price: Twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

A one-time talisman for Twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones was extremely expensive to Wu Tao. If he kept mining, he would need to go without food or drink for nine months to save that much.

No wonder everyone in the Cultivation World wanted to walk the path of the Four Arts of Cultivation.

Wu Tao gave it one reluctant glance, then left Yuanyou Talisman Pavilion before the shop assistant could come over to speak with him.

At dusk, Wu Tao returned to his small room carrying twenty Formation Practice Boards. From then on, he did not have a single spirit stone left on him.

He only had fewer than ten fragmented spirit stones remaining.

Poor enough to jingle!

After Wu Tao bought the Formation Practice Boards from the Marketplace, he returned to his former regular routine. The days passed one after another without him noticing.

In the blink of an eye, another fourteen days had passed.

Wu Tao sat cross-legged on his bed and took a deep breath. Then he cast aside the distractions in his heart, adjusted his condition, and began circulating his Spiritual Power, steadily placing it onto the Spirit Board.

By this point, Wu Tao's Spiritual Energy Control had become exceptionally precise. Spiritual Power moved with his thoughts, gradually forming line after line on the Spirit Board. The lines intertwined, and mysterious runes slowly emerged.

Just as he was about to finish, Wu Tao suddenly thought, Oh no.

His Spiritual Power had become slightly unstable.

It was going to fail.

At that moment, a mechanical voice sounded beside his ear.

[You have triggered the Artifact Refiner's Lucky Skill, Lucky Bonus: 50%]

The unstable Spiritual Power immediately steadied. Wu Tao hurriedly gathered his focus and concentrated on the Spirit Board.

"Phew!"

With the final stroke complete, Wu Tao let out a long breath of stale air. Joy appeared on his face as he looked at the Spirit Board in his hand. A complete Wind-Speed Restriction had been finished, faint Spiritual Power swirling around it.

"Luckily, the Lucky Bonus triggered at that moment. Otherwise, it would have failed."

"After twenty-four days, I finally successfully inscribed the First-Rank Level 2 Wind-Speed Restriction."

"Next, I need to make sufficient preparations and truly enter actual practice—refining magic robes."

Thinking of this, Wu Tao opened the Personal Profile he had not checked in a long time.

[Name: Wu Tao]

[Lifespan: 25/25 (2 months 6 days remaining)]

[Realm: Second Level of Qi Refining]

[Cultivation Technique: Three Yang Technique: Qi Refining Chapter (second layer): 55%]

[Spells: Fireball Technique: Beginner (60%), Cleaning Spell: Beginner (16%)]

[Divine Ability: None]

[Primary Profession: Artifact Refiner]: Restriction Mastery: First-Order Level 1 Cooling Restriction, First-Rank Level 2 Wind-Speed Restriction.

[Secondary Profession: Body Cultivator]: Blank