"I'll take them all!"
Li Qingshan nodded, then pointed to several dark, unidentifiable scraps of ore in the corner. "What about these scraps? I'll take them home to weigh down my pickle jar."
The old shopkeeper laughed. "Hahaha, weigh down your pickle jar? All right, all right. One Spirit Stone, and they're all yours!"
Li Qingshan paid without hesitation, then pocketed the bronze shield, the stack of discarded talismans, several offensive and defensive spirit talismans, and a few scraps of ore.
His appearance as a man who only picked up bargains and bought junk didn't attract the slightest attention.
Back at the stone house, he shut the door tight.
Li Qingshan took out everything he'd obtained that day, his eyes burning with anticipation.
Carefully, he put the damaged bronze shield, the stack of inferior talismans, and some seemingly useless low-grade materials and broken jade slips he'd accumulated earlier into the Wish-Fulfilling Gourd in batches.
As he gazed at the gourd resting quietly on the table, his eyes brimmed with expectation.
"Tomorrow, I'll know the results."
He sat cross-legged, suppressing his excitement as he began his daily cultivation and waited for dawn.
The next day, the moment the eastern sky began to pale, Li Qingshan abruptly opened his eyes and ended his cultivation.
He hadn't slept deeply all night. Most of his thoughts had been fixed on the unassuming Yellow-Skin Gourd on the table.
Now, he drew a deep breath to steady his slightly quickened heartbeat. Like an appraiser about to unveil an unparalleled treasure, he reached out solemnly, unable to hide his anticipation.
His fingertips touched the gourd's smooth, warm surface. With great care, he pulled out the stopper.
There was no earth-shattering spectacle, but a mixture of spiritual energies—complex yet exceptionally pure and majestic—burst forth like a fine wine that had been sealed away for years, instantly filling the cramped stone house!
The scents of medicine, metal and stone, fresh grass and trees, along with some indescribable trace of the Dao's laws... All these auras intertwined. A single breath lifted the spirits and seemed to set his mana stirring.
Li Qingshan held his breath, tipped the gourd upside down, and stirred his divine sense.
"Clatter-clatter—"
A series of items fell onto the soft cotton cloth he'd prepared, making crisp and muffled sounds. Their spirit light instantly illuminated the dim stone room in a riot of colors!
The first thing to catch his eye was the small bronze shield, once covered in rust.
Now, it had been completely transformed!
Its surface had turned a deep, dark gold. It was simple and weighty, smooth as a mirror, and the damaged areas had been fully restored—better than before, even.
Intricate, profound defensive runes flowed naturally across its surface, revealing the faint outline of a dragon turtle. It radiated an aura of indestructible, mountain-steady might!
It felt heavy in his hand, and a sense of connection with it welled up in him.
"A top-grade defensive magic artifact! No, this aura... It's almost at the threshold of a spirit artifact!"
Li Qingshan's heart pounded. He couldn't bear to stop stroking the shield, savoring its astonishing defensive power.
With this shield, surely no one in the Qi Refining stage could easily break through his defenses!
Next came the stack of crude, inferior talismans.
Their paper had become as tough as jade foil, and the cinnabar runes on them glistened as if spiritual liquid flowed within. They held terrifying yet stable energy.
The auxiliary talismans, like the Water-Cleaning Talismans and Dust-Driving Talismans, brimmed with spiritual energy, but what truly stood out were the few offensive Fireball Talismans and Golden Needle Talismans. Their fluctuations made even him feel a chill; their power far surpassed that of ordinary upper-grade first-tier talismans!
"Top-grade first-tier spirit talismans! And there are so many!"
Li Qingshan's eyes lit up as he carefully sorted them away.
These were consumable trump cards that could turn the tide at a critical moment!
Then came the few dark scraps of ore.
Now, they were crystalline and translucent, like superb jade. They contained rich, pure Five Elements spiritual energy and were excellent materials for crafting high-grade magic artifacts—worth a fortune.
At last, his gaze fell on the few jade slips he'd scavenged from the trash. Their writing had once been blurred or even incomplete.
Now, they gleamed with a warm luster, their surfaces shimmering with flowing light. He eagerly picked one up and pressed it to his forehead.
Earth Essence True Qi, a top-grade defensive spell!
Once mastered, it could form a dense layer of protective qi over the body, as weighty as the earth itself. Its defense was astonishing, comparable to that of a top-tier defensive magic artifact!
He picked up another.
Light-Splitting Shadow Sword Technique, a top-grade offensive spell!
It wasn't a technique for wielding a physical flying sword. Instead, it used pure mana to condense Sword Qi. At a high level of mastery, it could split sword light into countless forms, both real and illusory, making it impossible to guard against. It was immensely powerful and exceptionally versatile!
Another slip recorded a secret art called Blood Burning Escape. Though its side effects were severe, burning one's lifeblood at a critical moment could greatly increase one's speed, making it an excellent escape technique for saving one's life!
"I struck it rich! I really struck it rich this time!"
Even with Li Qingshan's century-old composure, he couldn't help trembling with excitement. His face shone with irrepressible joy and satisfaction.
Every reward had exceeded his expectations. It felt as if he'd gathered all the world's treasures in one place. The feeling was absolutely exhilarating!
The Wish-Fulfilling Gourd truly lived up to its name! It could turn rot into wonder and stones into gold!
After the immense shock and delight, Li Qingshan quickly regained his composure.
Treasures were all well and good, but only by making them his own could he turn them into true strength.
He immediately decided to keep a low profile and devote himself to mastering his newly acquired spells and fully refining the Green Pattern Shield.
He began by cultivating Earth Essence True Qi.
This art drew upon the spiritual energy of the Earth element to condense protective qi. It was perfectly suited to the endless, weighty, and enduring nature of his Longevity Mana.
The process required him to draw in the energy of the earth's veins to temper his body. It was agonizing, but after enduring the torment of cultivating anew from scratch and the vicissitudes of a century, Li Qingshan didn't consider it much.
Apart from his regular duties, he devoted all his time each day to cultivation.
A pale yellow glow often covered his body inside the stone house, as if he wore a suit of earthen armor. His aura was deep and heavy.
Now and then, passing disciples outside the courtyard sensed a faint, oppressive weight. They assumed it was their imagination and paid it no mind.
Half a month later, Earth Essence True Qi reached the entry level. Though he hadn't mastered it, he could instantly form a solid earthen-yellow barrier around his body, with astonishing defensive power.
Next came the Light-Splitting Shadow Sword Technique.
This art demanded exceptional control over mana and a powerful divine sense.
With his Longevity Mana as a foundation and a divine sense far surpassing that of his peers, Li Qingshan found it surprisingly easy to cultivate. He joined his fingers like a sword and practiced inside the room. Streaks of emerald Longevity Sword Qi howled through the air, sometimes solidifying like true swords to pierce their targets, sometimes splitting into a rain that covered every direction. Their sharpness was unparalleled.
A little over ten days later, he'd gained an initial grasp of the technique. He still couldn't split the sword light into many forms, but its power was already becoming apparent. Combined with the Crimson Dragon Sword, the two complemented each other perfectly.
During this time, every night he held the dark gold Green Pattern Shield and slowly nourished and refined it with his Longevity Mana.
Top-grade magic artifacts were difficult to refine, but his mana was pure and abundant, and he spared no expense in using it, so he made rapid progress.
The runes on the shield blended with his mana, and their connection grew ever closer. He felt more and more as if it were an extension of his arm.
At the same time, he never neglected his cultivation of the Longevity Technique. Supported by a vast supply of top-grade pills, his cultivation continued to advance steadily from the eighth layer of Qi Refining, moving toward the ninth.
With each cycle of cultivation, he could feel his mana growing more condensed and his vitality growing stronger.
On this day, Li Qingshan finally refined the last of the Green Pattern Shield's core runes!
"Hum—"
The dark gold shield gave a cheerful hum, transformed into a streak of light, and flew into his dantian. It circled the emerald vortex of Longevity Mana, shining in concert with the Crimson Dragon Sword beside it.
With a mere thought, the shield could appear in an instant, changing size as he pleased to protect his entire body.
Now, he had the Crimson Dragon Sword, the Light-Splitting Shadow Sword Technique, the Fire Arrow Technique, and numerous top-grade offensive talismans for attack; the Green Pattern Shield, Earth Essence True Qi, and Diamond Talismans for defense; the Flying Rainbow Technique and Blood Burning Escape for escape; and the Turtle Breath Technique for concealment...
Li Qingshan slowly opened his eyes, feeling the two top-grade magic artifacts connected to his thoughts in his dantian, the many powerful spells he'd mastered in his mind, and the surging, inexhaustible mana within him, as vast as that of someone at the peak of the Qi Refining stage.
An unprecedented sense of power and security filled his heart.
A century of setbacks, then suddenly rising to power. The hidden dragon in the depths would one day soar into the sky!
Now, he had absolute confidence that even against a cultivator at the peak of the Qi Refining stage, he could defeat them in battle!
And with all his trump cards, he might even escape from a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"Zhang Hongxiu... Spring Autumn Sect..."
Li Qingshan's gaze passed through the stone wall and turned toward the distance, deep and calm. "Once I take another step forward, it'll be time to return."
He gathered his thoughts and sank back into cultivation.
Before you continue