"Once Er Niu returns, I need to pay back these Spirit Crystals right away. Carrying a debt always leaves me uneasy."
Before heading home, he first went to look for Er Niu, only to find that Er Niu was not home. He could only turn back and return.
On the way, however, he bought another ten jin of Monster Beast Meat before going home.
Yet in the middle of the night, Lin Chang'an was not asleep. Instead, he was brimming with energy as he continuously played with the Storage Bag.
Watching the Green Bamboo Sword go in and out again and again, the smile on Lin Chang'an's face never faded after he returned home.
"Storage Bag... I never thought I would possess such a treasure too."
It was not that he had lacked the ability before; it was simply too extravagant, and unnecessary as well.
But times had changed.
Looking at the Talismans on the table, Lin Chang'an could not help glancing at the sky outside. His expression then turned solemn.
"With my current cultivation, there is still some risk in going to the Market to sell fine talismans. It would be safer to raise my cultivation first. After all, I'm someone with status now."
He was no longer the insignificant Rogue Cultivator who had once needed to risk his life hunting Demon Beasts for a few Spirit Crystals.
Wasn't life all about constantly improving?
That night, Lin Chang'an hugged the Storage Bag and slept an exceptionally peaceful sleep.
Several days later.
The doors and windows of the house were covered with Golden Light Talismans.
Lin Chang'an sat cross-legged, his hands forming seals, with his five hearts facing heaven.
As the Wood-Attribute Cultivation Method, the Evergreen Art, circulated, he seemed to merge with heaven and earth. This day, he finally reached a critical point.
Boom!
Like thunder, yet utterly soundless.
As the shackles shattered, every limb, every bone, every inch of skin in his body seemed to leap and cheer, filled with inexhaustible strength.
At the same time, the spiritual power within him surged violently. Lin Chang'an guarded his mind and continued circulating the Evergreen Art. Only after several cycles did the spiritual power in his body gradually settle.
After a long while!
Once the spiritual power within him had calmed, Lin Chang'an slowly exhaled a mouthful of Turbid Qi and opened his eyes.
"Twenty years of cultivation, and at the age of forty, I have finally entered the Qi Refining Mid-Stage!"
Qi Refining Fourth Layer was also the threshold of the Qi Refining Mid-Stage. He had finally stepped through it.
Lin Chang'an let out a wistful sigh. His face brimmed with too many emotions—excitement, as well as the bitterness of the road he had traveled.
But after sensing the changes within his body, Lin Chang'an finally drew a deep breath.
"So this is the Qi Refining Mid-Stage. No wonder they say Qi Refining Fourth Layer is the true first step onto the immortal path."
His five senses had improved severalfold. Especially after the breakthrough, his mind became crystal clear, and even memories blurred by two lifetimes of living became incomparably distinct.
"Sharp ears and bright eyes, cleansing the marrow and opening the mind—so this is the true difference between cultivators and mortals!"
The spiritual power in his body had become more condensed, and after his breakthrough, it had even doubled.
[Name: Lin Chang'an] [Lifespan: 40/98] [Realm: Qi Refining Fourth Layer (0/100)] [Cultivation Method: Evergreen Art (Mastery: 8/1000)]
The data on the panel had also changed after his breakthrough.
The changes brought by a realm breakthrough were perfectly normal.
He could understand his lifespan increasing by ten years. After all, the Wood-Attribute Evergreen Art he cultivated inherently had the effects of prolonging life and preserving one's appearance.
But the proficiency of the Evergreen Art had also broken through.
"By breaking through to Qi Refining Fourth Layer, my understanding of the Evergreen Art has deepened. After all, this is my own firsthand experience, so the experience in the cultivation method section increased by so much at once."
After pondering for a moment, Lin Chang'an somewhat understood the reason behind the cultivation method's progress.
The proficiency of a cultivation method corresponded to the depth of one's understanding of it. Put simply, it was aptitude.
"Besides Spiritual Roots, what limits cultivation speed is one's personal aptitude. If my understanding of a cultivation method runs deeper, then my cultivation speed can likewise make up part of the gap in Spiritual Roots."
At that moment, Lin Chang'an's eyes shone brightly, bursting with confidence.
After advancing to Qi Refining Fourth Layer, Lin Chang'an finally felt more at ease. He even went outside to buy some Spirit Fruits that he normally could not bear to eat.
After such a hard-won breakthrough, he had to celebrate.
After that, Lin Chang'an resumed his daily routine at home: Talisman Drawing, cultivation, and, in his spare time, an added session of comprehending cultivation methods.
Days passed one by one. Half a month after his breakthrough, Li Erniu finally returned.
"Big Brother Lin."
"Er Niu, you're finally back."
Li Erniu had just returned, and he came over carrying two jugs of Spirit Wine with a broad smile on his face.
The moment he entered the house, he habitually looked around and spotted the Monster Beast Meat stewing on the stove, as well as several precious Spirit Fruits laid out on the table.
Li Erniu was startled by the sight, but after twenty years of cultivation, he was no longer the honest, ignorant farm boy he had once been.
"Big Brother Lin, you... you broke through!"
Turning his head, he saw the unfathomable aura surrounding Lin Chang'an. This was completely unlike the Qi Refining Third Layer cultivation that he had previously been able to see through at a glance.
"A while ago, I bought a Golden Marrow Pill at True Treasure Pavilion and was fortunate enough to break through."
Lin Chang'an answered with a smile as well. Yet the upward curve of his lips was impossible to hide, and Li Erniu excitedly stepped forward to pat his shoulder.
"Big Brother Lin, that's wonderful! Now we can cultivate together in this Market until we grow old."
The years made people grow, but before Lin Chang'an, Er Niu was still the same honest and straightforward person.
Li Erniu set the Spirit Wine on the table, excitement still hanging on his face.
"These two jugs of Spirit Wine are perfect for celebrating Big Brother Lin today."
In the Cultivation World, it was rare to find a close friend who truly understood you. The two of them deftly set the stewed meat and Spirit Fruits onto the table.
Lin Chang'an no longer needed to make another trip, so he returned the Spirit Crystals he had borrowed from Er Niu.
The Spirit Wine filled their cups. Neither said a word as they directly drank the first cup, only then picking up their chopsticks.
"Big Brother Lin, first your talisman arts improved, then your cultivation broke through. This completely proves the Evergreen Art's trait of accumulating strength before bursting forth. Your immortal path holds great promise ahead—what a joyous occasion."
Lin Chang'an smiled and nodded. He had already been modest about his breakthrough in cultivation; who was he putting on an act for?
Perhaps it was not worth mentioning to great cultivators of the Qi Refining Late Stage, but for Rogue Cultivators like them who had risen from the bottom, every bit of progress was worth celebrating.
After three rounds of wine, Li Erniu's face was flushed red, and he finally opened up.
"I'm not saying this for nothing—Big Brother Lin, with your skill in making Fine Golden Light Talismans, you have already proven that you possess the skill to make First-Order Mid-Grade Talismans. Now that your cultivation has also broken through, you should consider this matter as soon as possible."
"I understand." Lin Chang'an nodded solemnly as well.
The Fine Golden Light Talismans he had made before were merely First-Order Low-Grade Talismans. Although they were said to be infinitely close to First-Rank Mid-Grade Talismans, there was still a gap between them.
The most obvious difference was the difference in price.
The Talisman Drawing arts widely circulated in the Cultivation World were all for First-Order Low-Grade Talismans. Beyond that, apart from a few powerful cultivators, they were almost entirely monopolized by cultivation lineages and sects.
After all, would precious things be allowed to circulate outside?
Though Er Niu looked honest and simple, he was actually wise beneath a foolish exterior.
The two exchanged a glance and both smiled.
Neither of them mentioned anything further about their relationship, but Lin Chang'an understood as well: if he wanted to obtain the techniques for First-Order Mid-Grade Talismans, he would have to pay a price.
At his age, he could forget about joining a sect. At most, he could become a Talisman Master in an industry managed by a sect.
Otherwise, he would have to throw in his lot with one of those cultivation lineages.
Before you continue