Breakthrough! Qi Refining Fourth Layer!

Once Er Niu returns, I need to hurry and repay these Spirit Crystals. Carrying a debt always leaves me uneasy.

Before heading home, he first went to look for Er Niu, but Er Niu was not home, so he could only turn back.

On the way, he bought another ten jin of Monster Beast Meat before returning.

Yet in the dead of night, Lin Chang'an did not sleep. Instead, he was brimming with energy as he repeatedly toyed with the Storage Bag.

Watching the Green Bamboo Sword constantly go in and out, the smile on Lin Chang'an's face never faded after he returned home.

"I never thought I would one day possess a treasure like a Storage Bag."

It was not that he had been unable to afford one before; it was simply too extravagant and unnecessary.

But times had changed.

Looking at the Talismans on the table, Lin Chang'an glanced at the sky outside, and his expression gradually 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 had to risk his life hunting monster beasts for a few Spirit Crystals.

Wasn't life all about constantly moving forward?

That night, Lin Chang'an hugged the Storage Bag and slept more soundly than ever.

Several days later.

Golden Light Talismans were pasted over the doors and windows of his home.

Lin Chang'an sat cross-legged, his hands forming seals, his five hearts facing heaven.

As the Wood-Attribute Cultivation Method, the Evergreen Art, circulated within him, he seemed to merge with heaven and earth. On 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 seemed to leap and cheer, filled with inexhaustible strength.

At the same time, the spiritual power within him surged like rapids. Lin Chang'an guarded his mind and continued circulating the Evergreen Art. Only after several cycles did the spiritual power in his body gradually calm.

After a long while!

Once his spiritual power had settled, 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 to the Qi Refining Mid-Stage. He had finally crossed it.

Lin Chang'an let out a wistful sigh. His face was filled with too many emotions—excitement, and the bitterness of the road he had traveled.

But after sensing the changes within his body, Lin Chang'an finally took 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 had become incomparably clear, and even the memories blurred by two lifetimes of living had become crystal clear.

"Sharp ears, clear 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 also become more condensed, and after this breakthrough, it had doubled.

[Name: Lin Chang'an]

[Lifespan: 40/98]

[Realm: Qi Refining Fourth Layer (0/100)]

[Cultivation Method: Evergreen Art (Proficient: 8/1000)]

The data on the panel had changed after his breakthrough as well.

The changes brought by advancing realms 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 risen as well.

"Breaking through to Qi Refining Fourth Layer has deepened my understanding of the Evergreen Art. After all, this is my own firsthand experience, so the cultivation method section suddenly gained so much experience."

After pondering for a while, 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.

"Other than Spiritual Roots, what limits cultivation speed is one's aptitude. If my understanding of the cultivation method grows deeper, then my cultivation speed can likewise make up for part of the gap caused by my 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 out and bought some Spirit Fruits that he normally could not bear to eat.

After such a hard-won breakthrough, he had to celebrate.

Afterward, Lin Chang'an resumed his daily routine at home—Talisman Drawing, cultivation, and an added leisure activity of comprehending his cultivation method.

Days passed one after another. Half a month after his breakthrough, Li Erniu finally returned.

"Big Brother Lin."

"Er Niu, you're finally back."

Freshly returned, Li Erniu came over carrying two jars of Spirit Wine, his face full of smiles.

As soon as he entered, he habitually looked around and saw the Monster Beast Meat stewing on the stove, as well as several precious Spirit Fruits laid out on the table.

Li Erniu was startled, 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!"

When he turned and saw the unfathomable air surrounding Lin Chang'an, he knew 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, though the upward curve of his lips could not be concealed. Li Erniu excitedly stepped forward and patted him on the 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 that same honest and dependable person.

Li Erniu set the Spirit Wine on the table, an excited smile hanging on his cheeks.

"These two jars of Spirit Wine are perfect for celebrating Big Brother Lin today."

In the Cultivation World, it was rare to find a kindred friend. The two skillfully placed the stewed meat and Spirit Fruits on the table.

Lin Chang'an no longer needed to make another trip. He returned the Spirit Crystals he had borrowed from Er Niu.

The Spirit Wine filled their cups. Neither said a word as they directly drained the first cup, only then picking up their chopsticks.

"Big Brother Lin, first your talisman craft improved, and 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—truly cause for celebration."

Lin Chang'an smiled and nodded. He had broken through in cultivation—what was the point of pretending to be modest, and for whom?

To great cultivators at the Qi Refining Late Stage, it might not be worth mentioning. But to Rogue Cultivators like them, who had clawed their way up from the bottom, every bit of progress was worth celebrating.

After three rounds of wine, Li Erniu's face had turned flushed, and he finally opened up.

"It's not that I'm saying this, but with Big Brother Lin's skill in making Fine Golden Light Talismans, you have already proven that you possess the skill to create First-Rank Mid-Grade Talismans. Now that your cultivation has broken through, you should consider this matter as soon as possible."

"I understand." Lin Chang'an nodded solemnly.

The Fine Golden Light Talismans he had made before were merely First-Order Low-Grade Talismans. Though they were said to come infinitely close to First-Rank Mid-Grade Talismans, there was still a gap.

The most obvious difference was the price.

The talisman-drawing arts widely circulated throughout the Cultivation World were all for First-Order Low-Grade Talismans. Beyond that, aside from a few powerful cultivators, such knowledge was almost entirely monopolized by cultivation Lineages and Sects.

After all, would something precious really be allowed to circulate outside?

Er Niu looked honest and simple, but in truth, he was wise beneath a foolish exterior.

The two exchanged glances and both smiled.

Neither mentioned anything further about their relationship, but Lin Chang'an understood that if he wanted to obtain the art of First-Order Mid-Grade Talismans, he would have to pay a price.

At his age, joining a Sect was out of the question. At most, he could become a Talisman Master under one of the businesses managed by a Sect.

Or he could seek refuge with one of those cultivation Lineages.