Five Grains Nourishing Qi

Over the next few days, Li Yuan maintained a fixed routine.

Every morning, he practiced the Iron Ox Technique once, ate two pounds of White Jade Rice, then patrolled the market. At night, he cultivated the Spirit Guiding Art and squeezed in practice of the Nurturing Origin Technique whenever he could.

After eating the White Jade Rice, his qi and blood were full, and his cultivation speed improved considerably.

Over these days, the numbers on the panel changed significantly.

[Iron Ox Technique: Proficient (344/400)]

[Nurturing Origin Technique: Proficient (25/400)]

The Nurturing Origin Technique had broken through to Proficient. It felt similar to when the Iron Ox Technique had crossed from Beginner to Proficient—the precision of his qi-blood circulation had risen by another level.

As for the White Jade Rice, eating two pounds a day had never caused any problems.

Mid Qi Refinement cultivators with Qi-Blood Vigor digested Spirit Grain far more efficiently than ordinary cultivators. Two pounds could be completely absorbed within a day.

On the afternoon of the next day, Li Yuan cooked the last pound of White Jade Rice.

The jade-white Spirit Grain entered his stomach, and warmth spread from his belly. Qi and blood surged through his entire body, so full that even his fingertips faintly heated up.

The instant he swallowed the final mouthful, a notification appeared on the panel.

[Conditions for permanently converting Five Grains Nourishing Qi (White) have been met]

[Convert permanently?]

Li Yuan's thoughts stirred.

Yes.

[Permanent conversion successful]

[Five Grains Nourishing Qi (White) has become a Permanent Affix]

[Equipped item consumed]

The panel updated accordingly:

[Current Equipment Slot: 1/2]

[Equipped Items: Vein-Clearing Pill]

[Permanent Affixes: Clean Physique (Gray), Spirit Qi Filtration (White), Five Grains Nourishing Qi (White)]

Three Permanent Affixes.

After the White Jade Rice was consumed, one Equipment Slot had opened up.

Li Yuan took out the booklet for the Iron Ox Technique. Several days had passed since he last unequipped it, and its cooldown had long since ended.

Equip.

The booklet turned into light and merged into his body. The formulas of the Iron Ox Technique became clear in his mind once more. The layer of warmth wrapped around his viscera rose again from deep within his abdomen, and a resilient force slowly reinforced his internal organs.

Viscera Strengthening had returned.

[Current Equipment Slot: 2/2]

[Equipped Items: Vein-Clearing Pill, Iron Ox Technique]

[Equipment Affixes: Circulation Acceleration (White), Viscera Strengthening (White)]

[Permanent Affixes: Clean Physique (Gray), Spirit Qi Filtration (White), Five Grains Nourishing Qi (White)]

With all five affixes active at once, Li Yuan sat cross-legged and circulated the Spirit Guiding Art.

Spirit qi surged in from every direction, becoming pure and free of impurities after passing through Spirit Qi Filtration. Circulation Acceleration drove his spiritual power through his meridians at high speed, while Viscera Strengthening held everything steady from beneath.

Compared to before, he now had the permanent Five Grains Nourishing Qi.

The recovery of stamina and enhancement of qi and blood were continuous. They required neither an Equipment Slot nor food, taking effect anytime and anywhere.

The most obvious change was his endurance in cultivation. Cultivation also consumed stamina. In the past, his body would begin to ache after circulating more than ten cycles, forcing him to rest before continuing. At the same intensity, Li Yuan only began to feel fatigue after twenty consecutive cycles.

After cultivating for over an hour, Li Yuan ended his session.

The Spirit Guiding Art's proficiency had increased considerably. It was not far from Major Accomplishment now.

Not much time had passed since his transmigration, but with the affixes supporting him, Li Yuan's spiritual power accumulated far faster than that of cultivators at the same level.

With the three effects layered together, Li Yuan's spiritual power increased several times faster than that of an ordinary Qi Refining, Fourth Layer cultivator over the same period, and it was even more refined.

The fullness of spiritual power within his dantian steadily rose. It was nearly fifty percent denser than when he had first broken through to the Qi Refining, Fourth Layer, and it flowed through his meridians with deep, forceful strength, leaving not a trace of impurities behind. He was still some distance from the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, but his foundation was exceptionally solid.

Li Yuan put away the panel, rose to straighten his clothes, and hung his waist token at his belt.

Outside the market's east gate, the wild grass on both sides of Yellow Earth Road had grown another stretch taller since his last visit.

Li Yuan followed his patrol route north, then turned east, passing several intersections along the outskirts of the Spirit Field District.

Ever since he had hunted that lizard demon beast last time, the Spirit Field District had become much more peaceful.

In the distance, ears of Green Jade Rice swayed in the wind between the field ridges. Several Spirit Farmers bent over as they worked. Spirit Farmer He spotted Li Yuan from across the ridges and waved at him from afar.

Li Yuan took out the Spirit Detection Disk, poured spiritual power into it, and spread out his senses.

The scattered auras of Spirit Farmers in the direction of the Spirit Field District flickered in and out. Everything between the field ridges was quiet, and there were no unusual spiritual qi fluctuations within several dozen zhang.

There was no problem in the Spirit Field District.

Putting away the Spirit Detection Disk, Li Yuan continued south along the route for a while before turning back toward the market.

The situation around the outskirts was much the same as on his previous patrols. He encountered nothing unusual along the way.

When he returned to the market's east gate, more than ten Rogue Cultivators had gathered there. They crouched in twos and threes beneath the wall, speaking in hushed voices, their expressions all unpleasant.

As Li Yuan walked past, scattered fragments of conversation drifted into his ears.

"...I heard a Guard Squad patrol team ran into an Upper First-Order demon beast east of the market."

A Rogue Cultivator spoke up.

"How did you know about the Guard Squad's news? And why would an Upper First-Order demon beast leave the mountains where it reigns supreme to come here?"

Another Rogue Cultivator clearly did not believe it, muttering under his breath.

"The news has spread everywhere. A few Rogue Cultivators saw wounded Guard Squad cultivators, and some Rogue Cultivators who came through said they saw the injured demon beast too."

"The Guard Squad couldn't beat it at all."

At that moment, a third Rogue Cultivator cut in.

"If they couldn't beat it, they should've run. Split up and run—whoever can escape, escapes."

The Rogue Cultivator who had spoken earlier continued.

"They did run, but no one knows how many died. Still, that demon beast was injured too."

"If you ask me, this market isn't somewhere we can stay. It's too dangerous."

Li Yuan did not slow his steps, but he pricked up his ears.

"Where else can we run? The markets managed by the Li Family are all shops. There's no way for Rogue Cultivators like us to set up stalls there."

"And that damned market built by the so-called Loose Cultivator Alliance, claiming it benefits Rogue Cultivators? It fleeces us the hardest. Not only does it charge stall fees, its management is useless too. At least here, you can still see patrols and Guard Squads putting on a show and walking around."

The topic changed quickly. Li Yuan crossed the market along East Street and headed straight for the Patrol Squad's station.

The door to the main hall stood half-open. Wang De sat behind a desk. When he saw Li Yuan enter, Wang De lifted an eyelid.

"You heard about what happened in the east?"

"The Rogue Cultivators at the gate were talking about it." Li Yuan stopped before the desk. "A Guard Squad patrol team was attacked by an Upper First-Order?"

Wang De pushed the documents aside.

"The news traveled fast enough. A Guard Squad team encountered an Upper First-Order demon beast south of the market. The captain was seriously injured, two people died, and the rest ran back."

Upper First-Order corresponded to the strength of Qi Refining Late Stage. It was a level above the lizard in the Spirit Field District.

The Guard Squad's average strength and numbers both exceeded those of the Patrol Squad because they had to face greater dangers. But when they encountered a powerful demon beast, an ordinary patrol team still could not handle it.

The members of an ordinary team were around the Qi Refining Third Level. A Mid Qi Refinement cultivator could serve as team captain, and if the team was large enough, a Mid Qi Refinement deputy captain would also be assigned.

Wang De lifted his tea bowl, took a sip, and set it down.

"The Guard Squad is gathering reinforcements. Three Qi Refining Late Stage members of the Lineage will take part in the follow-up extermination, but this won't be settled in a day or two."

"The Lineage may make further moves as well. They might send more people."

Wang De glanced at Li Yuan, then took out a bag and handed it to him.

"Your outer patrols are temporarily canceled, but there may be more assignments later. These are the Spirit Stones for your patrols over the past few days."

Li Yuan accepted the bag, feeling the individual Spirit Stones inside. He nodded in acknowledgment.

After leaving the station, dusk settled in, and the market's lanterns lit up one after another.

Back at his residence, Li Yuan slid the door bolt into place and sat cross-legged on the bed.

The market's situation was becoming increasingly dangerous. He could only raise his strength as much as possible.

He circulated the Spirit Guiding Art, and the spirit qi within his body began to race.