Besides Le Tian's mid-grade artifact, the Black Iron Chain, which had made Luo Mu happy for a moment, the others' artifacts had all been low-grade. Before he'd entered the world of cultivation, he'd been green with envy over low-grade artifacts and had dreamed of owning one himself.
But now, Luo Mu had begun to look down on low-grade artifacts. After giving them a cursory glance and deciding there was nothing special about them, he tossed them into his Storage Bag. Later, he could trade them for Spirit Stones with other cultivators, or, failing that, sell them at a shop. Either way, he'd get a decent number of Spirit Stones.
Even low-grade artifacts could fetch quite a few Spirit Stones. Luo Mu couldn't bear to throw them away.
Aside from a few artifacts, the men's Storage Bags held only a small number of Low-grade Spirit Stones, some daily necessities, and assorted odds and ends. After searching through everything with disappointment written all over his face, Luo Mu could only shake his head. These fellows were even poorer than he'd imagined.
Anything that could be sold for Spirit Stones, no matter what it was or how little it might fetch, Luo Mu kept for the chance to sell later. As for anything he considered completely useless, he burned it to ashes.
Finally, with pain written all over his face, Luo Mu buried all their Storage Bags in the ground!
When he was done, Luo Mu sat down on a stone stool and fell into thought. He kept turning over how he should make the best use of his time from now on, without wasting a single moment.
Now that he'd reached the Qi Refining Stage, his lifespan was several decades longer than an ordinary mortal's, and he could live to around a hundred and fifty. But Luo Mu was ambitious and wasn't satisfied with the status quo. Every moment was precious to him. His next goal was Foundation Establishment, which he had to achieve before his time ran out. Otherwise, in a little over a century, Luo Mu would be nothing but a pile of bones.
After Foundation Establishment, a cultivator's lifespan was twice that of one in the Qi Refining Stage. Luo Mu felt that only then would he have more time to pursue other things.
Luo Mu had struggled to get onto the path of cultivation. If he failed to make something of it, he would have no way to answer to his deceased father—or to himself.
He still had plenty of poisons and poisonous herbs, but Luo Mu didn't dare take any more. For over a year, he'd taken poisonous herbs day and night without pause. His strength had advanced at a terrifying pace, but potent medicinal power had long since accumulated inside him.
He needed to absorb this medicinal power slowly through long-term cultivation, and he also needed a cultivation method to help him absorb it completely. That way, none of its potency would go to waste, and he'd avoid leaving any hidden troubles behind.
"A cultivator without a cultivation method is like a mortal without limbs—unable to take a single step!" Thinking of how he needed a cultivation method to channel the medicinal power left in his body and absorb it fully, Luo Mu sighed. Then, from the bottom of his heart, he murmured softly.
"Cultivation method... cultivation method..." Luo Mu tapped his fingers against the stone table, muttering the words over and over. His brow furrowed as if he were pondering something.
After a long moment, his tapping hand abruptly stopped. At the same time, a resolute look came over his face. It seemed he'd just made up his mind.
"Looks like this is the only way." With that, Luo Mu stood up.
He surveyed the humble cave where he'd lived for a year, and a trace of reluctance passed through his eyes. The cave was crude, nowhere near the legendary immortal's abode, but he'd lived here for a year and had grown somewhat attached to it.
There was nothing to pack in the cave, and nothing of value. Luo Mu had put everything he considered useful into his Storage Bag.
After one last look around, Luo Mu headed for the exit. He was going to a place he had to visit now. Only by going there could he obtain the cultivation method he wanted, absorb the medicinal power remaining in his body, take his strength a step further, and ultimately advance to Foundation Establishment!
As for the Ten Thousand Snake Mountain Range, Luo Mu wasn't strong enough to venture deeper into it and search for treasure just yet. He'd spent a year at its edge without encountering danger, but that didn't mean there was none. One day, if luck turned against him, he might die here.
Once his cultivation was strong enough, Luo Mu would definitely return and brave the Ten Thousand Snake Mountain Range. After all, he'd long been coveting the spirit herbs and poisonous herbs within it. He just hadn't had the nerve to go in.
"Hm?" Just as he started to move, Luo Mu let out a puzzled sound and stared at the stone table beneath him.
The table was supported by a round stone pillar. At its base, Luo Mu spotted a tiny crack. That alone might not have piqued his curiosity.
But at the edge of the crack, so well hidden it was barely visible, something resembling a piece of cloth stuck out. That stirred his curiosity.
"There's something hidden here? They sure hid it well. I've lived here for a year and never noticed it!" After grumbling, Luo Mu reached out, still curious.
Poison Fang appeared in his hand, and he easily cut open the stone pillar. He took out an old, yellow piece of cloth. Seeing how aged and worn it was, Luo Mu raised an eyebrow.
The yellow cloth was worn, but the markings on it were remarkably clear. He couldn't tell what kind of ink had been used. From the markings, Luo Mu could see that it was a map.
After studying it carefully, Luo Mu was surprised to discover that it was a map of the Ten Thousand Snake Mountain Range. Three red dots had been marked on it, all deep within the range!
Luo Mu didn't know what the red dots meant. They were also deep in the mountains, and he had no intention of going to investigate. With his current strength, he'd become a demon beast's meal before he ever reached the locations marked by the dots.
The map had been hidden so well that it was hard to find. Luo Mu had thought it might be something valuable, but it turned out to be just a map. He couldn't be certain it was worthless, but to him, right now, it was of no use at all.
Since it wasn't the excellent cultivation method Luo Mu had been hoping for, he felt a little disappointed. He casually put the map away, then dismissed it from his mind and headed out of the cave.
Once outside, Luo Mu took out his Flying Artifact and soared into the sky. He was heading for Jinxiu City!
He'd already decided to enroll at Jinxiu Academy. There, he could learn the cultivation method he'd long dreamed of, and broaden his knowledge of cultivation so he could avoid taking detours in the future.
Back when he couldn't gather spiritual energy, he'd still studied diligently at the school in Dragon Gate Town. He knew the basic knowledge of the cultivation world by heart. That was why, after setting foot on the path of cultivation, he hadn't been left awkwardly ignorant of everything.
Moreover, Jinxiu Academy was one of the renowned academies under Wanfa Sect. Every ten years, Wanfa Sect selected the best-qualified students from its academies and took them in, making them members of the sect and, from then on, cultivators of the sect!
As disciples of Wanfa Sect, they would enjoy an excellent cultivation environment and first-rate cultivation methods. They would also receive Spirit Stones every month, and talented disciples would get all kinds of additional cultivation resources. There were benefits aplenty!
Most importantly, although joining a sect meant being bound by its rules in many ways, the sect would also protect you. As the saying went, it was good to sit in the shade of a great tree—that was exactly the point.
Becoming a disciple of Wanfa Sect was still a ways off for Luo Mu. For now, all he wanted was to enroll at Jinxiu Academy and properly make up for what he lacked in cultivation knowledge. Things like alchemy, artifact crafting, formations, and talisman-making were all subjects he'd never encountered at the school in Dragon Gate Town.
Enrolling at Jinxiu Academy was something Luo Mu had dreamed of doing. But he'd never been able to enter the Qi Refining Stage, so he hadn't qualified.
To enroll at Jinxiu Academy, students had to pay a hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones in tuition each year. The only other requirement was that they had to reach the Qi Refining Stage. Even someone at the first level would be accepted.
Naturally, the Academy also accepted students whose cultivation was well above the Qi Refining Stage.
For Luo Mu, getting into Jinxiu Academy was now a piece of cake. He didn't have many Spirit Stones, but he had several hundred. He'd made off with the belongings of the dead twice, and had collected quite a few Spirit Stones from them.
As for his cultivation, he had even less reason to worry. He'd reached the sixth level of the Qi Refining Stage, so enrolling at Jinxiu Academy would be no problem at all.
But Luo Mu planned to keep his Poison Cultivator identity secret. He didn't want anyone else to know. First, it would let him keep a trump card. From his two fights, he'd realized that his Poison Spirit Power was especially powerful in battle when it caught people off guard.
Second, cultivators who used poison against their enemies seemed unsavory to other cultivators. They could even be shunned, since people considered such methods less than open and honorable. Until he was strong enough, Luo Mu would keep a low profile and avoid drawing unnecessary trouble. To keep other cultivators from shunning him, he had to use poison sparingly—and whenever he did, he couldn't leave any survivors.
Once Luo Mu felt his strength was sufficient, he wouldn't worry about any of that anymore!
"Poison Spirit Power... poison..." Thinking of his Poison Spirit Power, and then of Jinxiu Academy, his destination, Luo Mu couldn't help remembering the white-robed man, Bai Lin, who had tricked Xiao Ling'er into taking the "Heartbreak Pill."
"I don't know what level you're at, but I've got another reason for enrolling at Jinxiu Academy this time: to take your life and let you find out what real poison is! Hmph..." Even now, Luo Mu still didn't know Bai Lin's full name, but that did nothing to lessen his hatred.
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