Zhao Hao held the green jade bottle, his heart pounding despite himself.
Back when he had tried to fool Jia Ren, he had casually spun a lie. Now, a bottle containing what appeared to be spirit liquid had actually turned up before his eyes.
The irony was almost too much.
He carefully twisted the stopper open by a barely perceptible crack.
In an instant, indescribably pure spiritual energy mingled with a faint fragrance surged from the bottle's mouth. The already dense spiritual energy in the cave abode seemed to have been infused with a soul, suddenly becoming lively and vibrant.
More importantly, nourished by this aura, his liquid spiritual power-which was still somewhat unstable after his recent breakthrough to Foundation Establishment-actually grew visibly more solid, if only by a fraction!
"Hiss-"
Zhao Hao sucked in a sharp breath. His hand trembled, and he hurriedly pressed the stopper firmly back into place.
It was definitely spirit liquid! And its grade was definitely far from low!
To him right now, this was no mere flower added to brocade. It was a lifeline that could stabilize his foundations and save him long stretches of arduous cultivation!
But he did not want to use it just yet.
From the texts in the Extreme Yin Sect's Scripture Repository, he had learned that natural treasures like spirit liquid were generally used by Golden Core cultivators. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators only used them when breaking through bottlenecks, drawing on their vast, pure spiritual energy to aid their breakthroughs. Using it now would be squandering a gift from heaven.
Forcing down his excitement, Zhao Hao solemnly secured the jade bottle's stopper, then carefully placed it inside his Storage Bag. Only then did he turn his attention back to the pile of "spoils."
His spiritual sense settled on the jade slip containing the Mysterious Yin Essence Condensation Art.
This was what mattered most right now!
He extended his spiritual sense into it, and a flood of information poured into his mind.
Unlike the rudimentary Mysterious Yin Qi Absorption Art used in the Qi Refining Realm, this Foundation Establishment cultivation art was considerably more complex.
Its core lay in condensing a special form of spiritual power called "Yin Baleful Qi."
To cultivate it, one had to draw upon yin-aspected energies in the world, such as yin energy, corpse energy, and baleful energy, merging them with one's own spiritual power and refining them into highly corrosive yin baleful power.
Proficiency in the art was also measured by how much Yin Baleful Qi a cultivator could condense and control.
The more Zhao Hao read, the deeper his frown became.
The jade slip explicitly stated that reaching major mastery in this art could help one condense a substance called a "Yin Baleful Crystal."
This substance existed between liquid and solid spiritual power. When a cultivator attempted to reach the Golden Core Realm, it could greatly improve the chances of their magical power condensing into a Golden Core-by a full ten percent!
Ten percent!
For any Foundation Establishment cultivator, this was a heaven-defying opportunity worth risking their life to seize.
But that was precisely where the problem lay.
Once someone condensed Yin Baleful Qi, it was the same as sticking a "demonic cultivator" label on their forehead, never to be torn off again.
That was because righteous cultivators referred to this so-called Yin Baleful Qi as a form of "demonic magical power."
For one thing, the jade slip mentioned that many righteous Immortal Cities and markets hung a magical treasure called the Demon-Revealing Light Mirror at their entrances.
Anyone possessing Yin Baleful Qi would have nowhere to hide beneath that mirror, no matter how well they concealed it with an aura-concealing technique. They would be identified on the spot.
Zhao Hao's expression shifted uncertainly.
In this world, righteous sects ultimately controlled more territory and possessed richer resources.
If people clamored to kill me everywhere I went, and I couldn't even enter an Immortal City, how the hell was I supposed to cultivate? More than half my routes to obtaining resources would be cut off outright.
By contrast, cultivators practicing normal arts could enter demonic markets or Immortal Cities without obstruction. After all, even within Demonic Sect territory, not everyone qualified to practice a superior art that could improve their chances of forming a Golden Core.
This Mysterious Yin Essence Condensation Art was nothing less than an enticing "contract selling oneself into bondage," complete with lifelong, tyrannical terms hidden in the fine print!
"Damn it. What a bottomless pit."
Click to view.
Zhao Hao muttered a curse.
He did not want to finally find a better cultivation art someday, only to have to painfully disperse all his cultivation and start over.
Yin baleful magical power could not be converted into magical power produced through normal cultivation. All the cultivation progress made during that time would go to waste.
Having made up his mind, Zhao Hao decisively abandoned the idea of practicing this art.
"The most urgent thing is to get a sword-flight method. I need to get out of the Extreme Yin Sect's sphere of influence quickly before anything else."
Zhao Hao stood and paced around the cave abode.
The Extreme Yin Sect's sphere of influence extended more than a hundred thousand li in every direction. Relying on his own two legs would be far too slow and foolish.
The Sword Control Technique was not only the best choice for Foundation Establishment cultivators traveling long distances, but also an extraordinary skill for pursuit and escape in combat.
If I couldn't win a fight or outrun my opponent, wouldn't that be a road straight to death?
Besides, if I wanted to kill someone to silence them, but could only defeat them without catching them or getting their spoils, that would be far too stupid!
With that thought, he hesitated no longer.
After briefly tidying up the cave abode, Zhao Hao pushed open the stone door and returned to the market, where fish and dragons mingled.
He walked leisurely down the street, while his spiritual sense secretly swept over the shops on either side.
At last, he stopped before an imposing-looking three-story building.
"Hundred Treasures Pavilion."
Zhao Hao straightened his robes and stepped inside.
The ground-floor hall was spacious and bright, with plenty of cultivators coming and going. Most were in the middle stages of Qi Refining, however, and the shelves held only ordinary materials and magical artifacts for Qi Refining cultivators.
As soon as he entered, a middle-aged cultivator who appeared to be a steward approached him. His cultivation was at the eighth level of Qi Refining.
The steward looked Zhao Hao over. Seeing his mask and sensing an aura at only the seventh level of Qi Refining, he asked politely, "Fellow Daoist, what can I help you with?"
Zhao Hao lowered his voice, making it sound deep and slightly hoarse.
"Do you have a private room?"
The steward paused. His smile immediately grew more genuine, and he hurriedly gestured for Zhao Hao to follow.
"Please come this way, fellow Daoist!"
Anyone who requested a private room was not there for a small transaction.
Inside the private room, the steward personally poured him a cup of clear tea wreathed in spiritual energy.
"Please enjoy, fellow Daoist. This is white mist spirit tea. It soothes the heart and calms the mind."
Zhao Hao lifted the cup without drinking. He merely rubbed its surface lightly and got straight to the point.
"Do you sell Foundation Establishment methods here?"
"Foundation Establishment?!"
The smile froze on the steward's face, and his gaze instantly filled with surprise and uncertainty as he looked at Zhao Hao.
A seventh-level Qi Refining cultivator asking to buy Foundation Establishment methods right off the bat? Either he was running an errand for an elder, or... he was making a fool of me.
Taking in his reaction, Zhao Hao unhurriedly raised the teacup and took a small sip.
The instant he set the cup down-
A crushing pressure far beyond the Qi Refining Realm silently enveloped the entire private room.
Just as the steward was about to ask a probing question, he felt as though two enormous mountains had suddenly settled onto his shoulders. His legs went weak, and he nearly dropped to his knees!
The color drained from his face in an instant. No longer daring to remain seated, he scrambled to his feet and bowed respectfully to Zhao Hao at a full ninety degrees, his voice trembling.
"Th-this junior had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai! My respects, Senior!"