Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement (Asking for Monthly Votes, Asking for Follow-Ups)

Yang Daqiang pondered.

Ten years.

To cultivators, ten years was not a long time.

As for the debt.

He was not worried in the slightest.

He did not believe Wang Mengde had the nerve to owe him money.

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If Wang Mengde dared default on his debt, he could take his life.

He nodded.

"Fine."

Wang Mengde felt reassured and transmitted his voice.

"Then it's settled. Arrange me under your command, but don't assign me guard duty. I want to go out to sea and fish, earn Spirit Stones for the two of us."

Yang Daqiang nearly laughed out loud.

This bastard had not even gotten the position yet, and he was already thinking about skipping work?

But on second thought, it made sense.

Wang Mengde needed to go out to sea and make money to repay his debt.

If he stood guard on the island every day, where would he get Spirit Stones?

He looked at Wang Mengde, seriously sizing up the man before him for the first time.

Only then did he realize that from the moment they entered until now, although this man had been respectful, he had remained neither servile nor overbearing, without the slightest trace of panic.

He was talent.

What a pity.

His spirit root was too poor.

A Five-Element Spirit Root meant limited prospects.

Who knew what year or month it would be before he broke through the first barrier of the Qi Refinement realm and advanced to the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement?

He nodded.

"Fine, it's settled then."

Wang Mengde rose to his feet and entered the bedroom.

A moment later, he came out carrying a bulging burlap sack and handed it to Yang Daqiang, transmitting his voice.

"This is for the first year. Three hundred Spirit Stones."

With a wave of his hand, Yang Daqiang stored the sack in his storage pouch.

He stood up, patted Wang Mengde on the shoulder, and transmitted his voice.

"At most three days. I'll get you the Island Patrol Guards token and uniform."

With that, he led his two subordinates away in grand fashion.

After Yang Daqiang left, Wang Mengde stood at the courtyard gate, gazing at the empty alley with narrowed eyes.

Threats.

Extortion.

What a bastard.

He clenched his fists, then slowly relaxed them.

Everything stemmed from insufficient strength.

If he had Late Qi Refinement cultivation, would Yang Daqiang still dare come knocking to extort him?

If he had Foundation Establishment cultivation, Yang Daqiang would not even be qualified to step into this courtyard.

Strength.

Only strength was fundamental.

Wang Mengde turned and returned to the house, shutting the door.

Sitting down on the meditation cushion, he took a deep breath and suppressed the surging thoughts in his heart.

He took out a Spirit Stone and held it in his palm.

He closed his eyes.

And continued cultivating.

At noon on the third day.

A knock sounded outside the courtyard gate.

Wang Mengde opened his eyes and rose from the bedroom.

When he opened the courtyard gate, a young cultivator in Island Patrol Guards attire stood outside, at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement.

Expressionless, he handed over a bundle.

"Wang Mengde, this is your token and uniform. Report to the Island Patrol Office within two months."

Wang Mengde accepted the bundle and cupped his hands.

"Thank you."

The cultivator nodded and turned to leave.

Wang Mengde shut the courtyard gate and returned to the bedroom.

Opening the bundle, he found a palm-sized token inside. The front was engraved with the words Island Patrol Guards, while the back bore his name.

There were also two sets of fitted blue uniforms, identical to those worn by Yang Daqiang and his men.

Wang Mengde picked up the token and weighed it in his hand.

With this identity, the road ahead would be much easier.

He put away the token and uniforms, then sat back down on the meditation cushion.

He took out a Spirit Stone.

And continued cultivating.

For the following month or so.

Wang Mengde scarcely left the house.

When he was hungry, he ate a Fasting Pill.

When he was tired, he meditated briefly to restore his energy.

He devoted all remaining time to cultivation.

One Spirit Stone after another was consumed.

One circulation after another was completed.

The space of his qi sea slowly expanded, while the quality of his spiritual power gradually improved.

Outside the window, night fell, then slowly turned pale with the first light of dawn.

When the morning sunlight streamed into the room, Wang Mengde finally opened his eyes.

He let out a long breath of stale air, carrying a faint trace of heat.

The spiritual power within him had improved considerably compared to yesterday.

He examined himself with his divine sense.

[Host: Wang Mengde]

[Qi Refinement Cultivation: Third Layer of Qi Refinement (399/400)]

After more than a month of single-minded bitter cultivation, he had finally raised his cultivation to the limit of the Third Layer of Qi Refinement.

Just a little more.

Just a little more, and he could break through to the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement.

Excitement flashed in Wang Mengde's eyes.

Without hesitation, he took out another Spirit Stone and held it in his palm.

He closed his eyes and continued cultivating.

One circulation.

Then another circulation.

Spiritual power flowed through his meridians, growing ever fuller.

Within his dantian, spiritual power slowly rotated like a tiny vortex.

Suddenly.

[Luan-Phoenix Harmony Formula +1]

[Spiritual Power Cultivation +1]

A faint rumble sounded within his body.

The sound was not loud, yet it seemed to echo from the depths of his soul.

Transformation began.

The qi sea expanded.

The quality of his spiritual power rose.

His soul gradually grew stronger.

The width and resilience of his meridians slowly improved as well.

Even the strength of his body gradually increased.

An hour later.

Wang Mengde opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flickering within them.

Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement.

Four years.

Four years of bitter cultivation, day and night without rest—he had finally climbed from the First Layer of Qi Refinement to the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement.

Wang Mengde took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart, then examined himself again with his divine sense.

[Host: Wang Mengde]

[Fate: Heaven Rewards Diligence (There Will Surely Be Achievement)]

[Qi Refinement Cultivation: Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement (1/800)]

[Physical Cultivation: First Layer of Body Tempering (89/100)]

[Cultivation Methods: Fourth Layer of the Luan-Phoenix Harmony Formula (1/800); First Layer of the True Myriad Beast Taming Formula (752/1000)]

[Spells: Spirit Eye Technique (Peak Mastery) 260/3200; Fishing Technique (Peak Mastery) 150/3200; Entwining Silk Technique (Peak Mastery) 192/3200; Water Arrow Technique (Perfection) 960/1600; Water Escape Technique (Minor Success) 15/200; Palm Thunder Technique (Initiation) 8/100; Voice Transmission Technique (Initiation) 2/100]

Wang Mengde looked at the panel, a faint smile curling his lips.

Four years.

Over a thousand days and nights.

He had finally taken this step.

He rose to his feet and stretched his muscles and bones.

The space in his dantian's qi sea was nearly twice as great as it had been at the Third Layer of Qi Refinement.

The quality of his spiritual power had also nearly doubled.

The width and resilience of his meridians had likewise improved considerably.

His soul had grown by more than twice its former strength.

Even his physical strength had increased by twelve points.

He raised his right hand and formed a hand seal.

Entwining Silk Technique.

In an instant, countless threads of spiritual power as fine as hair shot from his fingertips, interweaving in the air into a great net.

Those threads were denser and tougher than before. As spiritual light flowed over them, they carried a faintly fierce aura.

With a thought from Wang Mengde, the threads of spiritual power instantly tightened, wrapping tightly around a bluestone in the corner.

He gave a gentle pull.

The bluestone immediately shattered into pieces, sliced apart by the threads.

A flicker of delight flashed through Wang Mengde's eyes.

The power of the Entwining Silk Technique had increased by nearly twofold.

If he encountered an opponent like Qin Xiangnan again, he would not need the Water Arrow Technique at all. The Entwining Silk Technique alone could strangle him alive.

Next, he cast the Spirit Eye Technique.

Spiritual light flowed within his eyes.

The world before him instantly became incomparably clear.

His gaze shifted slightly toward the wall.

The penetrating power of his vision had increased greatly.

His gaze passed through the blue bricks, allowing him to see the courtyard outside.

Further beyond, he saw Lin Xiaowan, Zhao Youming's wife, next door.

She was actually rewarding herself.

One should not look upon such indecency.

Hmm? Fellow Daoist Zhao was actually with Fellow Daoist Wang's mother?

Learned something new. Immortals really were impressive.

Big Brother Liu Haiwen's two wives were grinding tofu.

Liu Haiwen was snoring soundly beside them.

Tsk...