Broker

In the world of cultivation, the requirements for a cultivator's aptitude were actually extremely high.

What showed on the surface was the quality of one's Spirit Root.

As for so-called Spirit Root quality, it meant Five Elements Spiritual Roots, Four-Attribute Spiritual Roots, Three-Attribute Spiritual Roots, Dual-Attribute Spiritual Roots, and Single-Attribute Spiritual Roots... Even Spirit Roots of the same attribute differed in strength. For example, two people with the same Single-Attribute Spiritual Root, cultivating the same technique with the same resources, could progress at different speeds.

This involved the conversion efficiency of absorbing spiritual energy.

But generally speaking, the cultivation efficiency of a Five Elements Spiritual Root could never compare to that of a Four-Attribute Spiritual Root.

Unless the Five-Element Spirit Root had superior conversion efficiency while the Four-Attribute Spiritual Root had inferior conversion efficiency.

Zhou Changwang did not know whether his own spiritual energy conversion efficiency was superior or inferior.

But the instant he swallowed the Vitality Pill, he felt that even compared to the legendary Heavenly Spiritual Root with a Single-Attribute Spiritual Root, he was no worse.

A vast, surging torrent of spiritual energy erupted within his body.

Then, as the Five Elements Formula circulated, it was continuously converted into spiritual power that belonged to him alone.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

In merely several dozen breaths, the spiritual power he had depleted from practicing spells became full once more. It then assimilated even more spiritual energy, transforming it into his Qi Refining cultivation.

Even the speed at which his cultivation technique operated became faster.

Like bamboo splitting beneath a blade, it charged recklessly through the meridians in his body...

Cultivation +1

Cultivation +1

Cultivation +1

...

After just one circulation, Zhou Changwang felt that his Qi Refining cultivation had risen greatly.

However, he did not stop cultivating because of this.

The surging spiritual energy contained within the Vitality Pill was still rampaging through his body. He had to refine and absorb it as quickly as possible, or it would simply go to waste and dissipate.

Thus.

One circulation, two circulations, three circulations...

Only after five full circulations.

Did Zhou Changwang stop operating his cultivation technique.

At this moment, though his mind was utterly exhausted, the excitement in his heart was beyond words.

He felt incomparably fulfilled.

He hurriedly looked at the Attribute Panel.

Cultivation: Second Layer of the Qi Refining Realm (48/100)

"My cultivation increased by a full ten points."

A glimmer of excitement flashed through Zhou Changwang's eyes.

That was equivalent to ten days of cultivation for him now.

And that was only because he had failed to convert all of it in time, allowing much of the spiritual energy to leak out through his body and dissipate.

Otherwise, the increase would have been even greater.

He still had two Vitality Pills in hand, as well as two Yellow Spirit Pills, which were also spiritual pills that aided cultivation.

Added to that were five Mind-Awakening Talismans... Though their effects were not as immediate as spiritual pills, they could restore one's mind and extend cultivation time.

"In other words, I should soon be able to break through and reach Qi Refining, Third Layer."

Zhou Changwang knew clearly that, for cultivators of immortal arts, realm and strength were closely intertwined.

Not only would one's spiritual power become more abundant, but its quality would also differ greatly.

Early the next morning.

Zhou Changwang cooked a pot of spirit rice porridge with Crescent Rice. The spiritual energy was indeed somewhat stronger than that of Spirit Grain Rice, though only to a limited extent. Its texture, however, was truly better, soft and glutinous.

Then he went out.

The cultivation world was a place where all sorts of people mingled, from every walk of life. In truth, it was simply a larger jianghu.

And in the jianghu, there would always be brokers who made their living off information.

The reason Zhou Changwang had arrived at the Spirit Field so late yesterday was that he had gone to find such a broker.

Unfortunately, an Innate Realm martial artist drew too little attention in the cultivation world, so the man had possessed no information at the time and likewise needed time to investigate.

Therefore, after leaving home, Zhou Changwang headed straight for the Rogue Cultivator Market at the northwest corner of the marketplace, then stopped before a stall selling young spirit beasts.

The stall owner was the broker he had sought yesterday.

He was said to be a beast tamer from the Beast Taming Workshop, with broad connections and keen access to information.

"Xiu Ge, may I have a word with you in private?"

The man happened to have no customers at the moment, so Zhou Changwang quickly spoke.

"I have the information you wanted.

But you know the rules, right?"

Xiu Ge looked middle-aged. His eyes were rather small, yet they concealed a sharp gleam.

As he spoke, he cast a Soundproofing Art.

This way, their conversation would not be overheard.

This was also a commonly used spell at the Rogue Cultivator Market. After all, the prices of goods here fluctuated wildly, and stall owners served different dishes depending on the customer. Naturally, they had to guard against others eavesdropping.

"I understand."

Zhou Changwang nodded and handed over a Low-Grade Spirit Stone.

Although he had already learned some information from Qian Xiaoyue, this concerned his father, so he naturally needed to know more.

"More than twenty days ago, your father entered Twin Abyss Mountain with Zhao Heng's team. There were five cultivators and three Innate Realm martial artists in total. Your father was one of those Innates.

But seven days ago, Zhao Heng returned. Two cultivators and one Innate Realm martial artist returned with him, though all of them were injured.

In other words, two cultivators and two Innate Realm martial artists remain unaccounted for.

Your father is one of them."

Xiu Ge swiftly pocketed the Spirit Stone and spoke directly without hesitation or concealment.

Zhou Changwang fell silent at once.

Had it been anywhere else, he might still have held onto some hope, hoping that his father was merely seriously injured and recovering in the wilderness...

But this was Twin Abyss Mountain.

It was a notoriously dangerous place in the surrounding region, crawling with venomous insects and teeming with demonic beasts. Even on the outskirts, one could encounter powerful demonic beasts, let alone in the depths, where Foundation Establishment great demons were said to possibly exist.

Surviving in the wilderness there was exceedingly difficult.

There had once been an incident where an Eighth Layer of the Qi Refining Realm cultivator led a group that stayed overnight, only for them to be ambushed by a pack of demonic beasts at night and wiped out to the last man.

"Afterward, I also confirmed it with that surviving Innate Realm martial artist.

Their target had been a Void Spirit Grass deep within Twin Abyss Mountain. Since they had prepared in advance, that part went smoothly.

But on the way back, their luck ran dry. They encountered a Two-Headed Wolf, and it was the most troublesome kind, an Icefire Two-Headed Wolf. In just one exchange, an Innate Realm martial artist was struck by its flames and burned straight to ashes."

At this point, Xiu Ge paused. Seeing Zhou Changwang's expression shift slightly, he gave a teasing smile before continuing, "Don't worry. That person wasn't your father."

Zhou Changwang raised his eyes and glanced at him. If not for the enormous difference in strength between them, he would have wanted to shove a Geng Metal Finger into the man's face.

"Then they fought as they retreated. One after another, people were wounded and cried out, before scattering to flee.

That martial artist was lucky. The Icefire Two-Headed Wolf did not think him worth its attention, and he escaped disaster.

He only vaguely saw that your father was following beside a cultivator, but the Icefire Two-Headed Wolf happened to pursue in that direction..."

As he spoke, Xiu Ge gave Zhou Changwang a bland look, then dispelled the Soundproofing Art and returned to stand behind his stall.