Abode Lv. 1

Ji Yuan had always suffered from having no Spirit Stones, so he had been unable to upgrade his buildings.

Even when he had finally scraped together a few Spirit Stones, he had needed to save them to buy Dharma Tools.

Now things were different. He had struck it rich halfway through, and not only had he acquired Dharma Tools, he had gotten three at once, along with the Object Manipulation Technique.

So rather than hesitate any longer, he might as well use these remaining Spirit Stones to upgrade the [Cave Abode] first.

As for the [Spirit Field], it could be upgraded now.

But after upgrading it, Ji Yuan would have nowhere to plant anything. The only small patch of land in his backyard was already packed full by the [Fish Pond], [Chicken Coop], and [Pigsty].

And the [Spirit Field] took up the most space of all.

Besides, once something was planted, it needed careful tending afterward. It was not like raising chickens and pigs, which could be done roughly.

So he could only set it aside for the time being.

Ji Yuan looked at the Panel.

[Cave Abode lv0]

[LV1: Spirit Effect: Wall self-repair, basic Dust-Avoidance barrier, nighttime spiritual energy concentration +20%]

[Upgrade requirements: Low-Grade Spirit Stone ×5, glutinous rice slurry ×3 buckets, repair damaged roof tiles (Not met)]

The upgrade requirements were not difficult. Five Spirit Stones and three buckets of glutinous rice slurry would do it, while the damaged roof tiles indeed needed some repairs.

The last time the roof had been repaired was when Ji Qingyun had still been around.

He would have to go to Zengtou City to buy glutinous rice. Ji Yuan was in no hurry, so he planned to go tomorrow, when he could also ask around about Lousy Liu.

As for now...

Ji Yuan first took out the three jade slips and studied the Object Manipulation Technique, Fireball Technique, and Cloud-Rain Technique.

His main focus was still the Object Manipulation Technique.

Fortunately, foundational spells like these followed the principle that understanding one meant understanding all. There was nothing particularly difficult about them, and Ji Yuan had barely managed to get started after just half a day.

He then took the two Dharma Tools he had obtained from his Storage Bag.

The Blackgold Blade and that Embroidery Needle.

Their original owners were dead, and Ji Yuan had already bound both of them to himself with a drop of blood.

With a thought, he first activated the Embroidery Needle. Drawn by spiritual energy, a thread of blood-red light immediately bloomed from it.

"Go!"

The spell moved as his heart commanded.

The Embroidery Needle instantly turned into a streak of red light and vanished into the wall in the blink of an eye.

Even though he was the one controlling it, Ji Yuan still felt a shiver run through him after sensing its power.

If this Dharma Tool had belonged to Lousy Liu... then he would probably be a corpse by now.

Ji Yuan examined it carefully and felt that even the Golden Body Talisman might not be able to stop this Embroidery Needle.

Even if it could barely block it, it would likely be breached very quickly.

Once the Golden Body Talisman broke, he would be a lamb awaiting slaughter.

"Whew—"

Fortunately, this Dharma Tool was mine now... With a thought, Ji Yuan retrieved the Embroidery Needle from the wall.

Qiu Qianhai had said before that this needle was likely part of a set, and the full set would make a Mid-Grade Magical Artifact.

Unfortunately, he only had one.

Even so, Ji Yuan gave the silver needle a resounding name.

Deathbringer.

A needle that claimed lives was the Deathbringer Needle!

It could count as one of his trump cards. Ji Yuan put it back into his Storage Bag, then looked at the Blackgold short blade resting on the table.

Based on the previous fight, Ji Yuan's assessment of it was... good, yet not good.

Its good point was that it could be wielded in close combat or controlled from afar.

But that was also its bad point.

It looked like it could do this and that, but in truth, it could do neither properly.

Still, no matter what, it was a Dharma Tool. As Ji Yuan controlled it with spiritual energy and watched it fly wildly around the room, he could not help feeling emotional.

"Damn it, after all this time, I finally feel a little like an immortal cultivator."

After playing with it for a while, Ji Yuan found it somewhat taxing to control, and it nearly slipped from his grasp several times.

It was most likely because he had not yet mastered the Object Manipulation Technique. Ji Yuan was not in a rush. After enjoying the pleasure of controlling Dharma Tools, he ate today's Spirit Eggs as usual before drifting off to sleep.

Early the next morning, he headed to Zengtou City to buy some glutinous rice and upgrade the Cave Abode.

But not long after arriving in Zengtou City, he heard fishermen discussing Lousy Liu's death. Just as expected, they all said Qiu Qianhai had killed him.

"Ji Yuan?"

A woman called softly from behind him.

Hearing the familiar voice, Ji Yuan turned around and saw a female cultivator in a plain-patterned cross-collar robe. She was tall and slender, with delicate features.

"Sister Lu, what are you doing here?!"

Ji Yuan was also somewhat delighted to see the female cultivator calling to him.

Her name was Lu Wan. She was the daughter of Ji Qingyun's old friend, and she and Ji Yuan... could be considered childhood sweethearts.

But later, Lu Wan's father had advanced to the Fifth Layer of Qi Refinement. Combined with Lu Wan's outstanding talent for drawing talismans, she had been accepted as a disciple by Wu Wenbin, Zengtou City's renowned Talisman Master.

As the tide rose, so did the boat. Lu Wan's family moved to live in the Core Area of Zengtou City.

Afterward, their relationship with Ji Yuan's family gradually faded.

And since Ji Yuan had kept a low profile after transmigrating here, today was the first time he had seen this old friend.

"I came out to buy some Talisman Ink. What about you?"

Lu Wan looked at her childhood companion, her gaze flickering with a trace of unease.

Most fishermen in Zengtou City, regardless of age, had skin tanned dark and red by the sun, or else reeked of fish.

But what about Ji Yuan now?

He had not gone into the water for a month, and his cultivation had improved while he had undergone Body Tempering. The aura around him was already nothing like before, and even his appearance had become more refined and handsome.

"I came to buy a few things too," Ji Yuan answered with a smile.

Lu Wan glanced around, then walked toward the roadside. Ji Yuan had no choice but to follow her until they reached a deserted spot.

Only then did Lu Wan ask in a low voice, "You seemed to know Qiu Qianhai before? He hasn't contacted you recently, has he?"

"No... I only ran into him at Cloud-Rain Marsh last time and exchanged a few words with him."

When Qiu Qianhai had come to find Ji Yuan yesterday, no one had seen him.

"That's good."

Lu Wan visibly breathed a sigh of relief. "Stay away from him from now on. He's offended quite a few people, and the Qin Household has even declared that they are determined to see him dead."

He should already be on his way to another market by now... Ji Yuan nodded. "All right, I understand."

After that, they chatted for a few more sentences. Lu Wan did most of the talking while Ji Yuan listened.

Before leaving, Lu Wan had wanted to slip Ji Yuan a few Talismans, but he politely declined.

In cultivation, one had to look after oneself. It was better not to owe favors that could be avoided.

After parting with Lu Wan, Ji Yuan went to a rice shop and bought more than ten jin of glutinous rice. He did not know how much would be enough, but buying extra was always better than making repeated trips.

Then he gave it some more thought. Since he was not upgrading the [Spirit Field], he could use his remaining Spirit Stones to buy another Spirit Pig to raise.

Ji Yuan had already experienced the benefits of Body Refining in the previous battle. Now that he had a chance to increase his strength, he naturally would not let it slip away.

But this time, he did not go to Luo Tong's shop. Instead, he deliberately chose another place and spent 2.5 Spirit Stones to buy a young Spirit Pig.

After half a day, he returned home, settled the pig, cooked the rice slurry, and climbed onto the roof to repair it.

Looking at the words "Met" after [Cave Abode],

He made his choice with a thought and upgraded it.

Unlike the previous upgrades, when he had felt nothing at all, this time Ji Yuan could clearly sense the changes brought by upgrading the [Cave Abode].

First, the entire house looked brand-new. Dust, cobwebs, and the like all vanished without a trace.

Then, the tiny cracks in the walls slowly began to mend.

Even the surrounding spiritual energy seemed to grow somewhat denser.

Before Ji Yuan could sense it further, light flashed across the Panel, and the upgrade requirements for the Level Two Cave Abode appeared.

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