Seventh-Turn Qi Refining, the Nine-Vault Golden Separation Furnace

Seeing Zhang Yuan refuse, Chen Xinqiao silently stepped aside. She knew better than to pester him, and her expression barely changed.

But Zhang Yuan could see through the labels.

The [Nervous] above Chen Xinqiao's head had changed to [Disappointed], reflecting her feelings at that moment.

Unlike her expression, Chen Xinqiao's inner emotions were quite rich.

Zhang Yuan paid little attention and promptly entered the house.

The house was small. Aside from the main hall and Chen Qinkuai's bedroom, there was a side room on either side. Chen Xinqiao occupied the western room, while Zhang Yuan took the eastern one.

Chen Qinkuai had intended to give Zhang Yuan the main bedroom, but Zhang Yuan refused, finding it too much trouble.

A day slipped by in a flash, and the sun sank behind the western hills.

In the eastern room, Zhang Yuan sat cross-legged on the bed and took a fist-sized bead of water from his sleeve.

[Water Calamity Baleful Force].

He squeezed, bursting the water bead. Moisture instantly filled the room, but a moment later, as Zhang Yuan circulated his cultivation method, it dissipated, and he absorbed the [Water Calamity Baleful Force]'s imago in its entirety.

A gleam flashed in Zhang Yuan's eyes.

Seventh-turn qi refining!

With two more heavenly dipper and earthly baleful forces, he could not only condense his third life-bound divine ability, but also qualify for heavenly being attainment!

Of course, since he practiced Xiao Yuanjun's "Congenital True Law of Self-Transcendence," he would certainly reach ten turns before attaining the heavenly being realm.

"There's no rush to find the remaining two heavenly dipper and earthly baleful forces. I'll stay in Liu Family Village for a while and take my time." Zhang Yuan calmed his mind and gathered his thoughts.

Every few days, he could refine a heavenly dipper or earthly baleful force and advance another turn. Even a Qi Refinement Perfected from a great clan, supported by their lineage, could not match such speed.

His progress through the Qi Refinement Perfected stage of the sha ingestion gang devoration path was already fast enough. There was no need to rush for results.

Next, Zhang Yuan took five more objects from his sleeve: two books, a small blue bottle, a small white bottle, and a palm-sized reddish-yellow pill furnace. They were all Outer Dao fortuitous opportunities he had seized in Jianning City.

Zhang Yuan picked up the two books first, opened each for a glance, then decisively tossed them aside.

The drawbacks of illiteracy were far too great. Even with two secret manuals in hand, he could not judge whether they had any value.

Better look at the others.

Zhang Yuan opened the two small bottles, and pill fragrance immediately washed over him. The scent filled his nostrils, soothing his heart and spirit. They contained two different kinds of pills.

Unlike the two books, although he did not recognize these pills, his Qi Refinement Perfected senses allowed him to determine their effects.

Both kinds aided cultivation of the outer qi refinement path. With these two bottles, someone sufficiently talented might be able to cultivate from nothing all the way to an Outer Dao golden core.

"They're worth something, at least. There are plenty of cultivators on the outer qi refinement path. If I find a black market to sell them later, they should fetch quite a bit of silver." Zhang Yuan was rather pleased.

He lacked neither lifespan nor fortuitous opportunities now. What he lacked most was silver.

Had he not been short of silver, why would he have plunged headfirst into the [Blood Miasma Heavenly Being]'s inn back in Jianning City?

Zhang Yuan carefully put away the two small bottles, then turned his attention to the palm-sized reddish-yellow pill furnace.

Of the five Outer Dao fortuitous opportunities, the reddish-yellow pill furnace was the most unusual. The reason was simple: though it belonged to the outer qi refinement path, it held an exceptionally dense imago of heaven and earth.

It had not yet reached the level of the heavenly dipper and earthly baleful forces, but it was not far off.

Zhang Yuan grasped the reddish-yellow pill furnace and briefly sensed it. Its origins surfaced in his mind.

The furnace was called the [Nine-Vault Golden Separation Furnace], a magical treasure of the outer qi refinement path. It contained ninefold separation pillfire, which had considerable power whether used against enemies or to refine pills.

At full power, the [Nine-Vault Golden Separation Furnace] should possess the strength of an Outer Dao golden core, or perhaps rival a Nine-Turn Qi Refinement Perfected Being wielding a divine ability.

What a pity. If it could advance another step, this treasure could at least transform into a magical treasure possessing an earthly baleful manifestation. Its power would then soar by a considerable margin, Zhang Yuan thought regretfully.

He knew nothing of artifact refining. In his hands, the [Nine-Vault Golden Separation Furnace] had reached the end of its road, with no possibility of further advancement.

Even so, sealing an imago of heaven and earth with Outer Dao cultivation showed that the Outer Dao Cultivator who had forged the [Nine-Vault Golden Separation Furnace] was no ordinary figure.

It seemed the outer qi refinement path had its share of capable people and was not as worthless as he had imagined.

The next day, at tiger hour.

Before dawn, Zhang Yuan saw through the window that Chen Qinkuai had shouldered a basket and headed up the mountain.

Chen Qinkuai truly lived up to his name. He was industrious to the extreme.

And shortly after Chen Qinkuai left.

A series of knocks sounded.

"You little bastard! Open the door!"

It was Liu Yulan's voice.

Yesterday, the old woman and Liu Yulan had planned to summon people to forcibly abduct Chen Xinqiao as soon as Chen Qinkuai left the house.

Chen Qinkuai had clearly realized this, which was why he had left well before dawn, intending to return before daybreak.

But Chen Qinkuai had still misjudged the determination of the old woman and Liu Yulan.

People arrived the moment he left. Clearly, they had sent someone to watch Chen Qinkuai all night.

Zhang Yuan sat cross-legged in meditation, paying them no mind.

Yet the longer no one answered, the fiercer the pounding outside became. Eventually, the knocking turned into kicks against the door.

Finally, with a creak, someone pushed open the eastern room's door.

Chen Xinqiao entered, bowed to Zhang Yuan with her hands clasped, and said, "Hello. Could you come open the door with me?"

Zhang Yuan opened his eyes and looked at Chen Xinqiao.

She remained expressionless, with no ripple in her gaze. Even the status label above her head stayed at [Calm].

She was not afraid of the pounding outside.

"All right." After a brief moment of thought, Zhang Yuan nodded.

Since he was staying in Chen Qinkuai's house, there was nothing wrong with lending him a little help.

Just as when he had saved Chen Qinkuai earlier, it was only a matter of lending a hand.

Outside the door.

The old woman and Liu Yulan were both there, with three farmers behind them, all related to the two women.

"You little white-eyed wolf, don't play deaf with me! You'd better open this door right now!" Liu Yulan slapped the gate and shouted.

"Mother, why don't we just break it down?" suggested a man who looked honest and simple, seeing that this was getting them nowhere.

He was the old woman's youngest son and Liu Yulan's younger brother.

"Mm." The old woman nodded in assent.

"First Uncle, Second Uncle, let's do it!"

The man rubbed his fists and flexed his hands.

But just as they were about to break down the gate, it opened.

Liu Yulan rejoiced inwardly. This little white-eyed wolf knows what's good for her. She's saved us some effort. She immediately moved to enter the yard.

But after taking just one step and looking inside, she noticed something amiss.

A tall, slender figure stood in the doorway.

When did that little white-eyed wolf get so tall?

Liu Yulan narrowed her eyes. In the morning light, she realized that the figure was not Chen Xinqiao, but an unfamiliar, expressionless man in a Crimson Wedding Robe.

Chen Xinqiao herself stood beside the man, her gaze equally indifferent.

After a brief moment of stunned confusion, Liu Yulan cried out, scrambled backward, and fell onto her backside.

"A ghost!"

"Mother, Chen Qinkuai's house is haunted!"