Qi Refining Sixth Layer

While Xu Changshou was in seclusion refining his pills, Ye Shanhua and the others did not cultivate at all. Until their places were secured, they simply could not put their minds to cultivation.

Another ten-odd days passed before they were told that their places had been secured. Only then did everyone settle down and turn their attention to cultivation.

Although their places were secured, they still did not know where they would end up. That would not be announced for another two and a half years.

They could only wait for the results two and a half years later. No one knew whether things would turn out as they hoped. In any case, they had done everything they could.

Do all that lies within human power, then accept heaven's decree.

Half a month later, Xu Changshou emerged from seclusion.

He had fully refined one Qi Gathering Pill, and his cultivation had increased considerably.

Xu Changshou reckoned that if he could refine two more Qi Gathering Pills, he would most likely break through to the qi refining fifth layer.

After emerging, he rested for two or three days before entering seclusion again.

Time flew like a shuttle.

A month and a half later.

Breakthrough!

After refining three Qi Gathering Pills in total, Xu Changshou finally broke through to the qi refining fifth layer. He still had one Qi Gathering Pill left.

After resting for three days, he entered seclusion again.

Once he had refined the last Qi Gathering Pill, the increase in his cultivation was no longer as dramatic as before. Xu Changshou estimated that he would probably need five pills of this kind to break through to the qi refining sixth layer.

He still had fifty fragmented spirit stones, enough to exchange for five Qi Gathering Pills. But good steel had to be saved for the cutting edge. Senior Sister Liu Ru had told him that, between the qi refining fourth layer and the seventh level of qi refining, the hardest bottleneck was the breakthrough from the sixth to the seventh.

The qi refining sixth layer belonged to mid qi refining, while the seventh level of qi refining was already late qi refining. That was a threshold he had to cross.

He needed to save his limited resources to push through that threshold.

Sigh!

In the end, it all came down to an empty purse. If only I were a disciple from one of those great lineages.

Without pills, his subsequent cultivation slowed to a turtle's crawl.

Xu Changshou gritted his teeth. If he had no pills, he would make up for them with diligence.

Hadn't Su Mo said that as long as he worked hard enough, he would surely reach foundation establishment? Human will could triumph over heaven.

Time raced by, and two and a half years passed in the blink of an eye.

During those years, Xu Changshou poured nearly every ounce of his strength into cultivation. Aside from eating and going to the toilet, he devoted practically all his time to it.

For more than two years, he had not slept once, meditating instead.

His diligence made Ye Shanhua and the others call him a freak, and left Su Mo feeling ashamed of himself.

Hard work never betrayed a determined heart. After more than two years, Xu Changshou's cultivation reached the peak of the qi refining sixth layer. He seemed to have reached the bottleneck Liu Ru had mentioned. No matter how he cultivated, his cultivation would not advance in the slightest.

Ever since breaking through to the qi refining sixth layer, he could clearly sense that the Bloodline Jade Talisman had become restless, as though it were trying to break through some restriction.

Xu Changshou had a feeling that once he reached the seventh level of qi refining, he would definitely be able to unlock the Bloodline Jade Talisman.

Right, Senior Sister Liu Ru said to take a break when I hit a bottleneck. Work and rest should go hand in hand.

With that thought, Xu Changshou stopped obsessing over cultivation and decided to go to the Steward Hall to buy Qi Gathering Pills.

He would rest for a few days and unwind, then use the Qi Gathering Pills to break through.

Over those two years, Xu Changshou had changed a great deal, growing from a dark-skinned cowherd into a handsome, graceful young man.

The sect fed him well. With dogtooth rice and various kinds of spirit meat nourishing him every day, his body had developed quickly.

At fifteen, aside from being a little thin, he was almost fully grown.

After removing the restrictive formation around his room, Xu Changshou pushed open the door and stepped outside.

Standing on the balcony, he saw Ye Shanhua and the others chatting in the pavilion.

Xu Changshou swept his gaze over them and was surprised to discover that everyone's cultivation had made substantial progress.

Ye Shanhua still had the highest cultivation. She had already reached the qi refining eighth layer.

Jiang Xiaochuan, Han Zong, Li Linhao, Zhang Feixian, Shi Wantong, Lin Xian'er, Qian Yuanbao, and Su Mo had all reached the qi refining sixth layer.

Like Xu Changshou, they were all stuck at this threshold.

"Oh, isn't that Senior Brother Xu?"

"What a rare sight! Senior Brother Xu actually came out of seclusion."

"Heh, the cultivation maniac has stopped cultivating."

Everyone turned to look at Xu Changshou.

Jiang Xiaochuan waved with a smile. "Senior Brother Xu, why did you come out of seclusion?"

Xu Changshou smiled. "I'm tired. I want to rest for a few days."

"He's hit a bottleneck too," Ye Shanhua said.

"No wonder he stopped cultivating."

"So that's why."

"I was wondering how the cultivation maniac could bear to sit idle."

Xu Changshou went downstairs and came to the pavilion to greet everyone.

"Senior Sister Ye, fellow Daoists, why are you all so free today?"

Ye Shanhua smiled. "Junior Brother Xu, today is the first day of the month, when the market at Cinnabar Clouds Peak opens. I helped them reserve a batch of Barrier-Breaking Pills..."

Barrier-Breaking Pills...

The mention of Barrier-Breaking Pills caught Xu Changshou's interest. "Senior Sister Ye, about how many spirit stones does a Barrier-Breaking Pill cost?"

"The sect charges three spirit stones," Ye Shanhua said. "Buying them at the market will definitely be a little cheaper."

"That expensive?"

Xu Changshou's heart sank. A Barrier-Breaking Pill actually cost three spirit stones. He truly could not afford one.

Jiang Xiaochuan picked up the conversation. "Our sect's market was set up by disciples of the Cinnabar Clouds Sect. It's mainly for disciples to trade with one another. The pills sold there are what the sect's alchemy disciples have left after handing in their required share. When disciples trade directly without going through the sect, things are naturally cheaper."

"Oh, I understand now!"

Xu Changshou nodded.

"Junior Brother Xu, would you like to go?"

Ye Shanhua smiled faintly, revealing two shallow dimples.

For an instant, Xu Changshou was a little dazed. He suddenly felt that Ye Shanhua was different from before. There was something about her that made his heart stir, a feeling he had only ever experienced with Senior Sister Liu.

It was not that Xu Changshou had suddenly taken an interest in Ye Shanhua, but that Ye Shanhua had grown up.

Over the past two or three years, both Ye Shanhua and Lin Xian'er had become slender, graceful young women, like flower buds waiting to bloom.

Ye Shanhua in particular had developed quite a full chest.

"I happen to have nothing to do, so I'll go have a look," Xu Changshou said with a nod.

"Let's go!"

Ye Shanhua patted the Storage Bag at her waist and released the White Jade Boat. They jumped aboard and headed straight for Cinnabar Clouds Peak.

The market lay at the eastern foot of Cinnabar Clouds Peak. It was an open-air market held on the first and fifteenth of each month.

Before long, the White Jade Boat stopped a short distance from the market.

They stepped off the White Jade Boat, and the market lay right before their eyes.

At the foot of a sheer mountainside, people streamed to and fro without end.

Rows of stallholders stood like vendors in a bustling town, their cries carrying from afar.

"Spirit spring water! Spirit spring water! Spirit spring water to boost your cultivation! One fragmented spirit stone for a big bucket!"

"Come and buy! Twelve Qi Gathering Pills for one spirit stone! Genuine goods at a fair price! Tenfold compensation for any fakes!"

"Talismans for sale! Talismans for sale! Fellow Daoists, top-quality Fireball Talismans..."

"Clear Wind Swords! Come buy my Clear Wind Swords! They slice through iron like mud, guaranteed ten times sharper than the sect's Fine Steel Swords!"

"Come take a look! Top-quality blood lingzhi to replenish qi and nourish the blood..."