Qi Refining Sixth Layer

After buying the pills, Lu Zhao returned to his room, having resolved to burn his boats: whatever the cost in pills, he would attempt to reach the qi refining sixth layer within the next three months.

Time flew like a white steed flashing past a crevice. One day, two and a half months later, a young man dressed in blue sat cross-legged in a corner of the Hundred Arts Battalion's Spirit Gathering Formation, magical power surging ceaselessly around him.

He seemed to have become an invisible vortex, greedily devouring the surrounding spiritual energy. A quarter of an hour, half an hour...

Vast quantities of spiritual energy continued pouring into his body. At last, the man's tightly shut eyes snapped open, and a pressure unique to the qi refining sixth layer flashed from him before vanishing-this man was none other than Lu Zhao.

Feeling his cultivation rise, Lu Zhao let out a long breath. The heavy stone that had hung over his heart finally settled. He rose and returned to his stone house with light steps.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Lu Zhao recalled his frenzied cultivation over the past two and a half months and felt somewhat alarmed himself.

To break through to the qi refining sixth layer, he had consumed nearly twenty Meridian-Guarding Pills and sixteen Ice Jade Pills with almost reckless extravagance. It was precisely by sparing no expense that he had advanced so quickly.

After stabilizing his cultivation somewhat, Lu Zhao focused inward to examine the changes in himself, then habitually glanced at the Puppet Pearl panel floating in his sea of consciousness:

Name: Lu Zhao

Cultivation: Qi refining sixth layer (middle-grade water spirit root)

Lifespan: 26/120

Primary cultivation method: "Little Spirit Rain Art"

Spells: All others at major mastery, Thousandfold Overlapping Waves Art (minor mastery), Thousand Threads Technique (three divine threads)

Puppet Art (first-tier low grade):

Flowing Cloud Sparrow (success rate: 55%)

Frost Rat Puppet (success rate: 65%)

Ironwood Guard (success rate: 35%)

Beyond his cultivation breakthrough, his attainments in the Puppet Art had also advanced by leaps and bounds with ample materials available. His success rates for both the Flowing Cloud Sparrow and the Frost Rat Puppet had surpassed half, while even the more difficult Ironwood Guard had reached a considerable thirty-five percent.

Now that he had broken through, Lu Zhao knew that reaching the qi refining seventh layer would take years of effort, especially with the bottleneck of late qi refining barring the way.

For the next few months, he decided to devote all his energy to the Puppet Art apart from his necessary daily cultivation. His first goal was to raise his success rate in crafting Ironwood Guards to forty percent, laying a firm foundation for becoming a first-tier middle-grade Puppet Master.

As for the materials needed to craft a first-tier middle-grade Icewind Wolf Puppet, he had gathered most of them a year earlier. Only the carcasses of middle-first-stage demonic wolves had continued to elude him.

After making inquiries, he learned that a hired rogue cultivator at late qi refining happened to have some. Using the Zhou Household's connections to establish contact, Lu Zhao successfully traded a finished Ironwood Guard for the three wolf carcasses in the other party's possession.

This meant he would have three precious opportunities to try his hand! Though the number still left him stretched thin, it was worth giving it his all.

Fortunately, when crafting beast-shaped puppets, the Puppet Core and body could be made separately. The most difficult part was carving and activating the Puppet Core, and the icewind stone he had accumulated was enough for ten attempts at crafting cores.

Just as Lu Zhao was immersed in puppet crafting, a familiar figure quietly arrived outside his stone house, breaking the peace of the past month and more.

That day, between one and three in the afternoon, the blazing sun hung overhead. Knocking at the stone door interrupted the path of Lu Zhao's carving knife. He felt slightly puzzled. Could someone have come to buy an Ironwood Guard? But under the Hundred Arts Battalion's new strict orders, all puppets crafted must be handed over, even private works made with one's own materials.

The moment this strict order was issued, it stirred up towering waves within the Hundred Arts Battalion. When had these craftsmen cultivators, who had always enjoyed considerable standing, ever suffered such restrictions?

They jointly approached the battalion commander to argue their case. In the end, to quell their anger, the commander promised that the order would be revoked as soon as the target Market District was captured, and that everyone would then receive compensation at market prices for all finished pills, Magical Artifacts, puppets, and other items crafted with their own materials. Only after this reassurance did they reluctantly restrain themselves. Helpless as they were, they could only comply.

Opening the stone door with questions on his mind, Lu Zhao immediately found one of the elderly men familiar. On closer inspection, it was actually Zhou Kang, Shopkeeper Zhou!

Yet how could the old man before him have aged only ten years since they parted over a year ago? His face was withered, his skin loose, his white hair sparse, and his once-clear eyes had become terribly clouded. Looking at Shopkeeper Zhou's decrepit appearance, Lu Zhao was filled with a hundred conflicting feelings and, for a moment, did not know what to say.

He suppressed his feelings, politely welcomed the two inside, and served spiritual tea. Only after everything was settled did Lu Zhao ask, "Shopkeeper Zhou, what brings you here today? Is there something urgent?"

At this, a trace of bitter self-mockery appeared on Shopkeeper Zhou's face. "I'm no longer the shopkeeper of the Nine Abyss Pavilion... If you don't mind me presuming on my age, just call me Uncle Kang."

Lu Zhao hesitated slightly but followed his wishes. "Uncle Kang, then what have you come to see me about today? And this gentleman is..."

Before Zhou Kang could introduce him, the other man, a middle-aged man in fine clothes, spoke for himself. "My surname is Zhou, given name Hua. I am the new shopkeeper of the Nine Abyss Pavilion.

"I came today first to pay my respects to Fellow Daoist Lu, and second because I do indeed have a matter to discuss." The man looked to be in his forties. His deep-purple brocade robe bore exquisite embroidery, its collar lined with soft fox fur. A jade belt set with jade encircled his waist, and he wore brocade boots. His beard was meticulously groomed, and he exuded an air of maturity and steadiness.

Lu Zhao's gaze quietly swept over the silent Zhou Kang before turning to Zhou Hua. "Please speak, Shopkeeper. What would you like to discuss?"

Zhou Hua dispensed with pleasantries and went straight to the point. "Fellow Daoist Lu, you're a discerning man. With the all-out assault imminent, what is most precious now? Naturally, anything that can save your life!" He paused slightly, a hint of ostentation in his tone. "As luck would have it, I happen to possess a Quasi-Second-Tier Talisman-an Ice Sword Talisman."

Shifting the conversation, he revealed his purpose. "My youngest son has been fascinated with the Puppet Arts since childhood. I would like to ask Fellow Daoist Lu to accept him as a disciple after this battle. This Ice Sword Talisman would serve as his greeting gift upon entering your tutelage. What do you think?"

Hearing this, Lu Zhao fell silent for a moment without immediately giving an answer. His gaze once again rested on Zhou Kang, who remained silent with his head lowered, as though hoping to obtain some hint from him. But Zhou Kang remained as silent as a mountain. Lu Zhao could only choose his words carefully. "This is no small matter. Please allow me to think it over in detail."

The professional smile on Zhou Hua's face stiffened for an instant, and a trace of displeasure flashed through his eyes. But he quickly suppressed it and plastered on another false smile. "Of course, of course. This is an important matter. You should indeed think it over carefully." Despite his words, he had already risen to take his leave and walked alone toward the stone door.

Just as he was about to step outside, he paused briefly and turned his head, leaving a few words laden with meaning. "Still, Fellow Daoist Lu, I hope you will decide soon. Quite a few people have already come knocking to ask the price of this Ice Sword Talisman." With that, he lingered no longer and left without looking back.