Middle Qi Refining Stage

In the outer city, everyone knew of the Wondrous Pill Pavilion.

Not only did it sell all kinds of pills, it also had a remarkable background.

It was said to be the property of an elder of the inner city's Lin Household, though there was no way to tell whether that was true.

None of that mattered to Qin Fei, however. What mattered was that the pavilion sold pills that improved cultivation.

"Honored guest, what can I help you with?"

As soon as Qin Fei arrived, an attendant came forward to greet him.

Though he saw that Qin Fei was plainly dressed, the attendant was not discourteous in the least. Instead, he kept a smile on his face.

Qin Fei nodded inwardly, glanced around, and got straight to the point.

"I'd like to see your pills for improving cultivation."

"Certainly, honored guest. Please follow me."

The attendant bowed and stepped aside, gesturing for him to proceed.

The two came to a display stand lined with golden silk, upon which three jade bottles sat.

The attendant took out the silk, pointed to the first jade bottle, and said:

"Please take a look, honored guest. This pill is called the Qi Gathering Pill. Taking it can raise the cultivation realm of someone in Early Qi Refining. It has always been a bestseller at our Wondrous Pill Pavilion, and demand exceeds supply."

Qin Fei took the jade bottle and gave it a light sniff. A fresh herbal fragrance wafted toward him, refreshing his heart and mind.

He poured out a pill. It was the size of a soybean, perfectly round and full, and pale blue throughout.

Qin Fei nodded in satisfaction, feeling he had come to the right place.

The pill brimmed with spiritual power. Even an amateur like him could see that it was extraordinary.

Still, he put down the jade bottle and turned his gaze back to the other two.

The attendant immediately understood. He picked up the second jade bottle and introduced it:

"This is a Spirit Ascension Pill. Its effects are somewhat stronger than those of a Qi Gathering Pill, and it works quite well for cultivators in both Early Qi Refining and Middle Qi Refining. Naturally, though, it costs a little more.

"Quite a few cultivators choose this kind of pill as well. If you have sufficient funds, honored guest, I recommend giving it serious consideration."

Qin Fei nodded inwardly and looked at the last bottle of pills.

This time, however, the attendant did not introduce it. Instead, he explained:

"This last bottle is only suitable for those in Late Qi Refining. With your cultivation, honored guest, you cannot take it. If you force yourself to take it, it will do harm rather than good.

"But if you would like to know more, honored guest, I can tell you a little about it."

Qin Fei understood and gently shook his head.

Late Qi Refining was still a long way off for him. Hearing about it would be of little use and would only leave him longing for it.

"I'll take this one."

He pointed to the Spirit Ascension Pills, then held up one finger.

"One bottle."

A flicker of surprise crossed the attendant's face, but he quickly concealed it.

He had thought it would be good enough if Qin Fei bought the Qi Gathering Pills, never expecting to receive such a big customer. He silently counted himself lucky that he had not neglected Qin Fei because of his plain clothes.

He carefully packaged the pills, then escorted Qin Fei all the way to the door and watched him go until he was far away before returning.

After leaving the Wondrous Pill Pavilion, Qin Fei plunged straight into the market.

He planned to spend all his remaining funds on materials for making Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse, but he needed so many that buying them all from one shop would draw too much attention.

Though Wang Hu had yet to make his move, Qin Fei expected it would happen within the next few days.

He did not want anyone connecting him to the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse that would soon go on sale.

So he bought the materials separately, spending no more than fifty Spirit Essence at each spiritual materials shop.

It took him a full hour, and he was left with only five or six pieces of Spirit Essence.

On his way home, he once again saw a vendor selling Demon Beast meat.

After some thought, Qin Fei did not go home empty-handed this time. Instead, he bought a large rack of prime Savage Ox Beast ribs.

Qi Refinement cultivators could not practice Grain Avoidance and still needed Spirit Cuisine to provide energy. Though taking Grain Avoidance Pills could stave off hunger, they did little to help with cultivation.

Demon Beast meat, on the other hand, could nourish the body and was wonderfully beneficial for daily cultivation.

Qin Fei had never eaten it before. Now that he had a little money to spare, he treated himself to a luxury.

By the time he returned home, the moon was already hanging above the treetops.

Qin Fei did nothing else. He flopped onto his bed and fell fast asleep.

When he woke again, it was already noon the next day.

All his fatigue had been swept away, and Qin Fei felt full of vigor.

He bathed, changed clothes, lit a fire, and cooked the meat.

Before long, the aroma of meat filled the air.

He grabbed a piece of Savage Ox Beast meat and ate heartily, then used the broth to cook some spirit rice and polished it all off.

With his belly full and his thirst quenched, his whole body felt warm.

Only then did he sit cross-legged on a meditation cushion, take out a Spirit Ascension Pill, and pop it into his mouth.

The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth. A warm current flowed down his throat and into his abdomen, reaching straight into his Dantian.

Then a surge of spiritual power burst forth from his Dantian, sweeping through his limbs and bones like a tide.

Spirit Ascension Pills were effective even for cultivators in the Middle Qi Refining Stage, let alone Qin Fei, who was at the Qi Refining Third Layer.

He had never encountered such a vast amount of spiritual power before. Not daring to waste a bit of it, he hurriedly circulated his Cultivation Method and began absorbing it.

The method Qin Fei cultivated was the Everlasting Spring Art, one of the most widespread Cultivation Methods in the world of immortal cultivation.

It was sold in the market, where a copy could be bought for just a few pieces of Spirit Essence.

This was a wood-attribute Cultivation Method with nothing special about it, and the spiritual power it cultivated was also quite ordinary.

If one had to find an advantage, it was somewhat easier to cultivate than other methods.

That suited Qin Fei rather well. His Pseudo Spirit Root aptitude was not very good to begin with, and even if a profound Cultivation Method were placed before him, it might not necessarily suit him.

There were rumors in the market, however, that the Everlasting Spring Art often accumulated strength gradually before unleashing it. If cultivated to Late Qi Refining, its spiritual power would be somewhat deeper than that of other methods.

As for how much deeper, only those who had cultivated the art would know.

The pill's spiritual power surged against the meridians throughout his body. Qin Fei had been stuck at the Qi Refining Third Layer bottleneck for a long time, unable to break through.

His aptitude was partly to blame, but more than that, it was because he lacked resources.

Now the pill's power erupted, and that minor bottleneck, already worn down by the passage of time, shattered in an instant as though made of paper.

The spiritual power was like a wild horse that had broken free of its reins, charging straight for the crown of his head.

Qin Fei's presence climbed higher and higher. His robes rose without wind, and the door creaked as it was blown against its frame.

As he breathed out a stream of white vapor, the spiritual power settled.

His cultivation realm had broken through: the Qi Refining Fourth Layer!

Feeling the surging spiritual power in his body, Qin Fei smiled knowingly:

"No wonder everyone says there's a huge gap between Middle Qi Refining Stage and Early Qi Refining. Just in terms of the depth of spiritual power, the two cannot compare."

After his breakthrough, the spiritual power in his body had more than doubled.

The power of his various Technique Methods was also far greater than before.

"The Qi Refining Fourth Layer is only the beginning. I wonder if I have any chance of reaching Foundation Establishment in this lifetime."

Foundation Establishment cultivators were figures who ruled over entire regions. Just like the Lin Household's patriarch, who governed the whole of Shangyu Market.

More importantly, once one broke through to Foundation Establishment, one's lifespan could reach an astonishing three hundred years or more.

What a world that would be. Qin Fei did not dare indulge in such fantasies.

He had never dared hope for it before, but now that he had the Heavenly Craft Creation Pavilion, he had begun to think of catching a glimpse of it.

"Foundation Establishment is still too far away for me. I'll take it one step at a time.

"By my reckoning, there are less than two months until the next barbarian raid on the border. I need to make more preparations.

"Spirit Stones. I need a large number of Spirit Stones. I wonder how Wang Hu, my first-tier agent, is getting on with his preparations."

After his breakthrough, Qin Fei did not go out again. Instead, he threw himself into intensive cultivation with the aid of the pills.

He did not neglect the crafting of the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse either. After all, he still had to deliver the ten puppets Wang Hu had purchased outright.

His simulations in his sea of consciousness grew ever more refined, and he gradually became more skilled at crafting Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse.

[Wooden Ox crafting complete, experience +10]

[Flowing Horse crafting complete, experience +11]

Everything was progressing in a positive direction.

And on Wang Hu's side, things were finally about to begin.