Immortal Refiner

After devouring a large bowl of spiritual rice, Li Qing immediately sat cross-legged on the ground and plunged into cultivation at lightning speed.

He circulated the Fire Origin Art through one small cycle after another, finally completing a grand cycle. The spiritual energy contained in the rice he had just consumed was rapidly converted into pure mana.

During this process, the dense heaven and earth spiritual energy permeating the surroundings was also drawn into Li Qing’s body through his breath.

Li Qing had been practicing this way for six months, and the results were quite remarkable.

After a long while, the spiritual energy Li Qing had accumulated within his body for half a year finally surged forward another notch!

Third Layer of Qi Refining!

This marked the peak of the Early Qi Refining Realm. Beyond this lay the Mid Qi Refining Realm. Each small breakthrough in cultivation was inherently challenging, requiring constant refinement and tempering.

As his aura gradually stabilized, Li Qing opened his eyes and exhaled deeply.

”Hoo!”

”Entering the Third Layer of Qi Refining before the trade fair... not bad.”

Li Qing was quite satisfied with this outcome. Combined with his daily consumption of spiritual rice and the abundant spiritual energy of the Spirit Vein Land, his cultivation speed had been significantly faster than it would have been outside.

Of course, compared to those with exceptional cultivation talent, this speed was nothing to boast about.

”It’s time to prepare for the trade fair. Though it lasts three days, it’s best to be prepared.”

With that, Li Qing began preparing his attire.

He had many things to buy, so disguising himself under different identities and making multiple purchases was essential.

Fortunately, Li Qing’s Martial Dao cultivation had reached the level of a Transformed Strength Grandmaster. He could perfectly control his Vital Energy and subtly alter his aura.

Combined with careful clothing choices, he could easily blend in without drawing suspicion unless someone specifically observed him.

Li Qing meticulously prepared one set of clothing after another, flawlessly embodying various identities.

He became a world-weary middle-aged cultivator, a hardworking and honest spirit farmer, and more.

”It’s a pity this disguise can’t make me look too old. Otherwise, I’d be easily exposed.”

”If I’d known this would happen, I should have gathered some Face-Altering Techniques or Bone Shrinking Arts back when I was in the secular Martial World.”

Li Qing sighed softly for a moment before his anticipation for tomorrow’s trade fair returned.

The next day, the Liu Clan’s worker district finally came alive with a cacophony of voices.

Rogue cultivators from the three districts—A, B, and C—had all gathered, trading and bartering for their needs.

The bustling scene left Li Qing astonished. He realized there were far more people living in these three rogue cultivator districts than he had anticipated.

Watching the scene unfold like a mortal market fair, Li Qing, disguised as a spirit farmer, immediately plunged into the crowd, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

In truth, no one paid him any attention. Most people were focused on the various stalls, searching for items they needed.

”These cultivators usually stay cooped up in their courtyards or are out working,” Li Qing muttered to himself. ”But now that they’ve gathered together, it’s created such a lively atmosphere!”

He wandered aimlessly through the crowd, listening to the vendors’ calls.

”Spirit rice! Spirit rice! One-time-only clearance sale! One spirit stone for seven catties! One spirit stone for seven catties of spirit rice!”

Hearing the hawking, Li Qing’s heart stirred, but he quickly suppressed the impulse.

Normally, Spirit Rice sells for one spirit stone per six catties. However, at the trade fair, many cultivators were selling it for seven catties per spirit stone.

This was because many Spirit Farmers urgently needed spirit stones to buy items they wanted at the fair, so they were eager to sell their Spirit Rice quickly.

But this wasn’t Li Qing’s goal. He wasn’t particularly short on spirit stones at the moment, so buying cheap Spirit Rice was unnecessary.

”Come, come, take a look! Aged Spirit Wine! Jade Spirit Brew—just one cup helps boost your Qi Refining Realm cultivation speed!”

At a stall, a cultivator was enthusiastically hawking the seven or eight jars of Spirit Wine on display.

Intrigued, Li Qing followed the sound and approached the stall.

”Excuse me, what varieties of Spirit Wine do you have, and how much do they cost?”

Seeing someone interested, the cultivator immediately perked up and began enthusiastically introducing his wares. ”Young friend, I have two types of Spirit Wine. One is the Jade Spirit Brew I just mentioned. The other is the Clear Mind Brew. It won’t make you drunk; instead, it will leave you in an exceptionally clear state of mind. It’s perfect for gaining insights into secret techniques or practicing new cultivation manuals!”

”Jade Spirit Brew: fifteen spirit stones per jar. Clear Mind Brew: twenty-five spirit stones!”

After the Spirit Brewer finished speaking, he looked at Li Qing with a grin, his face full of anticipation.

The prices were roughly in line with what Li Qing had expected, making the offer reasonable.

While one spirit stone could buy six or seven catties of spirit rice, a jar of spirit wine cost over a dozen spirit stones. This might seem expensive at first glance.

However, brewing spirit wine required a specific recipe, especially for those with special effects. Even following the recipe perfectly, there was still a chance of failure.

Therefore, Li Qing found the prices acceptable.

Feigning a sudden craving for the wine but also appearing somewhat short on funds, Li Qing said, ”I’ll take one jar of each. But I only have thirty-eight spirit stones. Can I substitute the rest with thirteen catties of spirit rice?”

”Absolutely! As you’re my first customer, I’ll only charge you ten catties of spirit rice!” The Spirit Brewer immediately grinned, readily agreeing to the offer.

The transaction went smoothly. Li Qing stored both jars of spirit wine in his storage bag, then turned and melted into the crowd, completely concealing his aura.

Carrying two jars of Spirit Wine, Li Qing continued to wander through the trade fair, searching for the items he needed.

As Li Qing mentally recited the names of pills and storage pouches, a relatively quiet stall in front of him caught his attention.

The stall was manned by a pale, slender young cultivator who resembled a scholar. He remained with his eyes closed in meditation throughout, never shouting like the other vendors. He maintained an air of aloofness.

”Are these talismans?”

Indeed, the stall displayed a variety of magic talismans. Li Qing even recognized several Golden Shield Talismans and Windwalk Talismans he had once obtained.

However, having entered the cultivation world, Li Qing knew that these two talismans were actually of rather poor quality, barely qualifying as Low-Grade First-Tier talismans, not even reaching the level of Low-Grade First-Tier.

”Mhm,” the talisman vendor replied indifferently, clearly holding himself in high regard.

Li Qing didn’t pay much attention to this. After all, the man possessed a cultivation skill, so a bit of arrogance was understandable. Judging by the quality of the other Spirit Talismans he was selling, he was likely already a Low-Grade First-Tier Talisman Master.

”What kind of talismans are these? Could you tell me about them?”

Seeing that Li Qing genuinely seemed interested in buying, the stall owner finally opened his mouth. ”This is a Fire Rain Talisman, Low-Grade First-Tier. Once activated, it releases a downpour of fire!”

”This is an Aura Concealment Talisman, also Low-Grade First-Tier. It can conceal your aura, though its effectiveness is greatly diminished against cultivators in the Late Qi Refining Realm or higher.”

”And this is an Ice Arrow Talisman, Low-Grade First-Tier. It fires an incredibly fast arrow of ice!”

After speaking, the man couldn’t help but raise his chin proudly as he introduced the last Spirit Talisman, inscribed with purple runes.

”This is a Thunder Flash Talisman. Though it’s also only Low-Grade First-Tier, its power approaches that of a Mid-Grade First-Tier talisman. Even cultivators in the Mid Qi Refining Realm would struggle to defend against it!”

”The Thunder Flash Talisman is fifteen spirit stones each. The other Low-Grade First-Tier talismans are ten spirit stones each, and the inferior-quality ones are only five spirit stones.”

As his words fell, the man closed his eyes again.

Li Qing nodded inwardly, then his attention was drawn to another item: a book titled Tales of the Azure Ridge Cultivation World. It turned out to be a book introducing local customs and culture.

Li Qing’s interest was piqued. Pointing at the book, he asked, ”How much for this book of strange tales?”

Seeing Li Qing inquire about other goods, the man frowned. ”I bought it for five spirit stones. I’ll sell it to you for three.”

”Hmm, I’ll take one Thunder Flash Talisman, one Aura Concealment Talisman, and one Ice Arrow Talisman! Also, can you throw in the book as a bonus?” Li Qing immediately adopted a bargaining posture.

To Li Qing’s surprise, the man agreed without hesitation.

”Alright! Deal!”

Seeing the man’s swift agreement, Li Qing’s lips twitched. Did I lowball him too much?

But he dutifully produced thirty-five spirit stones and handed them over, then stowed the items in his storage pouch.

Receiving the spirit stones, the man’s eyes betrayed a hint of joy, clearly pleased with the transaction.

Li Qing found this amusing. If you’re going to set up a stall, why can’t you even bring yourself to hawk your wares? Do you really think good wine needs no bush?

But on second thought, he understood.

Cultivators sought talismans primarily for self-defense and survival, to increase their chances of victory in combat.

However, most of the rogue cultivators working for the Liu Clan, benefiting from the clan’s security, rarely bothered to buy talismans to enhance their self-defense.

After all, it was genuinely safe. The Liu Clan protected these rogue cultivators exceptionally well, considering each one a valuable asset.

It was only natural that no one wanted to waste money on talismans.

With these thoughts in mind, Li Qing continued browsing the trade fair.

He had already spent over seventy spirit stones. To be safe, he decided not to buy anything else for now.

He was simply noting the locations of the remaining items he needed, planning to return later.

There was no rush. The trade fair would last three days, and it had only just begun.

As he walked, he examined the other items on display, expanding his knowledge.

It was remarkable how diverse the offerings were, despite this being a spontaneous gathering of rogue cultivators.

Some vendors displayed several jade slips directly on their stalls, containing basic cultivation manuals or secret techniques, priced quite high.

Other vendors even offered Spirit Herbs for sale, drawing crowds of onlookers who clamored to buy them, making them highly sought after.

Li Qing watched silently, choosing not to get involved.

As he wandered through the trade fair, he mentally noted the locations of the stalls selling the items he needed, planning to return later.

Spirit beast pouches for holding Demon beasts, storage pouches with larger capacities, Beast Taming Pills, and Beast Nurturing Pills were all available at the fair.

In addition, he spotted stalls selling artifact refinement materials, and even saw Ink Gold—the very material he possessed.

A fist-sized chunk of Ink Gold was priced at dozens of spirit stones, leaving Li Qing inwardly shocked.

However, considering its use in crafting Mid-Grade Magic Tools, the price made sense.

”It’s a pity there are so few stalls selling pills for cultivators,” Li Qing mused. ”Only one or two, and those pills for advancing cultivation or breaking through realms are snatched up the moment they’re put out!”

Li Qing had no intention of joining the scramble. It would draw too much attention.

While the trade fair was crowded, most of those vying for the pills were rogue cultivators in the Mid Qi Refining Realm. It wouldn’t be appropriate for him to participate.

After weighing his options, Li Qing quickly abandoned the idea.

Just then, a cry of alarm pierced the air, instantly setting the entire trade fair into a frenzy. Even some of the stall owners nearly rushed over.

”This... is a Spirit Condensation Pill!”

The announcement was like dropping a depth charge into the crowd, causing an explosive reaction.

A Spirit Condensation Pill! A pill that aids in breaking through to the Late Qi Refining Realm!

For the vast majority of cultivators present, who were stuck in the Mid Qi Refining Realm, this pill was undoubtedly the most precious treasure imaginable.

And yet, here at the trade fair today, someone was actually selling one. It was truly astonishing!

”Hiss! Is this real? How could anyone possibly be selling this at a trade fair? They should be saving it for themselves!”

”It’s true. It really is a Spirit Condensation Pill. I’ve seen one before!”

”No wonder. The person selling the pill is from the Liu Clan. It makes sense they’d have access to such a treasure.”

”No wonder, no wonder,” Xiang muttered.

”Hmph, breaking through with pills hinders the Great Dao. I wouldn’t stoop to snatch them.”

”You’re the first person I’ve ever met who can make being broke sound so pure and refined!”

Hearing these discussions, Li Qing’s heart stirred. Instead of joining the crowd, he walked in the opposite direction.

The Spirit Condensation Pill was incredibly valuable, and he naturally wanted one. However, it was meant for cultivators at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining, which he hadn’t reached yet.

It would be better to slip away while most people’s attention was elsewhere, change into a new outfit, and then return to buy what he needed.

No one was paying attention to Li Qing now, as the Liu Clan’s pill stall had been completely swamped.

Li Qing’s plan was truly ingenious!

(End of the Chapter)

📖Read [IR] ahead on Pa.treon@AnubisTL upto c222. [+4/7.8k].

🎁All [2] Novels can be accessed for just $6/mo.

🔥Translated [600] Chapters and [1.05M+] Words.

🔔 Become a member before 8 August to enjoy 50% off. Just $3.