ATPnovel Chapter 41 Each Change
Chapter 41 Each Change
"Alright, now that we're gathered at the end of the year, let's not talk about these worries. Let's talk about our progress in cultivation. This is a small gathering for mutual assistance, where we can share what we have and what we need."
Su Wanqing took the initiative to break the slightly dull atmosphere. A rare, very gentle smile appeared on her usually aloof face, which was quite touching.
Wang Ergou was the first to respond, his voice booming and his face filled with excitement, "I... I've broken through to the second level of Qi Refining, and the production of Crystal Shrimp has also increased!"
He glanced at Yang Changsheng without leaving a trace. Without the other party, he would not have been able to collect so many spirit stones, and might even have died in Black Wind Pass.
However, this is a secret, and I will never reveal a single word to anyone.
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Wang." Liu Xiaoying offered her congratulations with a slight smile.
Su Wanqing turned her gaze to Wang Ergou, nodded slightly, parted her red lips slightly, and said softly, "Junior Brother Wang has a solid foundation and has accumulated knowledge and experience before making a breakthrough. It is indeed worthy of congratulations."
With insufficient low-grade spiritual root resources and lack of talent, it's no wonder he was able to break through his cultivation level within a year; he truly put in a lot of hard work.
Immediately, she swept her gaze over the crowd, with the unique arrogance and a hint of self-satisfaction of an alchemist, and said, "I am not very talented, but I have made some progress in the path of alchemy. Last month, I was fortunate enough to refine a batch of 'Marrow Cleansing Pills', which produced three pills of acceptable quality. After being certified by the Pill Pavilion, I have officially entered the ranks of first-grade low-level alchemists."
"Congratulations, Senior Sister Su, on your success in alchemy!" Everyone congratulated her in unison.
Alchemists hold a revered position, and Su Wanqing's actions undoubtedly greatly enhanced the value of the mutual aid society.
She paused, then added, "If any of you need common elixirs in the future, such as Marrow Cleansing Pills, Grain-Abstaining Pills, or Qi-Returning Powder, you can come to me. I will give you a 20% discount on the market price."
This was genuine favor and resources, and everyone was pleasantly surprised.
Under the gaze of everyone, Liu Xiaoying's fair cheeks flushed slightly, adding to her beauty. She said softly, "I... have barely touched the threshold of the art of talismans. I can recognize basic runes without any problems, and I can even try to draw some simple ones such as the Cleansing Dust Talisman and the Concealing Breath Talisman. However, the success rate is still very low, and I need to continue practicing."
Her father was originally a highly skilled talisman master, and his private guidance was enough to bring great benefits to people. So, the current progress is still considered slow.
You should know that his elder brother, Liu Yushu, had only been a beginner in the art of talismans for half a year before becoming a formal low-grade talisman master, and in just two years he had reached the threshold of high-grade.
Upon hearing this, Li Qingshan's eyes showed even greater admiration, and he smiled, "Junior Sister Liu is exceptionally intelligent and has outstanding talent in the art of talismans. She'll be entering the realm of talismans very soon! Unlike me..."
He shook his head self-deprecatingly and gently waved his folding fan. "I've been stuck at the fifth level of Qi Refining for over a year. Although my magical power is gradually increasing, the bottleneck is solid. Without a great opportunity, I'm afraid I'll have to waste a lot of time here."
His tone carried a hint of helplessness at the stagnation of his cultivation, yet it was also frank. He was well aware that the sensitivity of a low-grade spiritual root was inherently difficult to cultivate, and that it would become increasingly slow as one progressed.
"Where's Senior Sister Su?" Wang Ergou asked curiously.
Su Wanqing said calmly, "The fifth level of Qi Refining is complete. I'm just one step away from the sixth level."
Her words were concise yet exuded a powerful confidence. Given her age and status as an alchemist, her progress in cultivation was already outstanding among her peers, surpassing many scions of aristocratic families.
All eyes finally fell on Yang Changsheng.
"By sheer luck, I broke through to the third level of Qi Refining and passed the assessment to become an intermediate fisherman. As for the Puppet Way, I've only just scratched the surface and am still building my foundation."
Yang Changsheng met the gaze, smiled calmly, and his composed demeanor revealed part of his trump card.
However, the puppet's true progress was deliberately obscured, and the level of its strongest trump card, the Body Tempering Technique, was not revealed.
"The Way of the Puppet Master, I never expected you, Brother Changsheng, to have such an opportunity." Liu Xiaoying's beautiful eyes sparkled with joy.
Among the myriad arts of cultivation, the art of puppetry is a combination and evolution of weapon crafting and array formation. It is quite difficult, requiring extremely high levels of spiritual awareness, and is very hard to master, far exceeding the art of talismans.
Of course, if one achieves something, the future is also limitless, and there is a real chance to achieve Foundation Establishment.
As for his promotion to intermediate-level fisherman, everyone already knew about it from the blue water-wave patterned robe he was wearing. Although it was something to be happy about, it was completely insignificant compared to his puppetry skills.
These crafts, which are controlled by others and cannot be produced by themselves, are essentially just working for others.
The others also offered their congratulations. Three of the five had already embarked on the path of various arts, which was a great thing.
Outside the window, dusk was falling, and the lights of the port market lit up one after another, reflecting on the deep lake surface like scattered gold.
Inside the private room, the cups and plates were spotless. The annual, brief gathering of immortals drew to a close as they exchanged updates, shared information, and offered mutual encouragement.
The spiritual tea in the cup had gone cold, and the charcoal fire in the stove was reduced to a dark red ember.
The five of them rose and left, wishing each other long and prosperous immortal journeys, and promising to meet again next year.
……
Time flies, and the shimmering waves of Bishui Lake reflect the changing seasons; two years have passed in the blink of an eye.
The midday sun blazed down relentlessly onto the vast, blue lake, causing wisps of steam to rise.
In the depths of the Bingyin 73 waters, a six-zhang-long black-awning boat was quietly moored, and a slender figure sat cross-legged at the bow, motionless in the misty spiritual energy.
Yang Changsheng closed his eyes, his aura resembling that of a silkworm about to emerge from its cocoon. An invisible force surged and condensed within his dantian.
"Fourth level of Qi Refining, break through!"
As the twelve meridians circulated throughout the body, magical power continuously flowed into the dantian, like a rushing river, finally breaking through the bottleneck that had been honed for over a year.
The formidable barrier shattered silently, and a torrent of purer and more profound Xuan Yuan magic power, like a floodgate opened, instantly filled the expanded Qi Sea and Dantian, as well as all the meridians.
Then, magical power surged forth, circulating along the five internal organs and the twelve extraordinary meridians, endlessly and almost inexhaustibly. A faint spiritual light also swirled around the body, forming a protective light shield.
"Buzz!"
Within the sea of consciousness between his brows, his transformed divine sense, like invisible tentacles, suddenly extended outwards, clearly seeing a small dragonfish five zhang away, its silvery scales leaping out of the water, and even sensing the outline of a grain of sand in the underwater silt.
The total amount of magical power in his body had more than doubled compared to when he was at the third level of Qi Refining, and his aura had also surged dramatically.
Yang Changsheng slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in his deep eyes before returning to a calm, still gaze.
Six years have passed, and he is now in his early twenties, having reached the fourth level of Qi Refining.
Among the fishermen and farmers at the bottom of Bishui Lake, this speed is already considered excellent.
He was not a prodigy, nor was he nurtured by any powerful force. He achieved his current level through abundant resources, the Golden Ancient Tree to remove the poison, and steady, unhurried refinement.
There is also the Nine Revolutions of the Sun and Moon Forging Scripture, which offers the ultimate development of the physical body's potential, allowing one to proceed with extreme caution and prudent steps.
I felt satisfied, yet remained calm and undisturbed.
He closed his eyes again, circulated the Profound Origin Technique, and guided the newly generated magical power to flow steadily in the expanded meridians, carefully refining and consolidating this hard-won realm.
Upon reaching the mid-stage of Qi Refining, the dantian, internal organs, meridians, bones, muscles, and nerves will undergo a qualitative transformation and strengthening.
It can be said that only by reaching the fourth level of Qi Refining can one be considered to have barely stepped onto the path of immortality, although it is only a tiny, insignificant step.