Translator: AnubisTL
Even some members of the Liu Clan were growing uneasy, let alone the cultivators outside.
The Liu Clan wasn't holding a Clan Festival, nor was there any major event occurring. Liu Hanyue's sudden return at this juncture was certainly intriguing.
Unfortunately, since her return, Liu Hanyue had rarely been seen in public, choosing instead to seclude herself on Lake Heart Island, the most spiritually rich location in the clan's territory, for prolonged cultivation. As a result, external speculation remained grounded in mere conjecture.
Meanwhile, Li Qing continued to monitor the Liu Clan's movements and the surrounding situation, but he never neglected his cultivation. Rather than fretting about potential instability, he focused on maximizing his strength, believing that self-preservation in turbulent times depended on it.
Upon returning from the Heavenly River Sect's Spirit Stone Mine, Li Qing retrieved a dark, perfectly round pill from his storage pouch.
This was a Qi Transformation Pill, purchased from the Shi Clan of Medicine King Ridge's pharmacy in Heavenly River Market—one of the most abundant pills in Li Qing's possession.
The Qi Transformation Pill significantly enhanced cultivation in the Mid Qi Refining Realm, but compared to the Guangling Pill sold by the Pill Cauldron Pavilion, its pill toxin was considerably more potent.
However, its lower price and slightly greater medicinal power—a fraction more potent than the Guangling Pill—made it the favored choice of Qi Refining Realm rogue cultivators throughout the cultivation world.
Since returning from Heavenly River Market, Li Qing had been constantly consuming pills. Unless he was working in the spirit stone mine, he remained in his courtyard, never leaving, and focused solely on Qi Refining.
Almost every three or four days, he would swallow a pill to enhance his mana cultivation.
His supply of Guangling Pills was nearly exhausted, leaving him with only Qi Transformation Pills and the more precious Foundation Nurturing Pills.
Foundation Nurturing Pills were highly effective even for cultivators in the Late Qi Refining Realm, so Li Qing hesitated to use them prematurely. Naturally, he started with the Qi Transformation Pills.
"Thankfully," he thought, "even with poor Spirit Root aptitude, one can still rapidly advance their mana cultivation through pill consumption."
"The only drawback is the exorbitant cost! How could an ordinary rogue cultivator afford to consume mana-enhancing pills every few days like I do?"
This explained why life was so difficult for rogue cultivators in the cultivation world. With subpar aptitude and limited spirit stone income, their only path to advancement lay in relentless, time-consuming effort.
Li Qing sighed and swallowed a Qi Transformation Pill whole.
Soon, a surge of potent medicinal power erupted within him. He immediately activated his cultivation manual, focusing his mind to refine the pill's energy.
As time passed, Li Qing's cultivation steadily advanced, inching closer to the fifth layer of the Qi Refining Realm.
After a long while, Li Qing had completely refined the medicinal power of the Qi Transformation Pill, his mana becoming noticeably more potent.
With the process concluded, Li Qing didn't immediately open his eyes. Instead, he used his divine sense to examine his inner body.
"The pill toxin in this Qi Transformation Pill is significantly more concentrated than in the Guangling Pill," he observed, his brow furrowing slightly. He could clearly sense residual impurities within the medicine, impurities that his cultivation efforts had failed to refine. These impurities were now accumulating in his internal organs.
Previously, when taking Guangling Pills, such impurities had been so minimal as to be negligible. But the Qi Transformation Pill contained significantly more. If consumed regularly over time, this buildup of pill toxin would undoubtedly lead to serious health issues.
Li Qing frowned slightly. Drawing upon his Grandmaster-level Martial Dao cultivation, he condensed his vast Vital Energy—as boundless as a river or ocean—into a massive wave that began to scour his internal organs.
This was one of the benefits of being a Grandmaster: perfect mastery over one's Vital Energy, which was inextricably linked to one's vital essence.
Thanks to his prolonged lifespan, Li Qing's Vital Energy was declining at an exceptionally slow rate. Though nearing thirty years old, his Vital Energy remained as vibrant as when he was twenty-five, perhaps even slightly more vigorous.
"I've heard that some physical cultivators in the cultivation world can refine their bodies to such a profound level that they perfectly lock in their Vital Energy. Even as they age, their Vital Energy remains undiminished, allowing their physical strength and vitality to rival that of their youth, even in their twilight years."
"Such a state is truly enviable!"
Fortunately, Li Qing wasn't in a rush. The advantages of being a Longevity Species were becoming increasingly apparent, as his extended lifespan granted him a prolonged period of youthfulness.
Since refining the Peerless Hammer into a low-grade Magic Artifact, his remaining lifespan had reached nearly 230 years. Moreover, his breakthrough to the Mid Qi Refining Realm had slightly increased his lifespan.
Despite everything he had endured with the Liu Clan, Li Qing still possessed 230 years of life!
Though his true age approached thirty, in terms of life stages, he might only be just entering his prime, his potential still vast.
As his vigorous Vital Energy repeatedly cleansed his internal organs, the accumulated pill toxins within them were finally being rapidly metabolized.
His once slightly dimmed organs gradually regained their vibrant vitality.
Having confirmed that his Vital Energy could flush out the majority of the pill toxins accumulated in his body, Li Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"It seems I didn't choose the wrong path by focusing on physical cultivation," he mused. "With my Spirit Root aptitude, I'm destined to rely on medicinal pills throughout my cultivation journey."
"With a robust physique and abundant Vital Energy, at least I won't have to worry so much about the pill toxins accumulating in my system."
Satisfied with his efforts, Li Qing opened his eyes and retrieved a polished bronze mirror to examine his current appearance.
His essence, qi, and spirit were vibrant, radiating vitality!
Though his features remained unremarkable, Li Qing was thoroughly pleased with his present state.
"Not bad," he murmured. "I'll just need to be mindful of how aging affects my appearance over time, lest others notice something amiss."
"For now, there's no need to rush. It's common knowledge that cultivators age slowly. To others, I probably look no older than thirty. Maintaining this appearance shouldn't be a problem for the time being."
As he spoke, Li Qing recalled a pill he had once heard of called the Youth Preservation Pill.
A single Youth Preservation Pill could grant eternal youth, leaving only the faintest traces of time's passage.
This coveted elixir was immensely popular among female cultivators and could fetch astronomical prices!
Besides pills, certain cultivation manuals with magical effects could also achieve similar results. For example, high-level wood attribute manuals could effortlessly grant their practitioners the art of eternal youth.
Of course, Li Qing had never taken a Youth Preservation Pill, nor did he cultivate any wood attribute manuals. He only practiced fire attribute techniques.
Therefore, in another five to eight years, he would need to address the issue of his unchanging appearance to avoid arousing suspicion. If he couldn't withstand scrutiny then, it could be disastrous.
"The best solution would be to take a Youth Preservation Pill," he thought. "That way, no one would suspect anything!"
After consuming the pill, his body would radiate an aura of ageless youth, easily detectable by other cultivators. This would eliminate the need for future explanations regarding his appearance.
Seizing the opportunity during his downtime, Li Qing paused his cultivation and retrieved the spiritual materials he currently possessed. For him, improving his artifact refinement skills was now nearly as crucial as advancing his cultivation level.
This meant that even if the Liu Clan faced a major disaster and Li Qing lost his job at the Spirit Stone Mine, he could still go to the Heavenly River Market, reveal his identity as an artifact refiner, and make a living.
Whether by refining magic artifacts for others or selling his own creations, either path promised a steady stream of spirit stones.
Ultimately, while mining spirit stones currently provided a decent income—at least two thousand spirit stones a year—it wasn't a long-term solution. As Old Zhou had warned him, spending too much time in the mining area could easily wear down one's spirit.
In short, improving his Artifact Refinement Technique would allow him to support himself with his own skills, ensuring he'd never go hungry, no matter where he went.
He had never intended to remain a spirit stone miner for the Liu Clan forever. Now that he had become a cultivator and entered the cultivation world, he naturally wanted to explore its magnificent vistas.
As he always said, the cultivation world was vast, and Li Qing longed to see it all!
"What's the difference between a person without dreams and a salted fish?"
With that thought, Li Qing began inspecting all the materials he currently possessed.
He had exhausted all his Ink Gold while forging the Peerless Hammer.
Li Qing surveyed the materials spread before him: half a head-sized piece of Snow Silver Iron, three Fallen Life Nails he'd forged in his mortal days, the fangs and claws from the Earth Rock Bear he had slain, two recently acquired portions of Water Entangling Net spirit material, and the pseudo-magical artifact prototype, the Wandering Dragon Dagger.
That's about it, he thought, pausing to consider the assortment laid out on the ground.
Hmm, I can hold off on the Wandering Dragon Dagger and the Water Entangling Net materials for now. I've only just mastered refining low-grade magic artifacts; attempting a mid-grade one would be rushing things.
Instead, I should focus on the Earth Rock Bear's claws and fangs. In my previous artifact refinement efforts, I've primarily used natural spirit materials and have never worked with components from demon beasts.
That won't do. An artifact refiner who doesn't know how to use demon beast materials will surely be left behind!
The art of artifact refinement was vast and profound, having evolved over countless years. Lacking expertise in refining with demon beast materials would be a glaring deficiency.
After pondering for some time, Li Qing finally formulated a plan.
(End of the Chapter)
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