Chapter 1767: Let Down

"Mm, I've come to say goodbye to you," Zhao Yang said. "I plan to leave here and seek opportunities farther away."

Qin Shuang'er said nothing, but her eyes had grown a little moist. She knew that once Zhao Yang left, he might never come back. She also knew that Zhao Yang had not made this decision easily.

"Take good care of yourself," Qin Shuang'er said. "If I get the chance, I'll come find you."

"Thank you, Shuang'er," Zhao Yang said, looking at her. "I'll cultivate well too — I won't let down your expectations."

The two exchanged a smile and said nothing more. They both understood that this parting might keep them from meeting again for who knew how long. But they also believed that, as long as their hearts were in tune, they would surely be able to reunite.

Zhao Yang left the Qin household. He did not leave Juncheng directly, but instead went to a shop in the city. This shop sold cultivation techniques. Although they were not top-tier techniques, for a cultivator like Zhao Yang they were already quite good.

As soon as he entered the shop, a clerk immediately came forward to greet him.

"Young Master, what technique might you be looking for?" the clerk asked.

"I need a Common-grade, third-rank technique," Zhao Yang said.

"Very well, please follow me," the clerk said, leading Zhao Yang toward the shelves.

Zhao Yang carefully browsed the shelves, and in the end he chose a technique called the *Azure Cloud Resolution*. This technique was very suitable for cultivators at the third stage of Qi Refining, and it was an extremely practical one that could be used to protect oneself and save one's life.

"How much for this technique?" Zhao Yang asked.

"Five hundred taels of silver," the clerk said.

Zhao Yang immediately took out his money pouch from his bosom and handed the five hundred taels of silver to the clerk. He tucked the *Azure Cloud Resolution* into his robes, then left the shop.

He did not linger in Juncheng, but chose to head for the next city. He knew his cultivation was still too low and that he needed to work even harder at it. He believed that as long as he kept striving and pushing himself, he would surely gain more opportunities and encounters in this world. In the days that followed, Zhao Yang was constantly on the road. He traveled south from Juncheng, and at every new city he would visit the local market to buy cultivation resources, or exchange cultivation insights with others.

His figure appeared amid endless mountain ranges, alone, facing challenges from demon beasts, constantly tempering his flesh and spiritual power.

Time slipped swiftly by. A few years later, Zhao Yang was no longer the boy who had once been able to cultivate only by relying on spiritual herbs. He had already entered the fifth stage of Qi Refining, and the strength of his physical body had also reached an extremely powerful level.

One day, he arrived at a place called Firmament Mountain. The mountain range here stretched on endlessly, teeming with demon beasts — an extremely dangerous place. But Zhao Yang did not shrink back; he decided to venture deep into the mountains in search of valuable materials and demon beasts.

After entering the mountains, Zhao Yang kept pressing deeper. When he reached a valley, he discovered an extremely powerful demon beast. It was a fifth-rank giant ape, and the aura emanating from its body put immense pressure on Zhao Yang.

But Zhao Yang did not retreat; he decided to challenge this giant ape. When he launched his attack, the giant ape immediately answered his challenge.

The two beasts — man and ape — engaged in a fierce battle in the valley. Although Zhao Yang's cultivation was a full rank lower than the ape's, his speed and strength were in no way inferior. He kept launching attacks, preventing the ape from closing in.

In the end, Zhao Yang used his Azure Cloud Sword to sever the giant ape's head. When he extracted the ape's inner core, he could not help feeling a surge of joy. He had not expected to obtain such a precious inner core from this demon beast.

Just as he was preparing to leave, a streak of azure light suddenly flew out from the giant ape's body and landed in Zhao Yang's hand. Zhao Yang looked closely and saw that it was a piece of blue jade.

This jade stone emanated a mysterious aura that left Zhao Yang feeling unsettled. He did not know what use this jade stone had, but he sensed that it was not a bad thing.

So he tucked the jade away and prepared to leave. As he walked out of the valley, he suddenly sensed a powerful aura coming from afar.

Startled, he immediately rushed toward the source of the aura. When he arrived before a mountain cave, he saw a middle-aged man in black robes locked in combat with a demon beast.

The aura emanating from that demon beast was extremely powerful — even stronger than the giant ape Zhao Yang had faced before. But the middle-aged man in black robes did not seem the least bit afraid; he kept launching attacks, preventing the beast from closing in.

Zhao Yang stood to the side watching the battle, and could not help marveling at how truly powerful this middle-aged man in black robes was. His cultivation seemed far higher than his own, and his combat experience was extremely rich as well. This forced Zhao Yang to admire the man's strength.

The middle-aged man in black robes ultimately defeated the demon beast, but he did not leave immediately. Instead, he began cultivating inside the mountain cave. Zhao Yang knew that this middle-aged man in black robes was certainly no ordinary figure — he seemed to possess extremely powerful cultivation and strength.

So he mustered his courage and stepped forward to speak. "Senior, your cultivation and strength are formidable — may I ask what realm you are in?" The middle-aged man in black robes turned around, looked at Zhao Yang, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. He seemed not to have expected anyone here to dare address him.

"I am at the peak of Qi Condensation," the middle-aged man in black robes said.

Zhao Yang was startled — he had not expected this middle-aged man in black robes to possess such high cultivation. He had heard of the Qi Condensation realm before, but he himself had not reached it.

"Could you tell me about Qi Condensation?" Zhao Yang asked.

The middle-aged man in black robes looked at Zhao Yang, seemingly judging whether he was worth engaging with. After a while, he began explaining the relevant knowledge of cultivating at the Qi Condensation stage.

In this world, the Qi Condensation stage is an extremely crucial phase. It represents that one's control over one's own qi has reached a new height, and at the same time it represents that one's cultivation of the spirit has already achieved initial results.

"Do you know of Deity Transformation?" the middle-aged man in black robes asked.

"I do," Zhao Yang nodded. "Deity Transformation refers to the cultivation and mastery of one's own spirit."

"Not bad," the middle-aged man in black robes said. "And the Qi Condensation stage is the mastery and cultivation of one's own qi. Only by cultivating one's qi to a certain degree can one enter the Deity Transformation realm."

Zhao Yang could not help being somewhat fascinated after hearing this. He had never imagined that cultivation had so many layers. He longed intensely to enter the Qi Condensation stage and become a true cultivator.

"Senior, then how does one enter the Qi Condensation stage?" Zhao Yang asked.

"You need to constantly temper your flesh and spiritual power, letting them coordinate with each other, thereby reaching a new height. At the same time, you must keep comprehending and understanding this world, strengthening your self-awareness and control," the middle-aged man in black robes said.

Zhao Yang felt he had benefited greatly after hearing this. He felt certain that this middle-aged man in black robes must possess extremely valuable experience and insight. He was deeply grateful for the man's help, and also felt that this middle-aged man in black robes was truly worthy of respect.

"Thank you, Senior," Zhao Yang said. "I will cultivate diligently."

The middle-aged man in black robes nodded, then turned and left. Zhao Yang felt a surge of emotion — he knew his path was still long, but he believed he would surely keep moving forward and become a powerful cultivator.

He decided not to venture deeper into the mountains, but to leave and head for the next city. Before leaving, he gathered some medicinal herbs and materials in the valley, intending to take them to the market to sell.

When he returned to the city, it was already deep into the night. He found an inn to rest at, planning to go to the market the next day to sell his haul.

The next day, he arrived at the market. It was bustling with people and very lively. Zhao Yang took out the medicinal herbs and materials he had gathered, ready to sell them. Just then, a stranger suddenly approached him and asked mysteriously, "Little brother, do you know how to refine Qi Condensation Pills?"

Zhao Yang was startled — he had not expected anyone to ask him such a sensitive question so directly. He felt a hint of wariness, but did not show it immediately.

He answered calmly, "I've heard the name Qi Condensation Pill before, but I'm not very clear on the specifics of how to refine it."

The stranger looked at Zhao Yang, and a flicker of satisfaction crossed his eyes. He went on, "If you're willing to do me a small favor, I can tell you a method for refining Qi Condensation Pills."

Zhao Yang's heart stirred — he knew very well the value of Qi Condensation Pills. If he could master the method of refining them, it would be an enormous help to his own cultivation.

But he did not agree right away, wanting to learn more about this stranger's background and intentions. He said, "May I ask what favor you need from me?"

The stranger smiled mysteriously, then said, "I need you to help me find a medicinal herb called Spirit Heart Grass. It's extremely rare. If you can help me find it, I'll tell you the method for refining Qi Condensation Pills."

Zhao Yang could not help feeling a little hesitant — he did not know this stranger's true purpose. But he also knew that if he could master the method for refining Qi Condensation Pills, it would be an enormous help to his cultivation.

He thought for a moment, and ultimately agreed to the stranger's request. He decided to go search for Spirit Heart Grass first, then come back to discuss the refining method with the stranger.

He left the market and began his journey to find Spirit Heart Grass. He combed through every street and alley of the city, asked countless people, but never found any clues.

Just as he was about to give up, he happened to learn from an old woman where Spirit Heart Grass grew. He immediately headed to that location, and after a grueling search, finally found where the Spirit Heart Grass was.

He carefully dug up the Spirit Heart Grass, then brought it back to where the stranger was. Zhao Yang handed the Spirit Heart Grass to the stranger, watched him smile mysteriously, and could not help feeling a sense of anticipation.

After taking the Spirit Heart Grass, the stranger immediately began refining the Qi Condensation Pill. His technique was practiced and precise, every step controlled just right. Zhao Yang stood to the side, watching intently and learning — he knew very well this would be an enormous help to his own cultivation.

After finishing the refinement, the stranger handed the Qi Condensation Pill to Zhao Yang. He explained, "This Qi Condensation Pill can boost your qi intensity to a certain degree in a short time, but you can't take it long-term — otherwise it will damage your body."

Zhao Yang took the Qi-Condensation Pill, feeling a surge of gratitude in his heart. He knew very well that what this stranger said was correct, yet he also understood that this stranger was no ordinary cultivator.

The stranger seemed to perceive Zhao Yang's doubt and continued, "I am not an ordinary cultivator. I come from a very powerful sect and have come to this world specifically to seek out talented young people."

Hearing this, Zhao Yang was shocked; he had not expected this stranger to come from such a powerful sect. Hesitation arose in his heart, for he knew clearly that if he could join this sect, it would bring immense help to his cultivation.

The stranger looked at Zhao Yang, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. He then said, "If you are willing to join our sect, you will have the opportunity to obtain more cultivation resources and guidance."

Zhao Yang did not answer immediately but thought for a moment. He knew very well that this would be a rare opportunity, yet he also understood that it required bearing a certain risk.