Chapter 35: The Alchemist's Inheritance, The Four Arts of Cultivation

"In other words, the reason you are currently unable to advance to the Foundation Establishment Realm is because you cannot pass the first two hurdles?" Zhou Sui stroked his chin, immediately understanding what his Dao Companion had said.

"That's right."

Ji Bingyu nodded: "Although I am already a Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator, I have only reached this realm for a year or two, and there is still some distance to go before reaching the state of perfection.

I am still quite young, only in my thirties, and my Qi and blood are still quite robust. However, because I have been cultivating for a short time, the True Essence within my body has not reached perfection; it will take at least another year or two before I can attempt Foundation Establishment."

She indicated that she needed at least two more years to prepare.

"Two years? In other words, can we start considering the Foundation Establishment Pill now?"

Zhou Sui asked.

"It can be considered, but the quantity of Foundation Establishment Pills is truly too small, and they are all controlled by those large sects. I have been to the auction in Miyun City before, but there were no Foundation Establishment Pills for auction at all."

Ji Bingyu was also helpless.

Because the sects monopolize the Foundation Establishment Pills, Loose Cultivators who want one have no choice but to agree to various unequal conditions from the sects and work for them.

Otherwise, they can only wait for an auction to release one or two Foundation Establishment Pills.

Therefore, every time a Foundation Establishment Pill appears at an auction, it attracts the frantic bidding of numerous cultivator families, and each time it is auctioned, it reaches an astronomical price that a Loose Cultivator simply cannot afford.

"Since that is the case, why not refine the Foundation Establishment Pill yourself?"

Zhou Sui narrowed his eyes. It is better to rely on oneself than on others; waiting for those sects to release Foundation Establishment Pills, who knows when that would be, and one's life and death would be controlled by the enemy.

He was unwilling to have his fate controlled by others.

Rather than waiting for other cultivators to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill, it would be better to refine it himself.

"Husband, refining pills is probably not that simple."

Mu Ziyan said helplessly: "Pills, Artifacts, Talismans, and Arrays are the four great skills of the cultivation world. Among them, the skill of alchemy ranks first, not only because its value is the highest, but also because its difficulty is second to none.

Of course, in terms of difficulty, Array Formations are the highest, but the problem is that Array Formations do not consume many resources; as long as one has enough comprehension, one can learn them.

But pills are different; it requires consuming a large amount of Spirit Medicine to forge a top-tier Alchemist. The problem is, where would a Loose Cultivator have so many Spirit Stones to buy Spirit Medicine? I'm afraid a single portion of Spirit Medicine would be enough to bankrupt an Alchemist. If it weren't for a large sect, there would be no qualification to cultivate an Alchemist at all.

Moreover, if one wants to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill, at least a Second-tier Alchemist is required to do it; a First-tier Alchemist is not qualified enough. This also leads to the Foundation Establishment Pill being very scarce and rare, few and far between."

She indicated that wanting to become an Alchemist is truly too difficult, unimaginably difficult.

Every Alchemist is piled up with money, equivalent to a moving, human-shaped Spirit Stone Mine.

"It doesn't matter. Anyway, we have quite a few Spirit Stones now, and they aren't of much use staying here, so we might as well use them to buy Spirit Medicine and refine pills."

Zhou Sui clenched his fists. If he relied solely on his own aptitude, he would not dare to hope to become an Alchemist.

But with the power of the Book Gu, it is different. As long as he can obtain the inheritance of an Alchemist and devour enough Alchemist secret manuals, then becoming a Second-tier Alchemist is absolutely no problem for him.

By then, he wouldn't need to go to auctions to buy Foundation Establishment Pills at all; relying solely on himself, he would be able to refine them, and at that time, he wouldn't need to ask others for help.

"Mm, I believe in Husband's talent; you will definitely be able to become an Alchemist."

Ji Bingyu looked at Zhou Sui with deep affection; she felt that her husband could definitely do anything.

"Sister Ji has gone crazy!"

Seeing this scene, Xia Jingyan's mouth twitched. She felt that her sister was lovesick and believed whatever anyone said.

But for some reason, she also felt in her heart that the man in front of her seemed capable of doing anything.

…………

Time passed quickly for another month.

Miyun City had also gradually calmed down. After all, Miyun City was now considered the territory of the Xianxia Sect; it was impossible to watch Miyun City remain in such turmoil, as that would benefit no one.

Consequently, the Patrol Guards cracked down heavily, arresting all the troublemaking cultivators and throwing them into prison, and executing everyone without a background.

After a round of crackdowns, basically no cultivators in the entire Miyun City dared to cause trouble anymore.

Seeing this, many Loose Cultivators immediately felt relieved and began to dare to go out shopping, and the streets gradually regained a bit of popularity.

After a month of bitter cultivation, and Dual Cultivation with his two Dao Companions seven times a day, reaching the point of forgetting both self and objects, Zhou Sui's cultivation had also improved to a certain extent.

【Host: Zhou Sui, Cultivation: Qi Refining Fifth Layer (Progress 25%), Lifespan: 19 (120) years】

【Aptitude: Eighth Grade Spirit Root (65%)】

【Sword Dao: First-tier High-grade (45%)】

【Rune: First Tier Mid Grade (55%)】

【Phantom Demon Transformation Art: Mastery (35%)】

【Fireball Technique: Minor Achievement (15%), Wind Blade Technique: Beginner, Golden Light Technique: Beginner, Cold Ice Technique: Beginner, Spring Breeze Turns to Rain Technique: Beginner...】

Seeing this data panel, Zhou Sui immediately felt a sense of satisfaction. If he continued to cultivate bitterly like this, he would be able to break through to the Qi Refining Level 6 realm in less than a year.

To be honest, this speed of progress was already quite astonishing.

If it were an ordinary cultivator, relying on their own bitter cultivation, it would be impossible to break through to the Qi Refining Level 6 in less than four or five years, and some would even need ten years.

The reason he progressed so quickly, besides Dual Cultivation with his Dao Companions, was most importantly the daily consumption of Spirit Wine.

It was by relying on the Spirit Qi of the Spirit Wine that his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.

Of course, the fastest progress was in the Fireball Technique; under his bitter cultivation, it had already reached the realm of Minor Achievement, and its power had increased by more than double compared to before.

Boom~~

Thinking of this, Zhou Sui moved his mind, circulating the True Essence within his body, and instantly condensed a highly compressed crimson fireball, blasting it toward the distance.

Immediately, a huge rock in the courtyard was instantly blown into fragments, a shocking deep pit appeared on the ground, and the surrounding air burned with a scorching temperature.

It is conceivable that the power of this strike was already comparable to a full-strength strike of a Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator, and could even severely injure a Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivator; it was extremely terrifying.

He could fire dozens of such Fireball Techniques at once, like cannonball bombardment.

An ordinary Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivator would likely only be able to use the Fireball Technique four or five times before their True Essence was basically exhausted.

However, Zhou Sui was different; having cultivated the Gu God Scripture, every Gu Insect on his body was equivalent to a Dantian Qi Sea. He had five Gu Insects on him, which was equivalent to five Dantian Qi Seas.

Therefore, the True Essence within his body was six times that of a cultivator of the same rank.

If a cultivator of the same rank were to fight him, they would likely be blown to death by a single strike of his Fireball Technique, reduced to ashes.

(End of chapter)