"Hey, where are they?" Wang Yanfeng demanded, holding out his hand impatiently.
"What?"
"The spirit stones, you brat! Don't act clueless! Your Eighth Uncle is relying on that little fortune to find himself a Taoist companion. You wouldn't leave me hanging, would you?"
Wang Hao was speechless. One moment his uncle was doting and concerned; the next, his face had completely changed—as if he had two personalities.
With a sigh, Wang Hao produced a storage pouch, counted out two hundred spirit stones, and then took out four vials of Spirit Gathering Pills.
"This is all I have right now. I'll return the rest once I refine more pills."
Wang Yanfeng snatched the stones and vials, counted them twice like a true miser, then tucked them away. He cleared his throat and resumed a solemn posture.
"By the way, where did you get so many pills? Where did the materials come from?"
"Ah… well…" Wang Hao hesitated. "My mother—in my early years—used to hunt demon beasts in the mountains and left me some resources. Besides, I had a few connections and traded with some cultivators."
He cursed his own recklessness. Showing fourteen vials of pills to Wang Yanfeng had been a major slip-up. In future, he'd need to be far more discreet!
Mentioning his mother darkened Wang Yanfeng's expression. The Wang clan had indeed acted poorly, separating the couple and forcing their own blood to wander outside the clan. But since these were decisions made by the elders, Yanfeng could say little. He merely looked at Wang Hao with softened eyes, realizing the boy's life had been far from easy.
Meeting the "new" Wang Hao—someone inwardly transformed—also tempered Yanfeng's resentment.
With the auction proceeds due back to the family, Wang Yanfeng didn't linger at the pill shop. After passing on the Spirit Gathering Formation to Wang Hao, he returned to the clan residence with other family members.
Wang Hao spent the night in the shop. The next morning, disguised, he slipped back to his home.
Once there, he tended his farm, then retrieved the unknown spirit-beast egg.
He piled ten spirit stones beneath it, placed the egg atop them, bit his finger, and scrawled a blood-red rune across its shell. It glowed faintly before fading.
This was the initial identification method taught by Wang Yanfeng. Now he had to care for the egg properly—only when the beast hatched and bonded with Wang Hao first would their connection be genuine and deep.
Next, Wang Hao set up the Spirit Gathering Formation.
Using the black tray, the setup was simple: he placed ten spirit stones on the plate, and a blue energy curtain sprang into being, forming a semicircular space about six meters in diameter.
As he activated the array, Heaven-and-Earth Qi was drawn in. Inside the blue barrier, the spirit energy visibly densified into low-lying mist at his feet.
Wang Hao marveled at the concentration—it was at least twice as rich as the ambient Qi. Cultivating here would greatly boost his efficiency!
He sat down and entered meditation immediately.
One month later, aided by the Formation and his Spirit Gathering Pills, Wang Hao reached the peak of Fourth-Level Qi Refinement. Only one step remained to Fifth Level!
Feeling confident, he replenished the formation's stones and took a Yellow-Sprout Pill—specially prepared to overcome major bottlenecks.
Yellow-Sprout Pills were known for their violent medicinal surge. Wang Hao swallowed one with grave resolve.
As it dissolved, the pill's power surged through his dantian and meridians. The swelling pain came quickly, but this time he was prepared. Compared to the agony of meridians tearing, this felt almost like a caress.
"I did it!" he murmured, suppressing his exhilaration. He concentrated on his technique, stabilizing the breakthrough. Circle after circle, his Qi refined into pure mana, gradually expanding his dantian's limit.
The next day, Wang Hao checked his status panel:
🌿 Name: Wang Hao
📅 Age: 20
🔮 Cultivation: Qi Refinement – Level 5 (169/253)
📚 Technique: True Illusory Heart Scripture of Red Lotus and Wood – Level 2
💧 Mana: 167.5/167.5
🔬 Skills:
Alchemy: First-Order Mid Grade
Talisman Crafting: First-Order Low Grade (not yet studied)
Spells: Fireball (unmastered), Entangling Technique (unmastered)
Divine Power: None yet
Though still modest, Wang Hao was proud—this was the fruit of over two years' effort!
With the Formation's boost, his cultivation speed now rivaled that of dual-root cultivators. He would surely reach Peak Qi Refinement before forty!
"Now that I've hit Fifth Level, it's time to train spells!"
With his wood–fire affinity, he'd begin with offensive Fireball and immobilizing Entangle. He also planned to learn Wood Shield (defense), Light Body Technique (mobility), Tethering Technique (controlling his flying sword), and Earth Escape (essential for emergency retreats).
He drafted a training regimen:
100 casts to initiate
1,000 to master
3,000 to become proficient
10,000 to attain true mastery
"No talent? Then diligence must compensate!" he declared."Let's aim for six spells to mastery."
Three days later, after hundreds of tries, he finally unleashed his first Fireball—but upon seeing the mana cost, his face fell.
"Oof… reality hits hard!"
One Fireball consumed 5 mana. With 167 total, he could cast only 33 times before resting for two hours. At five to six hours' training per day, that meant about 66 attempts. To reach 10,000 casts would take 152 days—and six spells nearly three years!
"Can't I just stay 'proficient'?" he wondered—then chastised himself."Get real, Wang Hao! Your cultivation speed has improved, but you're taking too many shortcuts. Your talent and insight lag behind others. If you don't push harder, you'll spend your life hiding in the market!"
Steeling himself, he resumed non-stop casting, bombarding the courtyard floor with Fireballs.
In the coming days, he'd purchase earth talisman tablets to wall off his yard and train in isolation. Meanwhile, he maintained his routine: eat, sleep, cultivate, practice spells, and refine pills to sell whenever his stock ran low. Thus, his life marched on in steady, determined rhythm.