bookbashuk Chapter 3: The Transformation of the Monster in Chishan
Chapter 3: The Transformation of the Monster in Chishan
Back in the courtyard, Li Wu pondered He Yu's words.
"I never expected something so big to happen in Chishan," Li Wu thought to himself.
"However, this matter has both advantages and disadvantages for me."
"The advantage is that with more monsters in Chishan, the risks of entering the mountain will increase, which might lead to a rise in the prices that shops offer for recycling spiritual items."
"The downside is that it might be more difficult for a single person to take on a job."
Shops can hire more cultivators for the same amount of spirit stones. Although the number of spirit items remains the same, the efficiency is much higher.
Previously, it would take a month to see the spiritual items needed, but now it only takes ten days to half a month.
Moreover, the rate of bad orders is lower for teams than for individuals.
Therefore, it is not advantageous for one person to take orders.
"Let's open the first acupoint first, then we can talk about that."
Li Wu remained silent and then headed to Jianxiawu.
They found Qi Yu and bought two catties of the essence blood of the green-scaled fish.
Then they came back.
Li Wu sat cross-legged, with a gourd beside him, from which a strong, fishy smell wafted.
Li Wu picked it up and took a sip. The strong taste of blood almost made him vomit, but he forced himself to swallow it.
He then made a hand seal, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converged towards him. Instantly, a burning sensation erupted in his perineum, causing him excruciating pain.
The following day was Qingming Festival.
Li Wu slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.
"Phew... It took a whole night to barely refine this mouthful of beast blood. This demonic beast blood is truly domineering!"
Li Wu felt that the monsters in Jianxiawu were much more powerful than those here.
Otherwise, this mouthful of beast blood, which was not even at the Qi Refining stage, would not have taken him, a Qi Refining Stage 3 cultivator, so long to refine.
"However, the effect is also very obvious. Although the first acupoint has not been opened yet, I can feel that my blood and qi have been significantly improved compared to before."
"There are about ten mouthfuls of beast blood left, which should be enough for me to open the first acupoint."
Li Wu first cooked some spirit rice to fill his stomach, and then continued to cultivate the "Huiyuan Tongqiao Jue".
…………
More than a month has passed in the blink of an eye.
Li Wu remained seated cross-legged on the bed, his eyes closed, mobilizing his surging blood and qi, as well as all his spiritual power.
Precisely strike the perineum acupoint, and once an opening is created, forcefully pour in Qi, blood, and spiritual energy.
The next second, the perineum is opened!
Li Wu felt a surge of comfort. Not only had his strength increased, but he also felt his five senses improve, his dantian expand, and the flow of spiritual energy within his body accelerate.
"Is this what it means to open up the acupoints? I feel that I can now even defeat a Qi Refining Level 4 cultivator! As for Qi Refining Level 3 cultivators, even two of them would be no match for me."
"The Golden Elixir Path of the Purple Mansion... truly the right path to immortality!"
Li Wu was completely won over and decided to cultivate only the Purple Mansion Golden Elixir Path from now on.
"However, the beast blood was used up after opening only the first acupoint. There are still five more acupoints to go: the coccyx, the spine, the occipital bone, the Baihui point, and the Magpie Bridge point. The amount of beast blood required will only increase. In fact, blood-qi pills may be needed."
"This will require a large sum of spirit stones."
Li Wu had a headache; he didn't have many cultivation resources left.
All he had on him was five catties of spirit rice.
"Sigh, I'll go to the market and see if I can find a job."
As Li Wu entered the market, he saw that most of the independent cultivators were standing in twos and threes, and some groups were even openly recruiting people.
"Hunting for Qi Refining Level 2 monsters! Fellow cultivators at Qi Refining Level 2 and above are welcome to join!"
"Time to mine for refined iron ore! The team is still two people short!"
"Searching for Aconitum carmichaelii; fellow cultivators familiar with the ley lines of Chishan are welcome to join!"
Hearing these shouts that sounded like they came from a marketplace, Li Wu wondered for a moment if he had come to the wrong place.
"I've only been in seclusion for a little over a month, and offline team formations have already appeared in the market?"
Li Wu shook his head and walked into the Lu family's medicine shop, which he frequented.
The shopkeeper was still that same young Taoist boy.
"Fellow Daoist, do you have any assignments to take care of?"
The young Taoist priest, who was arranging the medicinal herbs, looked up and chuckled:
"It's you. May I ask how many fellow cultivators you came with? And what are your cultivation levels and strengths?"
Li Wu frowned and said, "It's just me."
The young Taoist priest was taken aback. He looked Li Wu up and down, a hint of pity in his eyes, and shook his head, saying:
"Fellow Daoist, with the monsters gathering in Chishan right now, our shop will not hire anyone as a precaution."
What kind of bullshit rule is this?
Li Wu was somewhat angry, but there was nothing he could do.
Don't underestimate this little Taoist boy just because he's only at the first level of Qi Refining. He has the Lu family backing him!
A true family of foundation builders.
"Isn't there a job available to anyone?" Li Wu asked, still unwilling to give up.
"If you are at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, then it's fine," the young Daoist boy said with a slight smile.
Helpless, Li Wu could only leave and turn to other shops to inquire, but he received almost the same answer.
Early-stage Qi Refining cultivators can only accept missions in groups, while only those at the mid-stage or higher of Qi Refining can accept missions solo.
"It seems that we can't get through to Pukoufang Market."
Li Wu frowned slightly, pondering what to do next.
He really didn't want to go into dangerous places with unfamiliar people, otherwise he was afraid he wouldn't even know how he died.
"With so many cultivators entering and leaving Chishan, they must need spiritual items such as pills and talismans to protect themselves."
"Perhaps I can go to Jianxiawu to buy some practical items that are not available in Pukou Market, and then sell them to the cultivators who come into the mountains."
"However, I only have five catties of spirit rice on me right now, which is really too little."
"We'll have to borrow it."
…………
Zone B, No. 8.
This is the small courtyard rented by Lu Sui.
In the Pukou market, Li Wu didn't know many fellow Daoists, but Lu Sui was one of them.
The two met on their journey to seek immortality. Lu Sui, a wanderer of the martial world, saw Li Wu, who was nearly starving to death by the roadside while riding his horse, and rescued him out of kindness.
After that, the two traveled together and even after arriving at Pukou Market, they often kept in touch.
However, in recent months, Lu Sui has been in seclusion breaking through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining, so he has not come to see Li Wu.
"Judging by the time, it's about time to leave the pass."
Li Wu wandered through the streets and alleys, and soon arrived at the courtyard of No. 8, Block B.
"Knock knock knock".
After Li Wu knocked on the courtyard gate, he waited a moment before the gate slowly opened.
The person who opened the door was a young man of about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, dressed in simple robes, with his long hair tied up, and quite handsome.
Upon recognizing the visitor, Lu Sui was overjoyed and exclaimed:
"Brother Li! I was actually planning to come and see you."
Li Wu smiled, then suddenly sensed the fluctuations of spiritual energy emanating from Lu Sui. He raised an eyebrow and quickly offered his congratulations:
"Brother Lu has broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining!"
"Haha, it just happened naturally."
Breaking through the fourth level of Qi Refining means becoming a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, which is considered high-class among the independent cultivators in Pukou Market.
Unlike the rogue cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining, cultivators in the middle stages of Qi Refining even have the opportunity to join the prestigious immortal families and sects within the market and become their retainers.
It's equivalent to going from part-time to full-time.