Chapter 36

As long as there is a goal, there is a direction to move forward, and all that remains is to put in the effort.

First, solve the first problem: advancing to the second level of the Qi Cultivation stage. This was not a problem for Luo Li. Over the past three months of cultivation, he had refined spirit stones every day, increasing his spiritual energy. Sometimes he gained a hundred breaths of spiritual energy, sometimes just a few dozen. In fact, two days before, Luo Li had already filled his entire Sea of Qi.

However, after filling the entire Sea of Qi, Luo Li found that he could not integrate all the spiritual energy to advance to the second level of the Qi Cultivation stage. It was as if an invisible barrier stood before him.

But this was not a difficult problem to solve. The seventh day of the seventh month was just three days away, and Luo Li decided to break through this barrier at the gratitude banquet.

Soon, the seventh day of the seventh month arrived. Luo Li had already attended this gratitude banquet three times, and it was no longer as novel as the first two times. He was now quite at ease.

After the gratitude meal, the sect leader released a golden core phenomenon outside the hall. Luo Li took a Qi Cultivation Pill for the first time, using the environment of the banquet to begin his breakthrough.

He placed the Qi Cultivation Pill in his mouth, slowly dissolving it with saliva, and then swallowed it.

The pill entered his body and, in an instant, a cool, fragrant warmth appeared in his stomach, flowing through the twelve levels of the tower to his lungs. All 108,000 pores on his body seemed to open immediately, and he felt an endless flow of spiritual energy appearing within him, beginning to circulate wildly according to his cultivation method.

The spiritual energy gathered, and in an instant, all the true qi collapsed. They quickly merged into a single point, then exploded, breaking through the barrier and passing through it, permeating his entire body.

This true qi permeating his body gave Luo Li an indescribable wonderful feeling. His entire body began to change under the impact of the true qi.

His meridians, flesh, and blood became stronger, his spiritual senses became sharper, and his divine consciousness expanded from three feet to four feet. Everything was enhanced, like a caterpillar breaking out of its cocoon to become a butterfly. Today, the transformation was complete! Luo Li had advanced to the second level of the Qi Cultivation stage!

He took a deep breath, it was done! He had cultivated for 106 days and advanced to the second level of the Qi Cultivation stage!

Each level of the Qi Cultivation stage has its unique abilities. The first level opens the Sea of Qi, and the second level allows the external release of true qi. With this ability, Luo Li could now draw talismans.

At this banquet, Old Sha finally broke through to the fourth level of the Qi Cultivation stage. His trip to the Tianzhu Sect's market to purchase spirit pills was not in vain. Everyone congratulated him, and the sect leader had glanced at him before leaving, indicating that Old Sha might be selected to cultivate in the inner sect, realizing his dream of refining true qi on Ziyang Cliff.

Returning to the outer sect, Luo Li collected his July sect benefits and began to organize his belongings. Over this period, he had received the sect benefits for five months—March, April, May, June, and July. After deducting the cost of meals and the three spirit stones he had refined, he had 14 spirit stones left.

In addition to the spirit stones, he had 26 Qi Cultivation Pills. The three pills he had given to his seventh brother had been returned, along with ten more, earning Luo Li seven pills and a great favor!

Besides these, he had an exquisite blood crystal stone in his stomach, which occasionally emitted blood qi to replenish his true qi. Additionally, over these days, Luo Li had slaughtered Lingzhi Iron Armor Mo and done many good deeds, accumulating 83 merit points, nearly reaching 100.

Unfortunately, Lingzhi Iron Armor Mo was only delivered once or twice a month, otherwise, he could have accumulated more.

During this time, Luo Li had collected discarded fur to make leather talisman paper. Since the fur was free, it only required some effort. As a result, he had 300 pieces of leather talisman paper.

In addition, Luo Li had 106 mutated purple hairs, all the best purple hairs from the Blue-eyed Moonlight Rabbits. These rabbits were one of the spirit beasts slaughtered in the Tuo She Hall, but sometimes a mutated Blue-eyed Moonlight Rabbit would appear, a second-stage spirit beast that could produce the best purple hairs, suitable for making talisman pens and magic pens.

A mutated Blue-eyed Moonlight Rabbit could only produce less than ten mutated purple hairs, making them extremely rare. However, the Blue-eyed Moonlight Rabbits had to be slaughtered and refined by the Tuo She Hall disciples, and each person would keep some of the best purple hairs.

After Old Sha returned, Luo Li began to seek these mutated purple hairs from his fellow disciples in the Tuo She Hall. His good deeds over the past few months had not been in vain, and he had excellent relationships. One gave him two, another gave him three, and Yongchuan gave him thirty, quickly collecting 106 mutated purple hairs. If he had bought them, it would have cost at least ten spirit stones.

After taking stock of all his items, Luo Li packed them into a storage bag. It was still dark, but he got up early, mounted a riding beast, and left the Tuo She Hall, heading for the outer sect headquarters.

Today was the seventh day of the seventh month, and the Tianzhu Sect's market was having a big fair. The outer sect headquarters had a vehicle to take disciples who wanted to go to the Tianzhu Sect's market to shop. Luo Li also wanted to go and shop in person!

"This time, I have three goals. First, to thoroughly study the sales situation of talismans in the market, to see which talismans are the most popular and sell the best.

Second, to find a workshop to have my mutated purple hairs made into a talisman pen for drawing talismans. I also need to buy a paperweight. As for spirit ink, it's not a big deal; the Tuo She Hall has plenty of spirit blood cinnabar, and I can refine it myself if necessary.

The last goal is to see what the Tianxingjian Sect's inter-sect flying boat looks like on the seventh day of the seventh month!"

Actually, there was another goal: Luo Li wanted to inquire about the news of Long Wending, a foundation-stage cultivator from the Heilong Sect. He vowed to avenge this grudge or not be a man!

Soon, Luo Li arrived at the designated place at the outer sect headquarters. He saw that many outer sect disciples had already gathered, over a hundred in total, mostly new disciples waiting there. Many of them had the same goal as him.

At this moment, a bright light appeared in the sky, and over a dozen Lingdie Sect disciples began to fly in, riding various magical tools.

Some were sitting on three-zhang large colorful butterflies, some were riding seven-foot-long flying swords, some were riding kite-like magical tools, and some were riding large flying beasts. The most impressive was a flying carriage, not as grand as the sect's twelve-color winged flying carriage, but still quite impressive.

These were disciples who owned flying magical tools or had reached the seventh level of the Qi Cultivation stage and could ride the air. They all flew to this place.

The inner sect disciple riding the flying carriage shouted, "Is anyone going to Tianzhu? The flying carriage is taking people, with five seats and four standing spots. Two spirit stones for a seat, one spirit stone for a standing spot. If you're going, come and sign up quickly...!"

Immediately, someone shouted, "I am, I am, I am!"

The flying carriage quickly filled up, even with four standing. But being able to ride the flying carriage was a luxury, and without spirit stones, one couldn't afford it!

The flying carriage took off, heading east. Then, the disciple riding the colorful butterfly shouted, "Is anyone going to Tianzhu? The Yamei Butterfly is taking people, can carry five people, and can hang five more. Sixty spirit pearls for a seat, twenty spirit pearls for a hanging spot. If you're going, come and sign up quickly...!"

Immediately, someone rushed over, shouting, "I am, I am, I am!"

Then, the Yamei Butterfly was crowded with five people, and the butterfly extended its antennae, with five people hanging from them. They might have been squeezed too tightly, as they let out various groans. The Yamei Butterfly barely took off, wobbling as it headed east.

At this moment, the inner sect disciple riding the flying beast shouted, "Is anyone going to Tianzhu? The flying-winged bat is taking people, can carry four, grab two with its claws, and carry one in its mouth. Fifty spirit pearls for a seat, twenty spirit pearls for a claw spot, and ten spirit pearls for the mouth. Injuries are your own responsibility. If you're going, come and sign up quickly...!"

Damn, it can even carry one in its mouth, truly terrifying! But seeing so many outer sect disciples who wanted to go, Luo Li also raised his hand and shouted, "I am, I am, I am!"

Thus, Luo Li climbed onto the back of a flying-winged bat, spending fifty spirit pearls to gain the right to go to the Tianzhu Sect.

The flying-winged bat took off, heading east. Although there was a protective shield on the bat to resist the strong wind of high-speed flight, the wind was still strong, blowing Luo Li's long hair to flutter.

Mountains, rivers, and villages passed beneath him, and the feeling of flying was exhilarating.

About half an hour later, a long river appeared ahead, dividing the land into two sides. This was not actually a long river but the coastline between two of the Tianzhu Five Islands. It had been filled in by the predecessors, leaving only a thirty-mile stretch of sea as the dividing point between the two islands.

Crossing this area, the land ahead was the territory of Tianzhu Island. Luo Li immediately felt a slight difference. The land here had a damp, cold atmosphere, with many forests and countless flying insects, as spiders prefer such an environment.

After another half an hour of flying, endless mountains finally appeared ahead. The disciple riding the flying-winged bat shouted, "Alright, we've been flying for over an hour, 937 miles. Ahead is the entrance to the Tianzhu Sect.

Many of you are here for the first time, so let me tell you, the Tianzhu Sect is different from our Lingdie Sect. It is the leader of the Tianzhu Alliance, one of the 800 side sects, so they only have one market!"

Everyone was surprised, and someone asked, "Only one? Our Lingdie Sect has four!"

"Right, right, I heard that the Shenji Sect has seven, and the Heilong Sect has twelve! How can they have only one?"

The disciple laughed and said, "Yes, only one, but it's a particularly large one, large enough to rival the combined markets of the four sects of the Tianzhu Alliance—Lingdie Sect, Heilong Sect, Shenji Sect, and Jingyu Palace. So one is enough!

See that? That's the market of the Tianzhu Sect, the Ganyuan Tianzhu. This great demon is already at the golden core stage, and its golden core phenomenon covers the entire market, so one market is enough!"

As he spoke, a huge spider web appeared in the forest ahead, covering the sky and earth, stretching for a thousand zhang. This was actually the golden core phenomenon!

The snow-white spider silk was three feet thick, layer upon layer, forming a complex three-dimensional network. In the center of the web, a golden spider stood like a statue, motionless.

This was the Ganyuan Tianzhu, containing the entire world within its web. The entire market of the Tianzhu Sect was hidden within its golden core phenomenon, under its control.

The market of the Lingdie Sect was just a land-swallowing stone demon at the Qi Cultivation stage, while the Ganyuan Tianzhu was a golden core spider demon. The difference in strength, momentum, and market size was at least a hundred times.

The flying beast entered the web, and the space shifted. Suddenly, a huge aerial city appeared before their eyes—this was the market of the Tianzhu Sect!