14: Qi Refining Level 4

“Zhou Yun, I think this hairpin Magical Artifact suits you very well, so I bought it. Try it on and see how it looks?”

Returning home, he put down his basket and saw Zhou Yun still tidying up the room. Zhang Qingxiao took out the Low Grade Magical Artifact he had bought and handed it to her.

“Brother Zhang, this Magical Artifact is too valuable, I can’t accept it.”

Zhou Yun quickly waved her hand to decline, but her heart was as sweet as if she had eaten honey.

In the past two months, although Zhang Qingxiao had given her three Yellow Dragon Pills, they were far less significant than this hairpin Magical Artifact.

The meaning behind it was completely different.

“There’s no need to be polite with me. Since the item has already been bought, I can’t return it.”

Zhang Qingxiao forcefully put the hairpin into Zhou Yun’s hand and said with a smile, “I bought some fresh Yao Beast meat. Let’s stew meat for lunch.”

After his Body Refining Cultivation Technique broke through to the Grandmaster Level, every Cultivation session required a large amount of physical strength, which made his appetite grow increasingly larger.

He needed to eat five catties of first-tier Middle Stage Yao Beast meat and two large bowls of spirit rice for every meal to feel full.

First-tier Early Stage Yao Beast meat could no longer satisfy his needs. Recently, he had been buying first-tier Middle Stage Yao Beast meat.

Relatively speaking, first-tier Middle Stage Yao Beast meat was considerably more expensive, and with the rising prices, it now basically cost five taels of gold per catty.

If it weren't for the fact that his proficiency in refining Yellow Dragon Pills had reached the proficient level, resulting in a 100% success rate in Alchemy, he might not have been able to afford the daily expenses with this kind of eating habit.

Zhou Yun happily accepted the hairpin, acknowledged him, and turned to go back to the kitchen to prepare the fresh Yao Beast meat Zhang Qingxiao had bought.

Seeing that it was still early, Zhang Qingxiao went to the courtyard and began practicing the Tiger Leopard Body Tempering Art and the Chong Ling Swordplay.

After practicing a set of fist techniques and swordplay, he was drenched in sweat.

When he returned to his room, Zhou Yun had already filled his cup with warm boiled water.

He gulped down two large cups, and after recovering some strength, he picked up the Pill Formula for refining Golden Marrow Pills and began to study it.

At noon, Zhou Yun brought a large basin of stewed Yao Beast meat and two exquisite side dishes to the table.

“Zhou Yun, get more meat for your father. Take it to him when you go back later.”

Since Zhou Yun started making lunch for him, she had basically never made lunch for her father, Zhou Quan.

He also felt embarrassed to let Zhou Quan eat leftover breakfast every day, so he would occasionally have Zhou Yun take some Yao Beast meat and spirit rice back to Zhou Quan.

“Hmm, my father’s taste buds have been spoiled. He can’t eat without Yao Beast meat and spirit rice now.”

Zhou Yun didn’t stand on ceremony. She took out a pre-prepared lunchbox, scooped some spirit rice and Yao Beast meat into it, and set it aside.

Then she served a large bowl of rice for Zhang Qingxiao and herself.

After lunch, Zhang Qingxiao, as usual, began refining Medicinal Pills, Cultivating Cultivation Techniques, and practicing the Fireball Technique.

On the evening of the third day, while practicing the Fireball Technique, he suddenly felt a surge of enlightenment.

He quickly opened his attribute panel to check.

【Name: Zhang Qingxiao】

【Identity: Chang Sheng Sect Utility Disciple】

【Aptitude: Mediocre】

【Lifespan: 32/75 years】

【Realm: Qi Refining Third Layer, Progress: 99/100】

【Cultivation Technique:

ChangSheng Skill for Qi Refining Stage, Great Master: 298/800

Tiger Leopard Body Tempering Art, Grandmaster: 135/1600】

【Skills:

Alchemy: Pi Gu Pill, Proficient: 95/400

Yellow Dragon Pill, Proficient: 132/200

Spell: Fireball Technique, Grandmaster: 1/1600

Swordplay: Chong Ling Swordplay, Grandmaster: 23/1600】

“It really broke through to the Grandmaster Level. I wonder what its power is like.”

With a thought, a blue-purple Fireball the size of a pigeon egg appeared out of thin air.

“I can’t feel any temperature radiating from it.”

“It’s more solid than before, but I wonder about its power.”

Zhang Qingxiao hadn’t expected that his Fireball Technique would break through to the Grandmaster Level before his Realm did.

He came to the courtyard, waved his hand casually, and the blue-purple Fireball flew five meters away.

“Boom!”

A crisp explosion sounded, and the Fireball suddenly burst open about thirty to forty centimeters above the ground, immediately followed by an intense wave of heat.

“Its power has increased so much…”

“This should be enough to break through the protection of a Body Protection Talisman, right?”

Looking at the scorched black pit on the ground, nearly thirty centimeters deep and one meter in diameter, Zhang Qingxiao’s face showed surprise.

Compared to when it was at the Master proficiency level, its power had increased at least threefold.

“Fully condensing the Fireball Technique consumes a bit too much Spiritual Qi. At my current Spiritual Qi level, I can at most condense three Fireballs.”

After calming down, Zhang Qingxiao suddenly realized that the Spiritual Qi in his body was significantly depleted.

Before breaking through to Grandmaster proficiency, he had more than half of his Spiritual Qi remaining, but now there was very little left.

To determine exactly how much Spiritual Qi the Fireball Technique consumed, he immediately began to Cultivate.

After some testing, Zhang Qingxiao finally determined the Spiritual Qi consumption for fully condensing the Fireball Technique.

When there was no Spiritual Qi consumption, he could condense three Fireballs.

If there was even a slight Spiritual Qi consumption, he could only condense two Fireballs.

“The Fireball Technique can definitely be my trump card.”

“Once my Realm breaks through to Cultivation Level 4, I should learn some other Spells.”

Zhang Qingxiao had not learned other low-level Spells mainly because he didn't have much spare time.

Every day was either Body Refining, practicing swordplay, Alchemy, or Cultivation.

Furthermore, he felt that the power of low-level Spells was generally mediocre, so learning them was not very meaningful.

But now, seeing the power of the Fireball Technique at the Grandmaster Level, he had some expectations for low-level Spells.

In the evening, after Zhang Qingxiao had Cultivated for several cycles, he gradually became perfectly harmonious. Suddenly, his whole body trembled, as if he had broken through some kind of restraint.

The Spiritual Qi in his body also began to rapidly increase as the restraint was broken.

It had increased by about fifty percent compared to when he was at the Qi Refining Third Layer.

“I’ve finally broken through to Cultivation Level 4.”

“From now on, I am also a Cultivator in the Middle Stage of Qi Refining.”

Opening his attribute panel and seeing that his Cultivation progress had become Cultivation Level 4 1/100, Zhang Qingxiao was excited.

From Qi Refining Third Layer 99/100 to the Breakthrough, it had been six days. During this period, taking Yellow Dragon Pills had basically no effect.

He could only slowly Cultivate by absorbing the Spiritual Qi from Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

If it weren't for new insights appearing every time he Cultivated, he would have doubted whether his Aptitude was so poor that he could only Cultivate to the Qi Refining Third Layer.

“Today is a double blessing. Tomorrow, I must celebrate properly.”

Seeing that it was already late at night, Zhang Qingxiao stopped Cultivating and lay directly on the bed, falling into a deep sleep.

It had been a long time since he had slept as comfortably as he did tonight.

He slept soundly until after the Chen hour (7-9 AM) the next morning.

Zhou Yun had finished tidying the room and washing clothes when Zhang Qingxiao finally woke up.

“Brother Zhang, did you intentionally make those large pits in the courtyard?”

Seeing Zhang Qingxiao come out, Zhou Yun asked curiously.

Before, there were many basin-sized pits in the courtyard, and she had asked Zhang Qingxiao, knowing they were created by practicing the Fireball Technique.

The large pits she found today were much bigger than the Fireball Technique pits. Although she was curious, she didn't think in that direction.

“When I was practicing the Fireball Technique, I gained some insights, and after multiple improvements, its power increased somewhat.”

“You don’t need to worry about these pits.”

Zhang Qingxiao did not hide the reason for the large pits.

His words were casual, but Zhou Yun was stunned, her mouth agape.

She also knew the Fireball Technique, but its power was vastly different from Zhang Qingxiao’s Fireball Technique.

At this moment, her gaze towards Zhang Qingxiao held even more admiration.

…