8: Cultivation Progress

“What a sin, how did it end up like this…”

“Good thing I reacted in time, otherwise it would have been dangerous.”

Upon returning home, he quickly closed the courtyard gate and observed through the crack for a while.

After confirming that no one was paying attention to him, he returned to his room, poured a bowl of cool boiled water, and gulped it down, feeling slightly better.

At this moment, he was excited yet fearful, mixed with nervousness and worry.

“There shouldn’t be any trouble. They were just two robbers trying to mug me. Killing them was deserved; it was completely self-defense.”

Zhang Qingxiao paced back and forth in his room, countless thoughts simultaneously rising in his mind.

He worried that the enforcers from the Chang Sheng Sect’s Utility Hall would come looking for him after the killing, and also worried that the two he killed might have accomplices.

Although the Chang Sheng Sect didn’t care much about the lives and deaths of Utility Disciples, if they were to seriously investigate, it would still be very troublesome.

After a long while, he gradually calmed down and realized he was still carrying his basket.

“Since I’m here, I’ll make the best of it. The Enforcement Hall shouldn’t care about the lives and deaths of ordinary Utility Disciples like us.”

“Oh, right, where did I put the Magical Artifact I just got back?”

Taking off his basket, Zhang Qingxiao finally remembered the Magical Artifact he had taken from the two robbers.

After some searching, he quickly found two Magical Artifacts under a piece of Yao Beast meat.

Both Magical Artifacts looked somewhat strange.

One was a circular ring with a row of sharp spikes around its perimeter, looking very sharp. It felt like it weighed three or four catties in his hand.

It was engraved with dense, intricate symbols.

He had never studied Formations, and after looking at it for a long time, he still couldn’t understand what was drawn on it.

Zhang Qingxiao cautiously tried to inject Spiritual Qi into this Magical Artifact. At first, there was some resistance.

As he injected about a third of his Spiritual Qi, everything became smooth.

The Magical Artifact floated directly, giving him a sense of spiritual connection.

With a thought, he could control the Magical Artifact to fly freely within a two to three-meter radius around him.

However, it wasn’t very flexible. He was only a Qi Refining Third Layer Cultivator, without Divine Sense, so he couldn't control it precisely.

“Good stuff!”

“It should be a Medium Grade Magical Artifact, better than my Magical Artifact longsword.”

In a short while, Zhang Qingxiao was already proficient in controlling this Magical Artifact. Comparatively, this circular ring-shaped Magical Artifact was indeed much better than his Magical Artifact longsword.

After controlling it for a while, he felt that most of his Spiritual Qi had been consumed, so he quickly stopped.

Although the Magical Artifact was good, it consumed a lot of Spiritual Qi.

It was not as practical as the Fireball Technique at all.

Putting down the circular ring-shaped Magical Artifact, he picked up another Magical Artifact, which resembled a fishing net, and began to study it.

This Magical Artifact was likely used to trap people.

Used in conjunction with the other circular ring Magical Artifact, it was truly a perfect match.

First, trap the person, then attack with the circular ring Magical Artifact. Even a Late Qi Refinement Stage Cultivator who didn’t use a Body Protection Talisman could fall into their trap.

“These two Magical Artifacts should sell for a good amount of Spirit Stones.”

“Indeed, robbery is the fastest way to make money.”

The fact that these two could afford such good Magical Artifacts meant they must frequently engage in such acts of plunder.

With this thought, the discomfort he felt after killing someone dissipated a bit more.

At noon, he simply steamed three bowls of white rice and stewed two catties of Yao Beast meat to fill his stomach, then resumed Cultivating the Tiger Leopard Body Tempering Art.

While Cultivating, he kept thinking about the two people he had killed that morning.

Several times, he couldn’t help but want to go check if the two corpses had been completely burned to ashes, but he managed to forcefully restrain himself.

That night, upon returning to his bedroom, he remembered that the Yellow Dragon Pill he had bought that morning was still in his embrace.

First, he opened his attribute panel to take a look.

“Name: Zhang Qingxiao”

“Identity: Chang Sheng Sect Utility Disciple”

“Aptitude: Mediocre”

“Lifespan: 32/75 years old”

“Realm: Qi Refining Third Layer, Progress: 20/100”

“Cultivation Technique:

Chang Sheng Skill for Qi Refining Stage, Proficient: 339/400

Tiger Leopard Body Tempering Art, Great Master: 365/800”

“Skills:

Alchemy: Pi Gu Pill, Proficient: 67/200

Spell: Fireball Technique, Great Master: 101/800

Swordplay: Chong Ling Swordplay, Great Master: 138/800”

His Realm progress increased a bit a few days ago. Based on the time it took for the last progress increase to this one, it was calculated that it would take approximately twenty-two days to increase one point of progress.

The proficiency of Longevity Skill had increased significantly recently, and it would reach Great Master level in one or two days.

To increase the proficiency of a Cultivation Technique, one must Cultivate the Cultivation Technique and circulate the Heavenly Cycle. Moreover, as proficiency increases, the time required to increase proficiency also becomes longer.

In addition, Fireball Technique, Body Refining Cultivation Technique, and Swordplay had all reached Great Master level.

The early proficiency of Mortal Swordplay and Body Refining Cultivation Technique increased quickly.

It only slowed down after reaching Great Master level.

“I wonder if taking one Yellow Dragon Pill can increase my progress by a point.”

Looking at the 20/100 progress of his Realm, Zhang Qingxiao was indeed a bit worried.

This body was already 32 years old, with a maximum lifespan of 75 years, leaving only 43 years of life. At the current pace, he would probably die of old age before even Breaking Through to the Late Qi Refinement Stage.

Having Transmigrated, if he couldn't even Break Through the Qi Refinement Stage, wouldn't he be laughed to death by other Transmigrators?

He shook his head, cast these messy thoughts aside, picked up a Yellow Dragon Pill, and put it into his mouth.

As soon as the Medicinal Pill was swallowed, he felt a faint medicinal power, carrying traces of Spiritual Qi, flowing through his body.

He quickly followed the Cultivation Technique, circulating the Heavenly Cycle.

Two hours later, the medicinal power of the Yellow Dragon Pill was completely refined. Upon careful sensing, it seemed as if the Spiritual Qi in his body had increased slightly, yet not by much.

Opening his attribute panel, he saw his Realm progress had reached 21/100, and Zhang Qingxiao’s eyes lit up.

“If one Yellow Dragon Pill can increase Cultivation progress by one point, then Qi Refining Fourth Layer is within reach!”

“No, Foundation Establishment is within reach, Chang Sheng is within reach…”

Thinking of this, Zhang Qingxiao took out another Yellow Dragon Pill and consumed it.

This time, he clearly felt that the effect was somewhat weaker.

Knowing that this was due to continuously taking Medicinal Pills in a short period, he didn’t pay too much attention to it.

This time was just to verify his guess.

He certainly wouldn't be so wasteful in the future.

Another two hours passed, but this time, his progress did not increase.

Continuously taking two Yellow Dragon Pills, six Low-Grade Spirit Stones were gone, which he couldn't quite bear, so he had to give up the idea of continuing to experiment with Medicinal Pills.

After all this, it was already late at night.

Fatigue set in, Zhang Qingxiao tidied up briefly, lay on the bed, and fell straight asleep.

The next evening, he took his last Yellow Dragon Pill, and his Realm progress increased by another point.

Two Yellow Dragon Pills could increase one point of progress.

Although it was a bit expensive, it also gave him hope.

If he didn't consider Spirit Stones, by taking one Yellow Dragon Pill each morning and evening, he would only need less than three months to Break Through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer and become a Middle Stage Qi Refining Cultivator.

With hope, came greater motivation.

In the following days, in addition to Cultivating, Body Refining, and Alchemy, he also spent a considerable amount of time researching the Pill Formula for Yellow Dragon Pill, and he did gain some insights.

Meanwhile, during this period, no one came to look for him except for his next-door neighbor, Zhou Quan, who visited him once.

It was as if nothing had happened, and his initial worries gradually dissipated.

Seeing that he had accumulated over fifty Pi Gu Pills in half a month, he decided to go to the market to sell the Pi Gu Pills and buy some Yellow Dragon Pills and various daily necessities.

Passing by the scene of the killing again, he saw stark white bones, thrown into the weeds by who knows whom.

From the hole in the chest of the bones, it seemed to be the two people he had killed.

He glanced at them a few times and quickly left the area.

“It seems there really isn’t anything to worry about.”

“I was overly concerned.”

“There are hundreds of thousands of Utility Disciples at the foot of the mountain. How could those high and mighty individuals expend energy investigating the lives and deaths of two unknown Utility Disciples?”

Zhang Qingxiao’s heart, which had been on edge for half a month, completely relaxed, and at the same time, he became more vigilant.

“In this place where human lives are as cheap as grass, there truly is no sense of security to speak of.”

He sighed inwardly and quickly walked into the market.

…