Cultivation: From Servant to Revered Immortal

Chapter 166: Chapter 96: Peak of Third-Layer Foundation Establishment

Returning to the Lake Heart Island Cave Mansion, Zhou Xun took out the storage bag belonging to Zheng Tianxiu.

After a simple inventory,

there were as many as over two hundred and thirty middle-grade spirit stones.

”Now, my expenses for attending the auction have all come back!”

Besides the spirit stones, there were some magical artifacts. Unfortunately, only four were top-grade, but they were all rare premium items.

In addition, what moved Zhou Xun the most were several tier two high-grade talismans, and a quasi-third-tier defense shield talisman.

”Fortunately, I didn’t let this person have the chance to retaliate; otherwise, just these talismans would have given me quite a headache!”

He categorized and stored away all the treasures neatly.

Zhou Xun wrote a few letters, instructing Song Yiqing to send them to Lin Xueying, Wang Erniu, and the Song Family of Qingyue Square.

Now that he has taken Song Yiqing as a concubine, his relationship with the Song Family has also grown closer.

After dealing with Zheng Tianxiu, there were no more disturbances at the Wangchuan Lake Daoist Field, and Zhou Xun’s life returned to peace.

...

Time passed quickly; three months went by.

He was now thirty-nine years old and finally obtained his own daoist field.

During this time, the affiliated spirit farmers of Wangchuan Lake Daoist Field have adapted to the presence of Zhou Xun as their new master.

Song Yiqing now handled all the secular affairs of the daoist field and was becoming more adept at it as well.

Zhou Xun’s daily routine, besides body refinement, cultivation, and studying cultivation skills, often included brewing a pot of spirit tea, sitting in a pavilion, and enjoying the scenery of Wangchuan Lake, leisurely and carefree.

It was deep autumn at the time, and the setting sun cast its glow on the lake, blending with the sky into a single hue, while a line of autumn geese, taking advantage of the sun not yet set, flapped their wings to return to their nest.

This perfectly illustrated an ancient saying from Zhou Xun’s past life — ”The descending sunset flies with the lone bird; the autumn waters merge with the distant sky!”

...

On this day, Zhou Xun was cultivating in his cave mansion when a visitor arrived from White Cloud Immortal City.

It was none other than the shopkeeper of Danhai Pavilion, Old Daoist Chuyun.

Zhou Xun had built a pavilion on Lake Heart Island named ”Jingxin Pavilion,” where he entertained this old friend.

”Master, this Wangchuan Lake Daoist Field is truly a paradise!”

Old Daoist Chuyun marveled as he entered the Wangchuan Lake area, surrounded by scenery rarely seen in Xui Country, which was delightful and pleasing to the eye.

He came here to collect pills.

Before leaving, Zhou Xun had agreed that he would come to Wangchuan Lake every six months to collect pills.

It was strange that he had arrived early.

”Daoist Chuyun, if you like it here, you’re welcome to stay for a few more days!” Zhou Xun smiled slightly, his hands still busy.

Two cups of spirit tea were brewed in no time under the influence of his spell.

”Spiritual Mist Tea, please!”

He placed one cup in front of Old Daoist Chuyun.

The jade-like teacup emitted a gentle spiritual mist, sometimes appearing as a flood dragon, sometimes as a dragon, coiling and turning with great vitality.

Seeing this, Old Daoist Chuyun praised:

”Your tea-making skill has become even more exquisite, Master!”

Then he picked up the spirit tea and started to savor it slowly.

”You’ve come to collect pills after only three months; is there something amiss?” At this point, Zhou Xun brought up the main topic.

Upon hearing this, Old Daoist Chuyun put down the spirit tea and said seriously:

”Master, you are quite right. In the past three months, the sales of our Danhai Pavilion’s elixirs have almost doubled!”

”Elixirs that were formerly enough for half a year’s sales are now nearly sold out, which is why I came here early!”

”Elixir sales rising sharply?” Zhou Xun muttered these words, pondering inwardly.

Recently, it wasn’t any special period, nor had anything special happened. Why the sudden increase in elixirs? There must be something going on.

”Do you know how the sales of talismans, magical artifacts, and such treasures are?” Zhou Xun continued to ask.

”I asked shopkeepers from a few other stores, and the sales of these treasures are also rising, which has caused the prices of spirit materials and spirit medicines to rise significantly, squeezing out a lot of our profits!”

Old Daoist Chuyun answered without hesitation, apparently prepared beforehand.

”There must be something fishy. You should keep a good watch in White Cloud Immortal City, and if there’s any change, inform me at once!”

”As for the elixirs, you may raise the price appropriately, and the extent is up to you!” Zhou Xun instructed.

”Alright!” Old Daoist Chuyun nodded in agreement.

In the following days, Zhou Xun refined all the spirit medicines that Old Daoist Chuyun brought into spirit pills and handed them over for him to take back to White Cloud Immortal City.

...

On Lake Heart Island, inside the cultivation room.

Zhou Xun sat cross-legged on a cushion, and in front of him was a purple, crystalline reishi.

It was the tier three high-grade spirit medicine — Purple Spirit Crystal Reishi, coveted by True Pill cultivators.

More than twenty days had passed since Old Daoist Chuyun departed, and Zhou Xun had gone a full year since his last spirit medicine essence absorption.

This time, he planned to use the most precious spirit medicine.

The tier three high-grade spirit medicine was estimated to increase his spirit root sensitivity by at least five points.

To absorb this spirit medicine in the best condition, Zhou Xun refrained from cultivation for several consecutive days to adjust himself.

Finally, on the third day, feeling he was in the most tranquil state, he instructed Song Yiqing.

Then he entered the cultivation room, fully activated the restrictions, and used the array to concentrate most of the spirit vein’s spiritual qi around the cultivation room.

Based on past experience, absorbing high-level spirit medicine would also rapidly enhance his cultivation; without enough spiritual qi, wouldn’t it be a waste of opportunity?

Calming down and focusing his mind, Zhou Xun opened his eyes a moment later.

Slowly, he picked up the Purple Spirit Crystal Reishi and started circulating the Spring Condensation Technique.

Soon, a familiar scene appeared:

A green light point emerged from the Purple Spirit Crystal Reishi.

This time, the light point was particularly bright, about the size of a pinky finger, more dazzling than ever before.

With long-lost anticipation, Zhou Xun controlled the light point to hover towards his body.

Upon making contact with his skin, the light point instantly melted, dissolving into countless molecules that merged into Zhou Xun’s body.

Though Zhou Xun had long been accustomed to the unique sensation of his body fusing with the essence, this time it felt like the first time!

Once again, he was absorbed in that warm current, feeling as though his whole being was ascending.

After an unknown amount of time, this feeling faded away.

Soon after, Zhou Xun’s Spirit Wood True Technique began circulating on its own once again.

The spiritual qi from the entire spirit vein gathered above the cultivation room, forming a giant vortex that poured into Zhou Xun within the chamber.

As the cultivation technique operated, the spiritual qi continually transformed into mana, ultimately merging into the dantian.

Condensing into one drop after another of liquid magical power.

Soon reaching the threshold of thirty drops, Zhou Xun successfully broke through to the third layer of Foundation Establishment.

However, the process had not yet ceased.

Finally halting at thirty-nine drops, only a sliver away from the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.

His mind sank into the dantian, sensing the fortieth drop of liquid magical power that was about to form but could not yet fully congeal.

Without hesitation, Zhou Xun retrieved the Cyan Spirit Pill given by Zhou Buqi.

The pill capable of helping an Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator break through to the Middle-Stage.

Without hesitation, he ingested it, swallowing it down to begin the refinement!