Chapter 158: Chapter 116: Visitors from the Artifact Refining Pavilion

"Indeed, there’s nothing that makes money faster than robbery and murder."Liou Yuan chuckled.

The debt collection was complete.

After bidding farewell to Qiu Ming and Xie Miaobo, Liou Yuan hummed a tune happily as he left the third peak and headed to his own abode.

Meanwhile, Qiu Ming and Xie Miaobo each went their separate ways.

Qiu Ming, a quick-tempered person, immediately took up a task from Shoushan Tower within Qingyou Prefecture that same afternoon and headed down the mountain.

With his connection to Wei Miaomeng, he could easily get assigned to any task.

Xie Miaobo, meanwhile, was delighted to have received ten Star Stones and returned to Xiaopei Mountain to enter seclusion, aiming to break through to Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer.

Though he wasn’t as talented as Qiu Ming and Liou Yuan, he still possessed a Four-Star Star Acupoint, determined to reach Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer before ending his seclusion.

"I’ve spent seventy contribution points renting a cave, earned ten from debt collection, leaving me with a balance of one hundred and ninety-three points."

In his cave abode, Liou Yuan counted his assets.

Currently at Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer, considering his current speed of cultivation, reaching Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer within a year shouldn’t be a problem.

Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer marks the late stage of qi cultivation.

This stage requires preparation for the eventual breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

According to Elder Duanya’s teachings, once one reaches Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, they should seek out a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Technique, transforming the Spiritual Power from their Breathing Skill into the True Essence of the Foundation Establishment Cultivation Technique.

This process is essential for the Foundation Establishment breakthrough.

Thus, he must start planning his future cultivation.

First and foremost, to break through to Foundation Establishment, acquiring a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Technique is a must.

Such techniques are highly significant, and Five Extremes Mountain doesn’t grant them easily; they require contribution from disciples towards the sect.

The measure of contribution, of course, is contribution points.

Lately, Liou Yuan investigated the value of exchanging for a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Technique.

In the Outer Sect Skill Pavilion, even the lowest quality Grade E Foundation Establishment Cultivation Technique starts at one hundred contribution points.

Grade D techniques start at two hundred points.

Liou Yuan already possesses a Grade D Yin Yang Crossing Skill, likely exchangeable for another technique of equal quality, so obtaining a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Technique isn’t urgent for now.

"But how could I settle for merely a Grade D technique?" Liou Yuan’s voice echoed through the cave, teeming with ambition.

He currently practices the Grade B inferior "Five Mansions Star Gazing Breathing Skill," a testament to the immense impact a cultivation technique’s quality can have on a cultivator.

The main reason he’s consistently been able to defeat adversaries even when crossing cultivational realms owes to the confidence his Grade B Breathing Skill provides.

Had he been using a lesser technique, he might have lost in that battle against Liou Tao.

And there wouldn’t be the subsequent victory over Sheng Zeming.

"Forget about Grade A; no word has emerged from either Jin Dynasty or Jiuli State about any Grade A Foundation Establishment Techniques."

"Acquiring a Grade B Foundation Establishment Technique would certainly be ideal."

"At the very least, I should secure a Grade C Foundation Establishment Technique."

Liou Yuan rubbed his chin, setting objectives for himself.

Grade C Foundation Establishment Techniques are not cheap either.

Rumor has it the highest quality Foundation Establishment Techniques at Five Extremes Mountain are merely Grade B Top-grade.

Grade C ranks just below the sect’s highest quality techniques, and exchanging them from the sect entails significant contribution point requirements.

So even the nearly two hundred contribution points he currently possesses amount to little.

"No wonder my elder brother is so broke," Liou Yuan lamented.

He hasn’t even counted the expenses for Foundation Establishment Magical Artifacts, whose creation is an endless pit.

"I need to make money fast," Liou Yuan muttered, his mind drifting to an idea, reaching into his Storage Bag and retrieving a jade bottle.

It was the Qi Gathering Elixir he had seized from Sheng Zeming.

In order to acquire this elixir, Liou Yuan had wielded the Profound Brilliance Sword and waited for Sheng Zeming to complete the elixir’s refinement.

There were three elixirs in total; he gave one to Qiu Ming, leaving him with two.

"Qi Gathering Elixirs sell for about twenty Star Stones at Five Extremes Mountain, approximately equivalent to seven contribution points."

Liou Yuan had no intention of consuming the elixir.

No matter how high-quality an elixir is, it inevitably harbors elixir poison. Consuming too much would slow future cultivation—a classic case of pulling the shoots to help them grow.

Liou Zhen had already warned Liou Yuan about this, and Elder Duanya of the Outer Sect had frequently reiterated it.

Zhao Feiyue hadn’t consumed any elixirs either.

Elixirs are ultimately intended for cultivators limited by their aptitude.

With less talent, it’s better to use elixirs to boost progress.

Once started, it’s hard to stop; future cultivation advancements become dependent on elixirs.

"It’s not that it can’t be used; the best time would be using an elixir to break through Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer."

"Legend holds that the breakthrough from Qi Cultivation Realm to Foundation Establishment Realm can bring about Washing Marrow’s mystical effect, expelling impurities, including elixir poison."

Liou Yuan is not a novice in cultivation now, having read many books and attended many classes, he is well versed in the timing of using elixirs.

Therefore, after smelling the fragrance of the Qi Gathering Elixir, he cautiously returned it to his Storage Bag, reserving it for use during the breakthrough to Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer.

Night deepened; outside, the moon hung high in the sky.

The glow of the stars fell upon the fifth peak, encompassing the area around Liou Yuan’s cave abode.

The Spirit Gathering Array inside the cave automatically began operating, absorbing and storing the stellar energy.

Starry rays also streamed through an opening intentionally left in his cave’s ceiling, bathing Liou Yuan’s body.

The entire cave was inundated with vaporous stellar energy.

Without even circulating the Breathing Skill of the Five Mansions, these stellar energies naturally made their way into the two Star Acupoints of his body.

Seeing the sight, Liou Yuan couldn’t help but feel that these contribution points were well spent.

Just as he was about to clear his mind and start his new day’s cultivation.

A robust male voice suddenly resounded from outside the cave, penetrating the stone door and echoed inside.

"Junior Brother Liou Yuan, Fan Xinxiao from Artifact Refining Pavilion is here to visit."

"Artifact Refining Pavilion?" Liou Yuan raised his eyebrows. Apart from Qiu Can, Qiu Ming’s brother, he had no contact with others from the pavilion.

He hadn’t heard of the name Fan Xinxiao.

But since this person didn’t seem to be trouble, Liou Yuan tidied his attire and opened the stone door to welcome the visitor.

The visitor appeared to be in his thirties, sporting sleek short hair that stood upright.

His face was sharply contoured, like a chiseled sculpture.

His shoulders were broad, with robust trapezius muscles flowing smoothly from neck to shoulder, perfectly connecting with his strong arms.

"This physique, surely he’s from the Artifact Refining Pavilion."

The spiritual power flowing within him was strong.

Liou Yuan felt a sense of pressure even without using Evil Eyes.

Based on this, Liou Yuan surmised that although Fan Xinxiao didn’t reach the Foundation Establishment Realm, he was formidable enough within the Qi Cultivation Realm.

"Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer?" Liou Yuan exclaimed silently, becoming more respectful as he cupped his hands in greeting to the man identified as Fan Xinxiao.

"Greetings from Junior Brother Liou Yuan to Senior Brother Fan."

"No need for formalities," Fan Xinxiao politely responded without the arrogance typical of a Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer disciple.