In the following days, Qin Wang stayed hidden in his small house, cultivating and absorbing the spiritual energy from the spirit stones to increase his proficiency in cultivation.
Thanks to Qin Wang's warning, Gao Yuan and his daughter, Gao Wenjing, declined the invitation to go deeper into Cuiyun Mountain, citing other commitments. However, the rest of the team went and were ambushed on their way back in the afternoon, resulting in the loss of four members and severe injuries to Ouyang Long.
Gao Yuan specially visited to thank Qin Wang for the warning.
Zhao Xuanting, at the peak of the fourth level of Qi Refining from the Demon Slayer Alliance, died in Cuiyun Mountain. His body was torn apart by beasts, and his magical weapon and storage bag were missing. The Demon Slayer Alliance suspected the Dan Alliance of foul play, leading to a small skirmish between the two factions. They are still searching for the culprit.
[Cultivation Level: Third Level of Qi Refining (28/3000)]
"After consuming 63 spirit stones, I've finally reached the third level of Qi Refining!"
On the eighth day, Qin Wang looked at his progress with satisfaction and murmured, "Just one more level to go, and I'll be able to open the storage bag!"
Getting closer to the fourth level of Qi Refining, Qin Wang was filled with anticipation.
At this moment, Qin Wang felt his mana in his dantian had doubled in strength compared to before, and his physical strength had also significantly increased.
He also discovered that after advancing to the third level of Qi Refining, each spirit stone now provided 14 points of proficiency.
He verified this by consuming an additional two spirit stones after his breakthrough.
Currently, he had 25 spirit stones, three bottles of Spirit Nourishing Pills, and four bottles of Qi Supplementing Pills left.
"Let's see how much these pills can increase my proficiency."
Qin Wang took out the pills he had obtained from Liao Bida. Each bottle of Spirit Nourishing Pills contained five pills, totaling 15 pills. Each bottle of Qi Supplementing Pills also contained five pills, totaling 20 pills.
According to Qin Wang's knowledge, Spirit Nourishing Pills sold for three spirit stones each in the Dan Alliance, while Qi Supplementing Pills sold for two spirit stones each. These pills alone were worth 85 spirit stones. It seemed Liao Bida had plundered many low-level rogue cultivators to amass these seven bottles of pills, which now benefited Qin Wang.
These pills had all been purified using his treasure bowl and were safe to consume.
Qin Wang took the pills one by one and found that one Spirit Nourishing Pill increased his proficiency by 42 points, and one Qi Supplementing Pill increased it by 28 points, roughly equivalent to the proficiency gained from absorbing spirit stones.
After seven days.
In the morning.
"Just 1,792 points of proficiency left to break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining."
Qin Wang looked at his progress with thoughtful eyes.
[Cultivation Level: Third Level of Qi Refining (1208/3000)]
Based on his current progress, he would need 128 more spirit stones to advance to the fourth level of Qi Refining and develop divine sense. Currently, he only had 25 spirit stones left, which was far from enough.
"I should make two more batches of Bewitching Demon Incense and head to the place where the male demon wild boar is."
Qin Wang made up his mind after some thought.
The last time he used the Bewitching Demon Incense, the demon wild boars, demon rabbits, and armored demons went crazy, rushing towards the incense without any regard for safety.
If he encountered wild boars again, he could ignite the Bewitching Demon Incense to lure the beasts away and escape safely.
With this in mind, Qin Wang immediately locked his door and went to the Demon Slaying Workshop to purchase the necessary materials for the Bewitching Demon Incense.
Two batches of Bewitching Demon Incense cost him 10 spirit stones, leaving him with only 15 spirit stones. After preparing everything, he took his Spirit Frightening Knife and Bewitching Demon Incense and headed towards Cuiyun Mountain.
Cuiyun Mountain.
Thirty miles away, at the base of a cliff, was the small cave discovered by the male demon wild boar. This information had been collected over the past half month.
The morning sun rose.
Many cultivators entered the mountain in groups, while some, like Qin Wang, traveled alone.
By noon, under the scorching sun, Qin Wang thought, "It should be inside that crevice in the rock wall ahead. That wild boar demon is in the way!"
He had been sneaking and hiding all the way, finally reaching the base of a cliff thirty miles into Cuiyun Mountain. Hiding behind a large rock, he frowned as he watched the wild boar demon sniffing around the crevice in the rock wall.
At this moment, the wild boar demon, covered in a layer of black, iron-like mud armor, was sniffing at the crevice. Clearly, it was an adult demon wild boar, and Qin Wang's current cultivation level wasn't enough to handle it.
Although he could use the Bewitching Demon Incense, it cost five spirit stones per batch, and he was reluctant to use it. He decided to wait behind the rock until the wild boar demon left.
Two hours later.
The wild boar demon shook its head and tail, turned around, and walked away.
"Damned wild boar, made me wait for two hours!"
"When my cultivation level rises, I'll feast on your meat!"
Qin Wang watched as the adult male wild boar demon left and took a deep breath. As the wild boar disappeared into the forest, he used his Swift Eagle Technique to quickly reach the crevice at the base of the cliff.
The crevice was covered with vines, about two feet wide, very deep, and emitted a faint spiritual energy. He had to turn sideways to enter.
"Let's go in and take a look!"
With a flash of determination in his eyes, Qin Wang held his Spirit Frightening Knife and sidled into the crevice.
After walking four or five yards deep, he found that the crevice turned and led into a cave, resembling a labyrinth, with spiritual energy more abundant than outside.
He lit an oil lamp he had prepared earlier, illuminating the cave.
After walking thirty more yards, he found a five-yard wide cave chamber. A stalactite about ten feet thick hung from the ceiling, its tip the size of a fist.
Below the stalactite was a bowl-sized depression filled with milky-white spirit milk! A strong spiritual energy emanated from the depression! "Spirit Milk from the Stalactite?!"
Qin Wang stepped forward, eyes filled with joy as he looked at the spirit milk in the depression.
Such rich spiritual milk, if absorbed, could potentially advance him to the fourth level of Qi Refining! Maybe even the fifth level, who knows?
"Forget it, I'll stay here and cultivate until my level rises!"
Qin Wang decided to stay in the cave and cultivate by the stalactite spirit milk, thinking it was the safest option.
With this thought, he immediately sat down beside the stalactite, took out his treasure bowl, and filled it with half a bowl of spirit milk. He had developed a habit of purifying anything he consumed with the treasure bowl for safety.
The spirit milk vanished into the treasure bowl instantly.
After about an hour, the bowl was filled with spirit milk again.
Qin Wang first licked a small amount, then swallowed it and began to cultivate using the Five Elements Gathering Technique to refine the spirit milk into mana.
Little Dan Mountain.
At the door of house number 88.
Gao Yuan, wearing a tiger-skin robe, returned from outside and saw a lock on Qin Wang's door. Looking at the darkening sky, he asked his daughter, Gao Wenjing, "Wenjing, did you see which direction Qin Wang went this morning?"
"Father, when we went into the mountain, I saw him heading towards Cuiyun Mountain," Gao Wenjing replied with some confusion in her beautiful eyes.
It's quite dangerous for him to be out this late.
Nighttime outside Little Dan Mountain is even more dangerous.
"Cuiyun Mountain..."
Gao Yuan frowned. Cuiyun Mountain was a place where beasts roamed; why would someone with low cultivation like Qin Wang go there? Could he be searching for his uncle's remains again?
Since Gao Yuan avoided a disaster thanks to Qin Wang's warning, he had been grateful. Without Qin Wang's kind reminder, he and his daughter would have died with the demon hunting team in the mountains.
So, Gao Yuan was very worried that Qin Wang hadn't returned yet.