Zhao Yu spoke slowly, "Xianjiao, although your mother has passed away, your enemies are still out there! The Cangling Sect's Gold Element Casino and the Thousand Mysteries Sect's Hundred Flowers Building are the culprits behind your mother's death. You possess the one-in-ten-thousand Heavenly Spirit Root. As long as you enter a sect for cultivation and grow successfully, you can become a Golden Core Ancestor. When that time comes, you can have your revenge!"
The light in Li Xianjiao's eyes, which had previously been tinged with a hopelessness and numbness, gradually sparked to life. She climbed up from the bed, her gaze full of anticipation as she looked at Zhao Yu, "Uncle, can't you help me cultivate into a Golden Core Ancestor?"
Zhao Yu answered honestly, "I currently only have the cultivation level of the Third Level of Qi Refining! I don't even possess a Foundation Establishment Technique. If you follow me in cultivation, reaching Foundation Establishment and forming a Golden Core could be much more difficult than if you were to join a sect."
A genius of the Heavenly Spirit Root grade would have an eighty to ninety percent chance of becoming a True Disciple once they joined a sect. Golden Core Ancestors would clamor to take them as disciples and impart precious manuals that point directly to the Golden Core.
As a Loose Cultivator, Zhao Yu didn't even have a single Foundation Establishment Technique. Although he carried the Dao Fruit within him which promised boundless potential as long as he lived, currently, he was far from being a match to a Golden Core Sect.
Li Xianjiao silently nodded, revitalized once more.
A few days later, Ling Chongshan sold a Magical Technique Manual of the Concealment Technique to Zhao Yu for the price of five Spirit Stones.
Zhao Yu had Li Xianjiao practice this spell and prohibited her from leaving the house until she had mastered it, meanwhile purchasing in advance two Golden Light Talismans, two Featherweight Talismans, two Armor Horse Talismans, and three Fireball Talismans.
A Golden Light Talisman is a first-grade superior defensive talisman. Once activated, it can form a Golden Light Cover, offering a defensive ability that far surpasses the Minor Spirit Shield Technique and Spiritual Shield Technique.
A Featherweight Talisman is a first-grade mid-level talisman that, once activated, makes one's body light as a swallow, agile and effortless.
An Armor Horse Talisman is a first-grade mid-level talisman that, once activated, can make one move as swiftly as a stallion, capable of covering a hundred miles a day without tiring one's body.
A Fireball Talisman is a first-grade mid-level talisman that, once activated, can evoke a fireball to attack the enemy. Even a Great Grandmaster of the Martial Path would have no escape from death upon being hit by such a fireball.
Although humans from the Market City in Little Black Mountain had overwhelmingly triumphed in past beast hunts, Zhao Yu was still very cautious and prepared various combat talismans.
One month later, the Beast Hunting Team was assembled and started patrolling the Ten Mortal Cities, hunting demon beasts.
Many demon beasts from the Canglong Mountain Range descended upon the Ten Mortal Cities to hunt for food, only to be killed by the Beast Hunting Team. A flood of demon beast meat entered the Little Black Mountain Market, causing the price of demon beast meat to plummet.
Zhao Yu seized the opportunity to buy some first-grade superior demon beast meat for consumption, accelerating the enhancement of his Spirit Root attributes.
Since advancing to the Third Level of Qi Refining, consuming a Yellow Spirit Pill could only increase Zhao Yu's proficiency by five points. However, even so, through the mass consumption of Yellow Spirit Pills during cultivation, he soon faced the bottleneck of breaking through from the Early Stage to the Middle Stage of Qi Refining.
Another month passed, within the Quiet Room.
"I've hit a bottleneck; I refined two Yellow Spirit Pills and was still unable to break through this damnable bottleneck! Low-grade Spiritual Roots really are trash!!"
Zhao Yu shook his head slightly and swallowed a Breakthrough Spirit Pill he had purchased for a hundred Spirit Stones in one gulp.
A potent medicinal power surged within his body. Under his guidance, it merged with the mana inside him, breaking through a meridian and directly advancing him to the Fourth Level of Qi Refining.
"Cultivation Level: Earth Elemental Skill Fourth Level (0/100). Qi Refining Fourth Level!"
Excitement shimmered in Zhao Yu's eyes, "Finally, I have advanced to the Fourth Level of Qi Refining!! I have finally become a Mid-stage Qi Refining Cultivator, and now I can use the Golden Light Talisman!"
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The use of various talismans also required the depletion of the user's mana. Zhao Yu, previously just a Mid-stage Qi Refining Cultivator, would find using the Golden Light Talisman particularly draining. A single Golden Light Talisman could consume nearly all of his mana, leaving him unable to fight any further.
Zhao Yu's lips curved into a slight smile, revealing a hint of amusement, "After advancing to the Fourth Level of Qi Refining, I find drawing Evil-warding Talismans much easier, and refining Yellow Spirit Pills has become more convenient."
Although the market in Little Black Mountain was near the Canglong Mountain Range and many Spirit Grass and Spiritual Medicines for refining Yellow Spirit Pills were abundant, Zhao Yu still couldn't obtain enough Spirit Grass and Spiritual Medicines to start the Alchemy furnace. On days he couldn't perform Alchemy, he could only draw Evil-warding Talismans to make money, never daring to slack off even a little bit.
Zhao Yu went from the Quiet Room to the guest room, where Li Xianjiao was already waiting for him at the dining table.
Bang! Bang!
Just then, loud knocks came from outside. Li Xianjiao quickly concealed his aura and hid inside the room.
Zhao Yu also concealed his aura, disguising himself as a third-level Qi Refining Cultivator before opening the door.
Outside stood two Cangling Sect Law Enforcement Team cultivators dressed in black, both at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining. One of the tall cultivators carefully examined Zhao Yu and said coldly, "Are you Zhao Yu?"
Zhao Yu replied, "That's me. May I ask what brings you two here?"
"Ling Chongshan is dead! As per his will, we are to hand over all his inheritance and will to you!"
The tall cultivator handed Zhao Yu a large package, then turned around and left with his companion.
Zhao Yu returned to his home and opened the package, finding only a little over a hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones and a will.
Upon examining the will closely, Zhao Yu discovered he was not the first heir but the fourth in line. The first three heirs were teammates of Ling Chongshan, and it seemed they had all fallen in battle, hence why it had come to him, the fourth heir, to inherit Ling Chongshan's legacy.
"Most of the inheritance has probably been embezzled by the Cangling Sect Law Enforcement Team. I remember Brother Ling had a Superior Magical Instrument Grade magic sword. He definitely earned more than just these Spirit Stones during his time with the Beast Hunting Team!"
Zhao Yu looked at the possessions in the package and shook his head slightly.
It was already quite disciplined and humane for the Cangling Sect to return this amount of Spirit Stones. If it had been any other force, it would not have been unusual for them to embezzle everything. After all, those were over a hundred Spirit Stones, enough to tempt many Loose Cultivators into taking risks.
Night had fallen.
Zhao Yu employed his Qinggong, gliding like a ghost to perch atop a large tree in his small courtyard. Using the keen senses of a Great Grandmaster of the Martial Path, he detected no abnormalities and quietly sneaked into the adjacent home of Ling Chongshan.
Zhao Yu carefully searched and found the Ling family's storeroom. He moved aside a man-sized vase that stood there, lifted a loose floorboard hidden underneath, and revealed a box inside.
"Now, this is Brother Ling's true inheritance!"
Zhao Yu took out the box, hastily restored everything to its original state, and left the Ling residence without a trace.
Back at home, Zhao Yu opened the wooden box and found six Mid-grade Spirit Stones, a Secret Manual titled "Gold Element Power", a greyish pearl the size of a longan, and a letter.
After carefully reading the letter, Zhao Yu's expression first showed surprise, then he fell into deep contemplation.
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