txolops Chapter 3 Going Out
Chapter 3 Going Out
"Could this cauldron be a spirit-filled treasure?" Luo Ming took out a spirit stone, sensing the pure spiritual energy within it, and a bold idea suddenly flashed through his mind. He immediately and excitedly put the spirit stone back into the cauldron, deciding to continue observing.
Over the next few days, Luo Ming checked the changes in the spirit stones inside the cauldron every day. On the seventh day, when he saw a mid-grade spirit stone lying quietly inside, he was so excited he almost jumped for joy. His first thought was, "I'm rich!"
According to the rules of this world, a mid-grade spirit stone is worth one hundred spirit stones. If you were to exchange it for a low-grade spirit stone, you could often get several more, because mid-grade spirit stones not only contain more spiritual energy, but also have many other uses.
For example, it can be used to quickly replenish spiritual energy, or for cultivation in ordinary times, but most cultivators are reluctant to use it in this way.
"Can it continue to upgrade?" Luo Ming's expectations grew even higher as he continued to observe. However, after half a month, the spiritual energy of the mid-grade spirit stone stopped increasing, as if it had exhausted its potential.
"I was too greedy." Luo Ming quickly calmed down. You should know that most Qi Refining stage cultivators use low-grade spirit stones, and there are not many ordinary cultivators who have more than a hundred low-grade spirit stones in their possession; even Foundation Establishment cultivators usually use low-grade spirit stones, and they will save mid-grade spirit stones to replenish their mana when they are low on mana during battles.
High-grade spirit stones were something he wouldn't even dare to dream of—even Golden Core cultivators considered them treasures. If a Qi Refining cultivator dared to openly trade high-grade spirit stones, it would be like a child carrying gold and running rampant in a bandit's den; they wouldn't even know how they died.
After numerous experiments, Luo Ming gradually figured out the rules of the Spirit Gathering Cauldron: it can replenish pure spiritual energy to items containing spiritual energy, and can even break through the original spiritual energy limit of the items.
"If I had a talisman, I could give it a try," Luo Ming thought to himself. He remembered that talismans had a limited number of uses. If the Spirit Gathering Cauldron could replenish the talisman's spiritual power, then he would essentially possess a talisman that could be used infinitely, and his strength would undoubtedly increase significantly.
After discovering that the Spirit Gathering Cauldron could upgrade spirit stones, Luo Ming felt hopeful about his path to immortality. However, when he asked a senior brother in the sect where he could buy Foundation Establishment Pills, reality dealt him another heavy blow.
That senior brother bluntly stated, "Even if you have a lot of spirit stones, you can't buy a Foundation Establishment Pill, which is such a precious treasure. Every time the main ingredient of the Foundation Establishment Pill is brought out from the Crimson Forbidden Zone, the Foundation Establishment Pills made from it are all divided up by the sect's higher-ups."
Unless you are a close relative of a powerful figure in the sect, or have performed an extraordinary feat, you will only have a chance to obtain one. Furthermore, even with a Foundation Establishment Pill, there is no guarantee of success in establishing your foundation.
"Is it really the only option to venture into the Crimson Forbidden Zone?" Luo Ming's expression was grave. He had long heard of the dangers of the Crimson Forbidden Zone, and with his current Qi Refining Perfection cultivation, he feared he would struggle even to protect himself once inside.
"The Crimson Forbidden Land will open in less than two years. It seems that in the meantime, besides focusing on improving my cultivation, I also need to prepare some more trump cards." Luo Ming stroked his chin, his eyes filled with determination as he pondered.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, there are only six months left before the opening of the Crimson Forbidden Land.
That day, Luo Ming left Spirit Beast Mountain, preparing to head to the nearest market town—Qinghu Market Town. This was his first time venturing out since arriving in this world, and the scenery along the way was quite novel to him. After flying through the air for a while, he gradually felt a bit bored, as the novelty of flying on a sword had worn off. So he withdrew his magic power and disguised himself as a wandering swordsman.
He was sitting in a pavilion on the third floor of a large ship. The view was expansive, and although it was a bit windy, he felt extremely comfortable, sipping his wine and leisurely enjoying the river scenery along the way.
Enjoying this place, I no longer think of my past life.
"This Qingjiang River is so vast, it must be at least a hundred miles long," he murmured to himself, gazing at the river. Near the shore, white sails dotted the water, and boats came and went in an endless stream, creating a bustling and prosperous scene.
Just as Luo Ming was enjoying the river breeze, several footsteps approached from afar, accompanied by an old voice: "Miss! It's windy outside, you mustn't catch a cold! Otherwise, Master and Madam will worry."
"Hehe, don't worry, Uncle Qin, I'm not the kind of person who's weak and frail. I'll be fine staying outside for a while." The girl's clear voice carried a hint of coquettishness.
"Thump, thump, thump..." The sound of footsteps on the wooden planks grew clearer as two figures slowly made their way to the third floor.
"Huh, someone's here?" The young lady was slightly taken aback when she saw this. She didn't expect that in such strong winds, there would be someone else staying here like her.
Seeing Luo Ming dressed in a black outfit and with a tall, upright figure, she guessed he must be a martial arts figure. She couldn't help but look at him curiously for a moment, but then she thought that it was rather inappropriate for a girl to stare at a stranger like that, so she subconsciously turned her head away and looked at the magnificent river.
Upon seeing Luo Ming, Old Qin immediately tensed up, his sharp, hawk-like eyes scrutinizing him with wariness, clearly trying to ascertain Luo Ming's background.
Luo Ming could clearly see everything the two of them did under his divine sense. He thought to himself that this fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl was probably the daughter of a wealthy family, traveling with his old servant.
Unexpectedly, this old man, who looked weak and listless, possessed an unusually strong inner energy, making him a hidden martial arts master.
Luo Ming once dreamed of becoming a martial arts master, capable of scaling walls and splitting rocks with his fists and palms.
But ever since he embarked on the path of cultivation, he lost interest in these mortal martial arts that could not grant immortality. No matter how powerful a mortal is, they can never escape the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. How could they compare to the carefree life of cultivating immortality?
"Cultivate immortality, cultivate immortality..." he murmured to himself. Since he was fortunate enough to be transported to this world, he had to fight hard and at least ascend to the immortal realm in order to achieve true immortality.
Just as his thoughts were racing, his divine sense suddenly detected a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy. Luo Ming frowned immediately: "I remember this ship is full of mortals, where did this spiritual energy come from?" He was now at the peak of the Qi Refining stage, and his divine sense range could reach thirty feet, enough to cover the entire ship. He carefully searched again, but still found nothing unusual.
"Could it be that a Foundation Establishment cultivator is hiding here?" The thought sent a chill down Luo Ming's spine. Surely there wasn't another Foundation Establishment cultivator like him, with nothing better to do than experience mortal life?
Just then, the weather suddenly changed. The originally clear sky quickly turned cloudy, and large raindrops pattered down. The river wind became increasingly violent, and several tornadoes suddenly appeared on the river surface, slowly approaching the ship.
"A waterspout? Miss, quickly go down and take cover! It seems the Dragon King is in a bad mood today," Old Qin said with a grave expression.
Among the mortals living in this area, there is a legend: if a sudden gale and torrential rain occur on the river, it means that the Dragon King of the river is angry, and only by offering sufficient tribute to the river can mortals avoid disaster.