Chapter 169: Old Ground

fter taking the Shape-Shifting Pill, it was ineffective and its effect was greatly reduced.It's no use dwelling on regrets now, I can only accept reality. Besides, after all these years of changing my..."I'm used to being alone." Lu Xiaoteng felt a little reluctant in his heart. The reason he chose to be on the mountain alone was that he didn't want to be disturbed by the outside world.

Here's the translation:

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"This, Uncle Lu must have been delayed in taking care of the spirit fields and herb gardens because of his cultivation. These juniors, including my cousin, can help out. Moreover, every cultivator before the foundation building stage in Lingxiao Palace can have a handyman attendant in their roster. They are responsible for tidying up the cave dwelling and trimming weeds on the mountain paths. These things don't need to cost Uncle Lu any spirit stones; Lingxiao Palace has a fixed monthly salary paid to Li Ping every month." Luo Kang said nervously, fearing that Lu Xiaotien would refuse, and added a few more sentences afterwards.

Lu Xia Tian could see the ingratiating look on Luo Kang's face, which was common in Lingxiao Palace. He pondered for a moment and thought that almost every cultivator would cultivate several patches of medicinal herbs near their cave dwellings. As time passed, those herbs would become increasingly valuable. Even if he didn't need them himself, they could be left to his descendants in the future. He had been rather independent in Lingxiao Palace due to his unique circumstances, but as more people paid attention to him, it wouldn't be good to stand out too much.

Besides, Luo Kang had always taken good care of himself in the past, and he could completely rely on Luo Kang to handle some trivial matters in Lingxiao Palace. For example, buying a pill furnace today didn't require him to waste time going there himself.

"Very well, I was also thinking of opening up a few medicinal herb gardens. From now on, I'll leave them to you two siblings. Just remember, don't disturb my cultivation in my cave dwelling unless it's important."

“Yes, yes, this junior will definitely remember.” Luo Kang’s face was filled with ecstasy. He had been working in the雜役殿 and just learned that Lu Xiaoteng had successfully reached the Qi refining stage. So he brought his cousin sister over to try their luck. Unexpectedly, he actually managed to wait until this moment. This was truly the most correct thing he had done since entering Lingxiao Palace.

"Since we know each other a bit, there's no need to be too formal. There are some pills here. You can take them out in batches and exchange them for spirit stones, then buy some seeds to plant in the medicine garden." Lu Xia Tian gave Luo Kang dozens of Gathering Qi Pills and Profound Dew Pills. They were all refined by him before, and he didn't use them much. Taking too many out at once might raise suspicions, and he didn't have the energy to waste time on such trivial matters. Having Luo Kang handle it was just right.

“Yes, yes, this junior will definitely take good care of Master Lu's medicine garden...” Luo Kang was overjoyed, looking grateful and moved. He patted his chest and assured him that he would let Lu Xia Tian see a thriving patch of spiritual herbs in a few years.

Lu Xia Tian smiled upon hearing this. If he was counting on the spiritual herbs in the medicinal garden, he was afraid that he would never achieve the Golden Core path in his lifetime.

"Top-grade Qi Gathering Pills, top-grade Xuanlu Pills!" After Lu Xiaoxiao left, Luo Qian roughly glanced at the pills in the bottle and discovered that they were almost all top-grade elixirs. Although the grade was slightly lower, selling such a large number of top-grade elixirs could still fetch a considerable amount of spirit stones.

"Brother, are you acquainted with this Lu senior" He Leping looked at Lu Xia tian who had already soared into the sky, blinked her eyes curiously and asked.

"Sigh, these are all old stories. Back when Master Lu first entered Lingxiao Palace, he was still taking menial tasks from me. At that time, he wasn't even a cultivator in the middle stage of Qi Refining. I never expected that after more than eight years, he is now a senior cultivator before Foundation Establishment." Luo Kang sighed, but his face was rekindled with hope. "Fortunately, Master Lu is still a sentimental person. By getting close to him, our two lives will be much better in the future. We can manage the entire Qingyue Peak and even sell these top-grade pills on behalf of Master Lu. This is much better than the jobs at the menial tasks hall. Moreover, the spiritual energy of Qingyue Peak is much more concentrated than our previous residence. Here, the two of us can cultivate faster."

Luo Kang and his sister were planning for the future, their faces filled with hope.

>

After obtaining the pill furnace, Lu Xia Tian continuously refined pills in his newly built cave dwelling. Without that state of sudden enlightenment, refining top-grade pills also relied on luck. However, the newly refined Peiyuan Pills were mostly medium and high-grade, which made him quite satisfied.

Considering the length of time spent training outside of Xianmen, he dedicated this period entirely to refining Pei Yuandan. The situation in the Foundation Establishment stage is different from the Qi Refining stage. He couldn't expect to progress at the same rate as before, almost gaining a level every year.

While Luo Kang and his sister were busy cultivating wasteland on Qingyue Peak, sowing spiritual herb seeds. Luo Kang and the two worked from scratch, busy as fire. Because things on Qingyue Peak were busier, Luo Kang also had to run to the market often, so he simply resigned from the errand work at Zheyi Dian. He specialized in managing the medicinal herb garden on Qingyue Peak.

Two months later, the siblings Luo Kang and He Liping saw a golden light shoot up from the top of Qingyue Peak. They couldn't help but be filled with longing. Only after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage could one view the sky as easily traversed. As for Lu Xiaoteng's departure, the two weren't surprised. They had said goodbye yesterday, and this departure might last for several years. During this time, they could do whatever they pleased on Qingyue Peak.

“Lu Shixiong!” On the peak of Qinglian, there were already three people waiting there. One of them, a quiet young girl, greeted Lu Xiaitian with great joy.

"Junior Sister Tian!" Lu Xia Tian smiled and nodded towards Tian Jing, it seemed this woman's luck was pretty good, not only did she walk out of the Blood Colored Forbidden Ground, but she also directly succeeded in building her foundation with two Qi Condensing Pills.

“This...”

“Now that you’re a Qi Refining cultivator, you can just call me Senior Brother Xun Xiu.” The hunchbacked elder Xun Xiu clearly recognized Lu Xia Tian who had bought hundreds of different pill recipes at once.

Another young man with a cold expression was named Song Hu. He also came out of the Blood Forbidden Land, but he had no dealings with Lu Xia Tian and the others before. He had seen them on the Feiyan Warship and when they received the築基丹 from Lingxiao Main Peak, so he wasn't unfamiliar with them.

"Senior Brother Xun has already been cultivating in the Foundation Establishment stage for many years, how could he be taking on a mountain training mission with us new recruits" Lu Xia Tian said in surprise.

“I’ve been cooped up in Lingxiao Palace for too long, so I wanted to go for a stroll. Besides, there haven't been any new disciples who have built their foundation in the past two months, so I applied for this mission.” Xun Xiu chuckled and stroked his sparse beard, “I only recently heard of your reputation. I wouldn’t have thought you would be able to suppress so many powerful cultivators from Gujianzong and Qingdangu. You’ve raised the morale of our Lingxiao Palace. Good job, very good.”

Lu Xia Tian turned his head, there were only a few people present, Song Hu wouldn't be so bored, it must have been Tian Jing who just said it, "It's just luck. Besides, entering the foundation building stage, all the little tricks from before are useless, you have to start from scratch. Now that I ran into a powerful cultivator from the ancient sword sect, I'm afraid I would have to run away."

"Indeed, once you reach the Foundation Establishment stage, the power of magical artifacts becomes vastly different. The magic weapons of the Ancient Sword Sect are unparalleled in their prowess. You can sense this, which means you're not foolish at all. Back then, I was young and impulsive, clashing with cultivators from the Ancient Sword Sect. As a result, I was severely injured, and after recovering, I became like this frail body." Xun Xiu nodded in deep agreement, then waved his hand nonchalantly, summoning a small brown boat-shaped magic artifact. "This boat can only carry two people at most, so you should each fly with your own magical artifacts."

The brown little boat enlarged in the wind, like a leaf on a raft, Xun Xiu leaped onto it.

>

It's a pretty good flying apparatus. Looking at Xun Xiu, he doesn't need to focus much mana on it, just using some spirit stones, its speed is even faster than theirs when flying with their own mounts.

Lu Xiaitian, Tian Jing, and Song Hu each took out their magical implements and closely followed the brown magic vessel.

On their way from Lingxiao Palace to Bei Liang, passing by 望月城 (Wang Yue City) for inspection, the journey was quite long. It took several stops along the way before Lu Xia Tian and his companions realized something special about Xun Xiu.

They had exhausted much of their magical power due to the long-distance flight using magic artifacts, and had to stop for a rest. However, Xun Xiu, who had been a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage for many years, remained as usual with plenty of energy left. Lu Xia Tian secretly speculated, wondering if Xun Xiu was in the middle stage or late stage. But since the other party didn't say, they naturally wouldn't ask to avoid offending him.

After resting for a while, they arrived at the Moon-Gazing City without any setbacks.

Looking at the majestic Moon Viewing City, with people still bustling on the streets, Lu Xiaotian felt a sense of emotion in his heart.

“Alright, we've arrived at Moonlight City. Everyone, please take care of your own business. By the way, there will be an auction in Moonlight City in three days. If you're interested, you can go and broaden your horizons.” Xun Xiu put away the flying boat and said.

“Brother Xun, did you know there would be an auction” Song Hu asked in surprise.

"If it weren't for an auction, how could I have rushed here these past few days It was all calculated. You newcomers, with limited finances, might not be able to bid on anything good, but at least you can get a glimpse. As for Junior Brother Lu, he might just be able to get what he wants. Stay in望月城 for half a month, and then gather here after that," Xun Xiu waved his hand, and without waiting for the few people to speak, he took the lead and entered the city.

Lu Xia Tian touched his nose. As a senior Qi-building cultivator, he knew without asking that the Qi-building pills on him had long been taken away by cultivators with connections within the sect. He was also compensated with some spirit stones or other valuable things.

Tian Jing and Song Hu also had their own matters to attend to. After Xun Xiu entered the city, several people went their separate ways, each busy with their own affairs.

Lu Xia Tian walked down several streets in Wangyue City, but he felt a little listless. Wangyue City had many things, filled with all kinds of spiritual objects, but they were mostly used by Qi refining cultivators. There was no practical value for him at this time.

"Well now, esteemed senior, would you like to purchase or have a weapon custom-made" The Wang Family Armory saw Lu Xiaitian enter and immediately greeted him. The spending power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator was far beyond what a Qi Refining cultivator could compare to. The female attendant at the armory's eyes lit up, taking three steps in two as she hurried over. What's more, he was such a young Foundation Establishment cultivator! If he were to take a liking to their wares, it would be like directly soaring to the top and becoming a phoenix.

"Take me to see the best weapons in your armory." Sadly, facing the slightly shy maid, Lu Xia Tian didn't give a pretense of politeness, directly and coldly said.

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“This senior, I am the deputy master of this armory. Please follow me to the private room upstairs.” Just as the maidservant was about to move, a plain-looking woman in a purple robe, who was at the middle stage of Qi refinement, walked out from a small door on the side of the armory and made an inviting gesture to Lu Xiaoteng.

"Are there only five or six magic weapons on your floor" After Lu Xia Tian followed the woman in purple to the upper floor, he saw that there were five or six magic weapons displayed on the weapon rack. His expression didn't fluctuate at all. He had several similar attacking magic weapons in his storage bag.

"Naturally not. If esteemed predecessors pay with spirit stones, our shop can only offer these few artifacts. If esteemed predecessors are willing to pay with elixirs, our shop can naturally provide more rare artifacts. I presume cultivators from such a prestigious immortal sect as yours would certainly not be short of elixirs." The young woman in the purple dress had no qualms before Lu Xia Tian, her face instead held a probing depth.

“That also depends on the value of your magical artifacts.” Lu Xia Tian sneered coldly.

"I believe I won't disappoint the seniors." The woman in the purple skirt waved her hand, and seven or eight magic weapons hovered before her eyes. One of them was a green spear whose aura was comparable to his Earth-Splitting Blade. Its power was undoubtedly formidable, but he already had the Earth-Splitting Blade and didn't need to spend more money on this kind of weapon. A duel between Foundation Establishment cultivators and Qi Refining cultivators is not the same."

Qi cultivators use artifacts, even if their cultivation base is high, they can only unleash a small portion of the artifact's power. Except for those with extremely high talents like Yuan Hao and Dugu Han. The rest, like Su Qing and him, although they simultaneously control several artifacts, rely on quantity over quality. Each artifact can only unleash a very limited amount of power.

After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, when it comes to using magical artifacts, coordinating them with different combat techniques often unleashes greater power. It's not simply about having more artifacts to win. Furthermore, maximizing an artifact's potency often requires expending more mana. With his current cultivation base of only the first level of Foundation Establishment, even though he cultivated the Myriad Splitting Mystical Art after splitting his primordial spirit into a main and deputy, allowing him to use two artifacts with greater satisfaction, the mana in his dantian is still insufficient.

He also had defensive artifacts. With his current cultivation, the defense of the Star Lamp could naturally exert greater power. And there was also a fourth-order defensive spirit talisman. After glancing over the attack and defensive artifacts that were not too satisfactory to him, Lu Xia Tian's eyes finally fell on something that looked like a human skin mask, "This artifact is quite a peculiar thing, used for disguise"

“Indeed, senior’s insight is profound. This Thousand Illusions Mask can freely alter one’s appearance and temperament. The higher the cultivation level, the better the effect. Even a Golden Core ancestor wouldn’t find it easy to see through. ” A trace of disappointment flashed across the purple-clad woman's face. She hadn't expected Lu Xiaottian to finally choose this magic artifact. Besides altering one's appearance and temperament, the Thousand Illusions Mask had absolutely no attack or defense capabilities. Compared to other artifacts, its price wasn’t low, and few cultivators were willing to spend precious medicinal pills on something with little practical use.”

“What kind of pills would you like to exchange this mask for” Lu Xia Tian asked.

“As long as it’s used to refine pills, of course, some rare and precious pills would be even better.” The woman in purple smiled gently at Lu Xiaodao. Even though Ge Wunian was confident that the next blow would cripple Lu Xiaoteng, even killing him, Mu Ziyin and the other Jade Xuan Heavenly Court alchemists were not to be trifled with.Although the...