Time slips away like fine sand through fingers, always vanishing when least expected.
In the past two months, Wang Jianqiang seemed to have mastered the art of time management.
While cultivating diligently, he also maintained deep conversations with Wang Yuyao and took care of his god-niece, Chen Jiaojiao.
Time was utilized to its fullest.
After refining nearly one hundred and fifty Perfect Cloudmist Pills, his cultivation base finally broke through to the ninth level of Qi Refining.
Feeling the surge of spiritual power within, Wang Jianqiang was delighted but couldn't help but complain a bit.
Others might only need three to five Perfect Cloudmist Pills to advance from the eighth to the ninth level of Qi Refining.
He, however, consumed nearly one hundred and fifty.
As expected of the Five-Element Crippled Root, it was indeed quite useless!
He shook his head and decided not to continue cultivating.
After reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining, the effectiveness of the Perfect Cloudmist Pill had significantly diminished.
Relying solely on the Perfect Cloudmist Pill would make it difficult to achieve another breakthrough in a short time.
He pondered for a moment, then made up his mind.
He stood up and walked out the door.
...
Hall of External Affairs.
When Dong Rou saw Wang Jianqiang again, she immediately noticed that his cultivation base had reached the ninth level of Qi Refining.
She wasn't surprised by this.
With the aid of Perfect Cloudmist Pills, such progress was not unexpected.
"Are you here to sell or buy items?"
The question was as usual, but whether it was Wang Jianqiang's illusion or not, Dong Rou's tone seemed less cold than before.
"I want to purchase a set of Qianyuan Formation Banners."
Wang Jianqiang had already decided on his goal before coming, and he responded immediately.
"Qianyuan Formation Banners?"
Dong Rou's face briefly showed a hint of surprise.
After a moment of contemplation, she waved her slender hand gently.
A set of sixteen small banners, each the size of a palm, appeared before Wang Jianqiang.
"Qianyuan Formation Banners, intermediate magical artifact, priced at one hundred thousand spirit stones."
Although Wang Jianqiang was mentally prepared, he was still taken aback by the price.
He knew that a complete set of formation banners was significantly more expensive than ordinary magical artifacts of the same level, but he didn't expect the difference to be this large.
Ordinary intermediate magical artifacts were priced around ten to twenty thousand spirit stones.
The Qianyuan Formation Banners were more than five times that!
However, despite the high price of one hundred thousand spirit stones, he was now wealthy and didn't mind. He happily took out thirty-five Perfect Cloudmist Pills.
He then purchased a large amount of spirit herbs needed for refining elixirs.
The remaining twenty-two thousand five hundred spirit stones were all exchanged for spirit herbs required to refine Perfect Cloudmist Pills.
"Thank you, Elder Dong." Visit g.com for the full chapter.
After storing the spirit herbs and Qianyuan Formation Banners in his storage pouch, Wang Jianqiang thanked Dong Rou and left the Hall of External Affairs.
Dong Rou watched Wang Jianqiang's departing figure with a complex expression.
With the dual assistance of the Qianyuan Formation and Perfect Cloudmist Pills, it wouldn't be long before his cultivation reached the perfection of Qi Refining.
But with his aptitude, under normal circumstances, there was no possibility of Foundation Establishment!
If he wanted to establish his foundation...
He would have to refine the legendary Perfect Foundation Pill...
Thinking of this, she sighed helplessly.
"Let's hope he can continue to create miracles."
"Hehe, no wonder Senior Sister is so attached to the Outer Sect, turns out she has a lover there."
Suddenly, a charming voice rang out without warning.
The surroundings blurred, and the bustling figures and noise in the Hall of External Affairs vanished instantly.
It was as if this area had been forcibly cut off from reality.
Faced with this sudden change, Dong Rou remained calm, her expression unchanged as she slowly looked up.
A seductive figure came into view.
The newcomer wore a stunning red dress.
The dress was made of thin material, revealing glimpses of fair skin beneath.
The hem of the dress stopped above the knees, leaving slender, straight legs completely exposed, and her delicate feet were bare.
"No wonder you always ignored those suitors, turns out you like old men."
"Didn't expect Senior Sister to have such unique tastes."
A faint smile graced her beautiful face, and her voice was charming and soft, yet there was a hint of teasing in her tone.
Dong Rou coldly looked at the woman in the red dress, "Yan Qingxuan, what are you doing here?"
"Tsk tsk, although the Qianyuan Formation Banners are only intermediate magical artifacts, their effects are unique. Outer Sect disciples aren't authorized to purchase them."
Yan Qingxuan didn't respond to Dong Rou, instead laughing to herself, "Senior Sister sold the Qianyuan Formation Banners to that Outer Sect disciple without applying to the sect. Isn't that an abuse of power?"
Dong Rou's expression didn't change, she continued to look at her coldly.
"Alright, alright, you're still as boring as ever."
Yan Qingxuan shrugged, her expression turning serious, "Master asked me to tell you, if you can't break through within three years, you'll have to enter the Yin-Yang Hall."
Hearing Yan Qingxuan's words, Dong Rou's face turned pale.
"Senior Sister, you and I entered the sect the same year, and became Master's disciples the same year."
"I used to compete with you in everything."
Yan Qingxuan paused, giving Dong Rou a deep look, "But I don't want you to follow in my footsteps."
"If you're not confident, leave the sect."
Before she finished speaking, her figure blurred and disappeared into thin air.
At the same time, the Hall of External Affairs returned to normal.
People came and went, and the noise resumed.
...
After returning to his residence.
Wang Jianqiang immediately began refining pills.
He had exhausted his supply of Perfect Cloudmist Pills and urgently needed to replenish them.
Half a month later.
Having consumed all the newly purchased spirit herbs, Wang Jianqiang stopped refining pills.
"Three hundred and eighty pills, that should be enough for now."
Wang Jianqiang checked the number of Perfect Cloudmist Pills and let out a long breath.
Once his spiritual power and mind were fully restored, he took out the Qianyuan Formation Banners and began refining them.
Three days later.
All sixteen banners were fully refined.
With a flick of his finger.
The sixteen banners flew to sixteen positions, forming a spiritual formation.
"Success."
Feeling the fluctuations of the formation around him, Wang Jianqiang was overjoyed.
He took out sixteen Perfect Cloudmist Pills and tossed them into the air.
The sixteen Perfect Cloudmist Pills appeared above the sixteen banners, spinning rapidly.
The next moment, an invisible suction force erupted from the banners.
The medicinal power of the Perfect Cloudmist Pills continuously flowed into the banners, then converged at the center of the formation.
Under the influence of the formation's power, the sixteen streams of medicinal power perfectly merged into a higher-quality medicinal power.
Seeing this, Wang Jianqiang immediately activated his cultivation method to absorb it.
The vast medicinal power flowed into his body, continuously transforming into pure spiritual power.
His cultivation base rapidly ascended.
The speed of this ascent was astonishing, allowing him to reach the mid-stage of the ninth level of Qi Refining in just three days.
At this rate, he would definitely break through to the tenth level of Qi Refining in at most ten days.
The only downside was that about thirty percent of the medicinal power was wasted during the fusion process, resulting in a significant consumption of Perfect Cloudmist Pills.
But this was not a problem for Wang Jianqiang.
After all, they were just pills. If he ran out, he could simply refine more.
"Senior Brother, are you there?"
Just as he was about to cultivate to the tenth level of Qi Refining in one go, a voice suddenly came from outside the door.
Wang Yuyao?
Wang Jianqiang raised an eyebrow, and the image of a graceful and beautiful woman appeared in his mind.
The last time they met, Wang Yuyao mentioned she was going into seclusion to break through, and it had been nearly half a month since he last saw her.
Hearing her voice suddenly, he felt a sense of eagerness akin to the excitement of a reunion after a long absence.
With a wave of his hand, he put away the banners.
He quickly walked to the door.