What’s in the Treasury?
【First-rank lower-grade materials, a damaged flying sword, the failed work of an artifact-refining apprentice】
【Mortal Grade, a thirty-year-old Spirit Herb】
【First-rank Mid-grade spirit medicine, a fifty-two-year-old Spirit Herb】
【Mortal Grade, Shattered Jade Fist,】
【First-rank Mid-grade, Tenfold Storage Bag】
..
There was a lot of it, but the quality was mediocre.
It couldn’t be helped. Rogue cultivators were poor; good stuff was a family’s most treasured possession.
Even the Black Fiend Sect lacked the ability and the nerve to ransack people’s homes. They could only pick through the scraps to make ends meet.
But that had nothing to do with him.
Scales, let me see your limits.
With a thought, various items appeared on one side of the Scales.
They were randomly arranged and combined, and Li Xunhuan browsed the information that appeared on the other side of the Scales.
【First-rank mid-grade magical artifact, Flying Dagger】
Oh, not bad.
【First-rank lower-grade pills, Qi-Nourishing Pills（three）, Qi Refining Stage Pills】
This one’s not bad either.
【First-rank mid-grade spell, Growth Acceleration Spell, a spell exclusive to spirit plants that makes seeds sprout】
Damn it, who cultivates the land in a cultivation world? Next.
【First-rank Mid-grade talisman, Diamond talisman,】
..
【First-rank Mid-grade Sword Cultivator Technique, Qi Refining Stage sword technique, Swimming Dragon Sword Technique】
Something green came up.
Unlike in the Mortal World, Sword-Controlling Techniques in other Worlds weren’t limited to flying straight ahead.
After picking through the options, Li Xunhuan realized that pills and sword techniques were what he wanted most.
One would increase his cultivation speed, while the other was a means of protecting himself.
He wanted both.
He didn’t want to become a stepping stone for Mortal martial artists or other geniuses.
Just as he was about to redeem them, a sudden idea struck him. He put the Water origin Art he was currently cultivating on the Scales and selected the spiritual root category.
This immediately brought about another change.
【First-rank Mid-grade secret technique, Spirit Root Conversion Technique. It can convert a spiritual root of one attribute into another attribute, or into a mixed spiritual root, according to one’s wishes, producing a Variant Spiritual Root】
【Conversion is only possible during the Qi Refining Stage. The lower one’s cultivation, the faster the conversion】
Coach, I want to learn this!
In the Mortal World, people believed that seven-tenths of one’s fate was decided at birth, while the remaining three-tenths depended on hard work.
Some things, if you weren’t born with them, you would never have them later.
Spiritual roots were a typical example.
Those with fewer than three spiritual roots could hardly ever achieve Foundation Establishment. For most cultivators with four or five spiritual roots, the Tenth or Eleventh Layer of Qi Refining was the limit of their lives.
Unless they were like Old Demon Han, gulping pills like jelly beans and eating Foundation Establishment Pills like meals, they could only wait to die. There was no hope.
Li Xunhuan’s three-element spiritual root was neither good nor bad, but who didn’t want to be a genius?
Achieving Foundation Establishment at twenty, Core Formation at a hundred, and Nascent Soul Formation at three hundred—that was how most of Tiannan’s geniuses grew up.
Old Demon Han had another nickname, Han Paopao. If he were a genius instead, the elders and investors behind him could help him solve half his problems.
This is the one.
As his thoughts turned, the Scales shone brilliantly, then returned to being mediocre. All the information on the 【Spirit Root Conversion Technique】 appeared in his mind.
The secret technique came from a technological Cultivation World. A Deity Transformation great power, deeply concerned that there were too few Human Race cultivators to fight the Realm Fusion beings, had devoted his entire life to researching this secret technique and added it to the basic curriculum of high school.
In other words, Li Xunhuan had gotten a bargain.
So, going All-in was a kind of wisdom.
The Scales couldn’t cheat, but that didn’t stop kind-hearted people from cheating.
Since it was also a Cultivation World, the secret technique’s Rules did not change much; its effects were consistent.
It was worth noting that this also mentioned a secret technique involving something called Physique.
For example, from a Mortal Physique to a Three-Yang Physique, then a Six-Yang and a Nine-Yang Physique.
The secret technique was also first rank.
Well, then he’d come back next time.
A little of the Treasury’s stock had been cleared out, but Li Xunhuan wasn’t saying anything. He was the victim here.
He left the Treasury.
“Sir.”
The two Door Guardians at the entrance were alert. Seeing the City Lord emerge from the Treasury, they made a point of greeting him.
Li Xunhuan was moved to tears. A heaven-chosen wage slave, so dedicated.
So he thought he’d reward them with something.
Got it.
He took out two pills, tossed one to each of them, and praised them.
“Good work. These are Yellow Dragon Pills. You can take them to increase your power, so you’ll be better able to guard the Treasury.”
Yellow Dragon Pills?
The two Door Guardians exchanged glances, surprise and delight flashing in their eyes.
Then they bowed to Li Xunhuan.
“Keep up the good work. The good days are still ahead.”
Li Xunhuan’s voice drifted through the air.
The two Door Guardians couldn’t be bothered to keep watch. They hurriedly swallowed the pills and circulated their energy to refine them.
Three minutes later, both of them collapsed to the ground.
Five minutes later, they both groaned, clutching their heads as they got up, their eyes full of confusion.
What happened? Why couldn’t they remember?
“Forget it. We just need to guard the gate.”
“That’s true. The lord is truly noble. With so many treasures here, he doesn’t even come in to take a look.”
In the distance, Li Xunhuan watched the scene and gave the slightest nod.
Good. The Forget-Worry Pills had worked.
As he headed back, he pondered that he should keep Forget-Worry Pills at home from now on.
Even Old Demon Han said they were good.
..
In his bedroom, Li Xunhuan sat cross-legged and reviewed the secret technique’s information in his mind.
He had Earth, Metal, and Water spiritual roots.
Although people in the Mortal World did not concern themselves with the theory of the Five Elements generating and overcoming one another, according to the secret technique, the Five Elements did indeed generate and overcome one another.
Earth generates Metal, and Metal generates Water.
There were two best choices.
A Water Spirit Root or an Ice Spirit Root.
The Spirit Root Conversion Technique was difficult to study, but simple to perform.
It all came down to time.
It had nothing to do with aptitude or hard work.
Based on Li Xunhuan’s current cultivation at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining,
converting to a Water Heavenly Spiritual Root would take fifteen years.
Converting to an Ice Variant Spiritual Root would take two and a half years.
That was normal. Heavenly Spiritual Roots were simply that unbeatable.
But fifteen years?
He’d be waiting forever.
He had no time to waste.
After he circulated his energy once, the cultivation method began operating on its own.
He wouldn’t need to worry about it again.
All he had to do was wait two and a half years to obtain an Ice Spirit Root.
He could still cultivate during that time, but the secret technique would stop operating, and the conversion time would automatically increase as his cultivation grew.
So his best option was not to cultivate?
That was no big deal. The cultivation speed of a Variant Spiritual Root was beyond any Mortal’s imagination.
The Black Fiend Sect had conducted experiments. Without taking pills, if the cultivation speed of Five Spiritual Roots was set at one, then four-element spiritual roots were ten, while three-element spiritual roots were at least one hundred.
The Black Fiend Sect had never encountered anyone foolish enough to have more than three spiritual roots.
However, Li Xunhuan reckoned that above that, a tenfold increase was a bit exaggerated; doubling should be no problem.
So he could afford to wait two and a half years.
By then, his cultivation speed would be more than tenfold what it was now.
In other words, he’d make back the cost in three months—a huge profit.
The only problem was his safety.
Actually, there wasn’t much difference whether he cultivated this secret technique or not.
In two and a half years, he wouldn’t break through to the late qi refining stage—in other words, the seventh floor.
So there wouldn’t be much difference in combat ability.
He had two choices: first, cultivate spells.
Second, the Martial Dao.
A normal person would choose spells. Li Xunhuan was different: he had a cheat, so he chose both.
While browsing the Trade, he’d discovered that the Myriad Heavens and Worlds truly exceeded anything imaginable in the Mortal World.
For example, the Human Immortal Martial Dao.
The Martial Dao was real, and could utterly crush ordinary Qi Refiners.
Another example was Xuanmen Guardians.
Of course, he couldn’t consider that for the time being. He couldn’t afford to redeem it.
So first, he’d get himself a High Martial Arts technique and test the waters of the Mortal World.
At the very least, as City Lord, he’d never seen a martial art capable of unleashing a hundred-meter blade aura.
..
Before he knew it, dawn was breaking. A waiter came to report,
“Sir, the president of the Jingjiao Association requests an audience. Will you see him?”
“What’s his name?”
“Mo Juren.”
Regarding ranks:
First, Second, and Third Tier correspond to the Qi Refining Stage, Foundation Establishment Stage, and Core Formation stage, respectively.
The same pattern applies to the tiers above them.
Special cases:
Magical artifacts are divided into four grades: supreme, upper, Mid-grade, and lower.
Among them, Mid-grade and lower-grade artifacts are Qi Refining Stage items.
Upper-grade and supreme-grade magical artifacts are Foundation Establishment Stage items.
The main text takes precedence; special cases will be indicated.