Mythical Cultivation

Take the seemingly ordinary fireball technique, for example. Once, he could only fire one ordinary fireball after another without any particular method. But after years of diligent practice, things have changed dramatically. Now, with his powerful spiritual control, he can freely combine fireballs into a variety of fantastic forms. For example, through precise control, he can connect multiple fireballs into a straight line, hurling them at the enemy like a cannonball. This technique he named "Fireball Continuity." Or he can skillfully combine numerous fireballs to form a blazing flame shield, named "Spinning Fire Shield," which can be used to resist enemy attacks. These and other techniques are the fruits of his labor over the past two years.

In addition, he also achieved remarkable success in talisman crafting. Currently, his skill level in refining first-grade advanced talismans has reached 70%, which means he can now advance to refining second-grade talismans. Although he has yet to attempt to refine a second-grade talisman, with his current abilities and experience, he believes that success is not far away. He has also handed over all of his refined first-grade talismans to Heshengtang, and these talismans have undoubtedly provided a significant boost to Heshengtang's business.

By eliminating the middleman's profit margin, Heshengtang's merchandise is priced slightly lower than other shops. This makes it a significant draw for practitioners at the lower levels of their spiritual cultivation. After all, the resources of many independent cultivators are limited, and every bit of spiritual consciousness is precious, often torn into pieces. As a result, Heshengtang's business has flourished dramatically over the past two years. The previously deserted and neglected scene is long gone, replaced by a bustling bustle of activity.

This booming business not only made Heshengtang famous, but also attracted the envy of other shop owners who also targeted customers at the Qi Refining stage. However, when they learned that the shop was purchased by a Qingyun Sect deacon, despite their resentment, they dared not speak out and could only swallow their bitterness silently.

"Oh, I wonder when the sect's outer sect competition will be held?" Wu Ming pondered in his heart. Wu Ming looked through the window and looked up at the distant green mountains shrouded in clouds and mist.

Indeed, time flies, and before he knew it, it had already been ten years since Wu Ming entered the Qingyun Sect. He had grown from that naive young man to a 26-year-old, full of vigor and vitality.

At this very moment, the Outer Sect Competition, held every ten years, was about to begin. It was for this very reason that Wu Ming had spent the past two years diligently cultivating, day and night practicing his techniques and improving his strength, hoping to stand out in this fierce competition and successfully reach the top 100. Only cultivators who made it into the top 100 would be eligible to receive the invaluable Foundation Establishment Pill as a reward.

Although he currently had over four thousand spirit stones, even the most common Foundation Establishment Pills cost at least three thousand. If he were to purchase them himself, he would instantly lose most of his painstakingly accumulated spirit stones. Furthermore, Wu Ming had always dreamed of buying a Foundation Establishment Pill for his grandfather, allowing him to use the pill's power to break through bottlenecks and prolong his life. If he were to do so, his available spirit stones would clearly be far from sufficient.

Furthermore, once a cultivator reaches the Foundation Establishment stage, their magical instruments and other equipment must be upgraded to meet the demands of higher-level cultivation. This represents a significant expense. While the seemingly substantial amount of over 4,000 spirit stones is actually insufficient to meet all their needs, given these various expenses, it is simply not enough to cover all their needs.

Just as Wu Ming was lost in thought, he raised his hand and formed a hand seal. Several flashes of light flashed, shooting off in different directions. This was a message he sent to several friends. Not long after, he heard hurried footsteps approaching from afar. Wu Ming looked up and saw that it was Huang Hao and Zhao Xiaohai who had arrived earlier.

The three of them smiled at each other, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then waited together. After a long while, a graceful figure finally appeared before everyone. It was Mei Lingshuang.

"Hou Tiancheng hasn't arrived yet?" Wu Ming frowned and glanced around before asking, a hint of doubt in his voice.

"I don't think he'll come." Huang Hao, sitting aside, replied calmly. His tone was very flat, as if he didn't care whether Hou Tiancheng came or not.

Over the past two years, they've gotten together several times. At first, Hou Tiancheng always showed up on time, but in subsequent gatherings, he'd always come up with various excuses, saying he didn't have time. Gradually, his relationship with the other four grew increasingly distant.

"Humph, he's hooking up with a senior from the previous class who's at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining. How could he have the time to mess around with the rest of us?" Zhao Xiaohai pouted and muttered in a strange tone. His words clearly revealed his dissatisfaction with Hou Tiancheng.

Back then, there were six of them who initially became outer disciples. Now, only four of them remained close friends. As for Liang Yuanliang, due to the unique formations he cultivated, which required considerable time and effort to master, his interactions with them gradually decreased, and their relationship gradually faded.

Hou Tiancheng, on the other hand, somehow got to know other people and formed a new group. As time went on, he gradually drifted away from his former friends and almost lost all contact with them. Because of this, Zhao Xiaohai felt indignant and believed that Hou Tiancheng's behavior was tantamount to a betrayal of their friendship.

"Xiao Hai, there is really no need to blame him like this. After all, everyone has his own choice. That is the path he chose personally. It is really difficult to judge whether it is right or wrong. And you have to know that we have fought side by side before. We can be regarded as close comrades-in-arms!" Wu Ming saw that Zhao Xiaohai was still angry, and hurriedly spoke to comfort him.

"Yes, that's true. In life, on the path of cultivation, having one or two sincere friends is enough." Mei Lingshuang echoed this, though a hint of coldness remained on her pretty face. Hou Tiancheng's choice had no real impact on her. From the very beginning, she had never considered Hou Tiancheng to be a person of equal importance to Wu Ming, Zhao Xiaohai, and Huang Hao.