Traveling through time to cultivate immortality: a life and death test

Three years flew by in the blink of an eye. Through relentless practice, Liu Xing's weapon-refining skills advanced by leaps and bounds, reaching the level of a master weapon refiner. Besides using up all of his own Level 1 demon beast materials to refine over 200 magical instruments, he also commissioned Nie Xiaoqian to procure raw materials and refine over 400 more instruments. He earned a total of 100,000 spirit stones, 70,000 of which he received, while Nie Xiaoqian received 30,000. Both of them were overjoyed, especially Nie Xiaoqian, who was so overjoyed that she dragged Liu Xing to the Golden Jubilee Restaurant for a feast to celebrate. They opened two bottles of spirit wine and, until they were slightly tipsy, Nie Xiaoqian's cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkled. Despite her ordinary appearance, she was also charming and stunning.

"Brother Liu, I'll toast you. Congratulations on becoming a master weapon refiner. You have a bright future ahead of you!" Nie Xiaoqian raised her glass to congratulate him and drank the wine in it in one gulp.

"Thank you, Miss Xiaoqian. Let's toast together!" Liu Xing smiled and raised his glass to drink it all.

"Ms. Xiaoqian, I'd like to toast you as well. Cheers to our sincere cooperation over the past three years!" Liu Xing also raised his glass to Nie Xiaoqian.

"Cheers!" Nie Xiaoqian was also very generous. The two clinked their glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

In high spirits, Liu Xing pulled out his bamboo flute and began to play it. The graceful sound of the flute filled the cozy little room, leaving Nie Xiaoqian mesmerized and captivated. She felt she knew too little about Liu Xing; he was surprisingly so exceptional in music. Her own Huanxi Sect possessed a top-grade technique, the "Chao Sheng Huanxi Jue," which could be cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage. Her master specialized in this technique, which had a profound understanding of music. His master's magic weapon was a seven-stringed zither, the sounds of which were like a volley of arrows, unparalleled in power. Having been adopted by her master since childhood, she, through his influence, had also become proficient in music. So, hearing Liu Xing's exquisite flute music, which she felt surpassed her own, left her stunned and filled with admiration. Unable to resist, she pulled out her own guzheng, sat cross-legged, and joined in the melody. Liu Xing was even more delighted to see Nie Xiaoqian also versed in music. Recalling his own life's ups and downs and the predatory laws of the immortal world, he spontaneously rose to his feet and began playing "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer." Nie Xiaoqian had never heard such a majestic and fitting tune, but with her natural talent and musical proficiency, she quickly caught up with Liu Xing's rhythm and melody. The qin's melodies resonated, the flute's melodies delighted. The two, in their first duet, achieved such remarkable rapport, and they both felt a deep sense of camaraderie, becoming close friends.

Nie Xiaoqian recounted her encounter with Liu Xing. Initially, she was captivated by his academic charisma at the Sutra Library. Over several interactions, her affection for him deepened, as did his humble and gentlemanly demeanor. Three years of pleasant cooperation further solidified their relationship. Over a drink, the two became close friends, sharing everything. Over the wine, they sang and expressed their feelings, vowing to forge ahead and achieve immortality.

Over the past three years, Liu Xing's alchemy skills have improved by leaps and bounds. He spends three days each month refining elixirs at the Tongda Chamber of Commerce, and each assignment is completed quickly and flawlessly, leaving Chang Qing grinning from ear to ear. Liu Xing even received a task to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, but the ingredients were scarce, with only one herb. He successfully produced six Foundation Establishment Pills in one go, and although he handed them all over to Chang Qing, he also received a substantial reward. Over the past three years, he's earned over 70,000 to 80,000 spirit stones from refining, and he's also embezzled a significant amount of the herbs.

Liu Xing made a fortune refining pills and weapons, and he felt a deep sense of humility. Having a skill was a surefire way to make money. He then asked Chang Qing to keep an eye out for a Level 4 demon pill. He was willing to pay 10,000 spirit stones per pill, a 20% premium over the market price, and promised a generous gift as a token of gratitude. Despite such generous terms, he had only managed to purchase one Level 4 demon pill in three years, which made Liu Xing realize once again how rare and precious it was.

Now with two fourth-level demon pills in hand, and with nearly three years of accumulated alchemy experience, he had some confidence and decided to try refining the Soul-Nourishing Pill. The Soul-Nourishing Pill is a commonly used elixir for Foundation Establishment cultivators to enhance their cultivation. It requires not only top-tier ingredients like the fourth-level demon pill, but also nearly a hundred auxiliary herbs, making its refinement extremely complex. It's the most complex elixir Liu Xing has ever encountered. So, after making all necessary preparations, he began refining the pill. However, luck was against him. Despite meticulous care, the first batch failed, wasting a precious demon pill. However, his efforts paid off, and the second batch finally succeeded, yielding six thumb-sized finished pills. The spiritual power of the fourth-level demon pill was indeed immense, and the resulting Soul-Nourishing Pill possessed an astonishing amount of spiritual energy.

Liu Xing's cultivation had remained stagnant for three or four years. Now that he had refined the precious elixir, he eagerly took one and began a retreat of meditation to refine the medicinal power. He melted the Soul-Enriching Pill in his stomach, sending a surge of medicinal power surging through his body. Liu Xing hurriedly channeled his Wind and Cloud Energy, directing it into his eight extraordinary meridians, flowing it along his practice path, gradually transforming it into his own spiritual energy. After one cycle, he had refined less than one-tenth of the medicinal power, but he could clearly feel a slight increase in his mana. Overjoyed, it was indeed working, Liu Xing focused on refining the medicinal power. A month later, the Soul-Enriching Pill's power was finally depleted. Liu Xing observed his inner self and saw that his mana had increased by a fraction, a hundred times more than through his own diligent meditation. He estimated that if he could consume dozens of Soul-Enriching Pills, he should be able to break through to the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment stage. This would require seven or eight fourth-level demon pills. He had plenty of money, but fourth-level demon pills were scarce and difficult to procure. It’s really worrying, Liu Xing muttered, I have to work hard no matter how difficult it is.

Having determined the medicinal value of the Soul-Enriching Pill, Liu Xing's goal became clearer: to find a way to obtain the inner core of a fourth-level demon beast. If the Soul-Enriching Pill were put up for auction, each one could fetch ten thousand spirit stones. However, no one would sell such a precious pill; everyone would immediately consume it to improve their cultivation. The path to immortality is arduous; every increase in mana provides a means to survive, a second of time. Liu Xing had given up on purchasing pre-made pills and could only find a way to refine them himself, using the raw materials.

Fourth-level demon cores were extremely rare among Foundation Establishment cultivators, but there were likely many among Jindan-stage cultivators. However, his low cultivation level and lack of connections meant he couldn't break into this exclusive circle. He also didn't dare to rashly try to get to know a Jindan-stage cultivator, fearing he'd be treated like a fat sheep and devoured to the last drop. He decided to raise his bid, offering double the market price for fourth-level demon cores. He bought them from shops in the four districts of the southeast, northwest, and northeast for 20,000 yuan each, causing a minor stir. Fortunately, he was disguised and didn't reveal his whereabouts. The shops were all profit-driven, and seeing such a big target, they naturally desperately sought a fourth-level demon core.