Immortality and Cultivation: This old man seeks enlightenment through mere survival.

Time flies by unnoticed, and two years have passed in the blink of an eye.

A sigh came from a dimly lit cave.

"Sigh, I didn't expect the bottleneck after the third level of Qi Refining to be so difficult. It's impossible to break through it by relying solely on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

Lu Zaian sat cross-legged on the ground, looking somewhat worried.

After receiving information about cultivation in the outside world from the herb-gathering child, he continued to cultivate in seclusion on the edge of the Black Soil Mountains.

To avoid contact with other cultivators, Lu Zaian only lingered at the very edge of the mountain range.

If nothing unexpected happens, Lu Zaian's ideal scenario is to wait until he has cultivated to the late stage of Qi Refining before leaving the mountain, which would be much safer.

Unfortunately it backfired.

First, the Blood Spirit Orb must be continuously activated with magical power to produce the spirit-gathering effect.

Once stopped, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth will slowly dissipate, leaving only a faint concentration.

Such an effect is nowhere near as good as actually sitting on a spiritual vein to cultivate, where one can be surrounded by rich spiritual energy for all twelve hours of the day.

Secondly, Lu Zaian's spiritual root quality is too poor, and his aptitude is too bad.

With low-grade dual spiritual roots of water and wood, he encountered a bottleneck in his breakthrough at the mere early stage of Qi Refining.

Generally speaking, cultivators with mid-grade spiritual roots in the cultivation world will not encounter bottlenecks before reaching the late stage of Qi Refining.

Those with superior spiritual roots have a chance to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

As long as there are no major problems with Earth-grade spiritual roots, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage is a natural progression.

As for Heavenly Grade Spiritual Roots, that's too far off...

To break through this class bottleneck, one must either cultivate special breakthrough techniques or secret arts, or take powerful medicinal pills to seek a breakthrough through external forces.

Lu Zaian broke through to the third level of Qi Refining more than a year ago, which can be considered as reaching the peak of the early stage of Qi Refining.

What stood in his way was the threshold of the fourth level of Qi Refining, the mid-stage. No matter how much he accumulated his magical power in his attempt to break through, that level remained unmoved.

"Forget it, let's put today's Qi refining cultivation aside for now. If nothing unexpected happens, the imprint inside the Blood Spirit Pearl will be erased today. Hopefully, we can find a way to break through the bottleneck inside."

Lu Zaian rubbed his cheeks, choosing to continue attacking the magical imprint inside the Blood Spirit Pearl.

Lu Zaian persisted in this process for five whole years, working tirelessly day and night, and had long since become extremely skilled at it!

The magical power within his body flowed out gently, continuously transforming into a lasting force that eroded the loosened mark.

Through his spiritual sense, Lu Zaian saw that the brand had cracked into several places and dissipated as specks of spiritual light.

Half an hour later.

With a sound like tearing cloth, the stubborn magical imprint finally gave way and shattered completely!

A powerful surge of magical energy emanated from within the Blood Spirit Pearl, and Lu Zaian, caught off guard, was swept away!

"Holy crap! Pfft!"

He crashed backward into the rock wall, his internal organs trembled, and he spat out a mouthful of blood!

"Damn it, even if it's gone, you still have to disgust me, right?"

Lu Zaian stood up and rubbed his aching pectoral muscles. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured, but the shockwave had damaged his lungs.

With the healing power of the Longevity Body and the vital energy of the Blood Spirit Pearl, I will soon recover completely.

This five-year-long tug-of-war finally ended with Lu Zaian's perseverance.

"Now, let me see what good treasures we have...hehehe..."

Lu Zaian rubbed his hands together like a fly, looking at the Blood Spirit Pearl as if it were an exquisite delicacy, his ethereal and otherworldly demeanor completely destroyed.

When one's spiritual sense sinks into the Blood Spirit Pearl, a storage space measuring approximately two zhang in length, width, and height becomes visible.

The first thing that catches the eye is the neatly stacked pile of stones, which adds up to about four or five hundred pieces.

"This...could it be a spirit stone?"

Lu Zaian's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly took out a piece.

Holding the azure crystalline object in his hand, Lu Zaian subconsciously circulated his cultivation technique, and a surge of pure spiritual energy instantly flowed into his meridians.

Lu Zaian couldn't help but groan, "Ah, so good!"

Compared to slowly absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, this kind of direct and forceful infusion of a large amount of spiritual energy into the body is simply incredibly refreshing.

"Is this what they call 'rain after a long drought'?"

Lu Zaian carefully counted the spirit stones in the space and found that there were actually four hundred and fifty of them.

There was another pile of spirit stones, fifteen in total, with even more dazzling colors and more astonishing spiritual energy fluctuations.

Lu Zaian tried to take it out and absorb it, but found that it could not be absorbed.

Even when he pushed his cultivation technique to its limit, the spiritual energy within the spirit stone remained unmoved.

"These must be higher quality spirit stones, which are not something I can use at my current level."

Lu Zaian happily put the spirit stone back and continued to check the other items in the storage space.

Next came a dozen or so talismans floating in mid-air, each shimmering with powerful energy, attracting Lu Zaian's attention.

As he scanned the talisman with his spiritual sense, messages emanated from it, and Lu Zaian was overjoyed.

"Fireball Talisman, can release a one-time fireball spell, with power comparable to a full-force attack from a third-level Qi Refining cultivator, a low-grade first-tier talisman!"

"Ice Spike Talisman, can release a one-time ice spike spell, with power comparable to a full-force attack from a sixth-level Qi Refining cultivator, a mid-grade first-tier talisman!"

"First-tier mid-grade Xuan Shield Talisman, Shadow Strike Talisman...First-tier high-grade Flying Body Talisman, Concealing Qi Talisman, Vajra Talisman..."

"Hiss, they're all one-time use talismans! They cover everything from attack to defense to survival!"

The floating talismans are arranged from left to right, and their grades range from low-grade first rank to low-grade second rank!

The fluctuations of the two second-tier low-grade talismans on the right were even more terrifying. Lu Zaian felt a sense of annihilation as he merely swept his spiritual sense over them.

A second-tier talisman is comparable to a spell from the Foundation Establishment stage!

Lu Zaian took several deep breaths to calm his excited emotions.

"I haven't finished watching it yet, let's continue."

Next to it were some piles of bottles and jars, casually placed.

Lu Zaian casually took out a jade bottle with the words "Blood Coagulation Pill" written on it, and a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out.

"It's actually a pill?"

Lu Zaian immediately held his breath and quickly put the jade bottle back into the Blood Spirit Pearl.

He dared to touch anything else, but he dared not smell any pills carelessly, for what if they were poisonous?

Although the names of the pills were written on the jade bottles, I was just a novice cultivator.

The medicinal properties of a pill cannot be determined from its name alone, and one would not dare to try it casually.

"Although what I need most right now is a pill that can help me break through the bottleneck, I can't act recklessly. I should wait until I understand the effects of these pills before making a decision."

Finally, only three items remained in the storage space.

A scarlet animal skin scroll, densely covered with characters, emanated an eerie aura.

Lu Zaian scanned the area with his spiritual sense, and a message entered his mind.

"The incomplete version of 'Nine Fiends Demon Body,' a top-tier second-order body-refining technique."

General principles of the technique: Slay demons, devour their blood and suck their marrow, mimic their form, and transform their spirit!

Immediately afterwards, a flood of cultivation information was crammed into Lu Zaian's brain, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses.

Lu Zaian stared at the animal skin scroll, his face filled with amazement.

This cultivation technique, titled "Nine Fiends Demon Body," records a unique path to body refinement.

That is to kill different kinds of demonic beasts, refine their essence and blood, and imitate their forms and spirits to strengthen the cultivator's physical body.

The text states:

The demon race is born with strong flesh and bones, and even without training, they are far stronger than humans.

In particular, some ancient demon races, once the inherited power in their bloodline returns to its ancestral form, can awaken powerful physical supernatural abilities.

Moreover, those powerful demons can transform into human form, infiltrate the human race, and learn various cultivation techniques from humans.

Could humans also absorb the advantages of demonic beasts and obtain powerful physical abilities by refining their essence and blood?

The author of "Nine Fiends Demon Body" used this as a basis to create this incomplete cultivation technique.

It is called an incomplete version because the cultivation method only records the methods of refining the essence and blood of five kinds of demons. The other four are just the author's conjectures, and he himself was unable to complete them.

The text states:

"The Savage Bear Demon".

Recommended: Earth Giant Bear, the essence blood of the Mystic Winged Flying Bear, combined with materials such as Yellow Essence Grass and Earth Spirit Vine. After refining, it will possess the power of a savage bear, with immense strength, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks. Location of the monster: Hundred Yellow Mountain in Maple Flower Domain.

Monkey Demon.

Recommended ingredients: Silverback Fire Ape and Black Extreme Demon Ape essence blood, combined with... materials. After refining, the beast will be agile and unparalleled in combat. Location of the beast: Demon Flame Mountain, Liushi Domain.

The Spirit Python Demon.

Recommended are the essence blood of the Azure-Winged Blood Python and the Electric-Powered Ferocious Serpent... After refining, they excel at twisting and entangling techniques, making them suitable for close-quarters combat. Location of the monster: Soaring Dragon Gorge in Maple Flower Domain.

Flying Crane Curse.

Recommended: Wind Ghost Crane and Ice Crystal Spirit Crane essence blood... After refining, you will learn the power of grappling, including cutting, pointing, splitting, sealing, locking, buckling, pressing, and twisting. Monster location: Qu Chen Ridge, Qingchuan Domain.

The Great Roc's Demonic Aura.

Recommended items include the essence blood of the Heavenly Roc and the Thousand-Blade Roc... After refining, one can learn the speed of swift movement, becoming as fast as lightning and disappearing in an instant. Location of the monster: Thousand Peaks Peak in the Northern Sky Domain.

Tiger's Fury.

Existing only in conception, it is one of the four divine beasts of the cultivation world. Refining the essence and blood of this tiger-like demon beast strengthens the bones and grants it a murderous aura, intimidating enemies with every pounce and leap. Low-level tiger demons have diluted bloodlines and lack sufficient killing power, while the whereabouts of high-level tiger demons are unknown.

Black Tortoise Sha.

As above, it is one of the four divine beasts. It is said to refine the essence of the Xuan Turtle to gain super strong defensive capabilities, making it as solid as a rock. Its location is unknown.

The Phoenix and Luan Curse.

One of the mythical beasts, it is envisioned to refine essence and blood to gain the power of Nirvana and rebirth, suitable for prolonged battles, and endlessly regenerating, with its whereabouts unknown.

Jiaolong Sha.

One of the mythical beasts, it is envisioned to obtain the aura of dragon bloodline by refining essence and blood. Dragons have a scale that cannot be touched, and death is certain. Location: East Sea.

The latter four are all weakened versions of ancient mythical beasts such as the White Tiger, Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, and Azure Dragon. Perhaps these ancient mythical beasts do not even exist in this world…

After reading the entire book, Lu Zaian felt extremely hot and restless, wishing he could go and slaughter a few demonic beasts right now.

After all, the essence blood of each kind of demon beast recorded in the book can be refined to obtain powerful strength.

"If the powers of the four remaining divine beasts are truly completed, this 'Nine Fiends Demon Body' will probably be more than just a second-tier technique, right? It'll be at least a third-tier technique... or even more..."

Lu Zaian muttered something, and couldn't help but wonder how wonderful it would be if he could complete it one day.

With this hopeful vision in mind, Lu Zaian put away the animal skin scroll and looked at the other two items.

A jade slip the size of a palm, its surface shimmering with a warm, gentle light, captivates the viewer.

As his spiritual sense invaded, Lu Zaian's mind was filled with countless strange symbols, causing him to feel dizzy and disoriented.

"Hiss... What is this thing?"

The jade slip contained countless tadpole-sized characters, which shone brightly as soon as Lu Zaian's spirit stone swept over them, like tiny figures dancing in the wind.

Lu Zaian could vaguely make out the largest characters among them.

"The True Explanation of Talisman Arrays, Volume 1"

"It's about the inheritance of cultivation techniques?! And it's about talismans and formations?"

Lu Zaian's eyes widened as he stared intently at the dancing characters, as if he were looking at some rare treasure.

To be precise, it is indeed a treasure.

Cultivation is going against the will of Heaven, and it mainly revolves around the two words "struggle" and "seize".

Strive against Heaven, struggle against Earth, struggle against Man, seize the creation of all things, the resources of Heaven and Earth, and embrace them all within yourself.

How do you obtain the spiritual energy, formations, talismans, elixirs, and magical treasures needed for cultivation?

Of course, it was bought with spirit stones.

From whom to buy?

Naturally, it's the array masters, talisman masters, alchemists, and weapon refiners who buy them.

It cannot be ruled out that some people, like Lu Zaian, have suddenly acquired their wealth, or have obtained it through murder and robbery.

But if you walk the dark road too often, you're bound to encounter ghosts. Even a gangster-style cultivation model needs a basic production structure.

These cultivators, who possess a cultivation technique, are not only self-sufficient but also have a surplus to exchange for massive amounts of cultivation resources.

It can be said that having a cultivation technique makes one a sought-after guest wherever one goes.

Although these cultivation techniques are too difficult and require talent, they exclude the vast majority of cultivators.

But even a glimpse into one aspect can bring immense benefits.

talent?

Lu Zaian didn't know if he had it, but in his mind, having plenty of time was also a kind of talent.

And the one thing I have in abundance is time.

Even if you have little talent, as long as you have enough time to study and explore, I don't believe you can't even grasp the basics.

If Lu Zaian could master this self-sufficient productivity, and combine it with the time it takes to build a strong Dao body, then he would no longer have to worry about cultivation resources.

This is undoubtedly closer to Lu Zaian's cautious and meticulous personality.

They must act with utmost caution and trepidation, never taking unnecessary risks.

Therefore, it can be said that this method is a perfect match for Lu Zai's calm and steady personality.

Killing and looting for resources? Or exploring hidden realms?

Lu Zaian would never do something that wasn't absolutely certain and had a high risk factor.

Lu Zaian blinked his dry eyes and put the "True Explanation of Talisman Arrays, Volume 1" back into his storage space as if he had found a treasure.

"Starting tomorrow, I'll begin researching this thing. As for the Nine Fiends Demon Body technique, those demonic beasts are not something I can concern myself with right now."

Lu Zaian looked at the last item in the storage space with anticipation.

Having already given myself so many surprises, I'm sure this last one won't disappoint either, right?

This is a palm-sized token made of a peculiar material, neither gold nor jade, with a warm and smooth feel.

The token is engraved with exquisite patterns of mountains, seas, insects, and fish, covering its entire surface, giving it a mysterious and ancient feel.

Lu Zaian took it out and played with it for a long time, trying to infuse it with magic power, but there was no reaction at all.

I tried soaking it in water, heating it with fire, and hitting it hard, but none of them worked.

The token remained intact, sitting there quietly as if mocking Lu Zaian's incompetence.

"Damn... what is this thing? It's a lump..."

Left with no other choice, Lu Zaian could only put it back into his space and study it again when his eyesight improved.

Fortunately, he had already gained a lot, so Lu Zaian didn't care about this little episode at the end.

At this point, all items in the Blood Spirit Orb's storage space have been thoroughly checked.