"When Erniu comes back, I should hurry and repay this Spirit Crystal, otherwise carrying a debt makes me feel uneasy."
Before returning home, he went looking for Erniu, but Erniu wasn't at home, so he could only turn back.
However, on the way back, he bought ten pounds of Demon Beast Meat and then went home.
Even in the middle of the night, Lin Chang'an in the house wasn't asleep; instead, he was energetically playing with the Storage Bag.
Watching the Cyan Bamboo Sword continually move in and out, the smile on Lin Chang'an's face didn't stop since he came home.
"A Storage Bag, I never thought I would own such a treasure."
Previously it wasn't that he lacked capability, but it was too extravagant and unnecessary.
But times have changed.
Looking at the talismans on the table, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but glance at the sky outside, his expression turning serious.
"With my current cultivation, selling high-quality talismans in the market is still risky. It's more prudent to improve my cultivation first, especially since I am now someone with status."
He's no longer the bottom-tier loose cultivator who had to risk his life hunting demon beasts for a little Spirit Crystal.
Isn't life about constant progress?
That night, Lin Chang'an held the Storage Bag and had an extremely restful sleep.
...
Several days later.
The doors and windows at home were plastered with Golden Light Talismans.
At this moment, Lin Chang'an sat cross-legged, hands forming seals, Five Hearts Facing Heaven.
As the Wood Element Technique, Chang Chun Skill, circulated, he seemed to merge with heaven and earth, reaching a critical point this day.
Boom!
Like thunder, yet silently.
As the shackles broke, every limb and bone in the body seemed to joyfully cheer, full of inexhaustible energy.
Simultaneously, the mana within him surged, and Lin Chang'an tightly focused his mind on circulating the Chang Chun Skill until several cycles later when the mana gradually calmed down.
After a while!
After calming the mana within, Lin Chang'an slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and slowly opened his eyes.
"Twenty years in cultivation, at forty, I've finally reached the Middle Stage of Qi Refining!"
Qi Refining Fourth Layer is the threshold of the middle stage of Qi Refining, and he finally stepped in.
Lin Chang'an reflectively sighed, his face filled with emotions, both excitement and the hardships of the journey.
However, upon feeling the changes within him, Lin Chang'an finally took a deep breath.
"So this is the middle stage of Qi Refining, no wonder they say reaching the Qi Refining Fourth Layer is the first step on the Immortal Path."
His senses were enhanced several times, especially after the breakthrough his mind was extraordinarily clear, and memories fuzzy from two lifetimes became crystal clear.
"Heightened senses, Washing Marrow and Opening Wisdom, this is the real difference between a cultivator and a mortal!"
The mana within him was also more solidified, doubling after the breakthrough.
[Name: Lin Chang'an]
[Life Span: 40/98]
[Realm: Qi Refining Fourth Layer (0/100)]
[Cultivation Technique: Chang Chun Skill (Mastery: 8/1000)]
The data on the panel had changed after the breakthrough as well.
The change in realm was normal.
The increase in life span by ten years he could understand, as the Wood Attribute Chang Chun Skill he cultivated inherently had the effect of prolonging life and preserving appearance.
But the proficiency of the Chang Chun Skill also broke through,
"Breaking through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer gave me a deeper understanding of the Chang Chun Skill, since it's my personal experience, so the cultivation technique section's experience suddenly increased so much."
After pondering for a moment, Lin Chang'an somewhat understood the reason for the cultivation technique's progression.
The proficiency of the cultivation technique corresponds to how deep one's understanding of the technique is, which, simply put, is comprehension.
"The speed of cultivation is limited by the Spirit Root and one's comprehension. If I have a deeper understanding of the cultivation technique, it can also make up for some of the deficiencies in my Spirit Root."
At this moment, Lin Chang'an's eyes were shining brightly, radiating confidence.
...
After advancing to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, Lin Chang'an felt more at ease and even went outside to buy some Spirit Fruits he usually couldn't bear to eat.
It's not easy to break through, there should be a celebration.
Then Lin Chang'an resumed his routine at home of Talisman Painting and cultivation, adding an extra dose of insight into his cultivation technique during leisure time.
Days passed, and half a month after the breakthrough, Li Erniu finally returned.
"Brother Lin."
"Erniu, you're finally back."
Li Erniu, who had just returned, came with a big smile, carrying two jars of Spirit Wine.
And as soon as he entered, habitually glancing around, he saw the Demon Beast Meat simmering on the stove and several precious Spirit Fruits placed on the table.
Li Erniu was taken aback by the sight, but after twenty years of Immortal Cultivation, he was no longer the naïve country boy he once was.
"Brother Lin, you! You've broken through!"
Turning his head, seeing the indistinct aura emanating from Lin Chang'an, it was completely beyond his previous ability to discern at a glance the cultivation level of the Qi Refining Third Layer.
"Some time ago, I bought a Golden Marrow Pill at True Treasure Tower and fortunately broke through."
Lin Chang'an responded with a smile, yet the curved corners of his mouth revealed his inner joy, prompting Li Erniu to step forward excitedly, patting him on the shoulder.
"Brother Lin, that's wonderful, we can now cultivate to old age together in this market."
Time matures a person, but Erniu, in front of Lin Chang'an, remained the genuine and honest person he was.
Li Erniu placed the Spirit Wine on the table, a smile of excitement hanging on his cheeks.
"Today, these two jars of Spirit Wine are just right to celebrate Brother Lin."
In the Immortal Cultivation Realm, it's rare to find a close friend, and the two of them skillfully placed the stewed meat and Spirit Fruits on the table.
Lin Chang'an didn't have to make an extra trip either, returning the borrowed Spirit Crystal to Erniu.
The wine glasses were filled, and without saying a word, they drank the first cup and then began to eat.
"Brother Lin, first it's the improvement in Talisman Skill, and then the breakthrough in cultivation, completely validating Chang Chun Skill's feature of accumulating strength and breaking through in one go. Future Immortal Dao prospects are promising, congratulations!"
Lin Chang'an smiled and nodded; he was humble about his breakthrough, but to whom was he pretending?
To a Great Cultivator at the late stage of Qi Refining, it may be nothing, but for loose cultivators like them who came up from the bottom, every progress is worth celebrating.
After three rounds of drinks, Li Erniu's face turned red, and he opened up.
"If I may say, with your ability to produce high-quality Golden Light Talismans, it already proves that you have the skill to make Tier One Middle Grade Talismans, and now that you've broken through, this matter should be considered seriously sooner rather than later."
"I understand." Lin Chang'an also nodded with a heavy expression.
The high-quality Golden Light Talismans he made before were only Tier One Lower Grade Talismans, even if they were said to be infinitely close to Tier One Middle Grade Talismans, there was still a gap.
The most obvious is the price difference.
The widely circulated Talisman Painting skill in the Immortal Cultivation Realm is all Tier One Lower Grade Talismans, anything above that, except for some powerful cultivators, is almost monopolized by Immortal Cultivation Clans and Sects.
After all, can precious items be circulated outside?
However, this seemingly simple Erniu is indeed wise in his simplicity.
After exchanging glances, both smiled.
Without mentioning other things, Lin Chang'an also understood that to obtain the skill to make Tier One Middle Grade Talismans, he had to give something in return.
At his age, the idea of joining a sect was out of the question; at most, he would become a talisman master under a sect-managed industry.
Alternatively, he could seek reliance on these Immortal Cultivation Clans.