DIV Chapter 35: Breakthrough in Craftsmanship

Luo Kun!

This elderly senior had just been recruited as a guest advisor by the Zheng family.

It was said that the Zheng family had allocated him an excellent mansion.

Li Chang'an hadn't expected it.

That mansion was actually right next to his own!

"I heard this senior has no other hobbies besides drinking, so he shouldn't be too troublesome," Li Chang'an pondered. He certainly didn't hope to have overly troublesome neighbors.

Of course, most cultivators preferred quiet.

There was no need to worry too much.

"No need to overthink, just focus on cultivation in peace." Li Chang'an calmed his mind.

He returned to his room, sat cross-legged, and took out the Spirit Eye he had obtained earlier.

As soon as the Spirit Eye appeared, the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged toward it continuously.

"My mansion can enjoy spiritual energy concentration comparable to a first-tier superior-grade spiritual vein, and now with the Spirit Eye's assistance, the spiritual energy concentration has further increased..."

In an instant, Li Chang'an felt that his entire being was enveloped by dense spiritual energy.

The concentration of spiritual energy around him had already faintly approached the level of a second-tier spiritual vein.

"In the past, I was troubled by scarce spiritual energy, insufficient for cultivation."

"Now it's the opposite, the spiritual energy is too dense, I can't absorb it all." Li Chang'an couldn't help but laugh.

You must know, second-tier spiritual veins are prepared for Foundation Establishment great cultivators.

His current cultivation was too low, and his cultivation technique was too ordinary, just the common low-grade technique "Eternal Spring Technique," which simply couldn't absorb so much spiritual energy.

Yesterday he had searched the black market but found no better wood element techniques.

The marketplace was the same.

Better techniques were all in the Zheng family's library.

"If I can make the Zheng family owe me favors in the future, I'll use those favors to exchange for a better wood element technique." Li Chang'an contemplated.

Saving Zheng Yuntian last time was purely accidental.

He wondered if there would be such opportunities in the future.

He gathered his thoughts and began cultivating seriously.

...

Unknowingly, half a month passed.

The Zheng family's recruitment of guest advisors had ended.

Some cultivators, despite possessing first-tier mid-grade skills, were still rejected by the Zheng family.

After all, many skills ranked low among the Hundred Arts of Cultivation and weren't very valuable.

On this day, from Luo Kun's mansion came many congratulatory voices.

"Congratulations, Senior Luo!"

"I knew all along that Senior Luo could become a guest advisor of the Zheng family!"

Liu Yue and other low-grade talisman masters had all come.

Each wore a face full of smiles.

Looking at this spacious grand mansion, they were all filled with envy.

"Sigh, I wonder when I'll have such a day?" Liu Yue sighed inwardly.

Those who lived in such mansions were either wealthy or noble.

She was still far from that, and could only use every means possible to find ways to climb up.

"Senior Luo, I toast to you!" Liu Yue smiled charmingly, her cheeks rosy like peaches.

Today she had dressed carefully, hoping to catch Luo Kun's attention.

The other low-grade talisman masters also employed various tactics, using all their skills to say things that would please Luo Kun.

"Speaking of which, for Senior Luo's housewarming celebration, that Li Chang'an actually didn't come to congratulate you."

"He must be regretting it terribly now."

"He once had such a good opportunity right in front of him..."

When talking about Li Chang'an, several people couldn't help but wonder what his mood would be now.

...

Li Chang'an's mood was quite good at the moment!

His puppet crafting skills had achieved another breakthrough.

"I'm not far from creating a first-tier mid-grade puppet," he said with a smile, looking at a component he had just finished carving.

This was a core component of a first-tier mid-grade puppet.

Being able to successfully create it meant that he had barely crossed the threshold of becoming a first-tier mid-grade puppet master.

"A first-tier mid-grade puppet has strength comparable to a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, which will be of considerable help to me." Li Chang'an took a deep breath.

He planned to strike while the iron was hot and complete all the components of the entire puppet.

"Unfortunately, my talisman skills still haven't broken through, and my previous attempts have all failed."

Although he had obtained the first-tier superior-grade talisman inheritance, Li Chang'an still couldn't successfully draw superior-grade talismans.

The biggest problem was insufficient magical power!

Under normal circumstances, drawing first-tier superior-grade talismans required the magical power support of late-stage Qi Refining.

While Li Chang'an was currently only at the fourth layer of Qi Refining.

"Can't rush it, take it slowly." Li Chang'an had a good mindset.

Anyway, he already had the heritage, so he would be able to draw them sooner or later.

A few days later, in the corner of the room, there was a large pile of broken components from failed carvings.

In front of Li Chang'an stood a brand new puppet.

It was a first-tier mid-grade puppet!

"Move!"

Li Chang'an's mind stirred as he controlled the puppet.

The puppet immediately began to move.

Its movements were smooth, magical power circulation was perfect, without the slightest flaw.

"Success!" Li Chang'an smiled.

Today, he had officially become a first-tier mid-grade puppet master!

Thus, both puppet crafting and talisman skills had reached first-tier mid-grade.

Li Chang'an was in high spirits.

However, at this very moment, someone else's mood was quite terrible.

...

In the center of the marketplace, at the Hall of All Affairs, Zheng Jinbao frowned deeply, feeling irritated.

"Why is there still no news from Wang Da and Wang Er?"

He had high expectations for these two robber cultivators.

Because recently, many robber cultivators had been suppressed to the point where they dared not show themselves.

Yet Wang Da and Wang Er dared to take on this task, and both had considerable strength.

"With their abilities, they couldn't possibly fail against Li Chang'an. Could it be that they ran away?"

After thinking it over, Zheng Jinbao felt this was the most likely scenario.

Perhaps under pressure from the Foundation Establishment ancestor, those two brothers really didn't dare to act and directly left the marketplace.

However, if they had left, who else could he find to do the deed?

Zheng Jinbao became increasingly agitated, with several conflicted thoughts flashing through his mind.

Finally, he gritted his teeth, seemingly having made some determination, left the Hall of All Affairs, and walked toward the edge area of the marketplace.

At the marketplace's edge, in an ordinary dwelling, Zheng Jinbao met a hunched, skeletal cultivator.

"Five hundred spirit stones, help me kill someone!"

"Kekeke..." The hunched cultivator let out a strange laugh.

His eyes were mocking as he smiled and said, "Zheng Jinbao, you're a member of the Zheng family. Cooperating with me, won't your conscience feel uncomfortable?"

"How much is conscience worth?" Zheng Jinbao's expression was grim.

Unless absolutely necessary, he really didn't want to seek out this person.

Because this person was none other than the famous Third Chief of Black Wind Mountain!

Not long ago, due to the deaths and injuries of Zheng Yuntian and others, the Zheng family had officially issued a bounty on Black Wind Mountain.

Now both sides were enemies.

Logically speaking, once they met, they should fight each other to the death.

But Zheng Jinbao had maintained a channel for private contact with Black Wind Mountain, because he needed these robber cultivators to help him do some dirty work.

"I heard your escape techniques are unparalleled, that you can escape from the pursuit of Foundation Establishment experts?"

Zheng Jinbao stared at this person, asking directly, "That's just flattery from fellow practitioners."

This person heard the implication in his words.

"Don't tell me you want me to risk being discovered by the Foundation Establishment ancestor and kill someone within the marketplace?"

"What, can't you do it?"

"Hehe, such a dangerous matter..."

This person paused, he lightly tapped the table with his withered fingers, his hoarse voice slowly responding, "It can be done, but the price goes up!"

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