"It's Aunt Yun, nice to meet you!" Qin Ziling greeted her with a smile and bow.
"Hello, Mr. Qin!" Yun Xiwu quickly stood up and saluted.
"We are all family, no need to be polite, no need to be polite." Qin Ziling saw Yun Xiwu deliberately stand up slightly to salute, and quickly motioned for her to sit down.
Yun Xiwu then sat down, secretly surprised.
Others don’t know Xiao Qing’s current strength or her personality, but Yun Xiwu knows it clearly.
When Xiao Qing talked about a friendship of life, it was definitely a friendship where one was willing to sacrifice one's life for the other, and it was not just something that ordinary people just said.
"Brother, Shi Long and Shi Hu are both Condensation Force Martial Artists, but they are both born with supernatural powers and are in their prime. Even if they meet a Movement Force Martial Artist, they are not inferior at all. Aunt Yun is a Qi Refining Master in the early stage of True Force.
Aunt Yun and her late husband Uncle Shi were both from Jinliao County, Qinghe County. The Shi family was a small Qi-refining family in Jinliao County, and the family had a Qi-refining method that was passed down from generation to generation. Aunt Yun had a Qi-refining spiritual root, and after marrying into the Shi family, she also practiced the Qi-refining method.
Therefore, Aunt Yun is quite familiar with the terrain, various forces, and the situation of the Qi Refining Sect in Qinghe County. It will be much more convenient for us to have her accompany us and lead the way. "After Qin Ziling and Yun Xiwu greeted each other, Xiao Qing spoke again.
When Qin Ziling heard that Yun Xiwu was from Qinghe County, his eyebrows raised slightly and a hint of joy appeared on his face.
He actually had many purposes for this trip to Qinghe County, one of which was to explore the Qi Refining World in Qinghe County.
If you have an experienced driver to lead the way, you will naturally avoid a lot of trouble.
"Could it be that Mr. Qin is also from the Qi Refining Sect?" Yun Xiwu looked at Qin Ziling in surprise when he heard this.
Logically speaking, the two of them were sitting in the same carriage, at such a close distance. If Qin Ziling was a practitioner of the Qi Refining Sect, she should be able to feel the fluctuations of his true energy.
Unless the other party has not yet cultivated true power, or his realm is much higher than hers.
"I learned a little by chance, but I'm basically a novice in the world of Qi Refining and I don't understand many things. I'll have to trouble Aunt Yun for this trip to Qinghe County." Qin Ziling replied modestly.
"Mr. Qin, you are too polite. The young lady has been very kind to our family. You are her sworn brother. I don't deserve your trouble." Yun Xiwu said hurriedly, feeling much relieved.
The circle of Qigong masters in Fangqiao City is very small, with not many people in total. There are only a dozen or so Qigong masters who have reached the realm of true strength.
There was no Qi Refining Master that Yun Xiwu didn't know.
If Qin Ziling's realm is much higher than hers, there is no reason for her not to recognize him.
If Qin Ziling was just a newbie, it would be normal for her not to know him.
"Aunt Yun's family had made enemies with someone in Qinghe County and were being hunted down. They happened to be encountered by the old man. At that time, the Shilong brothers were still young. The old man felt sorry for them and rescued them. From then on, Aunt Yun's family followed the old man.
Eight years ago, when the old man was ambushed, the Shi Hu brothers were there. If it weren't for the young lady fighting desperately and waiting for reinforcements, Aunt Yun would have already seen off her young master.
In recent years, the young lady has fallen from power. Aunt Yun and her family, grateful for the kindness of the old man and the young lady, have always followed the young lady in doing things, and have also suffered a lot of hardships and grievances.
Years ago, the young lady recovered her strength and took power in the family. She spared no expense in cultivating Aunt Yun and the Shilong brothers. A few days ago, Aunt Yun finally condensed her true strength, and the Shilong brothers broke through and became strength martial artists.
That's why Aunt Yun said this, and Mr. Qin really doesn't need to be too polite to Aunt Yun." Xia Yan took over the conversation and explained.
“Yes, if it weren’t for the old man and the young lady, there wouldn’t be any of us three mothers today. It’s a pity that my husband was seriously injured when he was being chased. Even though the old man tried to save him, he still died of his injuries in the end. Otherwise, he would have been so happy to see his two sons not only grow up healthily but also become martial artists!” Yun Xiwu said with tears in his eyes when he heard this.
"If Uncle Shi knew about this, he would definitely be very happy." Xiao Qing hurriedly comforted him upon seeing this.
"Thank you, Miss. You don't have to worry about me. After so many years, I have long since let it go. It was only today when Xia Yan mentioned it that I felt a little emotional." Yun Xiwu said.
"Has Aunt Yun been to Taihuang Mountain?" Qin Ziling asked when he saw Yun Xiwu's mood had returned to normal.
"Mr. Qin, you want to ask about the Biyun Sect, right?" Yun Xiwu asked instead of answering.
"I heard that the Biyun Sect is one of the two most powerful Qi-refining sects in Xiyun Province. I don't know if it's true or not?" Qin Ziling nodded and said.
“The Biyun Sect is indeed one of the two most powerful Qi-refining sects in Xiyun Province, with a large number of disciples. The sect leader, Taoist Qingsong, is said to have great magical powers and has reached the Fayuan realm. He can mobilize the power of heaven and earth with a wave of his hand, and with a flying sword, he can take off a person's head from miles away.” Yun Xiwu said with a hint of awe in his eyes.
"Fa Yuan realm?" Qin Ziling was slightly shocked when he heard this, and then asked, "I wonder which Five Elements magic formula the Biyun Sect is best at?"
The highest cultivation method of his "Green Wood Evergreen Art" only reaches the level of Zhen Yuan. The subsequent Fa Yuan realm is only mentioned briefly, but there is no cultivation method.
In the past, Qin Ziling thought that the Fayuan realm was very far away from him and did not care about it.
However, he did not expect that his progress in cultivation was so fast. In just less than a year, he had cultivated the "Evergreen Green Wood Technique" to the middle stage of true power and was already very close to the late stage.
So at this speed, the Zhenyuan realm is not far away, and he has to plan the techniques for the Fayuan realm in advance.
Also, Zuo Cong had completed the stage of discarding the dross and retaining the essence several months ago, but because Qin Ziling did not have the gold-based magic formula, she was unable to proceed to the stage of obtaining the truth.
Fortunately, after Zuo Cong practiced breathing and refining qi, his physical condition improved greatly, so Qin Ziling asked Shao E to teach him the Dielang Palm.
The Dielang Palm is not as strong as the Hantie Palm, so it is suitable for Zuo Cong to practice his strength and build his martial arts foundation. Unexpectedly, Zuo Cong also has some talent for martial arts and has practiced it quite well. Maybe he can practice both Taoism and martial arts in the future. That's why Zuo Le and Qin Ziling didn't rush to find a Qi-refining master for him.
However, Zuo Cong is one in a million with a single gold spiritual root, and the art of Qi training requires practicing from a young age.
Children have simple minds and relatively few acquired impurities in their bodies, making them the easiest to practice, so the task of finding a Qi-refining master for them must not be delayed for too long.
This is not like the way of practicing martial arts at all.
In martial arts training, children's muscles and bones have not yet grown, and their qi and blood are relatively weak. They can practice some moves, and their muscles and bones are flexible and strong, but they should not do high-intensity training of muscles, bones and membranes or take a lot of tonics. Generally, they have to wait until they are older before they can do high-intensity martial arts training and polish their membranes. At that time, their qi and blood are sufficient, and it is easy to condense strength.
Therefore, there are very few people like Xiao Qing who can become a martial arts master at the age of sixteen.
Children from ordinary families usually start to practice martial arts when they are fifteen or sixteen years old. At this age, they can make rapid progress and achieve results after a few years of practice. Families with better financial conditions can afford it, and families with poorer financial conditions can afford it even if they sell all their belongings.
But to practice martial arts from a young age, basically only the children of wealthy families are eligible.
“The most famous and powerful martial arts of the Biyun Sect are the ‘Eternal Green Wood Art’ and the ‘Cloud and Rain Art’. It is said that Taoist Qingsong practiced the ‘Eternal Green Wood Art’.” Yun Xiwu replied, with a hint of yearning in his eyes.
"The Green Wood Evergreen Technique!" Qin Ziling's face changed slightly, and he was surprised and happy in his heart.
What surprised him was that the martial art that Gong Yangmu practiced was actually the "Bi Mu Chang Qing Gong" of the Bi Yun Sect. During his trip to Qinghe County, he would definitely not be able to easily perform the "Bi Mu Chang Qing Gong" in front of the disciples of the Bi Yun Sect. What made him happy was that he had some news about the "Bi Mu Chang Qing Gong", a cultivation method for the Fa Yuan realm.
“In fact, I practice water-based skills, but unfortunately the Shi family’s skills are very ordinary and incomplete, so I have practiced hard for many years. If it weren’t for the young lady’s generous help, I probably wouldn’t have the hope of cultivating true power in this lifetime.
Later, we went to Biyun Sect and wanted to join the sect to learn skills, but we did not have extraordinary talents, strong background, or strong financial resources. How could Biyun Sect be interested in us?
After much persuasion and spending a lot of money, we were finally accepted as outer sect employees to work as laborers on the spiritual fields.
My husband and I worked as laborers for several years, but we felt we had no chance of making it, so we eventually chose to leave.
So Mr. Qin, don't blame me for being nosy. The way of refining Qi seems to be otherworldly and has great magical powers. It seems to be the way of immortality, which makes people yearn for it infinitely.
But Qi Refining is difficult, as difficult as climbing to the sky. Not only is it difficult to obtain the skills, it also requires high spiritual root talent, and the resources for cultivation are also precious and rare.
If you don't have a good spiritual root talent, but just want to practice the magic of Qi Refining, I advise you not to take this path. I have practiced hard for a lifetime, and it was only with the help of Miss who spared no expense that I was able to practice to the initial stage of true power, but I guess this is the end of my life.
You asked me about the Biyun Sect just now. I guess you have the idea of ​​becoming a disciple of the Biyun Sect and learning advanced Taoism. But even if you pay a huge price to become a disciple of the Biyun Sect, if you don't have a good spiritual root talent, you can only stay at the bottom of the Biyun Sect in this life.
In this case, it is better to focus on the martial arts. For example, my Shilong also has spiritual roots, but he only has three spiritual roots. I know that this path is extremely difficult to walk, and it will not go far, so I simply let him only walk the martial arts.
Now you can see that, with the young lady's cultivation, he has become a Condensing Energy Master at the age of 27. In fact, in terms of strength, he is not inferior to a Qi Refiner in the early stage of True Energy. It's just that his status and position are slightly lower than that of a Qi Refiner.
But he is still young, and if he follows the young lady, he may have a chance to become a Huajin martial artist in the future, unlike me, whose life is basically over." Yun Xiwu looked at Qin Ziling who hesitated for a moment, and persuaded him sincerely.
"Thank you Aunt Yun for your advice. This time I want to visit some Qi-refining sects in Qinghe County, mainly to broaden my horizons and gain a deeper understanding of Qi-refining Taoism. I don't have any plans to follow this path or join a Qi-refining sect." Qin Ziling said, bowing.
Seeing Qin Ziling speaking modestly, Xiao Qing twitched the corners of his mouth and looked at him with a smile.
She had witnessed Qin Ziling performing flying sword exercises with her own eyes, and she had seen him reach at least the initial stage of true strength. Her plan this time to inquire about and visit some Qi-refining sects in Qinghe County was not simply to broaden her horizons.
However, she knew that her elder brother Qin was always low-key and would not show his true colors unless necessary, so she would not point it out.
Yun Xiwu had a different idea after hearing this, and said with a smile: "I can understand Mr. Qin's feelings. Flying with a sword, calling the wind and rain, moving mountains and seas, and other immortal skills have been the pursuit and dream of countless people since ancient times.
Since Mr. Qin has already come into contact with Qi Refining, he will definitely not give up easily. I am just reminding Mr. Qin as a person who has experienced it. If things are impossible, you should stop in time to avoid wasting money and time. "
"Thank you Aunt Yun for the reminder. My focus is still on martial arts." Qin Ziling said sincerely.
"That's the best!" Yun Xiwu nodded.
As they were talking, the clouded leopard horse pulled the cart and turned into a fork in the road.
Qinghe County is located to the east of Fangqiao City.
The captain of the garrison at the East City Gate was Lin Tianrui, the second son of the Lin family, so Xiao Qing and his party had to take a long detour to avoid being seen.
The cold morning breeze gradually died down.
In the sky behind Wuyang Mountain, the morning glow illuminated the mountain peaks red.
Every once in a while, a round wheel like fire slowly broke through the clouds behind Wuyang Mountain and cast red light on the earth.
On a mountain road connecting to the official road outside the East City, two clouded leopard horses pulled a luxurious carriage, appearing high up in the mountain road in the sunshine.
From this high point, you can see the mountain road extending all the way to the official road.
"Whoa!" Shi Long suddenly pulled the reins back and stopped the clouded leopard horse.
"Miss, it seems that Pang Tianpeng and his group are over there on the official road." Before the people in the carriage could ask, Shi Long had already reported.
Upon hearing this, Xia Yan hurriedly helped to lift the car curtain.
Xiao Qing and Qin Ziling looked down through the car window.
On the official road below, I saw twelve clouded leopard horses galloping towards the east like lightning.
The three people in the lead were all wearing silver clothes and golden cloaks.
Among these three people, one was about 27 or 28 years old, with a tall and strong figure like a mountain, a long beard on his chin, and a small braid. He looked both powerful and wild.
The men on the left and right are of similar age, but their build is not as strong as the man in the middle.
Behind the three men were nine men, all dressed in dark red tights, black cloaks, with sturdy builds and stern expressions.
"Pang Tianpeng! Where are they going?" Xiao Qing's face changed slightly, and there was a hint of thought in his eyes.
"Is the one among them Pang Tianpeng?" Qin Ziling pointed at the twelve riders who were already going far away and whose backs were gradually getting smaller, and asked with narrowed eyes.
"Yes, the one among them is Pang Tianpeng. He is the head of two families and is in his prime. It is said that his strength is not inferior to Pang Qiwei, who has been training in the early stage of bone refining for more than ten years." Xiao Qing replied.
"It's indeed him!" Qin Ziling's eyes narrowed even more when he heard that, and the majestic man with beautiful beard he saw in Sanyuan Mountain appeared in his mind.
“The men on his left and right should be his fellow disciples from the Jin Lie Sect, Qin Gen and Sui Wufang, both of whom are martial artists with Hua Jin cultivation. The nine people behind them are the Blood Wolf Guards of the Pang Family.
The number of Blood Wolf Guards of the Pang Family was very small, only eighteen in total, but each of them was a Strength Master and was good at combined attacks. When the nine of them attacked together, their strength was close to that of a Bone Refining Master.
With Pang Tianpeng's strength, plus his two junior brothers, they are already invincible in Fangqiao County. This time they even brought nine Blood Wolf Guards with them. It seems that their destination should not be Gaitong County." Xiao Qing continued.
Gaitong County is also located in the east.
"Maybe he's going hunting in Wuyang Mountain!" Qin Ziling said casually.
"No, Wuyang Mountain is extremely dangerous, Pang Qiwei would not be willing to let Pang Tianpeng take the risk. Besides, if they really want to go hunting in Wuyang Mountain, they will not travel so lightly. They must bring some hunting tools and experienced old martial artists, not Blood Wolf Guards.
Although the Blood Wolf Guards are good at killing people, they are not that good at hunting and killing exotic beasts!" Xiao Qing shook his head.
"Don't worry about it. As long as they are not coming for us, it doesn't matter where they go." Qin Ziling said with a smile.
He had no interest in where Pang Tianpeng was going.
"That's true." Xiao Qing was stunned for a moment when he heard that, then smiled slightly and retracted his gaze. Xia Yan then lowered the car curtain.
"Gee!" Seeing Xia Yan lower the curtain, Shi Long shook the reins and shouted, and the clouded leopard horse raised its hooves and pulled the carriage down the mountain road.
…
The sun sets and the sky is filled with sunset glow.
A luxurious carriage appeared on the official road.
"Miss, Mr. Qin, Jinliao County is ahead. Should we go around it and continue moving forward, or go into the city to rest and stay for the night?" Shi Hu turned around and said to the car curtain.
Xiao Qing did not answer, but looked at Qin Ziling.
"We're not in a hurry, and Jinliao County is Aunt Yun's hometown, so let's stay in the county for one night!" Qin Ziling saw Xiao Qing looking at him, and he would not be humble to her, so he took over the conversation and replied directly.
After saying that, Qin Ziling lifted a corner of the car curtain and looked out of the window.
A few miles away, there is a city with a wall more than ten meters high, more than ten miles long, and surrounded by a moat.
The county seat of Jinliao is naturally not as tall and majestic as Fangliao City, but it is much more spectacular than Gaitong County under Fangliao County.
At this time, although it was almost dusk, there were still many people coming in and out of the city gate, making it quite lively.
In the countryside outside the city, you can see smoke rising from many houses, and some children running and playing in the fields outside the houses.
"Qinghe County seems to be much more stable than Fangliao County!" Qin Ziling recalled that since entering Qinghe County, there have been fewer refugees and corpses on the roadside. Jinliao County seems to be more stable and orderly, and he couldn't help but sigh.
"After all, Qinghe County is the largest county outside the provincial capital, with fertile land and rich resources. It has Feixing Sect, one of the three major martial arts sects in Xiyun Province, and Biyun Sect, one of the two major Qi-refining sects, in charge. Not to mention that the bandits dare not be too rampant, even the officials and wealthy families in the county are quite cautious when doing things and dare not be too ostentatious." Xiao Qing said.
"That's true." Qin Ziling nodded in agreement.
Qinghe County is the foundation of Feixing Sect and Biyun Sect, so they will not allow others to disrupt their foundation.
The five major families of Fangliao County, Pang, Yu, Xiao, Lin, and Lu, actually did not want others to disrupt Fangliao County, but their strength was not enough to intimidate all parties. The Pang family was an outsider and had conflicts with the local Xiao family. As a result, there were many forces in Fangliao County, especially outside the city, which were more complicated and thieves were rampant.
It's different in Qinghe County. Feixing Sect and Biyun Sect are both local sects with hundreds of years of heritage. They are powerful and have many strong disciples. The sect master and clan master are masters of martial arts or Taoism. If the various forces really go too far and provoke them to take action, who can stop them?
In other words, Feixing Sect and Biyun Sect can control the situation.
"By the way, Aunt Yun, what mountain is that?" Qin Ziling suddenly pointed to a mountain to the south of the county town, which was like a sharp sword piercing the sky, and asked.
At this time, the sun was setting, and the afterglow shone obliquely on the mountain, as if giving it a layer of golden red light, making it appear even sharper and more extraordinary.
"That is Jinjian Mountain, which is also the location of the Jinjian Sect of the Qi Refining Dao. Speaking of which, the people in our Jinliao County can live in more peace than in other places. They are rarely attacked by bandits or bullied by local bullies, all thanks to the Jinjian Sect." Yun Xiwu replied, a look of awe in his eyes.
"Genjin is for killing!" Qin Ziling's heart was slightly moved when he heard this, and he immediately asked: "Does the Golden Sword Sect mainly practice gold-based skills?"
"Yes." Yun Xiwu nodded.
"Sure enough!" Qin Ziling was secretly delighted when he heard this , and asked again: "Aunt Xi, can you tell me about the Golden Sword Sect?"
"Of course." Yun Xiwu nodded, then sat up straight with a solemn look on his face.
"Speaking of the Golden Sword Sect, everyone in Jinliao County is in awe of it. It is said that more than a hundred years ago, the most powerful Qi-refining sect in Qinghe County was not the Biyun Sect but the Golden Sword Sect.
However, Gengjin represents killing, and the sword is a weapon for killing. Not only do all the disciples of the Golden Sword Sect hate evil, they are also relatively competitive and aggressive, and thus have made many enemies.
Later, the leader of the Golden Sword Sect made a great enemy in another state. That enemy gathered a lot of people to kill him. Although the Golden Sword Sect was not destroyed in that battle, it was also badly damaged.
But even so, the Jinjian Sect still tried its best to protect Jinliao County and would not allow thieves, bandits and demons to commit crimes in Jinliao County, otherwise the disciples of the Jinjian Sect would come and kill them.
It is precisely because of this that Jinliao County is the most stable in the entire Qinghe County. Unfortunately, this good time may not last long! "Speaking of this, Yun Xiwu sighed deeply.
"Why do you say that, Aunt Yun?" Qin Ziling asked.
"More than a hundred years ago, the Golden Sword Sect was the number one Qi-refining sect in Qinghe County, and their assets were naturally very impressive. Since the Golden Sword Sect suffered a serious blow and gradually declined, naturally many people coveted their assets.
Of course, there are also the Golden Sword Sect's 'Golden Snake Gengjin Art' and 'Seven Killing Sword Art', which are also profound Taoist and sword techniques coveted by many people.
But even though many of the Golden Sword Sect's peripheral industries have been encroached upon by other forces over the past hundred years, the Golden Sword Sect still firmly occupies the mountains within a radius of dozens of miles of Golden Sword Mountain.
This mountain range not only has spiritual veins and fields, but also mineral veins that can be used to refine high-quality weapons and even flying swords. It is said that even the Biyun Sect is jealous.
The reason why the Golden Sword Sect has been able to occupy the mountains within a radius of dozens of miles of Golden Sword Mountain and protect the sect's practice methods and sword techniques is not because the Biyun Sect adheres to the gentleman's way and does not come to seize the territory, but because of the Golden Sword Sect's supreme elder Jian Bailou.
It is said that Jian Bailou has reached the late Zhenyuan realm. With his superb swordsmanship, his strength is close to that of a Taoist master in the Fayuan realm. Therefore, even though the Biyun Sect is jealous of the Jinjian Sect's assets, skills, and sword techniques, they dare not seize them by force.
However, Jian Bailou was nearly a hundred years old. It was not a problem for a master of Qi Refining to live for more than a hundred years. But twenty years ago, he was said to have been attacked by a master of the magic way and was seriously injured. When I went back to Jinliao County a few years ago, I heard people say that he would not live long, but I have not heard the news of his death until now.
But even so, it is estimated that it will not last for a few years. Once Senior Jian passes away, there will be no strong man in the Golden Sword Sect. Now the world is in chaos, and the Qi Refining Sect is relatively detached. As long as they don't get involved in the world and cause chaos, the government generally doesn't dare to interfere too much. I'm afraid that the Golden Sword Mountain, the Taoism and the sword tactics will not be able to be preserved. "Yun Xiwu said, with a look of emotion.
"An innocent man is guilty of possessing a treasure!" After hearing this, Qin Ziling couldn't help but think of a story from another world. He sighed and asked, "The Golden Sword Sect once had a Qi Refining Grandmaster at the Fa Yuan Realm, right?"
“Of course there is, otherwise the Golden Sword Sect would not have been able to suppress the Green Cloud Sect more than a hundred years ago.” Yun Xiwu replied.
When Qin Ziling heard this, a hint of joy flashed in the depths of his eyes.
As long as the heritage is strong, it doesn't matter if the sect declines a little. On the contrary, it will make Zuo Cong more valued, which may not be a bad thing for him.
Of course, this is also a good thing for Qin Ziling. He is currently lacking three skills of gold, earth and fire in the five elements skills.
If the Golden Sword Sect is in decline, he may still have a chance. But if the Golden Sword Sect is in its heyday, his chances will definitely be much smaller.
"Besides Jian Bailou, are there any other powerful people in the Golden Sword Sect?" Qin Ziling asked.
“It is said that the leader of the Golden Sword Sect, Feng Ziluo, is a master of Qi Refining at the initial stage of the True Yuan realm, and the best expert in the sect under Jian Bailou. Apart from him, it seems that the Golden Sword Sect has no other master of Qi Refining at the True Yuan realm.” Yun Xiwu replied.
"It's indeed much worse than the Biyun Sect." Qin Ziling said after hearing this.
As they were talking, the carriage arrived at the city gate.
The strong are respected no matter where they are. In addition, the Xiao family's signboard, the Shilong brothers, who were as strong as an iron tower, revealed their identities and paid some entrance fees. The soldiers guarding the city gate did not check who was sitting in the carriage and let them pass.
In winter, the sun sets very quickly.
Just outside the city, the sun was shining on the western hills and the sky was full of sunset glow. By the time the carriage entered the city, it was already dusk and the air was filled with evening smoke.
With Yun Xiwu, a local, leading the way, the group quickly found the best local restaurant and inn and booked a guest room with a private courtyard.
No words were spoken that night.
The next morning, after breakfast, everyone left the county town and headed straight for Jinjian Mountain.
During dinner yesterday, Yun Xiwu mentioned that there was a small town called Zhanjian at the foot of Jinjian Mountain.
This small town is located at the foot of Jinjian Mountain, and many people come here every year.
Some of these people have no background in Qi training at all, while others are independent practitioners like Yun Xiwu who have learned some family traditions and want to further their practice.
But Qi training is a "sport" that only a small group of "elites" are qualified to play, unlike martial arts which are a "mass sport". What's more, the Golden Sword Sect was once glorious, and there is a supreme elder in the late Zhenyuan stage in the sect. So it is not possible to join if you want to!
Therefore, many people come here every year, but only a few have the chance to join the Golden Sword Sect. Moreover, if they are not extremely talented, even the children from wealthy and prestigious families can only start as outer disciples.
Most people don’t have the opportunity to enter the Golden Sword Sect to learn sword skills.
Some of these people who had no chance could not bear the blow and went back home in despair, while some refused to give up and stayed, still wanting to seek immortal fate.
Those who refused to give up and stayed were basically those half-hearted Qigong practitioners who had come across Qigong through family tradition or by chance and had already started practicing it.
Over time, this small town of Zhanjian has gathered many people of this kind.
These people knew a little about the art of Qi refining. They communicated with each other and sometimes exchanged materials for practice. Over time, Zhanjian Town became a well-known Qi refining market in Qinghe County.
Later, disciples of the Golden Sword Sect would sometimes come down the mountain to visit the market, shop, and sell their useless things in the Sword Town in exchange for what they needed.
Later, some disciples of the Golden Sword Sect opened shops in the Qi Refining Market in Zhanjian Town.
As a result, the reputation of the Qi Refining Market in Zhanjian Town became more and more famous, and some Qi Refining practitioners from other places in Qinghe County also came here to attract people. Some Qi Refining sects and families saw that it was profitable and sent people to open shops here.
Qin Ziling came out this time with the intention of learning about the Qi Refining World and purchasing some materials for cultivation. The Golden Sword Sect was the sect he was eyeing, so after hearing what Yun Xiwu said, he naturally decided to go and take a look.
Jinjian Mountain is not far from the city.
Soon the group arrived at the Zhanjian town at the foot of Jinjian Mountain.
To Qin Ziling's surprise, the Qi Refining Market seemed not much different from the secular markets.
Not only were there a wide variety of goods in each shop, but each merchant did not have the aloofness . Many people stood at the door to solicit business, and Qin Ziling could even hear shouting from time to time.
"Sir, please come in and take a look. Our shop sells blank talisman paper, talisman ink, and talisman pens made by famous artists. The quality is guaranteed and will definitely greatly increase your success rate in making talismans!"
"Take a look, take a look. Our store sells various talismans, all made by disciples of the Golden Sword Sect. They are extremely powerful..."
"This shop sells various swords and flying swords..."
"The black gold spiritual rice that was just harvested this fall is full of plump grains and full of spiritual energy..."
“…”
Walking on the street, watching the merchants working hard to attract business, Qin Ziling would almost think that he had come to the wrong place if he had not seen that the items displayed in the shops were not vulgar.
"Miss, Mr. Qin, please don't be surprised. Some of these merchants are just half-hearted Qigong practitioners. Apart from knowing some breathing techniques to nourish the Qi and body, they are actually not much better than ordinary people.
But they have already been exposed to the Qi Refining Sect and are unwilling to be ordinary, so they rack their brains to earn more resources for cultivation so as to improve their cultivation.
Another part are ordinary people hired by various Qi Refining sects or Qi Refining families to look after stores and solicit business. Their behavior is not much different from that of street vendors.
However, most of the things sold here are related to Qi Refining, and are difficult to buy in the outside market." Yun Xiwu explained in a low voice when he saw Qin Ziling and Xiao Qing's surprised expressions.
"Haha, after listening to Aunt Yun's explanation, there's nothing strange about it." Qin Ziling smiled and nodded, then began to stroll around the street with interest.
“This blank talisman paper is made of special wood, the talisman pen is made of the hair of exotic animals, and the talisman ink is the most exquisite, it is made from the blood of exotic animals.
Qigong practitioners who have reached the realm of truth can already distinguish and absorb the five elements of spiritual energy that are suitable for the attributes of their own spiritual roots. The only difference is that the purity and degree of concentration do not meet the requirements of true qi, so they are unable to directly release true qi to harm the enemy or manipulate magical instruments.
But it is already possible to use talisman pens and talisman ink to write talismans with certain attack, defense or auxiliary properties. Of course, they are not very powerful, but they just look mysterious and magical. "In a store that sells various talisman writing materials and talismans, Yun Xiwu explained to Qin Ziling and Xiao Qing.
"It is true that reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. If I hadn't come here for this trip, I really wouldn't know that there are so many requirements for these materials for writing runes, and I didn't know that people in the realm of truth can already write runes and cast spells such as attack and defense." Qin Ziling said with emotion when he heard this.
"If Mr. Qin is interested, I will write a few talismans for you when I get back." Yun Xiwu said with a smile.
"It turns out that fellow Daoist has already reached the realm of attaining truth. I really admire you." The merchant who was standing by hurriedly bowed to Yun Xiwu when he heard this, with a look of envy on his face.
Although the strength of the True Realm is not that great, at most it is equivalent to a martial artist at the membrane level, but it means that one has spiritual talent and true cultivation techniques, rather than just the basic breathing techniques to nourish the Qi.
This type of people are many times rarer than warriors at the membrane level.
In this sword-slaying town where most people are half-baked Qigong practitioners, he can barely be considered a master.
"What kind of vision do you have? My mother is a Qi-refining master at the True Power realm!" Shi Hu was a simple-minded man. Upon hearing this, he said in a muffled voice with a dissatisfied look on his face.
Shang Jia was shocked when he heard this, and immediately bowed to Yun Xiwu and said, "So you are the Immortal Master, I am so disrespectful!"
Yun Xiwu had only recently broken through to the Qi Refining Master realm, and it was not appropriate to publicize it in the Xiao family, which was a bit regrettable. But now that this Shang Jia was praising her and respectfully calling her an Immortal Master, she felt a little flattered and waved at the Shang Jia with the demeanor of a master.
"I wonder which type of Taoism the Immortal Master is good at? Our store does have a water-based magic weapon in its collection. Would the Immortal Master like to take a look at it?" After the merchant praised Yun Xiwu greatly, he quickly changed the subject.
Yun Xiwu's eyes lit up when he heard that, but soon dimmed. Just as he was about to wave his hand to say no, Qin Ziling's heart moved slightly and he said, "Then bring it over and have a look."
The two magic weapons he obtained from Gong Yangmu and Bai Xiuqi were both wood-based magic weapons, and he was still missing a water-based magic weapon.
Although Shang Jia concluded from the group's words and actions that Qin Ziling and Xiao Qing were probably not from the Taoist sect or were just newcomers in the Qi Refining world, but seeing that Yun Xiwu and his group were obviously led by Qin Ziling and Xiao Qing, he did not dare to neglect them when he heard them. He quickly responded and turned to go to the back room.
Soon, the merchant returned with a brocade box in his hand.
"Everyone, please look!"
When the brocade box was opened, a bright cold light shot out.
Inside the brocade box was a jade knife that was half the size of a palm, crystal clear and emitting an icy cold aura.
There are faint runes on the jade knife.
"This magical weapon is called the Mysterious Ice Blade. It was made by the Biyun Sect's weapon refiner who took the elite Guishui nurtured in the thousand-year-old ice and refined it over a period of 365 days, adding 9981 magical talismans.
Once it is used, it soars into the air, with a chilling aura and extremely sharp edges. Taking a person's head is as easy as taking something out of a bag." After the merchant opened the brocade box, he boasted.
Yun Xiwu looked at the Xuanbing Knife in the brocade box, and his breathing became disordered and heavy.
Qin Ziling glanced at the Xuanbing Blade and put it back. On the surface, the Xuanbing Blade looked much better than the Peach Wood Sword and the Green Dove Pearl, but with Qin Ziling's current eyesight, it was easy to see that the runes engraved on it were quite rough, and magic power was constantly leaking out. It would probably be scrapped after a few uses.
Unlike the peach wood sword and green dove beads in his collection, which looked simple and plain when not being used for worship, its magic power was restrained rather than released externally, and it was much more advanced than the black ice knife.
"How much is this Xuanbing Knife?" Qin Ziling saw that Yun Xiwu seemed to like the Xuanbing Knife very much, and also wanted to know the market price of the magic weapon, so he asked.
"A thousand taels of gold can, of course, be bartered," the merchant replied.
The world is in a bad state nowadays, and the exchange rate between gold and silver continues to rise, reaching about one to twenty-five.
One thousand taels of gold is equivalent to twenty-five thousand taels of silver.
Even though Qin Ziling often gave wild exotic beasts to his subordinates, he was still shocked to hear that this small black ice knife was worth a thousand taels of gold.
"No wonder that old Taoist Wuhe doesn't have a magic weapon. Refining Qi consumes more resources and money than practicing martial arts. I guess the money he earns on weekdays is not enough to cover his expenses, so how can he have extra money to buy such an expensive magic weapon?"
Qin Ziling suddenly understood why he couldn't find the magic weapon after searching the old Taoist priest Wuhe's body.
It turns out that it’s not that he doesn’t want to own it, but that he doesn’t have the money to buy it.
"Miss, Mr. Qin, let's go and have a look somewhere else." When Yun Xiwu heard the merchant's quotation, his eyes became increasingly dim, and he forced a smile on his face and said to Xiao Qing and Qin Ziling.
"Aunt Yun, you are now a Qi Refiner, and you should have a magical weapon of your own so that you can truly display your abilities." Xiao Qing waved her hand and said.
"This lady is absolutely right. Once a Qi Refiner possesses a magical weapon, his strength will instantly double!" The merchant said hurriedly upon hearing this.
"Thank you, miss, but the price is too expensive." Yun Xiwu's eyes suddenly lit up and he showed a hint of excitement when he heard this, but he quickly regained his composure and waved his hand.
She is an honest and simple woman.
Xiao Qing has spent a lot of money and resources to help her and her two sons break through!
How could she let her spend so much money again!
"Haha, Aunt Yun, your improvement is actually my improvement. You can earn money later after spending it. The key is still strength!" Xiao Qing paused for a moment and changed his tone, saying, "But the price is indeed quite expensive."
"Not expensive, not expensive. This Mysterious Ice Blade was made by a famous master of the Biyun Sect. It was also placed in our store by that immortal master and asked us to sell it. It is suitable for water-based Qi-refining masters and has the properties of ice. Its power is much stronger than that of a simple water-based magic weapon.
And I am not bragging, this Xuanbing Knife is the only one in Zhanjian Town, if you miss it, you will miss it. "Shang Shang said with a hint of pride.
"Aunt Yun, what do you think?" Xiao Qing didn't know much about magical weapons, so she looked at Yun Xiwu when she heard that.
Yun Xiwu knew Xiao Qing's character very well, and he realized that she had already made up her mind to buy her a magic weapon. It was just a matter of quality and price.
Yun Xiwu felt her throat was a little dry. This Xuanbing Knife was naturally a very high-quality magical weapon for her!
"Why don't we try another store?" As soon as Qin Ziling saw Yun Xiwu's expression, he knew that she could no longer resist the temptation of the Xuanbing Knife. Without waiting for Yun Xiwu to speak, he suggested.
Yun Xiwu's expression froze. He looked at Qin Ziling with a complicated look and swallowed back the words that were about to come out of his mouth.
"Mr. Qin, you don't understand magic weapons, so you should listen to the young lady and my mother..."
Shi Hu was a simple man, so he naturally sided with his mother. Besides, he still couldn't see what was so great about Qin Ziling. He was somewhat dissatisfied as to why his young lady always listened to him, so when he saw him ruining his mother's good deeds, he couldn't help but speak up.