For now, Tianhai no longer needed to be frugal. His resources were abundant, his injuries healed, and his cultivation at its peak.
At last, he swallowed a Qi Condensation Pill, sat cross-legged, and began his attempt to break through to the Sixth Level of Qi Cultivation.
Within the secret chamber in Lubeck Town,
Rin Tianhai sat cross-legged on a cushion, motionless.
After spending three weeks refining a Qi Condensation Pill, he had elevated his cultivation to the absolute peak of the Fifth Level.
He had already attempted to break through the realm on three occasions, all ending in failure.
At this moment, his Seven Sea Dantian had expanded to the summit of the Fifth Level Qi Practice, just a step away from the next threshold.
His first duel had nearly cost him his life, and if not for his abundant resources and the fact that the Red-Robed Cultivator had been injured, his luck might have run out.
Rin Tianhai's gaze was resolute, his yearning for strength growing ever stronger. He vowed to achieve a breakthrough today.
He took a deep breath, calming his mind. After half a breath, he took out another Qi Condensation Pill and began to reestablish the meridian circuit.
Circulating his cultivation technique, he frenziedly refined the medicinal power contained within the pill.
Controlling the volatile spiritual energy, he persistently tried to connect the new meridian path to his Qi Sea Dantian again and again.
After numerous attempts, he finally succeeded on the sixth attempt, breaking through by completing the circuit.
The Sea of Qi within his Dantian expanded, and his spiritual power became two times more abundant than before. Rin Tianhai was overjoyed. After two days and refining two Qi Condensation Pills, he had finally secured his breakthrough.
Feeling the increase in his spiritual power, he thought, should he duel the Red-Robed Cultivator again, he would not be so badly embarrassed. Though it maybe his wistful thinking due to sudden increase of his spiritual power.
Having just broken through, he still needed to consolidate it thoroughly.
Rin Tianhai continued his closed-door cultivation, solidifying his newfound realm.
A week later, his foundation had been firmly established.
Inside the secret chamber, three Spirit Swords and two massive hammers lay before him, spoils belonging to the Ji surname cultivator and the Red-Robed man.
During his recovery and breakthrough, he had not had the time to refine these Spiritual Instruments. Now at last, he could enrich his combat arsenal for future encounters, increasing his chances of victory.
Though openly using them was another matter altogether. He would wait a year or two, ensuring these weapons were not tied to any major family. Otherwise, if identified later, he would have nowhere to cry.
He picked up the three Spirit Swords and contemplated them. He remembered that in the clan repository, there was a Qi-level Three Stars Spirit Sword Technique, a Sword Array formed by the overlapping of three Spirit Swords, with formidable attacking strength. It was the foundation of a more advanced Sword Formation Technique, one requiring Core Stage cultivation to reach perfection.
Though he had read it, he had never practiced it. The reason was simple, poverty. He had never possessed three Spirit Swords to train with.
Shaking his head, he removed the distracting thought and turned his gaze back to the swords.
Each of the three Spirit Swords was a First-Order Medium Grade Spiritual Instrument. When stacked together, their combined power should rival a First-Order Superior Grade Spiritual Instrument, a truly remarkable set. However, since they were of the metal attribute, he would be unable to bring out their maximum potential.
Next, he examined the giant hammers. They were large, each weighing a thousand jin, suitable for Body Cultivators, brimming with raw power.
Neither set suited him perfectly, but since he had never owned a First-Order Medium Grade Spiritual Instrument, he decided to refine the Spirit Swords. Even if he could not unleash its full potential, it would still be far stronger than his inferior-grade Green Bamboo Sword.
Thus, he selected a Spirit Sword and began the refinement process after wiping the residual Divine Sense clean.
Three days passed quietly. Rin Tianhai successfully refined the Spirit Sword and bestowed it with a name.
The sword, which he had gained while defending Lubeck Town, hence he called it Lubeck Sword.
As for the giant hammers, he planned to exchange them for Merit Points or sell them for Spirit Stones at a future opportunity.
Four days later, Rin Tianhai emerged from seclusion.
His cultivation was steady at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining; his complexion was rosy, his aura calm and unwavering.
After more than two months of recovery and breakthrough, it was time to survey the surroundings of Lubeck Town.
Though no accidents had occurred, since he had accepted the task of defending the town, he needed to perform his duty properly.
As always, he flew out of the town, making a twenty-mile circuit around Lubeck Town.
In an hour and a half, he arrived at the small hill where he had once dueled the Red-Robed Cultivator.
The traces of battle were being slowly concealed by new trees and underbrush. Without meticulous examination, it would be difficult to see that a fight had ever taken place.
Continuing onward, he encountered no Demonic Beasts, only a few unlucky wild animals, which he easily slew and brought back to Lubeck Town for the mortals to eat.
Ordinarily, patrolling the area would take three days. But now, with his cultivation surging and spiritual power deepened, his speed had increased significantly.
In just two days, Rin Tianhai returned to the secret room in the attic.
With rare leisure time, he took out the Alchemy Experience he had obtained from the cultivator surnamed Jin.
A jade tube, interlaced with green and black patterns, appeared in his hand.
Deploying his Divine Sense, he probed the jade tube's contents.
This jade tube had been left behind by a cultivator named True Lord Nin Yuhua, who, during his lifetime, was a Mid-Stage Core Formation cultivator and a Third-Order Low-Grade Alchemist from Jing. He had perished over three thousand years ago.
True Lord Nin Yuhua had been one of many cultivators drawn to Riyag region in search of treasures and opportunities.
For tens of thousands of years, countless cultivators, both rogue and sect-affiliated from the other regions had flocked to Riyag.
Riyag, rich in natural treasures and bordering the Demon Race territory, was a constant battlefield. The struggle between humans and demons, especially those at Fourth Order and below had never ceased.
Risk and opportunity coexisted. Many had fallen in Riyag, while others had seized vast fortunes and soared to greatness.
Riyag never lacked opportunity, nor did it lack bloodshed.
True Lord Nin Yuhua had become one of its countless victims.
The jade tube recorded his alchemical insights and contained more than a dozen Pill Formulas, some even reaching the Third Order.
Qi Condensation Pill, Essence Replenishing Pill, Consolidating Essence Pill, Jade Detoxification Pill, all common consumables. With sufficiently aged ingredients, they could be refined into Third Order Elixirs suitable even for Late Core Formation cultivators.
But pills for the Nascent Soul and Divinity Transformation experts, the peak of the Human Realm were absent, for such required even rarer ingredients.
Among the records were four First- and Second-Order Pill Formulas that the Rin Clan had never collected.
"Nurturing Spirit Pill", A First-Order Superior Grade pill for Spirit Beasts, akin to the Human Race's Qi Condensation Pill but far more potent, suitable only for Demonic Beasts.
"Body Strengthening Pill", A First-Order Superior Grade pill that bolstered vitality and alleviated pain, favoured by Body Cultivators.
"Strong Spirit Pill", A First-Order Superior Grade pill that gradually enhanced Divine Sense. Precious beyond measure, each worth as much as a Barrier-Breaking Pill. Though the effect was modest, its long-term benefit was undeniable. However, the ingredients were rare and costly.
"Minor Foundation Building Pill", A Second-Order Low-Grade pill that increased a cultivator's chance of achieving Foundation Establishment by twenty percent. Though weaker than the true Foundation Establishment Pill, its value was immense.