He woke up at noon the next day.
At this moment, inside Lin Zhou's Storage Pouch were:
2 Low Grade fireball talismans, 11 Medium Grade, and 9 High Grade.
2 Low Grade golden body talismans, 11 Medium Grade, and 9 High Grade.
He did not plan to go out; the outside world was too dangerous for him.
The Loose Cultivator market had loose order, where the strong preyed on the weak.
For resources, robbery and betrayals among Cultivators were common, and killing for treasures was even more frequent.
He would Cultivate to improve his strength first; there were still 9 days left before the rent was due.
"Strength! I must improve my strength as quickly as possible!"
As for how to improve?
With a cheat, he definitely had to improve in every aspect without any blind spots.
Qi Refining, Body Tempering, and Soul Tempering—a trinity of all-around improvement!
He decided to undertake a high-intensity seclusion.
In his previous life, he was used to analyzing and planning before executing.
He thought carefully.
A Cultivator's strength is a multi-dimensional comprehensive manifestation.
Cultivation base, quality of spiritual power, Spells and Divine Abilities, Divine Sense, Medicinal Pills, Magical Artifacts, Talismans, and combat techniques, etc.
Right now, he possessed too little.
First was Cultivating the "Blazing Fire Art"; although it could improve his cultivation base and spiritual power quality, the remaining time was insufficient.
Only Spells were left; raising his Spell Realm could quickly increase his strength.
"Fireball Technique" for long-range attacks, "Object Manipulation Art" to control a magic sword for mid-range attacks, and "Crimson Sun Sword Art" for close combat; combined with his Cultivation Technique, they could unleash maximum combat power.
"Golden Body Art" for defense, "Consonance Steps" for movement, and "Light Body Technique" and "Wind Riding Art" for escaping.
He would focus on escape techniques first, followed by defense, then the Sword Art, and finally the "Fireball Technique" and "Object Manipulation Art."
With the goals and plan determined, he began to Cultivate.
He first practiced the "Light Body Technique" in his cramped thatched hut.
It was easy to learn with low consumption; at the Entry-level, casting it once took only 30 seconds.
Infusing spiritual power into his legs, his figure instantly became light and agile—stepping, turning back, small jumps... his speed and flexibility improved visibly.
After one practice session.
"Light Body Technique" proficiency +100
"Light Body Technique" (Entry-level: 38/100) → (proficient: 38/1000)
After reaching proficient, casting was faster, taking 10 seconds per time, and the consumption was halved.
In less than an hour, he Cultivated it to Perfection.
"Light Body Technique" (Perfection: 200/100000)
At the Perfection Realm of the "Light Body Technique," there was no longer a need for hand signs or incantations; with a single thought, a clear and light current of Qi rose from the Dantian, traveling through his limbs and bones.
His whole body seemed wrapped in a layer of invisible wind fluff, and even the bluestone slabs beneath his feet seemed covered in a layer of cloud fluff, with no more sluggishness.
With a tap of his toes, his figure swept out like a startled swan; amidst his fluttering sleeves, not even the slightest sound of breaking air could be heard, only afterimages continuously flickering within the room.
The consumption was drastically reduced to a negligible amount; with his current Fourth Layer of Qi Refining cultivation base, he could cast it continuously for three days and three nights.
His speed increased by another thirty percent, his figure erratic and unpredictable, like a true wind, coming without a shadow and leaving without a trace.
Having no time to explore the Realms beyond Perfection, he tirelessly moved on to Cultivate the next one, the "Wind Riding Art."
The "Wind Riding Art" was also simple and easy to learn, and it took about two hours to Cultivate to Perfection.
Using it in conjunction with the "Light Body Technique," Lin Zhou estimated that below Foundation Establishment, probably no one could catch him if he wanted to escape.
The "Golden Body Art" reached Perfection in two days, followed by the "Crimson Sun Sword Art," which was difficult and high-consumption, only reaching Perfection on the third day of seclusion; the "Fireball Technique" and "Object Manipulation Art" both took one day to reach Perfection.
On the night of the seventh day, Lin Zhou ended his Cultivation.
His strength could be said to have undergone earth-shaking changes; he could fight ten of his pre-seclusion selves.
Even he didn't expect to Cultivate so quickly; using a cheat is temporarily satisfying, but using it continuously is always satisfying.
However, at this point, he was mentally exhausted and fell asleep immediately.
On the morning of the eighth day, the morning light was dim.
Lin Zhou pushed open the creaking wooden door; he didn't immediately join the flow of people but stood by the door, scanning with his gaze.
In the distance, a few Cultivators were already hurrying along, everyone habitually keeping their distance with wary eyes.
This was the Loose Cultivator market, where order was loose and the Law of the jungle was the only Law.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Zhou blended into the sparse flow of people on the outskirts.
He didn't head toward the bustling and chaotic General Market from his memory but instead turned toward the west side of the market.
There were several relatively orderly streets there, where a few old established shops with clear pricing and decent reputations were located.
The purchase price might be lower, but it was safe.
He first walked toward the branch of "Duobao Pavilion," which was the largest and had the most grand storefront in his memory.
The vermilion gates were wide open, and a gilded plaque hung high on the lintel, with spiritual light faintly flowing, showcasing extraordinary strength.
Stepping into the shop, an elegant scent of sandalwood dispelled the turbidity of the outside world.
The internal space was spacious, with Bright-light Stones hanging high from the dome, illuminating the shop brightly.
The display cabinets were categorized, with a dazzling array of Talismans, Medicinal Pills, Magical Artifacts, and Materials; several Assistants were attending to a few customers.
Lin Zhou wore a faded coarse cloth Daoist robe, his Fourth Layer of Qi Refining aura undisguised.
As he approached the Talisman counter, a fair-faced young Assistant wearing a green silk shirt glanced at him.
He didn't come forward immediately but instead continued to look down and organize several Jade Slips on the counter.
After waiting for a few moments, Lin Zhou took the initiative to speak: "Excuse me, does your esteemed shop purchase Talismans?"
Only then did the Assistant slowly look up, his gaze sweeping over Lin Zhou with a hint of condescending scrutiny:
"We do. What rank? What type? Bring them out for a look. Let's be clear first: we don't take those with poor appearance or flawed runes, or the discount will be heavy." His tone was flat, yet it carried a trace of disdain.
Clearly, Lin Zhou's attire and cultivation base were not worth his notice.
Lin Zhou's expression remained unchanged, his heart understanding.
In his previous life, he had seen many such snobs who judged people by their appearance; he didn't get angry but simply said calmly:
"I have a few first-rank fireball talismans and golden body talismans; the appearance is decent."
As he spoke, he took out those seven Talismans from his robe and placed them neatly on the counter.
The Talisman paper had a uniform texture, the cinnabar runes were full and smooth, and spiritual light was contained within; at a glance, they were clearly works drawn with care.
Only then did the Assistant look properly at the Talismans, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, clearly not expecting this shabby Loose Cultivator to produce goods of such quality.
But he quickly masked it, picking up a Medium Grade fireball talisman, pretending to look at it against the light, and rubbing the edge of the Talisman paper with his finger.
"Hmm... the rune outlines are fairly neat, and the spiritual power infusion is uniform." He drawled,
"However, this fire-element spiritual power is slightly restless and not pure enough, affecting the stability of its power. Medium Grade fireball talismans usually have a market price of four to five Spirit Stones; for these of yours... three Spirit Stones each, my shop can barely accept them."
He then picked up a golden body talisman: "The same goes for the golden body talisman; the spiritual power is sharp enough but lacks endurance. The Medium Grade market price is five, yours will be four."
This price was nearly twenty percent lower than the public market rates Lin Zhou knew, and the reasons for nitpicking were quite far-fetched.
Lin Zhou sneered inwardly, yet his face remained calm.
He didn't argue, but simply shook his head slightly and reached out to put the Talismans back into his robe, his movements neither fast nor slow.
"Your assessment is quite unique, Fellow Daoist. Since that's the case, I won't disturb your esteemed shop's business."
His tone was flat, showing no emotion; he cupped his hands and turned to leave.
The Assistant was stunned for a moment, not expecting Lin Zhou to be so decisive.
According to his experience, most bottom-level Loose Cultivators with empty pockets would haggle for a while even if the price was suppressed, and most would eventually compromise.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Lin Zhou had already walked out of the shop door with steady steps.