I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

The room was dimly lit.

The smile on Zhou Yuan's face was like solidified amber, reflecting the two lines of pale blue light on the attribute panel.

Regarding the jade slip containing the "Fire Cloud Technique" cultivation method.

He knew the contents of this book by heart; it was the foundation that had guided him from a mountain village boy to where he is today.

At this moment, it is no longer just a cultivation technique, but a ladder to a higher realm.

Then, Zhou Yuan poured a Golden Source Pill into his palm.

"Golden Source Pill detected. Equip?"

"equipment!"

The next moment, the Golden Source Pill in his palm disappeared.

The jade slip containing "Insights into Alchemy" was replaced.

Zhou Yuan's gaze finally locked onto a line of text.

【Equipment 1: Golden Source Pill (Tier 1, Top Grade)】

[Effect 1: Increased cultivation speed during the Qi Refining stage]

[Effect 2: Increases the success rate of first-tier pills by 20%]

[Effect 3: Enhances alchemy talent]

Become!

These two words exploded in Zhou Yuan's mind, a surge of hot current rushed from his tailbone straight to his brain, and his scalp tingled.

The sound of blood rushing through my ears was deafening.

The jade slip containing the "Fire Cloud Technique" improves the efficiency of the Fire Cloud Technique's operation, specifically the speed at which absorbed spiritual energy is converted into magical power.

The Golden Source Pill enhances the cultivation speed throughout the entire Qi Refining stage.

One is for the Fire Cloud Technique, and the other is for the Qi Refining stage.

The combination of the two results in something far more complex than simply one plus one.

Zhou Yuan was a Qi Refining stage cultivator who practiced the Fire Cloud Technique.

The two are superimposed.

Do not!

He can also take external pills to aid his cultivation.

It's a combination of all three!

The Jade Essence Pill and the Golden Marrow Pill are two pills that greatly help improve cultivation in the mid-stage and late-stage of Qi Refining.

As an alchemist, Zhou Yuan naturally wouldn't treat himself unfairly.

He could even imagine that, with the support of these three factors, his cultivation speed would reach an astonishing level in the future.

This thought grew wildly in his mind, causing every inch of Zhou Yuan's flesh and blood to tremble.

Practice!

Improving one's cultivation level is the only way!

He could no longer restrain himself, grabbed the jade bottle on the table, and poured out a Biyuan Pill.

The pill was warm and moist, lying in the palm of my hand, radiating pure medicinal power.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhou Yuan put the pill into his mouth.

He sat cross-legged with his palms facing upwards, his mind focused on his dantian, and began to circulate the Fire Cloud Technique.

boom!

The moment the pill entered his mouth, it transformed into a torrent of medicinal power, rushing violently into the meridians of his limbs and bones without any gentle transition.

Almost at the same moment, the air around Zhou Yuan's body visibly distorted.

The spiritual energy between heaven and earth seemed to be fatally attracted, surging into Zhou Yuan's body.

The speed at which spiritual energy enters the body is several times faster than before!

If the previous cultivation was like diverting stream water into a canal, then now it is like being in the midst of a mighty river.

The spiritual energy surged wildly through his meridians.

With the aid of the equipment, the cultivation path of the "Fire Cloud Technique" operated more smoothly than ever before. The increase in mana brought about by each cycle was so clear that it startled him.

In just this short time, the magical power he gained was enough to equal his entire day of arduous cultivation!

A tremendous surge of emotion welled up in Zhou Yuan's heart, and his face showed excitement.

Such a cultivation speed is comparable to that of a Heavenly Spiritual Root, isn't it?

Foundation building!

That realm, once unattainable and existing only in the wildest fantasies, now seems no longer a mirage.

He was finally able to touch it.

A resolute thought instantly occupied Zhou Yuan's entire mind.

Seclusion!

Let's set a small goal first.

Breakthrough to the ninth level of Qi Refining.

He will not leave seclusion until he breaks through to the ninth level of Qi Refining!

……

Time loses its meaning in the monotonous stillness.

Sun rises and sets, and the seasons change.

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye, like sand slipping through one's fingers.

In the quiet room, Zhou Yuan's figure was already covered by a thin layer of dust. He sat cross-legged, motionless, and the spiritual energy around him was so dense that it turned into a faint vortex.

At one point, the speed at which his magical power circulated suddenly increased.

A powerful aura erupted from him, and an invisible wave of energy spread out, causing the tables and chairs in the room to tremble slightly.

Zhou Yuan's dust-covered eyelashes trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes.

A terrifying glint flashed in his eyes.

The whole world has changed.

His five senses underwent an astonishing transformation at that moment.

Zhou Yuan could clearly hear two rogue cultivators talking in hushed tones as they passed by, several dozen feet outside the courtyard.

He could even "see" a cricket gently twitching its long antennae in the shadows of the corner.

The results of this retreat far exceeded Zhou Yuan's expectations.

With the extraordinary support of the "Fire Cloud Technique" cultivation manual jade slip and the Golden Source Pill, coupled with the costless consumption of Azure Origin Pill and Golden Source Pill, his cultivation speed far exceeded the initial goal.

After only two months of seclusion, the bottleneck of the ninth level of Qi Refining was completely shattered by the violent torrent of magical power, and he naturally stepped into a new realm.

After the breakthrough, he did not choose to leave the seclusion.

Feeling the rapidly increasing magical power within him, he made an even more audacious decision.

Let's press on and continue our seclusion!

Then came three months of arduous training.

At this moment, the magical power within his dantian had reached a completely new level, far surpassing what it was half a year ago.

Qi Refining Level 10!

Zhou Yuan slowly raised his hand, clenched his fist, and felt the magical power that filled his limbs and bones, as if it was about to overflow at any moment. Finally, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

In just six months.

He broke through two realms from the eighth level of Qi Refining, reaching the tenth level of Qi Refining.

If word of this cultivation speed were to spread, it would be enough to leave even the most renowned geniuses of their sects speechless with astonishment.

With a Qi Refining level of ten, one would definitely be considered one of the elite at the very top of the pyramid among the scattered cultivators in the entire Yellow Maple Valley market.

In addition, with the superior-grade magic weapon, the Jinghong Sword, he is no longer a threat to ordinary late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

We finally have the ability to protect ourselves.

Zhou Yuan slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, ending this long period of seclusion.

He plans to temporarily suspend his cultivation.

It wasn't that he didn't want to continue trying to break through to the eleventh level of Qi Refining, but rather that he had run out of "ammunition".

Those few bottles of Biyuan Pills and Jinyuan Pills that he had painstakingly refined had long been empty after six months of frantic consumption.

Without the aid of elixirs, relying solely on the effects of equipment and diligent training, although the speed is still far beyond that of ordinary people, it is ultimately still a step behind.

The most urgent task is to return to my old ways, refine a new batch of pills, earn spirit stones, and prepare for the next round of seclusion.

Zhou Yuan stood up, and his body, which hadn't moved for half a year, emitted a series of cracking sounds as his bones popped.