After his entire family was brutally murdered, the young lady went on a killing spree in the wealthy elite.
Wu Tao, already severely wounded, grew even weaker after the ordeal.
Wu Tao forced himself to his feet, searched the storage bags of the four deceased individuals, and with each step leaving bloody footprints, he dragged his heavily injured body away from the scene.
...
With his vital energy depleted and having lost half his life, Wu Tao returned to his cave dwelling and went into seclusion for over thirty days before his injuries finally began to heal.
During this time, Wu Tao was not idle. He took the opportunity to go through the belongings in the storage bags of the Sha family brothers and the woman in the blue dress.
He found over nine hundred spirit stones, forty to fifty talismans, five or six mid-to-high-grade magic artifacts, and several bottles of pills for enhancing spiritual energy and healing, along with countless other miscellaneous items.
Having killed the Sha family brothers and the woman in the blue dress, Wu Tao had indeed struck it rich, his spirit stone reserves now bulging.
This meant he no longer needed to hunt demonic beasts every day or spend time searching for rare spiritual materials.
After this venture, Wu Tao had enough spirit stones for his immediate needs and could return to his seclusion for a period.
Double-crossing, indeed, was the fastest way to accumulate wealth in this world.
...
Four Seasons Grand Restaurant!
Considering how Wu Tao had not had a proper rest for months while earning spirit stones, now that he had arrived in Changchun City, less than three hundred miles from the Taiyi Immortal Sect's stronghold, he naturally wanted to relax.
The Four Seasons Grand Restaurant was the largest inn in Changchun City.
It was a centuries-old establishment. Upon entering the city, the tallest and most prosperous building was this restaurant.
As soon as Wu Tao stepped into the bustling lobby, he was met with a mixed aroma of wine and food.
Beyond that, there was a cacophony of sounds: the shouts of waiters, the chatter of patrons, and the calls of street vendors, all filling the air.
It was noon, and the lobby was packed. The private rooms on the second and third floors also appeared to be full.
"Welcome, esteemed guest, are you here for a meal or lodging?" a waiter asked eagerly as he saw Wu Tao enter.
Looking at the crowded lobby, Wu Tao frowned and said, "I'm not eating here, I'm going to the fourth floor."
With that, Wu Tao tossed a small spirit stone to the waiter.
Upon seeing the spirit stone, the waiter's demeanor instantly changed. He bowed deeply to Wu Tao and became even more solicitous, saying enthusiastically, "Esteemed guest, please, the fourth floor is for esteemed immortals like yourself. Please follow me."
Wu Tao, who had been craving a good meal for days, paid no mind to anything else. Upon reaching the fourth floor, he ordered a table full of spirit wine and spirit dishes.
...
Spirit dishes of vibrant colors and exquisite presentation were laid before him. Although made from the cheapest spiritual ingredients, they still contained spiritual energy ten times purer than ordinary mortal food.
Steam rose from the spirit dishes, making them even more enticing. Wu Tao ate heartily, devouring everything with gusto, leaving not a single crumb behind.
Wu Tao had made it a habit to dine at the Four Seasons Grand Restaurant every so often over the years. After all, he was merely an outer disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect.
While the meals at the Taiyi Immortal Sect were also made from demonic beast meat and spiritual herbs, they were cooked in large cauldrons and were by no means delicious, only sufficient to meet the basic cultivation needs.
Changchun City, as one of the auxiliary cities surrounding the Taiyi Immortal Sect, though not vast, did have restaurants specifically catering to cultivators.
Moreover, Wu Tao occasionally enjoyed listening to various rumors from the cultivation world to broaden his horizons.
Indeed, on the fourth floor, besides Wu Tao, there were other cultivators. They all possessed profound spiritual energy and robust vitality, and were all dining there.
Ordinary grains and rice contained impurities that were detrimental to cultivators who had achieved a certain level of attainment.
Therefore, unless in extreme circumstances, cultivators would not consume mortal food.
While eating, Wu Tao listened to the knowledgeable old rogue cultivators on the fourth floor boasting about various significant and secret events in the cultivation world.
This was a common pastime for older rogue cultivators gathered in inns and taverns.
These older rogue cultivators, with their advanced age, extensive connections, and vast experience, knew many insider details that others were unaware of.
Furthermore, these old rogue cultivators generally enjoyed showing off. As long as one was patient, they could always glean some information from their words.
Wu Tao leaned against the railing. An old man in his seventies or eighties, with a head full of white hair, his face flushed from the wine, was currently discussing matters related to the Taiyi Immortal Sect.
"In the Kyushu cultivation world, there are as many sects as there are hairs on a cow! But truly great sects that can make the entire Kyushu cultivation world tremble with a mere stomp are few. The Taiyi Immortal Sect is one such great sect," the old man declared loudly.
"Go! Go! Go! Who doesn't know how powerful the Taiyi Immortal Sect is? Do you really need to tell us?" the surrounding crowd grumbled at the old man.
"Then what do you want to hear? I, Zhao Lao San, have traveled far and wide and seen everything. I'm just afraid you cowards won't have the guts to listen to what I say?" the old man slammed the table, his neck red as he argued.
"What cowards? If you have the guts, just say it. We're listening. If we flinch, we're your grandchildren," the people around him egged him on, and the scene instantly became lively.
...
"Cough, cough, cough. Have you heard? Lin Feng, a demon hunter of the Foundation Establishment stage, was defeated by an outer disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect." the old man coughed and then said.
"I heard that too. That outer disciple seems to be called Wang Qingli. He ranks among the top ten outer disciples of the Taiyi Immortal Sect. His Taiyi Golden Art of Sword Dao is incredibly sharp. He defeated the demon hunter Lin Feng within a hundred moves."
"Are you kidding me? The demon hunter Lin Feng's cultivation has already reached the early Foundation Establishment stage. His spiritual energy is profound, and his combat experience is rich. How could he lose to an outer disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect?"
"Sixth Brother, you're too out of touch. This matter has already spread like wildfire, how could it be false? However, it is indeed terrifying that Wang Qingli, at the Qi Refining stage, defeated Lin Feng, a demon hunter at the early Foundation Establishment stage."
Hearing this, Wu Tao's expression shifted, and he recalled the deeds of the demon hunter Lin Feng and Wang Qingli.
Lin Feng, a solitary figure with no sect, family, or children, was over a hundred years old. He had amassed his wealth by hunting demonic beasts. As a rogue cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage, he had a certain reputation in the surrounding areas.
Wang Qingli, an outer disciple of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, began cultivating at three years old and reached the peak of the thirteenth level of Qi Refining at twenty-eight. He possessed unparalleled combat strength and had extraordinary innate talent in both spells and secret arts, widely recognized as a prodigy.
...
The old man who had brought up the topic, seeing everyone discussing the matter, chuckled and then revealed another piece of news: "Tell me, why did the demon hunter Lin Feng, with his profound cultivation and rich combat experience, lose to Wang Qingli at the Qi Refining stage? Do you know the reason?"
"What is it? Tell us quickly! Don't keep us in suspense, old man?" the others showed curiosity. Wu Tao also listened intently, surprised that someone was mentioning his fellow disciples here.
"..."
The old man paused dramatically, and after a while, he slowly began to speak. "The biggest difference between us rogue cultivators and disciples of the great sects is that we have no sect, no resources, and no background."
"In short, we are 'three no's,' having nothing. We can only rely on ourselves to strive, and we have to do everything ourselves. With no guidance, we can only stumble forward on the path of cultivation alone."
"Furthermore, in terms of the four crucial aspects for a cultivator's daily cultivation – method, partner, wealth, and location – our gap with them is vast, especially in the level of cultivation techniques, where the difference is like that between heaven and earth."
"And all I've said so far is to explain why Wang Qingli could fight above his level and defeat the demon hunter Lin Feng."
"The cultivation technique Wang Qingli practices is of a much higher grade than Lin Feng's. In terms of the quality of spiritual energy, they are not on the same level. In addition, Wang Qingli has clearly cultivated his technique to a high level, and his control and application of spells are superior to Lin Feng's. Furthermore, the magic artifact he uses is likely much better than Lin Feng's."
...
"In the cultivation world, there are three things that are crucial to a cultivator's combat power: first, weapons; second, spells; and third, cultivation techniques."
"Compared to spells and weapons, cultivation techniques are several times more important."
"If spells and weapons allow a cultivator to exert twice or even three times their combat power, then cultivation technique is the foundation of a cultivator. When the foundation is strong, one inherently holds a great advantage."
"Generally, the higher the grade of the cultivation technique a cultivator practices, the purer their spiritual energy."
"In other words, if two cultivators have similar cultivation levels, one practicing an ordinary low-grade technique and the other a top-tier technique, the difference in spiritual energy purity between them is like a chasm, impossible to cross easily."
"To put it another way, if the spiritual energy produced by cultivating a low-grade technique is like an egg, then the spiritual energy produced by cultivating a high-grade technique is like a stone. Attacking a stone with an egg is clearly not on the same level."
"Wang Qingli, as a prodigy among the outer disciples of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, must be cultivating at least a top-tier technique."
Wu Tao nodded in agreement. Indeed, there was a significant difference in the purity of spiritual energy between low-grade and top-tier cultivation techniques.
Fortunately, in terms of spiritual energy purity, Wu Tao was confident that he did not lag far behind Wang Qingli, as he himself was also practicing a top-tier technique.
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