During the Qi Refining stage, each passage to the next level is twice the length of the previous one, and the hardness blocking the passage is also double.

This results in each level taking two to three times longer to advance than the previous one.

Every day, there are only two hours available to use mystic power to dig through and impact the passage.

Aside from having high-quality spiritual roots that can quickly generate mystic power, cultivators can also extract spiritual energy from spirit stones to increase the speed of mystic power production.

They can also consume elixirs to temporarily enhance the efficiency of their spiritual roots in refining spiritual energy into mystic power.

Elixirs are faster than spirit stones in this regard.

For a cultivator to train quickly, it's best to use both spirit stones and elixirs.

However, elixirs are too expensive for the average person to afford.

Guo Feilong, who has been in the Spirit Creek Sect for a hundred years, only receives one low-grade Qi Refining elixir every three months, while he gets five low-grade spirit stones every month.

At this moment, Guo Feilong is lying on his bed, holding two low-grade spirit stones in his hand, his medium-quality spiritual root spinning rapidly.

As his spiritual root spins swiftly, the spiritual energy invisible to the naked eye seems to be drawn by an invisible force, rushing into his body.

The two low-grade spirit stones in his hand emit a faint mist-like glow, which enters his body through his hands.

As the spiritual power in the stones slowly depletes, they shrink like melting ice until they completely disappear.

After absorbing the two low-grade spirit stones, Guo Feilong takes out two more to continue absorbing the spiritual energy within, converting it into his own mystic power.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The mystic power within his body is like a raging dragon, constantly pounding against the passage to the next level, progressing very slowly.

Guo Feilong calculates that, with sufficient spirit stones and his medium-quality spiritual root aptitude, it would take at least 20 years to clear the passage to the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Without enough spirit stones, this time would extend to at least 50 years.

By then, he would have long returned to dust, buried underground as a pile of bones.

Unfortunately, the auspicious clouds produced by the Family Fortune Cauldron cannot directly help him increase his cultivation speed, meaning they cannot directly aid in clearing the passage.

Two hours quickly pass, and Guo Feilong finishes his cultivation, cuddling his already asleep bride as he drifts into a sweet slumber.

***

The next day.

Morning.

Guo Feilong steps out of the bridal chamber feeling refreshed, while Su Xue is still sound asleep under the covers.

After all, Su Xue is just an ordinary mortal.

Last night.

After three hours of battle, it's normal to feel exhausted and sleepy.

In the world of immortal cultivation, practitioners must not only practice various divine powers and spells but also train in physical combat and weaponry.

At this time, the sky is just beginning to brighten, and the maids and servants in the residence have not yet risen.

Guo Feilong takes out a low-grade flying sword from his storage bag and begins practicing martial arts in the courtyard.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

If an ordinary person were to watch him practice swordsmanship here, they wouldn't be able to see his sword movements clearly.

They would only see sword light and shadows moving like a fan, following his arm.

At the same time, Guo Feilong's steps are incredibly fast, leaving afterimages in the courtyard, as if several of him are chasing each other.

Close combat between immortal cultivators is extremely fierce and brutal; one wrong move could result in being sliced into pieces by the opponent.

Most cultivators prefer to control attack-type sacred treasures and spiritual instruments, fighting from a distance.

With distance, when sacred treasures and spiritual instruments clash in mid-air, there's time to react.

Suddenly, a pigeon from who knows where flies overhead, about thirty meters above the ground.

"Die!"

Guo Feilong swings his sword at the pigeon from afar.

Swish!

A transparent sword shadow, shaped like a water ripple, shoots out.

Puff!

The pigeon's head separates from its neck, falling from mid-air.

Guo Feilong makes a grabbing motion with his left hand, and a thread of light forms, wrapping around the pigeon's head and body, bringing them over.

Retrieving objects from a distance is a common technique for cultivators to fetch things from afar.

"Have the maid take it to the kitchen later and let the chef make a bowl of pigeon soup for Su Xue to nourish her."

Guo Feilong tosses the pigeon onto the stone table in the courtyard and continues practicing his swordsmanship.

After practicing martial arts for a while, Guo Feilong begins practicing flying sword techniques.

Under the command of his incantations, the flying sword darts through the air like a flash of lightning.

"Kun Wood Shield, come forth!"

Guo Feilong pats the storage bag at his waist, and the high-grade defensive spiritual instrument, the Kun Wood Shield, appears.

As he channels mystic power into the Kun Wood Shield, with a hum, four beams of green light shoot out from the Kun Wood Shield, transforming into four green shield-shaped light screens, each taller than a person.

Together with the main shield, they orbit around him like five planets circling the sun.

Next, Guo Feilong multitasks, controlling the flying sword to attack himself while using the Kun Wood Shield to block the flying sword's attacks.

In battles between cultivators, combat experience is crucial; a single moment of carelessness can lead to death and the end of one's path.

During his time in the Spirit Creek Sect, fellow disciples would spar with each other to enhance combat experience.

Often, three to four cultivators of the same stage would team up to spar against one person.

This not only improved teamwork in group attacks but also honed one's ability to handle being outnumbered.

It's unlike those cultivation novels he read before, where everyone trains alone without sparring with others, yet becomes incredibly powerful in battles.

Now that he's left the Spirit Creek Sect, there's no one to spar with him anymore, unless his descendants become cultivators in the future.

As for finding other wandering cultivators to spar with, it's unthinkable unless one has a screw loose, as sparring with other wandering cultivators could be dangerous.

If the opponent harbors ill intentions during the sparring, even if they're two or three minor stages lower, they could kill you.

It's like a grown man sparring with a twelve or thirteen-year-old child using swords.

A moment of carelessness, and the child could stab the man fatally, taking all his wealth and treasures.

***

In the following period, Guo Feilong spends every night with his new wife, Su Xue, on their life gene continuation research project.

During the day, if he's not indulging in food and leisure, he's cultivating, living a fulfilling and joyful life every day.

The only regret is that half a month has passed since his marriage to Su Xue, and the five matchmakers have yet to find him a suitable second girl.

It's not that the matchmakers haven't brought girls for him to see; it's just that the girls they brought, while pretty, pale in comparison to Su Xue in terms of looks.

"Should I lower my standards for the sake of the auspicious clouds and marry any girl who looks decent?" Guo Feilong ponders this as he sits in his chair.

Just then, the steward reports that Matchmaker Li has brought a girl and her parents for a matchmaking visit. The steward tells him that the girl Matchmaker Li brought this time is very beautiful.

Guo Feilong is immediately delighted and asks the steward to bring Matchmaker Li and the others over.

The girl Matchmaker Li brought this time is named Wang Yuyan, and she is also in her prime at sixteen.

She stands about 170 cm tall, with skin as fair as sheep-fat jade, and her looks surpass even Su Xue's by a margin.

Especially her aura, which is like a fairy stepping out of a painting, exuding an ethereal charm.

Guo Feilong instantly falls for Wang Yuyan's appearance, imagining the excitement, joy, and pleasure of spending a night with her.

***

The next day.

He marries Wang Yuyan.

The common folk of Yellow Rock Town are also delighted, as they can freely enjoy the banquet tables set up along the street.

At night.

Guo Feilong lifts Wang Yuyan's red veil.

Beautiful!

Incredibly beautiful!

As beautiful as a fairy maiden from the heavens.

(What follows is a ten-thousand-word description of actions, omitted.)

Three hours later, Guo Feilong reluctantly ends his conquest.

Though he lost ten rounds, he was defeated with honor.

After Wang Yuyan falls into a deep sleep, Guo Feilong's divine soul enters his mindscape, and upon checking the Family Fortune Cauldron, he is stunned.

Inside, there are countless auspicious clouds.

He sweeps his divine sense over them and counts the number.

There are a total of 3,600 auspicious clouds.

Gasp!

Guo Feilong's consciousness returns to his body, and he takes a sharp breath.

Marrying an ordinary person without spiritual roots as a wife,

The Family Fortune Cauldron couldn't possibly produce so many auspicious clouds.

Wang Yuyan must be someone with spiritual roots.

She just doesn't know it herself.

In the cultivation world, there are many who are unaware of their spiritual roots.

Because it's rare for immortal cultivators to check other people's children for spiritual roots.

Cultivators charge for checking spiritual roots, at least 1,000 taels of silver, which is not affordable for the average family.

Even if a family sells everything to pay 1,000 taels of silver, few would invite a cultivator to check their children for spiritual roots.

Because two ordinary people without spiritual roots are likely to have children without spiritual roots, with a probability of less than one in ten thousand.

Wang Yuyan's ancestors for ten generations had no cultivators, making her chances of having spiritual roots even smaller, less than one in a million.

Wang Yuyan's parents run a small grocery store, slightly wealthier than farming families, but even selling everything, they could barely gather 150 taels of silver.

They don't have the money to invite a cultivator to check for spiritual roots.

So it's quite normal for Wang Yuyan to have spiritual roots without knowing it.

In fact, even if her family managed to gather 1,000 taels of silver, it wouldn't be Wang Yuyan's turn to check for spiritual roots.

Because Wang Yuyan has two brothers and two younger brothers.

In this cultivation world, where the concept of family lineage is very important, daughters, once married, have little to do with their natal family.

If a family has good things, they are naturally given to the sons.

"I wonder what grade Yuyan's spiritual root is?"

Guo Feilong holds Wang Yuyan's hand as she sleeps, channeling a pure stream of mystic power into her hand.

Soon, his divine sense and mystic power reach Wang Yuyan's energy core, and indeed, he sees a spiritual root.

The surface of the spiritual root crackles with tiny lightning bolts.

In the next moment, Guo Feilong's eyes widen in shock.

Wang Yuyan's thunder spiritual root is of Earth Grade medium quality.

He's truly struck gold this time.

It's important to know that someone with Earth Grade spiritual root aptitude is extremely rare even in the Spirit Creek Sect.

Anyone with an Earth Grade spiritual root is almost guaranteed to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, with a twenty to thirty percent chance of reaching the Golden Elixir stage.

In the Spirit Creek Sect, those at the Golden Elixir stage are considered ancestors.