After Zhao Di entered the fifth layer of the Qi Refining stage, he also met the minimum requirements for practicing mid-grade techniques. Using the remaining time from refining his talismans, Zhao Di began to practice a few mid-grade techniques.

  According to his original plan, its best to master the Golden Shield Technique first, and then try to make a "Golden Shield Talisman". Defensive talismans are generally more popular than offensive ones, and their prices are often slightly higher. For example, a mid-grade "Golden Shield Talisman" can sell for around six or seven spirit stones, while a mid-grade "Fire Snake Talisman" can only sell for five spirit stones.

  But it wasnt until he started learning intermediate magic that he realized the difference in spiritual power requirements between intermediate and low-level magic was not just a little higher, but a qualitative leap. When he was in the fourth layer of the Qi Refining stage, learning low-level magic seemed effortless, but when he reached the fifth layer and learned the "Golden Shield Technique", he found that his spiritual power was far from sufficient, making it extremely difficult to practice, and almost impossible to see any chance of success.

  He then tried a few other intermediate-level spells and found that except for the "Arrow Rain Spell" which had the lowest spiritual power requirement, he might still have a chance to learn it. As for the others, they were not something he could master at his current stage. In his estimation, those intermediate-level spells would require him to reach at least the sixth or seventh layer of the Refining Qi period before he could use them proficiently.

  However, for Zhao Di, practicing "Arrow Rain Technique" was a bit of a chicken rib affair. Although the Arrow Rain Technique is also an attacking technique in the middle stage of Qi refining, its power is slightly weaker than that of other mid-stage techniques such as "Fire Snake Technique" and "Earth Thorn Technique". Therefore, the seal symbol for this technique, "Arrow Rain Symbol", although it is also a mid-stage symbol, is very difficult to sell, and the price is even lower than that of "Fire Snake Symbol".

  The intermediate-level talisman requires a completely different type of talisman paper from the lower-level one, and the spiritual grass used as the raw material for making talisman paper has higher requirements in terms of years. As a result, the price is also much more expensive. A dozen intermediate blank talismans cost about ten low-grade spirit stones. Adding to that, the success rate of refining intermediate talismans is lower, so the cost of refining "Arrow Rain Talismans" will be much higher. If you refine Arrow Rain Talismans, nine out of ten times they either wont sell or will result in a small loss.

  So Zhao Dis plan to refine the intermediate-stage talismans of the Refining Qi period was temporarily shelved.

  One day, coinciding with the lively gathering at the beginning of the month, Zhao Di was still setting up a stall with Liu Yingying, but he clearly felt that the other partys mood was heavy and preoccupied.

  Logically, Liu Yingyings luck should be very strong this month, having successfully refined two furnaces of elixir in a row. Normally, she should be radiant and ecstatic. Zhao Di inferred that this might have something to do with her recent return home.

  Under Zhao Dis probing and questioning, Liu Yinyin finally expressed her discontent.

  She had returned home last time to find a forty-year-old foundation-building cultivator, surnamed Lü and named Qiao. This powerful senior was a manager of the Liuhuo Sect, a cultivation sect that the Liu family relied on. He came to the Liu family this time under the pretext of alchemy, handing over a large pile of spiritual herbs and medicines to the head of the Liu family - Liu Yiyis father - asking him to help refine several furnaces of Qingling Pills. Lius father was overjoyed and immediately agreed. For an alchemist, the most important thing is to have a large amount of raw materials to refine, accumulating rich experience, gradually improving the success rate of refinement, and finally reaching a very high level, becoming a renowned alchemy master.

  Liu Yingying helped her father refine the elixir for dozens of days and successfully refined several furnaces of Qingling Pills. After submitting them to Lihuo Sect, she also received a generous reward. Originally, this was a great good thing, and the whole Liu family was excited for many days, thinking that their luck had finally changed. However, Liu Yingying discovered that Lu Qiao, the Lihuo Sects foundation-building cultivator in charge of this matter, would often stare at her intentionally or unintentionally, with a few hints of infatuation in his eyes. This scared Liu Yingying so much that she didnt dare to stay at home for long and left after finding an excuse, returning to Liuyunfang City.

  But just yesterday, Liu Yingying received a letter from her father. The letter said that the Jiziqi cultivator had formally proposed to Lius father and wanted to take Liu Yingying as his concubine. Although Lius father was not willing in his heart, he did not dare to refuse face-to-face, saying only that he would ask for his daughters opinion. Lius father also said that he had inquired about the Jiziqi cultivators character and found that this person was indeed a notorious lecher from the Lihuo Sect, who relied on his high cultivation level to constantly pursue beautiful low-ranking female cultivators, and even ordinary women were not spared. It is said that he has already taken five or six concubines. Moreover, this person had a narrow heart and was extremely vengeful. All the female cultivators who had refused him face-to-face or humiliated him with words had no good ending. Either they suffered a tragic fate or mysteriously disappeared from the cultivation world.

  This person is quite clever and has never made a move on those powerful and well-connected female cultivators, so he hasnt really offended anyone who cant be trifled with. As a result, hes still living a comfortable life to this day. The female cultivators from the Departing Fire Sect who dont have impressive identities or backgrounds but have some charm would usually keep their distance from this Foundation Establishment stage master uncle.

  This time, Liu Yingying was targeted by him, and for the Liu family, it was undoubtedly a huge disaster.

  Zhao Di heard about this matter and was also indignant in his heart.

  He indignantly said: "Is there no kings law in the immortal world? Let this kind of scum do whatever they want!"

  Liu Yinyin let out a cold, mirthless laugh and said in an icy tone: "The strong prey on the weak! Thats the way of cultivation. Only when your powers are high enough and your magic is strong enough do your words carry weight; only then can you make laws with your words! Cultivation is about defying heaven, and how many people have ever achieved enlightenment and ascended to immortality? So many cultivators brave danger and struggle to improve their cultivation, all for the sake of one day having boundless magic power and being able to trample all living things underfoot. To those high-ranking cultivators, we low-ranking Qi Refining cultivators are no different from ordinary people - were nothing but ants in their eyes, and our lives are hardly worth their notice."

  Liu Yingyings words made sense, and Zhao Di understood them as well. Faced with the harsh reality of the cultivation world, which was even more cruel than the secular world, these low-ranking cultivators with weak powers had no chance of resisting. He said: "So what do you plan to do? Is it really only to agree to this path? Why dont you and your family leave and go somewhere else? Cant you avoid trouble if you cant fight back?"

  "I dont know what to do either, the anger of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is not something our small cultivator family can withstand. Unless I marry immediately, I suppose the other party wont force a married female cultivator into marriage."

  The young girl said softly, then suddenly turned her head, opening her big eyes wide and staring at Zhao Di without blinking for a while. After that, she let out a long sigh, turned her head back to look forward, and seemed to be muttering to herself: "Actually, its not so bad after all. For small cultivators like us, if we can establish a relationship with a Foundation Establishment cultivator, who knows, maybe there will be opportunities for our cultivation to progress further. And this person is in charge of basic dan medicine refining within the Li Huo Sect... I suppose my father will also gain many benefits from this marriage in terms of his alchemy skills... and my younger siblings may even have opportunities to enter the Li Huo Sect for cultivation..."

  Zhao Di was also speechless for a moment, unsure of what to say.

  The two of them fell silent for a long time, until the sky had already darkened, and they returned to their respective buildings.

  Zhao didnt rest immediately, but felt irritable and needed some quiet time.

  He has a habit of patiently drawing a few talismans when his emotions fluctuate, which often has the effect of calming his mind.

  However, this time it didnt work. Zhao Di made more than a dozen Vajra symbols in a row, all of which failed, and his mood became even more chaotic.

  In his previous life, Zhao Di was already a passionate young man who understood the emotions between men and women. After being reborn as Wu Gen, he didnt know whether it was because his body had become that of a child or because he practiced immortal methods, emphasizing calmness and clarity of mind, and suppressing desires, but he had always suppressed matters of romance and love in his heart, not paying much attention to them.

  For the past three years, Zhao Di has found Liu Yingying to be both lovely and strong-willed, a type he greatly admires. Especially her care and filial piety towards her family is extremely rare among cultivators. If he were to say that he didnt have any romantic feelings for Liu Yingying, it would be a lie. However, in pursuit of the Dao, he has been intentionally suppressing the ripples in his heart. But upon hearing the news of Liu Yingying being proposed to by a Jiedan stage cultivator, those ripples began to surge, leaving him feeling anxious and disturbed.

  At the same time, that feeling of being powerless and only able to be slaughtered also made him more deeply experience the cruelty and helplessness of the immortal world.

  He drew another talisman, and as soon as the brush fell, the spiritual light on the paper began to flash weakly, and after a moment, it self-ignited and turned into ashes. Failed again.

  Zhao Di slammed the brush down heavily and swept his right hand across the table with force, instantly scattering the cinnabar sand all over the floor...