Zhao Zuo worried that the noise from before might attract unnecessary trouble, so he immediately returned to his bedside. He stuffed a few precious Talismans into his robes, ready to face any potential battle.
He then carefully ran to the wall, forcefully wrenched the Sky-Breaking Saber from where it was embedded, and quickly retreated back inside his room, remaining on high alert.
Fortunately, several minutes passed, and no one came knocking. No danger appeared.
What sounded like a huge crash to Zhao Zuo was merely routine to others. After all, in the residential area, people were constantly cultivating Magic Skills or practicing with their Magical Artifacts. A bit of noise was to be expected.
Zhao Zuo's lack of security made him as jumpy as a startled bird. When he saw that no one came to investigate, he breathed a sigh of relief, silently chiding himself for making a mountain out of a molehill. 'Ultimately, I'm still not used to this world,' he thought.
Only then did he take out the Sky-Breaking Saber and summon the transparent interface.
The experience value hadn't increased, which confirmed one of Zhao Zuo's theories.
The first time, it lasted for one minute, and he gained five experience points.
The second time, it lasted less than a second, and he gained no experience.
'So, using it increases experience, and the duration of use is a critical factor.'
Zhao Zuo first meditated to restore his Mana to its peak. Then, he once again controlled the Sky-Breaking Saber, making it circle around him to gain experience points, trying to complete its second upgrade as soon as possible.
「Four hours passed in the blink of an eye.」
Zhao Zuo was now soothing his slightly stinging Meridians. Even though the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power had been refined by the Purification Array, prolonged absorption still burdened his Meridians. Therefore, each meditation session for absorbing Spiritual Power shouldn't exceed six hours.
Of course, if one's body was powerful enough, this time could be extended.
After about fifteen minutes, Zhao Zuo finally soothed his stinging Meridians back to normal. Now, he would have to rest for a while before he could continue to grind for experience.
Filled with anticipation, Zhao Zuo focused on the Sky-Breaking Saber, and the transparent interface immediately appeared.
[Level: Lower Grade Magical Artifact +1 · Sky-Breaking Saber]
[Experience: 175/400]
[Status: Not Upgradeable]
[Creation Point: 0]
He had been grinding from dawn until dusk, and the Sky-Breaking Saber's experience had increased by another 20 points. Looking at the increased number, Zhao Zuo finally felt that his half-day of effort had not been wasted.
At this rate, it would take about ten days to achieve the second upgrade.
Additionally, Zhao Zuo decided to re-plan his daily Cultivation schedule. He couldn't afford to focus on one thing at the expense of another; upgrading his Magical Artifact shouldn't come at the cost of his own Cultivation progress.
Zhao Zuo rubbed his stomach. He hadn't eaten in ten hours and was starting to feel hungry.
"First, I'll eat. Then, back to hard Cultivation."
For the sake of his body, and also out of curiosity about the world of Cultivation, Zhao Zuo decided to get something to eat. Besides, eating at regular times was good for digestive health.
Even in your twenties, you had to take care of your stomach. Otherwise, a few decades down the line, your digestive system would become so fragile that even a hint of chili pepper could cause a stomach ache. By the time it reached that point, it would be too late for regrets.
You wouldn't be able to enjoy even the most exquisite food then, and what good would Longevity and Vision be? It would all be meaningless.
'Then again, maybe Cultivators don't even have to worry about this kind of problem?'
Zhao Zuo went to the kitchen. It looked more like a rustic stove, built from yellow mud and bricks. An iron pot sat on top, with a space for firewood underneath. The air held the faint scent of wood shavings.
Near the stove were a cutting board, a water vat, and clean bowls and utensils.
Relying on his inherited memories, Zhao Zuo quickly familiarized himself with all the kitchen utensils.
First, he took about a pound and a half of Spirit Rice from the rice jar. He went to the backyard, drew a bucket of clear, cold water from the well, and rinsed the Spirit Rice.
Spirit Rice, as its name suggested, was a type of rice that contained Spiritual Power. The grains were about a size larger than the rice from his previous life, and they were more translucent and sparkling, looking incredibly appetizing.
He put the rice in the pot, added the right amount of water, and lit the firewood to begin cooking.
While the rice was cooking, Zhao Zuo took out the piece of Demon Beast meat he had bought yesterday and sliced it thinly. He also chopped up some other seasonings and set them aside.
Zhao Zuo squatted down and added a few more pieces of wood to the fire. After a moment, the flames grew more intense, and a fragrance began to spread—a scent he had never encountered before.
Though it was unfamiliar, it made his mouth water.
After a few minutes, Zhao Zuo figured the rice was about done. He removed the rice pot and placed another iron wok on the stove to heat up. He tossed the seasonings into the wok, and as he stir-fried them, their aromas billowed out—spicy, with a hint of numbing pepper.
With quick eyes and deft hands, Zhao Zuo immediately threw the Demon Beast meat into the wok and began to stir-fry it.
A few minutes later, he scooped the cooked Demon Beast meat directly onto the Spirit Rice and mixed it all together.
The rich aroma of the meat and the delicate fragrance of the Spirit Rice complemented each other perfectly, creating a sublime flavor. As he lifted a spoonful of the mixed meat and rice to his mouth, he first experienced a wonderfully soft texture, which was immediately followed by a satisfying chewiness.
The Demon Beast meat was pleasantly tough and full-flavored, while the Spirit Rice was so soft and tender it practically melted in his mouth. The combination created distinct textures and flavors that enhanced one another.
Within fifteen minutes, Zhao Zuo had polished off the entire pot. He even felt he hadn't made enough. He had based the portion size on his appetite from his previous life, but his current body, because he was also practicing Body Refining, had a much larger appetite.
"I feel like I could eat another three big bowls," Zhao Zuo lamented, rubbing his stomach. But then he remembered his plan to hole up and cultivate, so he had to control his portions.
Zhao Zuo calculated that at a rate of two pounds of Spirit Rice per day, his current supply would last about ten days. In ten days, it would also be time for his Magical Artifact's second upgrade. Once the Sky-Breaking Saber was strengthened again, its power would surely be unrivaled among Lower Grade Magical Artifacts. Then, he would have more confidence to venture out and explore.
After all, Middle Grade Magical Artifacts were already considered a rarity in the outer areas of the Market, mostly in the hands of a few powerful cultivators at the Qi Cultivation Sixth or Seventh Layer. As for Upper Grade Magical Artifacts, they were practically nonexistent in the entire Market.
Furthermore, both the Spirit Rice and Demon Beast meat provided Spiritual Power that was gentler and easier to absorb. Zhao Zuo immediately decided to return to his bed and start meditating to absorb the Spiritual Power now surging from his stomach.
「Before he knew it, night had fallen, the full moon hanging high in the sky.」
The residential area was silent. Only a few figures dressed in black could be seen moving swiftly through the night toward their pre-selected targets. Who would be the unlucky soul tonight? No one knew.
Tribulation Cultivators didn't strike randomly; their attacks required meticulous planning and calculation. But even they weren't infallible. Sometimes, a Tribulation Cultivator would botch the job, and their corpse would be unceremoniously dumped by the roadside for no one to claim.
At that moment, inside his room, Zhao Zuo emerged from his cultivation state. He could feel that the Mana within his body had improved by a tiny amount. 'Judging by the size of my Dantian... it's probably going to be a long, long time before I can even touch the bottleneck,' he mused.
"I have a long way to go," Zhao Zuo sighed softly.
The moonlight was like frost, the cold wind sharp as a blade.
Zhao Zuo began a new round of Cultivation. The Sky-Breaking Saber spun around him continuously until his Mana was depleted. Then, he would close his eyes once more, absorbing the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power to replenish his Mana.
Over and over, the cycle repeated. On the transparent panel, the experience value steadily climbed.
...
PS: Please add this to your library, and thank you all for your support.