Jiang Zuo actually had a method that could allow him to quickly recover one strand of Innate Qi.
However, there was a side effect: advancing to Innate Three Qi would become much more difficult.
Recovering the Two Qi would also be slower.
He truly didn't want to use it unless it was absolutely necessary.
But a trip to the Immortal Spirit Cave Mansion was definitely worth it. Especially since he was now very likely to advance directly to level 1.2. With that level of Cultivation, plus Cold Moon, he would face little to no real danger.
Having made his decision, Jiang Zuo didn't hesitate. He walked straight to the Profound Iron Wood and cut it down.
The method to recover Innate Qi was simple: just replenish it.
Five Elements Power, or the Essence of Sun and Moon.
Right now, Jiang Zuo had the Profound Iron Wood and the Fire Spirit Grass. Representing two of the Five Elements, they should be enough to restore one strand of Innate Qi.
Jiang Zuo then took out the Fire Spirit Grass. Since the original array was filled with Spiritual Liquid, he had no choice but to draw a new one.
Once finished, Jiang Zuo placed the Fire Spirit Grass and Profound Iron Wood inside. He then sat in the array, and it began to activate.
The Five Elements Power surged into his body, and his Innate Qi began to condense.
Having condensed it once before, he didn't feel much pain this time. Any slight discomfort was something Jiang Zuo could easily ignore.
The Fire Spirit Grass withered, and the Profound Iron Wood dissipated.
Golden and red light intertwined around Jiang Zuo's body.
When the light faded, two white lines appeared on Jiang Zuo's body.
His Innate Two Qi was completely restored.
Seeing the Innate Two Qi, Jiang Zuo didn't feel excited. 'I know there's no pattern to restoring the strands of Innate Qi, but getting two back at once… isn't this luck a bit too heaven-defying?'
'Besides, this is like adding two more locks to breaking through to Innate Three Qi.'
'My path to Innate Three Qi is now two steps longer.'
This was not a good thing at all.
However, Jiang Zuo couldn't afford to dwell on it. He erased the now-useless array and returned to the original one, which held the Spiritual Liquid he had spent nearly a million to prepare.
'After absorbing all this, I should be able to reach level 1.2.'
Without wasting any time, Jiang Zuo began absorbing the Spiritual Liquid in the array.
Jiang Zuo continued absorbing late into the night. A normal person would have already broken through to level 1.2, but Jiang Zuo required far more Spiritual Qi than an ordinary Cultivator.
Thus, even after all the Spiritual Liquid was absorbed, Jiang Zuo still hadn't reached level 1.2.
'Just a little bit more.'
Jiang Zuo kept his eyes closed. 'No sleep tonight. I'm pushing straight through to 1.2.'
「The next morning」
Jiang Zuo's face was haggard.
Forcing the breakthrough last night had drained his mental energy. He looked as if he had pulled several all-nighters in a row.
He felt like he was on the verge of collapsing.
'As expected, pulling an all-nighter to practice Cultivation can really kill you. I'll have to take it easier next time. Luckily, I succeeded.'
'With my Innate Two Qi restored and my Cultivation at level 1.2, if I were to face that level 1.5 examiner again, I could drive him to even greater despair. If I used my Innate Two Qi, killing him wouldn't be a problem at all.'
'As for a Tier Two opponent, it would be much harder to kill them if they were on their guard.'
'I could probably take one out by surprise, though.'
'The key would be to use Cold Moon, and for the target not to have a Life-Protecting Treasure.'
Jiang Zuo then lay down on his bed to rest, not getting up until noon.
'Tomorrow, the rift to the Immortal Spirit Cave Mansion opens. I have to find a way to advance my Cultivation even further.'
'The fastest way is to use elixirs, and to get elixirs, I need money.'
So, he had to go back to Market Department Two to take on jobs. And to get better jobs, Jiang Zuo had no choice but to get his Cultivation level verified.
Soon, Jiang Zuo arrived at the Assessment Department again. The examiner was the same level 1.5 Cultivator as last time.
The moment he saw Jiang Zuo, the examiner's knees nearly buckled.
Ignoring everyone else, he walked directly over to Jiang Zuo and asked, "Fellow Daoist, are you here for an assessment?"
'It's only been a few days! He must have hidden his Cultivation level. He's just doing this to humiliate me and get some sort of sick thrill out of it.'
Jiang Zuo nodded. "Level 1.2 this time."
The examiner replied without the slightest hesitation, "Fellow Daoist, you pass."
Jiang Zuo: "..."
The other people present were also stunned. 'Did he just pull some strings?'
'Then again, for someone his age to only be at level 1.2... his aptitude must be terrible.'
Jiang Zuo was a little surprised, but he didn't ask any questions and simply left.
'I actually wanted to fight him,' Jiang Zuo thought. 'I was curious to see how many of my punches that level 1.5 could take.'
'Actually defeating him would still be a bit difficult, though.'
'But if I used Cold Moon, I could probably kill him.'
Arriving at Market Department Two, Jiang Zuo began looking at the available requests. There were pitifully few this time—only two.
One was a request to find a pet.
The request felt strangely familiar to Jiang Zuo. He clicked on it for details and accepted it on the spot.
'Three hundred thousand, plus a Moon Tear Bead.' The reward was so familiar that Jiang Zuo couldn't think of anyone else it could be. 'That Three-tailed Fox is a walking goldmine.'
Meanwhile, a worried Gu Jiansheng heard his phone chime and immediately checked it. Two other parties had already tried to help him, but neither had found any trace of his pet.
This time, Xiaoli had vanished completely.
He desperately hoped an expert would show up.
When he saw that "Po Xiao" had accepted the job, he didn't know whether to feel happy or annoyed.
Especially since Po Xiao had also sent him a message: "Prepare the Moon Tear Bead."
'Where does this guy get his confidence? Cocky bastard. Then again, he does have some real skill.'
Jiang Zuo then looked at the second request. This one was a bit strange. It was a group summons to explore a Secret Realm, meeting up tomorrow afternoon.
It also specified that only Cultivators below Tier Two were eligible.
'What kind of Secret Realm only allows entry to those below Tier Two?'
Jiang Zuo wasn't sure, but he knew he couldn't accept this request anyway, since he was going to the Immortal Spirit Cave Mansion tomorrow.
A thought suddenly struck him. He pondered it for a moment, then shook his head. 'No, it can't be that much of a coincidence.'
He then got up and headed for Gu Jiansheng's house.
But when Jiang Zuo arrived at Gu Jiansheng's front door, he paused. He clutched the coin in his hand and muttered, "I'm getting a feeling of... swimming against the current. It seems this isn't just a game of hide-and-seek this time."
Jiang Zuo then met with Gu Jiansheng. Before Gu Jiansheng could speak, Jiang Zuo said flatly, "She's not here. She's left."
Gu Jiansheng was taken aback. He didn't overthink it and asked immediately, "Where did she go?"
Jiang Zuo shook his head. "She'll be difficult to find."
"I can raise the payment."
"I don't need you to raise the payment, but I need the Moon Tear Bead upfront."
"..."
'He just shows up, says a few words, and immediately demands the reward?'
'Where does this guy get the nerve? How shameless can he be?'
Gu Jiansheng hesitated.
Jiang Zuo remained silent. He didn't want to say anything more on the matter.
'Whether he agrees or not, I can still complete the job. It's just that my Cultivation will be lower, and it will be more difficult.'
Finally, Gu Jiansheng nodded. "Fine."
Gu Jiansheng felt he had no other choice. 'Everyone else is too by-the-book. Only this guy is a total cocky bastard, and only this cocky bastard would actually use a coin to find someone.'
'So, maybe someone who relies on coin flips has good luck. It's worth a gamble.'
'With the Moon Tear Bead, I can try to push for level 1.3. Once I reach 1.3, no one below Tier Two will be able to kill me easily, even without me using my Innate Two Qi.'