Ji Yuan slept for three full days and nights.
It wasn't until noon on the fourth day that he groggily woke from his deep sleep, stretching his body with a hazy consciousness.
A period of sound sleep had left his spirit incredibly revitalized, with his energy, essence, and spirit all restored to their optimal state.
Even his soul light seemed to have advanced slightly. Though not overly obvious, it was comparable to ten days to half a month of regular nurturing.
Once fully awake, Ji Yuan sat cross-legged on the bed. As he closed his eyes, the mana in his dantian immediately surged, coursing through his wide meridians.
After completing a full circulation, he switched from the Xuantian Dao Scripture to the Nine Yuan Heavy Water Scripture. As the mana flowed within his body, a faint watery light emerged, enveloping him.
A sensation of exhilaration washed over him, and under the nourishment of the watery light, his overworked muscles found great relief.
When it was all over, another day had passed.
Ji Yuan slowly opened his eyes, feeling that his condition had been adjusted to the best. The accumulated fatigue in his body was swept away, and he felt a sense of ease throughout his entire being.
With this, he finally had enough time to properly consolidate the gains from his expedition to the underground dojo.
Various spiritual items, and the spirit-nurturing pills and spirit crystals obtained from concentrated spiritual energy, were set aside for now. The greatest harvest from this trip was undoubtedly the inheritance of a master alchemist.
Even the broken furnace that was handed over to Lei Ze Peak was far inferior to this inheritance in his heart.
Lost in thought, he casually wiped the jade pendant on his waist, inscribed with the characters 'Cai Yun'. A stream of light flashed before him, and then a fist-sized, deep blue alchemy furnace appeared, along with twelve small stone tablets.
The former possessed twelve acquired restrictions, making it an alchemy furnace of the treasure grade. Using this furnace for alchemy could increase the success rate by twenty to thirty percent out of nowhere.
The latter was a set of top-grade magical artifacts, each stone tablet containing nine innate restrictions. When combined, they could unleash power far beyond that of ordinary treasures.
Most importantly, these twelve stone tablets were inscribed with extraordinary techniques. A single one of these techniques, if revealed to the outside world, would be enough to incite fierce competition among cultivators of the Three Realms.
The Water Refining Alchemy technique among them was something even great cultivators of the Golden Core realm would eagerly contend for.
In the Great Yu Dynasty, there was a master alchemist who, relying on a fragmented version of the Water Refining Alchemy technique, received high official positions and generous emoluments from the court, becoming someone that all factions needed to 'curry favor' with.
"The most important thing now is to first create the spiritual spring and raise my cultivation realm!"
Ji Yuan waved his hand and put away the items before him. Then, he stroked his chin and mused, "After my realm improves, my focus should be on comprehending the cultivation methods and practicing Daoist arts."
Only by comprehending the cultivation methods to the best of his ability could he better refine the magical treasures he possessed. Otherwise, it would not be twice the result with half the effort, but would instead greatly hinder his progress.
However, this also meant he would have almost no energy left to deal with other matters.
Even comprehending the Dao of Alchemy, studying the Water Refining Alchemy technique, and re-refining magical treasures would have to be postponed for a while.
This was also one of the reasons why he agreed to Li Buwei's proposal to subdue the various wild cultivators of the mountains and marshes.
Before he could condense his Golden Core and successfully take charge of Xuan Tian Peak to accept disciples, he absolutely needed to build his own foundation.
Some matters could not always rely on the Nine Xuan Sect and Ming Xin Xuan. Apart from the reciprocal favor, he would inevitably incur unexplainable karma.
Moreover, honestly speaking, even though his relationship with Ming Xin Xuan was very good, he did not wish to become too entangled with them. Ultimately, beyond the reciprocal favor, they were merely in a cooperative relationship.
Even if Ji Yuan himself was willing, it was impossible for him to truly integrate into Ming Xin Xuan. If such a day were to come, the Nine Xuan Sect would likely be the first to object.
"It seems I'll have to spend a long time in seclusion!"
He couldn't help but sigh, his expression appearing quite helpless.
Once the spiritual spring was created, he estimated he would need to go into seclusion for at least three to five years, or perhaps even longer if something unexpected happened.
Thinking of this, Ji Yuan couldn't help but recall what Qian Ni Chang had said about a method of creating avatars in the world, capable of producing clones identical to oneself, who could also comprehend cultivation methods and the Great Dao.
If he could find this method, his future would undoubtedly be much easier. With the same amount of time, he could achieve double the results.
However, this method was rare and precious, comparable to the Water Refining Alchemy technique. Even powerful beings with immense magical power did not necessarily possess it.
He wondered if the library of the Nine Xuan Sect contained one or two such avatar creation methods.
Ji Yuan smiled wryly, shaking his head and dispelling the thought. Even if the Nine Xuan Sect did possess such a collection, it was not something he could access at his current level.
Considering the time, there were still a few days until Liu Ruyan would give a definitive answer. He adjusted his state of mind and then lightly tapped his glabella.
The gate of the Zi Mansion immediately opened, and from the churning lake of sword energy, a white jade flying sword immediately flew out, hovering before him and transmitting a joyful thought.
This white jade flying sword had developed a trace of sentience over its three hundred years of existence. Although its consciousness had not fully formed, it could already convey some emotions.
Looking at his Natal Flying Sword, which he had named Xiao Bai, Ji Yuan couldn't help but smile knowingly. Then, from the Cai Yun jade pendant, he took out an irregularly shaped spiritual ore.
This item was obtained in Xuan Huan City. The white jade flying sword, which had been nurtured in his Zi Mansion that day, had exhibited extreme desire towards it.
As soon as it was taken out, Xiao Bai immediately darted forward, and its sword body plunged into the spiritual ore.
Threads of sharp energy, along with the essence of the spiritual ore, immediately flowed towards Xiao Bai. As it continued to devour them, the aura of the Natal Flying Sword quietly began to change.
Before this, Xiao Bai, although a flying sword, was not primarily focused on sharpness. Its strengths were its agility and its ability to easily penetrate restrictions and formations.
After beginning to devour the essence of this spiritual ore, Xiao Bai's blade immediately became sharper. In just a short time, visible changes could be observed.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan's heart was filled with joy, and he immediately began to carefully observe the changes in his Natal Flying Sword.
After about half a day, the unknown spiritual ore in his hand had been completely consumed of its essence. With a gentle push, it shattered into debris all over the ground.
Xiao Bai, having been 'fed,' returned to the Zi Mansion on its own. Like a drunkard, it swayed unsteadily and sank into the lake of sword energy.