"Is that so…"
This sentence made Xu Taiping calm down.
Although his cultivation speed was slow due to his bone quality, he urgently needed to increase his cultivation speed. However, if it was really that dangerous, it would not be necessary.
"The matter of the Fire Lingzhi is not urgent. The most important thing is to burn the seeds first and let the Earth Fruit undergo the second transformation."
Fairy Lingyue looked at Xu Taiping seriously.
"I understand. Tomorrow, I will use these merit coins to buy the True Fire Talisman."
Xu Taiping nodded vigorously.
Through this period of cultivation, he deeply felt the slowness of his bone quality in cultivation speed, so the Earth Fruit had become the key to breaking through his bottleneck.
…
A few days later.
In the evening.
"Xu Taiping, your things have arrived."
Baiyu flew down to the front of the Green Bamboo Residence with an exquisite leather bag in its mouth.
"I'm here."
Xu Taiping's voice sounded from the courtyard.
"Phew!…"
Almost at the same time as the sound, Xu Taiping's figure rushed out of the Green Bamboo Residence like a gust of wind.
"Wow, when did you learn this Shadow Wind Step?"
Baiyu asked in amazement.
"Yesterday."
Xu Taiping answered straightforwardly.
He found this Shadow Wind Step among the treasures collected from the Tiger Demon. It just happened that he lacked a body technique, so he learned it directly.
"I doubt that."
Baiyu gave Xu Taiping a skeptical look.
"It's just two simple moves."
Xu Taiping walked over helplessly.
The Shadow Wind Step was a good body technique of the Qingxuan Sect, which both outer and inner disciples could learn. However, outer disciples could only practice the first two steps of the Shadow Wind Seven Steps. The technique from the Tiger Demon came from an outer disciple who died at its hands.
"Take it."
Baiyu tossed the exquisite leather bag to Xu Taiping.
"Thank you."
Xu Taiping caught it.
"Little Taiping, I'm afraid you've gained a lot from that Tiger Demon, right? Now you dare to buy things at the Tianbao Pavilion."
Baiyu teased Xu Taiping with a smile.
The Tianbao Pavilion was where the Qingxuan Sect sold magical tools and treasures, but the prices were very high, and there were not many things available for sale to outer disciples. Therefore, very few outer disciples would buy things there.
"I did make some gains."
Xu Taiping scratched his head with a smile.
Seeing Xu Taiping being so honest, Baiyu lost interest in teasing him further and flapped its wings, saying, "Little Taiping, I still have something to deliver. I won't disturb you. I'll come to your house for a roast lamb when I have time."
"Okay, when you have time, you can inform me in advance with a feather as a message."
Xu Taiping nodded and agreed.
"Okay."
Baiyu responded and then suddenly flapped its wings, leaping into the air.
…
"Sister Lingyue, the True Fire Talisman has arrived."
After Baiyu left, Xu Taiping rushed back to the courtyard like a gust of wind, closed the courtyard door, and called out to Fairy Lingyue as he walked towards the backyard.
This time, he bought the True Fire Talisman from the Tianbao Pavilion, which was used for burning the seeds. Although it was the weakest True Fire, its power was far less than the Three-Flavored True Fire, but it was not cheap, costing him a total of 2,100 merit coins.
If it weren't for the treasure from the Tiger Demon, he estimated that he would only be able to gather so many merit coins after reaching the Seventh Peak.
"This kind of grade of True Fire Talisman actually dares to sell for 2,100 merit coins. It seems that the Tianbao Pavilion deliberately does not want to sell things to outer disciples."
Fairy Lingyue took a quick glance and roughly understood the strength of the True Fire Talisman in Xu Taiping's hand.
"Can it be used for burning the seeds?"
Xu Taiping asked with some concern.
"It can barely be used for the first burning of the seeds."
Fairy Lingyue nodded.
"That's good."
Xu Taiping breathed a sigh of relief.
Unlike Fairy Lingyue, he had been accustomed to unfairness from a young age, so he didn't think much of it.
"Before burning the seeds, we still need to prepare some things. Follow me."
Fairy Lingyue reminded Xu Taiping.
"Okay."
Xu Taiping nodded and followed.
…
Late at night.
In the medicinal garden of the Green Bamboo Residence.
"Boom!…"
Xu Taiping once again activated the magical tool cauldron obtained from the Evil Ghost and then placed the Earth Fruit Douqi, which had been dug out from the ground, into it.
"Next, activate the True Fire Talisman and then put it into the cauldron."
Fairy Lingyue nodded at Xu Taiping.
"Okay."
Without saying a word, Xu Taiping took out the True Fire Talisman he had exchanged for 2,000 merit coins and injected spiritual power into the talisman, then threw it into the cauldron.
"Boom!"
The power of the fire element in the True Fire Talisman suddenly burst out, turning into a bloody red and scorching flame that rushed out of the cauldron.
Even though Xu Taiping had already retreated a zhang away, he could still feel the huge fire element in the crimson flame. Even with the protection of the residual True Qi, his cheeks still felt painfully hot.
"Although the Three-Flavored True Fire is far inferior to the Six-Flavored True Fire and the Nine-Flavored True Fire, it is the nemesis of Evil Ghosts and similar demons. Even the Tiger Demon cannot stay in this kind of flame for too long."
As the Earth Fruit Douqi began to burn in the cauldron, Fairy Lingyue took the opportunity to explain the knowledge of the True Fire to Xu Taiping.
"When I advance in my cultivation, will I be able to refine the Three-Flavored True Fire?"
Xu Taiping looked at the flames rising into the sky with eager eyes.
"When you cultivate the Residual Glow Technique to the third level and reach the level of Opening the Door, you should be able to."
Fairy Lingyue nodded.
Cultivating the Residual Glow Technique to the third level was actually one of the signs of reaching the level of Opening the Door. By then, Xu Taiping would be able to control the Residual Glow True Qi freely.
"The third level…"
Xu Taiping murmured to himself.Just a few days ago, he had exchanged for the second level of the Sunset Skill from within the bronze mirror, and he had yet to fully master it. The spontaneous phenomenon of spiritual energy that occurred during his breakthrough to the Opening Realm was merely a fluke.
What's more, the third level of the Sunset Skill could only be exchanged by Inner Disciples.
Therefore, to advance further, he had to pass the selection of the Seventh Peak in two years' time.
"I wonder if Linglong and Brother Qingxiao still remember me."
He suddenly thought of Zhao Linglong and Qingxiao, who had brought him up the mountain.
"Humming…"
Just then, the pill furnace suddenly emitted a faint tremor, followed by Xu Taiping only seeing the originally scarlet flames suddenly turn into a pure azure color.
"Don't worry, this is the Earth-Hiding Fruit undergoing transformation. Wait for the azure flame to extinguish, and the seed of the fruit will be ripe,"
Fairy Lingyue reminded Xu Taiping at this moment.
Upon hearing this, Xu Taiping immediately relaxed.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the azure flame extinguished.
However, just as Xu Taiping was about to retrieve the Earth-Hiding Fruit from the pill furnace, the furnace suddenly cracked into two with a "crack."
"This pill furnace is just a low-grade Magical Tool, unable to withstand the scorching of True Fire. Later, your sister will help you find a better pill furnace,"
Seeing the look of regret in Xu Taiping's eyes, Fairy Lingyue immediately comforted him with a smile.
"Yes, we will definitely find a better one!"
Xu Taiping nodded vigorously.
Then he cleared away the fragments of the pill furnace and carefully searched inside, eventually finding a seed amidst the ashes.
"This… looks a bit like the gourd seeds I planted when I was a child,"
Xu Taiping said in surprise, pinching the unremarkable-looking seed.
"That's right, after the Earth-Hiding Fruit's Burning Seed undergoes its second transformation, it becomes a gourd fruit,"
Fairy Lingyue smiled and nodded.