Chapter 150: The Concept of Dao Soldiers, Jiang Kingdom’s First Rogue Cultivator

“Finally gathered everything.”

Lu Changsheng walked out of the sixth shop, exhaling lightly.

At Wanbao Pavilion, he purchased the Earth Fire Stone.

But most shops he asked didn’t have the Rainbow Copper.

Fortunately, luck was on his side. He spent two thousand Spirit Stones at this shop to gather the last material needed for crafting the Seven Luminaries Heart Lamp.

“Once I return to Qingzhu Mountain and condense the Seven Luminaries Heart Lamp, I can forge this life-bound Spirit Tool!”

Gathering all the needed materials lifted Lu Changsheng’s spirits significantly.

After all, missing just one material partway would have been incredibly frustrating.

“Now that I’ve reached Foundation Establishment, I need to buy pills suited for increasing cultivation in this stage.”

Lu Changsheng thought to himself.

For faster cultivation, taking pills is essential.

Relying solely on personal cultivation, it would take eight or nine years to break through from the first to the second stage of Foundation Establishment.

But with enough pills and the aid of the Seven Luminaries Heart Lamp to refine pill toxins and purify Spiritual Energy, two or three years should suffice to reach the second stage.

Lu Changsheng then went to ‘Danding Pavilion’, a traditional pill shop, to ask if they had pills suitable for Foundation Establishment.

“Senior, our shop has Qi Gathering Pills and Essence Nourishing Pills suitable for the Foundation Establishment stage.”

“However, all our Essence Nourishing Pills are sold out; only one bottle of Qi Gathering Pills remains.”

“If you have a need, you can pay a deposit, and we can notify you once we restock.”

The shop assistant respectfully replied when Lu Changsheng inquired about Foundation Establishment pills.

“Only one bottle of Qi Gathering Pills?”

Lu Changsheng was a bit disappointed to hear that.

But he knew that second-level pills and talismans were rarely sold in large quantities by most shops.

Unless you know a second-level pill refiner.

Otherwise, large-scale procurement is nearly impossible.

“How many Spirit Stones for the Qi Gathering Pills? Do you have pills to increase cultivation for Late-Stage Qi Refining?”

Lu Changsheng continued to ask.

“Senior, the Qi Gathering Pills cost twelve hundred Spirit Stones.”

“For Late-Stage Qi Refining, our shop still has Qi Refining Powder, Qi Nourishing Pills, and Qi Boosting Pills.”

The assistant quoted the price and introduced various pills suitable for late Qi Refining while presenting a Jade Scroll for Lu Changsheng.

These pills can help Foundation Establishment cultivators to some extent.

For example, Qi Refining Powder can speed up the absorption of natural Spiritual Qi.

Qi Nourishing Pills nourish Spiritual Qi, accelerating its circulation within the body.

However, these pills have a relatively mediocre effect on Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Besides Qi Gathering Pills, Lu Changsheng also bought the last three bottles of Qi Nourishing Pills and one bottle of Qi Boosting Pills from the store.

The total came to two thousand two hundred Spirit Stones.

Just as Lu Changsheng finished paying the Spirit Stones and was about to leave,

“Xiao Yu, has the customer who ordered the ‘Three Yang Pill’ come by yet?”

“Shopkeeper, that customer hasn’t come by. Three days ago, I sent Xiao Wu to contact them at the address left, but still no response.”

The shopkeeper came downstairs and asked an employee.

“Three Yang Pill?”

Lu Changsheng paused when he heard this conversation.

He knew of this pill.

A second-level spiritual pill.

It takes its meaning from ‘Three Yang Brings Peace’.

After taking it, it not only increases cultivation, saving years of arduous cultivation,

but also eliminates hidden injuries and potential dangers in the body, like sunlight banishing darkness.

Thus, it has notable effects for Qi Refining perfection cultivators aiming to ascend to Foundation Establishment,

and is even colloquially called ‘Mini Foundation Establishment Pill’.

Lu Changsheng had thought of preparing one for himself before.

But this pill is also a relatively rare second-level pill.

He had visited several shops before but couldn’t buy it.

Hearing the conversation now made Lu Changsheng interested in buying it.

He couldn’t use it since he’s in Foundation Establishment,

but he could buy it as a gift for his wife, Lu Miaoge..

Lu Miaoge’s current cultivatiin was still at the eighth layer of Qi Refining.

It would probably take another two or three years to break through to the ninth layer.

By then, Lu Miaoge would be forty yearr old.

Although reaching Qi Refining perfection before sixty years of age to attempt Foundation Establishment isn’t bad,

advancing in age makes Foundation Establishment more difficult.

He naturally hoped his wife could reach Qi Refining perfection sooner.

Moreover, despite recovering from previous attacks, potential hidden dangers couldn’t be ruled out.

Having a Three Yang Pill would not only increase her cultivation but also eliminate hidden dangers in the body, offering Lu Miaoge a better chance at oundation Establishment.

“Shopkeeper, since the original owner hasn’t come for the pill, is this Three Yang Pill for sale?”

“If it’s available, what’s the price?”

Lu Changsheng asked, bowing slightly to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper was surprised by this question.

He soon heard through the assistant’s whispers that Lu Changsheng had just spent over two thousand Spirit Stones and might be a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Instantly, he smiled and said, “If Comrade wants it, our shop is willing to sell.”

“The price of this Three Yang Pill is three thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones.”

The shopkeeper stated.

“Alright, I’ll take this Three Yang Pill.”

Lu Changsheng nodded immediately.

This price wasn’t cheap, but it wasn’t exorbitant either.

After all, big shops always charge slightly more.

Plus, rare pills often have certain price fluctuations.

“Shopkeeper, I’m short on Spirit Stones. Could I use talismans as payment?”

Lu Changsheng took out three talismans and asked.

He hadn’t counted his exact number of Spirit Stones but knew it was around three to four thousand.

He naturally needed to keep some Spirit Stones on hand.

“Second-tier lower talismans?”

As the shopkeeper of Danding Pavilion, his discernment was above average.

He glanced at the talismans, saying courteously, “Second-tier talismans can certainly offset the cost, but we can only offer sixty percent of their market value.”

“Alright, sixty percent it is.”

Lu Changsheng nodded slightly upon hearing this, agreeing to the offset price.

He couldn’t possibly head to the Cloud Peak Trading Company at this moment to see if they still accepted talismans.

He immediately took out ten second-tier talismans to offset two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones and paid in one thousand three hundred Spirit Stones for the rest.

“I wonder when I could get the skill to refine second-tier pills.”

“Otherwise, second-tier pills are hard to buy and expensive. Every bit of money I earn gets poured into this.”

After storing the Three Yang Pill, Lu Changsheng walked out of the shop, unable to suppress a thought.

He currently makes twenty times the profit with talismans.

Among the four arts of cultivation, the profit from pills is probably even higher than talismans.

Not just for making money, but having pill refining skills would eliminate his worries about pill availability.

“Not just refining pills, I need formation techniques too.”

“To establish a family, someone must understand formations.”

“Otherwise, if a family relies on others for formations, they wouldn’t even know about any flaws.”

Lu Changsheng thought.

He realized the path to establishing his own family was still long and challenging.

“I just need to inquire about Dao Soldiers, then I’m done here.”

Lu Changsheng didn’t dwell on this.

He planned to find a bookstore to learn about Dao Soldiers.

Wandering around, Lu Changsheng saw a ‘Wan Fa Bookstore.’

It looked like a shop selling martial arts rubrics.

He walked in to check for any books on Dao Soldiers.

“Dao Soldiers?”

“I wonder which aspect of Dao Soldiers you’re interested in, Comrade?”

The shopkeeper was surprised at Lu Changsheng’s inquiry.

“I’ve heard about Dao Soldiers in passing. My interest was piqued, so I wanted to learn more.”

“Any book on the subject will do.”

Lu Changsheng explained.

“Information on Dao Soldiers isn’t widely known in the cultivation world, and books on the subject are rare.”

“It so happens I know a bit about them. If you’re willing to pay a hundred Spirit Stones for a tea fee, I’m happy to provide some insight.”

The shopkeeper smiled.

Bookstore owners like them didn’t just sell martial arts rubrics.

They also had significant insight into many cultivation topics.

“If you’re able to enlighten me, I’d gladly pay the hundred Spirit Stones for the tea fee.”

Lu Changsheng took out fifty Spirit Stones and said.

While at Jiulong Market, he learned that advanced knowledge in this world is heavily monopolized.

The lack of books on Dao Soldiers indicated this topic was advanced, known to few.

So, paying a hundred Spirit Stones for tea wasn’t unreasonable.

Some stores selling information could charge thousands of Spirit Stones for a single piece of information.

“You’re straightforward, Comrade.”

The shopkeeper smiled.

He had Lu Changsheng sit down, poured a cup of Spirit Tea, and started explaining Dao Soldiers.

“Actually, Dao Soldiers is just a general term.”

“Things like puppets, Spirit Beasts, Yin Corpses, Ghost Soldiers, Spirit Artifacts, and even cultivators can be classified as Dao Soldiers.”

“However, to be called Dao Soldiers, they’re typically produced in sufficient number, like soldiers in the mortal realm.”

The shopkeeper took a sip of tea and said, “Broadly, Dao Soldiers can be divided into Beast Soldiers, Refined Soldiers, and Legal Soldiers.”

Lu Changsheng also sipped his tea, indicating for the shopkeeper to continue.

“The first one, Beast Soldiers, as the name implies, involves cultivating or taming humans or Spirit Beasts into Dao Soldiers.”

“But it’s not ordinary nurturing. It involves using martial arts, secret techniques, or cultivation methods to train humans or beasts into Dao Soldiers.”

“Making Dao Soldiers not only possess cultivation and Spiritual Power but also capable of combat and formations.”

“Many formations don’t require human manipulation, but the powerful ones do require a large number of people to manage.”

“That’s when Dao Soldiers show their value.”

“I heard that some advanced Beast Soldier methods can produce Dao Soldiers not only capable of forming a great formation but also enhancing the formation’s strength.”

The shopkeeper sipped his tea, slowly explaining.

“Humans can be turned into Dao Soldiers?”

Lu Changsheng was surprised at this.

“Haha, everything has spirituality. If humans can be nurtured into Dao Soldiers, why is that strange?”

The shopkeeper chuckled and finished his tea.

He continued, “Whether in the mortal world or the cultivation world, there’s the cultivation of dead soldiers. Consider these a type of cultivated Dao Soldier.”

“Typically, cultivating Dao Soldiers is done in hundreds or thousands, often taking decades or even a hundred years to complete.”

“That’s why few forces turn humans into Dao Soldiers.”

The shopkeeper poured another cup of tea.

“Why?”

Lu Changsheng asked.

“Because nurturing a Dao Soldier army consumes not only time and effort but also significant resources. Only major forces can afford to cultivate Dao Soldiers.”

“Turning humans into Dao Soldiers contradicts nature, plus it requires too many resources, and humans have short lifespans.”

“By contrast, Spirit Beasts live longer and consume fewer resources, making them ideal for Beast Soldiers.”

“So if forces want to nurture Dao Soldiers, they’ll choose Spirit Beasts over humans.”

The shopkeeper said, refilling Lu Changsheng’s tea.

“I see.”

Lu Changsheng realized the basics of nurturing Dao Soldiers.

It involves using some martial arts to cultivate people or beasts into a type of elite warrior.

These elite warriors are not only powerful but capable of forming formations, indispensable for combat or other matters.

“Can I ask about Refined Soldiers and Legal Soldiers?”

Lu Changsheng sipped his tea and continued asking.

“For Refined Soldiers, certain designed puppets, magical Artifacts, or corpse refining and ghost raising techniques, created through refining, are called Refined Soldiers.”

“Legal Soldiers often refer to magical treasures that can store and nurture Dao Soldiers.”

“For instance, there’s a famous demonic Artifact called Ten Thousand Souls Banner. It can refine souls of humans and beasts killed into vicious ghosts.”

“Such items are called Legal Soldiers.”

“When most people mention Dao Soldiers, they’re referring to Beast Soldiers. Cultivators and forces capable of nurturing Beast Soldiers are rare in the cultivation world, which explains why they’re not well known.”

The shopkeeper took another tea sip with a smile.

“Beast Soldiers? Refined Soldiers? Legal Soldiers?”

Lu Changsheng pondered over the three Dao Soldiers.

He had a general understanding of Dao Soldiers.

“In that case, what category does my Golden Armored Bean Mother fall into?”

Lu Changsheng wondered if his Golden Armored Bean Mother didn’t match the three Dao Soldier types described by the shopkeeper.

It seemed like a Beast Soldier but somewhat like a Legal Soldier too.

He remembered from the System’s introduction that the Golden Armored Bean Mother was considered a Spirit Plant Dao Soldier.

It appeared to align more with the concept of Beast Soldiers.

Yet, he didn’t put too much thought into it.

The shopkeeper was just a peak Qi Refining cultivator.

His understanding of Dao Soldiers was naturally limited, unlikely to encompass everything.

Moreover, rewards drawn from the System couldn’t be measured with conventional wisdom.

“May I ask, are there any forces in our Jiang Kingdom’s cultivation world that possess Dao Soldiers?”

Lu Changsheng continued inquiring.

“Among the four great immortal sects of our Jiang Kingdom, the Spirit Control Sect is famous for taming Spirit Beasts and must have nurtured Beast Soldiers.”

“But whether the Heavenly Sword Sect, Azure Cloud Sect, or Sunset Glow Sect possess Dao Soldiers, I’m uncertain.”

“Our Jiang Kingdom’s three great Immortal Cities include Qingluan Immortal City, where Immortal Qingluan has nurtured a Qingluan Dao Soldier army.”

“Legend has it that over two hundred years ago, Immortal Qingluan used a force of five hundred Qingluan Dao Soldiers to establish Qingluan Immortal City in the Jiang Kingdom, earning the title of the kingdom’s greatest rogue cultivator.”

The shopkeeper replied.

“Immortal Qingluan and the Qingluan Dao Soldiers.”

Lu Changsheng was surprised.

He knew of Qingluan Immortal City and had heard of Immortal Qingluan’s famed reputation.

But he didn’t know that Immortal Qingluan had built Qingluan Immortal City using a Dao Soldier army.

“That’s right. According to legend, Immortal Qingluan was merely at the early stage of Golden Core Formation, but with five hundred Qingluan Dao Soldiers, they could openly challenge Late-Stage Golden Core opponents.”

The shopkeeper’s eyes filled with admiration as he spoke of Immortal Qingluan.

Immortal Qingluan, as a rogue cultivator with no background, formed a True Core.

Establishing Qingluan Immortal City, a haven for rogue cultivators at the border between the Jiang and Yue Kingdoms, naturally inspired countless rogue cultivators, making him a role model.

“Indeed, those who make a name in the cultivation world, especially rogue cultivators, follow the mold of the chosen ones.”

Lu Changsheng thought Immortal Qingluan was truly formidable.

In his current early Foundation Establishment stage, he could barely withstand late Foundation Establishment.

And the power disparity in Golden Core stages is even greater.

Yet Immortal Qingluan could withstand late Golden Core at their early stage.

“However, Immortal Qingluan’s Qingluan Dao Soldiers are considered top-tier among Dao Soldiers.”

“As far as I know, the Beast Taming Xu Family, one of the three great cultivation families of the Jiang Kingdom, has nurtured both a Water Snake Dao Soldier army and a Fire Crow Dao Soldier army, but these are far inferior to Immortal Qingluan’s Qingluan Dao Soldiers.”

The shopkeeper continued introducing Dao Soldiers.

“The Beast Taming Xu Family’s Water Snake and Fire Crow Dao Soldiers.”

Lu Changsheng nodded subtly.

He had heard of the Beast Taming Xu Family.

One of the three great cultivation families of the Jiang Kingdom.

With a Golden Core True Person overseeing the family, it’s a true cultivation clan.

Completely unlike minor cultivation families like the Qingzhu Lu Family or the Chen Family of Red Leaf Valley.

Unexpectedly, the family not only had a Golden Core ancestor but also nurtured Dao Soldiers.

However, the shopkeeper’s accounts were all about nurturing Dao Soldiers.

Nothing about Refined Soldiers and Legal Soldiers.

So Lu Changsheng immediately inquired about Refined Soldiers and Legal Soldiers.

“Dao Soldiers are rare and hard to cultivate.”

“Compared to Beast Soldiers, Refined Soldiers are more aligned with the demonic path, so they’re less common in our Jiang Kingdom.”

“Several hundred years ago, the Yue Kingdom’s royals, near our Jiang Kingdom, secretly waged continuous wars to sift out seasoned warriors for refining into Dao Soldiers.”

“When several great immortal sects of Yue Kingdom discovered this, they exterminated the royal family.”

“As for Legal Soldiers, they’re exceedingly rare.”

“Apart from the famous demonic treasure Ten Thousand Souls Banner, I’ve heard of a supreme treasure in Jin Kingdom’s Yin Ghost Sect called the Ten Thousand Ghost Blood Pool, where the blood of ten thousand spirits can nourish certain Dao Soldiers.”

The shopkeeper spoke, finishing another cup of tea.

Having said that, he also said to Lu Changsheng, “Comrade, that’s about all I know about Dao Soldiers.”

“Thank you for your enlightenment, Comrade. It broadened my horizons.”

Lu Changsheng bowed upon hearing this.

He handed over the remaining fifty Spirit Stones for the tea fee before taking his leave.

“Dao Soldiers indeed sound impressive.”

“If I could draw a treasure capable of nurturing Dao Soldiers, maybe I could nurture my own army.”

Lu Changsheng thought.

With a general understanding of the three types of Dao Soldiers, he found Legal Soldiers the most promising.

Whether Beast Soldiers or Refined Soldiers, the time and effort involved are daunting.

Only Legal Soldiers, using magical treasures to store and nurture, seem feasible through the System’s lottery means.

Without lingering on this thought, Lu Changsheng booked an inn, changed his appearance and disguise, then left Qingyun Market Town.

“Quite smart, knowing to change appearance.”

“But daring to steal a woman from me, Meng Yibai, comes with a price.”

At the entrance of the market, on a second-floor high platform, a young man in his twenties stood with youthful vigor, gazing outside. He held a golden hamster pointing at Lu Changsheng, who had just walked out of the market.

Upon leaving the market, Lu Changsheng did not ride the Iron Feather Eagle.

Nor did he employ a Flying Artifact.

Instead, he attempted to fly through the air by himself.

After all, the hallmark of breaking through Qi Refining into Foundation Establishment is the ability to fly without needing a Flying Artifact.

Now that he had reached Foundation Establishment, he naturally needed to experience it.

With a thought, Lu Changsheng naturally rose into the air and flew.

Around Qingyun Market Town were numerous cultivators coming and going.

Seeing Lu Changsheng flying, they made way, showing envy and respect.

Even in a major market town like Qingyun, Qi Refining cultivators are predominant.

Seeing a Foundation Establishment cultivator flying overhead, they naturally knew he was a senior of Foundation Establishment and wouldn’t dare cross him.

After all, if that Foundation Establishment senior was in a bad mood, a single slap could end them with no place to cry for justice.

“The reason Qi Refining can’t allow flight is inadequate Spiritual Power to support the body, hence reliance on Flying Artifacts.”

“But upon reaching Foundation Establishment, one undergoes a rebirth, shedding their mortal coils. Spiritual Qi within transforms to Spiritual Energy, growing over tenfold stronger, allowing for flight.”

After trying aerial flight, Lu Changsheng gained a general understanding of its principles.

Immediately, he descended from the air, released the Iron Feather Eagle, and headed for Qingzhu Mountain.

Even though Foundation Establishment cultivators can fly, they can’t travel long distances.

They still need mounts for transport.

Meanwhile.

Meng Yibai left Qingyun Market Town and released a palm-sized golden hamster from a Spirit Beast Bag.

“Which direction did he go?”

He fed it a pill, asking indifferently.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak!”

The golden hamster nibbled the pill, instantly pointing in a direction.