The next day, Zhou Xun cooked a Spirit Fish for breakfast.

Then he began refining elixirs.

Now, as one of Qingyue Square's only two High-Grade Alchemists, he received numerous elixir refining commissions.

If he accepted them all, he wouldn't be able to complete the tasks from morning till night.

Thus, Zhou Xun set a rule to refine just one furnace of elixirs daily, and for commissions, one must register at Danhai Pavilion.

Zhou Xun refined according to the order of commissions.

Currently, Danhai Pavilion had already become the largest pill workshop in the entire Qingyue Square.

Zhou Xun only supplied High-Grade Elixirs, while he recruited a Middle-Grade Elder Alchemist to handle the Middle-Grade ones, who was older but rich in experience.

As for Low-Grade Elixirs, they were entrusted to his easygoing disciple, Zhou Jingsong.

The elixir refining was very successful, resulting in five pills.

At the level of High-Grade Elixirs, a batch of materials generally only yields five pills at most, unlike the previous exuberance of refining Grain Avoidance Pills.

Zhou Xun took out a second batch of materials, preparing to continue refining.

Suddenly, there was a visitor outside the Cave Mansion.

Thus, Zhou Xun stopped the refining and went outside the Cave Mansion.

It was Song Zhishu who came to visit, now having broken through the many years' bottleneck at Fifth-Layer Qi Refining, already cultivated to Sixth-Layer Qi Refining.

"Brother Song, how come you have time to visit? Please come in!" Zhou Xun invited warmly.

Over the years, besides serving as the stewardship for rental affairs, Song Zhishu also managed the liaison between Zhou Xun and the Song family.

"I came for great news, of course!" Song Zhishu opened his folding fan, exuding a scholarly elegance.

"Could it be news about Illusion Spirit Sand?"

Zhou Xun had previously entrusted Song Zhishu to watch out for information on Illusion Spirit Sand.

"Hahaha, you guessed wrong, it's not just news but I've bought it already!" Song Zhishu laughed heartily and then patted his Storage Bag, retrieving a fist-sized Jade Box which he placed in front of Zhou Xun.

Zhou Xun quickly took the Jade Box, opened it to find.

A box full of Illusion Spirit Sand; Zhou Xun weighed it in his hands, totaling seven ounces.

Sufficient for him to break through to the third layer of the Hundred Veins Body Refining Technique.

"How many Spirit Stones?" Zhou Xun looked up and asked.

"Illusion Spirit Sand is priced at 150 Spirit Stones per ounce. Given the quantity, we only spent a thousand Spirit Stones!" Song Zhishu said.

Zhou Xun nodded, then took out a thousand Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag, handing them to Song Zhishu.

All earned by Zhou Xun through refining elixirs over the past two years.

Spending a significant portion at once.

Yet Zhou Xun felt no regret; after all, he earned Spirit Stones and resources to transform them into cultivation and strength.

"Indeed, alchemists are wealthy!" Song Zhishu witnessed Zhou Xun retrieving a thousand Spirit Stones without a blink, feeling envious.

"My earnings are hard money, unlike you, Brother Song!" Zhou Xun shook his head.

Now Song Zhishu's monthly salary had risen to 20 Spirit Stones, no less than those Late-Stage Qi Refining Elders of the Song family.

Coupled with the perks from his position as a steward for rental affairs, he was living quite comfortably.

After a brief chat, Song Zhishu excused himself.

Zhou Xun had a significant use for the Illusion Spirit Sand, and now that the treasure was in hand, he certainly couldn't wait to utilize it.

Indeed, after Song Zhishu departed, Zhou Xun activated all the arrays of the Cave Mansion, then entered the Quiet Chamber and started a retreat.

With the Illusion Spirit Sand in hand, the items needed to break through the third layer of the Hundred Veins Body Refining Technique were finally collected.

Zhou Xun, following the formula from the Body Refining Technique, ground all materials into powder, then added Spirit Liquid.

Mixed it into a special ointment, filling a jar.

This jar of ointment aiding body refinement cost him at least 1,500 Spirit Stones.

The ointment was bronze-colored, faintly emitting waves of Spiritual Power.

Holding the ointment, Zhou Xun went to the Quiet Chamber.

He stripped off his clothes and then coated his entire body with the ointment.

Then he activated the mantra of the third layer of the Hundred Veins Body Refining Technique.

As the cultivation technique circulated, Zhou Xun's skin radiated a blue crystal light, feeling faint energies emitted from the ointment, absorbed through his skin.

As time passed, the ointment gradually lost its color, due to its continuously absorbed essence.

A day later, the ointment had completely dried and faded, naturally peeling off from Zhou Xun's body.

Zhou Xun coated himself again with the ointment and continued to circulate the mantra.

Breaking through body refinement is not achieved in one step but is a slow growth process, where quantitative change leads to qualitative change.

In this manner, he repeated twenty-four times.

Zhou Xun's physique subtly emitted a bronze sheen, looking like a bronze statue.

At this moment, Zhou Xun gradually opened his eyes, and the bronze sheen gradually receded; his skin returned to normal, becoming even fairer than before.

A faint transcendental aura emanated from him.

"Finally broke through to the third layer!"

Feeling his powerful physique, Zhou Xun was satisfied, as such strength rivaled a Tier One High-Grade Demon Beast!

His Body Refining cultivation now matched the Late-Stage Qi Refining!

Already surpassing his Mana Cultivation!

Such rapid progress, in terms of Mana Cultivation, is considered a genius.

Upon breaking through to the third layer, his meridians began undergoing refinement.

The first two layers of the Hundred Veins Body Refining Technique didn't involve meridian refinement, thus Zhou Xun has yet to experience the enhancement that body refinement might grant to his Mana Cultivation.

Now with the breakthrough, Zhou Xun clearly felt his mana running more smoothly.

Furthermore, the amount of mana his body could hold increased, allowing him to last longer in future battles.

Zhou Xun took out a Low-Grade Long Saber, an attack artifact, acquired during his past encounter with the Wei Brothers.

Holding the artifact, he slowly infused it with mana, then gently slashed at his own arm.

"Squeak—"

A sharp metallic friction sound echoed, and Zhou Xun's arm remained unharmed.

With Zhou Xun's current mana, controlling the Low-Grade Artifact, even ordinary Middle-Grade Demon Beasts struggle to withstand.

Then Zhou Xun took out his Middle-Grade Artifact the Golden Cicada Mother-Child Blade.

Activated it, holding it in his hand.

Lightly stabbed it at his own arm.

"Ding—"

Zhou Xun's arm showed a faint white mark.

Only the outermost skin was damaged.

Bear in mind that Zhou Xun's Golden Cicada Mother-Child Blade was forged from High-Grade Materials.

In terms of sharpness, it rivals High-Grade Spiritual Artifacts.

Just lacks some power.

Looking at the mark on his arm, Zhou Xun fell into contemplation.

"Such a physique seems stronger than a Tier One High-Grade Demon Beast body!"

Zhou Xun speculated this was the effect of the Hundred Veins Body Refining Technique, after all, refining techniques that could refine meridians were unheard of previously.

Rare cultivation techniques, naturally have better effects than ordinary body refining techniques.

This test provided Zhou Xun with a more direct understanding of his strength.

Now just relying on his body, Zhou Xun can suppress ordinary Late-Stage Qi Refining cultivators.

Adding his Mana Cultivation, his comprehensive strength is comparable to Peak Qi Refining cultivators.

If he encounters Wu Zongxu (the Hall Master of the Wu Family's Law Enforcement Hall!) again, Zhou Xun is confident to confront directly!

Such prowess finally granted Zhou Xun a sense of security.

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