Su Yu didn't mention the body refining technique to anyone, including the higher-ups of his family. Perhaps if he had, he could have obtained better and more resources from the family. However, along with the resources, his responsibilities and tasks would also increase.
The dangers would multiply, which is very unfavorable for a novice cultivator just starting on the path of immortality.
Don't forget.
Besides their Su family of cultivators in Jiangcheng, there is also the Lin family.
The Lin family and their Su family are not on good terms.
In previous cultivation games, someone had calculated the probability of game characters achieving immortality by following the high-profile genius cultivation route versus the low-profile, cautious cultivation route.
The ratio of the former to the latter was roughly one to nine.
In other words, those who took the high-profile cultivation route to the end were only one-ninth as successful as those who followed the low-profile route.
Compared to obtaining a small amount of cultivation resources from the family, Su Yu preferred to cultivate quietly and steadily, slowly improving his proficiency.
He would not leave the family until he had significantly increased his strength.
Three months after returning from the Cloud Sword Sect, Su Qingyi, who lived not far from Su Yu, broke through to the second level of the Qi Refining Realm.
After treating Su Yu to a meal and boasting a bit, Su Qingyi chose to apprentice at one of the Su family's medicinal fields, learning to plant spiritual herbs and identify their properties.
This was the first step to becoming an alchemy apprentice.
At the second level of the Qi Refining Realm, one could receive two low-grade spirit stones and fifty pounds of spiritual rice as a monthly stipend from the family.
In addition, by working at the medicinal field as an apprentice, he could earn another two low-grade spirit stones each month.
These resources were quite substantial.
At least compared to Su Yu.
"Middle-grade spiritual roots really do speed up cultivation," Su Yu sighed inwardly, as Su Qingyi had broken through to the second level of the Qi Refining Realm in just three months.
This rate of improvement could rival that of high-grade spiritual roots.
After finishing the fine wine Su Qingyi had left behind, Su Yu shook his head lightly and focused on his own cultivation.
The most important part of each day was the practice of the Wutong Green Wood Technique.
Although this wood attribute technique did not produce powerful spiritual energy and its cultivation speed was slow, it was known for its calm and profound nature, with additional benefits of healing and even extending lifespan.
Mastering the ninth level of this technique could extend one's lifespan by at least twenty years in the Qi Refining Realm.
These twenty years of life were quite attractive to many, so there were quite a few people in the Su family who practiced the Wutong Green Wood Technique.
Moreover, the rise of the Su family was closely related to the Wutong Green Wood Technique.
Currently, the Su family mainly relied on the business of cultivating spiritual herbs, and the spiritual energy of the Wutong Green Wood Technique greatly aided the growth of these herbs.
Su Yu practiced the Wutong Green Wood Technique for four hours each day, reaching his limit.
After that, he practiced two basic spells: the Wood Vine Technique and the Spirit Nurturing Technique.
The Wood Vine Technique was mainly used to entangle enemies, while the Spirit Nurturing Technique was used to cultivate spiritual herbs.
Improving proficiency in these spells was not difficult, and over the past few months, Su Yu had nearly perfected both.
"I need to find another spell to practice," Su Yu thought to himself.
But there was no rush.
During another family trading event, Su Yu took Lin Dong, the young girl, along to browse.
At the trading event, Su Yu found a wood attribute spell that suited him: the Spirit Spear Technique.
The trading price was not high, only one low-grade spirit stone.
This spell allowed one to condense a spear of spiritual energy to attack enemies from a distance, which could be quite effective when combined with the Wood Vine Technique.
Although Su Yu was not wealthy in spirit stones, he still traded for this spell.
"Let's go, back home."
Without the lower-grade spirit stones for this month, there was no need to check the remaining stalls. Su Yu returned to his courtyard and focused on practicing the Spirit Spear Technique.
The strength of the Spirit Spear Technique was entirely dependent on one's own spiritual power. The more and stronger the spiritual power you infused, the more powerful the spear you condensed would be. However, it also consumed more spiritual power.
"For now, having this offensive spell is sufficient for the first level of the Qi Refining Realm," Su Yu was content. He knew not to be greedy when his strength was still lacking.
Time passed slowly.
The stars shifted.
Spring turned to autumn.
In the blink of an eye.
It had been a year since Su Yu returned from the Cloud Sword Sect. During this year, aside from cultivation, Su Yu spent his days wandering between the archives and various markets in Jiangcheng.
Occasionally, he would visit Fifth Grandfather Su Bin for a chat, learning many interesting tales about the cultivation world from him.
This old man was quite special within the family. Besides staying in the archives, he would often disappear without a trace, and no one knew where he went.
Other elders in the family, even the family head, paid no attention to his whereabouts and idleness.
Su Yu had once asked the old man about it, but Su Bin just chuckled and told him, a little brat, not to be so curious.
On this day, while Su Yu was cultivating, a green light flashed around him, and his spiritual power surged.
His cultivation aura finally broke through from the first level of the Qi Refining Realm to the second level.
After the breakthrough, Su Yu did not hide it. He found the Second Elder and displayed his new level of cultivation, receiving a reward for breaking through to the second level of the Qi Refining Realm.
His monthly allowance doubled, meaning he now received one lower-grade spirit stone and thirty catties of lower-grade spirit rice.
Additionally, from now on, his monthly allowance as a second-level Qi Refining cultivator would be two lower-grade spirit stones and fifty catties of lower-grade spirit rice.
Taking a year to break through from the first to the second level of the Qi Refining Realm, such talent was considered at the bottom tier.
It wouldn't attract any attention.
Even if someone knew Su Yu had broken through to the second level of the Qi Refining Realm, they would just shake their heads, thinking it was quite pathetic to take a whole year to break through, and would quickly forget about Su Yu.
However, Lin Dong was very happy about Su Yu's breakthrough and specially prepared a delicious meal for him. The two celebrated in their courtyard.
At another family trade meeting, Su Yu saw many stalls selling the essence blood of demon beasts, including some from early-stage first-level demon beasts and a few drops from mid-stage first-level demon beasts.
"So much demon beast essence blood? Has there been a small-scale beast tide in the medicinal fields?" Su Yu wondered in surprise.
Using a lower-grade spirit stone he had saved, Su Yu bought two drops of mid-stage first-level demon beast essence blood. After wandering around the trade meeting and not seeing Fifth Elder Su Bin, he decided to leave without asking about it.
Over half a year ago, Su Yu's body refining technique had broken through to the second level.
After more than half a year of cultivation, a month ago, the body refining technique had broken through to the third level.
Returning to his courtyard.
Su Yu focused, and lines of text appeared before him.
[Name: Su Yu.]
[Cultivation: Second Level of the Qi Refining Realm.]
[Lifespan: 17/99.]
[Techniques: Phoenix Tree Green Wood Technique (Second Level, Proficiency 1.42%), Crocodile Demon One Hundred and Eight Forms Body Refining Technique (Third Level, Proficiency 10.67%).]
[Spells: Wood Vine Technique (Perfected), Spirit Nurturing Technique (Perfected), Spirit Spear Technique (Perfected).]
"With two drops of mid-tier first-stage demon beast essence blood, let's see if I can break through to the fourth level of Body Refining Technique within two or three months," Su Yu mused as he looked at the proficiency panel.
As for spells, once I've saved up some spirit stones, I can look for more powerful spells that suit me.
Or perhaps, I should consider side professions like alchemy or talisman crafting? With the proficiency panel, it would be a huge waste not to use my spare time to improve these side professions and earn some extra money.
"Alchemy, artifact forging, talisman crafting, and array formation—all these side professions are quite lucrative," Su Yu pondered, his eyes gleaming slightly.
With money, the speed of my cultivation can be greatly enhanced.