Chapter 3: Qi Gathering Pill

As the sun sets, the four members of the Song family sit together on the open ground, looking at the corpses of the beasts and monsters lying on the ground in front of them, breathing out long breaths. The four of them look at each other's embarrassed appearance and can't help laughing.

"Haha! We are getting better and better at cooperating now. We can kill two mid-level monsters at a time. It seems that life will get better and better in the future." Song Changxiong said jokingly while looking at the other three people with a smile.

"Uncle Thirteen, have you forgotten that we were almost chased to Funiu Mountain by monsters last time? This time, so many monsters have been attracted again. You really think too highly of us." Song Qingrui took over the conversation and complained helplessly.

"You are really not smart. The second elder always asks me to train you more. I am also doing this with good intentions."

"Thank you very much for calling this training!" Facing this stubborn uncle Thirteen, Song Qingming and the other two could only look helpless.

After resting for a while, the few of them slowly recovered some of their magic power. Song Qingshi, who was the least injured among the four, stood up and said, "Fourth brother, take care of Qingming. Uncle Thirteen, let's deal with the monster corpse as soon as possible. It will be troublesome if those mid-level monsters with sensitive noses come here later when they smell the blood. We have to leave here as soon as possible."

As the eldest of the Qing generation, Song Qingshi has always been calm and steady in doing things. Even Song Changxiong, who is older than him, has never had any objections to Song Qingshi's arrangements.

The monsters in the world of cultivation are all treasures for cultivators. The blood of the green bamboo python can be used to make talismans, the snake gall is an auxiliary spiritual medicine for alchemy, and the snake skin and snake teeth are also good materials for refining tools. Although the value of snake meat is not high, it is also one of the favorite dishes of cultivators. It can sell some spiritual stones in the restaurant in the market.

After a skilled dissection, the four of them quickly left here with their rich spoils on their backs.

——

Three days later, in a small pavilion called Moon Viewing Pavilion behind Funiu Mountain, Song Qingming was sitting at a stone table in the pavilion, drinking a pot of spirit wine alone in the beautiful moonlight and cool breeze.

This spirit wine was the one he exchanged from his fourth uncle in Qinghefang a few months ago. Drinking alone and looking at the moon quietly was one of the few leisurely moments for him besides cultivation.

Song Qingming had just drunk a few cups when a big man with broad shoulders and a broad body suddenly jumped into the pavilion and sat on the other side of the table. The man was his thirteenth uncle Song Changxiong, who had hunted monsters with him in Qingzhu Mountain a few days ago.

After seeing the man, Song Qingming hurriedly put down the wine glass in his hand.

"Thirteenth uncle, I'm so sorry. I forgot to bring a few more wine glasses in a hurry this time. How about we change places?"

Song Changxiong didn't respond after hearing this, but just smiled slightly, touched his waist with his right hand, and a white jade wine glass appeared out of thin air in his hand, and slowly placed it on the stone table.

Seeing this scene, Song Qingming looked at the storage bag on Song Changxiong's waist with some envy, and then picked up the wine pot and quickly filled a glass for him.

After drinking a glass of wine, Song Changxiong smiled and said to him. "Don't worry, kid. Storage bags are not rare. It's just that you haven't cultivated to the middle stage of Qi Refining yet, and your spiritual power cannot be released and used. When you break through the middle stage of Qi Refining, you will have this thing immediately."

"Well! No hurry, no hurry, I just feel that it is really convenient for you to have a storage bag on you. You can carry anything with you at any time. I don't know when I can use it like you." Song Qingming said, and smiled.

"I came to you today for a good thing, but you have to let me drink to my satisfaction first." Song Changxiong said, and raised the wine glass in his hand again.

"Of course, it's rare that you come to drink with me tonight, Uncle Thirteen. I'm happy even if I can't get up tomorrow."

The two drank and chatted one cup after another until the pot of spirit wine was almost empty. Song Changxiong then threw a bag to Song Qingming and said, "The materials of the monsters we hunted together last time have been processed in the market. This is your share."

Song Qingming took the bag with some doubts. Could this be the great thing that Uncle Thirteen said? My pot of spirit wine is too worthless.

However, when Song Qingming opened the bag, the expression on his face changed immediately, from the joy when drinking at the beginning, to the calmness after receiving the bag, and then to the puzzled face after opening the bag now.

There were more than thirty bright spirit stones in this small cloth bag, which really made Song Qingming a little confused.

The materials of the monsters hunted by the four people a few days ago, two mid-level green bamboo pythons and seven low-level ones, were placed in the market. Even if they were all sold, they would be worth at most more than twenty spirit stones.

In addition, Uncle Thirteen also used two low-level talismans and a pill to restore spiritual energy when luring the enemy. How could he get so much now?

There are rules for the distribution of profits when family members go out to hunt monsters together. In the past, they had to deduct the losses caused by the battle and then distribute them according to the level of cultivation and the size of the merits.

Among the four people this time, Song Qingming has the lowest cultivation level, and Uncle Thirteen Song Changxiong contributed the most. Even if others take care of him, he can't get more than 20% under normal distribution.

Seeing Song Qingming staring at him with a puzzled look, Song Changxiong explained calmly: "We know you are anxious to practice, and the three of us have discussed it. You have been practicing to the third level of Qi Refining for almost five years, and your cultivation has been polished. All the spirit stones sold for the monster materials this time will belong to you.

I also added a little bit in it, which should be enough for you to break through your cultivation. I hope you can practice to the middle stage of Qi Refining as soon as possible, so that you can contribute more when we go out to hunt monsters next time.

Don't think too much, your eldest brother and the fourth brother, including When I broke through the middle stage of Qi Refining, I was more or less helped by the elders and brothers in the clan. This is also an old tradition of our Song family. "

Looking at the heavy spiritual stones in his hand, Song Qingming couldn't help but feel moved. Although he himself had almost saved enough spiritual stones for the breakthrough, the sudden heavy affection from several elders and brothers still made him a little overwhelmed. The words of gratitude came to his lips but he didn't know how to say them. He could only nod, put away the spiritual stones, and picked up the wine glass on the table and drank it all.

"Qingming, Uncle Thirteen has average talent, and now he is not as persistent in cultivation as before. In this life, it may be difficult for me to cultivate to the late stage of Qi Refining like other brothers. I may have to rely on you guys to take care of me in the future."

"Uncle Thirteen, don't joke. With your current cultivation, it should be a matter of time before you break through the late stage of Qi Refining. We still have to rely on you to take care of us."

"Then I'll take your good words."

After the two smiled at each other, they drank and talked about some past events when they hunted monsters in the pavilion. They left the Moon-Watching Pavilion with a smell of alcohol until the sun rose again in the east.

After bidding farewell to Song Changxiong, Song Qingming returned to the cave, meditated for a while to dissolve the spiritual wine in his body, and then performed a low-level "raining technique" to wash himself and change into clean clothes.

After smelling and confirming that there was no smell of alcohol on his body, Song Qingming took out the spiritual stone he had collected for many years, walked out of the cave quickly, and went to the top of Funiu Mountain.

The east side of the top of Funiu Mountain is covered by clouds all year round. It is a relatively mysterious place of the Song family.

Song Qingming walked to the center of the clouds and made a gesture with one hand. A white light flew out of his hand and hit an open space in front of him. After a while, the clouds around him fluctuated and gradually dissipated, revealing an exquisite three-story building not far in front of him. Song Qingming walked to the door of the building and pushed the door open.

The space in the building is not very large. There are several rows of black shelves on the walls of the first floor, on which are placed some green jade slips. There is a long table in the middle.

An old man with a ruddy face stood by the table, squinting and smiling at Song Qingming who pushed the door open. This man is the fourth elder of the Song family who guards the family's gold storage building, Song Gucai.

"Greetings, Fourth Elder." Seeing him, Song Qingming quickly put his hands forward and saluted.

"Oh, it's Qingming. Are you here to take on a family mission, or are you looking for some new skills?" Song Gucai touched his beard and asked with a smile.

"Haha, you still understand me the best, but this time I came here to exchange for a Qi Gathering Pill. Do you think I have enough spirit stones?" Song Qingming also smiled and answered, then carefully took out a bag from his arms and handed it over.

Song Gucai slowly took the bag handed over by Song Qingming, opened it and saw that there were nearly a hundred spirit stones neatly placed inside. After a while, he half-closed his eyes and slowly opened them completely, looking at Song Qingming in front of him with some surprise on his face.

"Hey, didn't you say you were short of twenty spirit stones last month? How come you have gathered them all now? Tell me honestly where you got these spirit stones." Song Gucai carefully confirmed the number of spirit stones in the bag and asked a question.

"Uncle Thirteen and my eldest brother lent me some, so I was able to make up for it." Song Qingming, who was watching him nervously, said frankly.

After listening to Song Qingming's answer, Song Gu nodded with satisfaction, motioned Song Qingming to wait on the first floor, and turned to get a small yellow quaint box from the second floor.

"You still have 15 points of merit in the merit book, plus the 85 spiritual stones you brought, it's just right. If you are sure you want to exchange for the Qi Gathering Pill, I will cross out your merits on it."

"Okay, thank you for your trouble."

Hearing Song Qingming's words of confirmation, Song Gu picked up the pen and drew a few lines on the merit book in his hand, and then handed the small box on the table to Song Qingming.

Although the Song family is only a small Qi Refining family, it still has a strict merit system. Family members can obtain merit points by completing various tasks issued by the family or handing in materials needed by the family.

Then, he could use the merit points or equivalent spirit stones to exchange for various techniques, elixirs, instruments, and other items in the Gold Storage Building. One merit point was equivalent to one spirit stone.

Although the number of items in the Song Family Gold Storage Building was not as complete as those in the market, the commonly used first-level spirit talismans and elixirs were basically available.

Some of these items were made by family members themselves, and some were purchased from Qinghe Market. The Song family would arrange for people to go to Qinghe Market every month to purchase some cultivation materials needed by family members.

Song Qingming took the box and opened it. There was a golden round pill inside, which was the "Qi Gathering Pill" he had dreamed of. He was very excited and bowed to Song Gucai to express his gratitude.

"Qingming, someone in the family stood up to help you today because we are of the same bloodline. In the future, we must be more united and support each other when facing family members." Song Gucai said to the descendant of the family in front of him with a serious face.

"Thank you for the teachings of the Fourth Elder, Qingming knows"

"The road to immortal cultivation is not only about talent and diligence, but also about the opportunities in our respective lives. I have been cultivating for my whole life in this small Qinghe County. Although I have been cautious and prudent, I have never found a chance and can only waste my whole life in this Qi Refining Realm.

If you have a chance, you must go out of here and look at the vast sky outside. Maybe you can find your opportunity."

Song Qingming nodded thoughtfully after listening. When he was young, he often heard this eighth uncle say these words of encouragement to them in the family school. Now it seems that he has heard more and less excitement when he was young. He has already deeply experienced how difficult the path of cultivation is.

His aptitude was mediocre, and even the bottleneck of the fourth level of Qi Refining had left him helpless for the past two years. If opportunities in the cultivation world were so easy to obtain, there wouldn't be so many cultivators who would spend their entire lives in the Qi Refining stage.

The entire Song family has produced fifty or sixty cultivators in the past two hundred years. Except for the founder who was a foundation-building cultivator, there are only a few people who have successfully cultivated to the ninth level of Qi Refining in the past two hundred years.