One month passed.

  Xia Li had been cultivating intensely in the Xia Residence that the three major powers had built for him. His cultivation had now reached the sixth level of Qi Refining.

  One more level and he would hit the current ceiling of his Spirit Core.

  Suddenly...

  Three knocks on the door pulled Xia Li out of his cultivation state.

  Although the Spirit Core could cultivate automatically, his active participation doubled the speed. Why wouldn't he take advantage of that?

  "Come in."

  Xia Li allowed the visitor to enter. The door immediately swung open, and a rather pretty young woman who had clearly dressed herself up walked in.

  Behind her followed a refined-looking young man.

  "And you are?"

  "I'm Liu Yun, the Liu family's eldest young master. She is Liu Ruyan, the Liu family's fifth young miss."

  As soon as Liu Yun finished speaking, the young woman immediately shook her head frantically, waving her hands.

  "Don't—don't call me Liu Ruyan! My name is Liu Xiaoxiao. I've already changed it myself!"

  "Ruyan, what do you mean by this? Your name was personally given by a master when you were young."

  "Please don't. I always feel like this name carries some unknown karmic burden. It's bad luck!"

  Liu Xiaoxiao hated being called Liu Ruyan. The name did carry some mysterious power that easily made people feel favorable toward her, but for some reason, it also gave her a sense of looking down on everyone.

  She could only say her fate couldn't bear this name. Continuing to use it might lead to a terrible death.

  "Then... alright."

  Liu Yun didn't bother pursuing the matter further. Seeing this, Liu Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief.

  "Big Brother Xia, we're here to deliver something to you."

  With that, Liu Xiaoxiao handed Xia Li an exquisitely crafted box.

  Xia Li accepted it and opened it. Inside lay a white ring.

  It was a storage ring—something precious even on Earth. In this world, it wasn't cheap either. The cheapest ones cost at least a thousand spirit stones each.

  Most Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't afford them and made do with easily damaged storage pouches. Only Golden Core cultivators had the wealth to use storage rings.

  "Thank you both for personally delivering this."

  "You're welcome. The spirit treasures you requested are also inside the storage ring."

  Liu Xiaoxiao continued, then fixed Xia Li with an expectant gaze mixed with obedience.

  Xia Li immediately understood what she wanted. For someone of her status as a Liu family young miss to personally make this trip, she obviously wanted some special compensation for her efforts.

  "Consider these two pills my thanks for your help."

  Xia Li was quite adept at social niceties. He immediately produced two cyan-colored pills and handed them to Liu Yun and Liu Xiaoxiao.

  "May I ask what pills these are, Brother Xia?"

  "Cloud Breath Pills. For escaping—they allow Qi Refining cultivators to briefly fly through the air."

  "This... isn't this essentially an extra life!"

  Liu Yun immediately pocketed the pill. Xia Li really did have good stuff.

  Although Xia Li only publicly sold Surge Qi Pills, with Liu Yun's status as the Liu family's eldest young master, he knew that certain special pills only circulated among the upper echelons.

  "Thank you, Big Brother Xia! You're the best. If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave."

  "Mm. Go ahead. Remember to keep looking for spirit treasures usable at the Qi Refining stage for me."

  "Absolutely!"

  Liu Xiaoxiao happily dragged Liu Yun away. Liu Yun had wanted to stay and build more rapport with Xia Li, but couldn't resist Liu Xiaoxiao's insistence.

  After leaving the Xia Residence gates, Liu Yun looked at his sister with some displeasure.

  "Ruyan, what are you doing!"

  "I told you not to call me Ruyan!!"

  "Fine, fine. Then Xiaoxiao, why did you drag me away?"

  "Know when to stop. Don't be too annoying. We're from different worlds—he doesn't care, so why should you?"

  "I was just..."

  "You saw he was being nice and wanted to take advantage. Enough already!"

  Though Liu Xiaoxiao was only the Liu family's fifth young miss, Liu Yun owed much of his current position to her behind-the-scenes strategizing.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  Liu Xiaoxiao could tell that Xia Li's warmth was only surface-deep. Deep in his eyes lurked something she couldn't quite describe.

  Xia Li's background was definitely not simple. He might have terrifying origins. Therefore, they needed to know their limits and not presume familiarity.

  "Alright..."

  Liu Yun reluctantly left with Liu Xiaoxiao.

  Inside the room.

  Xia Li picked up the storage ring and had his Heaven Chip begin analyzing it.

  【Phase storage device detected】

  The Heaven Chip called storage rings "phase storage devices"—the official Earth term for storage treasures. Spaces independent from the outside world were called phase spaces on Earth.

  【Size approximately 32.5 cubic meters】

  【Contains three unknown spirit treasures. Please remove for analysis】

  【This phase storage device has no imprint key set. Imprint?】

  The Heaven Chip analyzed the storage ring's spatial size and contents. As for imprinting, that was how one claimed ownership of a storage ring.

  Xia Li could only say it was pathetic.

  Earth's storage devices generally used 128-bit dynamic passwords combined with biometric authentication. Spirit energy imprinting as an encryption method? The Heaven Chip could crack it in seconds.

  This also made Xia Li realize a new revenue stream.

  Cracking storage rings of unknown origin.

  Looting enemies after killing them would be very convenient in the future.

  【Imprint】

  Still, Xia Li didn't complain. When he had more money later, he'd switch to Earth's storage devices—safer and with anti-loss features.

  Because Earth's storage devices usually came in sets.

  A main unit and sub-units. Keep the main unit hidden; losing a sub-unit while out wouldn't matter.

  After claiming the storage ring, Xia Li retrieved the three spirit treasures the Liu family had helped find.

  So-called spirit treasures were miraculous items that, once refined, would directly cause special changes in a cultivator. Their effects varied. On Earth, you might see one or two at an auction.

  But in this world...

  Pay enough spirit stones and you could buy them freely, because major powers had long been able to mass-produce low-grade spirit treasures.

  "Fire Tree Firefly Flower, Astral Wind Crystal, Body Tempering Spirit Milk..."

  "Fire Tree Firefly Flower increases the body's spiritual energy absorption rate. Astral Wind Crystal speeds up the dantian's qi vortex rotation, enhancing the speed of controlling spiritual energy."

  "Body Tempering Spirit Milk can cleanse the meridians and refine the marrow..."

  Xia Li examined the spirit treasures before him. These were expensive—each starting at one to two thousand spirit stones. They were most effective when used at the Qi Refining stage, but what Qi Refining cultivator could afford them?

  Only disciples from major sects and great families had such privileges.

  But Xia Li had to use them.

  Otherwise, how could he create any gap between himself and fellow Earth cultivators? How could he take revenge on the Company?

  He still had to operate on Earth. The truly good things in Earth's cultivation tradition required internal competition. Simply raising his cultivation was useless—those upper-class disciples never lacked cultivation.

  The Spirit Core was just one factor.

  If a Spirit Core's base combat power was ten, poor personal constitution would drag it down to only eight.

  But if personal constitution and talent were excellent, possessing certain spiritual qualities, and constitution could be rated at five points, then combined with the Spirit Core, combat power would be at least fifteen.

  Because the Spirit Core could significantly enhance those qualities—not just additive, but potentially multiplicative.

  The same Spirit Core could result in combat power differing by several times.

  Therefore, Xia Li had to work hard on his personal constitution and build a solid foundation during Qi Refining.

  Once he established his foundation, his base would be set. Improving fundamentals afterward would be difficult.