Now that there is no great cultivator around who can tell me these cultivation knowledge, and I happen to have the conditions, I might as well explore and verify it.
Yuanxiao has now reached the first level of Qi Refining. The next step is to follow the first level's exercises, continuously absorbing spiritual energy, and using the spiritual energy to continuously flush the meridians and acupoints, thereby stimulating and strengthening the physical body.
Then he began to nourish his spiritual consciousness. When his spiritual consciousness grew to a certain extent and could leave the physical body and be released, he had entered the second level of Qi Refining.
When a cultivator's spiritual consciousness can be projected outwards, it is a sign that he has entered the second level of Qi Refining.
Yuanxiao held the small medium-grade spirit stone tightly in his hand, and at the same time took out dozens of low-grade spirit stones, placed them in front of him for use, and then began his second practice.
Looking across the entire Song Dynasty's immortal cultivation world, there might not be another person in the past century who could use mid-grade spirit stones to cultivate at the first level of Qi Refining. Not to mention the other inner disciples, even the foundation-building elders of the Yunhai Sect still don't have mid-grade spirit stones to use. It's not that they can't use them, but that they can't afford them.
As soon as Yuanxiao activated his spiritual energy, he felt an extremely strong spiritual energy coming from his palms. It flowed through his body in an instant like a raging flood, and he couldn't help but tremble all over.
If the spiritual energy flow of the previous low-grade spirit stone was a stream, then the spiritual energy flow of the medium-grade spirit stone was a river. If the spiritual energy flow of the previous low-grade spirit stone was simple food, then the spiritual energy flow of the medium-grade spirit stone was delicacies from mountains and seas.
The spiritual energy provided by the medium-grade spirit stone not only increased significantly in quantity, but also increased several times in speed, and its quality far surpassed that of the low-grade spirit stone.
Especially when cultivators are trying to break through barriers and bottlenecks, high-quality spirit stones are a powerful aid, instantly providing a large amount of spiritual energy to ensure that cultivators are not forced to stop practicing due to lack of spiritual energy.
Furthermore, because the spiritual energy was of higher quality, if one could break through the bottleneck, the foundation laid would often be more solid and more malleable than others. Therefore, whenever a high-level cultivator was in seclusion to reach the next level, that was when they most urgently needed high-quality spiritual stones.
As the first person to have ever exceeded ten stars on the spirit pillar in the test with his spiritual energy absorption speed, Yuanxiao's spiritual energy absorption speed was terrifying. In addition, the speed at which the middle-grade spirit stone provided spiritual energy was several times faster than that of the lower-grade spirit stone. After half an incense stick of time, the large amount of spiritual energy contained in this small piece of middle-grade spirit stone was completely absorbed, gradually turning grayish-white, and finally shattered in the palm of his hand.
Yuanxiao now had a rough estimate of the spiritual energy content of this small piece of medium-grade spirit stone.
Yuanxiao immediately picked up the low-grade spirit stone in front of him and continued to practice, and began to pay close attention to the number of low-grade spirit stones consumed and the amount of spiritual energy he absorbed.
One, two...
Yuan Xiao didn't stop practicing until the fifth low-grade spirit stone shattered. He looked at the spirit stone fragments in front of him and began to estimate.
A medium-grade spirit stone that is only one-tenth the size of a normal spirit stone, in terms of pure spiritual energy, is roughly equivalent to 5 low-grade spirit stones. In other words, if it is a complete medium-grade spirit stone, its spiritual energy content is roughly equivalent to 50 low-grade spirit stones.
But in addition to the perspective of spiritual energy content, we must also consider the characteristics of medium-grade spiritual stones, such as the fast speed of providing spiritual energy, high quality, and many benefits for cultivation. In the world of cultivation, the exchange rate of medium-grade spiritual stones to low-grade spiritual stones on the market should actually be higher.
True knowledge comes from experimentation, and only through practice can one have the final say. Although the actual situation is not exactly consistent with Yuanxiao's estimate, it is not far off.
In fact, the exchange rate of spirit stones in the world of immortal cultivation is 100 low-grade spirit stones for one medium-grade spirit stone, 100 medium-grade spirit stones for one high-grade spirit stone, and 100 high-grade spirit stones for one top-grade spirit stone.
In fact, when it comes to the level of top-grade spirit stones, the top-grade spirit stones themselves are also treasures. The holders usually collect them carefully or keep them for personal use at critical moments, or directly exchange them with other cultivators. Basically, they will not exchange top-grade spirit stones for lower-grade high-grade spirit stones.
As for the top-grade spirit stones, they are almost legendary and are well-deserved treasures. They are extremely rare, so they are basically not involved in the exchange of low-grade spirit stones.
Therefore, the three types of spiritual stones that can be exchanged and circulated in the cultivation world are low-grade, medium-grade, and high-grade. Top-grade and supreme-grade spiritual stones are only theoretically exchangeable; in practice, they have become treasures. Even if someone possesses them, they usually keep them for their own use or use them as energy to activate formations or mechanical devices.
Yuanxiao suddenly thought of another way to make money.
Although there are a lot of miscellaneous spirit stones in the mine in the back mountain, it is estimated that they will all be picked up in about a year. This wealth is not permanent. Even if I have a little golden mink by my side, I may not be lucky enough to find the next spirit stone mine.
On the market in the world of immortal cultivation, there are a large number of low-grade spirit stones. Outer disciples, inner disciples, sect elders, and even wild cultivators in the mountains and marshes all have low-grade spirit stones. Our sect has them, and other sects have them too. The source of low-grade spirit stones is the most extensive.
Yuanxiao thought that as long as he could get a certain amount of low-grade spirit stones, he could purify them into medium-grade spirit stones. With an exchange rate of 1 to 100 times, it would be no different from robbing spirit stones!
Although theoretically, he could use the batch of medium-grade spirit stones of varying sizes and non-standard shapes that he currently had on him to exchange for low-grade spirit stones, in practice, given Yuanxiao's current low-level cultivation level and unknown identity, once exposed, it would be like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth and falling into a trap, so he could not do this easily.
You can want to make money, but you must first make sure you have time to spend it!
After Yuanxiao sorted out these thoughts, he picked up the broken pieces of spirit stones on the ground and buried them in the soil under the spirit herbs in the medicine garden as before.
Yuanxiao maintained this good habit of being cautious in his later practice. He would clean up the spirit stone residues promptly after each practice and try not to let others know the secret that he had consumed a large amount of spirit stones during practice, thus keeping the secret of the source of the spirit stones.
Yuanxiao suddenly heard a rustling sound at the base of the wall. Turning around, he saw Xiaojin, who had dug a hole in the ground from outside and slipped in. That was good, because from now on, Xiaojin would be able to come and go freely in this house. Even with the door closed, he could still find a way in and out.
Yuanxiao does not intend to restrain Xiaojin. As long as it can come and go freely, he can also be free from worries. In this deserted old mountain gate, in this quiet medicine garden, it is enough for them to keep each other company occasionally!
Yuanxiao spread a mat in the corner, carried Xiao Jin over, and pressed him onto it, indicating that this was his nest. As soon as he let go of his hands, Xiao Jin jumped up and crawled into a bamboo tube placed horizontally on the wall. Xiao Jin was very small, so it was just the right size for him to sleep in.
This was the nest that Xiao Jin had chosen. Yuan Xiao then realized how foolish he had been. Xiao Jin was good at digging holes in the mountains and had lived in the cave all year round. The only thing in the room that looked similar to the hole it had dug was the bamboo tube, so it was chosen by Xiao Jin immediately.
The bamboo tube is certainly better than the place I arranged, and it is very unexpected. Except for myself who knows it in advance, others would never think that it is difficult to find that there is a spirit-eating marten hiding in the bamboo tube.
Yuanxiao then took out about ten spirit stones and stuffed them all into the bamboo tube, saying, "From now on, this will be your home too!"