Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1367 Xin Ruyin

Three days later, on the mountain peaks surrounding Huangfeng Valley, Han Li strode over carrying an ancient wooden box. The surface of the box was covered with a layer of light green restrictive talismans, clearly to prevent the spiritual herb's aura from leaking out.

"Senior brother, I've brought what you asked for."

Qin Hao took the wooden box. When his fingertips touched the restriction, he could clearly feel the pure spiritual energy of plants and trees contained within. He nodded in satisfaction: "Thank you for your hard work, Junior Brother."

As he spoke, he took out a cloth bag from his storage bag, which contained fifty talismans—twenty Golden罡 Talismans, twenty Armor-Piercing Golden Arrow Talismans, and ten improved Flame Bullet Talismans.

"Take these talismans. The Crimson Forbidden Land is dangerous, so having more talismans will give you more protection."

Han Li took the cloth bag, feeling a warmth in his heart—these talismans were all high-level beginner talismans, each worth dozens of spirit stones in the market, and fifty of them would be worth thousands of spirit stones. His senior brother had given them to him without hesitation.

"By the way, senior brother, these jade slips contain the cultivation techniques and secret manuals I could collect. I hope they will be of use to you."

After Qin Hao put the jade slip into his storage bag, he handed dozens of talismans that he had prepared in advance to Han Li, and then patted him on the shoulder: "Prepare well, we'll meet in the Crimson Forbidden Land."

"Yes." Han Li nodded emphatically.

As Qin Hao's figure transformed into a golden light and disappeared into the horizon, Han Li clenched his fists and muttered to himself, "The Crimson Forbidden Land, the Foundation Establishment Pill, it seems I need to make some preparations."

Half a month later, Qin Hao arrived at Tianxingzong Market again.

Along the way, he didn't rest. He scanned and entered all the dozen or so jade slips given to him by Han Li into the database using the AI. These jade slips were basic texts that Huangfeng Valley opened to its outer disciples. Although they did not contain high-level cultivation techniques or secret arts, they complemented the database of Qingxu Sect.

[AI: Database replenished. The accuracy of modules such as Qi Refining stage cultivation method comparison, low-level spell analysis, and spiritual herb identification has increased by 15%. The generation speed of cultivation method improvement plans has increased by 20%. The error rate of talisman optimization has decreased by 10%.]

The AI's notification sounded in his mind, and Qin Hao was secretly delighted—the more complete the database, the greater his advantage in cultivation, talisman making, and combat.

After entering the Tianxing Sect Market, Qin Hao went straight to the blacksmith shop. As soon as he entered the bamboo grove in the backyard, he saw Qi Yunxiao already waiting in front of the bamboo house, looking anxious and unconsciously rubbing his hands together, obviously having waited for a long time.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang! You've finally arrived!" Qi Yunxiao strode forward, his eyes fixed on the wooden box in Qin Hao's hand, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement: "That thousand-year-old spiritual herb..."

Qin Hao didn't waste any words and handed him the wooden box: "Take a look for yourself."

With trembling hands, Qi Yunxiao took the wooden box, carefully tore off the restrictive talisman on the surface, and slowly opened it—a rich spiritual energy of plants instantly filled the entire backyard. The spiritual energy carried a faint sweet fragrance, and when he took a breath, his previously stagnant magical power even increased slightly.

Inside the wooden box lay a palm-sized Ganoderma lucidum. The mushroom was golden yellow with a glossy sheen, and its roots were still covered in fresh soil, indicating that it had been picked recently.

"It really is a thousand-year-old Huangjingzhi!" Qi Yunxiao's voice trembled with excitement. He took out a jade box from his pocket, carefully put the Huangjingzhi inside, and then affixed three restrictive talismans to it, for fear that the medicinal power would be lost.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist!" Qi Yunxiao bowed to Qin Hao and said, "Please sit for a moment, fellow Daoist. I will go and retrieve the weapon-refining manual and the weapon-refining notes passed down from my family. I guarantee that I will not hide anything from you."

"No rush." ​​Qin Hao sat on the stone bench in front of the bamboo house and said with a smile, "I paid such an expensive 'tuition fee' of a thousand-year-old spiritual herb, so naturally I have to learn it thoroughly. In the days to come, I'm afraid I'll have to bother you for a while. I not only want to learn the art of weapon forging, but also watch your actual weapon forging process until I have completely mastered it."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yunxiao nodded without hesitation: "Fellow Daoist, rest assured! Now that I have accepted your spiritual medicine, I will certainly impart all my knowledge to you."

He was about to turn around to retrieve the ancient texts when he remembered something. Looking at the jade box in his hand, he hesitated for a moment and said to Qin Hao, "To be honest, I'm asking for this thousand-year-old elixir to save a close friend. She suffers from a strange illness and urgently needs the elixir as a medicinal ingredient. If you don't mind, why don't you come with me so she can thank you in person?"

Qin Hao raised an eyebrow, his tone slightly teasing: "Oh? The one who can make Fellow Daoist Qi so concerned must be a confidante, right? I want to see what kind of person she is that would make you willingly exchange your family's secret manual for spiritual herbs."

Qi Yunxiao blushed and quickly explained, "Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand! I met Miss Xin through array formations. Her expertise in array formations far surpasses mine. I always consult her when I encounter array problems. I have absolutely no intention of offending her!"

Seeing his sincere expression, Qin Hao stopped teasing him and nodded, saying, "Alright, I'll go with you to take a look."

The two walked out of the blacksmith's shop side by side, heading west towards the Tianxing Sect's market. After walking just two streets, Qin Hao keenly sensed a subtle presence following them—he subtly glanced around out of the corner of his eye and saw a gaunt man with a pointed snout and monkey-like face looking around a few feet away. Perched on the man's shoulder was a strange-looking little beast: the beast was entirely grayish-black, shaped like a rat, but had a pink nose half its length that was twitching incessantly, as if sniffing something.

As the gaunt man walked, he took out a red fruit from his pocket, broke it into small pieces, and fed it to the little beast: "Spirit-sniffing rat, keep up the good work, find the location of the spirit herb, and I'll buy you the best spirit fruit later!"

After the little beast finished eating the fruit, its nose twitched even more frequently. Then it leaned close to the man's ear and chirped a few times.

A greedy glint flashed in the gaunt man's eyes as he secretly calculated, "The aura of spiritual herbs on these two is so strong; they're probably at least five hundred years old! If I can snatch them, I'll be set for life!"

He used his Heavenly Eye Technique to examine Qin Hao again, and felt somewhat apprehensive: "That burly man's aura is not weak. He probably has the cultivation level of the eleventh or twelfth level of Qi Refining. I may not be a match for him by myself. I need to call the third and fourth brothers over. The three of us working together can definitely take them down!"

He secretly took out a communication talisman from his pocket, infused it with magic power, and threw it into the depths of the market.

Qin Hao watched all this unfold, a cold smile playing on his lips: Another group of people coming to their deaths. Hopefully, this time they won't be like those two last time, with only a few hundred spirit stones and not even a decent magic weapon.

Qi Yunxiao seemed to notice Qin Hao slowing down and asked in confusion, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"It's nothing, I just feel that the scenery on the west side of this market is very different from that on the east side," Qin Hao said with a smile, changing the subject.

Qi Yunxiao followed his gaze and explained, "The east side of the market is close to the Tianxing Sect's mountain gate, where most of the people are sect disciples and cultivators with backgrounds. They mainly sell mid-to-high-grade spiritual materials and magic weapons. The west side is where low-level rogue cultivators gather, mostly cultivators at the third or fourth level of Qi Refining. Their stalls sell ordinary spiritual herbs and low-grade magic weapons, so it's naturally quieter."

As they spoke, the two arrived at a simple bungalow. The courtyard wall of the bungalow was made of yellow mud, and a faded wooden sign hung on the gate, which read "Xin Mansion".

Qi Yunxiao took out a communication talisman from his pocket, infused it with magic power, and whispered to the door, "Miss Xin, I am Yunxiao, and I have brought a fellow Daoist to visit."

After saying that, he slipped the sound transmission talisman through the crack in the door. A moment later, the door creaked open, and a little girl with her hair in two buns peeked out. She was about twelve or thirteen years old and had the cultivation level of the second stage of Qi Refining. She was Xin Ruyin's maid, Xiao Mei.

"Young Master Qi, you've finally arrived!" Xiao Mei's face lit up with joy when she saw Qi Yunxiao. She then noticed Qin Hao, paused for a moment, and said, "Miss invites you in."

"Thank you for your trouble, Xiaomei." Qi Yunxiao bowed and thanked her, then led Qin Hao into the courtyard.

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, Qin Hao keenly sensed the unusual fluctuations of spiritual energy around him—the spiritual energy was sometimes dense and sometimes thin, as if forming an invisible barrier.

A thought struck him, and he quietly spread his divine sense, only to find that as soon as his divine sense touched the fluctuations of spiritual energy, it was guided in other directions, making it impossible to explore the scene deep within the courtyard.

"Fellow Daoist, do not worry." Seeing his strange expression, Qi Yunxiao quickly explained, "This is the 'Inverted Five Elements Formation' set up by Miss Xin. Although it is still somewhat incomplete and has not been able to fully exert its effect of trapping enemies, it can still interfere with divine sense. It is more than enough to deal with ordinary Qi Refining stage cultivators. There is no need to worry about anyone spying on you."

Qin Hao understood immediately—he was very familiar with the Reversed Five Elements Formation. This formation was an important reliance for Han Li in the early stages of his career. He used this formation to trap powerful enemies many times, earning it the reputation of a "minor forbidden formation." Although its destructive power was not as great as offensive formations, its effect in trapping enemies was top-notch.

"I had previously heard Fellow Daoist Qi say that Miss Xin was a genius of formations, and I thought you were overpraising her." Qin Hao sincerely praised, "Now that I have seen this Reversed Five Elements Formation, I realize that Miss Xin is truly exceptionally talented—to simplify an ancient formation with the cultivation of Qi Refining, I'm afraid there is no one else like her in the entire Yuanwu Kingdom."

He secretly regretted it in his heart—if Xin Ruyin could break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, with her talent in array formations, she would definitely become a renowned array master. Unfortunately, the heavens are jealous of talent, and her strange illness destined her path of cultivation to be short-lived.

Upon hearing this, Qi Yunxiao's face showed a proud expression: "Fellow Daoist is right! Miss Xin's talent in array formations far surpasses mine. When I was refining the 'Spirit Gathering Array Plate' before, I was stuck on the problem of connecting the array patterns. Miss Xin only took one look and pointed out the problem. She also helped me improve the array patterns, increasing the spirit gathering effect of the array plate by 30%!"

"Young Master Qi is too kind." A clear, slightly weak female voice came from inside the house: "I only have a little talent in formations. When it comes to weapon crafting, Young Master Qi is the real genius."

Before the words were finished, a violent coughing fit suddenly came from inside the room, "Cough...cough cough..."

Qi Yunxiao's expression changed, and he rushed into the house without bothering to talk to Qin Hao: "Miss Xin! How are you?"

Xiao Mei followed nervously inside, carrying a medicine pot in her hand. Qin Hao slowly walked into the room, where he saw that the room was simply and elegantly furnished. On the bed by the window lay a woman dressed in a plain white dress. She was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes like autumn water, and a small, straight nose. However, her face was so pale that it was devoid of any color, and her lips were also tinged with a light purple, which was obviously due to a long illness.

Qi Yunxiao and Xiaomei stood anxiously by the bedside, one on each side.

"It's nothing." Xin Ruyin barely managed to stop coughing and gave Qin Hao a weak smile: "I'm sorry for making you laugh, fellow Daoist. Xiao Mei, quickly go and brew a pot of Qi-Gathering Spirit Tea, don't neglect our guest."

“Miss Xin, there’s no need for such formalities.” Qin Hao waved his hand, his gaze falling on her pale face. “Treating your illness is the priority, so tea is unnecessary. I heard from Fellow Daoist Qi that your illness requires a thousand-year-old elixir as a medicinal guide?”

Upon hearing this, a hint of sadness flashed in Xin Ruyin's eyes. She shook her head with a bitter smile, "I'm sorry to trouble you, fellow Daoist. My illness is congenital; I've had it since childhood. I've searched for renowned doctors throughout the Yuanwu Kingdom, and they all say that only a thousand-year-old spiritual herb can suppress it. But how precious are thousand-year-old spiritual herbs? Even Nascent Soul cultivators would fight tooth and nail for them. How could I, a Qi Refining cultivator with no background, possibly obtain one..."

Before she could finish speaking, Qi Yunxiao took out the jade box containing the Huang Jingzhi from his bosom.

"Miss Xin, look what this is!" Qi Yunxiao opened the jade box, and the pure spiritual energy of the thousand-year-old Huangjingzhi instantly filled the air, making the air in the room seem much fresher. Xin Ruyin's eyes lit up instantly, her voice trembling with disbelief: "This is... a thousand-year-old Huangjingzhi?!"

She reached out, her fingertips gently brushing against the mushroom, feeling the potent medicinal power within: "Such rich medicinal properties, it must be over a thousand years old! Young Master Qi, where did you get it?"

She knew the preciousness of the thousand-year-old elixir. Qi Yunxiao was just a member of a collateral branch of the Qi family and had long since severed ties with the family. It was impossible for him to obtain it on his own. She couldn't help but feel doubtful.

"Miss Xin, don't worry about these things for now, I'll go and brew your medicine right away!" Qi Yunxiao picked up the jade box and was about to leave—he was afraid that Xin Ruyin would ask questions and expose his deal with Qin Hao.

"Wait a minute." Xin Ruyin called out to him, turning her gaze to Qin Hao, her eyes clear and bright: "I presume that this thousand-year-old spiritual herb was obtained by Young Master Qi from this fellow Daoist?"

Qin Hao nodded inwardly—as expected of a genius formation master, his mind was indeed sharp.

“That’s right. I made a deal with Fellow Daoist Qi—I gave her a thousand-year-old Huangjingzhi mushroom, and he taught me the art of weapon refining and the Qi family’s knowledge of formations.”

Xin Ruyin's expression changed instantly. She coughed twice and looked at Qi Yunxiao, her tone urgent: "Young Master Qi, are you confused! The Qi family's array formation secrets were created by your ancestor with painstaking effort, and a rule was set that they 'must not be passed on to outsiders.' If you spread them out, you will definitely be held accountable by the family when you return to the Qi family in the future, and you may even be sentenced to death!"

Qi Yunxiao's face was pale, but his eyes were unusually firm: "Miss Xin, what do a little risk matter as long as I can save you? Besides, Fellow Daoist Zhang certainly won't publicize it, as long as we don't say anything..."

Xin Ruyin shook her head helplessly, then propped herself up and cupped her hands towards Qin Hao, saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, this matter was due to Young Master Qi's oversight; I hope you won't take offense. The Qi family's array formation knowledge is a family secret, and it's indeed inconvenient to pass it on to outsiders. How about this—let Young Master Qi pass on all his weapon-refining methods and notes to you, and as for the art of array formations, I will teach you. Although I am not very talented, I do have some insights into array formations, and I will certainly not let you suffer any loss. What do you think?"

Qin Hao's heart stirred—Xin Ruyin's mastery of formations far surpassed Qi Yunxiao's. He had originally been thinking of finding a way to obtain Xin Ruyin's true teachings on formations afterward, but he didn't expect her to bring it up herself.

“Miss Xin’s considerations are thorough, so I naturally have no objections. It is my honor to receive your guidance on formations.”

Qi Yunxiao looked at Xin Ruyin, his eyes filled with gratitude: "Miss Xin, this..."

"Young Master Qi, if you don't agree, then please take this thousand-year-old Huangjingzhi!"

Seeing Xin Ruyin's firm resolve, Qi Yunxiao had no choice but to agree. (End of Chapter)