Searching through the storage bags of the Shao brothers, Wu Tao found various materials such as Spider Pouch Flower Fruit, Rhino Spirit Horn Powder Grass, the inner core of a Core Formation stage Thunderbird, the bone of a Core Formation stage White Tiger, as well as hundreds of thousands of spirit stones and two or three magical treasures!
"This Spider Pouch Flower Fruit and Rhino Spirit Horn Powder Grass can be used to refine a potent poison pill. As for the other spirit materials, they all have their uses..."
Wu Tao mused to himself, looking at his spoils.
...
In truth, the Shao brothers weren't truly foolish. Fools could never become cultivators at the Core Formation stage.
It was simply that the Shao brothers, with their stubborn pride, believed that due to the nobility of their prestigious families, those not from such backgrounds should show them a modicum of respect.
However, Wu Tao, being an outsider, had no intention of adhering to the customs of the Great Jin Kingdom.
Thus, the Shao brothers had indeed met an unfortunate end, quite unjustly.
As the large ship sailed deeper into Mingze Prefecture, the spiritual energy became increasingly concentrated. The area was sparsely populated, the mountains deep and secluded, and the roars of divine beasts echoed continuously.
Sitting at the prow of the ship, Wu Tao let out a sigh. He raised his hand and unleashed a bolt of lightning as thick as a bowl.
This bolt of lightning, with its considerable power, exploded into a flash of light upon hitting the water's surface.
Startled, several demonic beasts floating on the water's surface immediately submerged themselves.
Had they been struck by this bolt of lightning, they would have at least been ripped and torn, losing half their lives.
For an ordinary cultivator, this would be considered a formidable skill.
However, for Wu Tao, a mere flick of his sword could surpass this in power tenfold, a hundredfold, even a thousandfold.
To be honest, lightning techniques of such meager power were of little value to him anymore.
This was after he had painstakingly gathered and refined the lightning energy of heaven and earth daily.
"When the Yang energy reaches its extreme, anomalies arise. When the limit is reached, lightning is born." This was the general principle of the first-grade lightning-attribute divine ability, Heaven-Opening Divine Thunder, that Wu Tao had acquired.
This first-grade lightning-attribute divine ability, "Heaven-Opening Divine Thunder," was indeed extraordinary, directly addressing the origin of lightning techniques.
It was just that Wu Tao had not yet managed to fully comprehend it.
Although, with just a slight exertion, the power of the lightning techniques he unleashed was relatively quite good.
While useless against cultivators of the same level, obliterating a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage was truly a matter of a single palm strike.
But this was a spell, not a divine ability.
Spells were based on spiritual energy, communicating with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to launch attacks.
In essence, it was a method of transforming the spiritual energy within one's body into an attack.
As such, the more powerful one's spiritual energy, the greater the power of their spells.
For someone like Wu Tao, with his late Core Formation stage spiritual energy, any spell could be mastered with a little effort, and its unleashed power would be considerable.
However, no spell could compare to a divine ability.
The power of spiritual energy directly determined the magnitude of a spell's power; no matter how diligently one practiced, they would still be limited by the maximum capacity of their own spiritual energy.
Therefore, once Wu Tao reached the Core Formation stage, he rarely used spells in combat.
This was because the power of the five elemental spells (metal, wood, water, fire, earth), as well as wind and lightning spells, all depended on one's own spiritual energy. Against true formidable enemies, spells became utterly useless.
The reason Wu Tao was currently practicing lightning techniques was to lay the foundation for a first-grade divine ability in advance.
The first-grade lightning-attribute divine ability "Heaven-Opening Divine Thunder" was an extremely powerful killing move. Once mastered, it would bring significant benefits to Wu Tao.
"Heaven-Opening Divine Thunder" harnessed the extreme Yang energy between heaven and earth, moving like thunder, swift as lightning, destroying all, possessing irresistible might.
The progress Wu Tao had made in absorbing extreme Yang energy and cultivating lightning techniques in these past few days was already a commendable outcome.
After all, without external assistance, there were no shortcuts in cultivation.
The longer the time spent, the deeper the cultivation, and the stronger the power of the lightning techniques would become.
Therefore, with some persistent effort, it would take approximately fifty years for the lightning techniques to reach minor success!
However, Wu Tao mused, if he had that much spare time, wouldn't practicing swordsmanship be faster?
...
Wu Tao's cultivation was slow; he needed external aids to accelerate his progress.
Another day passed. Sitting at the prow of the ship, Wu Tao saw a streak of light approaching nearby and immediately called out. The owner of the streak of light responded and arrived.
The owner of the streak of light was named Yan Qing, a cultivator at the late Core Formation stage.
Upon sensing that Wu Tao's cultivation was not inferior to his own, Yan Qing's pupils contracted slightly.
Yan Qing shed his previous boisterous demeanor and cupped his fists, saying, "Fellow Daoist, you summoned me. Is there any important matter to discuss?"
Adopting a friendly attitude, Wu Tao smiled and replied, "You are too kind, fellow Daoist. I merely wished to inquire about directions!"
Yan Qing let out a hearty laugh and spoke at length.
He had been in Mingze Prefecture for nearly a decade, and he was well aware of the local conditions.
Wu Tao remained silent for a moment, then directly asked, "Fellow Daoist, do you know of any large markets nearby where cultivators can replenish their supplies?"
Yan Qing pondered for a moment, organizing his thoughts before replying, "This is the depths of Mingze Prefecture. Apart from Core Formation stage cultivators who can survive alone, even some Nascent Soul stage cultivators can be found here..."
"However, precisely because of this, there are not many markets nearby..."
"Various resources are only exchanged within small, familiar circles."
"If you wish to trade for a substantial amount of supplies, you would need to head west, back towards Wuze Market. It is established by the Wu family, a second-tier family that governs Mingze Prefecture."
Hearing this, Wu Tao became interested and suddenly asked, "Can a mere second-tier family fully control Mingze Prefecture, a region with such dense spiritual energy?"
...
Upon hearing this, Yan Qing's expression changed. He looked Wu Tao up and down before speaking in detail.
"The Wu family is no ordinary second-tier family. Their power is such that even the Chu family, the rulers of the Chu domain, are wary of them."
"The Wu family has two Nascent Soul stage cultivators at the mid-stage and six Nascent Soul stage cultivators at the early-stage, totaling eight Nascent Soul stage cultivators to guard them. They are considered a top-tier second-tier family!"
Wu Tao pondered for a moment and said, "I had originally planned to visit the Demon Abyss, but it seems Wuze Market is also worth a visit."
"Thank you for your guidance, fellow Daoist!"
With that said, Wu Tao and Yan Qing exchanged communication jade talismans, thus becoming friends by reason of this interaction.
Wu Tao flew for tens of thousands of miles along his previous path before heading towards a city within the prefecture.
This city was the prefectural capital of Mingze Prefecture, "Lunming City."
The Wuze Market in Lunming City was established by the Wu family and later gradually attracted many local prominent families and rogue cultivators, becoming the foremost market in Mingze Prefecture.
Lunming City was entirely constructed from Black Netherstone, with formation towers at its four corners, reaching several thousand feet into the sky, presenting a grand spectacle.
Within the city, countless towering structures stood, and the sky was faintly illuminated by the spiritual light of a grand formation. Streaks of light could be seen flying in and out.
In the short time Wu Tao lingered, hundreds of streaks of light entered the city.
Wu Tao leisurely piloted his flying ship, attracting more attention than cultivators who relied on magical artifacts for flight.
Before he could even retrieve his mount, someone emerged from within the city to greet him.
This greeter wore a red robe embroidered with the Wu family's emblem, indicating he was a disciple of the Wu family with some status and background.
He wore a broad smile, appearing extremely amiable, and cupped his fists towards Wu Tao, saying, "Ah, my esteemed senior, is this your first time visiting our Lunming City?"
Such stewards, responsible for reception and guard duties at the entrance, were highly perceptive.
The moment he saw Wu Tao's mount, he knew this cultivator's cultivation was definitely above the Core Formation stage and that he undoubtedly had a considerable background.
As expected, upon their first meeting, he noticed Wu Tao's late Core Formation stage cultivation.
Wu Pingchang, who was only at the late Foundation Establishment stage, couldn't help but bend his waist slightly, bowing and acting with utmost respect.
Seeing Wu Tao nod slightly, with no sign of displeasure on his face, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Many high-level cultivators had peculiar personalities and were difficult to deal with, which was why someone with his background and smooth demeanor served as the welcoming steward at the city gate.
"I am Wu Pingchang, one of the welcoming stewards at this city gate. According to regulations, cultivators of your realm can receive a permanent residence jade token for this city."
Saying this, Wu Pingchang took a jade token from a nearby plate and handed it to Wu Tao with both hands.
...
Wu Tao nodded and casually rewarded him with an ordinary pill that enhanced cultivation.
Following this, Wu Tao walked towards the city amidst Wu Pingchang's respectful and surprised gaze.
Walking through the city, Wu Tao browsed leisurely, stopping here and there, appearing very curious, clearly a first-time visitor to Lunming City.
...
Wu Tao's demeanor quickly attracted the attention of those with ulterior motives.
His curiosity piqued, Wu Tao continued forward but was stopped on the street by a maiden as beautiful as a rose.
"If senior does not mind, I can act as your guide. Whether you need to find a temporary lodging or purchase spirit herbs, magical artifacts, or talismans, I can point you in the right direction. My remuneration only requires ten spirit stones."
"My demands are not high, senior. I merely seek to make ends meet."
The maiden said pitifully.
"Not interested. You can leave now!"
Wu Tao glanced at the maiden from head to toe and refused without hesitation.
He could tell at a glance that although this woman was only at the tenth level of Qi Condensation, she seemed to have cultivated some kind of charm technique and was recklessly and ignorantly attempting to use it on him.
Given Wu Tao's nature, he naturally showed her no pleasantries.
Upon hearing Wu Tao's words, the seventeen or eighteen-year-old maiden tried to press her advantage further and even grabbed Wu Tao's hand, refusing to let go.
Before the maiden could finish speaking, Wu Tao, with a cold expression, shook her off and turned to leave.
Although he possessed spirit stones, they were not earned easily. Why should he needlessly give away ten spirit stones to someone else?
...
After the maiden was pushed to the ground by Wu Tao, a younger girl immediately ran over to help her up.