Conpoy was fairly easy to describe, with its unique taste, and people often bought it to make soup.

However, the Fire Hound Whip had somewhat limited uses.

How could such a young man need something like this?

Hehe…

"No need to call me senior, just call me Shopkeeper Liu. How should I address you, young friend?" the chubby shopkeeper asked with a smile.

"Hello, Shopkeeper Liu. My surname is Luo, you can call me Little Luo,"

Luo Chen couldn't help but act humbly, the friendly, chubby shopkeeper in front of him exuded an aura that made him feel uneasy.

He had felt this kind of aura before; it was something that experts in the Foundation Establishment Realm naturally exuded.

In front of such an expert, he naturally had to show the utmost respect.

Shopkeeper Liu smiled slightly, "So it's Fellow Daoist Luo. I do have the two herbs you mentioned, but they are quite limited in quantity."

Luo Chen had expected this.

Dahe Market was located near the border of the Eastern Wilderness, deep in the vast inland region that stretched for thousands li.

One of the herbs he inquired about, Conpoy, was a marine spirit herb that often had to be transported from far away.

It wasn't surprising that the supply was limited, but having it at all was good enough!

"Can you gather a hundred Conpoy? And I'll need ten pieces of Fire Hound Whip."

"I do have that much, but it won't come cheap," Shopkeeper Liu said with a grin.

When he said it wasn't cheap,he meant that it wasn't extremely expensive, but relative to Luo Chen's cultivation skills at third stage of Qi-Refining, it was.

Especially given the other's attire, he didn't seem particularly wealthy.

"What's the price?"

"One hundred portions of Conpoy will cost ten low-grade spirit stones, and ten Fire Hound Whips will also cost ten low-grade spirit stones."

Luo Chen's eyelid twitched.

He even wondered if this chubby shopkeeper had piercing vision and could see that he had exactly twenty spirit stones left in his pocket.

"Is it that expensive?"

"Do you want it?"

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"I'll be a regular customer in the future. Can you give me a discount?"

"Hall of Hundred Herbs, a five-hundred-year-old store with branches in all regions. Our prices are fair for all, and we do not negotiate!"

"Alright then, pack it up for me. Here are twenty spirit stones."

Gritting his teeth, Luo Chen reluctantly took twenty spirit stones from his pocket.

With an imperceptible speed, the chubby shopkeeper snatched the bag of spirit stones from his hand.

"Little Ling, fetch one hundred Conpoy and ten Fire Hound Whips!"

With the items in hand, Luo Chen hefted the large bag of herbs at the door and left the Hall of Hundred Herbs with a knowing smile from the shopkeeper.

Before nightfall, and with no rogue cultivators lying in wait to rob along the road , Luo Chen hurried back home.

Looking at the pile of items on the ground, Luo Chen sighed.

Years of savings, gone in an instant.

Upon careful calculation, he realized he had saved fifty spirit stones over the years, and they were all spent today.

Especially the last two main ingredients, which cost him twenty spirit stones.

"Five hundred years, my foot, more like a shady shop! I hope you would go out of business soon!"

After cursing the unscrupulous merchant, Luo Chen forced himself to stay positive.

"It will come back, all of it will come back!

"In the future, I'll only earn more spirit stones!"

After speaking, he took off his low-grade robe, folded it carefully, and jumped into the nearby stream wearing only shorts.

This place was relatively outlying, although it was near the The Great Million Mountains of the Eastern Wilderness. Most people who ventured into the mountains returned from the eastern side, so the area was sparsely populated.

He wasn't worried about anyone seeing him and demanding some sort of repayment with his body.

After a refreshing wash, he scrubbed away all the scents he had picked up throughout the day.

Although he knew Cleanse, it felt more like blasting his body with spirit power to scatter the dust, and wasn't nearly as satisfying as taking a bath.

He usually only used Cleanse when cleaning his robes.

Upon returning to the wooden house, Luo Chen changed into a pair of shorts and casually threw on a gray hemp robe.

With damp hair draped behind him, he retrieved a leather-wrapped package from under the floor in the corner of the house.

Opening the package, he found a yellowed bamboo scroll, a thin booklet, and a piece of goat parchment.

The bamboo scroll was simple in content and bore the name "Long Spring Art" Luo Chen's main cultivation method, which extended only to the ninth level of Qi-Refining.

Rumor had it that this technique was an introductory method from the Medicine King Sect, with the "Yi Wood Medicine King Canon" as its advanced counterpart.

This technique came from a youthful adventure, discovered amidst the remains in a desolate mountain cave.

Luo Chen had never stopped practicing this technique, devoting nights to its study and spending non-alchemy days honing it further.

However, the effects were minimal.

He was still stuck at the third stage of Qi-Refining, with the fourth stage seemingly out of reach.

Still, his proficiency in the technique had increased quickly, reaching the skilled level.

It wouldn't be long before he reached perfection, with the Grandmaster level just around the corner!

He was eager to know whether mastering the Long Spring Art at the Grandmaster level could significantly enhance his cultivation.

The goat parchment contained a fragmentary pill recipe called "Jade Dew pill" discovered by his predecessor.

Luo Chen had little interest in it. Even if the recipe were complete, he wouldn't delve into it.

After all, this was a second-tier pill used by Foundation Establishment cultivators, requiring materials he couldn't currently afford.

The original owner had exhausted their savings, barely gathering the ingredients, including many substitutes, hoping for a quick breakthrough.

It must have been desperation born of poverty.

His focus was entirely on the thin booklet.

Flipping through the booklet, the first two pages detailed the recipe for the fasting concoction.

Unlike typical recipes that only listed ingredients, this booklet included precise proportions, preparation methods, and handling techniques for the materials.

It even covered the control of heat.

This level of detail had made it easy for his predecessor to get started.

After only a few failed attempts, the first batch of fasting concoction was successfully refined.

This became the foundation for establishing a foothold in Dahe Market.

***

From then on, he had the means to settle and build a life in Dahe Market.

Luo Chen had long since studied this recipe to the point of memorization.

What interested him now were the next five pages.

"Myriad Wonders pill: Harmonizes water and fire, balances yin and yang, stimulates yang energy without damaging the kidneys, and prolongs endurance.

"Better to share joy with others; the mingling of yin and yang is indescribably wondrous!

"Thus, this pill was named Myriad Wonders."

In plain terms, it was the cultivation world's version of the blue pill.

Of course, based on the description of the final product, it was supposedly red.

If he could refine it, there would undoubtedly be a market for it.

Everyone had such needs, even cultivators.

Even in Dahe Market, one of the six top establishments was the Tianxiang Tower, catering to such needs.

With few female cultivators around, the men who frequently ventured into the mountains to hunt demonic beasts or gather herbs had even greater demand for such items.

As for why the original Luo Chen never attempted to refine this pill, Luo Chen could only speculate.

Was he afraid of the shame in selling such a pill?

Ha! Cultivation is nothing to be ashamed of!

Calming his mind, he carefully reviewed the five pages of the Myriad Wonders pill recipe again.

The preparation of each ingredient, the order of addition, timing, proportions, and heat control...

Once everything was committed to memory, Luo Chen opened the status panel.

[Status Panel]

Name: Luo Chen

Lifespan: 27/75 Spirit Roots: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth

Realm: Qi-Refining Realm Stage Three (75/100)

Achievement Points: 10 (Can be used to unlock cultivation techniques, spells, or skills)

[Technique]

Long Spring Art: Proficient (235/300)

[Spells]

Cleanse: Beginner (49/100)

Entangle: Skilled (176/200)

Fireball: Proficient (268/300)

[Skills]

First-tier Alchemist

His gaze lingered briefly on his lifespan before settling on the Achievement Points section.

Achievement Points!

Each technique, skill, and spells granted an achievement point upon breaking through to the next proficiency level.

Once he collected ten points, they could be used to unlock any technique, spell, or skill appropriate for his stage.

He had only recently learned Cleanse, so it was still at the Beginner level.

Besides, all spells consumed a significant amount of spirit power.

Combined with survival pressure, most of his energy had gone into alchemy.

Ultimately, his efforts paid off, and his proficiency in refining fasting concoction reached the Grandmaster level, earning him five achievement points.

With the two points from Long Spring Art, one from Entangle, and two from Fireball, he had exactly ten points!

In addition, all his savings had gone into gathering enough materials for ten attempts at refining the Myriad Wonders pill so the choice was obvious.

Success or failure, I will know tomorrow! For now, keep the blue going and give me more points! Oh, no. I mean unlock the Myriad Wonders pill refinement skill!

Luo Chen exclaimed inwardly.

With a single thought, the ten achievement points vanished.

In their place, a new label appeared on his status panel.

[Skills]

First-tier Alchemist