wan hua dao xian

Chapter 8

Two thousand five hundred spirit stones might seem like a considerable sum, but in reality, it did not purchase much. Li Xiuxian spent one thousand nine hundred fifty spirit stones on several dozen bottles of Qi Gathering Pills, three magical swords, and a few stacks of talismans!

Li Xiuxian couldn't help but sigh at the difficulty of earning spirit stones. In the past, even one hundred or ten low-grade spirit stones were beyond his reach. Today, he had spent nearly two thousand spirit stones, making his heart ache as if dripping blood!

Suddenly, Li Xiuxian noticed a stall with a sign advertising the sale of medicinal prescriptions. His spirits lifted immediately. With the Wanhua Pearl, he no longer needed to worry about spiritual medicines. Utilizing the Wanhua Pearl's cultivation acceleration ability, Li Xiuxian would have an endless supply of spiritual medicines. Learning alchemy not only allowed him to be self-sufficient but also provided an opportunity to sell surplus elixirs.

The quantity of Qi Gathering Pills demanded exceeded the supply. If Li Xiuxian sold the elixirs he refined, he could establish a steady source of spirit stones. The Li family's financial constraints would soon be alleviated.

Not overly excited by this newfound path to wealth, Li Xiuxian coldly glanced behind him. "Before proceeding, it seems necessary to deal with the crawling vermin behind me."

Approaching the stall, which was run by a female cultivator with a baby face, Li Xiuxian inquired, "I'd like to see your medicinal prescriptions."

"Friend, please take a look. I have formulas for Qi Gathering Pills, Return to Origin Pills, and Foundation Nurturing Pills, all at reasonable prices," the female cultivator said.

"Can you introduce these three formulas to me?" Li Xiuxian asked casually. Besides the Qi Gathering Pill, he hadn't heard of the other two and was unsure of their uses.

"Of course! The Qi Gathering Pill needs no explanation; it's a must-have for cultivators to save cultivation time. The Return to Origin Pill replenishes expended spiritual energy. Imagine a situation in a battle where both parties exhaust their spiritual energy; this pill can turn the tide. The Foundation Nurturing Pill is specifically for novices entering the cultivation path. It eliminates impurities, clears meridians, and lays a solid foundation for future cultivation. The pill is effective for cultivators below the fifth level of Qi Condensation!" The female cultivator elaborated.

Li Xiuxian nodded, "These three formulas seem good. What are the prices?"

"The Qi Gathering Pill formula is 200 low-grade spirit stones, Return to Origin Pill formula is 500 low-grade spirit stones, and Foundation Nurturing Pill formula is 120 low-grade spirit stones," the female cultivator stated.

Hearing the prices, Li Xiuxian shook his head. While the Qi Gathering and Foundation Nurturing Pill formulas were acceptable, the Return to Origin Pill formula cost a steep 500 low-grade spirit stones. With only five hundred fifty spirit stones left, obtaining all three formulas was impossible.

Despite the steep prices, these formulas were valuable to Li Xiuxian. The Return to Origin Pill could provide an advantage in battles, while the Foundation Nurturing Pill was beneficial for Li Xiyuan and Li Shuiyao. Although reluctant, Li Xiuxian sighed, "Give me the formulas for the Qi Gathering Pill and the Foundation Nurturing Pill."

"Alright, that will be three hundred twenty low-grade spirit stones in total," the female cultivator said with a smile.

Li Xiuxian handed over three hundred twenty spirit stones. As he did so, he glanced at the remaining two hundred thirty spirit stones in his storage bag. He felt that the path of cultivation was built on a foundation of spirit stones.

"Do you also need these formulas for alchemy? I have an alchemy manual for three hundred spirit stones," the female cultivator suggested, smiling.

"How much?" Li Xiuxian asked.

"Only three hundred spirit stones," she replied with a smile.

"Three hundred spirit stones!" Li Xiuxian furrowed his brows. Although hesitant, he realized the importance of alchemy for his cultivation. Reluctantly, he handed over three hundred spirit stones.

After putting the alchemy manual into his storage bag, Li Xiuxian found that his spirit stones had nearly depleted. Despite some regret, he was satisfied with the situation. He had only spent two old Mountain Ginseng plants, a trivial matter even in the mortal world, but in the realm of cultivators, it held no significance.

Leaving the marketplace, Li Xiuxian affixed two Wind Riding Talismans to his feet. In a flash, he accelerated, covering several miles in an instant. Lin San, who had been trailing him, was momentarily stunned. He began searching with his divine sense but found it increasingly challenging as Li Xiuxian distanced himself.

Li Xiuxian, now hidden in a nearby forest, clenched five or six talismans in his hand. Holding his breath, he awaited Lin San's approach. Lin San, sensing danger, stood in place and observed, "Strange!"

"Perish!" Thinking that Lin San had detected him, Li Xiuxian threw the five talismans in his hand. Fireballs, ice arrows, and more inundated Lin San, who could hardly scream before being burned into a pile of charred remains.

Worried that Lin San might not be completely dead, Li Xiuxian, who had kept the Fire Cloud Sword in his sleeve, severed Lin San's head with a controlled burst of spiritual energy. Li Xiuxian breathed a sigh of relief, his heart heavy despite the necessity of his actions.

"Killing for profit seems to be the best way to get rich. No wonder cultivators are fond of this profession!" Li Xiuxian sighed before leaving the scene.

The recent commotion might have attracted the attention of cultivators in the marketplace, making it increasingly dangerous to linger. Patting two Wind Riding Talismans on his feet, Li Xiuxian swiftly returned to the Li family. Although it took him two hours to get there initially, the return journey took only half an hour.

After a brief refresh, Li Xiuxian took out the alchemy manual from his storage bag and perused it. However, he soon discovered that alchemy was not as simple as he had thought. First and foremost, one needed fire—a special fire produced by a Foundation Building cultivator's condensed spiritual energy. Without reaching the Foundation Building stage, an alternative source of fire could be the Earthfire, but its availability was scarce.

Furthermore, a specialized alchemy furnace was required. Li Xiuxian lacked both. The alchemy manual also addressed the issue of success rates. Typically, the success rate ranged from one in ten to three in ten, with experienced alchemists achieving five in ten at best. This explained why elixirs commanded high prices.

Li Xiuxian sighed, "It seems alchemy will have to wait." Fortunately, he acquired five bottles of Foundation Nurturing Pills from Lin San's possessions, saving him another trip to the marketplace.

"Li Bo, bring Water Yao and Xiu Yuan here," Li Xiuxian instructed.