The Immortal Herb Purveyor

Chapter 7: Hundred Elixirs Pavilion

Fifteen minutes later, Shi Yueyue arrived at the valley entrance. A bustling cacophony of sounds drifted out from within.

At the valley mouth stood a white stone stele, engraved with four vivid crimson characters: "Ethereal Heaven Market."

Shi Yueyue's eyes flickered with recognition before he stepped forward into the valley.

The market comprised only a single street running north-south. Buildings of varying sizes lined both sides – tall pavilions reaching over ten zhang high stood beside humble stone houses barely a zhang tall. The street itself teemed with life, a constant flow of cultivators moving in and out of the numerous shops, creating a vibrant, noisy atmosphere. Shi Yueyue was no stranger to the market, its layout and rhythm familiar to him.

Before long, he stood before a two-story pavilion adorned with a plaque reading "Spirit Grain Pavilion."

The name itself declared the shop's business: spirit grain.

Behind a long counter sat multiple leather sacks, each brimming with spirit grain, filling the air with a faint, pleasant fragrance. Three shop attendants, dressed in identical cyan robes, were busy explaining the benefits of their grains to several customers.

"Young Daoist, how may I assist you?" one cyan-robed attendant inquired with a warm smile as Shi Yueyue approached the counter.

"Do you buy spirit grain?" Shi Yueyue got straight to the point.

"We do. Please, follow me," the attendant nodded, guiding Shi Yueyue to a side room.

"No outsiders here, Daoist friend. You may present the spirit grain you wish to sell. I'll appraise its quality before quoting a price."

Shi Yueyue nodded. He retrieved a single grain of rice from his storage pouch and handed it to the attendant.

The attendant rubbed the grain between his hands. The husk crumbled like paper, revealing a snow-white kernel that emitted a subtle, sweet aroma. He then produced a small golden dagger, sliced off a tiny piece of the rice, and popped it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

"Low-Grade Spirit Grain. One Spirit Stone per catty. How does that sound, Daoist friend?" The attendant narrowed his eyes slightly, a smile playing on his lips.

"Agreed. Weigh it, please. How much in total, and what's the value?" Shi Yueyue concurred, tossing the storage pouch containing his spirit rice to the attendant.

The attendant flipped his hand, producing a palm-sized silver disk etched with numerical markings. Infusing it with his Magical Power, the disk rapidly expanded to a size of five or six zhang. He tossed the storage pouch into the air, flicked a hand seal towards it, causing its mouth to snap open. A stream of multicolored light shot out, landing upon the silver disk. As the light faded, a substantial pile of fist-sized rice grains appeared on the disk.

"Eighty-seven catties total. That comes to eighty-seven Spirit Stones," the attendant announced after stepping forward and reading the black characters "***" (eighty-seven) displayed in the disk's lower right corner.

"Deal," Shi Yueyue confirmed. The weight matched his expectations. He accepted a storage pouch from the attendant, quickly verified the contents, and walked out.

Exiting the Spirit Grain Pavilion, a faint smile touched Shi Yueyue's lips. Sweat equated to reward. The moment the Spirit Stones touched his hand, the weariness of a year's labor vanished instantly. Yet, suddenly possessing eighty-seven Spirit Stones made everyone on the street seem like a potential thief.

With Spirit Stones secured, purchasing cultivation pills was the natural next step.

Shi Yueyue walked further along the street. Soon, he arrived before an elegantly decorated pavilion. Above its entrance hung a large golden plaque, perhaps a zhang wide, bearing the flamboyant characters "***" (Hundred Elixirs Pavilion).

The main hall bustled with activity, crowded with twenty or thirty cultivators clustered around several counters, deep in conversation with attendants clad in red uniforms. Shi Yueyue scanned the room and headed towards the counter with the fewest people.

"Twenty Spirit Stones for one bottle of Condensed Yuan Pill? That's far too expensive! Can't you lower the price? I'll buy two bottles if you do," a middle-aged man argued at the counter.

"Quality commands its price, Daoist friend," the attendant countered in a persuasive tone. "These Condensed Yuan Pills are crafted by the Alchemists of our Ethereal Heaven Sect. Their potency far surpasses anything sold by street vendors. You're currently at the peak of the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining. Taking these pills could very well push you into the Eighth Layer."

"Fine! Give me two bottles," the middle-aged man conceded after a brief hesitation. After paying, he pocketed the bottles and left. Seizing the opening, Shi Yueyue swiftly stepped up.

"Young Daoist, what can I get for you?" the attendant asked with a practiced smile.

"Two bottles of Condensed Yuan Pill," Shi Yueyue stated directly.

The attendant nodded, retrieved two porcelain bottles from a shelf behind him, and handed them over. Shi Yueyue pulled the stopper from one, gave it a quick sniff, nodded in satisfaction, paid the Spirit Stones, took the bottles, and departed.

Once he was five li beyond the market, Shi Yueyue controlled his artifact to fly back towards the sect.

Back in his dwelling, Shi Yueyue sat cross-legged on the stone bed. He took out a white porcelain bottle, tipped out a single green pill, and swallowed it. The pill dissolved instantly upon entering his mouth, transforming into a surge of pure spiritual energy that flooded through his meridians. Shi Yueyue immediately began circulating the Ethereal Heaven Art to refine this potent energy, his eyes drifting shut.

The next morning, the moment Shi Yueyue awoke, he sensed the change within himself. His Spiritual Sense felt significantly sharper, particularly in its sensitivity to the ambient spiritual energy. Delight washed over him. He knew precisely what this meant: he had advanced to the Third Layer of Qi Refining.

Truthfully, he had lingered at the Second Layer for over two years; advancement was long overdue. The only reason for the delay was his constant lack of Spirit Stones to purchase Condensed Yuan Pills for cultivation. Only now had he finally broken through.

Having Spirit Stones truly is wonderful!

Calming the surge of emotion within him, Shi Yueyue entered the Mysterious Space.

Compared to the previous day, the plants growing on his three mu of spirit fields had noticeably shot up. Shi Yueyue walked a circuit around the fields, meticulously inspecting each plant. Finding no abnormalities, he nodded in satisfaction.

He clasped his hands, forming a complex hand seal. Blue light shimmered above his head, coalescing into a white cloud dozens of zhang wide.

"Go!" Shi Yueyue pointed forward. The white cloud swiftly floated over the plot of Spirit Rice. Immediately, pea-sized raindrops began to pour down, drenching the one mu of rice.

After a quarter of an hour, the rain ceased. The white cloud drifted left, positioning itself over the Blazing Sun Grass. Shi Yueyue formed another seal with one hand. The cloud churned, and a gentle, drizzling rain began to fall upon the fiery-red plants.

Another quarter-hour passed; the rain stopped. The cloud moved again, this time hovering above the Condensing Mist Grass. After more churning, heavy raindrops cascaded down once more.

Fifteen minutes later, Shi Yueyue released the hand seal. The white cloud dissipated into nothingness.

Having reached the Third Layer of Qi Refining, applying the Rainfall Art to the three mu of spirit fields felt considerably easier. The main challenge lay in the differing water requirements of the Spirit Rice, Blazing Sun Grass, and Condensing Mist Grass, forcing him to water each plot individually. Yet, the thought of the Spirit Stones he could earn swiftly banished any sense of bother.

With the Spirit Rice harvested, the fields within the courtyard now lay empty. Shi Yueyue needed to purchase a batch of Spirit Rice Seeds and plant the next crop early. Additionally, it was time to visit the Mission Hall to claim his monthly Routine Task. Otherwise, he’d end up without a single Spirit Stone again this month.

Mulling over these tasks, Shi Yueyue exited the Mysterious Space, mounted his artifact, and flew towards the Mission Hall.