Divine Transcendence

Chapter 252: I’m here to collect a debt!

According to the markings on the map, among the shops in Xiaohu City that sold elixirs, there were only a few that offered Foundation Establishment stage cultivation pills, and only two were the most renowned.

One was a familiar place to Yuan Ming, the Changxian Tower established by Changchun Temple.

Not only did they sell elixirs, but Changxian Tower also dealt in talismans and spiritual materials. Yuan Ming happened to have some spiritual materials to sell and possessed a Changxian Order that entitled him to premium services, making it the perfect destination.

However, Yuan Ming’s attention was drawn to another shop.

Soon, he arrived at a shop called "Qingmu Tower."

Before even entering, he noticed neatly arranged rows of jade stone potted plants on either side of the entrance, each containing a Calming Spirit Herb, a type of spiritual herb whose faint fragrance could soothe and focus the mind, making it an auxiliary ingredient in Qi refining stage elixirs like the Primordial Pill.

While Calming Spirit Herb was not a rare spiritual herb, displaying it so prominently at the entrance still showcased a certain boldness.

Passing through the rows of Calming Spirit Herb, Yuan Ming entered the shop and was immediately greeted by an exotic fragrance. Looking up, he saw shelves filled with various spiritual herbs.

These herbs seemed to have been specially selected and cultivated, their fragrances mingling without overwhelming the senses, instead creating a rich and unforgettable scent.

Among the shelves, attendants in light green robes were either greeting customers or organizing the herbs. Even those who were merely moving items around possessed a degree of cultivation.

Yuan Ming suddenly noticed Xu Tian and Luo Xing’er inside the shop, speaking with an attendant behind the counter.

From the entrance, Yuan Ming surveyed the interior, and at that moment, an attendant noticed him and promptly approached with a smile, saying, "Senior, the lower-grade spiritual herbs are on the first floor, which may not catch your esteemed eye. Please follow me upstairs for a more detailed discussion."

Yuan Ming, who had come to purchase Foundation Establishment stage cultivation pills, did not conceal his cultivation level. He followed the attendant upstairs, where he was ushered into a private room and served a cup of fragrant tea. After asking him to wait for a moment, the attendant left.

Yuan Ming intentionally held the Changxian Order in his hand.

The private room was decorated predominantly in green, with carvings of flowers and plants on the screens and furniture, and the air was filled with a subtle medicinal fragrance, exceptionally refreshing.

Yuan Ming felt that the service of the Central Plains’ market shops was indeed more hospitable compared to those in the Southern Border.

***

Before long, an elderly man in a wooden-patterned robe with white hair and beard hurried in, smiling at Yuan Ming:

"It is our great honor to have a distinguished guest like yourself visit our shop. I am Jiang Yuan, the shopkeeper here. If there is anything you need, please feel free to ask."

"I’m just looking around," Yuan Ming replied casually, leaning back in his chair and fiddling with a white jade token in his hand.

"Hehe, Senior, you’ve come to the right place! Not to hide from you, many of our regular customers come from Changxian Tower. Although Shengye Sect may not be as famous as Changchun Temple, we are second to none when it comes to elixirs," Jiang Yuan said with an even broader smile after glancing at the "Changxian Order" in Yuan Ming’s hand.

Seeing Yuan Ming unmoved by his words, Jiang Yuan quickly continued: "For esteemed guests like yourself, Qingmu Tower places great emphasis on experience. Please accept this Qingmu Order. In addition to the same treatment as Changxian Tower, you will receive a ten percent discount on all elixirs and magical artifacts sold here."

With that, he produced a green wooden token from his sleeve and handed it to Yuan Ming with both hands.

"I would be remiss to refuse such generosity. I’ve been in need of some elixirs for my cultivation recently. Do you have any recommendations? You can also introduce some healing ones," Yuan Ming said, finally showing a hint of a smile as he took the Qingmu Order from the old man, while the Changxian Order had already been discreetly put away.

"For healing, the Return Yang Pill is quite effective for treating most external injuries quickly. The Bone Regeneration Pill is better in terms of effect, but it dissipates slowly and is not suitable for use in battle. As for cultivation pills, given your situation, Senior, our sect’s specially improved Four Spirits Pill is highly recommended. Compared to the common Four Spirits Pill, not only is the efficacy slightly better, but it also has less risk of developing resistance. Even after breaking through to the mid-stage, it can still be used in conjunction with other pills."

Jiang Yuan said this and then gave a slight instruction to an attendant waiting outside. Soon, the attendant returned with a tray holding three porcelain bottles.

Yuan Ming took the bottles and opened each one in turn.

The Return Yang Pill was slightly red in color and emitted a mild burning sensation in his palm, with a fragrance that was not too strong. The Bone Regeneration Pill, on the other hand, was the opposite, being completely white and having a rich and lingering fragrance, and was only warm to the touch.

Compared to them, the Four Spirits Pill looked quite ordinary, with no special color or fragrance, and its appearance was as unremarkable as a sugar bean. Having researched the Four Spirits Pill before coming, as it was a relatively common cultivation aid for the Foundation Establishment stage, Yuan Ming directly asked:

"Let’s talk about the price."

"The Return Yang Pill and Bone Regeneration Pill are fifty spirit stones per bottle, while the Four Spirits Pill is two hundred and seventy per bottle. The price is the same as in the market, but the effect is better. These are the original prices, and they are all displayed on the second floor," Jiang Yuan explained.

Yuan Ming, though prepared, was still inwardly taken aback by the price, which was several times higher than that of Qi refining stage cultivation pills.

This was only for Foundation Establishment stage elixirs.

No wonder there was a saying in the cultivation world that cultivating immortality, aside from innate talent, was actually about cultivating resources. Not to mention the legendary heavenly treasures or the exceptionally effective special elixirs, even these relatively common pills were not something ordinary cultivators could afford to use long-term.

If a sect or family were to support a cultivator, their cultivation speed would naturally be incomparable to that of a solitary cultivator without backing. Although advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage could extend one’s lifespan to over two hundred years, most solitary cultivators would probably spend the majority of their time seeking various opportunities or gathering resources, with very little time left for dedicated cultivation.

After pondering for a moment, Yuan Ming bought one bottle of each of the three types of pills, including the Four Spirits Pill, using the excuse of wanting to try them out for the first time. Before leaving, he subtly inquired about a reputable spiritual material purchasing shop in the city called "Red Refinement Hall," learning that it was backed by the Zhao Country’s sect, the Heavenly Fire Gate.

***

After leaving Qingmu Tower, Yuan Ming found an inn and tested the Four Spirits Pill, finding its effects to be indeed remarkable. He then visited Changxian Tower before heading straight to Red Refinement Hall. After some comparison, he decided to sell his spiritual materials and unused magical artifacts to the latter.

He also unexpectedly learned that the fiery red horn he had retrieved from the volcano tower was actually the horn of a second-level demonic beast, the Molten Fire Rhinoceros, a main material for crafting high-quality fire attribute magical artifacts, and extremely rare. After some negotiation, he sold it for a total of six hundred and fifty spirit stones. With this, the spirit stones in his storage ring finally amounted to nearly four thousand.

Thus, Yuan Ming returned to Qingmu Tower, sought out shopkeeper Jiang Yuan, and bought another fifteen bottles of Four Spirits Pill in one go. He also learned that the shopkeeper had a fondness for calligraphy and painting, and soon they chatted like old friends who had met too late in life. Yuan Ming managed to get the shopkeeper to give him an additional ten percent discount on top of the original ten percent off.

"It seems I need to find a way to earn more spirit stones. With these pills, they won’t last long if I go into seclusion," Yuan Ming muttered to himself as he glanced at the less than a thousand spirit stones remaining in his storage ring.

Just as he was starting to worry, an idea suddenly came to him. He took out a document from his storage ring and looked it over several times, a thought flashing through his mind.

***

Half a day later, in the west of Xiaohu City, at the headquarters of the Guangli Sanmeng.

As a well-known loose cultivator alliance in the Great Jin, Guangli Sanmeng had branches in every market city, and Xiaohu City was no exception. Yuan Ming looked up at the plaque above the entrance to confirm he was at the right place, then, ignoring the differing gazes of the guards, stepped forward and presented the document in his hand.

"I’m here to collect a debt!"

The guard at the entrance was furious. In his many years with Guangli Sanmeng, they had always been the ones collecting debts from others; he had never encountered such a situation and was about to teach Yuan Ming a lesson.

But when his gaze swept over the document and the Changxian Order in Yuan Ming’s hand, his anger instantly subsided.

Doubting his own eyes, he was about to reach for the document when Yuan Ming withdrew it.

"Have your alliance leader come see me," Yuan Ming said indifferently.

The guard looked at Yuan Ming, noting that he was wearing the attire of Changchun Temple, and did not dare to delay. He quickly invited him inside and went to summon the branch leader.

Yuan Ming waited in a side room of the headquarters for a short while. Soon, a young man dressed as a scholar came out with a smile. "Hehe, I wondered why there were magpies chirping early this morning. It turns out that we have a friend from Changchun Temple coming to visit. I am Zhang Luhe, the manager here. May I know your esteemed name?"

"Let’s skip the pleasantries. My master is Xu Changqing. I’m here today to collect a debt from Guangli Sanmeng," Yuan Ming said with a cold face, slapping the document on the table.

At that moment, Yuan Ming had disguised his cultivation as being at the Qi refining stage, while Zhang Luhe, as the branch leader of Guangli Sanmeng, naturally had a cultivation at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Seeing a Qi refining stage disciple daring to be so brusque with him, Zhang Luhe’s temper flared, and the smile on his face vanished instantly.

But after reading the document Yuan Ming had slapped down, he awkwardly forced a smile.

"What about this document..."

"What about it? Let’s stick to the facts. Or is Guangli Sanmeng planning to deny this debt?" Yuan Ming snorted coldly.

"Of course not, it’s just that this is a major issue. I need to contact the alliance leader before I can make a decision. Please have a seat; I’ll be right back," Zhang Luhe said with a forced smile.

After saying that, he took the document and hurried off, while Yuan Ming sat comfortably in the room, waiting for his response.

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