A Huge Bargain

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Jingchuan's mind stirred, and the makeup bags in his Storage Ring poured out with a clatter, instantly filling the entire table, with even a few falling onto the floor.

Xiao Mingshu and Huan'er were both stunned. They thought he had only brought a few dozen sets to test the waters, but they didn't expect such a large quantity. Huan'er, who had been watching the siblings bickering and amused herself, instinctively covered her mouth upon seeing this, her eyes filled with surprise.

"Exactly one thousand sets." Shen Jingchuan pointed to the table. "Sis, you can put them away."

Xiao Mingshu snapped out of her daze and, without any further ceremony, waved her hand, and all the makeup bags of various sizes on the table were stored in her Storage Ring.

"Alright, let's head out now and talk to a few shops." She stood up, very decisively.

Shen Jingchuan stopped her:

"Sister, let's split up. You go find a shop to negotiate this batch of goods, and I'll wander around the market and see if there's anything else I can find or trade. If we go together, it'll be too conspicuous and inconvenient."

He paused, then added:

"Also, release a small batch today, don't put it all out at once. Find one or two shops first, a few dozen units at a time, to test the waters and see how it goes. If it sells well, we can gradually restock later, which will also help stabilize the price."

Xiao Mingshu nodded after a moment's thought. She naturally understood the principle that scarcity increases value. If thousands of sets were released all at once, the price would immediately be driven down. Releasing them in batches was the only long-term solution.

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

She agreed, then added, "Be careful while you're out and about. Spirit Creek Market is regulated by rules, so nothing usually happens. Just don't get into arguments. If anything does happen, contact the market's enforcement team."

Shen Jingchuan replied, "Okay, don't worry, sis."

The two then parted ways; Xiao Mingshu took Huan'er to the shops in the market, while Shen Jingchuan returned to his room.

He closed the door, his mind settled, and his consciousness probed into his Storage Ring.

The pills I put in yesterday for upgrading have completely lost their halo during the upgrade process. They lie there quietly, their color lustrous and their patterns clear, indicating that the upgrade is complete.

The Spirit Concealing Jade and the Spirit Gathering Formation Plate beside him were still enveloped in a faint halo, indicating they were still being upgraded. He didn't look at them any longer; with a thought, he took out the upgraded pills.

This was the first time he had ever seen High-Grade Qi Nourishing Pill and Qi Gathering Pill in person. The pills were smooth and Spiritual Qi, with their Spiritual Qi fluctuations that were several times purer than those of mid-grade pills.

He picked out a High-Grade Qi Nourishing Pill and popped it into his mouth. He then put the remaining four into his Storage Ring, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began to meditate, refining the medicinal power.

The High-Grade Qi Nourishing Pill melts instantly upon entering the mouth, releasing an extremely pure Spiritual Qi that spreads down the throat, gentle yet powerful, without any impurities or stagnation, far purer than mid-grade pills.

Shen Jingchuan dared not let his mind wander any further. He quickly composed himself and activated his cultivation Cultivation Method to guide the Spiritual Qi to circulate through his meridians.

After only three cycles of circulation, the medicinal power of the entire pill was completely refined; the absorption speed was simply too fast.

He slowly finished his practice, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Normally, it takes one cycle to digest a Mid-Grade Qi Nourishing Pill; this high-grade pill only took three cycles, but the amount of Spiritual Qi energy it contained, according to his rough sense, was more than ten times that of Mid-Grade Qi Nourishing Pill.

Based on this calculation, wouldn't my cultivation speed increase dramatically in the future?

A thought flashed through his mind, and he pondered to himself:

Could it be that the [Five Phases Spirit Guiding Instruction] is a high-level Cultivation Method, exceptionally well-suited for high-grade elixirs, allowing for more thorough and efficient absorption?

He couldn't figure out the key to it for the time being, so he just made a mental note of it and planned to ask about it when he had the chance in the future.

Looking at the time, there was still plenty of time before noon, so he simply took out another High-Grade Qi Nourishing Pill, put it in his mouth, concentrated his mind, and once again activated his Cultivation Method to refine it.

The Spiritual Qi flowed slowly through the meridians, circulating for three cycles, until the medicinal power was completely absorbed.

He finished his practice and exhaled, feeling the Spiritual Qi in his Dantian become increasingly abundant and refined, and his cultivation at the Qi Refining Third Layer became even more profound.

He now felt incredibly strong, capable of killing a bull with a single punch.

When he opened his eyes again, the sun was already past its zenith outside the window. He glanced at his pocket watch and it was almost one o'clock. He got up, went out for a meal, and when he returned to his room, he once again immersed his consciousness into his Storage Ring.

Upon seeing this, he was immediately overjoyed: the upgrade halo that had previously enveloped the Spirit Concealing Jade and the Spirit Gathering Formation Plate had completely dissipated.

Its Spiritual Qi is restrained, and its texture is more lustrous than before, clearly indicating that it has completed a grade upgrade.

Shen Jingchuan held the newly upgraded High-Grade Spirit-Concealing Jade, turning it over and over, his brows furrowed in worry.

He'd only heard the shop assistant mention that High-Grade Spirit-Concealing Jade could hide one's aura and cultivation level, but how did he use it?

Just as he was worrying, a Divine Sense swept lightly across the room, followed by a knock on the door.

"I'm back." It was Xiao Mingshu's voice.

Shen Jingchuan secretly rolled his eyes. He hated this habit of hers the most. She would scan everyone with her Divine Sense as soon as she arrived, like she was checking up on someone.

He glanced down at the Spirit Concealing Jade in his palm, a sly smile playing on his lips. Fine, once I figure out how to use it, let's see if you can still so easily access it.

He walked over and opened the door:

"Sis, come in and sit for a while?"

"Sit down? Your room is a mess, like a dog's den. I'm not going in."

Xiao Mingshu stood outside the threshold with her arms crossed, Huan'er stood quietly behind her.

"No way, I have something good to show you. You'll definitely regret it if you don't." Shen Jingchuan waved his hand mysteriously.

Xiao Mingshu's eyes lit up, and she immediately stepped inside:

"What good stuff? Why are you hiding it from me?" Huan'er followed her in and closed the door behind her.

The two sat down, and Shen Jingchuan, without keeping her in suspense, slipped the Spirit Concealing Jade into her palm.

Xiao Mingshu had just caught it, her fingertips barely touching the jade surface, when her eyes widened instantly. She abruptly looked up at Shen Jingchuan, her voice rising a fraction of an octave:

"High-Grade Spirit-Concealing Jade? Where did you get it? This Spirit Creek Market is so tiny, you can't even find such a rare item here?"

"I just stumbled upon it while wandering around. Don't ask me for details."

Shen Jingchuan's statement was vague:

It cost a total of six thousand Spirit Stones.

Xiao Mingshu stroked the smooth, jade-like surface with her fingertips and nodded:

"Six thousand is the lowest price, and these things are rare to begin with. You're really lucky, it's worth it."

"Sis, you didn't let me finish."

Shen Jingchuan smiled, then took out another one from his Storage Ring and slammed it on the table. "Six thousand Spirit Stones, I bought two."

Xiao Mingshu was immediately stunned, staring at the two pieces of jade on the table for a long time without coming back to her senses:

"Wow? Three thousand Spirit Stones a piece? You've really hit the jackpot! You can't find such a bargain anywhere else."

After she finished speaking, she suddenly realized what she had said, raised an eyebrow, and glanced at him sideways:

"That's not right. You only have six thousand Spirit Stones in total, and three thousand of them were my initial investment. So you used both of our money to buy these two Spirit Concealing Jades?"

Shen Jingchuan nodded frankly:

"Yes, I thought it was such a good deal, so I bought it too."

"That's right, well done."

Without a word, Xiao Mingshu carefully put the piece in her hand into her Storage Ring, looking completely at ease.

"Then this one is mine. You bought it with my Spirit Stones, so you bought it for me, right?"

Shen Jingchuan chuckled inwardly. He had originally intended to give it to her, but now, he didn't even have to offer to deliver it, and she felt perfectly justified in taking advantage of him.

He had previously spent a thousand Spirit Stones of hers in secret and was worried about how to explain the debt, but her calculations made it all go smoothly, saving him the trouble of explaining.