A Hero at the End of His Rope, in Desperate Straits
Little B really thinks Lu Ping is a bandit leader; even Spirit Transformation cultivator can't just break into a city and wipe out an entire family without a reason.
Fortunately, it's more reliable than the last "Myriad Spirits Symbiosis Pact".
Little B, reform yourself well, and your master will favor you sooner or later.
Lu Ping chose A.
[You chose A.]
[Without establishing any karmic connection, it's unwise to raid someone's home without a valid reason.]
[You're not the kind of monster who would slaughter an entire family just because someone says "I don't eat beef."]
[What a pity about City Lord Sun's warehouse full of heavy Spirit Stones.]
You shook your head, your heart filled with regret.
Being a pillar of society is sometimes this simple, unpretentious, and even a bit tedious.
[You avert your gaze, walk through the bustling street, and step straight into the Heavenly Certification Alliance's Teleportation Hall.]
[The guards checked your credentials and respectfully led you to the central platform.]
[The intricate Array Patterns were illuminated layer by layer.]
[Just as the White Light of teleportation was about to shoot into the sky, your Divine Sense stirred slightly, and you sensed three hidden Nascent Soul Divine Senses simultaneously shifting away from the depths of the Void.]
Those few local veterans who had been entrenched deep within Qingyang City seemed to have finally breathed a sigh of relief.
[With a muffled hum, White Light completely engulfed your figure.]
[A feeling of being pulled apart by space comes over me.]
[This is your first time using Teleportation Array since breaking through to the Spirit Transformation Stage.]
[Do you still remember the dizzying, almost disorienting feeling you experienced when you first rode Teleportation Array during your Golden Core Stage? Even after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, though you gradually adapted, you still had to rely on the foundation of the Hundred-Forged Medicine Body Formula to barely endure it each time.]
[Now, this kind of high-level teleportation within the Azure Dragon Domain is as easy and comfortable for you as taking a stroll on flat ground.]
[The difference between becoming a deity and a saint, between the mortal and the sacred, is reflected in every detail of their every gesture.]
[The feeling of being pulled apart quickly faded, and you found yourself standing on a solid Black Boulder.]
[You stepped out of the Teleportation Hall. A faint smell of blood lingered in the air. You had once again arrived at the northernmost tip of the Azure Dragon Domain, the hub bordering the Domain of Chaos — Black Nether City.]
[You suppressed your aura to the Golden Core Stage cultivator, thus avoiding attracting too much attention from the hurried cultivators around you.]
[You headed straight for the Azure Dragon Merchant Association branch in the city, familiar with the area.]
[You pull out the Jade Slip containing the shopping list, slap it on the counter, and begin your daily shopping spree.]
[You successfully sourced all the medicinal herbs from the guild needed for refining Qi-Gathering Pills and Qi-Consolidating Pills.]
[You've even managed to gather almost all the necessary ingredients for refining the "Spirit-Binding Gauze" and the "Small Taiyi Origin-Returning Pill."]
[However, the main ingredient for "Creation Spirit-Promoting Dew" remains elusive.]
[After your shopping spree, the smell of poverty emanating from you returned.]
[You've been to Doushu City, so you know the rules there. There, Spirit Stones aren't currency, but rather extremely precious Cultivation Resources.]
[The purchasing power of Spirit Stones in Doushu City is several times higher than in the Azure Dragon Domain. This is precisely the time when traders in both domains are making a fortune.]
[And you, Lu Ping, the Spirit Transformation Divine Lord, are about to depart for the Domain of Chaos, yet you already have very few Spirit Stones left.]
[Options pop up.]
[A: Just be Third-Grade Alchemist and recover your health.]
[B: The people here are simple and honest, and most of the Three Thousand Unorthodox Paths in the Domain of Chaos have branches here. Why not have a "friendly exchange" with them and quickly accumulate initial capital?]
[C: Set up a stall at the entrance of the Azure Dragon Merchant Association and hang up a sign: "Second-Grade Registered Alchemist Exam Preparation Class! The Spirit Transformation Ancestor personally highlights the key points, money-back guarantee if you don't pass! The first ten registrants will receive a signed copy of the 'Spirit Transformation Ancestor's Photobook'! Female cultivators can receive free personal guidance..."]
Little B isn't out of the question either...
However, the situation in Black Nether City is a hundred times more complicated than that in Qingyang City.
It's hard to say whether there are any Spirit Transformation cultivators presiding over Three Thousand Unorthodox Paths of the unorthodox sects in this Domain of Chaos.
Although Lu Ping is invincible among those of the same level, in the world of cultivation, there is no such thing as 100% certainty.
This is the very beginning, the potential gains are unknown, but the risks are huge. Let's put it on hold for now.
Lu Ping chose A.
[You chose A.]
[You are a distinguished guest holding Level Three VIP certificate from the Azure Dragon Merchant Association.]
[You have rented a top-tier cave abode within the Azure Dragon Merchant Association.]
[Inside the cave abode, you set up several isolation Restriction, then summoned the Moon Palace Fire-Devouring Furnace.]
[The fire roared, and Little Toad's figure flashed past in the flames, seemingly carrying a hint of resentment towards the upcoming Overtime.]
[Crazy Trait stacking, seven times the efficiency, four times the profit.]
[A typical Fourth-Grade Alchemist can prepare one batch of Qi-Gathering Pills per hour, with five pills per batch, yielding no more than ten pills.]
[But in your hands, the entire process is compressed to its absolute limit.]
[The purification and fusion of the medicinal liquid, the control of the heat, the condensation of the Pills... all done in one smooth, effortless motion.]
[In less than fifteen minutes, a batch of Pills was formed.]
[The furnace lid opened, releasing a fragrant aroma, and out flew twenty Qi-Gathering Pills.]
[You remained expressionless, waved your hand to collect the Pills, didn't even glance at them, and immediately threw them into the next batch of refining.]
[You can open fourteen furnaces in one hour, refining over two hundred and eighty Qi-Gathering Pills.]
[In less than a day, all the Qi-Gathering Pill ingredients you looted from the Chamber of Commerce have been transformed into finished Pills.]
[You look at the thousands of freshly made Qi-Gathering Pills in your Storage Ring, but feel no joy whatsoever from your harvest.]
[You silently gaze at the Pills that were meant for your own cultivation, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside you.]
[These are your future sustenance, to replace Spirit Stones, for your cultivation. Every bottle you sell now is like removing a stepping stone on your path to the mid-stage of the Middle Spirit Transformation Stage.]
Your heart is bleeding.
[You, a dignified Spirit Transformation Divine Lord, actually have to sell your own food to make a living.]
Even a hero can be brought down by a penny.
[You suddenly remember a story you read in your past life, called "Qin Qiong Selling His Horse." A hero at the end of his rope, desperately in need, he had no choice but to sell his beloved warhorse for travel expenses.]
You shook your head and gave a self-deprecating laugh.
[You're supposed to be Spirit Transformation, yet you've stooped to selling your horse to prolong your life.]
[Options pop up.]
[A: No choice, sell! It's a painful decision to cut losses and raise start-up capital.]
[B: Damn it, I'm not selling anymore! Let's just rob them! Rob the rich to help the poor, it's good to do justice to God!]
[C: You send Shen Yuerong a message: "Rong, are you there? I'm a little short on cash lately, I need some help urgently. How about I get an advance on the Forty Million profit from trading Mystic Marrow Jade? Don't worry, I'll pay you back next month when I get my salary. If all else fails, I can repay you with my body..."]