No Stones, No Immortal Cultivation
Lu Ping could no longer look directly at Little C's wildness.
As for Little B... well, he's not short of money.
Lu Ping chose A.
[You chose A.]
[You picked up the pen, signed "Lu Ping" in the ledger, handed over the Spirit Stones, and put away the array plate.]
[You have moved into Cave Abode No. 7, Earth.]
[Cave Abode No. 7, Earth is five times wider than No. 13, Ding Character.]
[Divided into three rooms: alchemy, cultivation, and storage, with the Earthfire Vent embedded in the center of the alchemy room.]
[The Spiritual Qi is denser, the Restrictions are stronger, and the secrecy is better.]
[You closed the door and checked it carefully. Good, it seems no one left a backup plan.]
[You've obtained Jiang Mutian's ring and sold the spoils from Red-Silk Mountain; you now have a modest amount of wealth.]
[So, you think exchanging this cave abode for it was well worth it.]
[A few days later, the Deacon's monthly salary arrived.]
[Pour fifty Spirit Stones onto the table.]
[First, thirty coins were allocated to cover the monthly rent for the cave abode; then five coins were allocated to cover the maintenance of the Formation Technique; finally, only fifteen coins remained.]
You stared at the fifteen Spirit Stones, remaining silent for a long time.
Why are the cultivators in this world so greedy?
[No one can cultivate immortality without stones.]
Most cultivators can only slowly hone their skills using Spirit Stones. But in this world, every step requires Spirit Stones!
[The speed at Pills increase Spiritual Power is naturally faster.]
However, most common Pills contain Pill Poison.
[Long-term use of Pills can lead to the accumulation of Pill Poison in the body. If this toxicity is not eliminated in time, it can cause blockages in the meridians and even prevent future health.]
[You can eat Qi-Congealing Pills like candy because Heavy Tomato User and Salty Fish user are covering for you, and the Fall Guy has enhanced your physique.]
[Anyone else would have turned themselves into a teaching accident at the Alchemy Hall in three months.]
[You sit cross-legged and take out a Qi-Gathering Pill; this is Si Wangshu's compensation to you.]
[You begin absorbing the Pills, converting it into Spiritual Power.]
[As Spiritual Power flowed through the meridians, a slight throbbing pain spread through the bones and flesh.]
[During the Qi Refining Stage, the foundation laid by the Fall Guy could still hold.]
[But once you reach the Foundation Establishment, this foundation is already starting to become insufficient.]
[You quickly calculated that it would take you approximately 40,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stone Equivalent to reach the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.]
[One Qi-Gathering Pill is equivalent to one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stone Equivalent.]
[You're already struggling to absorb even one Qi-Gathering Pill.]
[If you take the Qi-Gathering Pill for two consecutive days, you'll probably become the first transmigrator to die from the Pills exploding.]
[The limit for absorbing Low-Grade Spirit Stones is ten per day.]
[Using only Spirit Stones for cultivation, it will take you approximately ten to fifteen years to reach the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.]
[A few days later, you arrived at the accounting office, where Zhao Li was already waiting.]
"Since Deacon Lu is in charge of the Alchemy Chamber, please take a look at these first."
[You open the ledger.]
[Qi-Replenishing Pills, Qi-Congealing Pills, Hemostatic Powders —the flow of water is considerable.]
[However, after deductions for medicinal materials, losses, quotas, and commissions, the actual amount that reaches the Alchemy Hall is not much.]
[You understood it quickly.]
[The real money-making business of the Alchemy Hall isn't selling Pills, but rather its monopoly.]
[The Pill Formula need to be purchased, their grading needs to be assessed, the medicinal materials need to be procured centrally, and the Pills need to be recycled according to quotas.]
[They charge money for success, they charge money for failure, and they even charge money for qualification.]
[The Alchemy Hall, or rather the Greenwood Sect, controls this entire cultivation industry chain, so even if lower-level cultivators are forced to take out loans to cultivate, they have no other way to go.]
[Zhao Li held a teacup, a half-smile playing on his lips.]
"Does Deacon Lu understand this?"
[There was already a hint of unspoken meaning in his words.]
[You push the ledger back, speaking respectfully.]
"Thank you for the advice, Deacon Zhao. I'm still a novice; I'll start by keeping an eye on the Alchemy Chamber."
[Flattery, Workwear Thug, and Workplace People-Pleaser —the three-piece workplace mantra takes effect.]
[Zhao Li's prepared words of criticism suddenly fell silent.]
[You withdrew too decisively, which actually left him with no reason to continue his attack.]
That evening, you went to the Scripture Pavilion.
[This time, you've presented the Steward Token of the Alchemy Hall Steward.]
[The old disciple guarding the pavilion looked up at you.]
"Junior Brother Lu, you've leveled up quite quickly. With your current level, you can move to the second level."
"The Deacon a 90% discount."
[Hearing about the 90% discount, you actually felt a surge of excitement.]
The disciple guarding the pavilion glanced at you and slowly added, "..."
"Only one discount can be applied at a time."
[You feel you're being targeted for no reason; your Spirit Stones will be reduced by one.]
[The Jade Slips in the second layer is significantly less.]
[You spent 170 Low-Grade Spirit Stones to exchange for the "Greenwood Art Foundation Establishment Chapter" and the "Hundred-Forged Medicine Body Formula".]
[When the elder disciple saw the Hundred-Forged Medicine Body Formula, his expression became somewhat puzzling.]
"Junior Brother Lu, very few people choose this Cultivation Method."
[Upon hearing this, you were moved and handed over ten Spirit Stones.]
[The old disciple guarding the pavilion looked at the ten Spirit Stones, then looked up at you, a hint of surprise on his face.]
[The Flattery, the Workwear Thug, the Workplace People-Pleaser —the three-piece workplace mantra is in effect again.]
In his eyes, you, his junior brother, are both sensible and capable.
"Junior Brother Lu, this Cultivation Method is extremely easy to master, provided you have enough Pills."
"The downside is simple. The so-called 'hundred refinements' naturally mean the more Pills the better; you need to be rich enough."
"There's another point. As far as I know, this Cultivation Method is so painful to practice that no one in our sect has ever succeeded in mastering it."
[You heard the last sentence and seemed somewhat dismissive. Pain? Tell my "Salty Fish " about that.]
[You have returned to Cave Abode No. 7, Earth. ]
[First, turn to "The Greenwood Art Foundation Establishment Chapter," which still begins with the familiar Spirit-Infusion Technique.]
[Imbuing Spirit Stones? Even a dog wouldn't do that!]
[The subsequent Cultivation Methods are standard and conventional, allowing Spiritual Power to be channeled into the Spiritual Lake Dantian) and then circulated along the meridians to refine and Foundation Establishment foundation.]
[You opened the "Hundred-Forged Medicine Body Formula" again.]
The opening line is "Using Pills to cleanse the bones and muscles, and using Spiritual Power to temper the physical body."
The more Pills, the faster one progresses. The more severe the Pill Poison, the more severe the backlash.
The stronger the backlash, the more intense the transformation of Qi and Blood, and the higher the risk of losing mental composure.
[During cultivation, tingling pain in the muscles and bones, and surging of Qi and Blood are normal reactions.]
[This Cultivation Method becomes increasingly dangerous the more you practice it; the Pill Poison will gradually devour your mind.]
[Once the physical body is tempered to its limit, what remains is mostly just a manipulated, Medicine Corpse.]
[You strongly suspect that this was originally a Cultivation Method used to create Medicine Puppet.]
[However, you're overpowered!]
[This Cultivation Method is a life-or-death matter for others, but with you, at least we can try to turn it into a pay-to-win item.]
[Options pop up.]
[A: Go dig through the old records and find out what kind of pitfalls are hidden behind this Cultivation Method, and how the last unlucky guy ruined himself by practicing it.]
[B: A man with cheat codes is fearless! The ultimate Trait is my biggest arrogance!]
[C: With a ripped shirt, he struck an extreme backbend pose and laughed maniacally: "Human cultivation has its limits! The more you follow the rules, the more the sect elders will hold you hostage... Unless you transcend humanity! I'm not human anymore, JOJO!" With that, he grabbed a handful of lethal doses of Poison Pills and shoved them into his mouth, chewing them frantically...]