Harvesting resources

The trip yielded five Storage Bag, which are now quietly displayed in the soft light of the Quiet Chamber.

One of them came from a wind-attribute immortal Immortal Palace Cultivator who was killed by Su Bai. His Storage Bag was dark blue, slightly cool to the touch, and embroidered with simple Cloud Patterns. It was in decent condition.

The other four items varied in style, some were dull and inconspicuous, others had worn edges, clearly not items the Original Instigator frequently used. They were "stolen goods" recovered from the bottom of a deep pool behind the Flowing Cloud Sect, thanks to Jiang Han's crucial information.

These were some of the resources that the Immortal Palace Cultivator had plundered from the Flowing Cloud Sect, intending to temporarily store them for future use.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; it saved me a lot of effort."

Su Bai looked at the four rather plain Storage Bag on the ground and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

If it weren't for Jiang Han, this "insider" who was loyal to Liu Bei but actually served Cao Cao, these resources would probably have been lost over time, either reclaimed by the remnants of the Immortal Palace or forever sunk to the bottom of the cold pool.

"For lucky bags, start with the small ones and gradually increase the number to achieve better results."

He first picked up the dark blue Storage Bag, and with his fingertips emanating Spiritual Power, he easily erased the faint and dissipated Spiritual Power imprint left by the Original Instigator owner, Refinement it for his own use.

Immediately, his Spiritual Sense probed into it.

The space wasn't large, about two feet square.

The interior items were arranged somewhat cluttered, but it was clear that the Original Instigator was not an unorganized person.

Dozens of Low-grade Spirit Stone in one corner, their color lustrous.

Several bottles of common Qi Refining Stage Pill, such as "Gathering Qi Pill" and "Spring Recovery Powder," were of ordinary quality.

Two or three low-grade first-tier Lower Grade Law Artifact —a scimitar, a small shield, and a grappling hook—were dim in their spiritual light, clearly not his primary possessions, but perhaps spoils of war or spares.

In addition, there were some miscellaneous items: a few sets of clothes, some dry food, and a Jade Slip slip containing simple notes on wind Law Technique.

And several unidentified fragments of Token.

"The total value is... a little over eight hundred Spirit Stone."

Su Bai quickly finished his calculations and felt somewhat unimpressed. For a rogue cultivator (or former rogue cultivator) in the Late Qi Refining, this wealth was already quite substantial, far exceeding that of ordinary Cultivator of the same level.

However, compared to Su Bai's expectations and subsequent gains, it seemed insignificant.

He casually put the Storage Bag away, planning to sell it at a reliable Market in the outside world later, in exchange for Spirit Stone or other materials he might need.

Taking a deep breath and composing himself, Su Bai turned his gaze to the four "main attractions" on the ground.

He casually picked up a dusty, unremarkable Storage Bag, and, following the same method, Refinement, sinking his Spiritual Sense into it.

"Hmm?" Su Bai raised an eyebrow as soon as he probed inside.

What first catches the eye is a rich, mixed Wood spiritual energy and earth.

Inside the storage space, most of the area was occupied by all sorts of spiritual herbs and spirit medicine!

Most of them were picked hastily, some still with soil and roots, and some were wrapped in simple Jade Box or oil paper, and their condition was still acceptable.

From the lowest grade of ten-year-old "Dewdrop Grass" and "Blood-Stopping Vine", to the slightly more valuable fifty-year-old "Purple Danshen" and "Red Essence Mushroom", and even a few plants faintly exuding the Spiritual Qi of over a hundred years old, such as "Earthroot Polygonatum" and "Three-Leaf Jade Marrow Flower".

The variety and quantity were considerable, clearly indicating that it was obtained from a sizable spirit medicine garden.

Suppressing the joy rising in his heart, Su Bai opened the remaining three Storage Bag one by one.

As expected, the content was largely the same, mainly focusing on various spirit medicine, with only slight differences in the types and years of origin.

It seems these Immortal Palace Member had a clear division of labor, focusing their raid on the Flowing Cloud Sect's Medicine Garden.

After quickly summarizing and estimating the value of the supplies in the four Storage Bag in his mind, a look of satisfaction finally flashed in Su Bai.

"It was definitely worth the trip... The total value should exceed five thousand Low-grade Spirit Stone!"

This amount is a huge sum of money for Qi Refining Stage Cultivator.

Even after deducting the portion allocated to Jiang Han, his own share was still extremely substantial.

More importantly, many of these spirit medicine are Supplementary Ingredients used in refining Golden Marrow Pill or other Late Qi Refining Pill, saving him a lot of effort in collecting them.

After re-categorizing and storing all the supplies, Su Bai's plans for the future became increasingly clear.

These resources need to be monetized as soon as possible.

Most spirit medicine and unused Law Artifact Talisman can be sold for Spirit Stone, which can then be exchanged for Contribution Points within the sect.

His goal was clear: to make thorough preparations for Foundation Establishment.

The first priority is to wait for the [Immortal Talent Reflection] to refresh and try to Copy a Single Attribute Spirit Root, which is the key to a qualitative change in the probability of Foundation Establishment.

Secondly, sufficient Foundation Establishment Pill must be prepared.

One might be enough, but two would be safer.

Foundation Establishment Pill is the core external item for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment, which can greatly increase the success rate and protect the Meridians.

Within the Jade Mist Sect, True Disciple have the right to exchange 10,000 Contribution Points for one.

This price, compared to the usual Market where there are few buyers and prices are often driven up to 12,000 or 13,000 Spirit Stone or even higher, is already a huge benefit that the sect is giving to its Core Disciple.

Su Bai naturally wouldn't waste this privilege.

Reselling Foundation Establishment Pill for profit is a serious crime and not worth the risk.

However, my preparations for Foundation Establishment and exchanging for future reserves are perfectly reasonable, and no one can find fault with them.

Su Bai's thinking was clear: I have enough Contribution Points, and I will have even more after this resource sale.

Exchange for two Foundation Establishment Pill, one for use during the breakthrough, and one as a backup in case of emergency.

Furthermore, with the Single Spirit Root aptitude he will possess at that time... his path to Foundation Establishment can be described as 'stable'.

Of course, if one can achieve success with a single Foundation Establishment Pill by leveraging the advantage of Single Spirit Root and making ample preparations, that would be the best outcome.

One can be saved for unforeseen circumstances or for other uses.

But in any case, being well-prepared is never a bad thing.

Five days passed quickly as the cave was being renovated.

Over the past five days, Su Bai did not rush into cultivation. Instead, he completely relaxed his mind and spirit, and carefully reviewed and planned his gains, so as to have a clear understanding of what he had learned.

On the morning of the sixth day, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Su Bai changed into an ordinary Azure Robe, left the cave silently, mounted the Azure Dragon Sword, and quickly merged into the faint morning light, heading towards the Jade Mist Sect Mountain Gate.

The destination of this trip is clear: the Zhao Kingdom, Anran Town.

After advancing to the Qi Refining Layer Eight, the Spiritual Power within his body became more abundant and pure, and his speed and endurance in Sword Flight flight also significantly improved.

Speeding along, traversing mountains, rivers, towns, and villages, in just one day and one night, Su Bai appeared in the sky above the somewhat languid streets of Anran Town before the morning dew had even dried.

He pressed down on the Sword Light and strolled towards the "Peach Blossom Spring" restaurant, which was as quiet as ever.

This time, there was no need to go inside to search; a quick glance revealed the person he was looking for: Jiang Han.

This "insider" from the Immortal Palace was currently squatting undignifiedly on the roadside not far from the restaurant, mingling among a group of elderly mortals who were out for a stroll early in the morning.

He watched intently as a fierce game of chess raged on the stone bench, sometimes frowning, sometimes clicking his tongue, seemingly more engrossed than the players themselves.

"Checkmate!" An elderly man with white hair and beard triumphantly slammed down his piece.

Jiang Han slapped his thigh. "Oops! Terrible move! I should have moved the bishop!"

Su Bai walked behind him and coughed lightly.

Jiang Han shuddered and turned around abruptly. When he saw Su Bai, his eyes instantly lit up with a light comparable to seeing a rare treasure. The annoyance on his face caused by the chess game was instantly replaced by ecstasy.

"Senior Brother Su! You've finally arrived!"

He practically jumped up, grabbed Su Bai's sleeve, and, ignoring the unfinished game of chess, dragged Su Bai into the Peach Blossom Spring Inn, familiarly slipping into their usual secluded private room.

As soon as he sat down, Jiang Han eagerly stretched out his hand, a smile plastered on his face, but his eyes were fixed on Su Bai: "What about mine?"

Cooperation is cooperation, but even close brothers should keep clear accounts, especially when it involves such a large amount of resources.

Without further ado, Su Bai flicked his sleeve, and five Storage Bag appeared on the table.

He pointed to four of the more ordinary-looking ones. "These four are what we were supposed to divide up according to the agreement."

"It mainly contains spirit medicine from the Flowing Cloud Sect, as well as some Talisman Law Artifact. I've estimated the total value to be a little over six thousand Spirit Stone, but to be on the safe side, let's go with six thousand."

"You take 30%, which is 1,800 Spirit Stone worth of goods."

He then pointed to the dark blue individual Storage Bag, "This is my own loot from the kill, it's not worth much, you can take it all."

"I'll give you all the goods; you just need to give me 4,200 Spirit Stone in cash."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Han immediately grabbed the four Storage Bag and scanned them one by one with his Spiritual Sense, his movements swift and meticulous.

His face grew increasingly pleased, clearly quite satisfied with what was inside.

After counting, he unhesitatingly took out another Storage Bag he had prepared beforehand from his robes, pushed it in front of Su Bai, and said readily, "It's been prepared for a long time! Here are four thousand two hundred Spirit Stone, Senior Brother Su, please count them."

"These goods are in good condition. I'll distribute them gradually, and the price can be even better."

Su Bai took it and scanned it with his Spiritual Sense. Inside, there were 4,200 Low-grade Spirit Stone neatly arranged, full of Spiritual Qi, and the number was correct.

He nodded and put it away.

With the transaction complete, Jiang Han seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He then magically produced a handful of exquisitely folded paper cranes, more than a dozen in total, and handed them to Su Bai: "Here, ' Myriad Crane.' The last ones were the last ones. This time I had more money, so I exchanged them for more stock."

"It's easy for us to stay in touch. Senior Brother Su, this should be enough for the time being."

This item was indeed practical, and Su Bai, without being pretentious, thanked him and accepted it.

The atmosphere eased slightly. Jiang Han leaned back in his chair, the shrewd and calculating look on his face fading somewhat, replaced by a rare, genuine emotion. He sighed, "Senior Brother Su, to be honest, the more I think about it afterward, the more frightened I become."

"I'm... at heart, I'm still afraid of death, and I don't have that much ambition."

"The life of constant danger and uncertainty in the Immortal Palace is really not for me."

"Every time I see my Fellow Daoist being killed in an operation... I feel terrible."

"If it weren't for the few times I've cooperated with you, Senior Brother Su, and accumulated some resources, my cultivation would probably have stagnated long ago, and I might have inexplicably become cannon fodder one day."

He paused, his tone complex, "Sometimes I really envy that woman, Su Duanqiu. She's ruthless, cunning, and has a clear goal, yet she thrives in the Immortal Palace."

"I heard that Sword One was defeated by the Jade Mist Sect this time. As soon as she advances to the Foundation Establishment, she will immediately be given the title of ' Sword One ' and regarded as a direct disciple by that ' Sword of the Immortal Palace,' receiving preferential treatment in terms of resources..."

His future prospects are likely limitless.

Su Bai listened silently without responding.

Everyone has their own choices and path.

Jiang Han should have anticipated the price he would pay when he chose to join the Immortal Palace in search of a shortcut.

He had already experienced Su Duanqiu's decisiveness and ruthlessness, so he was not surprised that she could rise so quickly in the Immortal Palace.

He had no way to comfort Jiang Han's sentiments, nor did he need to.

"What are your plans next?" Su Bai brought the conversation back to reality.

Jiang Han scratched his head, his expression relaxing slightly. "The Immortal Palace has issued a strict order that we must lie low for the next few years, keep a low profile, and refrain from causing trouble."

"Finally, I can breathe a sigh of relief. I don't have to worry about what the next mission will be all day long. With the money from the previous Secret Realm and this share, I can cultivate in peace for quite some time."

Then, he frowned, a worried look on his face. "It's this Foundation Establishment Pill... that's a big problem."

"Within the Immortal Palace, my status and contributions are simply not enough to qualify for the exchange."

"Go to the outside Market to buy it? Not to mention the prices are outrageously high, the real goods are hard to find, and the risk is too great. I might not even get the Pill, and I might lose my life first."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted casually towards Su Bai, and he tentatively began, "Senior Brother Su, you are now a True Disciple the Jade Mist Sect, with a bright future ahead... If in the future, there is a relatively safe and reliable channel to obtain high-quality Foundation Establishment Pill, I, Jiang Han, am willing to pay a high price! Fifteen thousand Spirit Stone! What do you think?"

The intention is quite obvious.

Su Bai remained unmoved, seemingly oblivious to the implication in his words. He picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and said calmly, "The matter of the Foundation Establishment Pill is still too early for me. You should keep an eye on it yourself."

Fifteen thousand Spirit Stone —the price is indeed tempting, far exceeding the sect's exchange rate.

However, trading Foundation Establishment Pill privately is extremely risky, especially since it involves people from the Immortal Palace. Su Bai would never put himself in an uncontrollable danger for such a small benefit.

Moreover, he himself has not yet Foundation Establishment; his primary goal is to safeguard his own Dao Path.

Seeing Su Bai's indifferent reaction, Jiang Han was not surprised, gave an awkward smile, and said no more.

"Since there's nothing else, I'll head back now." Su Bai stood up.

Jiang Han quickly urged, "Senior Brother Su, isn't there a bit of a rush? Why not try the fish and tofu dish made by the new chef? It's absolutely delicious!"

"Maybe next time," Su Bai declined, cupping his hands in farewell.

Leaving the Peach Blossom Spring Inn, Su Bai mounted his Sword Flight and rose into the sky, transforming into a streak of azure light. He once again disappeared into the clouds and sped towards the Jade Mist Sect.

The following morning, Su Bai successfully returned to his Qingyun Cliff Cave Abode.

He did not rush to exchange the 4,200 Spirit Stone he had just received for Sect Contribution Points.

While Contribution Points are the sect's hard currency and have a wide range of uses, Spirit Stone are also widely used in the cultivation world, and are even more convenient in certain situations (such as external Market and private transactions).

Both have their advantages, and it's fine for them to coexist for now. We can exchange them when we have a clear need for them.

Back in his Quiet Chamber, Su Bai quickly composed himself and resumed his regular Closed-door Cultivation.

Every day, Refinement Golden Marrow Pill, hones his Spiritual Power, tempers his Sword Vein, and comprehends the Sword Intent; his days are fulfilling and peaceful.

Time flies like water, slipping away silently. In the blink of an eye, it's already June.

Counting the days, there are only a few days left until the [Immortal Talent Reflection] Talent refreshes.

Su Bai's anticipation grew stronger, and preparations had already quietly begun.

Some time ago, he had made a point of visiting Elder Wan Haoran.

The excuse was that "the sect may have a cleanup mission in the Land of Evil Ghosts soon, and as True Disciple, I may need to participate. I want to learn some Thunder Method magic in advance, just in case."

Thunder Method is extremely yang and powerful, specifically designed to subdue yin and evil spirits; this reason is perfectly reasonable.

Elder Wan Haoran, unsuspecting, gladly explained to him the basic principles of Thunder Method, the characteristics of several common low-level thunder spells, and even demonstrated a "Palm Thunder" technique.

Su Bai studied diligently and with a respectful attitude, leaving Elder Wan with a good impression of his studiousness.

In this way, once his Talent is refreshed, it would be perfectly natural and not at all abrupt for him to approach Elder Wan again under the pretext of continuing to ask him questions about Thunder Method or to observe Thunder Method cultivation.

The plan to Copy its single Lightning Spirit Root has been fully prepared.

In terms of cultivation, progress has also been quite smooth.

With an ample supply of Golden Marrow Pill and the Dual Spirit Root Talent, the accumulation of Spiritual Power at the Qi Refining Layer Eight progressed steadily and deepened day by day.

Su Bai estimated that at this rate, in about half a year, he would be able to naturally reach the Qi Refining Layer Nine.

That day, Su Bai was meditating in his Quiet Chamber when the True Disciple Token at his waist trembled slightly, conveying a message from Academy Master Xu Shangran.

The message was short, but it carried a sense of anticipation: the new Disciple of the Sword Academy had been enrolled for half a year.

Xu Shangran plans to hold a small-scale competition within the Sword Academy, firstly to test the Disciple' Cultivation Achievement over the past six months, and secondly to stimulate their competitive Consciousness and their desire for enlightenment.

He hoped that Su Bai, the Chief Disciple, could preside over this competition, firstly to use his prestige to set an example, and secondly to allow the new Disciple to more directly experience the style of top Sword Cultivator.

For the past few months, Su Bai has been going to the Sword Academy's Training Ground to preach once a month, rain or shine.

His insightful yet easy-to-understand explanations, his unreserved answers to questions, and the occasional display of his exquisite swordsmanship had already established a very high level of prestige and approachability among the more than one hundred new Disciple of the Sword Academy.

Unconsciously, he also developed a sense of responsibility and care for these fellow disciples who came because of him and harbored dreams of Sword Dao.

Seeing the Sword Academy transform from a deserted institution to a thriving and well-established institution, he felt a sense of satisfaction.

Therefore, upon receiving Xu Shangran's request, Su Bai agreed almost without hesitation by replying with his Token.