Mount Tai Market, Gold and Stone Pavilion

As Luo Chen sold pills, he mulled over the matter.

The admission fee would probably be expensive, and even if he went, he likely would not find a good spot.

But if he could witness top experts of the Qi Refining Realm fight, it should help him one way or another!

By noon, he still had no answer.

However, the All Wonders Pills and Grain Avoidance Pills had gradually sold out.

Such pills might not sell well elsewhere, but in places like Great River Market near the Million Mountains, they were extremely popular.

Many cultivators, under immense pressure, wanted pleasure without losing their fighting strength.

The All Wonders Pill could make that dream come true, so naturally it was popular.

A mere sixty pills were far too easy to sell.

Three hundred and eighty Spirit Stones—three hundred from the All Wonders Pills and eighty from the Grain Avoidance Pills. That was the income from half a month of hard work.

There were still raw materials at home that had cost two hundred and fifty Spirit Stones. Now that his Pill Refinement Art had reached Mastery Level, the output rate should be even higher.

At that point, it would be pure profit.

After briefly calculating his assets, including what he had left from before, his savings had returned to a neat five hundred and fifty Spirit Stones.

In the past, Luo Chen would have been beside himself with joy.

But now, Luo Chen could treat this "huge sum" with an even mind.

In truth, it was not much at all. It was only a lot compared with Early Qi Refining Stage and Mid-Stage Cultivators.

Among Late Qi Refining Stage cultivators, most could take out that amount in one go.

For Foundation Establishment Cultivators, these Spirit Stones were but a drop in the ocean—merely the cost of one or two visits to Zhong Ding Restaurant or Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion.

Had Gu Cai Yi not mentioned that a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator had casually rewarded someone with a bottle of Dust Transformation Pills?

Those things sold for a thousand Spirit Stones. They could buy a Mid-Grade Defensive Magic Tool, or an Entry Level High-Grade Magic Tool.

And Luo Chen knew perfectly well that these Spirit Stones would soon no longer be his.

Inside Spirit Medicine Pavilion.

"Three bottles of Qi Nourishing Pills!"

"Customer, here are three bottles of Qi Nourishing Pills. Thank you for your patronage—three hundred Spirit Stones."

"Here."

Luo Chen did not even look at the crystalline Spirit Stones that had not yet warmed in his hands. He hastily put the three bottles of pills into his Storage Bag.

These would be his cultivation supplies for the next month!

After leaving Spirit Medicine Pavilion, Luo Chen headed straight for the Hundred Herbs Hall next door.

There were still materials left for the All Wonders Pills, but the ingredients for the Grain Avoidance Pills had been completely used up. It was time to replenish them.

Ever since experiencing the pre-processed medicinal herbs from Hundred Herbs Hall, he had started to look down on the herbs sold individually at the Rogue Cultivator Market.

They took far too much time to process.

Although he had not yet reached the point of trading Spirit Stones for time, there was no need to save these Spirit Stones now.

The ingredients for Grain Avoidance Pills were mostly the cheap kind, and buying in bulk came with discounts.

Buying from private sellers versus buying from Hundred Herbs Hall probably only meant paying one or two more Spirit Stones.

Luo Chen truly had no need to save that money anymore.

When he entered Hundred Herbs Hall, he did not see Fat Shopkeeper Liu Hecai. Bai Mei Ling was sprawled over the counter instead.

"Miss Xiao Ling, where is Shopkeeper Liu?"

Bai Mei Ling glanced up at Luo Chen, pointed upstairs, then slumped back onto the counter.

"A Foundation Establishment Cultivator came from Mount Tai Market. He is Shopkeeper Liu's friend, and the two are catching up."

"Oh."

Luo Chen nodded and took out a list.

"Give me fifty Spirit Stones' worth according to the herbs and proportions on this list."

Bai Mei Ling accepted the list and looked at Luo Chen suspiciously.

It really was the recipe for Grain Avoidance Powder.

So Luo Chen had not lied to her before?

With fifty Spirit Stones' worth at once, given the high-grade quality he refined, he could probably sell them for around a hundred Spirit Stones.

After deducting the costs, he would make fifty Spirit Stones clean.

Was this how he had managed to settle down in the Inner City?

How straitened must his life be? He would have to save for months just to afford one bottle of Qi Nourishing Pills.

Muttering under her breath, she quickly measured out the herbs for Luo Chen, packed them into a large bag, and carried it out.

The moment she emerged, her eyes widened.

Luo Chen was actually chatting with Shopkeeper Liu and the Foundation Establishment Cultivator from Mount Tai Market.

"One truly cannot judge a person by appearances. At such a young age, you can already make a living through Pill Refining."

"You flatter me, Senior. It is but a humble skill, not worth mentioning." Luo Chen looked deeply respectful, even bending at the waist.

There was no other reason.

The two men before him were both Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Shopkeeper Liu was all right; they had a business relationship.

But toward Senior Kang, he had to observe the etiquette of a junior.

Kang Dongyue said with a genial smile, "Old Liu told me you use Fire Hound Whip in your pill refining. I am rather curious. Besides being used as food supplements and for raising young beasts, what pills can this spirit ingredient refine? Could you resolve this old man's doubts, little friend?"

Luo Chen found himself in a difficult position, and he could even feel sweat forming on his back.

This was not his first time facing a Foundation Establishment Cultivator directly. But people like Shopkeeper Liu and Old Chu had only dealt with him in business.

Yet this Senior Kang, as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, had directly said that he wanted to know what pill Luo Chen refined.

For now, he only wanted to know.

But afterward?

Would he demand Luo Chen's Pill Recipe, or perhaps...

Seeing Luo Chen remain silent for so long, the two old Foundation Establishment Cultivators, wise as demons from age, understood something.

Shopkeeper Liu smiled. "Little Luo, do not worry. Old Kang is the pavilion master of Gold and Stone Pavilion in Mount Tai Market, responsible for selling all kinds of pills. He is merely curious. Perhaps if your pills are of sufficient quality, he may even purchase stock from you."

Kang Dongyue also explained, "My Kang Family is one of the affiliated families of the Jade Cauldron Sect and specializes in Pill Refining, which is why we opened Gold and Stone Pavilion. But there are only a few pills from our clan that sell well, so we usually collect pills from fellow rogue cultivators and help sell them."

Hearing that, Luo Chen finally relaxed.

There were similar small medicine shops in Great River Market.

They were operated by small sects or Cultivation Families.

They sold a mixed assortment of goods—pills, talismans, even magic tools. They had all kinds of things.

Some rogue cultivators with few Spirit Stones could not afford large shops and did not want to rummage through goods at the Rogue Cultivator Market, so they chose these small stores.

In a sense, his and Old Taoist Chen's stall was the same kind of operation, selling pills and talismans together. The only thing they lacked was a signboard.

He respectfully handed over a jade bottle. Inside was, unmistakably, an All Wonders Pill.

Kang Dongyue took it and first examined it carefully, then brought it close and smelled it.

After confirming there was nothing wrong with it, he pinched off a tiny bit of powder and placed it in his mouth.

Closing his eyes to feel it out, he nodded.

"A Tier 1 Pill. Its effect is aphrodisiac, with a slight spirit-replenishing effect as well. To be honest, it is quite unique, but unfortunately it is only low-grade. If cultivators take too much of it, it can easily cause excessive internal fire and loosen the Lower Gate Golden Lock."

Hearing this assessment, Luo Chen could not help holding the man in higher regard.

With just a few simple actions, he had nearly laid bare all the strengths and weaknesses of the All Wonders Pill.

This was not something an ordinary cultivator could do.

The other man was at least an experienced Tier 1 Alchemist, perhaps even a Second-Order Alchemist.

"What is its selling price?"

"Around five Spirit Stones."

Kang Dongyue shook his head and handed Luo Chen five Spirit Stones, indicating that he had bought the pill.

Then he said, "The price is inflated far too much. It can only sell in places near the Million Mountains, such as Great River Market and Snow Lotus Market. In my Mount Tai Market, the price would have to be cut in half."

"Mm, if it were sold in areas inhabited by mortals, it would probably be very popular. Unfortunately, mortals find it difficult to produce things that cultivators like us need."

After commenting further on its price and market, he asked curiously, "How many pills of this kind can you refine in a month, little friend?"

This time, Luo Chen did not answer directly.

He gathered his courage. "Senior, do you wish to purchase stock from me?"