Qi Condensing Pill, Stirring Ambitions

"May I ask, how much is this Blue Lizard Monster worth?"

The next day, on his own independent peak, Qi Baicang asked a Mid Qi Refining Stage Qi Family Cultivator standing before him.

This mid-stage cultivator was from the Main Peak treasury.

After deciding to sell it to the lineage, Qi Chuan had immediately gone to the Main Peak treasury to report that he had obtained a Monster Beast Corpse, lest its flesh spoil.

He claimed that his Second Master had accidentally slain an invading monster beast.

Upon hearing this, the treasury had been surprised, but readily agreed and quickly sent someone to inspect it.

"It is indeed a First-grade Low-tier Demonic Beast, a Blue Lizard Monster. Its beast blood and Monster Beast Materials are not particularly valuable, but its flesh is quite valuable. Its essence can be extracted for alchemy. This adult Blue Lizard Monster is also somewhat larger than ordinary ones..."

"How about this? I'll offer a fair price: twenty-two Low-grade Spirit Stones."

After pondering for a moment, the Middle-aged Cultivator smiled at Qi Baicang.

They were both members of the Qi Family, so cheating one another was relatively uncommon. Twenty-two Low-grade Spirit Stones was indeed a fair price. Blue Lizard Monsters were relatively rare among First-grade Low-tier Demonic Beasts, and thus held no small value.

Otherwise, an ordinary First-grade Low-tier Demonic Beast would have fetched far less.

Hearing this, Qi Baicang exchanged a glance with Qi Chuan. They secretly felt the price was acceptable, so they nodded and completed the deal.

Before long, the Middle-aged Cultivator had someone carry away the Blue Lizard Monster Corpse. Even the blue-green beast blood was carefully bottled into Jade Bottles, with nothing wasted.

Meanwhile, twenty-two Low-grade Spirit Stones appeared in Qi Chuan's hands.

With these Spirit Stones, Qi Chuan could purchase elixirs to raise his Cultivation Base.

After asking his Second Master about it, Qi Chuan headed straight for the Exchange Pavilion on the Main Peak.

The Exchange Pavilion was a place the Qi Family opened to all Qi Family Cultivators for exchanging various items and resources. Spirit Stones or Contribution Points were generally used for exchanges.

However, the pavilion stored none of the items available for exchange. It merely provided a list. Once a family cultivator confirmed an exchange and handed over Spirit Stones or had Contribution Points deducted, the item would be retrieved from the treasury.

Qi Chuan soon arrived at the Exchange Pavilion and met an Elder within.

Since this Elder could oversee the Exchange Pavilion, he was clearly an Elder of considerable authority.

"You're Qi Chuan, right? What would you like to exchange for?" The Exchange Pavilion Elder returned Qi Chuan's Family Token and asked with a smiling face.

"Elixirs. Elixirs that can improve my Cultivation Base." Qi Chuan answered without hesitation.

The Exchange Pavilion Elder was not surprised by this answer. Many people who came here sought to exchange for elixirs.

He then took out a sheet of paper listing several types of elixirs, as well as the Spirit Stones or Contribution Points required to exchange for them.

"Qi Condensing Pill... three Spirit Stones per pill. Effect: speeds up cultivation during the Early to Mid Qi Refining Stage, but its effects gradually diminish during the Mid Qi Refining Stage and become entirely ineffective at the Late Qi Refining Stage."

"Qi Stabilizing Pill... two Spirit Stones per pill. Its effects are slightly weaker than the Qi Condensing Pill..."

"There is also the Spirit Quenching Pill. It remains quite effective even in the Mid Qi Refining Stage, but it is much more expensive..."

Qi Chuan looked over the list and found that there were not many elixirs suitable for him—only a handful.

Although many types of elixirs were listed, many served other purposes. Only a small portion could improve one's Cultivation Base.

And among those, even fewer were suitable for the Early Qi Refining Stage and affordably priced.

After weighing it for a moment, Qi Chuan decided, "I'll take the Qi Condensing Pill. Give me eight."

As he spoke, he directly took out twenty-four Low-grade Spirit Stones and placed them before the other man.

"I didn't expect someone your age to have such a fortune."

The Exchange Pavilion Elder was mildly surprised. At Qi Chuan's age, having a few Low-grade Spirit Stones was already quite good. Still, he did not think much of it and completed the exchange.

Not long afterward, Qi Chuan received a Jade Bottle containing eight Qi Condensing Pills.

"A whole Monster Beast Corpse, plus two Low-grade Spirit Stones of my own, only got me this bottle of eight Qi Condensing Pills. Alchemists really make a killing. If I get the chance later, I must learn Alchemy Skill!"

Qi Chuan sighed inwardly.

And this was already a fair price within the lineage.

If it were in an outside Cultivation World marketplace, it would be utterly impossible to exchange one Blue Lizard Monster Corpse for eight Qi Condensing Pills.

Qi Chuan shook his head and walked out of the Exchange Pavilion.

"Have you heard? Apparently, three years from now, the Wind Moon Sect will Greatly Open Mountain Gate and recruit new disciples..."

"What? Is that true?"

Just as he left the Exchange Pavilion, two Young Cultivators approached from the front, conversing with each other.

Hearing their words, Qi Chuan paid slight attention, though he continued onward.

As the two sides passed each other, the pair behind him continued talking.

"How could it be false? One of my friends is the Junior of a lineage Elder, and he heard it from him. Apparently, the news will spread before long."

"Ah, the Wind Moon Sect... It would be nice if we could enter and become Outer Disciples, but we're too old. We're both over twenty—would we still have a chance...?"

"..."

Qi Chuan left the Main Peak and headed toward his own independent peak.

Thinking about what he had just heard, a contemplative look surfaced on his face.

"Before one wave has settled, another rises."

"The matter of the Fifty Li Forbidden Zone Secret Realm has yet to fully come down to earth, and now the Wind Moon Sect is going to recruit disciples?"

He could not help recalling True Sword Master Xuanjian and the Sword Dao, which his Second Master had mentioned during their earlier conversations.

"Entering the Wind Moon Sect may not necessarily let me come into contact with the Sword Dao, but if I do not enter the Wind Moon Sect, then I will almost certainly never come into contact with it."

"Moreover, even if I cannot access the Sword Dao, having the status of a sect disciple should bring many conveniences. I could access more sect resources and cultivate faster."

"Looked at this way, even becoming an Outer Disciple would be worth attempting if the opportunity arises. Later, I might even rise from the outer sect to the inner sect. If I remain in the lineage forever, though, the ceiling will always be there."

"There are still three years. I can continue improving. If the disciple recruitment is real, I should have a good chance..."

With such thoughts in mind, Qi Chuan returned to his peak and asked his Second Master about it.

"The Wind Moon Sect recruiting disciples in three years? I haven't heard of it, but it is certainly possible."

Qi Baicang recalled, "Wind Moon Sect Disciples are generally recruited directly from the Mortal World—from the many mortal cities throughout the vast territories under their control. They hold a Spiritual Root Assessment Ceremony once a year and only accept Immortal Seedlings of clean backgrounds."

"However, every so often, they also Greatly Open Mountain Gate and recruit a batch of disciples from among cultivators of various lineages and Rogue Cultivators to replenish their ranks."

"The last time they Greatly Opened Mountain Gate seems to have been twenty years ago. The interval this time is a little short, but it is still possible."

At this point, Qi Baicang smiled at Qi Chuan. "This time, you may really have a chance to join the Wind Moon Sect and obtain True Sword Master Xuanjian's Sword Dao inheritance. You are already at the Qi Refining Second Layer, and there are still three years left. Work hard, and you will have a fair chance of becoming an Outer Disciple by then."

He still remembered the joke Qi Chuan had made back then.

After the two spoke, Qi Chuan returned to his room. His face was contemplative, while ambitions began to stir within his heart.

Previously, without any path or channel, there had been nothing to do. Now that he knew he might be able to join the Wind Moon Sect, there was no harm in trying.

Though he did not know what standards the Wind Moon Sect would have at that time, nor how the Qi Family would decide on the matter, raising his Cultivation Base as much as possible could not be wrong.

Perhaps... he should set himself a small goal.

Within three years, reach the Mid Qi Refining Stage?

With that thought, Qi Chuan took out the Jade Bottle from his robes, opened it, and poured out a Qi Condensing Pill.

The Qi Condensing Pill was dark green throughout. A fragrant medicinal scent rushed into his nostrils, and as he inhaled it, even the Spell Power within his body seemed to stir.

After briefly inspecting the pill, Qi Chuan no longer hesitated and swallowed it in one gulp.