Trading for Spirit Herbs

Lin Yun's days were full and fulfilling with so many martial arts to train in.

Because he regularly exchanged martial arts insights with Lin Dong and Lin Xia and occasionally entered the forest to hunt, Lin Yun had picked up quite a few missions. He had enough Pills and food for his daily cultivation.

He was improving every day.

Wanting to obtain Intermediate Fist Technique Talent and raise the upper limit of his combat strength, Lin Yun deliberately focused on grinding his fist technique proficiency over the following days.

In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed!

Mission: Train the Tongbei Fist to Close to the Dao. Reward: Fist Technique Talent (Beginner +3). Completed. Claim reward?

Mission: Train the Falling Rock Fist to Close to the Dao. Reward: Fist Technique Talent (Beginner +3). Completed. Claim reward?

"Phew, finally done. Claim!"

Lin Yun let out a satisfied breath.

The next second, a wondrous energy merged into his body. His arms in particular clearly felt an additional warm current of energy, making them tingle. It was truly miraculous.

Fist Technique Talent (Beginner +10) - (Intermediate)

He had finally obtained his first Intermediate Talent.

He had also maxed out both first-grade fist techniques. Now, when Lin Yun used the Falling Rock Fist or Tongbei Fist, their attack power was even greater than the perfected Mountain Shocking Fist, already producing effects comparable to a Fourth Grade Martial Art.

Moreover, he could use both fist techniques as naturally as breathing. The moment he struck, he could unleash their greatest power.

Mission: Practice the Mountain Shocking Fist 1,000 times (76/660). Reward: Mountain Shocking Fist Perfected Proficiency +1.

When he checked the fist technique mission again, the required number had indeed decreased. It had originally required 1,000 repetitions, but now it only required 660.

This made Lin Yun look forward to Advanced Talent even more.

Once he maxed out his Talent as well, learning the corresponding martial arts should become the sort of thing where he understood them at a glance and mastered them as soon as he learned them.

Aside from his continuous breakthroughs in martial arts, Lin Yun had also reached the peak of the Body Tempering Eighth Layer, only a hair away from the ninth layer.

However, he had nearly used up all his Pills.

That day, when it was time to spar and exchange insights with Lin Dong and Lin Xia, he tried creating another mission, but failed.

It seemed that such unchanging exchange activities could not keep generating missions.

Lin Yun's expectations for these exchanges immediately dropped.

Still, after more than two months of frequent exchanges, Lin Dong and Lin Xia had both reached bottlenecks in their martial arts. Lin Yun had already taught them everything he could without holding anything back. What remained depended on their own comprehension.

Lin Yun suggested shifting the focus of their exchanges toward hunting.

Hunting Demon Beasts could still generate missions.

Lin Xia and the others readily agreed.

Actual combat would help them more.

After that, they began regularly entering the back mountain.

With Chi Ling's herb-finding Talent, Lin Yun used searching for Demon Beasts as an excuse to act alone and venture deep into the back mountain.

Few people set foot in the depths of the back mountain, and there were quite a few spirit herbs there.

Lin Yun gained something every time, finding spirit herbs ranging from first-grade to fourth-grade.

Most of them were first-grade and second-grade.

Only occasionally did he find third-grade or fourth-grade ones.

As for Fifth Grade Spirit Herbs, he had never encountered any. They seemed extremely rare.

Fifth Grade Spirit Herbs were of great help even to experts of the Earthly Yuan Realm and Heavenly Yuan Realm.

No matter how many spirit herbs below third-grade he found, their help to Lin Yun was limited.

Searching for spirit herbs still isn't as fast as doing missions, Lin Yun sighed inwardly.

Missions were so much better. The system was generous whenever it acted; as long as he successfully created a mission, the reward was usually a bottle of Pills.

But when searching for spirit herbs, he could wander around the forest all day and still not come across a single Third-Grade Spiritual Medicine.

It was too much of a waste of time.

He might as well practice new martial arts and grind proficiency for rewards. At least that killed two birds with one stone, while also improving his mastery of martial arts.

Of course, it was also possible that the Lin Family's back mountain was simply too barren.

But regardless, after trying once or twice without much gain, Lin Yun decided not to spend too much time specifically searching for spirit herbs. He would just explore appropriately during hunts; finding something would merely be the icing on the cake.

After more than two months together, the four of them had become very close.

Especially Lin Yun and Qing Tan.

During this time, Lin Yun had helped Qing Tan suppress her cold energy outbreaks three more times.

After returning from hunts, the four of them would gather in Lin Yun's courtyard for a small meal.

"Don't you get tired, annoyed, or bored from cultivating every day?"

When they had nearly finished eating, Qing Tan suddenly suggested, "How about we go out for a walk?"

"It's the end of the month these next few days. I heard Qingyang Town's Trading Square will be really lively. Should we go take a look?"

Her clear eyes looked expectantly at Lin Yun and the other two.

Qing Tan had long wanted to go out and wander around, but she did not want to go alone. Shopping was only fun when done with someone she liked.

She was not particularly disciplined when it came to cultivation. If not for Lin Dong and Lin Yun keeping an eye on her, along with the good cultivation atmosphere among the four of them, she would have given up long ago.

"A Trading Square fair?"

Lin Xia's eyes immediately lit up. She said mournfully, "I haven't gone in ages. Following you two guys around to cultivate, I haven't bought any new clothes for over two months."

"We've had plentiful hunting gains lately and saved up quite a bit of gold and silver. It's time to spend some of it."

The prey they brought back from hunting was all traded to the Lin Family, so the few of them had indeed saved up a small fortune.

Lin Dong was also taken aback as he began to think.

There were plenty of good things at the Trading Square fair, and there should be quite a few spiritual medicines.

He had the stone talisman and could use spiritual medicines to refine pills. If he could buy some spiritual medicines, he could speed up his cultivation.

"I want to take a look too. Lin Yun, Brother, what about you?" Lin Dong looked at Lin Yun.

Qing Tan and Lin Xia also looked over expectantly.

Lin Yun was the biggest homebody among them. Other than when they gathered to discuss martial arts, he usually cultivated alone in the courtyard. The perseverance and self-discipline he displayed earned the admiration of all three, while also making them call him a crazed freak.

"Sure. I haven't gone out in a long time either." Lin Yun readily agreed.

Life had grown increasingly peaceful lately. Whether it was discussing martial arts or hunting in the back mountain, there were fewer and fewer tasks, and the rewards were becoming more and more mediocre.

It was time to go out and stir up his life a little, so that more tasks could come his way.

Where there were people, there would be the martial world. Where there was the martial world, there would be conflicts and disputes.

Besides, with a protagonist who had a troublemaker physique, along with two beauties—one big, one small—who naturally drew attention, there would definitely be no shortage of trouble.

"Great! Yay!"

Having obtained the agreement of all three, Qing Tan jumped up happily. Her eyes curved into crescents, and her sweetness was intoxicating.

The next day, the four of them dressed up carefully and headed to the fair together.

This sort of fair was jointly organized by several major merchants in Qingyang Town. All kinds of goods were sold there, making it extremely popular.

However, this also meant that many factions converged there, making the crowd a complicated mix.

Once they entered the fair, the crowds were so dense that they began sweating before long. Yet girls seemed to be born with a love for such lively marketplaces.

Lin Xia and Qing Tan were in exceptionally high spirits, especially Qing Tan. Her delicate little face had turned rosy from excitement, making her utterly adorable. Her crisp, sweet laughter drew many gazes, and when those people saw the girl with picturesque features and skin as white as snow, their eyes all flashed with amazement.

They went on a shopping spree through the various stores.

During that time, Qing Tan and Lin Xia also bought Lin Yun quite a few things—clothes, bedding, room decorations, and the like.

The two girls were very thoughtful. They had been to Lin Yun's home and knew what he usually lacked, so they took this opportunity to furnish him with those things.

Before long, the four arrived before a magnificent pavilion at the end of the street. This was considered one of the more upscale places at the Trading Square fair. Inside, the Lei and Xie Families, Mad Blade Martial Hall, and even the Lin Family all had shops.

This pavilion alone was enough to keep them occupied for a long while.

However, Lin Yun and Lin Dong had no desire to shop. Their minds were elsewhere.

"I'll go take a look over there. I'll come find you here later." Lin Dong casually made up an excuse and slipped into the crowd.

He had prepared Stone Talisman Spiritual Liquid to sell in exchange for higher-grade spiritual medicines.

"You two go in and look around. I'll wait outside."

Lin Yun also did not plan to accompany the two girls. He wanted to buy some spiritual medicines as well.

At the fair, there were also some Underground Exchanges that specifically dealt in items of unknown or unexplainable origins.

There were quite a few such Underground Exchanges.

Lin Yun chose the opposite direction from Lin Dong. He draped the black robe he had prepared long ago over himself, then selected a relatively secluded trading venue.

Before entering the exchange, Lin Yun also tried to create a task.

Task: Complete one underground transaction.
Reward: Medium-Grade Cosmos Sack.

"Another Cosmos Sack? Great." Lin Yun was mildly delighted. The Low-Grade Cosmos Sack he had obtained earlier was too small to hold much.

The Medium-Grade Cosmos Sack had come at just the right time.

As soon as he entered the exchange, someone came forward to guide him and ask what item Lin Yun wished to trade.

This time, Lin Yun had prepared quite a few pills. They were refined from the first- and second-grade spiritual medicines he had found, and were not very effective for him.

However, these pills were extremely effective for martial artists below the Body Tempering Sixth Layer.

Upon arriving in a room, Lin Yun first took out two bottles of pills. Both were first-grade, with ten pills in each bottle.

The exchange had dedicated appraisers.

"These pills are highly effective for those below the Body Tempering Fourth Layer. They are easier to absorb than Second-Grade Spiritual Medicine and can also help one break through realms," Lin Yun briefly introduced.

Pills were valuable because their refining efficiency was far beyond that of spiritual medicines.

When spiritual medicines were consumed directly, at most twenty to thirty percent of their medicinal power could be absorbed. Pills, however, allowed one to absorb seventy to eighty percent.

Although the pills in Lin Yun's hand had only been refined from First-Grade Spiritual Medicine, their effects after absorption were even better than those of Second-Grade Spiritual Medicine.

The Exchange's Appraiser was an old man. He took out the pills for inspection, and a delicate fragrance wafted out. The round, full, lustrous pills immediately made his aged eyes light up.

He was clearly an experienced Appraiser.

"The scent is pure, the medicinal potency is abundant, and they even possess pill radiance. Though refined from low-grade spiritual medicine, the refining technique is exceptionally unique. Their grade may be low, but they are the finest among low-grade pills," the old Appraiser said with mild surprise.

"Only an Alchemist with advanced techniques could refine pills like these."

"May I ask whether these pills were refined by Your Excellency?" the old man could not help asking curiously.

In a small place like Qingyang Town, there was actually such a high-level Alchemist in hiding.

"Ke ke ke, you know your pills!" Lin Yun gave a sinister laugh from beneath his black robe and said coldly.

"However, you do not seem to understand the rules. Since I concealed my identity to trade here, I naturally do not wish to be entangled in too much. Be quick about it. Since you know how valuable these pills are, complete the trade quickly. Keep dawdling, and I'll go elsewhere."

Hearing the impatience in Lin Yun's voice and seeing the old man's alarm, he immediately said, "Please forgive me, Your Excellency. We'll trade, we'll trade. We'll take however many pills you have. What does Your Excellency require?"

"I need spiritual medicine of Third Grade or above. One pill for one plant—twenty Third-Grade plants. If you have Fourth-Grade Spiritual Medicine, two plants will do," Lin Yun said casually.

The old man's face twitched. Lin Yun's outrageous demand had startled him, and he immediately counteroffered, "Although these pills are quite effective, they are only useful for those below the third level of Body Tempering. They cannot be exchanged for Fourth-Grade Spiritual Medicine. As for Third-Grade Spiritual Medicine, one pill cannot be exchanged for one plant either. At least two pills per plant. I can only offer ten plants."

"Heh, you really know how to haggle. I won't waste words with you. Fifteen Third-Grade Spiritual Medicine plants. That is my bottom line." Lin Yun's tone was firm beneath the black robe, as though he had the other party completely cornered.

As a transmigrator, he understood this world very well and naturally knew the value of the pills in his hand.

Especially in a small place like Qingyang Town, where there were not even Talisman Masters, much less Alchemists, pills were a scarce commodity.

The old man pondered for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Fine. Deal!"

The old man then instructed someone to fetch the spiritual medicine. Before long, several boxes were carried over.

Lin Yun opened them one by one to inspect them. After confirming that they were all Third-Grade Spiritual Medicine, he tucked them into his black robe and turned to leave.

After making a round and confirming that no one was following him, Lin Yun found another Exchange.

However, Lin Yun failed to create a task this time.

Still, Lin Yun did not dwell on it. He had gradually figured out some of the conditions for creating tasks.

The most important condition was "difficulty."

Only when something reached a certain level of difficulty could a task be successfully created.

Some things were difficult the first time, but after doing them often enough, they became ordinary.

Upon entering the Exchange, Lin Yun once again took out two bottles of pills. This time, they had been refined from Second-Grade Spiritual Medicine, with only six pills in each bottle.

First- and Second-Grade Spiritual Medicine were unlike spiritual medicine above Third Grade. Since their medicinal potency was too weak, one plant of spiritual medicine was generally refined into one pill.

However, some spiritual medicines had similar properties and could be combined to refine higher-grade pills. Lin Yun kept those pills for his own use.

The absorption efficiency of Second-Grade pills was comparable to that of Third- or Fourth-Grade Spiritual Medicine.

This time, Lin Yun only wanted to trade for Fourth-Grade Spiritual Medicine. After some bargaining, his twelve Second-Grade pills were exchanged for two Fourth-Grade Spiritual Medicine plants.

Once spiritual medicine reached Fourth Grade, its quantity dropped sharply.

On the market, one Fourth-Grade Spiritual Medicine plant could easily be exchanged for ten Third-Grade plants, but ten Third-Grade plants could not be exchanged for even one Fourth-Grade plant.

Therefore, Lin Yun had already made a considerable profit by obtaining two Fourth-Grade Spiritual Medicine plants.

Having gained quite a lot, Lin Yun found an unoccupied spot, took off his black robe, and went back to look for Lin Xia and Qing Tan.

Not far after leaving the trading alley, he encountered Lin Dong, who had likewise just completed his trade.

Lin Dong seemed to have guessed that Lin Yun had just come out of the Underground Exchange.

It seems Lin Yun, Brother has secrets of his own as well... Lin Dong lightly pursed his lips. Ever since learning that Lin Yun had helped Qing Tan resolve the torment of her cold energy, he had suspected that Lin Yun possessed secrets unknown to others.

Just as he was unwilling to reveal the existence of the Stone Talisman, Lin Yun probably did not want others to know his secrets either.

The two exchanged smiles, understanding each other without words, and returned to the marketplace pavilion.