"Ten Spirit Stones. That's two cheaper than last year."
As they left the shop, Zhao Kun couldn't help remarking on it.
Clearly, the shopkeepers understood that people in the settlement had fewer Spirit Stones on hand this year, and had no choice but to lower their prices.
Even a discount of just two Spirit Stones would tempt plenty of people.
Maybe they'd sell everything they owned, grit their teeth, and buy one.
"Even with the discount, we still can't afford it. We might as well take this chance to look around more,"
Yu Ershan sighed.
But in his heart, he ran the numbers. His household had enough Spirit Stones to buy five Blood Replenishing Pills, but buying that many would be a waste.
Blood Change wasn't something that happened overnight. You couldn't just eat Blood Replenishing Pills like candy and expect to break through.
Considering Yu Dashan's physique and how long this Wind Disaster season would last, he estimated that three pills at most would be enough. They could use the remaining Spirit Stones to buy something else.
As long as Yu Dashan didn't slack off, he believed that by the time they returned next year, Yu Dashan would have completed his second Blood Change. That would give his father a pleasant surprise, too.
Usually, it took about three Blood Changes to progress from Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment to Perfection.
That number wasn't fixed. According to what had been passed down, it depended greatly on a person's potential.
The more Blood Changes one underwent, the greater one's potential.
But everyone had a limit. And the descendants of cultivators were born with physiques unlike those of ordinary people.
On top of that, they took Spirit Medicines from a young age to strengthen their bodies, then used secret methods to solidify their foundations. As a result, they could undergo far more Blood Changes than ordinary people, and naturally had greater potential.
It was said that the descendants of some great Lineages could undergo Blood Change five or even six times.
The more Blood Changes one underwent, the greater the chance of breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm—and the farther one could go in the future.
Though Yu Dashan had been sturdy since childhood and had already completed one Blood Change at twenty-two, a talent like his was considered top-tier in the settlement. Still, he couldn't compare with the descendants of cultivators.
So his limit was probably three Blood Changes. Yu Ershan didn't dare hope for a fourth.
In theory, once someone had reached their limit in Blood Change and could advance no further, they only needed to further temper their transformed qi and blood to achieve Fetal Movement Perfection. But because the number of Blood Changes varied, even those at the same level of Fetal Movement Perfection could differ greatly in strength.
After reaching Fetal Movement Perfection, one needed to refine Immortal Destiny to attempt a breakthrough.
There was a tale of a lucky cultivator at Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment who, after the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster, had chanced upon a piece of Innate Immortal Destiny. After refining it, he had broken straight through to the Qi Refining Realm.
That seemed to suggest that even without reaching Fetal Movement Perfection, one could still attempt to break through to the Qi Refining Realm as long as one had Immortal Destiny.
But many people scoffed at such stories.
The prevailing view was that only by reaching one's own limit could one break through.
Yet some believed that the key to Qi Refining lay in Immortal Destiny—in that mysterious breath of energy. Even without reaching one's limit, they argued, anyone with Immortal Destiny could still break through.
It was just that their chances of success were lower than if they had reached their limit.
So, if they had enough Immortal Destiny, they could try once, then twice; if they failed three times, they could try a fourth. Even without reaching Fetal Movement Perfection, they could still break through to the Qi Refining Realm.
The problem was, who had that much Immortal Destiny to waste?
Not even the descendants of great Lineages could afford to squander it like that.
Compared to obtaining a piece of Immortal Destiny, the resources spent tempering oneself for a few more years in the Fetal Movement Realm to reach one's limit were insignificant.
What's more, the number of Blood Changes and the strength of one's foundation determined how far one could go after breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm.
Perhaps some lucky person had refined Immortal Destiny at Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment and successfully broken through to the Qi Refining Realm.
But that person would probably spend their entire life stuck at the early stage of Qi Refining—a cultivator at the very bottom of the realm.
So unless someone was a fool, they wouldn't refine Immortal Destiny and attempt a breakthrough before reaching Fetal Movement Perfection.
That was exactly why Yu Ershan was determined to make sure Yu Dashan reached Fetal Movement Perfection before attempting a breakthrough.
His household couldn't afford to gamble—and couldn't afford to lose.
His plan was to have Yu Dashan complete his second Blood Change this winter, then temper his physique next year, and complete his third Blood Change in the following Wind Disaster season.
That way, in two years—three at most—Yu Dashan would be ready to attempt a breakthrough to the Qi Refining Realm.
But the resources they'd need along the way would probably be substantial.
With the Spirit Stones they had now, they could afford to support his cultivation through this year's Wind Disaster season at most. They'd have to find another way to get more by next year.
As for relying on someone else for support, once was enough.
He planned to settle things with that person and give them an explanation as soon as he was done for the day.
And so Yu Ershan and Zhao Kun wandered through several shops, their eyes opened to all kinds of things. Besides Blood Replenishing Pills, Yu Ershan had also taken an interest in Tendon Strengthening Bone Strengthening Grass. Boiled and taken, it could strengthen one's tendons and bones.
A person's qi and blood were never separate from the rest of the body. Strong qi brought vigor, and strong bones nourished the blood.
Strengthening the tendons and bones didn't just improve those parts; it strengthened the whole body.
It was like reinforcing one's foundations.
But it wasn't cheap, either. One stalk cost eight Spirit Stones, almost as much as a Blood Replenishing Pill.
For ordinary people, Tendon Strengthening Bone Strengthening Grass was of limited use, and far less cost-effective than Blood Replenishing Pills.
But for those determined to go further on the path of Blood Change, it was a valuable resource.
The tonics Yu Ershan spent three Spirit Stones a year on included Tendon Strengthening Bone Strengthening Grass.
Of course, he couldn't afford a whole stalk. He only bought a small portion.
In fact, the Cultivation Families had secret methods and medicines specifically for strengthening the body and assisting with Blood Change. These were often a Lineage's most closely guarded treasures, never passed on to outsiders.
Then there was the Essence inside the Insect Race.
Thinking of this, Yu Ershan felt all the more keenly just how terrifying the Cultivation Families were—the families that endured for thousands upon thousands of years without ever declining.
It also made him realize how difficult it was for an ordinary household to develop into a true Cultivation Family.
But no matter how difficult it was, Yu Ershan wouldn't give up.
By the time they'd finished browsing, the streets were already packed with people. They had all settled in and come here to see the sights or buy necessities.
The two went to the firewood shop they'd noticed earlier and spent three New Moon Coins on three large bundles of firewood. If they used it sparingly, it would last them a while.
New Moon Coins were minted by New Moon Blessed Land itself. They circulated only within the Blessed Land and its settlements, making everyday trade more convenient.
Otherwise, people would have to use Spirit Stones to buy everything, and ordinary folk couldn't afford that.
Besides, Spirit Stones were worth quite a lot. One Spirit Stone could be exchanged for a hundred New Moon Coins, enough to buy an ordinary family of three a year's worth of food.
But in a place like Ox Ridge Settlement, everyone grew their own ordinary rice, so they never bought it.
They'd brought enough for this trip to the Blessed Land, too.
Except for firewood!
Because firewood had become a lucrative business.
Of course, that was also because people seeking refuge in the Blessed Land couldn't bring too many belongings with them. If they had to choose between food and firewood, they would obviously choose the former.
But without firewood in the Blessed Land, they couldn't cook. They couldn't exactly eat rice raw, could they?
They could try making rice cakes, but in the cold winter, it would only take a few days for them to freeze hard as stone—hard enough to crack your teeth.
That was the real reason the firewood trade had gradually taken off and become a business monopolized by a single shop.
Carrying the firewood back to their temporary lodgings, Yu Ershan gave one bundle to Tiezhu's Wife. After she thanked him over and over, he returned to his own home.
Yu Dashan and Yu Xiaoshan had been waiting anxiously at home. They wanted to go out and see the place, too, but they had to stay behind and watch the house.
They'd hoped that once Yu Ershan returned, they could go out. But after breakfast, Yu Ershan had said he had something to do, told them to keep watching the house, and left alone.
Before you continue