Apothecary?

The currency in the City of Brilliance is Spirit Coins. Generally, two to three thousand Spirit Coins are enough for a household's annual expenses. The value of various items in the City of Brilliance is measured in Spirit Coins, including War Blades, armor, Demon Crystals, furs from various Demon Beasts, and all sorts of spirit medicines.

The annual tuition for Sacred Lan Academy is over three thousand Spirit Coins, which is a significant expense for ordinary commoner families. However, many commoner families still strive to send their children to Sacred Lan Academy, even if it means scrimping and saving, because becoming a Martial Artist or a Demon Spirit Master, even at the Bronze level, can change a family's destiny.

A Bronze Martial Artist, if employed by the City Guard, can earn five to six thousand Spirit Coins annually, and can also venture into the depths of the Sacred Ancestor Mountain Range for additional income.

Nie Li's Sky Scar Family is a declining Noble Family. The patriarch, Nie Hengxun, is a Gold 1-star Demon Spirit Master. The family's annual income is around six hundred thousand Spirit Coins. However, the family's annual expenses are enormous. Just the tuition for the family's disciples costs over three hundred thousand Spirit Coins, along with various other expenditures, often leaving the family unable to make ends meet. They are forced to sell off various assets to sustain themselves. Yet, even so, the Sky Scar Family sends every descendant into Sacred Lan Academy.

Patriarch Nie Hengxun said that only outstanding descendants can make the Sky Scar Family rise again. No matter how hard they struggle, they must ensure every descendant in the family receives the greatest possible training.

In his past life, Nie Li didn't quite understand this statement and felt distant from Patriarch Nie Hengxun, as the patriarch was very strict with them. After his rebirth, Nie Li finally understood the patriarch's profound intentions.

As a member of the Sky Scar Family, I must also make the Sky Scar Family prosper and become a top-tier existence in the City of Brilliance!

Having been reborn, Nie Li's memory still holds many powerful cultivation methods. However, before that, he needs to get some money to buy a few Beginner Soul Crystals to test the attributes of his Soul Sea, which will help him decide which cultivation method to practice. If he finds a method suitable for his own cultivation, then practicing other things will yield twice the result with half the effort.

Knock, knock, knock!

The sound of the bell echoed throughout the City of Brilliance; classes were over.

Students from Sacred Lan Academy emerged from the high walls and mingled on the bustling streets outside the academy gates, with vendors' shouts rising and falling.

"Brand new Bronze Armor, engraved with Snowflake Engraving! Are you noble young masters and ladies interested?" a vendor in a grey tunic called out enthusiastically, quickly attracting the attention of many students. Bronze Armor is not something ordinary students can afford, but Sacred Lan Academy has many disciples from noble families, some of whom are very wealthy, so there's still a chance to sell it if lucky.

"Look, it's Bronze Armor engraved with Snowflake Engraving!" the students exclaimed excitedly. It was a pair of gauntlets, emitting a deep blue light, their surfaces covered with various mysterious totems, with a faint chill of frost emanating from them.

"How much does it cost?" a student whispered.

"Sixty thousand Spirit Coins!" the vendor said with a smile.

"Heavens, that expensive!" An ordinary family would struggle to save sixty thousand Spirit Coins in over ten years.

"This is Bronze Armor engraved with Snowflake Engraving! Snowflake Engraving is made with the Demon Crystal and Demon Blood of a Snowflake Demoness. This Snowflake Demoness was in its prime before it was killed. Demon Beasts like the Snowflake Demoness are not easy to hunt. The Snowflake Demoness's characteristics give these gauntlets very strong offensive capabilities! This is definitely the most suitable armor for Snowflake-element Martial Artists and Demon Spirit Masters!" the vendor introduced with great fervor, spittle flying.

Many students cast lingering glances at the pair of Bronze Gauntlets and then silently left; such expensive items were beyond their means.

"Bronze Armor costs sixty thousand Spirit Coins, so how much would Silver Armor or Gold Armor cost!" Lu Piao muttered. His monthly allowance was only a little over five hundred Spirit Coins. Lu Piao's family owned many businesses, so he was financially well-off. In his past life, Lu Piao often helped Nie Li and Du Ze. But even though Lu Piao had some spare money, items like Bronze Armor were not something he could buy just because he wanted to.

Nie Li, Lu Piao, and Du Ze walked along, looking around. The street was filled with a dazzling array of goods, with both expensive and cheap items available.

"Nie Li, what exactly are you trying to do?" Lu Piao asked, looking at Nie Li, who was gazing around.

As they were chatting, a figure approached the vendor.

"Look, it's Shen Yue!" Lu Piao gestured towards them. "And Ye Ziyun!"

Nie Li looked into the distance and saw Ye Ziyun chatting happily with a few girls. Her pretty face and sweet smile were full of sunshine, making one's heart flutter. Among the girls, Ye Ziyun was undoubtedly the most radiant and eye-catching, making it impossible to look away after the first glance.

Everything around them seemed to come alive because of Ye Ziyun's presence.

Shen Yue also occasionally cast glances her way.

"I happen to need a pair of Bronze Gauntlets. Please wrap these up for me!" Shen Yue said calmly to the vendor.

"Certainly, young master!" the vendor immediately beamed, expertly wrapping the Bronze Gauntlets.

"Here's sixty thousand Spirit Coins!" Shen Yue casually took out six Demon Crystal Cards from his Spatial Ring, each card representing ten thousand Spirit Coins.

After throwing out sixty thousand Spirit Coins, Shen Yue appeared nonchalant and unconcerned, putting the Bronze Gauntlets into his Spatial Ring.

Several girls around them let out soft gasps. Sixty thousand Spirit Coins, just like that! Some of the prettier girls' eyes sparkled, and they began to flirt with Shen Yue. But Shen Yue ignored them, cast a proud glance at the trio of Nie Li, and then looked at Ye Ziyun with deep affection, his gaze clearly conveying, "You are the only one in my eyes."

"Despicable!" Lu Piao roared, flailing his arms. "That's a silver bullet attack!"

"What a show-off! Others have money, and can casually throw out sixty thousand Spirit Coins, and they even have a Spatial Ring," Du Ze spread his hands and shook his head at Nie Li. "Nie Li, he's handsome and rich. What can you compete with him?"

"Heh heh, Ziyun doesn't care about a little money!" Nie Li said nonchalantly, looking over there. Ye Ziyun completely ignored Shen Yue and was still chatting with the girls next to her. Her gaze occasionally drifted towards Xiao Ninger, who stood a bit distractedly to the side.

Xiao Ninger had a cool demeanor. She usually kept to herself and didn't interact much with her classmates.

Nie Li knew that what Ye Ziyun wanted most right now was friendship. In his past life, she had always wanted to be friends with Xiao Ninger, but the difference in their social status eventually drove them further apart.

Seeing Ye Ziyun's expression, Shen Yue looked somewhat dejected.

"Alright, Ye Ziyun really doesn't care about money. Nie Li, maybe she likes women? In that case, you still have no chance!" Lu Piao winked and teased.

Nie Li smiled. He naturally didn't take Lu Piao's teasing to heart. In his past life, he was Ye Ziyun's only man. He smiled and said, "Let's go, I'm going to start my plan!"

Lu Piao and Du Ze's expressions turned serious, and they nodded.

"Lu Piao, go buy two Light Crossbows and five bundles of a hundred Crossbow Bolts each. Each Light Crossbow is one hundred and sixty Spirit Coins, and each bundle of Crossbow Bolts is thirty Spirit Coins. Don't get ripped off by the vendors!" Nie Li instructed Lu Piao. "We'll meet at the entrance to the academy's training grounds."

"Got it!" Lu Piao nodded, feeling a bit curious. Had Nie Li bought Light Crossbows and Crossbow Bolts before? He even knew the prices.

Nie Li's monthly allowance was only fifty Spirit Coins, not even enough to last the month. Naturally, he wouldn't have bought such expensive items before.

"Du Ze, let's go buy Black Marsh Grass together!" Nie Li said. Black Marsh Grass has a paralyzing effect.

Du Ze's family background was even more difficult than Nie Li's, so Nie Li naturally wouldn't let Du Ze spend money. Thus, Nie Li paid for things when they bought them.

Black Marsh Grass was very cheap, only one Spirit Coin for a large bunch. Besides that, Nie Li also bought some low-grade Fusion Potions and went to a small hillside near the City of Brilliance to pick a lot of Zoysia Grass.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" Du Ze asked curiously.

Nie Li smiled mysteriously. "Black Marsh Grass has a paralyzing effect, but its potency is very low. It's usually only used to smear on wounds to relieve pain. As for Zoysia Grass, it's a very common wild grass. No one has discovered its use yet, but if it's mixed with Black Marsh Grass using a Fusion Potion, it can greatly enhance the paralyzing effect of the Black Marsh Grass!"

Du Ze was stunned for a moment, then asked, "How strong is the paralyzing effect?"

Nie Li chuckled, "It doesn't have much of a paralyzing effect on ordinary Demon Beasts, far worse than low-grade paralyzing potions. But have you noticed that Horned Sheep never eat Zoysia Grass?"

"Horned Sheep?" Du Ze was silent for a moment. He seemed to have guessed something, and his eyes lit up slightly. "Nie Li, you wouldn't happen to be an Apothecary, would you?"

"Apothecary?" Nie Li thought for a moment, then laughed heartily, "I suppose so."

Apothecaries were people who refined pills or concocted formulas using various spiritual herbs. Nie Li wasn't an Apothecary in his past life; he only had a slight dabbling in spiritual medicine. However, the skill level of those who concocted potions in the City of Brilliance was too low; they couldn't be considered true Apothecaries! Nie Li could completely look down on those so-called Apothecaries! Furthermore, in his past life, when Nie Li adventured on the Sacred Spirit Continent, he had entered the Great Poison Forest. Some humans lived there, surviving tenaciously under the hunt of poisonous Demon Beasts. They could be considered true Apothecaries!

Nie Li began to concoct the potion, preparing a full six bottles.

The Sacred Lan Academy's Trial Grounds were established by the Legendary Demon Spirit Master Ye Mo and the Sacred Lan Academy's Dean, the Black Gold Demon Spirit Master Gao Yuan. They were surrounded by towering walls, and every year, the strong individuals of the City of Brilliance would capture some low-level Demon Beasts and release them into the Trial Grounds. Any Sacred Lan Academy student below Silver Level could enter. Students could hunt Demon Beasts inside, and any pelts, Demon Crystals, or Spirit Beasts they obtained could be disposed of by the students themselves. Some impoverished students could hunt Demon Beasts in the Trial Grounds to supplement their families' income.

Nie Li and the other two hadn't even reached Bronze 1-star. The place they were going was the safest area in the Trial Grounds, where only Horned Sheep could be found. Although Horned Sheep were very aggressive, they were herbivores. At most, they would only injure humans severely before ceasing their attack, making them relatively safe.

After meeting at the entrance of the Trial Grounds, Nie Li and the other two verified their identities with the guards and entered the Trial Grounds together.

Trial Grounds, Newcomer Apprentice Area.

Amidst sparse trees, there were occasional patches of grass where Horned Sheep leisurely roamed. Their eyes were bloodshot, filled with ferocity and agitation. They would occasionally perk up their ears to listen, and if any intruder entered their territory, they would attack without hesitation.

Just then, a strange sound came from not far away. The closest Horned Sheep suddenly let out a low growl and charged towards the direction of the sound.