Fengyun Tower

The next day.

White Cloud Sect, Fengyun Tower.

Cheng Buzheng walked along the bustling street. Seeing the restaurant in the center of the street, he noticed groups of friends frequently walking in and out, the traffic quite high.

This restaurant was none other than Fengyun Tower. It was the only place within the sect where one could order meals, specifically built by the sect for cultivators in the Qi Refining Stage.

Those in the Qi Refining Stage could not yet abstain from food. Since consuming Bigu Pills for long periods left many Qi Refining cultivators feeling that their palates were bland, Fengyun Tower was born to meet the collective demand.

Fengyun Tower had three floors. The first and second floors had become a gathering place for many Qi Refining cultivators, while the third floor was reserved for the occasional Martial Uncle in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Many Qi Refining cultivators gathered here to chat, share anecdotes, or dine with friends. Because many female Qi Refining cultivators also occasionally came here to improve their diet, the place was exceptionally lively.

Of course, at this moment, he would absolutely not step foot into Fengyun Tower and squander his few remaining Spirit Stones.

Because there were so many Qi Refining cultivators coming and going, the sides of the small path in front of Fengyun Tower had become a place for sect members to exchange resources.

Many senior brothers and sisters took out animal skins and placed the items they wanted to trade upon them.

If one were to exchange items directly at the Stipend Pavilion, the price would be about twenty percent lower. For impoverished cultivators who were used to splitting one Spirit Stone in half to spend, that was an unbearable loss.

Only those wealthy cultivators who didn't care about such small change would exchange their spiritual items directly at the Stipend Pavilion.

However, buying items at the Stipend Pavilion was only slightly higher than the market price; after all, the quality was reliable, unlike the small stalls where there was no guarantee of quality at all.

As a result, this place never truly developed into a major market; it remained a small-scale affair, merely serving to facilitate the daily needs of Qi Refining cultivators.

Cheng Buzheng walked along the street, seeing many senior brothers and sisters sitting cross-legged on both sides, with animal skins spread out before them, displaying various items for trade.

A moment later.

He saw a stall displaying many porcelain bottles. The stall owner was a fat man wearing the sect uniform, which was stretched tight over his frame. His chubby face squeezed his eyes into tiny slits.

At this moment, the senior brother stall owner was squinting, sizing up the fellow disciples passing by.

Cheng Buzheng walked up, looked at the stall owner with a calm expression, and then carefully scanned the various porcelain bottles. He said indifferently, "Senior brother, how do you sell your Bigu Pills?"

While Cheng Buzheng was sizing him up, the man was doing the same to Cheng Buzheng. Seeing that he was only a Level 1 Qi Refining cultivator, he did not show any contempt and said with a smile, "Junior brother, for Bigu Pills, there's a discount for bulk purchases. Furthermore, these pills were refined by Fairy Jiang within the sect; the quality is absolutely reliable!"

Hearing this.

Cheng Buzheng pondered secretly, but his expression remained calm as he thought:

What is his relationship with Fairy Jiang, that she would let him sell her pills?

He did know of Fairy Jiang. In the short two months he had been in the sect, he had heard various rumors about this woman no fewer than three times.

Just yesterday, Senior Brother Niu and Senior Brother Dai, who guard the Sutra Repository Tower, had spoken to him about how Fairy Jiang was a peerless beauty of incomparable grace, their faces filled with longing and infatuation as they spoke.

Within the sect, no female cultivator's beauty could overshadow Fairy Jiang, though there were two others who could rival her; together, they were known as the Three Immortal Flowers of White Cloud Sect.

Rumor had it that not only was Fairy Jiang exceptionally gifted—reaching the Late Qi Refining Stage at the tender age of sixteen—but she was also kind-hearted and approachable. Many fellow disciples would seek her out for pills, and she rarely refused them.

Various rumors flashed through his mind in the blink of an eye.

Looking at the Fat Senior Brother before him, he knew that even if the pills were truly refined by Fairy Jiang, he wouldn't buy them if the price didn't satisfy him. In his past life, he was never a fanatical fan of celebrities, let alone now.

At the same time, he was well aware that a fairy like Fairy Jiang was someone he could not hope to touch at his current level.

Cheng Buzheng glanced at the Fat Senior Brother and said slowly:

"Regardless of whether they were refined by Fairy Jiang, the main thing is the price.

Otherwise, no matter how much you say, I won't be able to afford them!"

The Fat Senior Brother smiled broadly:

"Fairy Jiang is kind-hearted and would never cheat her fellow disciples. The main point is to give back to the support of our peers; one bottle of Bigu Pill costs only one Spirit Stone! Five bottles for four Spirit Stones, ten bottles for seven Spirit Stones. The more you buy, the better the price!"

Cheng Buzheng did not respond immediately.

He reached out and beckoned, causing a bottle of Bigu Pill from the stall to land in his palm. He opened the cap, revealing ten pills inside, and poured one out to examine it closely.

Cheng Buzheng discovered that it was no different from the Bigu Pill he was currently taking; whether judging by the aura, color, size, or luster, there was no difference at all.

"I'll take one bottle!"

As he spoke, he put the Bigu Pill into his Storage Bag and simultaneously took out a Spirit Stone to hand to the stall owner.

At this moment, the Fat Senior Brother's smile became somewhat strained:

"Junior Brother, that bottle was left out for a bit too long, so the effects might not be at their peak. Let me swap it for another bottle for you!"

"There is no need for that. As long as the Bigu Pill is effective, that is enough. It isn't a pill for advancing one's cultivation anyway!"

Cheng Buzheng shook his head, indifferent.

He knew there was absolutely nothing wrong with the Bigu Pill. Besides, this was the sample placed on the stall; all that talk about it being "left out for too long" and "not at its peak" was just nonsense to deceive him.

In his past life, street vendors had overused this trick—the sample was the premium item, while everything in the warehouse was inferior.

A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit.

Ever since he had learned his lesson once, he only bought the samples when purchasing items from small stalls, such as kitchen knives or cutting boards.

The Fat Senior Brother took the Spirit Stone with a forced smile and, in the end, kindly asked one more question:

"Are you sure you don't need me to swap it for another bottle?"

Cheng Buzheng replied with a cold yet polite tone:

"Thank you, Senior Brother, but that won't be necessary!"

With that, he turned and walked away.

Watching Cheng Buzheng depart, the chubby Senior Brother muttered to himself:

"Is this kid really that sharp?

Although I didn't lose any Spirit Stones, I didn't make any either!

This is the first time a rookie at Qi Refining Level 1 hasn't let me make a profit. A bottle of Bigu Pill doesn't earn much, but as long as I sell five bottles, I make one Spirit Stone!

Sigh. There are so many shrewd people out there; business is getting hard to do. Rookies aren't easy to fool anymore, let alone old foxes!"

Cheng Buzheng continued to wander along the street, seeing all kinds of spiritual pills and items. For instance, there was the Qi Nourishing Pill, used to improve cultivation at the Early Qi Refining Stage; a bottle of ten pills cost twenty Spirit Stones.

Meanwhile, a bottle of pills with better effects for the same Early Qi Refining Stage cost forty Spirit Stones. The price difference between the two was double, showing that cultivators with abundant Spirit Stones progressed faster—it was all about "pay-to-win."

As for Magic Tools, they were even more expensive. A single Low-grade Magic Tool cost at least fifty Spirit Stones, and those of higher quality were even pricier.

Walking and listening along the way, he realized that what he had learned from books were just numbers, while what he saw now was far more real. At the same time, he silently memorized the prices of various spiritual items, some of which had not been mentioned in the books.

This gave him a glimpse into a more authentic world of cultivation. Once he advanced to the Qi Refining Mid-stage, he would go to White Cloud City, located outside the White Cloud Mountain Range, to broaden his horizons and gain more experience.