Market!

This was where outer sect disciples and some servants came to trade. It could not compare to the prosperity of a true immortal city, but pills, talismans, materials, and everything else were all available.

Li Qingshan mingled with the crowd, seemingly wandering without purpose, but in truth, he had his ears pricked, catching every useful scrap of information.

He found a somewhat larger general store. Its proprietor was a shrewd, fat cultivator, seemingly only at the middle stage of Qi Refining.

"Shopkeeper, I want to exchange Spirit Stones."

Li Qingshan's voice was hoarse as he took out the two mid-grade Spirit Stones.

The fat shopkeeper's eyes lit up. Mid-grade Spirit Stones were not often seen. After examining them carefully, he smiled. "Sir, by the rules, one mid-grade Spirit Stone exchanges for one hundred and five low-grade Spirit Stones. For two, I'll give you two hundred and ten. How does that sound?"

He was trying to shave down the price.

Li Qingshan shook his head and said slowly, "The market rate is one to one hundred and ten." Though he had only just arrived, he had already taken note of and inquired into the going prices while wandering around earlier.

Seeing that he knew the ropes, the fat shopkeeper could only give a dry laugh. "Sir, you have a keen eye. We'll do as you say."

He readily counted out two hundred and twenty low-grade Spirit Stones.

The reason Li Qingshan dared exchange mid-grade Spirit Stones was because he had learned that many outer sect and inner sect disciples were not short on them. Taking out mid-grade Spirit Stones, therefore, would not be overly conspicuous.

After all, the Spring Autumn Sect was a great sect of the Eastern Wasteland, with a Nascent Soul Patriarch overseeing it. In recent years, it had seized quite a few Spirit Stone mines, and its disciples spent lavishly.

"Shopkeeper, do you have any pills that can improve cultivation?"

Li Qingshan wanted to buy some pills.

Relying solely on the trash from the Waste Pill Hall was still not enough. He needed better pills.

"Of course! Old sir, are these for your family's younger generation to cultivate with? I'm not bragging—every pill in my shop is top-notch, refined by disciples of the Alchemy Hall. They're far better than the goods those stallholders sell!"

The fat shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and he immediately began his enthusiastic sales pitch.

He directly brought out four or five kinds of spirit pills and laid them before Li Qingshan.

"This is a low-grade first-rank Qi-Gathering Pill, five for one Spirit Stone. This is a low-grade first-rank Qi-Boosting Pill, ten for one Spirit Stone. There's also the mid-grade first-rank Clear Spirit Pill, one for one Spirit Stone, as well as the mid-grade first-rank Azure Flower Pill, a supreme healing spirit pill. Even a middle-stage Qi Refining cultivator suffering grave injuries will be lively as a dragon and a tiger after taking one. Only three Spirit Stones for a single pill..."

The fat shopkeeper talked until spit flew everywhere, praising his spirit pills as peerless in heaven and rare on earth.

Yet Li Qingshan could tell at a glance that all those spirit pills were merely low-quality. There were not even any mid-quality ones, much less supreme-grade pills.

"Shopkeeper, do you have any supreme-grade spirit pills with four pill patterns?"

Li Qingshan's heart stirred, and he asked.

"Supreme-grade spirit pills? Sir, have you gone senile? In the entire Spring Autumn Sect, there are only a handful of people capable of refining supreme-grade spirit pills!

Supreme-grade spirit pills are perfect spirit pills, free of any pill toxins, and outrageously expensive! Take this Qi-Gathering Pill, for example. A perfect-quality Qi-Gathering Pill would cost at least twenty Spirit Stones each. Who could afford to eat those?"

The fat shopkeeper spoke irritably.

"So that's how it is! This old man has truly been ignorant and inexperienced! How about this—give me some of each of these spirit pills. I'll take one bottle of Azure Flower Pills, and ten bottles each of Qi-Gathering Pills and Clear Spirit Pills!"

Li Qingshan said.

He would feel more at ease converting these Spirit Stones into spirit pills.

"Certainly, sir. Rest assured, the spirit pills in my shop are honest goods for young and old alike. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

The fat shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and he spoke excitedly.

"Shopkeeper, a junior in my family has just entered the sect and knows little about its circumstances. Could you introduce which disciples have deep backgrounds and must not be offended? That way, my junior won't provoke someone he shouldn't and lose his life for nothing!"

Li Qingshan's heart stirred, and he asked.

The fat shopkeeper smiled faintly. "You've asked the right person! When it comes to understanding the Spring Autumn Sect, I, Wang Hao, rank second—no one dares call themselves first! I have a Cultivation Compendium here. Just ten Spirit Stones. Are you interested, brother?"

As he spoke, the fat shopkeeper took out a thick book with the four ancient words "Cultivation Compendium" written on its cover.

"This Cultivation Compendium not only records the circumstances of the major sects in our Eastern Wasteland and certain secret tales of cultivation, but especially the situation within our Spring Autumn Sect. It even includes a list of those disciples with deep backgrounds who must not be offended!"

The fat shopkeeper's spittle flew as he kept introducing it.

"Too expensive! One Spirit Stone!"

Li Qingshan shook his head.

"Eight Spirit Stones. Not a single one less—this is the cost price!"

"Two!"

"Five, then. Any less and I'll be selling at a loss..."

After a round of haggling, the two finally settled on three Spirit Stones for the Cultivation Compendium.

Li Qingshan gave it a rough read. The contents were indeed very detailed, and he was quite satisfied.

He happened to lack books of this kind.

Li Qingshan casually pointed at one of the names and asked, "Shopkeeper, who is this Ye Lingshuang? Why is she ranked first among the disciples who must not be offended?"

He understood now. Even Zhang Hongxiu could only rank fifth in the Cultivation Compendium.

Yet Ye Lingshuang was first.

It was clear that her background was indeed profound.

"You don't even know Ye Lingshuang? Tsk, tsk. She's a true disciple of our Spring Autumn Sect, a cultivator at the great perfection of Qi Refining, and the number one fairy of the Spring Autumn Sect. Her talent is unmatched, and her elegance is peerless!

They say that within the next two years, Senior Sister Ye Lingshuang will be preparing to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm! The reason she must not be offended is not merely because she is powerful. More importantly, it is said that she is connected to that legendary Nascent Soul Supreme Elder!"

The fat shopkeeper hurriedly explained.

"She's connected to a Nascent Soul Supreme Elder? Hiss... Her background is that formidable?"

Li Qingshan sucked in a cold breath and asked with feigned shock.

"It's only a rumor. Who knows? But at the very least, she has a Golden Core expert backing her. In any case, you absolutely must not offend her!"

The fat shopkeeper explained.

"I understand. Thank you, Shopkeeper!"

Li Qingshan nodded, then put away all the spirit pills and the Cultivation Compendium before leaving the general store.

He still had several dozen low-grade Spirit Stones left. Li Qingshan planned to raise them all into mid-grade Spirit Stones, so that once his cultivation grew stronger, he could exchange them for even more cultivation resources.

With a bulging bag of Spirit Stones tucked away, Li Qingshan felt somewhat more confident.

After leaving the general store, he did not go to buy those finished pills. Instead, he specifically sought out stallholders who looked relatively poor and struggling.

In a corner, a young disciple with a sorrowful face had several bottles of pills and some materials laid out before him.

Li Qingshan crouched down, picked up a bottle labeled "Hemostasis Powder," then another bottle of "Qi-Returning Pills." Both were the most ordinary low-grade first-rank products.

"How much are these?" Li Qingshan asked.

"Hemostasis Powder is five Spirit Sand. Qi-Returning Pills are ten Spirit Sand per bottle."

The young disciple spoke listlessly.

The prices truly were cheap.

One low-grade Spirit Stone was equivalent to a hundred Spirit Sand.

Though the Qi-Returning Pills were poor in quality, they were still much cheaper than those in the general store.

Li Qingshan looked them over, then pointed at several dozen dull-colored, irregularly shaped pills in a small cloth bag beside them. "What about these?"

"These are failed pills from my alchemy attempts. They're useless. If you want them, give me one Spirit Sand and take them all as an extra."

The young disciple waved his hand.

Li Qingshan secretly rejoiced, though his expression did not change. "Fine. Seeing that you're not having an easy time either, I'll take two bottles each of the Hemostasis Powder and Qi-Returning Pills, and give me these failed pills as well. Thirty Spirit Sand altogether."

He gave him several extra Spirit Sand.

The young disciple was instantly overwhelmed with gratitude and hurriedly wrapped up the goods before handing them to Li Qingshan.