VIP Hall

In the world of cultivation.

In the Thick Earth Sect.

In the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.

No matter which corner of the cultivation world one was in, cultivation had always been the standard by which everything was measured.

The stronger one's cultivation, the more resources one could command.

Naturally, the Spirit Stones one could obtain would increase as well.

Take He Song, for example. When he was at Qi Refining Layer 1, his status as a Spirit Plant Farmer only allowed him to manage five mu of Spirit Fields.

Those five mu of Spirit Fields brought He Song an annual income of merely one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones.

Of those, one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones had to be paid as rent.

Only the remaining thirty Spirit Stones were truly at He Song's disposal.

But.

Once He Song's cultivation reached the Qi Refining Middle Stage.

Once he truly became a Spirit Plant Farmer at the Qi Refining Middle Stage, the Spirit Fields he could manage would increase.

By then, the Spirit Stones He Song could earn each year would be far more than he earned now.

However, now was not the time to think about that.

Having only just broken through to Qi Refining Layer 3, He Song felt that he still had some way to go before breaking through to the Qi Refining Middle Stage.

Rising from his meditation cushion.

He Song cheerfully brewed himself a pot of fine tea.

Over five years.

Under the influence of Wei Fan and Meng Guan, He Song's tea-making skills had improved considerably, and he had begun to study tea leaves in depth as well.

Which teas were good, which could only be drunk once, and which had special effects—over the past five years, He Song had figured out most of it.

By now, he had also developed the habit of drinking tea from time to time.

"Qi Refining Layer 3 may still be at the very bottom of the cultivation world, but compared to Qi Refining Layer 1, I have a few more means at my disposal."

Over these five years, He Song had earned a total of one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones through his identity as a Spirit Plant Farmer.

Thirty a year made one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones in five years.

Aside from the cost of food and the occasional expense of visiting Wei Fan and Meng Guan, He Song had not squandered the Spirit Stones in his possession. Instead, he had kept saving them.

By now, He Song had accumulated around a hundred Spirit Stones.

And although being a Spirit Plant Farmer had brought He Song many benefits before.

How could an Immortal like him be content with farming forever?

The Hundred Arts of Cultivation.

Alchemy, artifact forging, talisman crafting, formations, beast taming.

Which of these was not more appealing than farming?

It was only because his cultivation was too low, leaving him unable to come into contact with such things, that He Song could only follow the path of his predecessor and become a Spirit Plant Farmer.

But if He Song were to remain a Spirit Plant Farmer forever.

He Song would certainly be unwilling.

What kind of Immortal farmed every day?

Thus, saving money to buy introductory books on the other Hundred Arts of Cultivation had become something He Song constantly thought about.

"My soul is stronger than that of other cultivators, and I learn spells faster. Now that I'm studying the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, I should have greater talent than others as well, right?"

As he sipped his tea, a thought flashed through He Song's mind.

At that moment, the urge to immediately visit the Spirit Skill Pavilion and select books on the Hundred Arts of Cultivation took root and sprouted.

Over five years, He Song had saved around a hundred Spirit Stones.

According to what He Song had learned before, introductory books on the Hundred Arts of Cultivation mostly cost only one hundred Spirit Stones each, similar in price to cultivation manuals.

Now that his cultivation had broken through to Qi Refining Layer 3, life was dull and tedious. Every day, he was either tending Spirit Fields or meditating in cultivation.

It was truly boring.

It was time to find something for himself to do and learn a new way to earn money!

A determined glint flashed through his eyes.

He Song sprang to his feet, tucked all his Spirit Stones into his sleeve, and strode out the door.

The Stall Area.

The Spirit Skill Pavilion.

Dressed in the robes of a Spirit Plant Farmer, He Song quickly arrived here beneath the awed gazes of the surrounding Rogue Cultivators.

Five years had passed, and He Song had long since turned a blind eye to the reverent looks of the Rogue Cultivators around him.

Within the Immortal Market, the difference in status between its internal personnel and Rogue Cultivators could be said to be as far apart as heaven and earth.

But outside.

The status of an Immortal Market insider might even bring about a catastrophic disaster.

The reverence of those Rogue Cultivators was merely for the Immortal Market behind He Song.

It had nothing to do with He Song himself.

Walking into the Spirit Skill Pavilion.

Before He Song could even raise his head to look around, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Fellow Daoist He, long time no see. Ping'er greets you. Have you taken a fancy to some spell today?"

Ping'er.

She was the beautiful female cultivator who had received He Song when he first came to the Spirit Skill Pavilion.

Cultivators generally had excellent memories. Even if they had not seen someone for decades after meeting them once, they could recognize them at first glance.

Likewise, if one remembered another person's aura, then even after hundreds or thousands of years, upon meeting again, one could still recognize them at a glance even if their appearance had changed.

That was why, although He Song had not stepped into the Spirit Skill Pavilion in five years, Ping'er still recognized him.

Five years had passed.

He Song's appearance had not changed.

Nor had Ping'er's appearance changed in the slightest.

In the cultivation world, it was normal for one's appearance not to age. Most cultivators who were dozens or even hundreds of years old still wore youthful faces.

Only an oddball like Meng Guan enjoyed presenting himself as an old man.

Therefore, over the past five years, He Song had never felt any anxiety over his appearance.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Ping'er. I have come this time to look at introductory books on the Hundred Arts of Cultivation."

He Song smiled and lightly cupped his hands toward Ping'er.

This had been the very reason he came, so naturally he had nothing to hide from the Spirit Skill Pavilion's guide.

However.

Just as He Song finished speaking, Ping'er gave him a slightly surprised look.

But soon afterward, the surprise in Ping'er's eyes vanished.

"Fellow Daoist He, please follow me to the VIP Hall for a chat." Ping'er spoke softly and quickly began leading the way.

At the same time, Ping'er's thoughts were in turmoil.

Introductory books on the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, costing more than a hundred Spirit Stones each, were not something just anyone could afford.

Especially for a minor cultivator like He Song, who had only entered the Immortal Market five years ago and was still at Qi Refining Layer 3.

To save up such a large sum of Spirit Stones in five years.

Ping'er suddenly became a little curious about He Song behind her.

Could it be that he normally did not use Spirit Stones for cultivation?

Or had he encountered some fortuitous opportunity and happened to obtain a sum of Spirit Stones?

Spirit Stones.

They were both currency and cultivation resources.

Cultivating with Spirit Stones could allow cultivators to cultivate faster.

For that very reason, Spirit Stones had become the hard currency of the entire cultivation world.

And it was also the source of Ping'er's doubts.

Like He Song, she was also one of the Immortal Market's internal personnel. Her monthly stipend was two Spirit Stones with lodging included, and she was responsible for receiving cultivators who came to the Spirit Skill Pavilion to purchase spells.

Whenever she received her monthly stipend of Spirit Stones, she used them for her own cultivation, hoping to raise her cultivation as quickly as possible.

As a result, the Spirit Stones in her possession were used up as soon as she received them. She had never saved any Spirit Stones at all.

It was only natural that she would be puzzled by someone like He Song, who could save a hundred Spirit Stones in five years.

Could someone really refrain from using Spirit Stones to cultivate and quickly improve their realm, instead saving them up to buy things?