"Spirit Stones Are Meant to Be Spent"

"Two spirit stones for one month of risking your life."

"Life and death are your own responsibility. No regrets."

Fat Dragon stepped forward and explained in a low voice, "There are many people here who sell their lives like this. Usually, they've run into some difficulty and urgently need money, but have no other way out, so they can only come here to sell their lives."

"But it's hard to tell truth from lies. Plenty of people grab the spirit stones and run, or drag their feet and slack off."

Two spirit stones were no small sum.

For an ordinary mortal family of three, their total annual income was only around sixty taels of silver—not even worth one spirit stone. Two spirit stones were enough for a mortal family to struggle for three years.

But in the cultivation world, two spirit stones were not so unattainable. This man's cultivation was at the Sixth Level of the Qi Refining Realm, so he was worth roughly that price.

Chen Qiu withdrew his gaze from the man before him and headed straight down the main road.

Whenever they passed into a new area or encountered something unfamiliar, Fat Dragon could always explain it clearly like a tour guide. Chen Qiu had also discovered that although Fat Dragon might be somewhat timid, his ability to gather intelligence was absolutely not to be underestimated.

He had arrived in this world less than five months ago, yet he had already figured out most of it.

Before long, in Area Seven, the "Trading District," they sold off the treasures in their hands, as well as several storage pouches they had no use for. The prices were all transparent. Cultivation techniques and mental arts produced by a Heavenly Dao Secret Realm never lacked buyers, and there would be no underhanded tricks with the prices.

Chen Qiu kept one spiritual treasure for himself and gave one to Fat Dragon.

He kept two Yellow Grade, Lower Class cultivation techniques and one Yellow Grade, Middle Class mental art for himself. He gave Fat Dragon two Yellow Grade, Lower Class cultivation techniques. The rest, along with various odds and ends looted from Huang Shikai—

—and several spirit stones from Huang Shikai's storage pouch—

—came to a total of fifty spirit stones.

Following their earlier agreement of a seventy-thirty split, Chen Qiu kept thirty-five spirit stones for himself and stuffed the remaining fifteen into a storage pouch before handing it to Fat Dragon. Just as the two were about to leave the shop—

"Please wait, you two."

The shopkeeper responsible for purchasing goods stopped them with a beaming smile. "A friendly reminder: something major happened in Windward City today. It is said that a Slaughter-Type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm appeared last night."

"One hundred people entered, but only two came out alive."

"One of them is of unknown identity. The other was reportedly just a drifter who normally made his living by going up the mountains to chop firewood. When the secret realm closed, quite a few people were waiting outside. Yet somehow, these two broke free from the chaos."

"Even the young master of Windward City's Huang Family died inside."

"I heard the Huang Family is furious. They gathered their clansmen overnight and are waiting at Heaven-Question Market for the other party to walk into their net. After all, if one wants to sell the gains from a secret realm within a hundred-mile radius, they must surely pass through Heaven-Question Market."

"The moment you entered this shop, someone had already set their eyes on you. Fighting is prohibited within the market, but once you leave its gates, it will be a mass graveyard."

"You two should be careful."

"..."

Chen Qiu calmly looked at the smiling shopkeeper before him. After a brief pause, he took out several taels of silver from his sleeve and placed them on the table. "Thank you, Shopkeeper."

"If fate allows, we will meet again."

He did not linger any longer. He simply strode out of the shop, completely ignoring the several burly men standing nearby with dark expressions and clearly ill intent, and continued down the main road.

He could understand the Huang Family seeking revenge.

If his own son had died, he would certainly seek revenge too.

But Huang Shikai had wanted to kill him, and he could not simply sit still and wait for death. Still, it was a troublesome matter. He would find a way to send the whole family down to reunite.

"Hey!"

Fat Dragon, distracted and uneasy, watched Chen Qiu stride rapidly ahead and could not help rushing up to stop him. His face was tense. "Brother Chen Qiu, why do you look like you don't care at all?"

"The Huang Family is hunting us down!"

"What are you so shocked about?"

Chen Qiu glanced at Fat Dragon and replied casually, "When the heavens rain, when a mother remarries—when someone's son dies, they come seeking revenge. Isn't that only natural? Why do you look so surprised?"

"What I mean is, the moment we leave Heaven-Question Market, we'll be surrounded and attacked by the Huang Family! This time, they're prepared. It probably won't be so easy to escape with the Earth-Escaping Technique and the Illusion Technique!!!"

"Mm."

Chen Qiu nodded lightly, then stopped outside a shop in Area Eight, the "Demonic Beast District." "I know what I'm doing. I'll rent a room at the inn across from this shop. Go gather information about the Huang Family's strength and the cultivation of the people they've sent this time."

"As long as we don't leave the market, we're safe for now. We'll meet again in one hour."

Although Fat Dragon was still uneasy, he felt Chen Qiu's words made some sense. He nodded frantically, then hurried away.

Watching Fat Dragon's departing figure—

Chen Qiu said nothing more and walked directly into the shop before him. "Shopkeeper, how much are adult demonic beasts in the Qi Refining Realm?"

One incense stick later.

Chen Qiu was already in a guest room at the inn across from the shop. The shopkeeper was grinning from ear to ear as he delivered one heavily wounded demonic beast after another, each locked in a cage and collapsed on the ground, into the room.

The innkeeper stood nearby as well, smiling as he busied himself.

Everyone looked exceptionally amiable.

In principle, the innkeeper would never allow a guest to slaughter large numbers of living creatures in a room. This was an inn, not a slaughterhouse. But this guest had offered five times the price.

After everyone had left.

Chen Qiu looked at the several dozen heavily wounded demonic beasts before him. Trapped in cages, they panted heavily, bared their fangs, and continuously roared at him. Slowly, he drew the long blade from his chest. It was a spiritual treasure he had obtained from the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm.

Yellow Grade, Lower Class.

Its name was Heaven-Slayer.

The name was quite domineering. Once his cultivation broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm and spiritual energy could flow outside his body, he could pour spiritual energy into the treasure to unleash its full power. At the Qi Refining Realm, however, it could only be used as an ordinary weapon capable of slicing through iron like mud.

Still, it was certainly far more useful than his woodcutting knife.

He had spent thirty-two spirit stones, nearly exhausting all his savings, to purchase this batch of adult demonic beasts.

Twenty-seven Red-Eyed Wolves at the Fourth and Fifth Levels of the Qi Refining Realm.

Four Broken-Tail Monkeys at the Sixth Level of the Qi Refining Realm.

Three Armored Crocodiles at the Seventh Level of the Qi Refining Realm.

One Porcupine Boar at the Eighth Level of the Qi Refining Realm.

Thirty-two spirit stones—most Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators did not possess such wealth. It was no small sum. Otherwise, why would the shopkeeper selling demonic beasts, a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, greet a little Qi Refining Realm cultivator like him with such a smiling face?

He had even thrown in a free service: beating them until they were severely wounded.

Spirit stones were meant to be spent. If he used them all to cultivate mental arts, his cultivation would certainly improve more, but the process would take far too long. Compared to spirit stones, what he lacked more was time.