Jiang Xuan's face showed... no ripple at all.
He had long known that on the path of immortality, beneath the chasm of Spirit Roots, the gap between people could sometimes be greater than the gap between man and ant.
For a Cultivator with a heaven-grade Spirit Root to open all thirty-six apertures in merely three or four days was only natural. There was nothing to make a fuss over.
Thus, he merely swept them a glance before withdrawing his gaze and continuing to ponder his own path of cultivation.
But before he could decide whether to change his cultivation method or change his profession, a voice suddenly came from beside him.
"Qin Feng and Xie Hanyan are the first prodigies in our Star Daoist Academy to open all thirty-six apertures. Aren't you going over to join the excitement and offer congratulations?"
This sudden approach made Jiang Xuan raise a brow. He turned his head and discovered that, at some unknown time, a kind-faced youth clad in splendid brocade robes had appeared at his side, smiling at him.
Though he did not know the other party's intentions, seeing no hostility in him, Jiang Xuan still replied calmly and courteously, "Their successful Aperture Opening is their business. It has nothing to do with me, so there is naturally no need for me to join the commotion."
After speaking, Jiang Xuan directly asked why he had come. "May I ask why this fellow Daoist has sought me out?"
"Haha, my surname is Dong, and my given name is Hao. Brother Jiang can simply call me Brother Dong." The youth smilingly introduced himself, then frankly revealed his purpose. "As for why I sought you out, it is very simple. I merely wish to make a friend of Brother Jiang."
"Hmm?"
Seeing the speechless look on Jiang Xuan's face, clearly indicating that he did not believe him, Dong Hao could not help but smile wryly and add, "That is my sincere thought. The path of Dao cultivation has never been one of solitary bitter practice. Wealth, companions, methods, and a place to cultivate—none can be lacking. In fact, in my eyes, companions come first. On the road of cultivation, only by having like-minded friends support one another can one walk more steadily and farther."
"Thus, I have always enjoyed befriending fellow Daoists."
Before Jiang Xuan's expression could change further, Dong Hao shrugged and shifted the topic. "Of course, this is also inseparable from my background. Let me introduce myself again: I am Dong Hao, the third son of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion shopkeeper. Here, I sell everything—pills and artifacts, cultivation methods and secret manuals. I also buy everything—heavenly materials and earthly treasures, rare curios, and precious playthings. My prices are far fairer than those of sect marketplaces."
That second introduction made Jiang Xuan understand why Dong Hao wished to make friends.
Whether in his previous life or in this world of immortality, social connections were not mere pastime for merchants. They were the foundation of their business, and even more so, the core that determined the upper limit of that business.
Suppliers, channels, information—none of them could be separated from one's network of connections.
What was more, in this cultivation world where strength reigned supreme, merchants who wished to grow their businesses had to befriend prodigies, experts, and sect Cultivators. Without someone to rely on, no matter how large their business became, they would only be a fat piece of meat in others' eyes, left to be carved at will.
Yet after learning that the other party had a need for social connections, Jiang Xuan's doubts only deepened.
"Why seek me out? You should know that I merely have a mid-grade mystic Spirit Root. I am neither a prodigy nor backed by a cultivation Lineage."
Social connections were important to merchants, but that did not mean they needed to court everyone.
For truly great merchants, only prodigies with outstanding talent and descendants of Aristocratic Clans with deep backgrounds were worth spending time and effort cultivating relationships with. Those were the connections that could truly bring value.
And Jiang Xuan believed that he belonged to neither category.
"Haha..."
Jiang Xuan's words suddenly made Dong Hao laugh. Stepping forward, he cupped his hands and said, "Brother Jiang is too modest. When the other students had exhausted themselves, you still sat steadily in cultivation. And amid the questioning, piercing gazes filling the entire hall, you remained undistracted, your Dao heart unmoved. Such temperament is something few students in this academy can match."
He paused, his tone growing increasingly serious. "On the path of immortality, Spirit Roots are indeed important, but what truly determines how far a person can go has always been comprehension and temperament."
"In my eyes, Brother Jiang is by no means an ordinary person. You are someone worth drawing close to."
"...Brother Dong overpraises me." Jiang Xuan did not know how to respond to such blunt praise for a moment.
Dong Hao, on the other hand, did not care about any of that. After praising Jiang Xuan, he immediately took out a small booklet and directly stuffed it into Jiang Xuan's hand.
"Though my Dong Household's Hundred Treasures Pavilion has no small estate, Brother Jiang should also know that families like ours have many descendants, and the competition is even fiercer."
"To leave a good impression before the elders of my family, and also to earn myself some pocket money, I run a few small businesses at the academy."
"This booklet lists the goods I can currently provide: pills, artifacts, cultivation methods, talismans—everything you could want. The prices are more than thirty percent lower than in sect marketplaces. Besides that, I also purchase all kinds of heavenly materials and earthly treasures, rare objects, and cultivation methods all year round. If Brother Jiang has anything you wish to sell, simply come find me."
This enthusiastic and proactive personality, coupled with the familiarity with which Dong Hao treated him as one of his own, made Jiang Xuan certain that this person was indeed a first-rate businessman.
And at present, Jiang Xuan truly needed a simple, quick-to-master Qi cultivation method to complete his main profession's appointment. Therefore, he did not refuse. Taking the booklet, he directly flipped to the page listing cultivation methods.
"Hmm?"
Seeing Jiang Xuan take the booklet and head straight for the cultivation methods, Dong Hao's eyes lit up. He instantly understood that Jiang Xuan urgently needed something. Rather than leaving, he simply stood beside Jiang Xuan, wanting to see what kind of cultivation method he was seeking.
Ignoring his actions, Jiang Xuan quickly found the section on cultivation methods and began searching for a Qi cultivation method that was easy to practice.
However, after searching for a while, Jiang Xuan discovered that he had miscalculated.
It was not that the booklet lacked cultivation methods—though Dong Hao claimed that he merely wanted to run a small business and earn pocket money, his impressive background meant that not a single cultivation method in this booklet was simple, and all of them were of extremely high quality.
But not only was every one of those methods difficult to cultivate, Jiang Xuan could not afford a single one of them.
Dong Hao naturally noticed Jiang Xuan's disappointed expression. This prompted him to step forward and ask, "Brother Jiang, with that expression, could it be that none of the cultivation methods in my booklet suit your fancy? If so, there is no need to worry. You may simply tell me your requirements, and when I return home, I will help you find one."
This only made Jiang Xuan feel more embarrassed. "Ahem, Brother Dong, you jest. The cultivation methods in your booklet are all treasures. It is only that my pockets are empty, and I cannot afford them at present. Besides, what I seek is not some profound cultivation method, merely a Qi cultivation method that can be picked up quickly and is extremely easy to master."
"A quick-to-master Qi cultivation method?" Dong Hao did not take the words "my pockets are empty" to heart. Hearing Jiang Xuan's request, he instead looked surprised and instinctively advised, "Brother Jiang, the Nine-Breath Qi-Absorption Method taught by our academy is the orthodox method most suited to Aperture-Opening Stage cultivation. It lays the steadiest foundation. Learning those unorthodox quick methods will do no good for your cultivation path."
Jiang Xuan shook his head slightly. "I know what I am doing. I have another use for it."
Seeing that Jiang Xuan did not wish to say more, Dong Hao perceptively stopped asking. Instead, he took back the booklet, ran a finger over the list, and finally stopped at one entry, pointing it out to Jiang Xuan.
"I do not have a quick-to-master Qi cultivation method here, but I do have a secret art that combines Qi cultivation with swordsmanship."
Following Dong Hao's finger, a special sword art immediately entered Jiang Xuan's sight.
"One Qi Sword Art"
As Jiang Xuan looked at the name of the cultivation method, Dong Hao began explaining its details beside him.
"This method is also called the Innate One-Qi Sword, or the One-Qi Swordheart Art. Its entry requirements are quite simple. You only need to recite the mental formula and cultivate a breath of Innate Qi. To reach the second realm, you merely need to make your spiritual energy more condensed and pure, while giving it some of Sword Qi's sharp characteristics. It is not difficult."
"But if you wish to reach minor accomplishment in the third realm, or in other words, mastery, the requirements of this method become much higher."
"You must refine the Qi of the five viscera into one before you can break through."
"As for the Fourth Realm and beyond, it involves the sword heart and the power of the mind. Those without great perseverance and great comprehension cannot achieve it."
After pausing, he added, "Most importantly, it is both a Qi cultivation method and an offensive sword art. Using it to cultivate Qi can unite all the various energies within your body. Using it to attack, this One-Qi Sword may have only a single strike, but it condenses all of your cultivation, vital blood, and mind into one sword. Among those of the same realm, it has few equals in power!"
"Of course, the prerequisite for all that is that you can cultivate it to minor accomplishment in the third realm—that is, mastery."
"Before that, it is of little use."
The One Qi Sword Art was a typical cultivation method that was easy at first and difficult later.
After cultivating a breath of Innate Qi and transforming Qi into a sword, one could directly enter the familiar stage of the second realm. Yet precisely because its entry threshold was so low, this sword art's early-stage power was mediocre, with almost nothing remarkable about it.
Its true might only began to reveal itself at mastery in the third realm—when one refined all the origin Qi within the five viscera and six bowels into one, forging a breath of Innate Origin Qi.
Yet this step was difficult as ascending to heaven.
"But that is precisely what I need. My appointment as a Qi Refiner only requires me to complete cultivation through the first two realms."
The cultivation method before him was extremely suitable for Jiang Xuan. Yet after looking at it, he regretfully shook his head and handed the booklet back to Dong Hao.
Dong Hao was not particularly surprised. Having expected it already, he chuckled. "Brother Jiang is unwilling to purchase this cultivation method because your funds are tight?"
"Mm."
Seeing Jiang Xuan nod, the smile on Dong Hao's face deepened.
"If that is the case, Brother Jiang need not worry. I already said that I enjoy making friends, especially with people of genuine ability. I can give this sword art to Brother Jiang as a gift between friends."
His suggestion made Jiang Xuan look at him several more times.
People often said that third-rate merchants pursued profit, second-rate merchants built reputations, and first-rate merchants invested in people.
Dong Hao's foresight and breadth of vision had clearly already transcended the level of haggling over every last penny. He cared even less about temporary gains and losses.
Yet in the end, Jiang Xuan did not accept his gift.
In this world, debts of gratitude were the hardest to repay. Especially since cultivation in this world was both the cultivation of truth and the cultivation of one's true self, and one's original heart was the hardest thing to deceive. Jiang Xuan did not wish to owe others too much.
Of course, he also knew that this sword art would be of great use to him—he still hoped to enter the Dao-Bearing Class and earn an excellent evaluation there.
Under such circumstances, the first-mover advantage was extremely important.
Therefore, Jiang Xuan did not intend to reject the cultivation method outright. The decision he ultimately made was—borrowing it on credit.
"This item is far too precious. Do not mention it as a gift again. Consider it something I have borrowed from you. I will certainly repay you in the future."
Seeing Jiang Xuan's firm attitude, Dong Hao finally nodded in agreement, but he insisted on waiving all interest.
"Brother Jiang, I truly regard you as a friend. Are you calculating things so clearly because you wish to distance yourself from me and draw a line between us?"
"Uh..."
After leaving Jiang Xuan speechless, Dong Hao left him the one-use jade slip containing the One Qi Sword Art and departed.
Yet his arrival, as well as the sword art he had given away, left everyone around Jiang Xuan utterly dumbfounded.
"No way! Putting on airs, then pretending to cultivate with the manner of an Aristocratic Clan descendant—does that actually work?"
Those ordinary students who had thought Jiang Xuan was merely putting on an act had never expected that he would truly attract several descendants of Aristocratic Clans seeking to befriend him, and even gain some benefits from it.
This made several "quick-witted" people's eyes light up. They immediately followed suit, imitating Jiang Xuan's earlier behavior and putting on airs themselves.
"..."
This scene left Jiang Xuan thoroughly speechless.
However, since it had nothing to do with him, he soon shook his head and cast these farces to the back of his mind.
Afterward, he did not rush to comprehend the jade slip and begin cultivating. Instead, he first took out the rice ball he carried with him and slowly began eating it.
Refining spiritual energy did not merely consume mental strength; it consumed physical strength as well.