I Acknowledge Your Degree!

"Ambient Spiritual Qi concentration: 8.98! Oh my gosh, you must be practicing Cultivation in a Blessed Land! I'm so jealous! Sob, Little Jade wants to practice Cultivation in a Blessed Land too!"

Listening to Sima Little Jade's idiotic voice, Chen Zhuo felt his limbs go weak.

He really was about to get oxygen drunk this time.

A Spiritual Qi concentration of nearly nine!

What did that even mean?

Even Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Immortal Estate couldn't afford a Cave Abode of this caliber. Golden Core True Persons would have to think long and hard before moving in!

And Chen Zhuo could enjoy a whole month there for just ten Spirit Stones!

"Ah, so this is the Ancient Cultivation Realm. Now that's the stuff!"

Chen Zhuo sighed and took a deep breath, still wanting more.

Chen Zhuo might have looked like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world, but the truth was...

He really hadn't.

Clutching the Bronze Token, Chen Zhuo followed its directions past the city's central district and toward the densely packed Cave Abodes along the mountain wall.

The Cave Abodes were staggered across the rock face, packed one after another.

At a glance, there were at least several thousand of them!

These weren't like the places in the Immortal Estate, called Cave Abodes but actually apartments. These were real Cave Abodes, carved into the mountain wall. Someone had dug a hole...

Very old-school.

Chen Zhuo followed the token's guidance until he finally found his own Cave Abode.

Its door was a Black Iron Door. Once he opened it with the token, all he found inside was a simple stone bed, a stone table, and two stone chairs.

Bare-bones.

And daylight never reached it.

But the Spiritual Qi was rich. That was enough.

Chen Zhuo nodded in satisfaction and sat on the stone bed. A cool sensation spread through him.

"Not bad..."

Chen Zhuo gave a slight nod, then immediately set up the drone without hesitation. He activated the World-Breaking Pearl, and black light flashed. Chen Zhuo vanished.

Back in the Immortal Estate, Chen Zhuo wasted no time contacting Sijing, his senior, and typed: "Senior, the pills are sold. Can we settle in Spirit Stones?"

Chen Zhuo was in a hurry.

A month was precious time!

He had paid Spirit Stones for it!

Right now, all Chen Zhuo wanted was to finish the handoff, get another Needle, and go practice Cultivation!

With a month and the power of technology on his side, Chen Zhuo was confident he could reach the Qi Refining Fourth Layer!

As for the Spirit Stones, Chen Zhuo didn't have time to use Talisman Paper and slowly exchange them for Spirit Coins. They could just barter.

After all, this was black-market business.

Bartering seemed like the safest way!

Sijing: ???

Hold on, man. You sold them in half a day?

In the women's dormitory at Taiqing City Alchemy Vocational and Technical College, Sijing was about to start her alchemy work for the day when the message left her dumbfounded.

Half a day ago, she had found a junior who seemed promising to act as her drug sales agent.

And half a day later, he had sold all those low-grade Waste Pills?

He even wanted to pay in Spirit Stone?

At that thought, Sijing fell into deep contemplation. At that moment, only one idea filled her mind.

Did Junior Chen Zhuo buy them himself?

Was he only acting as a sales agent to get the lowest wholesale price?

Sijing couldn't help drawing a sharp breath.

Well, damn.

I acknowledge your Immortal Dao Potential. You're a true Junior College student!

Her respect for him soared. She held out her slender hand and replied: "Sure! Just give me twenty Spirit Stones. I'll bring you the other pills later, too!"

Before this, Sijing had considered Chen Zhuo, who had come up from the Mortal Class, a technical-school student.

He might have a Junior College degree, but at heart he was still a technical-school student. Nobody accepted people like that. They dragged down the standing of Junior College students!

But now, Sijing acknowledged him!

Chen Zhuo was a qualified Junior College student. He was a college student!

Before Sijing could marvel any further, another message arrived from Chen Zhuo.

"Senior, I still have some Spirit Stones. Sorry for the trouble, but could you recommend an enhancer for breaking through from Early Qi Refinement to mid Qi Refinement? I want to dose myself hard!"

Sijing: !!!

Where did you get so many Spirit Stones?

Sijing badly wanted to ask, but she held back.

Everyone had their secrets.

Where could Spirit Stones come from?

One option was exchanging for them at the Immortal Estate Bank.

The other was obtaining them from the Dark Trading World.

One glance, and I'd swear that was it!

Still...

"Sure. For thirty Spirit Stones, there's some super-pure stuff: the Synaptic Spirit-Guiding Nebulizer, made by Senior Li Hao, the pride of our Junior College who successfully transferred to a university!"

Sijing promptly listed the products she knew: "There's also the Essence-Consolidating Qi-Tempering Enhancer · Beginner Model made by Senior Su Wan, who graduated last year and joined Mistveil Pharmaceutical Factory. She stole it from the factory... Ahem, secretly made it herself. It's good too, but pricier. Forty Spirit Stones will get you one!"

"The Synaptic Spirit-Guiding Nebulizer comes in a special nebulizing device. Press the button, and the liquid turns into mist that you inhale through your mouth and nose."

"The mist goes straight into your lungs for absorption. Its advantages? It works fast. You'll feel it after one puff, and it's convenient enough to use whenever you want. More of a slow, steady approach."

Sijing continued typing: "As for Senior Su Wan's Essence-Consolidating Qi-Tempering Enhancer · Beginner Model, that's a completely different approach."

"That one has to be injected. I don't need to explain the rest, do I? You've taken injections before. You know how it goes."

In short, one was an Electronic Cigarette and the other was an injectable!

Chen Zhuo apparently took some time to think.

A moment later, his reply came: "Thanks for explaining, Senior. Sorry for the trouble, but could you contact Senior Li Hao about the Synaptic Spirit-Guiding Nebulizer for me?"

Sijing wasn't surprised.

Although the Essence-Consolidating Qi-Tempering Enhancer worked better in a single dose, the Synaptic Spirit-Guiding Nebulizer was clearly better value for money.

"Junior Chen Zhuo, come find me in the College District. We'll make the trade in person."

"Got it."

Once he had the location, Chen Zhuo set off at once.

Soon, in the College District, Chen Zhuo met Sijing, his senior, who was short and looked barely five feet tall.

There were no unnecessary gestures. They merely exchanged a glance.

Then, like secret agents making contact, they completed the exchange.

Chen Zhuo handed her a bag of Spirit Stones, and Sijing passed him the silver Qi Mist Transformation device.

"Done. Same place next time."

Sijing spoke in a low voice, then hurried away.

Chen Zhuo gripped the delicate silver device, barely able to contain his excitement.

After completing the trade with Sijing in the College District, Chen Zhuo headed straight for his Cave Abode without hesitation.

A little over ten minutes later, Chen Zhuo returned to the Cave Abode.

"Time to go somewhere I can really cultivate."

Chen Zhuo took a deep breath. At a thought, the black World-Breaking Pearl in his sea of consciousness began to tremble.

Black light flashed, and Chen Zhuo vanished from the Cave Abode.

Ancient Immortal Realm, Cloudford Market, Cave Abode No. 73 in Bing District.

The black light faded, revealing Chen Zhuo on the cold stone bed.

The moment he arrived, Spiritual Qi so dense it was almost viscous rushed over him. Every pore in his body seemed to leap for joy.

"Whew... Now this is the kind of place where you cultivate immortality!"

With a sigh of admiration, Chen Zhuo took the silver device from his Storage Bag. "According to Senior Sijing, once I press the button, the liquid undergoes Qi Mist Transformation. Then I just inhale it through my mouth and nose... Should be fine."

After briefly running through the instructions in his mind, Chen Zhuo aimed the device's nozzle at his mouth and nose. His thumb hovered over the button as he took a deep breath.

"Here goes."

Chen Zhuo pressed the button.

A stream of pale blue mist burst from the device, carrying a cool mint scent.

Chen Zhuo inhaled at once, drawing all the medicinal mist into his lungs.

"Ooh! Whoa!"

The instant the mist entered his mouth and nose, Chen Zhuo's spirits soared. "Woohoo!"

"That's it, that's it! Now that's a kick!"