Jiang Xiaochuan Had Changed

After Ye Shanhua left, Xu Changshou closed the courtyard gate, then opened his Storage Bag and took a look.

There were a full twenty-three spirit stones in the Storage Bag now.

Xu Changshou looked them over again and again, as though he could not believe they were real. This was the first time in his life he had seen so many spirit stones.

Xu Changshou, stop staring. This is nothing special. You'll earn even more spirit stones in the future.

Xu Changshou silently reassured himself.

After clearing away his stray thoughts, Xu Changshou took out the Yellow Weasel's pelt.

Then he used his Fine Steel Sword to cut it up.

The Yellow Weasel's pelt was exceptionally tough. It took a great deal of effort to cut it into twelve pieces, each the same size as a sheet of trimmed yellow hemp paper.

The Yellow Weasel had been too small. Twelve pieces were already the most its pelt could yield.

He left the Yellow Weasel's tail untouched, saving it to make a brush tip.

Then Xu Changshou took out his Spirit Brush and began drawing talismans on the pieces of Yellow Weasel pelt.

He drew twelve in succession, all Earth Gang Talismans. Of all the talismans he knew how to draw, the Earth Gang Talisman had the strongest defensive power.

Green Ink Peak had a talisman called the Earth Shield Talisman, which was also a defensive talisman.

An ordinary Earth Gang Talisman had three times the defensive power of an Earth Shield Talisman. Drawing one on Yellow Weasel pelt increased its defensive power by another two or three times.

Thus, an Earth Gang Talisman drawn on Yellow Weasel pelt could be considered invincible within the Qi Refining Period. Only a Foundation Establishment cultivator or a magic artifact could break through it.

Moreover, this kind of spirit talisman could be used three times.

If he sold them, they would definitely fetch more than Windwalking Talismans.

But Xu Changshou had no intention of selling something this good. Naturally, he would keep the good stuff for himself.

Once he finished drawing the Earth Gang Talismans, Xu Changshou put them into the jade talisman's space, along with the Yellow Weasel's tail and all twenty-three spirit stones.

He left only some ordinary talismans and a few spirit stone fragments in the Storage Bag.

Xu Changshou generally kept his valuables in the jade talisman's space. Not only was it spacious, but storing and retrieving things was more convenient than with a Storage Bag. A single thought was all it took.

If Xu Changshou wanted an Earth Gang Talisman for defense, he could have one in his hand with a single thought.

Of course, to keep up appearances, Xu Changshou usually patted his Storage Bag whenever he took something out.

With everything sorted out, Xu Changshou continued drawing talismans-ordinary Windwalking Talismans.

Next, Xu Changshou planned to stockpile a large number of Windwalking Talismans, enough to cover at least a year's assignments. Once he had enough, he would begin a long period of secluded cultivation to prepare for breaking through to the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Each further step in cultivation took longer than the last.

Xu Changshou made a rough estimate. Even with Qi Gathering Pills, advancing from the Qi Refining Eighth Layer to the ninth level of Qi Refining would take at least a year and a half.

Without Qi Gathering Pills, it would take at least five years.

Now that Xu Changshou had resources, he naturally intended to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining as quickly as possible.

First, he would draw talismans.

Xu Changshou threw himself into drawing talismans. He kept at it for over nine months, only stopping after he had drawn five thousand Windwalking Talismans.

Of course, Xu Changshou did not neglect his cultivation while drawing talismans. His progress was simply slower during that time, only half as effective as usual.

During those nine months, Ye Shanhua came every month, taking ten Windwalking Talismans from Xu Changshou each time.

Xu Changshou's wealth grew at a staggering rate over those months. He now had one hundred and eight spirit stones.

By then, Xu Changshou had also just turned eighteen.

One day off.

"Is Junior Brother Xu Changshou here?"

An unfamiliar voice rang out beyond the gate.

"Who is it?"

Xu Changshou hurried over to open the gate. He had never heard this voice before, yet it somehow felt familiar.

"Hehe, Junior Brother Xu, open the gate and you'll know." The voice outside sounded a little mischievous.

Xu Changshou pushed open the courtyard gate and saw a tall, slender youth standing outside, carrying himself with an imposing air.

The youth wore a radiant smile, and the contours of his face looked familiar.

When he saw Xu Changshou, the smile vanished from his face. "The Qi Refining Eighth Layer? Impossible! How could you be at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer too?"

"I was wondering who it was. So it's Junior Brother Jiang. Long time no see."

Xu Changshou smiled.

They had not seen each other for two or three years, and Jiang Xiaochuan had changed a great deal. Not only had his voice changed, but he had also grown to his full height and was now almost as tall as Xu Changshou.

"Long time no see, Senior... Senior Brother Xu."

Jiang Xiaochuan gave a bitter smile.

He had not come to see Xu Changshou in those two or three years because he had been waiting until he broke through to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer. Then he could hear Xu Changshou call him senior brother.

After all, Xu Changshou's cultivation had initially been higher than his, but his talent was inferior.

He had come from behind and broken through to the seventh level of Qi Refining before Xu Changshou. Naturally, he assumed he would also reach the Qi Refining Eighth Layer first.

So he had come to show off the moment he broke through, only to receive a resounding slap in the face.

What Jiang Xiaochuan did not know was that Xu Changshou had lacked resources before, and his talent was indeed worse. Relying on diligence alone, he certainly could not have cultivated as quickly as Jiang Xiaochuan.

But things were different now.

Xu Changshou could earn money himself and had no shortage of resources. In that respect, Jiang Xiaochuan, a disciple from a small lineage, could no longer compare with him.

With those resources added to Xu Changshou's diligence, his cultivation speed now naturally surpassed Jiang Xiaochuan's.

But Jiang Xiaochuan knew nothing of Xu Changshou's circumstances. In his eyes, Xu Changshou had worse talent, fewer resources, poorer conditions on his peak, and more difficult duties.

Taking all of that together, there was no way Xu Changshou could surpass him in cultivation speed.

Yet Xu Changshou had entered the Qi Refining Eighth Layer too. Jiang Xiaochuan found it utterly baffling.

"Junior Brother Xu, tell me honestly. How exactly did you break through?"

Jiang Xiaochuan's voice was full of resentment.

"It was nothing much. I came across a small fortuitous opportunity," Xu Changshou replied offhandedly, brushing him off.

"No wonder. So that's what happened. I knew you couldn't be faster than me. You had a fortuitous opportunity." Jealousy tinged Jiang Xiaochuan's words.

"Junior Brother Jiang, I heard you're tending a medicinal garden on Great Unity Peak. How is it?"

At that, Jiang Xiaochuan straightened up and said proudly, "Of course the conditions on our Great Unity Peak are good. Far better than your Green Ink Peak, where even birds won't shit. Besides, tending the medicinal garden is easy work. It doesn't get in the way of cultivation."

"That's good, that's good!"

Xu Changshou nodded slightly.

Jiang Xiaochuan's voice and appearance had changed, and so had he. His childhood innocence was gone, replaced by a somewhat worldly, calculating air.

Of course, this was not something Jiang Xiaochuan had personally chosen. The sect's environment was simply like that.

Back when they were on Reserve Beauty Peak, they had no dealings involving personal interests, and they were all young. That was why they had gotten along so well.

But now, that was probably no longer possible. They had all grown up and developed their own ideas. They would likely never return to the simplicity of their days on Reserve Beauty Peak.