But if it was used to purchase spirit herbs, it was still not enough.
The Spirit Gathering Grass he had used to improve his spiritual root last time had been a first-tier top-grade herb worth more than quite a few Tier 2 Spirit Herbs.
If I want to improve my spiritual root again, I'll probably need at least a Tier 2 Spirit Herb for any noticeable effect, Zhou Xun guessed inwardly.
At the Hundred Treasures Tower, the cheapest Tier 2 Spirit Herb still cost more than a hundred and fifty spirit stones.
That was far beyond Zhou Xun's budget.
"If worse comes to worst, I'll wait a few years before buying one. My current Medium Spiritual Root is barely sufficient anyway."
Zhou Xun consoled himself.
Another half year passed.
Zhou Xun ranked fifth and successfully became a first-tier Pill Refinement Master.
According to his original plan, Zhou Xun had not intended to advance so quickly.
However, in order to earn enough spirit stones as soon as possible, he had to bring some of his pill-selling activities into the open. In that case, the status of a Pill Refinement Apprentice was somewhat too low.
"I ranked seventh during the assessment and fifth now. My advancement speed has improved somewhat, but it is still within a reasonable range!"
Before long, news of Zhou Xun's advancement gradually spread. Danbao Pavilion had gained another ranked pill master.
"Pill Refiner Zhou!"
"Good morning, Pill Refiner Zhou!"
The moment he stepped into Danbao Pavilion, the menial workers, maidservants, and Pill Refinement Apprentices he passed all saluted him.
Even quite a few pill masters cupped their hands in greeting, offering friendly smiles.
"Pill Refiner Zhou is really handsome!" Some young maidservants of Danbao Pavilion covered their mouths as they giggled and teased one another.
"Indeed, Pill Refiner Zhou is only twenty this year, isn't he? He truly is young and accomplished!"
"If Pill Refiner Zhou took a liking to me, my life would truly be complete!"
Before long, Zhou Xun arrived at the room assigned to him.
Every ranked pill master in Danbao Pavilion was provided with a separate room.
This room differed from an Alchemy Room in that it was permitted for residence.
Furthermore, these rooms received Red Leaf Square's Spiritual Qi supply, with a concentration roughly equivalent to a Tier 2 Low-Grade spirit vein.
It was already barely enough to support the daily cultivation of Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Cultivating here was at least twenty percent faster than in Green Willow Alley.
However, Zhou Xun did not give up his house in Green Willow Alley.
Whenever he refined pills alone, he did so there, so he could not yet stop renting it.
Still, one thing was likely to draw attention: the grade of that house did not match his status as a first-tier pill master.
Fortunately, he had lived there for more than ten years. He could tell others that he missed his old home, and that would be plausible enough.
This also had an advantage: it would let him build an image of someone nostalgic for the past.
A young pill master with outstanding looks, who had grown up in Red Leaf Square and was deeply attached to old memories, was always more reassuring.
Not long after he entered the room and sat down, Wang Erniu arrived.
By then, Wang Erniu had already reached the Mid-Stage Qi Condensation realm.
"Big Brother, congratulations on successfully advancing!" After two years of life in a great lineage, Wang Erniu had grown somewhat plump.
However, toward Zhou Xun, he remained just as he had been when they first met.
"What, not staying home to hold your daughter?" Zhou Xun teased.
In the second year after Wang Erniu married, he had a daughter named Lin Xiuyin.
From then on, this former farm boy became a devoted daughter slave.
Every day, it was his daughter this and his daughter that.
Whenever he spoke, it was always about how his little Xiuyin was.
"Big Brother has advanced to pill master, so naturally I had to come personally to offer my congratulations!" Wang Erniu laughed heartily.
As he spoke, he handed over a thick tome.
Zhou Xun accepted it and looked.
"Qi Recovery Pill Formula!"
It was precisely the first-tier low-grade pill he had not yet mastered.
After taking a first-tier low-grade Qi Recovery Pill, a cultivator at the peak of the third layer of Qi Condensation could recover forty percent of his spiritual power in an extremely short time.
It was the favorite of demon-hunting cultivators.
Zhou Xun had previously focused all his energy on other low-grade pills, only recently planning to learn the refinement of Qi Recovery Pills. This gift from Wang Erniu had arrived at just the right time.
"Erniu, you've put thought into this," Zhou Xun said warmly.
"Hehe, I thought Big Brother would happen to need it after advancing!" Wang Erniu rubbed his hands together and gave an honest smile.
"By the way, Big Brother, I came this time for... for another matter!" Wang Erniu suddenly became bashful.
"What matter?" A trace of strange suspicion rose in Zhou Xun.
"The family head asked me to pass on a message. Would Big Brother consider marrying into the Lin family?"
"After you marry in, the Lin family will freely give you an inheritance for a first-tier high-grade pill refinement art. At the same time, they promise that once Big Brother becomes a high-grade pill master, they will offer up a second-tier inheritance with both hands!"
Wang Erniu finished it all in one breath.
He sincerely hoped that Zhou Xun could join the Lin family with him.
After all, Wang Erniu's life now was more comfortable than words could describe.
In cultivation, spirit veins, spirit stones, pills, and cultivation techniques were all supplied at the very highest level.
In life, his beautiful wife was a direct descendant of the Lin family, and he also had a lovely daughter. He could be called a winner in life.
"I have no such plans for the time being."
Zhou Xun refused without hesitation.
"Marry into a great lineage, enjoy a beautiful wife and lovely concubines, and leave behind a bloodline!" Perhaps the Zhou Xun of before would have agreed.
But now that the Ningshun Sutra was in his hands and the Great Dao lay within reach, Zhou Xun naturally had no desire to do so.
Seeing how seriously Zhou Xun spoke, Wang Erniu did not try to persuade him further. He knew that his big brother was someone with extremely clear plans. Changing the subject, he said:
"Big Brother has advanced to pill master. Aren't you going to celebrate?"
"Becoming a pill master is one of life's great joys. Naturally, it calls for celebration!" Zhou Xun considered briefly before answering at once.
At a celebration banquet, with cups raised and exchanged amid lively revelry, it was the perfect time to strengthen connections and expand one's influence.
Those with whom he rarely interacted, or even had never interacted at all, could also use the celebration as an excuse to come calling.
He could likewise choose capable people among them and find chances to return their gifts.
After a few such exchanges, relationships would naturally take root.
On the day of the banquet, guests filled the entrance.
Not only did all of Zhou Xun's old friends attend, but Danbao Pavilion colleagues, Green Willow Alley neighbors, and even several small shops sent congratulatory gifts.
Such was the influence of a young pill master.
To Zhou Xun's delight, Dan Xiong Hai, whom he had not seen for more than a year, also appeared at the banquet.
By then, he had already broken through to the Mid-Stage Qi Condensation realm. A fierce aura clung to him, forceful enough to press upon others like a demon beast.
"His cultivation has progressed so quickly. My childhood friend must have encountered some extraordinary opportunity!" As his childhood friend, Zhou Xun clearly sensed Dan Xiong Hai's changes.
After leaving behind a body-refining cultivation technique, Dan Xiong Hai hurried away once more.
Besides Dan Xiong Hai, the changes in another old friend also pleasantly surprised Zhou Xun.
This person was Lan Song, his former colleague from Mystic Talisman Pavilion.
He was now a talisman master apprentice at Mystic Talisman Pavilion. Even more astonishingly, he was also the personal disciple of a certain first-tier high-grade talisman master there.
Judging by status alone, he was faintly approaching that of a ranked talisman master.
"After more than a year, Brother Zhou has indeed shone brilliantly!" Lan Song was high-spirited, no longer possessing the timid caution he had shown when serving as a menial worker.
"Haha, Brother Lan is no different. You and I met in humble days; we should visit one another often in the future!" Zhou Xun laughed, grasping Lan Song's wrist to show his closeness.
"Brother Zhou speaks truly!" The two exchanged a smile, and everything was understood without a word.
Hong San had changed greatly as well.
Because of the upheaval in Hundred Savages Mountain, the various halls of the Iron Mountain Gang had all suffered sharp declines in income, and their strength had been greatly damaged.
Yet because Zhou Xun supplied Hong San's hall with large quantities of pills, it rose suddenly like an unexpected army.
Before you continue