Buying Supplies and Cultivating

The shopkeeper's reminder to stock up, combined with his hint about "rising prices," made the answer all but leap out-preparing for war!

The Zhou Household was preparing for a conflict that would consume vast resources! Who was its opponent?

War is coming... The thought coiled around Lu Zhao's heart like an icy snake, tightening in an instant. The old shopkeeper would not have said this without reason. This was practically an outright warning!

Lu Zhao abruptly rose and offered the old shopkeeper an exceptionally solemn bow, bending deeply at the waist. His voice carried an unprecedented sincerity. "I will engrave the kindness of your guidance today upon my heart, Shopkeeper! If I ever achieve anything, I would never dare forget it!"

A flicker of complicated gratification passed through the old shopkeeper's cloudy eyes. He waved a hand. "Go. Take care of yourself."

Lu Zhao said no more. He turned and strode out of the Nine Abyss Pavilion, his retreating figure conveying an unprecedented gravity and urgency.

Rain was coming to the mountains. He had to seize every moment and stockpile every resource he could, preparing for the turmoil that might come!

Walking through the still-bustling streets of the market district, Lu Zhao's heart remained as still as ice as he rapidly tallied his assets.

The proceeds from his last sale of puppets, materials, and magical artifacts, together with his garrison stipend and previous savings, minus the enormous expenditure on the Hundred Waters Dharma Disc, Water-Splitting Spikes, Heavy Water Pearl, pills, talismans, and Ironwood Guard materials, as well as the cost of the "miscellaneous items" at the Little Cloud Terrace Gathering, left roughly three hundred and thirty spirit stones in his Storage Bag.

This was a fortune among mid-stage Qi Refining rogue cultivators, yet it seemed so meager in the face of the impending surge in prices and the possible chaos ahead.

His goals were clear, and he moved as swiftly as the wind.

At the Zhang Family's Alchemy Chamber, he went straight to the steward he knew and swept up every Ice Jade Pill in the display case suitable for advancing mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation: nine bottles containing twenty-seven pills in total, costing eighty-one spirit stones.

Next, he bought fifteen bottles of first-tier middle-grade Meridian-Guarding Pills-a hundred and fifty pills-for seventy-five spirit stones.

To prepare for prolonged secluded cultivation or being trapped somewhere, he gritted his teeth and bought twenty bottles of Grain-Repelling Pills-two hundred pills-for forty spirit stones.

Finally, he replenished his supply with three Spirit-Restoring Pills and four Spring-Rejuvenation Pills, spending another fifteen spirit stones. Pills alone amounted to an expenditure of a hundred and thirty spirit stones.

At Fuyang Studio, offensive and lifesaving talismans were hard currency in the face of a conflict that might erupt.

Lu Zhao no longer scrimped, selecting only fine first-tier superior-grade talismans. Five Golden Sword Talismans, five Explosive Flame Talismans, three Water-Escape Talismans, and even one extremely expensive first-tier superior-grade Ice Wall Talisman that he gritted his teeth to buy-the talismans cost twenty-five spirit stones in total.

After buying pills and talismans, he returned to the Nine Abyss Pavilion. Puppet Art was the foundation on which he built his life; his supply of materials could not be allowed to run dry.

Once again, he cleared out all the Ice-Congealing Stone in the old shopkeeper's stock suitable for crafting Frost Rat Puppets-five pieces-as well as the black iron ingots-a hundred and twenty jin-and superior-grade ironwood needed to craft Ironwood Guards. He also replenished a considerable quantity of offcuts for making Puppet Guards and basic components.

This batch of materials almost exhausted the Nine Abyss Pavilion's relevant stock and cost a hundred and forty spirit stones.

Finally, he went to the northern section of the market district to find Wang Yun. Unfortunately, only Chen Fang was home, so he could only leave thirty spirit stones with her to help buy sparrow corpses. He also reminded Chen Fang to be careful and, if she had spirit stones, to buy more pills and talismans.

By now, the fortune of three hundred and thirty spirit stones had vanished like flowing water. His Storage Bag had once again become heavy yet "empty"-it was stuffed with pills, talismans, and spiritual materials, but only a scant few spirit stones remained as loose change.

By the time he left the market district, the sun had already slanted westward. Lu Zhao cast one last look back at the Zhou Household Market, which seemed even more bustling in the sunset's afterglow. No trace of attachment remained in his heart, only a heavy sense of urgency.

He activated the Mystic Water Tortoise-Shell Shield, and its deep-blue water curtain flowed silently. The Puppet Guard in his sleeve stood watch, while the Flowing Cloud Sparrow rose soundlessly overhead, taking in the entire route home.

He took no further detours, choosing a relatively direct shortcut that required crossing a short stretch of Wasteland Ridge. Like a gray shadow melting into the dusk, he sped toward Green Vine Ravine.

In just half a day, Lu Zhao returned to Green Vine Ravine. Even this damp, cold ravine gave him something of a feeling of coming home.

Seated cross-legged in the stone chamber, he watched the earthen-yellow spiritual glow of the Earth Vein Black Tortoise Formation, which gave him a rare sense of peace.

Moisture filled the stone chamber in Green Vine Ravine. Lu Zhao sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, the pale-blue spiritual glow of the Little Spirit Rain Art flowing ceaselessly as it drew the ravine's water spiritual energy into his meridians. Five streams of pale-blue true qi coiled in his dantian like ice flood dragons.

He took out an Ice Jade Pill. Its surface was densely covered in ice-crack pill markings like a spiderweb, with frosty-white cold vapor swirling around it. The pill melted the moment it entered his mouth, and a pure surge of cold exploded instantly, charging violently into his limbs and bones.

He circulated his cultivation method at full strength. The five streams of true qi devoured spiritual energy furiously, their rotation abruptly accelerating.

Spiritual light splashed out as magical power collided, and faint cracking sounds came from the bottleneck. Lu Zhao guarded his mind closely, enduring the stabbing pain of the medicinal power's impact as he guided its tremendous force into becoming his own spiritual energy.

Two and a half hours later, Lu Zhao slapped his Storage Bag, took out a brown pill, and tipped back his head to swallow it.

After another two and a half hours of cultivation, Lu Zhao opened his tightly shut eyes and let out a long breath.

Taking an Ice Jade Pill to cultivate first, then a Meridian-Guarding Pill to extend his cultivation time, was the method Lu Zhao had gradually worked out over the years to maximize the pills' effects.

If I could take one Ice Jade Pill and one Meridian-Guarding Pill every five days, wouldn't I be able to break through to the sixth level of Qi Refining in a year?

Lu Zhao found the thought that had popped into his head amusing. If he really cultivated that way, the spirit stones he earned each year would barely cover his pill consumption.

In that case, there would be no hope of improving his Puppet Art.

Still, it was time to increase his monthly cultivation pills. Three Ice Jade Pills and three Meridian-Guarding Pills each month-this was the decision Lu Zhao made after considering both his stock of pills and his cultivation progress.

The pills he had on hand, together with those issued monthly by the Zhou Household, would last more than a year. By then, even if he had not reached the sixth level of Qi Refining, he would be close.

As for the spirit stones he earned from now on, he planned to invest them all in Puppet Art, preparing to advance to a first-tier middle-grade Puppet Master.

War was imminent. He had to throw everything into becoming a first-tier middle-grade Puppet Master and increasing his strength.

As for leaving the Zhou Household, he would not consider it for now. At present, there was nowhere else that could support his cultivation as the Zhou Household currently did.

While Lu Zhao devoted himself to cultivation and pondered how to improve his Puppet Art, an argument was taking place within the Zhao Family of Tianfang Commandery, northwest of Changfeng Commandery.

Tianfang Commandery lay northwest of Changfeng Commandery, with the northern foothills of the Heavencloud Mountain Range forming the boundary between the two commanderies.

The Zhao Family was the strongest Foundation Establishment lineage in Tianfang Commandery.

On the Zhao Family's second-tier spirit vein in southeastern Tianfang Commandery stood an elegant pavilion, where a major matter concerning the lineage's fate was being discussed.

A middle-aged man with a nose bridge as high and straight as a mountain ridge, tightly pressed lips that seemed cast from iron, and a three-inch blue-black beard on his chin addressed another person in the seat of honor to his left:

"Fourth Brother, I disagree. The Zhou Household is considerably stronger than our Zhao Family. We cannot attack."