Spending

Though it was early morning, Cangyun City was already bustling.

Lu Changsheng and Ning Yuxin walked down the street.

He came into the city often, wandering around whenever he had nothing to do.

Ning Yuxin, however, had never gone out since arriving at Qingyun Peak. She had become so absorbed in cultivating lately that she had rather lost herself in it.

On this rare outing, she could hardly hide her excitement. After all, she was only seventeen or eighteen. She could not keep her heart as still as water and still enjoyed lively places.

They strolled along, taking in the sights. Lu Changsheng was quite relaxed. Looking at scenes he had seen countless times, he still felt from the bottom of his heart that the mortal world held so many joys, far better than the tedium of cultivating.

If he cultivated all day like Zhou Qingyu, he would be bored enough to hatch a bird.

"Senior Brother Lu, what do we need to buy?"

"Let's get some spirit medicines first!"

As Lu Changsheng spoke, he walked into an apothecary.

"Immortal Master Changsheng, it's been a long time! What would you like today?" A shop assistant greeted him with a smile.

Who in Cangyun City had not heard of Lu Changsheng? He was famous for doing nothing all day, and he had a sword immortal for a senior brother. His reputation was considerable.

"Do you have Clear Spirit Grass, Essence Condensation Flowers, Spirit Gathering Leaves, and Scarlet Fire Roots?"

"Yes. How much would you like?"

Lu Changsheng pondered. "I'll just take a little. A hundred plants of each to start with. I'll come back if that's not enough!"

"A hundred of each?"

The assistant froze, somewhat incredulous.

"You don't have that many?"

"We do! Please wait a moment!" Excited, the assistant turned and ran toward the back, shouting as he went, "Boss, we've got a big order!"

Together, these would cost over fifteen thousand Spirit Stones. It was indeed a big order.

Ning Yuxin was also lost in thought. These were all medicinal ingredients rich in Spiritual Qi, and she looked over in disbelief.

"Senior Brother Lu, what are you buying so many spirit medicines for?"

"To refine pills for you!"

"But with this many, how long will it take me to finish them?"

Lu Changsheng said, "This is only a few days' worth!"

"Finish this much in a few days? Even someone in Essence Condensation would burst..."

It was not that she cared about those Spirit Stones. Rather, eating this much would burst even someone in Core Formation, let alone Essence Condensation.

Lu Changsheng said earnestly, "Junior Sister, you don't understand. Pill refining has a failure rate. It doesn't succeed every time, and the pills I'm refining this time are complicated. Buying extra means we'll be prepared!"

"So that's how it is!"

"Exactly!"

After hearing his explanation, Ning Yuxin said no more. After the previous two occasions, she still trusted Lu Changsheng quite a bit.

She simply felt the quantity was a little excessive.

Once the medicinal ingredients were packed, the two left the shop and went to another place, where they bought all sorts of heavenly materials and earthly treasures, a hundred portions of each.

Most contained extremely rich Spiritual Qi.

They shopped all along the way, spending thirty thousand Spirit Stones in just half a day!

Yet as Lu Changsheng walked, he was still doing the sums. With this many medicinal ingredients, accounting for wastage, he could only make twenty-eight or twenty-nine thousand. That fell rather far short of his expectations.

But he already had a hundred portions of each. Adding more would mean treating her as an outright sucker, which would be somewhat impolite.

After thinking it over, he looked at Ning Yuxin. "Junior Sister, would you like an Essence Condensation package?"

"What package?"

"It's that senior's signature method. Within three years, you're guaranteed to cultivate to the ninth layer of Essence Condensation, and it'll temper your body too. Though it won't match a body cultivator's, it won't fall far short at the same realm. It includes three years' worth of pills and will also let you reach the fourth layer of Sword Intent within three years!"

Ning Yuxin was stunned by his words.

She was only at the ninth layer of Spirit Gathering now. Reaching the ninth layer of Essence Condensation within three years meant crossing an entire realm.

And her body would be tempered until it rivaled a body cultivator's. More importantly, she would cultivate to the fourth layer of Sword Intent in three years. It was truly astonishing.

In another three years, she would only be in her early twenties. With such accomplishments at that age, she would rank among the finest in all of Cang Province.

The temptation was enormous. Who knew how many heaven's chosen she would surpass?

"Isn't that a little too heaven-defying?" Ning Yuxin could scarcely believe it.

Lu Changsheng said, "It sounds a little outrageous, but it's absolutely real. If it doesn't work, you can get a refund!"

To earn some Spirit Stones and reach Nascent Soul as soon as possible, he was really going all out.

He had honed every realm he had passed through to its utmost limit and knew exactly how to take each step. He had long since studied it all thoroughly in his spare time.

Moreover, cultivation below Nascent Soul was often simply a process of accumulating Law Power. As far as he was concerned, bringing an ordinary person to this point was practically in the palm of his hand, provided their talent was not especially poor and they had some Spirit Stones.

It was far easier than his own cultivation.

"Then what do I need to do?"

Clearly, Ning Yuxin was tempted.

Lu Changsheng said, "That's very simple too!"

"All I need is money?"

"Right!"

"Then how much will it cost?"

"A hundred thousand Spirit Stones?"

Even Lu Changsheng lacked confidence as he said it, afraid he was asking too much. It was a considerable sum.

After all, even if Ning Yuxin was rich, she was no fool.

Besides, a hundred thousand Spirit Stones was an enormous sum anywhere in Cang Province.

The entire Cangyun Sect only earned thirty thousand Spirit Stones in a year...

"I'll buy it!"

Ning Yuxin's answer was as decisive as ever, without the slightest hesitation.

Lu Changsheng grew excited.

Ning Yuxin continued, "But you might have to wait a while. I only brought a few tens of thousands of Spirit Stones when I left home, and I've nearly spent them all. I need to send word for my father to deliver more!"

"No rush, no rush. Take your time!"

Lu Changsheng suppressed the wild joy in his heart. He had never expected her money to be so easy to earn.

By his estimate, breaking through to Nascent Soul would cost him at least around three hundred thousand. If this deal went through, he would make a net profit of ninety-eight thousand, nearly completing a third of his goal.

"Come on, let's look around some more!"

Lu Changsheng spoke.

Ning Yuxin nodded, excitement rising in her heart as well.

Yet both were secretly delighted, each feeling they had made a killing!

Reaching the ninth layer of Essence Condensation and the fourth layer of the Sword Dao within three years, with a body approaching a body cultivator's, all for just a hundred thousand Spirit Stones-in her eyes, this deal was far too good.

Still, she had her doubts.

If Lu Changsheng had such a good method, why was he only at the fourth layer of Spirit Gathering? Or was the man before her hiding something?

She could not quite make sense of it, but she still chose to trust him. It was also the first time she had begun to speculate about Lu Changsheng.

While she was lost in thought, Lu Changsheng had already reached another shop. At the sight of a scarlet spirit medicine, his eyes lit up.

"To think Cangyun City has something this good!"

Looking at the fiery-red spirit grass, he could barely contain his emotions.

The shopkeeper came over and said to Lu Changsheng, "You have a fine eye, Immortal Master Changsheng. This Scarlet Spirit Grass is a rarity. It's the only one in Cangyun City, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a second even in all of Cang Province!"

"It certainly is rare. I've been searching for years!"

Lu Changsheng was delighted. Whenever he cultivated, the pain in his body was unbearable. By chance, he had found an ancient formula for refining a Scarlet Spirit Pill, which could lessen the pain.

After all, he already knew that when he broke through to Nascent Soul, the pain his body would have to endure would be ten times greater than before, or even more. It would be a great tribulation on his path of cultivation.

That was why he had always wanted to refine one. Scarlet Spirit Grass was its main ingredient, precious and seldom seen.

Once the pill was ready, he would have greater confidence in surviving this great tribulation.

Ning Yuxin was surprised as well.

She had never seen Lu Changsheng react so strongly before.

The shopkeeper said, "We're old acquaintances. Since you want it, Immortal Master Changsheng, take it for a thousand Spirit Stones!"

Delighted by these words, Lu Changsheng was just about to speak when a voice came from the distance, breaking the quiet.

"I offer two thousand Spirit Stones!"

As the voice spoke, they looked over and saw a young man of twenty-four or twenty-five walking toward them.

The newcomer was thin, his face not particularly handsome, and he gave off a sour, mean-spirited impression. His feathered robe fluttered in the wind. As he looked at Lu Changsheng, a mocking smile curled at his lips, and a measure of provocation entered his eyes.