Arrival, a Hefty Expense

"That's right." Zhao Hui nodded.

Li Yunjing did not agree immediately.

"Let me think about it."

Zhao Hui was not disappointed. He smiled and said,

"Please decide quickly, Sect Leader Li. Time is limited, so we can only give you one day to consider it.

Once the deadline passes, my shopkeeper will find someone else."

Li Yunjing nodded, then took his leave of Zhao Hui and left the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

As he walked out of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Li Yunjing pondered whether to accept.

Fifty low-grade Spirit Stones-

that was no small sum.

Seven Absolutes Grass was a first-grade spirit medicine.

Among first-grade spirit medicines, Seven Absolutes Grass was definitely one of the best.

A single Seven Absolutes Grass could easily sell for three Spirit Stones.

Thirty plants came to ninety low-grade Spirit Stones.

The shopkeeper of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion was offering Li Yunjing fifty Spirit Stones for his work.

He would make more than Li Yunjing himself.

That made Li Yunjing uneasy.

How could a merchant like the shopkeeper of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion

possibly allow himself to take a loss?

Li Yunjing did not think he was close enough to the shopkeeper of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion for the man to give up part of his own profit.

Besides, Soul Severing Cliff was a dangerous place.

Poisonous miasma often shrouded it.

One careless step inside could mean death and the destruction of one's Dao.

Li Yunjing thought it over for a long time and decided it was better not to go.

He already had a golden finger.

All he needed to do was develop slowly.

Why take the risk?

Having thought it through, Li Yunjing strode back toward the Luozhen Sect.

After returning to the Luozhen Sect,

Li Yunjing saw Zhang Hanpeng dancing with excitement.

"Woo-hoo! I've finally become a cultivator and gained Law Power!!!"

Li Yunjing froze when he heard that.

Had that kid Zhang Hanpeng broken through already?

That was much faster than he had expected.

He hurried over to check Zhang Hanpeng's condition.

When Zhang Hanpeng saw Li Yunjing, he could not suppress his grin.

"Sect Master, I've broken through!"

Zhang Hanpeng shouted.

Li Yunjing ignored him and focused his Divine Sense on Zhang Hanpeng.

Sure enough, Zhang Hanpeng's Dantian had opened, and he had Law Power.

"Well, Zhang Hanpeng, you broke through much faster than I expected." Li Yunjing clicked his tongue in amazement.

Zhang Hanpeng raised his head. "Maybe I'm a genius!"

Li Yunjing laughed.

"It's not even night yet, and you're already dreaming?

Tell me, how did you break through?"

Zhang Hanpeng scratched his head.

"To answer you, Sect Master, I can't really explain it.

I was cultivating just now when suddenly I felt my mind come alive, and the blockage in my mind cleared away at once.

Some things I hadn't understood before suddenly became clear to me.

By the time I came to my senses, I found that I'd opened my Dantian and become a cultivator."

When Li Yunjing heard this, envy flashed in his eyes.

This kid had actually experienced an epiphany!

Li Yunjing had never experienced an epiphany in all his time cultivating.

Zhang Hanpeng had only just started cultivating, yet he had already experienced one.

Damn it!

"All right, now that you've become a cultivator, it's time you helped the Luozhen Sect with some work."

Li Yunjing said.

Zhang Hanpeng was feeling full of himself. He thumped his chest and said, "Just give the order, Sect Master."

Li Yunjing took out the hundred-year-old paulownia wood.

"Go on, use this paulownia wood to build a chicken pen and fence in those three hens."

"Huh? Me?"

Zhang Hanpeng pointed at himself.

A dignified Early Qi Refining cultivator,

doing that kind of work!?

Li Yunjing stared at Zhang Hanpeng.

Zhang Hanpeng opened his mouth, but he could not refuse.

"Yes, Sect Master."

Taking the paulownia wood, Zhang Hanpeng headed for the chicken pen.

Li Yunjing nodded in satisfaction.

Just then, Li Yunjing suddenly received a warning from the mountain gate.

Someone was about to enter the Luozhen Sect.

Li Yunjing hurried toward the mountain gate, sending out his Divine Sense to investigate as he went.

Before long, Li Yunjing discovered that the visitor was the old man he had hired earlier.

Besides the old man Li Yunjing had met in the courtyard,

there were three others. One was the old man's grandson, while the other two were about the same age as the old man.

They looked hale and hearty, though.

The four stood obediently outside the mountain gate without making any unnecessary moves.

Li Yunjing walked out of Serene Valley and called out while he was still some distance away.

"Since you've come to the Luozhen Sect, please come in and talk."

Only after Li Yunjing invited them did the four enter the mountain gate.

"Sect Leader Li."

When they reached Li Yunjing, the old man bowed.

"Mm, I haven't yet had the pleasure of learning your name, sir." Li Yunjing smiled kindly.

"My name is Zhang Hongzhi. This is my grandson, Zhang Yuan. You've met him before, Sect Leader Li."

These two are old friends of mine. We worked together when we were young.

I brought them along this time because I would like them to serve as my assistants," Zhang Hongzhi replied.

The other two each bowed to Li Yunjing as well.

Li Yunjing also learned their names.

Zhu Mingzhe and Liang Tiannian.

Li Yunjing led the four into the Luozhen Sect.

The four arrived at the Luozhen Sect.

Although they had long heard that the Luozhen Sect had fallen on hard times,

when they saw the few buildings that remained in the sect,

the three old men were surprised.

The Luozhen Sect was in slightly better shape than people outside described.

The rumors outside all said that the Luozhen Sect had nothing left,

and that its sect master did not even have a place to live.

But now that they saw it for themselves, Luozhen Hall in the middle looked fairly normal.

It was nothing like the rumors outside had claimed.

Rumors do harm, Zhang Hongzhi thought to himself.

Li Yunjing led the four to the Alchemy Chamber.

"This is the Luozhen Sect's Alchemy Chamber. It has fallen into disrepair over the years, so I'll leave it to you three to see how it should be repaired."

Li Yunjing smiled at the three old men.

The three exchanged glances, then asked permission and entered the Alchemy Chamber.

The Alchemy Chamber was very damp.

Mold and moss covered the entire chamber.

A Pill Furnace as tall as a person stood in the very center of the Alchemy Chamber.

The Pill Furnace, however, was filled with dirty water.

There were also several holes in the Alchemy Chamber's roof.

Presumably, the dirty water had accumulated from the rain over time.

When the three old men saw this,

they were still surprised, even though they had prepared themselves for it.

"Sect Leader Li, the formation patterns in this Alchemy Chamber are completely unusable, and they can't be repaired."

Zhang Hongzhi and his two old friends reached that conclusion after just one look around.

Li Yunjing frowned. "They can't be repaired? Then what should we do?"

Zhang Hongzhi considered it for a moment.

"There are two ways. The first is to build a new Alchemy Chamber.

The second is to clean this Alchemy Chamber first, then inscribe new formation patterns."

Li Yunjing thought carefully after hearing this.

Building a new one was not a good idea.

The main issue was that Li Yunjing did not know whether, if a new one were built,

the new Alchemy Chamber would be considered an upgradable building.

If not, it would be a complete waste of resources.

The current Alchemy Chamber was considered an upgradable building.

It was simply too badly damaged to be upgraded.

Thus, Li Yunjing made his decision.

"Then let's go with the second way."

Zhang Hongzhi nodded and made a note of it.

He then conferred quietly with his two old friends.

Afterward, Zhang Hongzhi told Li Yunjing,

"Sect Leader Li, using this method will cost approximately sixty low-grade Spirit Stones."

That excludes the labor fees for the three of us; it's entirely the cost of materials.

As for labor, we've discussed it. No matter how long the work takes, you only need to pay fifteen low-grade Spirit Stones, Sect Leader Li."

Li Yunjing made a rough calculation in his head.

Including the deposit he had already paid,

repairing the Alchemy Chamber would cost eighty low-grade Spirit Stones.

After deducting the thirty-eight low-grade Spirit Stones he had spent earlier on purchases to upgrade the Chicken Coop,

he would have only fifty-one low-grade Spirit Stones left.

I'm short of Spirit Stones.

Looks like I need to sell some pure spiritual Qi.

Li Yunjing betrayed nothing, his expression calm.

"All right."

After leaving the Alchemy Chamber, they went to the cultivation room.

The cultivation room was also in terrible condition.

Compared with the Alchemy Chamber, however, it was in better shape.

At least its formation patterns did not need to be reconstructed.

Repairing the cultivation room would cost fifty low-grade Spirit Stones in total.

The biggest expense was a first-grade Spirit Gathering Formation disc.

Although it was only an ordinary Spirit Gathering Formation disc,

it still cost forty low-grade Spirit Stones.

After discussing it with the three of them.

The three would first go and purchase the necessary materials.

Then they would come to the Luozhen Sect to repair the alchemy room and the cultivation room.

Li Yunjing nodded, then asked.

"Can the three of you build a cave abode?"