Chapter 43: Inventory, Calculation, Planning

Southern border of the Chu Kingdom.

Tianshui Market Town.

This was one of over a dozen market towns along the Chu Kingdom’s frontier, backed by a late-stage Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator named Xiong Chengyuan.

To reach Foundation Establishment as a rogue cultivator was rare even in the northern wilds among the great cultivation nations. More importantly, this Chengyuan was one of the few second-rank alchemists among the itinerant practitioners, with a wide network of friends.

Market Town, Dewcatcher Pavilion.

Shen Lian sat in a private room, sipping his wine and quietly observing the passing cultivators through the window. His current appearance was that of a thin, middle-aged man.

Because of its proximity to the wild borderlands, the town was filled with many rogue cultivators. By observing their faces and manner, Shen Lian concluded that the events at Yunmeng Market Town had not yet spread.

If word had gotten out, the atmosphere here would be entirely different.

He drained his cup and shook his head.

There were many rogue cultivators in Yunmeng Market Town, but how many could be compared to him?

He had nearly a hundred zhang of spiritual sense as his trump card.

Over two thousand demonized ant beasts had scouted the way for him; after emerging from the wilds, only eighty-nine of Dahei’s brood remained.

He had burned through almost three hundred high-grade talismans.

The dangers he’d encountered were far too numerous to count. Had he not been so cautious, he’d have long since perished in the desolate mountains.

Rather than saying he carved out a path, it was more accurate to say he blazed one with spirit stones.

Judging from his own experience, the three sects’ blockade of the market town was not in vain.

Besides himself, there might well be other lucky rogue cultivators who managed to crawl out of the wilds.

Damn it, the founding patriarchs of Chu’s three great cultivation sects must have been truly blessed by fortune.

Those three sects had uncovered a great opportunity deep within the mountains. The vast wilderness served as the perfect barrier, sealing off news of the opportunity and granting them ample time to exploit it.

As for whether the patriarchs could truly seize such a grand opportunity without being destroyed in the process, who could say?

Shen Lian shook his head, dismissing the thought. In any case, he had already escaped—no need to worry further.

For now, a few days of proper rest and a careful consideration of his next steps were the order of the day.

At the eighth level of Qi Refining, he was not far from Foundation Establishment.

Some cultivators managed to break through to Foundation Establishment without taking the Foundation Pill, but such cases were rare.

For Shen Lian himself, if his spiritual root aptitude reached ninety or above, and he could refine the Five Qi within his organs, he might attempt Foundation Establishment without the pill.

By his reckoning, it had taken nearly two years to traverse ten thousand li of miasmic wilderness since he fled Yunmeng Market Town.

A thought stirred, and a glimmer of spiritual light flashed in his eyes.

[Shen Lian: Qi Refining, Eighth Level]

[Five Elemental Roots: Fire 72, Earth 18, Metal 17, Wood 29, Water 18]

[Spiritual Sense: Ninety-two zhang]

[Talisman Master: First Rank, Superior Grade (1/10,000)]

[Beast Taming: First Rank, Intermediate Grade (1/1,000)]

—Expand—

[Comprehension Points: 1806]

[Enlightenment Points: 0]

He let out a soft sigh. There had been few moments of calm during his struggle for survival in the wilderness. Sometimes, to avoid danger, he’d been forced to hide deep in underground caverns.

With a restless heart and unsettled mind, gaining comprehension points was difficult; in more than a year, he had accumulated less than he would have in half a year’s peace at Yunmeng Market Town.

As for enlightenment points, there was nothing to speak of at all.

At present, his fire spiritual root had reached seventy-two; a hundred was not far off. Next, he needed a safe place to focus on gathering enlightenment points.

He had four other elemental roots as well. Judging from his progress, it would only be possible to raise all five to superior or perfect grade after Foundation Establishment.

Shen Lian understood the folly of greed. Cultivation must proceed step by step; before Foundation Establishment, it was enough to perfect his fire root.

As for metal, wood, water, and earth, he could wait until the Foundation Establishment stage to raise them. By then, with perfected Five Elements, he could form his core and lay the foundations for true transcendence.

Before finishing his meal, Shen Lian had already worked out the rough outline of his cultivation plan.

Seek out Five Elemental spiritual materials to refine the Five Qi within his organs.

Find a stable sanctuary and raise his fire root to at least ninety.

If he could accomplish both, he would have a good chance of breaking through to Foundation Establishment without the aid of a pill.

As for advancing from the eighth to the ninth level of Qi Refining, that was hardly a challenge for Shen Lian.

With his skills, how could he lack cultivation resources?

Previously at Yunmeng Market Town, he’d planned to become an auxiliary alchemist. That goal was within reach.

Once settled, comprehension points would come easily enough.

Alchemist, arrays, spiritual plants—all these, in time, would be at his fingertips.

In the future, if the pills weren’t of superior grade, he would not take them; if his cave dwelling were not guarded by top-tier arrays, he would not live there.

After eating and drinking his fill, Shen Lian left Dewcatcher Pavilion and headed for the market’s largest shop.

He needed to restock his supplies.

He also needed to buy a beast pouch. Dahei and the rest of his brood were still hiding in the wilderness.

During his trek across the wilds, most of his talismans and pills had been consumed.

Oddly enough, he’d used only a third of his spirit stones—most spent maintaining his arrays.

At present, he still had 2,430 left in his storage pouch.

He had enough Thunderfire, Spiritual Sense, and Concealment talismans for two array sets, half a bottle of spiritual ink, and barely a dozen talisman papers.

For a Qi Refining cultivator, 2,400 spirit stones was a fortune—especially for one with superior skills.

But for Shen Lian, Five Elemental materials required spirit stones.

A suitable magic weapon would also cost spirit stones. Thanks to Biyue Sect’s restrictions at Yunmeng Market Town, he hadn’t yet acquired a single flying sword that suited him.

He also wanted to purchase disguise techniques, concealment jade talismans, and a Mind-Clearing Jade for his soul-refining cultivation.

After making a round of the market, Shen Lian stepped into a shop called Treasure Mountain Pavilion.

“What can I help you with, fellow cultivator?” a steward greeted him with a cheerful smile.

Shen Lian surveyed the shop as he entered; there were four stewards, the others busy tending to different rogue cultivators.

Upon his entrance, other customers glanced his way, but out of caution, quickly averted their eyes, avoiding unnecessary trouble.

“Do you have beast pouches?”

“Yes… yes, this way, please.”

The steward led Shen Lian to the counter and deftly produced a beast pouch.

“This is a first-rank, intermediate-grade beast pouch. The price is two hundred low-grade spirit stones.”

Though both were bags, a basic storage pouch cost only three to five spirit stones.

Why so cheap? Because there was a kind of gray-furred mouse in the cultivation world—its strength was weak, but once its belly was emptied, it provided at least a cubic foot of storage space.

Why did such a low-tier mouse possess spatial abilities? Cultivators had studied it for years.

Even Nascent Soul grandmasters had investigated.

The final conclusion… The Way of Immortality is supreme and ineffable.

In the end, no one bothered to question it further. Many cultivation clans simply raised gray-furred mice to manufacture storage pouches.

Shen Lian inspected the beast pouch, frowning at the shoddy workmanship.

“Do you have a superior-grade one?”

“No,” the steward shook his head. “Fellow cultivator, there is no orthodox beast-taming sect in the Chu Kingdom. Even this beast pouch was brought in from outside, and the price is already very fair.”

He smiled, thinking how the pouch had sat on the shelf for years—sect disciples scorned it, and rogue cultivators were reluctant to buy. At last, someone was taking it off his hands.

“What about superior-grade spiritual ink and talisman paper?”

“We have those.”

…

Leaving Treasure Mountain Pavilion, Shen Lian headed out of town toward the wilds.

First, he would retrieve Dahei and his brood.

During this journey, Dahei and its descendants had performed splendidly.

This only strengthened Shen Lian’s resolve to nurture them further; as guardians, sentinels, and scouts, these little creatures would be indispensable.

He had only managed to buy a beast pouch and talisman materials this time.

As for advanced items like the Concealment Jade Talisman and Mind-Clearing Jade, none were available here.

After a few days’ rest, Shen Lian planned to leave Tianshui Market Town for other destinations.

His next stop was not the previously planned Biyue Immortal City, but Ninefold Immortal City.

Ninefold was to be a waystation—after acquiring what he needed there, he intended to leave the Chu Kingdom altogether.

With opportunities of the third and fourth rank emerging from Yunmeng Market Town, the kingdom would know no peace.

Such great fortunes—how could the three major sects not compete and feel resentful?

If news was still contained, it meant either the opportunity hadn’t been fully unearthed, or the three sects were still in their honeymoon phase.

Shen Lian had little faith in this love triangle—there was no stability in it.

He’d bet a pack of ancient spicy jerky that their alliance would fall apart sooner or later.

Once the three sects started fighting, could the Chu Kingdom remain at peace?

Outside Tianshui Market Town.

Shen Lian, beast pouch in hand, walked into the forest.

“Come out, little blacks.”

Rustle, rustle…

From the tranquil woods came the sound of earth being tossed aside as ugly, horned heads emerged from the ground.

“Hiss hiss—”

Dahei slithered up Shen Lian’s leg, perched on his shoulder, and hissed.

The remaining horned demon ants gathered together and were stored away into the beast pouch.

“Hiss hiss—”

Grabbing the ingratiating Dahei, Shen Lian tossed it into the pouch and turned back toward the market town.

He would spend the night here, then head to the nearest Ninefold Immortal City.

The small market towns had too few spiritual wares for his needs.

Moreover, to leave the Chu Kingdom, he would need to board a large spirit ship—something unavailable at Tianshui Market Town.

In this era, it was simply impossible to hide in the wilderness and cultivate. Without an avenue to obtain resources, how could one ever hope to attain immortality?