One and a half months had passed in the blink of an eye since the Golden Flower Maternal Sect's attack on the city.

It seemed that all corners of the land now knew about the failure of the sect's offensive, the sect with over ten thousand devotees.

The reputation of Qingliu County reached its zenith in no time.

Even the surrounding Demons seemed to have heard the news and fled.

Not a trace of a Demon could be seen for hundreds of miles around.

The county seemed to have returned to the peaceful and prosperous times of years past, as if in a trance.

In a small courtyard.

Qi Xiu sat cross-legged on a calming meditation cushion that emitted a tranquil fragrance. A black and a purple aura intertwined around his body, merging to form the likeness of a Mo Jiao and a purple tiger, inhaling and exhaling Spiritual Power, transforming it into Gang Qi.

By his side was a jar filled with orange-yellow, crystal-clear fruit that resembled honey tangerines.

Whenever there was the slightest fluctuation in Qi Xiu's breathing, the cloth doll beside him would promptly take out a fruit and place it in his hand.

With the consumption of a fruit, his breathing would stabilize once again.

After cultivating for six Hours, with the last fruit from the jar consumed, Qi Xiu took a deep breath. The Mo Jiao and purple tiger returned to his body, and the tumultuous Qi steadied.

"At long last, I've touched upon the threshold of condensing the True Gang Mark," he said.

Feeling the increase of Gang Qi strands within his Mixed Primordial Bead to three hundred and sixty, Qi Xiu silently nodded his head.

With five more strands of Gang Qi, he would be able to smoothly condense his first True Gang Mark. He would then step through the gateway from the Initiate Realm, officially advancing to the early phase of Dao-Entering.

"It's not easy, over two months just to barely condense the first True Gang Mark. And there's still the second and third to go. The road ahead is long and arduous," he sighed, shaking his head with a self-deprecating look.

Little did he know that if other cultivators were to hear his words, they would be inclined to tear that unsightly face of his to shreds.

Over two months to condense the first True Gang Mark, and he called this slow?

If this pace was considered slow, then ninety percent of the disciples from the large sects and noble families would have to smash their heads against a wall in despair.

After all, the normal amount of time it takes for an average Cultivator in this process is: three years!

The accumulation of Gang Qi is extremely slow. It involves inhaling and exhaling Spiritual Power to transform it into Gang Qi, then using the Gang Qi to refine the Body-Protecting True Gang, until finally, a True Gang Mark can be condensed.

The waste and futile efforts in this process are immeasurable.

But Qi Xiu, due to the logic of Divine Marvel that ensures a return for every investment, completely lacks such waste and futile efforts.

Moreover, this man relied on his mastery of making Talisman Scripts.

By selling a vast number of Dao-Entering Realm level Talisman Scripts through Shen's Myriad Goods Pavilion, he had amassed a considerable fortune.

After his supply of Spirit Pills was exhausted, he spent lavishly and, under the admiring and envious gazes of many, purchased ten jars of precious Spirit Tangerines.

This type of Spirit Fruit contains minimal impurities, is rich in Spiritual Power, deliciously sweet, and nourishing to the body. It has many advantages, but its only shortcoming is that it's expensive!

A jar of precious Spirit Tangerines costs a hundred Dao coins. Ten jars, that's a thousand Dao coins!

As good as the effects of these precious Spirit Tangerines are, they still fall a bit short compared to Spirit Pills. Plus, such Spiritual Power-infused fruits and elixirs are far too scarce at Shen's Myriad Goods Pavilion. When the next shipment will arrive, who knows?

Looking at the now empty jar, Qi Xiu finally understood why Daoist Qingya had said he was lucky to have obtained a Magic Artifact like the Spirit Pill bag.

Because after advancing to the Dao-Entering Realm, the greatest factor limiting a cultivator's Cultivation is Spiritual Power!

Honestly and diligently inhaling and exhaling the sparse Spiritual Power between heaven and earth, transforming it into Gang Qi. Progress in Cultivation is extremely slow.

All things in the world are silently inhaling and exhaling the Spiritual Power of this realm. Consequently, each individual's share becomes pitifully small.

This is why the disciples of major sects and noble families cultivate faster than those from ordinary Sect Aristocracies. Because the True Scripture Volumes they practice are more profound, their efficiency in inhaling and exhaling Spiritual Power is also higher.

Even so, sedentary cultivation is still the slowest method of improving one's Cultivation level.

Therefore, various spirit-rich Spirit Fruits and elixirs have become coveted by all cultivators. As a result, not only are the prices exorbitant, but the quantities are also very limited.

The ten jars of precious Spirit Tangerines that Qi Xiu had were acquired by paying a premium and taking advantage of opportunities, coupled with a few personal connections. Otherwise, as soon as these items arrived in Qingliu County, they would've been snapped up immediately.

Actually, there is another way that could quickly enhance my cultivation level. Yet, given my nature, it's not quite suitable for me to take that path. Staying stable and silently working seems to be the most fitting and safest option for me, he mused.

Casually placing the empty jar aside, Qi Xiu walked towards the house.

The method he referred to was his last trump card.

If the purple tiger and Mo Jiao each held their own Divine Marvels, then the Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery, as the root chapter, would certainly have more than one Mixed Primordial Bead.

...

"Senior Wu, here's this week's batch, you can count them."

Inside the top-level VIP room at Shen's Myriad Goods Pavilion, Qi Xiu waved his hand and retrieved a whole five hundred Dao-Entering Realm Suppression Talisman Scripts from the Flood Dragon Pool.

These Suppression Talisman Scripts were specialty Talisman Scripts that he had redesigned. Constructed entirely from brass, over a foot long, both ends carved with ancient patterns, they exuded a subtle air of nobility. One look and it was clear that these Talisman Scripts were extraordinary.

"What's there to count, I trust you. Have a taste, this is the 'Beauty's Finger,' a specialty of the Tuolamen Kingdom."

Pushing a plate of fruit that resembled the delicate fingertips of a young girl, translucent as white jade, towards Qi Xiu, Wu Lincong smiled as he collected the Talisman Scripts on the table.

In this period, relying on these exclusively sold Talisman Scripts, their branch's performance soared so much that even the provincial office sent commendations and encouragement. As long as they could keep it up, by the year's end, he could be promoted to the Store Manager of this branch; maybe he could even transfer to the provincial office next year.

Glancing at the fruit on the table, Qi Xiu didn't move but casually asked, "Senior Wu, any news about the item I asked you to keep an eye on?"

"No specific news yet, but rest assured, I've asked colleagues from various branches. As soon as there is news, I'll notify you immediately."

"It's just an alchemical prescription, and I'm not asking for the finished product directly. Is it really that hard to find?" Showing a hint of displeasure, Qi Xiu's voice grew slightly heavy.

"Oh, my little ancestor, what you're asking for isn't just any ordinary prescription. 'Sorrowful Breeze'..." His voice suddenly dropped several notches, and Wu Lincong covered his mouth, whispering, "That stuff is forbidden medicine! If you only wanted a bit of the finished product, I could still find a way to get you some. But you're asking for the complete alchemical prescription. If someone finds out, their entire clan would be decimated."

Sorrowful Breeze!

Qi Xiu had seen this super mysterious drug in an ancient book of strange tales. Once poisoned, tears would flow like rain, hence the name 'Sorrow'; the body unable to move, called 'Succumb'; the poison being colorless and odorless, hence 'Breeze'.

After advancing to the Dao-Entering Realm, as he faced increasingly powerful enemies, the effectiveness of mundane poisons like the Fish Fragrance Muscle-Relaxing Powder began to fall behind. Against beings above the Dao-Entering Realm, even though Qi Xiu had upgraded the Fish Fragrance Muscle-Relaxing Powder to version 7.0, it still couldn't affect Cultivators of Dao in the slightest, let alone the tough-skinned Demonic Evil Cultivators.

Therefore, upon discovering the ultimate upgraded version of the Fish Fragrance Muscle-Relaxing Powder—Sorrowful Breeze, Qi Xiu immediately sought out Wu Lincong, hoping that this manager of Shen's Myriad Goods Pavilion could help him find the prescription for Sorrowful Breeze.

But perhaps because the drug's effects were indeed too potent, it was placed directly at the forty-seventh rank on the Great Xuan Dynasty's list of forbidden drugs. Although Shen's Myriad Goods Pavilion claimed there was nothing in the world they couldn't buy or sell, for the time being, they struggled to obtain this medicine strictly prohibited by the court. Moreover, what Qi Xiu wanted was the complete prescription.

"I understand the difficulty of this matter, but I still hope Senior Wu could help me inquire further. If this is successful, I might be able to help Senior Wu climb even higher."

Qi Xiu slowly reached out with his right hand, handing Wu Lincong a three-inch-sized Talisman Script carved from jade-like material.

"This is..." Seeing a Talisman Script he had not seen before, Wu Lincong's eyes showed a hint of joy. But as he touched the Talisman Script and felt the energy within, he suddenly stood up in disbelief, staring at Qi Xiu. After a long time, he managed to squeeze out two words, "Sword Talisman Script?"

...

「That night.」

In the backyard of the Hundred Grass Hut branch in Qingliu County, cloaked in black robes, donning a Bamboo Hat, and affixed with eight Breath-Concealing Talisman Scripts, along with three Nether Mirrors to disrupt perception, taking advantage of the dark night, a small figure flickered with a ghostly Escape Light, instantly entering the room of Hundred Grass Hut Store Manager Xie Changling.

CLANG—

A fan made of eerie blue feathers, its edges razor-sharp, was held directly against Wu Lincong's neck, its chilling gleam nearly crystallizing his blood into ice.

"Breaking into a home in the dead of night, do you have a death wish?"

"Are you blind? You can't even recognize me anymore." Pulling off the black cloth from his face, Wu Lincong gave Xie Changling a glance and knocked away the fan at his neck.

"You, coming to my place in the middle of the night, not sleeping—what for? Are you here for the 'Ever Victorious Pill' again?" Looking at his strangely dressed old friend Wu Lincong, Xie Changling joked while laughing.

"Ever Victorious be damned, sit down. I've come this time for serious business."

Seeing Wu Lincong's solemn expression, Xie Changling stopped joking, sat down, and while pouring tea, said, "Tell me, what's so urgent that you needed to sneak over here in the middle of the night."

Taking a deep breath, Wu Lincong's eyes were grave as he stared at Xie Changling, "Give me the prescription for 'Sorrowful Breeze.'"

PFFT—

Xie Changling spewed a mouthful of hot tea all over Wu Lincong. Heedless of the tea dripping down his friend's face, Xie Changling suddenly stood up, "Do you know what you're asking? You might as well just ask for my life."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

His fingers tapping on the desktop, Xie Changling lowered his voice, staring at Wu Lincong, "Do you want Hundred Grass Hut to be shut down by the court?"

"Don't worry, I can swear on my Dao Heart, I'll never reveal the source of the prescription."

"Even so, it's not possible! Furthermore, what do you want the prescription for? You don't know Alchemy, and that item is a forbidden drug of the Great Xuan Dynasty. I only dare to secretly... In short, it's not possible, there's no room for negotiation."

Seeing his old friend repeatedly shaking his head with no chance for negotiation, Wu Lincong's gaze turned heavier, a shadow of resolute malice appearing in his eyes.

Looking at his friend's unguarded back, he slowly raised his hand, spread his fingers, and suddenly whispered, "Fifty thousand! Fifty thousand Dao coins!"

...

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