180: Chapter 180 Exchanging Spirit-Nourishing Barrier-Breaking Pills

[Half an hour later, as the final sliver of Spiritual Qi was branded onto the core formation patterns, the chi yan sword flashed brilliantly before converging its light, creating a strange sense of a Bloodline connection with you.]

[You stood up and walked into the courtyard.]

[Flipping your wrist and driving your Spiritual Qi, the chi yan sword instantly transformed into a dazzling red light, a three-inch-long crimson flame igniting along the blade. You gently swung it toward a discarded sword-testing stone in the corner of the courtyard.]

["Hiss!"]

[That hard obsidian was neatly sliced at the corner, the cut charred pitch-black, even taking on a melted, glazed appearance.]

["Not bad." You nodded with satisfaction. "The overbearing Spiritual Qi of the Burning Heaven True Art, combined with this fire-attribute magical sword, has a power far superior to ordinary Level 3 Qi Condensation Cultivators. This sword will be enough for me to use until Mid Qi Condensation."]

[With a flick of your wrist, the long sword slid into its scabbard and was stowed back into your Storage Pouch.]

[In the following days, your life returned to peace once again.]

[Going to work at the Spirit Beast Garden every morning, returning to the courtyard to draw Talismans in the evening, and meditating to Cultivate at night—a routine of three points and a line, monotonous yet extremely fulfilling.]

[At the same time, rumors about you began to run rampant in the Guest District and the outer perimeter of the Zhao Family.]

["Have you heard? That Lin Shuangwan with the Inferior Spiritual Root threw herself at the Young Clan Chief in the market a few days ago, only to be directly ignored by him!"]

["Hmph, a toad wanting to eat swan meat, truly thinking that having a vixen-like face means she can fly up to the branches and turn into a Phoenix? She doesn't even look at what identity the Young Clan Chief has!"]

["Exactly, the Young Clan Chief doesn't even care for a Prodigy like Li Qingyi, what kind of thing is she? Truly shameless."]

[However, because of this rumor, those Zhao Family Disciples who had originally been restless due to your beauty and Talisman master identity all backed down. No one wanted to come forward at this time to court the Young Clan Chief's bad luck or be mocked by their clansmen for picking up worn-out shoes that the Young Clan Chief didn't want.]

[You were happy to be left in peace, and your efficiency in drawing Talismans even increased quite a bit because of it.]

[Just like that, another two months passed.]

[Your Spiritual Qi became increasingly refined, having touched the barrier of Level 3 Qi Condensation and tending toward Perfection. During this period, you casually accepted a few simple Family errand tasks, and combined with your previous accumulation, the contribution points in your identity jade token had reached fifty-six points.]

[Fifty contribution points were just enough to exchange for a yunling barrier-breaking pill. As long as you reached a Breakthrough to Mid Qi Condensation, you could officially begin trying to draw First-Rank Medium Grade Talismans. The profit of Medium Grade Talismans was several times that of First-Rank Low Grade ones.]

[Early this morning, you went to the East District of the Spirit Beast Garden as usual to feed a group of Red-Armored Beasts.]

[Holding specially made Spiritual Plant fodder in your hands, those usually hot-tempered Red-Armored Beasts were as docile as a pack of large dogs beside you, and even one of them actively rubbed against your palm.]

["You girl really have a way with these beasts."]

[An elderly voice came from behind. You turned back to look and saw Spirit Beast Garden Elder Zhao Chengshan walking over leisurely with his hands behind his back.]

["Elder Shan." You patted the plant debris off your hands and bowed slightly in salute.]

[Elder Zhao Chengshan nodded, his gaze sweeping casually over you before a sharp gleam suddenly flashed in his murky old eyes. His brows raised slightly, and he asked in some surprise: "Your aura... Spiritual Qi overflowing, your blood and Qi are full, is this preparing for a Breakthrough to Mid Qi Condensation?"]

["Yes, Elder." You answered truthfully, "Disciple is just preparing to finish the work at hand before going to the Contribution Pavilion to exchange for the barrier-breaking pill."]

[Hearing this, Elder Zhao Chengshan took a deep look at you.]

[He was secretly shocked in his heart. An Inferior Spiritual Root fire attribute root, having entered the Family for only a year and a half, was actually about to Breakthrough to Mid Qi Condensation? Even if she earned some Spirit Stones by drawing Talismans and lacked no resources, this Cultivation speed was simply too bizarre.]

["Could it really be as I thought before, that this girl possesses some kind of hidden spiritual body?" Elder Zhao Chengshan calculated inwardly, "However, judging by her Cultivation commotion, it should only be that lowest-grade spiritual body, with limited value."]

[Pondering for a moment, Elder Zhao Chengshan unclipped a black token made of neither gold nor jade from his waist and casually tossed it to you.]

[You subconsciously caught it and looked down. The front of the token was engraved with the character "Zhao" in ancient seal script, while the back had the character "Shan".]

["When you go to exchange for the Medicinal Pill, show this to the manager and mention this old man's name." Elder Zhao Chengshan said indifferently.]

[Holding the token, you looked at him with a puzzled face: "Why mention your name? Elder, can using this token to exchange for Medicinal Pills get a discount?"]

[Elder Zhao Chengshan had just put on the airs of an Elder when he was choked by your words, his beard twitching and the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.]

["Discount? You're dreaming!" Elder Zhao Chengshan glared at you irritably, "You couldn't possibly not know that strategic resources like the yunling barrier-breaking pill used to assist in breaking realms have extremely tight demand within the Family, and ordinary Guest Elders need to queue up to exchange for them?"]

["Ah?" You were stunned for a moment, "Still need to queue? How long?"]

["Fastest is three months, slowest is half a year." Elder Zhao Chengshan snorted coldly, "The Medicinal Pills produced by the Family Alchemy Hall every month have a fixed number. The direct descendants pick first, the collateral branches second, and only finally is it your turn as outsiders and Guest Elders. If you go to report now, by the time the Medicinal Pill is issued to your hands, the daylily would have already grown cold."]

[Only then did you suddenly understand. The cruelty of the resource monopoly in the Cultivation World was vividly embodied at this moment.]

["Many thanks for the Elder's guidance!" You immediately put on an expression of extreme gratitude and solemnly tucked the token into your bosom.]

["All right, stop flattering." Elder Zhao Chengshan waved his hand, "This old man just saw that you work briskly. With you in the Spirit Beast Garden, this old man has had much more peace and quiet over the past half year. Hurry up and get lost to Breakthrough, don't be an eyesore here. This old man doesn't want to deal with this group of beasts every day, it's annoying to death."]

[You thanked him once again and watched Elder Zhao Chengshan leave leisurely with his hands behind his back.]

[Another dozen days passed.]

[You repeatedly polished the Spiritual Qi in your body until you felt your Meridians slightly distended with pain and unable to advance any further, finally confirming that the Bottleneck had completely stabilized.]

[You left the small courtyard and headed straight to the Contribution Pavilion in the inner ring of the Zhao Family.]

[On the second floor of the Contribution Pavilion, in front of the counter specifically responsible for Medicinal Pill exchanges, a female Cultivator wearing the attire of a Zhao Family collateral branch was trimming her nails out of boredom.]

[You stepped forward and handed over your Guest Elder jade token: "This Senior Sister, I accepted tasks and saved up fifty contribution points, and I'd like to exchange for a yunling barrier-breaking pill."]

[The female Cultivator lazily lifted her eyelids and glanced at you. After recognizing your rather controversial face within the Zhao Family, a trace of imperceptible disdain flashed in her eyes.]

[She looked down most on female Cultivators who used their faces to seduce male Cultivators.]

[She took the jade token, swiped it on the Formation Plate, and after deducting the contribution points, casually handed you a wooden token.]

["Hold on to the wooden token and go back to wait for notification." The female Cultivator's tone was cold.]

["Wait for notification? Senior Sister, I..."]

["What, you want to take it now? Do you think barrier-breaking pills are Chinese cabbages?" The female Cultivator scoffed and impatiently tapped the table, "Do you understand what queuing is? Your sequence is ranked at the seventy-second batch, and the pills will be produced in about five months. Come and collect it yourself with the wooden token by then."]

["Five months..." You frowned slightly.]

["What? Think it's too long? If you think it's too long, you don't have to exchange for it." The female Cultivator rolled her eyes, "Merely an Inferior Spiritual Root, even if given to you to eat, it would be a waste. I really don't know where you get the confidence to seduce the Young Clan Chief. Alright, don't block the way here, there are still people behind."]