313: Chapter 313 Categorization

Elder Qingmu set down his wine cup, his gaze sharpening.

"The Spirit Spring Secret Realm will open in three years. I can enter it without needing to participate in the selection process."

The chopsticks in Chen Yuan's hand paused, and he looked at Su Cheng in disbelief.

The expression on his face shifted from surprise to envy, and then from envy to an indescribable sense of bitterness.

"The Spirit Spring Secret Realm..." Chen Yuan swallowed hard. "I've been in the Sect for decades and have never been inside."

Elder Qingmu was overjoyed and slapped the stone table. "Good, very good!"

"I entered the Spirit Spring Secret Realm once when I was at the Foundation Establishment Stage." Elder Qingmu's eyes lit up as he recounted the past. "I stayed inside for three full months. After coming out, I broke through directly from Foundation Establishment Mid-stage to Late Foundation Establishment Stage, advancing by one minor Realm."

"Back then, there was a Senior Brother with better talent who advanced two minor Realms after entering, and when he came out, he was at Foundation Establishment Peak."

"It's that powerful?" Chen Yuan's eyes widened.

"The Secret Realm is filled with spirit springs and plenty of Spirit Medicine." Elder Qingmu explained, "But there are rules. Treasured medicines over a thousand years old cannot be picked; one can only meditate nearby and Cultivate, using the dissipated medicinal power to nourish oneself, though the effect is still excellent. Spirit Medicine under a thousand years old can be picked and consumed, but the quantity is limited, so it's first come, first served."

Su Cheng asked, "Revered Master, I heard there are Yao Beasts in the Secret Realm?"

"Yes." Elder Qingmu nodded. "The Sect intentionally left many Yao Beasts inside, basically all at the Foundation Establishment Stage. The main purpose of the Secret Realm is to Cultivate Genius Disciples, so naturally, it hopes to Cultivate them in all aspects—not just Alchemy and cultivation, but also in tempering their Heart-Nature and combat experience."

"Yao Beasts at Foundation Establishment Peak? Could they break through to the Golden Core Stage?" Chen Yuan's chopsticks paused. "Wouldn't it be a narrow escape from death if one ran into them?"

"That won't happen. That's why the Sect gives everyone a Teleportation Array token when entering the Secret Realm." Elder Qingmu gestured. "A Teleportation Array is carved into the token. If you encounter a life-threatening situation, crush it, and you will be directly teleported out of the Secret Realm."

"Furthermore, once a Yao Beast inside breaks through to Golden Core, the Sect will immediately send people in to eliminate it. They will not allow a Golden Core level Yao Beast to remain in a place meant for Disciples to train."

Su Cheng asked, "Can I go back in after being teleported out?"

"No." Elder Qingmu shook his head. "If the token is broken, it means giving up this Opportunity. To enter again, you have to wait for the next opening in twenty years. So, try not to use it if you can, but don't force it when you really can't hold on. Your life is more important than the Opportunity."

Su Cheng nodded and took note.

"There is one more rule," Elder Qingmu added. "Things in the Secret Realm cannot be brought out. Whether it's Spirit Medicine or spirit springs, they can only be digested and absorbed inside. Nothing can be brought out once you leave the Secret Realm's entrance. So, after entering, don't think about hoarding. Whatever you consume is yours; it all depends on your own cultivation speed and absorption ability."

"Understood."

Chen Yuan said sourly from the side, "Then, Junior Brother, you must seize the time and eat quickly when you go in."

"Alright, Senior Brother, I will try my best." Su Cheng said.

"What do you mean by 'try your best'!"

Elder Qingmu laughed and scolded, "Enough, just eat your meal."

The night deepened, and the wind on the mountaintop cooled down. The three of them drank a few more cups, and Chen Yuan was the first to take his leave and head down the mountain.

When Su Cheng stood up to leave, Elder Qingmu called out to him. "Su Cheng." "Revered Master."

The old man set down his wine cup and was silent for a few moments before speaking. "You are now famous, with many eyes watching you both inside and outside the Sect. The more glorious you are, the more cautious you must act."

Su Cheng listened intently.

"Also," Elder Qingmu weighed his words, "regarding those businesses you have down the mountain, I will not ask about the details, but there is something I must say. A tall tree catches the wind. Your status in the Sect is already high enough. If you can cut ties with those outside entanglements, you should do so. Don't let them affect your Cultivation."

Su Cheng bowed his head as he listened, not answering immediately.

The Four Seas Chamber of Commerce was the Foundation he had managed for many years. His father, Elder sister, Fang Zhenhai, and Lin Feng—everyone's plans were tied to this line.

Moreover, this was not just for the present, but also for future planning. Fighting alone had its limits, especially for a Cultivator like him who relied on Alchemy as his primary Foundation. Having his own power behind him could resolve many things.

The Danding Sect was a large Sect with numerous Disciples and Elders. Even if the Sect favored him because of the talent he had displayed, the resources they provided were definitely limited. It was impossible for them to let Su Cheng take whatever he wanted.

However, a force that belonged solely to him was different. By relying on his own qiankun creation furnace, selling batches of supreme grade Medicinal Pills to obtain more Cultivation resources was something the Sect could not provide, because he could not expose the qiankun creation furnace to make the Sect give him more support.

Therefore, the plans for the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce could not be broken, nor would they be.

But Su Cheng also knew that his Revered Master had good intentions. He bowed and said solemnly, "Thank you for the reminder, Revered Master. This Disciple knows what to do."

Elder Qingmu nodded. "Go, and Cultivate well." "Yes." Su Cheng bowed again, then turned and walked down the mountain along the stone steps.

Su Cheng walked along the mountain path back to Qingmu Peak. The night wind passed through the pine forest, carrying the cold, biting breath peculiar to late autumn.

After entering his Immortal Cave and securing the Restriction, Su Cheng did not rush to Cultivate. Instead, he took out the various "modest gifts" he had received during this period from his Storage Pouch one by one and laid them on the stone table to count them.

The Spirit Stones totaled 125,000 Low Grade, equivalent to 1,250 Medium Grade, along with quite a few Spirit Medicines, Spiritual Ores, and spirit wines.

Su Cheng gathered the Spirit Stones into the corner of his Storage Pouch and stacked the Spirit Medicines and Ores separately. Whatever else could be said, these people were truly generous with their gifts.

After categorizing them, Su Cheng put these things back into his Storage Pouch. After all, they were common items and did not need to be placed into the creation furnace space.

Then, he took out a blank Jade Slip and recorded the things that needed to be done next, point by point. This was an old habit; no matter how clear things were in his mind, it was better to have them written down to see them clearly.

First: The spirit nurturing pill Pill Formula. This was the most urgent task. He would go to the Alchemy Hall treasury tomorrow to get the Pill Formula, and after obtaining it, he would immediately put it into the qiankun creation furnace.

Once supreme grade spirit nurturing pills were produced in batches, the final shortcoming for Fang Zhenhai to break through to the Golden Core Stage would be resolved.

Second: Selling supreme grade Medicinal Pills externally. Before the Grand Competition, he had only privately sold a small amount of second-rank supreme grade Medicinal Pills through the Zhenpin Pavilion in the Prefecture City area, and he had limited it to only the second-rank clear spirit pill variety.

There was no other reason. For the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce, whose strongest member was at Foundation Establishment Peak, even if they had a Danding Sect Disciple as backing, how could the Danding Sect ignore them if they were selling large batches of second-rank supreme grade Medicinal Pills? How could he explain it?

But after the Grand Competition, things were different. He had personally refined a supreme grade nine-aperture golden spirit pill in front of everyone. From now on, even if he publicly brought out first and second-rank supreme grade Medicinal Pills to sell in the Prefecture City, who would dare to gossip or question it?

If you could refine a supreme grade pill that even a Nascent Soul Ancestor could not, wouldn't it be a matter of course for you to produce supreme grade first or second-rank Medicinal Pills?

The only problem was the output. Normally, the success rate of supreme grade pills would not be very high. Selling a few at a time was fine, but selling dozens or hundreds of second-rank supreme grade Medicinal Pills every month would be a bit exaggerated.

(These loopholes are indeed quite large. Everyone, please try not to scrutinize them too closely. My ability is limited; please focus mainly on the plot.)

(Selling hundreds per month is definitely not feasible. But based on the Alchemy speed revealed so far, twenty or thirty is not a problem. After all, even a supreme grade nine-aperture golden spirit pill was refined, so the time spent on other Medicinal Pills will only be shorter. Therefore, selling first-rank ones later on is fine, but second-rank ones will need to be controlled for now.)