1: Bigu Pill

【 Name: Zhang Qingxiao 】

【 Identity: Chang Sheng Sect Utility Disciple 】

【 Aptitude: Mediocre 】

【 Lifespan: 32 / 75 years 】

【 Realm: Qi Refinement Stage 3rd Layer, Progress: 18 / 100 】

【 Cultivation Technique: ChangSheng Skill for Qi Refining Stage, Proficiency: 120 / 400 】

【 Skills: Alchemy: Pi Gu Pill, Novice: 1 / 100; Spell: Fireball Technique, Proficient: 320 / 400 】

"I have been in this world of immortals and demons for three months, and I have finally successfully concocted the first real Pi Gu Pill."

Zhang Qingxiao looked at the attribute panel floating before his eyes, where the proficiency of the Pi Gu Pill had reached Novice 1/100, and a trace of joy appeared on his face.

He was not from this world of cultivation, but a genuine transmigrator.

Three months ago, one night, he was concentrating on grinding that game where "every brother comes to slash me," when suddenly his phone screen turned blue, his heart felt an unbearable sharp pain, and then his eyes went black, and he lost consciousness.

When he woke up again, he had already occupied the body of a Cultivator with the same name and surname, becoming one of the thousands of Utility Disciples at the very bottom of the Chang Sheng Sect.

With mediocre Aptitude, he had only reached the 3rd layer of the Qi Refinement Stage in his thirties; there was basically no future for him.

Fortunately, he was not alone after his Transmigration; he had this attribute panel to accompany him, which helped him get through the initial period of confusion, worry, and fear.

Since discovering this attribute panel, Zhang Qingxiao had tried various methods—gold, silver, Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, and all sorts of things—trying to pay-to-win.

Of course, none of these had any effect. Up to now, he hadn't even found a top-up portal, so in the end, he could only resign himself to his fate.

Since the attribute panel couldn't be topped up, he had to find a way to make a living on his own.

After much careful consideration, he chose Alchemy.

This was a helpless move. He was only a Cultivator at the 3rd layer of the Qi Refinement Stage and could not make Advanced Talismans like Body Protection Talisman or Golden Light Talisman. The low-level Talismans he could make, such as Fireball Talisman and Dust Removal Talisman, had very low prices, and few Cultivators bought them.

The Talisman pens, Talisman paper, and ink needed for making Talismans were not cheap either.

Even if he had the idea of making Talismans, the conditions did not allow it.

Furthermore, most of the Sect missions he could perform at his Realm were dirty and tiring, and the rewards were low.

Sect missions with high rewards carried great risks, and he neither had powerful Magical Artifacts nor formidable Spells, so these high-risk Sect missions were naturally not within his consideration.

However, Alchemy was much better. An ordinary Pill Furnace cost thirty taels of gold, and the Spirit Medicine for one batch of Pi Gu Pill cost two taels of gold, while the price of a Pi Gu Pill could be sold for fifteen taels of gold.

From the scattered memories of the original owner, he also knew that the original owner had intended to learn Alchemy and had made some preparations in advance.

Of course, he also had to thank the original owner for leaving behind a little bit of family property: over two hundred taels of gold and a most ordinary Pill Furnace, giving him the material foundation to give learning Alchemy a try.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

Just as Zhang Qingxiao put away the Pi Gu Pill, a rough knocking sound came from the courtyard.

"Zhang Qingxiao, open the door."

"I know you are at home."

A rough voice of a middle-aged man came in.

Zhang Qingxiao hurriedly got up, tugged at his tattered clothes, and answered while running, "Coming, coming..."

The person who arrived was burly and was a Manager in the Utility Hall of the Chang Sheng Sect, who had come to collect this month's 'rent'.

Trotting into the courtyard and opening the gate, Zhang Qingxiao looked at the Manager with full apologies.

"This month's rent is due."

"According to the Sect's latest policy, if you pay for one year at once, you can be exempted from two months of rent."

"Are you paying for three months, or one year?"

Manager Liu appeared extremely impatient; it seemed that the rent collection was not going very smoothly.

"Um... Manager Liu, can you give me a few more days?"

"I want to see if I can scrape together the rent for a year."

As Zhang Qingxiao spoke, feeling a pang of heartache, he stuffed the newly concocted Pi Gu Pill into Manager Liu's hand.

In the past three months, he had basically spent the original owner's savings, and now he truly couldn't come up with Spirit Stones or gold to pay the 'rent'.

"Hmm..."

Manager Liu glanced at the Pi Gu Pill in his hand and heard Zhang Qingxiao say he wanted to scrape together the rent for a year, his expression easing slightly. "Seven days at most."

"You must pay the rent for a year."

The monthly rent was one Low-Grade Spirit Stone, and one Low-Grade Spirit Stone could be exchanged for thirty taels of gold.

However, thirty taels of gold could not necessarily be exchanged for one Low-Grade Spirit Stone.

On the market, using gold to exchange for Spirit Stones required an extra two to three taels of gold.

Paying for a year with a reduction of two months still required ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones, which was about three hundred and twenty taels of gold.

Zhang Qingxiao was currently able to concoct Pi Gu Pill, but having just learned it, the success rate would not be very high.

To earn ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones by concocting Pi Gu Pill within seven days was a challenge that was not small at all.

"Manager Liu, can you give me a few more days..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Manager Liu's face sink. "Seven days at most. If you can't pay the rent for a year, bear the consequences yourself."

Watching Manager Liu leave, Zhang Qingxiao closed the crude courtyard gate and sighed helplessly.

He was a Utility Disciple of the Chang Sheng Sect, and the house he lived in was in the shantytown at the foot of the Chang Sheng Sect mountain. Moreover, the house was built by his own hands, but the 'rent' still had to be paid.

There was no way around it; for the sake of his life, he had to pay it.

Outside the Chang Sheng Sect, Yao Beasts ran rampant, and human life was as cheap as grass.

As a Utility Disciple, as long as one paid the 'protection fee' and stayed within the jurisdiction of the Chang Sheng Sect, it was at least much safer than outside.

Even if it was unreasonable, for the sake of survival, one could only accept fate.

Although they were called Utility Disciples, in reality, the area where they lived was still outside the Sect Protecting Grand Formation of the Chang Sheng Sect; it was just a piece of wasteland cleared by the Chang Sheng Sect to allow them to settle down.

Even the Sect missions they could receive were mostly the most bitter, tiring, and dangerous work, such as mining, cleaning, planting Spirit Medicine, working on Spirit Fields, and going into the wilderness to hunt 1st-tier Yao Beasts.

'Collecting rent' was merely to increase the burden of their lives, forcing them to accept these bitter, dirty, and tiring tasks.

After closing the courtyard gate, Zhang Qingxiao returned to the room. Looking at the dim and damp room, he couldn't help but miss the days before his Transmigration again.

Like many ordinary people, he had the pressure of a mortgage and car loan, working a 996 job.

But at least he could go for skewers and drinks with friends, had delicious soda and games for company, didn't have to worry about food and drink, and was not in any danger to his life.

"Let's organize the items in the house first and see if I can scrape together a portion."

The house was bare, so it was easy to organize.

Fifteen portions of Spirit Medicine for concocting Pi Gu Pill...

A most ordinary Pill Furnace...

A few tattered books with frayed edges...

《Detailed Explanation of Elementary Alchemy

《Detailed Explanation of Elementary Spirit Medicine

ChangSheng Skill for Qi Refining Stage

《Detailed Explanation of Low-Level Spells》

One Low Grade Magical Artifact long sword...

Thirty catties of ordinary rice...

Ten catties of bacon cured from Yao Beast meat...

Over ten taels of gold...

Besides these, there was nothing else.

Among these things, the Low Grade Magical Artifact long sword was the most valuable, which could be sold for three Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

"The Magical Artifact long sword definitely cannot be sold; this is a life-saving item."

Within the scope of the Chang Sheng Sect, it was not absolutely safe either.

Without something to defend himself, he might not even know how he died.

There were nearly one hundred thousand Utility Disciples in the Chang Sheng Sect, and no one could pay attention to these inconspicuous little figures.

Fighting and killing among Utility Disciples was the most normal thing.

"Forget it, let's continue to concoct Pi Gu Pill. If I work hard, maybe there is still hope."

Zhang Qingxiao took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and went to another room where the Pill Furnace was kept.

His Pill Furnace was the cheapest on the market, half a person tall, and only engraved with the most basic Elementary Formations like Fire Gathering, Spirit Gathering, and Pill Condensation.

There were four types of Spirit Medicine for concocting Pi Gu Pill: Spirit Ginseng, Spirit Rice, Clover, and Poria.

He needed to use Spirit Stones or his own Qi to activate the Fire Gathering Formation, melt these four types of Spirit Medicine into medicinal juice, then fuse them together, and condense them into pills.

The Pi Gu Pill could not be counted as a real Medicinal Pill, and relatively speaking, it was easier to concoct.

As long as the heat was controlled well, the Spirit Medicine was not burnt, and the medicinal juice could be fused into pills, it was considered a successful concoction.

Having had one successful experience, Zhang Qingxiao became much smoother when concocting again.

After continuously concocting two failed pills, Zhang Qingxiao did not lose heart. He calmed his mind, and the third batch finally successfully produced a Pi Gu Pill.