2: Life is not easy

"Half a Low-Grade Spirit Stone earned, still nine and a half Low-Grade Spirit Stones to go."

Storing away the successfully refined Pi Gu Pill, Zhang Qingxiao silently recited in his heart.

Refining Medicinal Pills required continuously channeling spiritual power to activate the Formation, concentrating the flames, and also using spiritual power to protect the herbs inside the Pill Furnace to prevent them from burning if the temperature got too high.

Refining one batch of Pi Gu Pills consumed a significant amount of spiritual power.

He had also tried using firewood to refine Pi Gu Pills, but the control was far inferior to using spiritual power to drive the fire-gathering Formation, so he eventually abandoned that method.

After refining three batches of pills consecutively, the spiritual power within his body was completely depleted. Zhang Qingxiao sat cross-legged, circulating his Qi through the major meridians to recover his spiritual power.

In his heart, he began calculating how many Pi Gu Pills he could refine in seven days at this pace.

Refining one batch of pills took nearly two hours.

And after every three batches of Pi Gu Pills, he needed nearly another two hours to recover his spiritual power.

Calculating this way, without rest, he could produce roughly three Pi Gu Pills a day.

Deducting costs, plus the time needed to go out to purchase herbs and sell the pills, struggling for seven days might just barely allow him to refine enough Pi Gu Pills to pay the 'rent'.

"Never thought that before my Transmigration it was 996, and after coming here, it's turned into 007."

"If it weren't for being able to rest a little while recovering spiritual power, I might not have been able to keep this up."

Life is not easy,

so cherish the journey!

In the middle, he devoured a large bowl of plain rice, made do with a bit of cured meat from a Yao Beast, and had a hasty meal.

For a full two days and one night, Zhang Qingxiao was refining Pi Gu Pills.

He used up all fifteen portions of herbs.

His success rate had also improved somewhat, producing a total of six Pi Gu Pills.

Based on his current success rate, he could definitely gather enough for the 'rent' within seven days.

Amidst his excitement, he remembered the days of paying monthly mortgage and car loans, feeling a wave of emotion.

Seeing that the sky had completely darkened, going out now would be very dangerous.

Zhang Qingxiao dismissed the idea of going to the market to sell Pi Gu Pills and buy herbs.

Having only eaten one meal in two days and working overloaded, even as a Cultivator, he was starting to feel the strain.

After all, he was only at the Qi Refining Third Layer; his physical constitution was only slightly better than an ordinary person's.

He went to the kitchen to wash rice and cook.

After lighting the firewood, with a thought, his status panel appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Zhang Qingxiao]

[Status: Chang Sheng Sect Utility Disciple]

[Aptitude: Mediocre]

[Lifespan: 32/75 years]

[Realm: Qi Refining Third Layer, Progress: 18/100]

[Cultivation Technique: ChangSheng Skill for Qi Refining Stage, Proficient: 158/400]

[Skills:

Alchemy: Pi Gu Pill, Novice: 16/100

Spell: Fireball Technique, Proficient: 320/400]

After two days and one night of continuous refining, the proficiency for Pi Gu Pill had increased from the initial 1/100 to 16/100.

From this, it could be seen that the growth in pill-refining proficiency was similar to practicing Cultivation Techniques and Spells.

Once a type of Medicinal Pill was successfully refined, continuing to refine that same pill would steadily increase proficiency.

Having accompanied him for three months, Zhang Qingxiao had gained a certain understanding of the status panel.

Although it couldn't be recharged or interacted with, it clearly displayed his attributes and progress speed in numerical form.

With this function, he had a significant advantage over other Cultivators.

The reason most Cultivators in this world remained at the Qi Refinement Stage

was precisely because they couldn't see their gains and progress, losing their motivation to advance, and seeing others slack off, they followed suit.

Closing the status panel, after the water boiled, he placed a small piece of cured meat into it.

When the rice was steamed, he wolfed it down with the cured meat.

After finishing the meal and washing the bowl, as his mind relaxed, exhaustion surged over him like a tide.

His eyelids couldn't help but grow heavy.

"I'll get a good night's sleep first tonight and set out early for the market tomorrow."

Seeing that it was already late at night, he blew out the bean-sized oil lamp and stumbled drowsily to the bedroom.

Placing the Magical Artifact longsword across his chest with both hands clasped over it, he soon fell into a deep sleep.

The next day.

Dawn's light was faint, still carrying a hint of darkness.

Zhang Qingxiao hid everything of value in his home in a pre-dug cellar, took the Magical Artifact longsword, placed the six Pi Gu Pills in his robe, and slung a large basket on his back.

Leaving home, he carefully closed the courtyard gate and looked around.

The neighbors were not yet up, the street was empty, and the one or two Cultivators about were in a hurry.

Locking up, he headed towards the market.

In the distance, the peaks were perilous, steep, and rugged, barely visible in the morning light.

White clouds drifted in the sky, winding around the peaks, and some buildings could faintly be seen, as if they were dwellings of immortals.

This was precisely where the Chang Sheng Sect Inner Sect Disciples, Foundation Establishment Elders, and other Cultivators resided.

The market was located in a flat area within a valley surrounded by these mountains.

Walking on the muddy road, Zhang Qingxiao held the scabbard in his left hand and the hilt in his right, vigilantly watching his surroundings from the corner of his eyes.

Along the way, various self-built houses were scattered haphazardly, weeds grew densely by the roadside, resembling a rural area from the seventies or eighties. From time to time, he could see all sorts of garbage dumped by the owners of these houses, the smell utterly indescribable.

Even after being here for three months and visiting the market several times, he still hadn't gotten used to it.

Enduring the stimulation of various foul odors, occasionally grateful he hadn't eaten in the morning, he reached the market after a little over half an hour.

Finding the manager in charge of stall management, he paid one tael of gold for a relatively prominent stall.

He took out two Pi Gu Pills, placed them on the stone platform, then wrote the price of sixteen taels of gold per Pi Gu Pill on the wooden sign next to the platform.

He sat down beside it and began to wait.

Although the market also seemed disorderly, it was somewhat better than the shantytown where he lived. However, the 'rent' here was also more expensive; only those Utility Disciples living relatively comfortably resided here.

"Fellow Daoist, I'll take both these Pi Gu Pills. How about thirty taels of gold?"

Before long, a tall, thin middle-aged man came to inquire about the price.

Although Pi Gu Pills were the lowest-grade Medicinal Pills, they were still fairly marketable.

Taking one could sustain a person for a month. Compared to cooking daily, it didn't cost much more.

Many Cultivators, to avoid wasting time cooking or when going out on Sect missions or hunting Yao Beasts, used them as food substitutes.

"No bargaining."

Zhang Qingxiao looked up at the newcomer, his tone devoid of any emotion.

"How many Pi Gu Pills do you have? I'll take them all."

Just then, another young female Cultivator wearing a veil walked over from the side, her voice clear and pleasant.

The female Cultivator appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen, dressed as a Daoist nun.

Above the veil, her two eyes were large and bright, quite lively. Her well-endowed chest and slender waist outlined an aura of innocent youth.

"Fellow Daoist, I'll take both these Pi Gu Pills. Here are thirty-two taels of gold."

The man who had arrived first hurriedly took out thirty-two taels of gold, tossed them onto the stone platform, picked up the two Pi Gu Pills, and turned to leave.

"I have four more. Are you sure you want them all?"

Zhang Qingxiao looked somewhat uncertainly at the young female Cultivator before him.

"I want them all."

"That's sixty-four taels of gold. I'll give you two Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

The young female Cultivator spoke as she took two Low-Grade Spirit Stones from her robe and tossed them onto the stone platform.

"Here are the four Pi Gu Pills. Keep them safe."

Zhang Qingxiao quickly put away the Spirit Stones and placed the Pi Gu Pills on the stone platform.

"If you have more Pi Gu Pills in the future, you can come to our Li Family Pill Shop. We'll buy them at sixteen taels of gold each."

The young female Cultivator collected the Medicinal Pills and turned to leave.

Zhang Qingxiao looked around. Seeing no one paying attention to him, he quickly packed his things, slung the large basket on his back, and left the stall.

Li Family Pill Shop...

He had been to that shop twice.

The quality of their herbs was somewhat better than other shops, though, of course, the prices were also significantly higher.

If he gained the ability to refine Medicinal Pills that aided Cultivation in the future, he might go there.

For now...

Better forget it. Anyway, Pi Gu Pills refined anywhere were pretty much the same.

Turning a corner, Zhang Qingxiao arrived at a shop specializing in selling herbs and purchasing low-grade Medicinal Pills.

Seeing someone enter, the shopkeeper habitually inquired, "Fellow Daoist, are you here to purchase herbs or sell Medicinal Pills?"