Dao

Chapter 28 The Small Cliff Market
But what Shiao Chen said just gave the three of them the impression of being reckless.

Duan Huaming and Li Yuedu’s eyes suddenly became sharp and cold with subtle killing intent flashing by.

As for Liu Junru, after being shocked for a while, she looked at Shiao Chen with surprise and seemed to have never expected that a guy without spiritual root dared to talk to Duan Huaming like that. After all, among the young generation of Luoyun Valley, Duan Huaming not only had remarkable cultivation but also reached the peak of second-class alchemist who could refine Foundation Establishment Pills. There were few people who dared to contradict him.

“Good! Excellent!” Duan Huaming was so enraged that he laughed with sharpness flashing through his eyes. Then he directed his overwhelming spirit power at Shiao Chen.

Shiao Chen looked at Duan Duanming expressionlessly and said indifferently, “Right or wrong, killing fellow disciples will be expelled from the Sect, permanently! This is the rule laid down by our founder. Do you intend to break it, Brother Duan?”

Hearing this, Duan Huaming stiffened a little bit. Although his face was still so sullen, the surging spirit power was taken back gradually. He looked around and found that his actions had attracted the attention of many disciples of Luoyun Valley, which really startled him to some extent. Not to mention whether he would be punished if this was known by elders of the Sect; if Ji Yuewu knew this, the image he had made efforts to maintain would collapse and he would have no chance of winning her heart.

“Bah, don’t you think I have no way to deal with you. Shiao Chen, you dare to disrespect me like this; I will surely let you pay the price during the Sect Tournament.” Duan Huaming smiled coldly and even a determination of killing flashed through his eyes. And then he turned around and left by riding his light shield.

“So reckless!” Li Yuedu gave Shiao Chen a cold glance, like the far above God looking down at man’s world. With a hum, he also turned around and disappeared by riding his light shield.

Liu Junru gave a wired look at Shiao Chen, and said with a smile, “I admit that you really get a nerve, but I have to tell you that I’m afraid in no time all people in Luoyun Valley will know you disrespect Brother Duan. I hope when the Sect Tournament comes, you can still be so arrogant and stubborn.” With another charming smile, she also left.

“The Sect Tournament.” Shiao Chen frowned slightly. In order to assess the cultivation of disciples of Luoyun Valley, there was an assessment per year. All disciples, outer and direct disciples alike, should participate in it. Those with big progress would be awarded; otherwise, they would be punished. And after the assessment, the Sect would set up an arena for disciples to solve their conflicts. Although the rules stipulated that all fights mustn’t lead to disabilities and deaths, it was acceptable to beat others up to the extent that they had to lie on bed for about half a month.

It stood a good chance that Duan Huaming planned to humiliate Shiao Chen on the arena.

“Hem, Duan Huaming is an extremely narrow-minded and shortsighted person. How dare he has the intention of killing me! Duan Huaming, you’d better stay away from me, or I will kill you even if I have to expose my power.” Coldness flashed through Shiao Chen’s eyes and then he flew directly to Elixir Valley on his light shield.

If Shiao Chen could establish foundation, with the gold seal in hand, there was no need to take risk to explore the ancient cultivator’s adobe. However, facing the bottleneck of establishing foundation, he could only shift his hope to this. After all, ancient cultivators were omnipotent and perhaps he could find solutions to solve his bottleneck there.

There was not much time left before the date he appointed with Chu Kuang. It was impossible to breakthrough in so short a time; therefore, Shiao Chen could only turn to the second best choice – refining lots of elixirs. After all, elixirs were something that could save life in the nick of time.

Spirit-gathering Pills, Soul-refining Pills and other pills for the preliminary stage of Qi Refining were almost useless for Shiao Chen. Foundation Establishment Pills could help restore his spirit power to the maximum, but absorbing their efficacy took too long; and once used, the spirit power would surge forward and even to the point of getting out of control. Obviously, it was not fit for using during a combat. After thorough reflection, Shiao Chen finally decided to refine Soul-nourishing Pills. This pill, used to restore spirit power for cultivators at Foundation Establishment, was kind of fit for him. Most important of all, refining Foundation Establishment Pills was just a piece of cake for him after his divine sense had been strengthened.

Shiao Chen took out his alchemy furnace, left everything else aside and started to refine elixirs madly.

Soul-nourishing Pills would definitely be enough because he planned to refine hundreds of it.

Soul-restoring Pills, used for the quick recovery of divine sense, were also vital for Shiao Chen. So he intended to refine dozens of it.

Top Blood Jasper Cream, specially used for treating wound of the body, which enjoyed a reputation of managing to set a fracture as it was as long as the lambs didn’t break off completely. Cultivators before reaching Gold Core had extremely fragile body, and death was hard to avoid when injured mortally. Therefore, such vital pills were definitely needed. Just refine17 or 18 bottles of it in advance.

Shiao Chen also refined lots of other farraginous elixirs like Detoxifying Pills, Breath-suspending Pills, Fasting Pills and Disguising Pills. He put them all into his storage bag for unexpected needs.

In the course of refining elixirs, Shiao Chen got out of the valley once and found the rumor had spread all over the Sect, which said that he was disrespectful to Duan Huaming, so Brother Duan, who was in anger, decided to fight back and planned to kick Shiao Chen’s ass after the Sect’s assessment. Shiao Chen just snorted at it and got back to the valley to continue refining elixirs. If Duan Huaming didn’t want to live any longer, he did not mind lending him a hand.

Preparing all elixirs needed took Shiao Chen almost half a month. But if it were some other alchemist, it would be impossible to refine all the elixirs without a year or so.

Shiao Chen swallowed some elixirs and sat down to meditate. When he opened his eyes again, both his spirit power and divine sense were all at their peak.

“I’ve got enough elixirs and it’s time to get something else to save my life.” Shiao Chen pondered for a while, then put away all the elixirs and left Luoyun Valley prudently without being detected by disciples on patrol.

Every cultivator needed a unique thing in cultivation to help build up spirit power and make breakthroughs. Therefore, markets for cultivators to exchange, buy and sell things emerged at the right moment. Of course, markets for cultivators, even the lowest ones, would set up a maze to remain under cover and prevent mortals from getting into it. Only cultivators could get in and out of it.

The Small Cliff Market was a low-level market nearest to Luoyun Valley. Those exchanging there were mostly low-level disciples of various cultivating families or sects. Of course, at times, one or two down and out cultivators at Foundation Establishment would come in hope of finding some good stuffs there.

This day, a light shield abruptly appeared outside of a bare valley and a fine young man was standing there.

“Is this the Small Cliff Market?”

This young man was Shiao Chen. He hesitated for a while and soon concealed some of his power to make it equal to that of a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining. After this, he waved his hand to throw out a spirit incantation and then walked into the valley.

Like walking into the water, the air rippled and then all kind of din and noises just poured in.