You Cultivate, I Farm

"In these past few days, some cultivators have made occasional gains, luckily stepping into the ranks of intermediate Qi cultivators," Lu Xuan modestly remarked.

"You've done well, young man," the slender old man praised, changing the subject swiftly. "With a cultivation level at the fourth stage of Qi refinement, your spiritual power within can still support the cultivation of more Spirit Firefly Grass."

"When the time comes, I'll put in a good word for you, allowing you to obtain more Spirit Firefly Grass or other spiritual plant seeds."

"Thank you, Elder He," Lu Xuan expressed his gratitude with a hint of a smile.

"It's all because of your own abilities. If you didn't possess the skill to cultivate high-quality spiritual plants, even if you reached the intermediate stage of Qi refinement, I wouldn't have been able to help," the steward remarked. "But your growth has indeed exceeded my expectations."

"I remember when you first entered the Hundred Herbs Hall, you were just a Qi cultivator at the second stage, but after reaching the third stage, your talent in cultivating spiritual plants emerged. And now, you've become an intermediate Qi cultivator."

Lost in thought, Elder He's expression shifted slightly. "Your rapid breakthrough indicates a decent aptitude in your practice. With your current cultivation at the intermediate stage, you have the confidence to explore those lower-level secret realms with a relatively secure safety margin."

"In that case, you might have the chance to gain some unexpected opportunities and soar to greater heights."

"So, do you wish to continue contentedly as a spiritual plant cultivator, or do you want to make use of this talent and strive for more in your cultivation, aiming for those opportunities?" Elder He inquired.

Lu Xuan sighed softly. "Elder He, I'm aware of my limitations. Rapidly advancing to the fourth stage of Qi refinement doesn't necessarily mean I have exceptional talent in cultivation; I simply found a shortcut."

"To ensure my spiritual power was more abundant and capable of employing more techniques in cultivating spiritual plants, I used all the spirit stones obtained from selling spiritual plants to purchase top-grade pills that expedite cultivation."

"It took continuous consumption for a considerable period to break through to the fourth stage of Qi refinement."

"The higher the stage, the lesser the effect of these top-grade pills. In the future, the speed of my cultivation advancement will also slow down."

"Furthermore, while I have ample spiritual power within me, I lack proficiency in techniques and lack effective artifacts to compete for opportunities in secret realms."

The complexities of his situation were hard to convey succinctly, so despite his trust in Elder He, Lu Xuan chose not to reveal his true strength.

"That's a bit of a shame," Elder He remarked. "I initially thought, being so young, you wouldn't see the end of your path at a glance. It would have been good to go out and see the world."

"But now, focusing on nurturing spiritual plants and leading a stable life seems like a decent choice."

Elder He sighed, feeling regretful for Lu Xuan.

Lu Xuan noted the concern the elder showed him, stayed a while longer, then took his leave.

On the streets of the market...

The buildings on either side stood tall and varied, hosting an array of shops, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

Lu Xuan arrived in front of one of the tallest structures.

It was a four-story building constructed from towering spiritual wood, its roof adorned with blue-green glazed tiles. Three flamboyant characters were written in the center: "Myriad Treasures Pavilion."

This was the most renowned shop in the market, offering a wide range of treasures for cultivation. As long as you had enough spirit stones, even items required by Foundation Establishment cultivators were available.

Lu Xuan followed a fellow cultivator inside.

The hall housed around twenty to thirty cultivators, with a counter displaying a plethora of items: artifacts, talismans, elixirs, and more, dazzling the eyes.

Seeing Lu Xuan looking around, a graceful young lady approached.

"Hello, fellow cultivator. Are you not a frequent visitor here at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion? If you need anything, please let me know, and I'll assist you."

"Sure, I'd appreciate it. Take me to the section with defensive arrays," Lu Xuan nodded. It was indeed his first time inside the pavilion.

Back when he was just a Qi cultivator at the second stage, he never imagined entering this place, lacking both status and resources.

Later, with the appearance of the enigmatic white light and the fluctuations in his fortune, coupled with the Hundred Herbs Hall's supply of spiritual plants, Lu Xuan never found the need to explore unknown species. Only now did he wish to buy a better protective array.

"Friend, this is the defensive array section on the ground floor. There are dozens of arrays here, from offensive to concealing, trapping, and defensive arrays," the young lady guided Lu Xuan to a relatively secluded area, exuding warmth.

"Please introduce me to a few defensive arrays," Lu Xuan requested.

"For defensive arrays, would you prefer first-grade or second-grade?" the young lady inquired.

"Second-grade."

While a first-grade array might work well for lower-level cultivators, against intermediate-level ones, it was average. If a cultivator also possessed array-breaking talismans or artifacts, it would appear even more vulnerable.

"Alright."

The young lady smiled warmly, knowing that cultivators didn't usually prioritize arrays. If she could sell a second-grade array, she'd receive a considerable commission.

"This is the Chaotic Stones Array, renowned for its defense. It can control huge stones to attack intruders within the array."

"This is the Wooden Cage Array, needing a special environment with unique spiritual wood growth. It can trap and block entering cultivators."

"And this one is the Misty Concealment Array, considered decent among second-grade defensive arrays. In addition to its defensive strength, it incorporates a misty formation. Once cultivators enter, their spiritual consciousness will be affected by the mist inside, making it easy to become trapped."

"This one is..."

The young lady pointed out various array discs and flags in the showcase, giving detailed explanations to Lu Xuan.

"The Chaotic Stones Array has some offensive capabilities, but it requires active control by a cultivator. The Wooden Cage Array demands specific environmental conditions and might not suit outdoor settings."

Considering, Lu Xuan pointed at a mist-shrouded array disc and asked, "How much for this Misty Concealment Array?"

"One hundred and sixty-five spirit stones."

"What about a hundred and thirty spirit stones?" Lu Xuan knew the price was already quite reasonable but habitually bargained for a significant reduction.

The young lady shook her head, smiling, declining the offer.

Ultimately, after considerable negotiation, Lu Xuan managed to haggle down to a hundred and fifty-five spirit stones for the Misty Concealment Array.

"Good thing that masked cultivator sent over more than eighty spirit stones in time, or else my funds would've halved instantly."

Glancing at the nearly two hundred remaining spirit stones in his storage pouch, Lu Xuan felt an added sense of gratitude towards the masked cultivator who had merged with the Spirit Field.

"Oh, by the way, do you have any blood from snake or dragon-type demonic beasts? Fresh ones, preferably."

After paying the spirit stones, Lu Xuan in

quired of the young lady.

"When it comes to demonic beast blood, usually, only those with extraordinary entities in their blood are available for sale. For snake-type demonic beasts, the materials usually sold are snake skins, scales, or venom. I don't recall having snake-type demonic beast blood."

The young lady pondered for a moment, apologetic.

"Friend, if it's urgent, you can reserve a portion of spirit stones at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. The pavilion can mobilize resources from other areas within the city or market to try and find what you need."

"However, the price for this service will be one or two percent higher than the direct purchase. If there's no agreed deadline, all the spirit stones will be returned to you."

As Lu Xuan prepared to leave, the young lady stopped him, suggesting an option for him to consider.

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