Chapter 10: Body Strengthening Ointment

Liu Tao and the others let out a sigh of relief, but they were also shocked. The fact that one person could kill a hideous man at the tenth level of the Qi Practitioner realm and a tough-skinned, iron-boned man was truly terrifying.

"Brother Ye, I Liu Tao have never admired anyone, but today, I truly admire you," Liu Tao said with a serious expression.

Ye Chen neither confirmed nor denied it, merely smiling faintly.

The group of big men brought them over three thousand taels of extra income, which, when evenly divided, amounted to more than five hundred taels per person, a considerable windfall.

"Everyone, I'll take my leave here." With enough silver, Ye Chen did not wish to continue the cooperation and was preparing to venture into the Silent Mountains alone to hone his combat experience.

Liu Tao said, "That's fine. We're also planning to return. Take care of yourself."

Just before leaving, Yao Qing couldn't help but say, "Ye Chen, remember to come visit us!"

Ye Chen nodded, "If there's a chance."

Soon, the group disappeared from sight. Ye Chen thought to himself: I've earned 2,700 taels of silver in a short time, enough to buy some expensive materials to strengthen my body. As for the spirit medicines that aid in Qi cultivation, forget it; those things cost tens of thousands of taels, which I can't afford.

Putting that aside, what truly puzzled Ye Chen was why he didn't feel much when he killed for the first time. Could it be due to his soul power?

Shaking his head, Ye Chen found it hard to understand.

The Silent Mountains span a thousand miles, teeming with beasts. According to Ye Chen's knowledge, the outermost hundred miles are mostly inhabited by first and second-level beasts, with a low chance of encountering third-level beasts. The large saw-toothed venomous beast he encountered was not a third-level beast but a quasi-third-level one. The area between two hundred and five hundred miles is dangerous, with third to fifth-level beasts appearing at any time. With his current strength, encountering them would mean certain death.

As for the area beyond five hundred miles, it is a true forbidden zone. Several decades ago, a major force sent experts deep into the mountains to search for rare and precious herbs. Unfortunately, they encountered a seventh-level ghost-faced demon bull, and out of over a hundred people, only one escaped, dying a few days later due to the overwhelming demonic aura in his body, which drove him mad. Since then, no one has dared to enter.

Within ten miles, Ye Chen had slain three beasts, the third being a second-level berserk bull, which he killed by grabbing its horns and pummeling it to death with his fists.

After collecting the beast materials, Ye Chen did not venture deeper, choosing to explore laterally to avoid encountering third-level or higher beasts.

Time passed quickly.

On the third day, Ye Chen, carrying a large leather bag, set off for Qingfeng Town.

Lingyao Hall was the only herbal shop in Qingfeng Town. It wasn't very large or overly luxurious, but in terms of wealth, it was undoubtedly the best.

After all, in this world, the wealthiest group is the martial artists, who spend a significant portion of their silver on auxiliary cultivation herbs or pills, spending thousands without a second thought. To them, silver can be earned again, but cultivation advancement is rare and hard to come by.

Stepping into Lingyao Hall, Ye Chen frowned.

The shop was bustling with people, most of whom were martial artists in tight-fitting clothes, along with young masters from wealthy families. There were also a couple of people whose strength Ye Chen couldn't discern, likely at the True Condensation realm.

Walking to the counter, Ye Chen placed the large leather bag containing the beast materials on it.

"Shopkeeper, I'm selling beast materials."

The shopkeeper was an elderly man in a black robe with golden edges, exuding a steady demeanor. He walked over, opened the bag, and began to count and appraise the materials: "Saw-toothed venomous beast materials are worth 520 taels, bald-tailed wolf materials 85 taels, and berserk bull materials 380 taels... The total is 1,650 taels."

Ye Chen said, "Give me all of it in gold notes."

The so-called gold notes are similar to silver notes in Ye Chen's understanding. They can be exchanged for gold at a bank or used directly in transactions, with a minimum denomination of five taels and a maximum of ten thousand taels. The storage fee is three percent of the total amount, meaning if you deposit 100 taels, you can only withdraw 97 taels.

As for the banks that issue gold and silver notes, there's no need to worry about them going bankrupt. There's a saying: even if the Tianfeng Kingdom falls, the Tongshen Bank will still stand, highlighting the stability of gold notes. As a super bank spanning dozens of countries, it wouldn't be reassuring if it could easily go bankrupt. Numerous forces, including national powers, secretly protect it.

Instructing the assistant to store the beast materials, the shopkeeper opened the safe, took out several golden notes, and neatly placed them on the counter.

"Here, a total of 165 taels of gold. Please count them."

Ye Chen glanced at them casually, nodded, and put them away. His gaze then wandered to the merchandise cabinet.

The shopkeeper, skilled in reading people, smiled and said, "Young hero, is there anything you need help with?"

Ye Chen said, "I need some pills or herbs to strengthen my body. Can you introduce me to some?"

"No need for that. I'll give you a list of body-strengthening items. It's marked with effects and prices, making it easy to understand."

"Alright."

A moment later, the shopkeeper was busy, and Ye Chen had a hard paper list in his hand.

Tiger Python Bone Strengthening Pill, made from blood of a blood-striped tiger and a horned python, 5,000 taels per pill.

Bull Demon Strength Pill, made from berserk bull blood and primordial grass, 3,500 taels per pill.

Swallow Pill... 2,000 taels per pill.

After a long while, Ye Chen shook his head. Body-strengthening pills were too expensive, costing two to three thousand taels each. His entire fortune could only buy one Tiger Python Bone Strengthening Pill, which had an effect lasting only three days and couldn't provide long-term training.

Thinking about this, Ye Chen envied those with natural advantages, who received top-tier training from a young age, consuming spirit pills like candy. Over a few years, the silver they spent could fill a house, and it's no wonder they progressed so quickly.

Of course, external forces are still external. They might make one a regular expert, but reaching a certain height is difficult.

His gaze fell to the bottom of the list, and Ye Chen's eyes lit up. He had an idea.

"Body Strengthening Ointment, made from three yang... bull butter, ironwood juice, and seven other materials, 100 taels per bottle."

That's it. Taking a deep breath, Ye Chen looked up and called over an assistant passing by, saying, "I'll take thirty bottles of Body Strengthening Ointment."

"Sure thing, please wait a moment."

Thirty bottles of Body Strengthening Ointment filled an empty wooden box. After paying, Ye Chen carried it out of Lingyao Hall.

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