Chapter 10

After spending exactly two months training in the Lingyun Mountains, Jiang Chen finally emerged alive from within.

During these two months, the technique Jiang Chen used the most was the Qi Concealment Technique. Without it, he wouldn't have been able to last even a week, let alone two months. Hard work pays off, and the Qi Concealment Technique, which was originally at the fourth level, naturally broke through to the highest level, the fifth. At the fifth level, the Qi Concealment Technique not only conceals one's aura but also one's body heat.

Leaving the Lingyun Mountains, Jiang Chen arrived at the Blackstone City, which was thousands of miles away from the Yiqi Sect.

Blackstone City was a bit larger than Yan City. Around Yan City, there were three three-star sects: the Yiqi Sect, the Yunhai Sect, and the Bi Xue Sect. Around Blackstone City, there were two three-star sects: the Chihuo Sect and the Yan Yu Lou. Although they were all three-star sects, the Chihuo Sect and the Yan Yu Lou were much stronger than the Yiqi Sect and the Yunhai Sect. Only the Bi Xue Sect could match these two major three-star sects.

Jiang Chen entered Blackstone City with the bustling crowd.

After a brief inquiry, Jiang Chen learned that the best material shop in Blackstone City was the Jin Feng Pavilion. It was an old-established material shop founded a hundred years ago, with eighteen branches in Blackstone City. Thirteen of these branches were responsible only for purchasing materials, while four branches handled both the purchase and sale of materials below the three-star level. The headquarters of the Jin Feng Pavilion only dealt with materials of three-star level and above, including sales.

Jiang Chen went to one of the main branches of the Jin Feng Pavilion and sold all the materials except for the Holy Red Butterflies, earning 12,000 inferior spirit stones, which equated to 120 lower-grade spirit stones.

- Three Lamp Flower plants for 600 inferior spirit stones.

- One Green Fire Wolf Crystal for 2,000 inferior spirit stones.

- Green Fire Wolf Claws and Teeth for 350 inferior spirit stones.

- Blood Pattern Tiger Claws and Teeth for 550 inferior spirit stones.

- Six Black Crystal Leopard Crystals for 6,000 inferior spirit stones.

- Other miscellaneous items collected over the two months.

With 120 lower-grade spirit stones in hand, Jiang Chen felt much more pleased. This trip to the Lingyun Mountains was definitely a great harvest. Under normal circumstances, his two months of harvest would have been at most 3,000 to 4,000 inferior spirit stones. This was mainly because his strength exceeded his cultivation level, reaching the first level of the Flying Heaven realm. If it were an ordinary sixth-level Qi Sea realm martial artist, a harvest of a few hundred inferior spirit stones over two months would be considered excellent, and they might not even survive.

"I wonder how many spirit stones the two Holy Red Butterflies can sell for."

The market price of Holy Red Butterflies was no less than 80 lower-grade spirit stones. Jiang Chen wasn't sure how much they would sell for, but he hoped it wouldn't be less than 80.

As for the Holy Red Butterflies' effect of nourishing the Qi Sea, Jiang Chen ignored it. The second plant would have half the effect, and the third would have even less. No matter how good the Holy Red Butterflies were, their effect on him would be minimal. It would be better to use the spirit stones to buy other herbs.

Jiang Chen walked into the headquarters of the Jin Feng Pavilion.

"Sir, may I ask if there is anything I can assist you with?"

The head of the Jin Feng Pavilion headquarters was an old man with a high cultivation level, clearly a second-level Flying Heaven realm martial artist. He didn't look down on Jiang Chen because of his age and cultivation level. The old man spoke calmly.

"I want to sell two three-star herbs."

Jiang Chen said.

"Three-star herbs? Please follow me." Any three-star herb was a must-have for the Jin Feng Pavilion. Normally, larger material shops would have alchemists who could refine pills, and the value of pills was more than ten times that of herbs. For example, the value of the lowest three-star pill was over 100 lower-grade spirit stones, which was much more profitable than selling herbs directly. Of course, material shops would only store a certain amount of useful herbs, and the excess would be sold, as keeping them wouldn't be practical.

In the reception room.

The old man politely asked, "May I ask what three-star herbs you are selling?"

"Two Holy Red Butterflies."

Jiang Chen took out the Holy Red Butterflies.

"Three-star mid-stage variant Holy Red Butterflies?" The old man's voice changed, and his eyes fixed on the Holy Red Butterflies in Jiang Chen's hand.

"May I examine them?"

The old man looked at Jiang Chen.

"Sure."

Jiang Chen nodded.

The old man carefully took the Holy Red Butterflies, examined them repeatedly, and finally confirmed they were genuine.

"It has been many years since I last saw Holy Red Butterflies." Handing the Holy Red Butterflies back to Jiang Chen, the old man said, "95 lower-grade spirit stones per plant. What do you think?"

Jiang Chen's eyebrows raised. This price exceeded his expectations, but he didn't rush to agree. Instead, he said, "Shopkeeper, I want to buy three-star herbs or pills that can nourish the Qi Sea. Can you recommend some?"

"Nourishing the Qi Sea is rare. Among three-star herbs, the most common is the Xuan Yuan Grass, and the rare ones include the Holy Red Butterflies and Black Heart Fruit, but the Black Heart Fruit is rarer than the Holy Red Butterflies. I have never seen it."

"I have already taken Xuan Yuan Grass."

Jiang Chen shook his head.

Hearing this, the old man frowned and said, "The effect of the Xuan Yuan Pill, a three-star pill, is twice that of Xuan Yuan Grass. However, since you have already taken Xuan Yuan Grass, the effect will likely be reduced by more than half. Besides nourishing the Qi Sea, Xuan Yuan Grass also increases cultivation. If you need it, I can give you a 10% discount, 200 lower-grade spirit stones."

So expensive.

Jiang Chen didn't expect the three-star pill to be so expensive, almost half of his harvest.

"Deal."

No matter how expensive, Jiang Chen had to buy it. Compared to the Qi Sea, spirit stones were just external possessions.

Handing over the two Holy Red Butterflies and 10 lower-grade spirit stones to the old man, Jiang Chen received a Xuan Yuan Pill from him.

After leaving the headquarters of the Jin Feng Pavilion, Jiang Chen didn't rush to find an inn to take the Xuan Yuan Pill.

The Xuan Yuan Pill could increase cultivation, but his cultivation level was not yet stable. Taking it immediately would be rash.

"Look, it's a disciple of the Yan Yu Lou."

The already bustling street suddenly became even more lively.

In the crowd, Jiang Chen looked up.

On the street, four young men and women had appeared, each with a pattern resembling smoke and rain embroidered on their sleeves. One of the women was about 17 or 18 years old, tall and slender, with a bright and captivating appearance.

"Inner sect disciples of the Yan Yu Lou?"

Jiang Chen could see at a glance that all four were at the Flying Heaven realm, with the bright woman being the strongest, likely at the fourth level of the Flying Heaven realm.

The Yan Yu Lou, like the Yiqi Sect, primarily used swords. Ten years ago, the Yiqi Sect had a Xie Xiaofeng, and the Yan Yu Lou had a Chixia Ke. However, both disappeared almost simultaneously. Some said they had a decisive battle and both died.

The appearance of the inner sect disciples of the Yan Yu Lou was just a small episode for Jiang Chen. The outside world was vast, and to explore it, improving his cultivation and strength was the most important.

Over the next month, Jiang Chen stayed in Blackstone City, dedicating each day to focused cultivation and refining his true qi, ignoring all other matters.

One day, Jiang Chen felt that his true qi had reached a high level of purity and decided to take the Xuan Yuan Pill.

The Xuan Yuan Pill was only the size of a thumb, pure green, and slightly transparent. If not for its unique medicinal aroma, an ordinary person might mistake it for an inferior green circular crystal.

Tilting his head back, Jiang Chen swallowed the Xuan Yuan Pill and immediately began to circulate the Gui Yuan Technique to refine the medicinal power.

Under the refinement of the Gui Yuan True Qi, the Xuan Yuan Pill gradually shrank like a candle, eventually transforming into two streams of pure green qi.

One stream of pure green qi was gentle and full of vitality, while the other was purely primordial qi.

The gentle qi stream, as if with a will of its own, automatically gathered towards the seventh Qi Sea. The dry and damaged seventh Qi Sea, upon contact with the gentle qi, began to move.

17%!

18%!

19%!

20%!

After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Chen's seventh Qi Sea recovered to 20%.

With the seventh Qi Sea at 20%, Jiang Chen clearly felt that the flow of true qi was smoother, and it could withstand more true qi surging up rapidly.

At this moment, the other stream of pure green qi had already been completely converted into Gui Yuan True Qi. The surging Gui Yuan True Qi, without Jiang Chen's guidance, automatically surged upwards, reaching the eighth Qi Sea, and then using the eighth Qi Sea as a base, it attacked the ninth Qi Sea.

"The time has come."

The Void Sword Body Technique was activated, and the Gui Yuan True Qi not only surged powerfully but also gained a sharpness, like a needle, piercing through the barrier of the ninth Qi Sea.

Instantly, Jiang Chen's mind buzzed, and his five senses, which were already far beyond those of martial artists of the same realm, were further enhanced, especially his hearing. The sound of the wind, the movement of ants, the rolling of objects, and the footsteps and voices of people far away were all crystal clear, with no secrets left.

At the ninth level of each major realm in martial arts, not only does the martial artist's cultivation improve, but their five senses also rise to a higher level. Before this, Jiang Chen had already enhanced his five senses once using the first level of the Void Sword Body Technique. This was the second time, and the cumulative effect made his five senses almost comparable to those of a ninth-level Flying Heaven realm martial artist.

The effect of the Xuan Yuan Pill was limited, and Jiang Chen's cultivation remained at the initial stage of the ninth level of the Qi Sea realm. However, he still had a Bi Yue Fruit left. After taking the Bi Yue Fruit, his cultivation continued to advance, reaching the middle and late stages of the ninth level of the Qi Sea realm.

Just one step away from the peak of the ninth level of the Qi Sea realm.

Of course, apart from the enhancement of his five senses, Jiang Chen's late-stage ninth level of the Qi Sea realm was similar to the late-stage eighth level of the Qi Sea realm, as his seventh Qi Sea could not yet store true qi.

"Finally, I have reached the ninth level of the Qi Sea realm."

Despite his usual calmness, Jiang Chen couldn't help but feel extremely excited. The Qi Sea realm was just the first major realm in martial arts, and there were many more to come. Martial artists at the Qi Sea realm were just the lowest level. Even exploring near home required confidence, let alone venturing out. If he wasted too much time at the Qi Sea realm, his achievements in life would be limited. Fortunately, heaven rewarded his efforts, and he finally overcame this hurdle. He believed it wouldn't be long before he broke through to the Flying Heaven realm and became an inner sect disciple of the Yiqi Sect.