"As for pills," Le Lie went on, "there are two worth mentioning. The first is the Qi Ascension Pill. It can drive you directly through the barrier into Qi Condensation Realm, providing the necessary surge. However, if your foundation is not firm enough, the rapid influx can cause long lasting instability."
"As for the second it’s the ’Essence Cleansing Pill," He then explained, "It is made from the petals of the thousand year old Azure Lotus and the heart of a Heavenly Spirit Deer. Its function is to cleanse the body of all impurities, clearing the meridians and removing any potential blockages or hidden dangers that could hinder future cultivation. By the time you reach the peak of the Body Tempering realm and after taking this pill before breakthrough, your body will be as pure as a new born baby’s, with a foundation so solid that you will have no trouble in your future breakthroughs."
He let the word settle.
Before Yu Liang could talk, "Both of these pills," he continued after a pause, "have their own merits, but it is not wise to treat them as shortcuts alone. A cultivator’s journey is not meant to be forced forward blindly. The Qi Ascension Pill may sound tempting, because who does not long to feel the sudden surge of power and the breaking the barriers? Yet those who have taken it without careful preparation often discover that progress achieved too quickly comes with hidden dangers like I said earlier. Their qi becomes restless, their breath becomes unstable, and even years later, when they attempt higher realms, the flaw resurfaces. Some may never notice this until it is too late or when their cultivation halts abruptly."
His gaze turned towards Yu Liang. "The Essence Cleansing Pill, on the other hand, is like a slower investment. One does not immediately leap forward after taking it. Its value lies in ensuring that when you do progress, you step without hesitation, without hidden danger attacking you. Think of it as clearing a field of stones before planting crops. The yield may not come today, but when it does, it is abundant and secure."
Yu Liang smiled. "I don’t wish to be impatient in my cultivation." He bowed toward Le Lie. "This junior thanks you for your guidance, senior."
He understood that shopkeepers naturally tried to sell their goods, the more expensive the product, the greater the profit. In the past, he would have chosen the most cost effective path without hesitation. But now, money was no longer a concern. He could obtain what he wanted, whenever and wherever he wished.
Le Lie was caught off guard by Yu Liang’s sincerity. He couldn’t tell whether the young man was genuinely thankful or subtly mocking him. What he had said was nothing profound as any cultivator understood these principles. Yet he had spoken to him anyway, in case Yu Liang changed his mind about what to buy.
From their first meeting till now, Yu Liang had shown no hesitation in spending, always asking for the best.
Looking at his attire he looked like someone of wealth and status. Though he wasn’t as striking as some of the sect’s most renowned disciples, but he was still well above the average cultivators.
Noticing the confusion in the shopkeeper’s eyes, Yu Liang asked calmly, "What is the price of the Essence Cleansing Pill?"
Snapping back to reality, Le Lie replied, "It’s a Tier Two ultimate pill. Even we receive very few of them to sell. The price is naturally high, it’s twenty million mid-grade spiritual stones."
Yu Liang closed his eyes, giving the impression of weighing the cost. Le Lie assumed he was hesitating, perhaps even struggling to accept the price. Then let out a quiet sigh. ’What kind of fortune does this kid have? he wondered. He already owns one Ultimate Grade pill. If he buys this one as well, won’t he have two?’
He shook his head inwardly.
’No... that shouldn’t be possible. Even if he’s the son of some wealthy family, he shouldn’t have that many spirit stones... right?’
In truth, Yu Liang was looking at system inventory which was displaying his balance. He doesn’t want any unnecessary eye moments to be caught by people. The number appeared clearly.
128,948,062,092 low-grade spiritual stones.
More than enough. By conversion, with a thousand low grade stones equal to one mid grade, his wealth far exceeded the twenty million required.
The problem was not the money. It was the storage. He did not have enough pouches, and the spirit ring on his finger, it’s the one given by an elder who picked him up when he had first entered the sect, it could not hold such a volume. Without that chance encounter, he would not even have a proper pouch, let alone a storage ring.
Realizing his oversight, Yu Liang opened his eyes and asked awkwardly, "Elder, would it be acceptable if I placed the stones openly? It’s just... I brought the wrong ring today. I left my main one at home and only have this lower grade ring with me. My fortune is stored in a one time use space ring."
The elder was momentarily stunned. Beside him, Mei Hua blinked in surprise. Both had assumed his pause came from lacking funds, but it became clear that was never the issue. It was simply that he lacked the means to store what he had.
They exchanged a look, then sighed. So it was not that Yu Liang could not afford the pill, it was that he did not have the proper storage ring.
After a moment, the elder removed his own ring and held it out. "Transfer it into this one," he said simply.
Yu Liang accepted the elder’s ring and quietly willed the system to handle the transfer. 20,000,000,000 low grade spiritual stones flowed into the storage ring, quickly filling it to capacity. Outwardly, he only made a small gesture with his own ring, as though he were transferring it manually.
He then handed the ring back.
The elder swept it with his spiritual consciousness, confirmed the payment, and gave a satisfied nod.
At that moment, a clear chime echoed in Yu Liang’s mind.
[ Ding! Host has spent a total of 20,000,000,000 spiritual stones ]
[ Multiplier Triggered: 250x ]
[ Host Receives: 5,000,000,000,000 spiritual stones ]
The sheer amount of spiritual stones made Yu Liang’s breath pause for half a second. He forcefully calmed himself, keeping his expression steady, and accepted the Essence Cleansing Pill. Without hesitation, he commanded the system to store it safely within his inventory. The same was done with the Ultimate Body Tempering Pill.
Turning back toward Mei Hua, he spoke evenly, "I would like to look through the artifacts section next. I am looking for a new high grade storage ring."
After leaving what he didn’t know was, Elder Le lie’s hand visibly twitched the moment Yu Liang walked out of the room.
For the entire transaction he had maintained the cold dignity of a senior elder using calm voice, measured breath, even that faint scholarly nod.
But now, confirming the transfer, his lips quivered.
"T-twenty... twenty million mid-grade stones..." he whispered, clutching the ring like it was a rare treasure. "Heavens... this much can buy me. Not once. Not twice. It can buy me, sell me, rebuy me, and still have change left!"
He nearly collapsed, muttering, "I mustn’t faint... dignity, Li, dignity..."