Inside the Waste Pill Room, Su Twelve had no idea that while the man in black had failed to discover him, he had instead been targeted by his own fellow disciples.
A conspiracy against him was quietly unfolding in the shadows.
After repelling those two Menial Disciples, he returned to his bitter cultivation within the Waste Pill Room.
Aside from receiving the waste pills delivered by the disciples of the various peaks each month, he hardly ever stepped outside.
Occasionally, Demon Beasts would intrude upon his territory. Relying on his two secular martial arts and the High Grade Magical Artifact in his possession, he could slay them with ease.
Time flew by; the years passed like a shuttle.
In the blink of an eye, four years passed.
Early one morning on Yihuan Mountain, a lean young man of sixteen or seventeen—his skin tanned dark by the sun and dressed in the disciple robes of the Cloudsong Sect—slowly made his way to the Trade Square at the summit.
The square was perfectly rectangular, covering an area of over ten mu. It was divided into a grid pattern that formed four main streets and nine distinct districts. Each district was further divided by a cross-shaped intersection.
Roads crisscrossed like field paths, lined with cultivators tending their stalls. Whether they were vendors or mere strollers, everyone wore the sect’s disciple robes.
People came and went in a bustling, noisy crowd—a truly lively scene!
The young man blended into the crowd, carrying a sword scabbard crafted from beast hide on his back. He had an ordinary face and looked completely unremarkable. He glanced left and right, but he was in no hurry to buy anything.
This young man was Su Twelve, who had spent the last four years bitterly cultivating in the Waste Pill Room on Cuihuan Mountain.
Through four years of bitter cultivation and the aid of a massive amount of Top Grade Qi Gathering Pills, his cultivation base had continuously risen.
Just one day ago, after cultivating tirelessly, the True Essence within his body had finally grown to the size of a fist, allowing him to break through to the fourth layer of Qi Condensation.
Such a cultivation speed was enough to rival an ordinary minor genius.
At this point, less than half a year remained until the Newcomer Trial. Given such a short timeframe, he knew it would be impossible for him to break through to the fifth level of Qi Condensation. After careful thought, he decided to visit the Trade Square to buy some items that could boost his combat strength in preparation for the upcoming trial.
After a full round of browsing, Su Twelve had bought nothing, but he had gained a general understanding of the Trade Square.
The goods sold in this square were a chaotic mix—medicinal herbs, iron ores, beast hides and bones, pills, talismans, Magical Artifacts, cultivation manuals… it was a dazzling variety.
There was no fixed currency for trading. Essence-Nourishing Pills were the most common, followed by gold and silver; sometimes, people bartered directly.
Walking along the paths, Su Twelve’s eyes were truly opened, and he could not help but feel a burning envy.
First-grade Low Grade Light-Escape Talisman, three High Grade Essence-Nourishing Pills.
Su Twelve took an extra look but did not offer a trade.
As he continued walking, he suddenly stopped, his gaze landing on a stall not far away.
That stall was surrounded by five or six cultivators. Upon it lay many good items—quite a few talismans and blank talisman papers, as well as a dozen or so books related to talisman crafting.
What drew everyone’s attention was a sandalwood box in the very center, which held a talisman emitting a faint earth-yellow glow.
Beside it, a line of large characters was written on a small wooden board: First-grade Top Grade Defense Talisman: three Low Grade Qi Gathering Pills.
Below that were several lines of smaller text: First-grade Low Grade Spirit Talisman: three High Grade Essence-Nourishing Pills. First-grade Middle Grade Spirit Talisman: ten High Grade Essence-Nourishing Pills. Talisman books: fifty Essence-Nourishing Pills each.
“First-grade Top Grade Defense Talisman?”
Su Twelve’s pupils constricted. After browsing for half the day, the most he had seen were first-grade Middle Grade talismans. This was the first Top Grade talisman he had encountered. Moreover, it was a defense talisman, the most precious type among offensive and defensive talismans.
His eyes darted slightly, and he could not help but examine it carefully. He could clearly sense the dense, ochre Spiritual Qi swirling around the talisman, exuding a heavy solidity akin to a mountain.
The spiritual power contained within it made his heart pound. It was clearly far beyond an ordinary spirit talisman.
“Sure enough, if you never leave your door, you never know how vast the world truly is. Once this kind of talisman is activated, let alone me, I’m afraid even someone at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Condensation might not be able to shatter it!”
Su Twelve’s eyes burned with desire, and he was secretly shocked.
Just then, among the onlookers, a handsome young man clutching a sword and wearing a silk headband spoke up. “This first-grade Top Grade Defense Talisman—I’ll offer three hundred High Grade Essence-Nourishing Pills. Are you selling?!”
“Not selling! I will only trade this Top Grade Defense Talisman for Qi Gathering Pills.” The stall owner, a female cultivator in her twenties wearing a yellow dress, shook her head and refused without hesitation.
“Four hundred High Grade Essence-Nourishing Pills! Senior Sister Chu, a Low Grade Qi Gathering Pill is worth at most a hundred Essence-Nourishing Pills. At this price, you’re making a massive profit,” the young man with the silk headband pressed.
Female Cultivator Chu raised her slender fingers and rolled her eyes with charming exasperation. “Oh, save your breath! Low Grade Qi Gathering Pills are priceless and incredibly difficult to find. If you truly want it, bring Qi Gathering Pills to trade.”
The young man with the silk headband curled his lips and turned away, his expression filled with gloom.
Among them, the one with the highest cultivation was that silk-headband youth, who was only at the fifth level of Qi Condensation.
It was impossible for them to possess Qi Gathering Pills. Even if they did, they would use them for their own cultivation. None would carelessly bring them out to trade.
Soon, the front of the stall was completely empty.
Seeing this, Su Twelve hesitated for a moment. He glanced left and right, and upon confirming that no one was paying attention, he stepped forward.
“Boss, this first-grade Top Grade Defense Talisman…”
Before Su Twelve could finish, Female Cultivator Chu glanced at him and said coldly, “Brother, I am only exchanging this first-grade Top Grade Defense Talisman for Qi Gathering Pills.”
“I know. See if this will do?” Su Twelve nodded, taking a medicine bottle from his robes and handing it to her.
Female Cultivator Chu’s brow furrowed tightly as she absentmindedly opened the medicine bottle. Su Twelve looked plain and unremarkable; he did not look wealthy in the slightest.
She held almost no hope for what he might offer.
However, the moment the bottle was opened, she spotted a perfectly round Qi Gathering Pill resting inside, surrounded by a faint pill halo.
Her pupils constricted, and she immediately cried out in alarm, “A Middle Grade Qi Gathering Pill?!”
She swallowed the exclamation halfway through.
Scrutinizing Su Twelve, she quickly suppressed the burning heat in the depths of her eyes and smiled. “Brother, this pill of yours isn’t bad at all. But one Middle Grade Qi Gathering Pill counts as two Low Grade Qi Gathering Pills at most. How about this: you bring out one more, and I will throw in an extra fifteen first-grade Middle Grade talismans to make up the difference. How does that sound?”
“I only have this one Qi Gathering Pill. You should also know that Qi Gathering Pills are priceless and rarely found on the market. Exchanging one Middle Grade Qi Gathering Pill for your talisman is hardly a loss for you, right?” Su Twelve shook his head decisively.
His peripheral vision rapidly swept over the other items on the stall. Whether it was the other talismans or those few books, all of them stirred his heart.
Yet he was well aware that bringing out even one Qi Gathering Pill was a massive risk. There was absolutely no way he would pull out another.
“Really just one?” Female Cultivator Chu sized up Su Twelve, smiling as she shot him a flirtatious wink. Her captivating gaze nearly caused Su Twelve’s mind to waver.
“Of course! Are you trading or not? If not, pretend I said nothing!” Su Twelve insisted firmly, reaching out to take back his Qi Gathering Pill.
If he had the choice, he would never have used a Middle Grade Qi Gathering Pill for trade. It was far too eye-catching!
But he had no other option. That Mysterious Pill Furnace was simply too incredible; if he tossed a waste pill inside, within a few breaths, it would be refined into a Top Grade Qi Gathering Pill.
He had experimented no fewer than twenty times before finally managing to produce two.