Chương 19: The Exchange Meet

During this period of seclusion, Reyn had conducted relentless experiments with his newfound abilities. He quickly discovered that with his current Divine Sense strength, he could barely manage to refine pills intended for Foundation Establishment cultivators. As for the advanced technique of decomposing medicinal potency to upgrade a pill's grade, that remained temporarily beyond his reach. Furthermore, refining higher-level pills was an exhausting drain on his mental energy.

After a cold calculation, he realized that mass-producing Qi Condensation pills was far more efficient and profitable. Consequently, Reyn only forged a dozen or so specialized pills to aid in breaking through future bottlenecks, dedicating the rest of his time to refining Spirit-Gathering Pills and other elixirs suitable for his current stage. As his proficiency grew, the time and Divine Sense consumed per batch steadily decreased, further accelerating his cultivation speed.

As a mere registered disciple, Reyn occupied a precarious position in the sect. Although Dan Chenzi had initially appreciated his steady temperament, the boy's supposed lack of spiritual roots and his long absences from the master's sight caused his presence to fade. Gradually, the registered disciple of Hundred Herb Valley became a forgotten ghost in the eyes of the sect. Yet, within those six months of solitude, Reyn underwent a transformation akin to a caterpillar shedding its cocoon to become a butterfly.

He had officially and firmly stepped onto the true path of immortality. Inside the stone chamber, Reyn's eyes snapped open. For a fleeting second, a faint, ethereal fluorescence shimmered across his face before receding into his skin. He released his Divine Sense in a sweeping tide; with the mountain interior's medicinal garden as the epicenter, every tremor of a leaf or scuttle of an insect within a hundred-zhang radius was laid bare to his perception.

"The 7th level of Qi Condensation!" Reyn clenched his fist, a thin, satisfied smile playing on his lips. Over the past half-year, he had consumed various Qi Condensation elixirs as if they were candy. His cultivation had progressed at a breakneck pace, surging through the levels until he reached the late stages of the realm. Such a speed was not merely fast; it was monstrous, rivaling or even surpassing the so-called 'heaven-defying geniuses' of the great sects.

"Strike!" With a sharp shout and a pointed finger, a spirit sword erupted into the air. It whistled through the chamber, circling Reyn three times in a blur of cold light before coming to a steady hover before him. Reyn nodded in approval. This high-grade spirit tool was a prize taken from the Black Mountain Old Ghost. After six months of nurturing it with his own energy, he had finally achieved the state of 'Sword Following the Mind.'

He toyed with the weapon for a moment longer, savoring the lethal weight of it, before reluctantly stowing it back into his storage bag. Though he now possessed the strength to soar through the skies on his blade, he dared not reveal his true power. To do so would be to invite a storm of trouble he wasn't yet ready to weather.

"I have the cultivation of the 7th level, but I lack offensive techniques. I cannot fully unleash my potential," Reyn mused, his expression turning pensive. The Myriad Wood Life-Transformation Art he practiced had an incredibly low barrier to entry, but that came at a cost: it lacked any inherent combat spells or divine abilities. Half a day later, Reyn emerged from the hidden medicinal garden. After meticulously concealing the entrance, he walked toward the valley exit.

The Mirage Array and the Warning Array were still functioning perfectly, showing no signs of intrusion. Satisfied, he swapped out two spirit stones that were nearly depleted of energy and stepped out of the valley. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Six months ago, he had entered the Xuanxiao Sect as a powerless mortal, a boy with nothing to his name. Six months later, he possessed the Golden Seal and a heaven-defying mastery of alchemy.

From this day forward, the world was his to roam, and the sky was the only limit! Thinking of the drastic changes in his fate, Reyn couldn't suppress the faint, cold smile of a man who had finally taken control of his destiny. The Xuanxiao Sect was not the largest of organizations, but it boasted a vast number of disciples. Since the sect could not provide every resource required for individual cultivation, a tradition had formed: the internal Disciple Exchange Meet.

Held on the first and fifteenth of every month, these gatherings allowed disciples to trade what they had for what they needed. To enter, one had to pay a fee of one low-grade spirit stone. In exchange, the participant received a black robe specifically enchanted to block Divine Sense scans. After all, unless they were close friends, no one wanted to be identified after acquiring a rare treasure.

Despite being sect brothers, the history of the cultivation world was written in the blood of those ambushed for their belongings. Reyn arrived at the designated location, paid his fee with a stoic expression, donned the heavy black robe, and stepped inside. The garment was indeed remarkable; Reyn tested it and found that even his own Divine Sense could not penetrate the fabric.

Although he was only at the 7th level of Qi Condensation, the Golden Seal had bolstered his mental strength to a level comparable to an early Foundation Establishment cultivator. Finding even his gaze blocked, he felt a surge of relief.

"Everyone, the hour has arrived. It seems we are the only ones attending today," a voice rang out, sounding unnaturally raspy. It was clearly disguised to prevent identification.

"Since that is the case, I shall cast the first brick to attract the jade and begin the proceedings." No one was surprised by the caution. It was the standard protocol of the underground.

"I have five Fireball Talismans. I am asking for one low-grade spirit stone per sheet." The man produced five deep-yellow slips from his storage bag. Reyn looked up; they were identical to the one Liu Shengsheng had given him months ago. A Fireball Talisman was merely a Grade 1 Talisman. When activated, it unleashed a strike roughly equivalent to a cultivator at the 5th level of Qi Condensation. Reyn glanced at them and immediately looked away. At his current level, such trinkets held zero appeal.

However, not everyone shared his height. The 5th level of Qi Condensation was considered quite respectable among the general populace of the Xuanxiao Sect. Most outer disciples languished at the 2nd or 3rd levels; only true inheritance disciples could reach the 5th level at a young age, marking them as talents of the upper-middle tier. Consequently, the five talismans were snapped up quickly by several eager bidders. Yet, a significant portion of the room remained as motionless as Reyn.

These were the true experts of the gathering, men and women for whom a simple fireball was nothing more than a flickering candle. Once the talismans were gone, another figure stepped forward.

"One low-grade spirit tool. I will only accept spirit stones or pills. The highest bidder takes it!" A spirit tool! Such items were typically the standard equipment of Foundation Establishment masters. To see one in the hands of a Qi Condensation disciple was a rare event indeed. The crowd's fervor ignited instantly as they watched a hooked blade—a Wu Hook—hovering and spinning slowly around the speaker. The bidding war began with a roar.

"Fifteen low-grade spirit stones!"

"Twenty!"

"I'll give thirty! No one move against me, this tool is mine!"

"Hmph, you think thirty stones can buy a spirit tool? Ignorant. Fifty stones!" After a flurry of escalating bids, only two contenders remained.

"Two hundred stones. That is the entirety of my savings," one of them said. Though the voice was suppressed, the petite frame suggested the bidder was a woman. After a moment of agonizing hesitation, she gritted her teeth and added, "This tool is vital to me. I will add three packets of Heart-Clearing Powder to the deal." Heart-Clearing Powder was a medicinal aid used by Qi Condensation cultivators to steady the mind and enhance the efficiency of their meditation.

However, its grade was extremely low—even inferior to a Spirit-Gathering Pill. It barely qualified as a Grade 1 medicine.