Chapter 145 - 141: Soul Nourishing Pill
The next morning, Li Yuan left the inn alone.
Old Sun had gone to catch up with Pill Refiner He and pry for information, while Wang Lu had vanished early in the morning. The three of them had each gone about their own business.
Li Yuan walked down a side alley to the main street and turned toward the loose cultivator stall area.
The loose cultivator stalls were concentrated in an open area at the eastern end of the main street, enclosed by a stone railing. The space wasn’t large, perhaps a third of the length of East Street in Qinghe Marketplace. Thirty or forty stalls were crammed inside, their owners squatting behind cloth displays—some hawking their wares, others dozing off.
Li Yuan walked slowly along the edge of the stall area, his fingers occasionally brushing against items on the displays.
An ore. No reaction.
A bottle of pills. No reaction.
A slightly used magical artifact dagger. No reaction.
The quality of the items here was indeed a step above that in Qinghe Marketplace.
Most of the pills casually laid out on the stalls were Tier One Middle Grade at a minimum. The ores were also predominantly Tier One Middle Grade, and occasionally, you could spot something of Tier One Top Grade.
In Qinghe Marketplace, Tier One Top Grade items could only be found in a few shops or with the occasional wandering merchant.
On the path around the stall area, several groups of loose cultivators stood chatting in twos and threes, not bothering to keep their voices down.
As Li Yuan walked past, he kept his ears open.
A group of people had gathered at the entrance to the stall area, deep in a lively conversation.
"Have you guys heard about what’s happening over at Lingxi Valley?" a middle-aged loose cultivator with a loud voice asked, gesticulating with his hands.
"Last month, someone discovered an untouched Spirit Medicine Field deep in Lingxi Valley. All the plants were Tier One Top Grade or higher, and I hear there were even two stalks nearing Tier Two."
A short loose cultivator standing nearby scoffed.
"Good things in a place like Lingxi Valley? The place is swarming with demon beasts. Eight or nine out of ten people who go in never come out. Even if there really is a Spirit Medicine Field, it’s not for the likes of us."
"Isn’t that the truth." The loud-voiced cultivator waved his hand. "I heard several groups have already gone in, but so far, only one has come out, and two of them were injured."
Elsewhere, two loose cultivators in their forties were leaning against the stone railing, talking in low voices, much quieter than the other group.
"Do you know about the Chen family’s old ancestor?"
"Which Chen family?"
"The one south of Yunyang Marketplace. The family supported by a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator."
"Oh, I’ve heard. He doesn’t have much time left, right?"
"Mhm. Less than ten years left, they say. The family is already making arrangements to move their entire clan into Yunyang Marketplace. They won’t establish themselves outside anymore. They’ll just buy a residence in the marketplace and live under the protection of the Primordial Yang Sect."
"There’s no other choice. Once their Foundation Establishment ancestor is gone, how could they possibly defend their territory out there? It’s better to move their assets in while he’s still alive. At least they can protect their people."
Li Yuan walked past the two men without breaking his stride.
After a few more steps, he saw five or six people gathered around a tea stall up ahead, their voices even louder.
"What you’re talking about is old news." A loose cultivator with a goatee held up his tea bowl, a smug look on his face. "The biggest news recently is that Fellow Daoist Zhang successfully reached Foundation Establishment."
The gazes of the people around him immediately turned his way.
"It happened last month." The goateed cultivator set his tea bowl down on the table.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang rented a Seclusion Chamber from the Primordial Yang Sect here in Yunyang Marketplace, took a Foundation Establishment Pill, and after three days of seclusion, he emerged as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator."
"Who? Zhang who?"
"Zhang Xuanqing. He used to be a loose cultivator, knocked around here for over a decade, and climbed step by step from the Qi Refining First Level to the peak of the Ninth Level. He saved up for the Foundation Establishment Pill himself. It cost him a lifetime of savings."
A young loose cultivator clicked his tongue.
"A loose cultivator can reach Foundation Establishment? How many Spirit Stones would that take?"
Several people gasped sharply.
Li Yuan walked past the tea stall, taking in all this information.
There was some news about the Wang and Li families, but not much. Occasionally, someone would mention that the fighting in Qinghe Marketplace was still ongoing and that the Li family was stirring up trouble again, but the conversation would quickly move on to other topics.
Yunyang Marketplace was the territory of the Primordial Yang Sect, so the conflict between the Wang and Li families was merely peripheral news here. The cultivators in this place were more concerned with the discovery in Lingxi Valley, the movements of the major families, and who had broken through to a new realm.
Li Yuan committed what he had heard to memory and continued deeper into the stall area.
When he reached the southeast corner of the stall area, a stall selling pills caught his attention.
The owner was a thin old man in his fifties. A dozen or so porcelain bottles of various sizes were arranged on a coarse cloth in front of him, each with a small wooden plaque beside it stating its name and price.
Li Yuan squatted down, his finger touching each bottle in turn, from left to right.
The first through the fourth had no entries.
The fifth bottle.
The instant his finger touched it, the panel popped up.
[Equippable Item Detected]
[Item Entry Grade: White]
[Note: Item does not belong to you. Unable to equip. Unable to view detailed information.]
’White.’
Li Yuan’s finger lingered on the bottle for an extra breath.
He glanced down at the wooden plaque next to it.
Soul Nourishing Pill. A Tier One Middle Grade pill that slowly nourishes the Divine Soul after consumption. The effect is gentle and long-lasting, but slow, requiring long-term use. Price: eight Spirit Stones per bottle, five pills per bottle.
"I’ll take this."
The stall owner glanced up at him and handed over the porcelain bottle.
Li Yuan counted out eight Spirit Stones, placed them on the cloth, and put the Soul Nourishing Pills into his storage bag.
He continued on.
After finishing his tour of the stall area, Li Yuan turned into a small alley off the main street. This alley had several shops that sold Cultivation Techniques and Magic, much more formal than the loose cultivator stalls. Their doors were open, and clerks sat behind the counters.
Li Yuan entered the first one.
"What are you looking for?"
The clerk looked up.
"Earth Magic. Entry-level."
The clerk pulled three bamboo scrolls from a drawer under the counter and placed them on top.
"Earth Shield Skill, Stone Fall Skill, and Thick Earth Skill. All are Tier One Low Grade entry-level magic, priced from seven to ten Spirit Stones."
Li Yuan picked up the three bamboo scrolls one by one and looked through them.
The Earth Shield Skill was defensive, the Stone Fall Skill was offensive, and the Thick Earth Skill was supportive.
"The Earth Shield Skill."
Seven Spirit Stones. He bought it.
"Do you have any Metal Element?"
The clerk pulled out two more bamboo scrolls.
"Golden Blade Skill and Sharp Gold Skill. Both are Tier One Low Grade."
Li Yuan chose the Golden Blade Skill for eight Spirit Stones.
He put the two bamboo scrolls into his storage bag and left the shop.
He retraced his steps back to the inn.
Once the door to his room was closed, Li Yuan sat down at the table.
First, he took out the porcelain bottle of Soul Nourishing Pills and uncorked it to take a look. Inside were five light purple pills, not very large, with a very fine sheen on their surface.
Then he took out the bamboo scroll for the Earth Shield Skill and began to read.
His Qi Refining Seventh Level cultivation, combined with his powerful Divine Soul, allowed Li Yuan to comprehend it quickly.
The conversion path of Earth Element Spiritual Power, the way Spiritual Power circulated for the Earth Shield Skill, and the key points and taboos of casting were all imprinted in his mind within moments.
Li Yuan raised his hand, palm facing down.
A thread of earthy-yellow Spiritual Power seeped from his fingertips, coalescing in front of his palm into an extremely thin and small earth-colored light shield. It was about the size of his palm, and it shattered after wavering twice.
As time passed, the earth-colored light shield grew more and more solid.
[Magic: Earth Shield Skill - Novice (0/200)]
He again opened the bamboo scroll for the Golden Blade Skill, and likewise comprehended the conversion path and casting points for Metal Element Spiritual Power.
Li Yuan extended his index finger. A very thin layer of silvery-white light appeared at his fingertip, sharp but faint.
Half an incense stick later.
[Magic: Golden Blade Skill - Novice (0/200)]
He had mastered the basics of both new spells.
Fire Element: the Fireball Technique, long past the novice stage.
Wood Element: the Nourishing Essence Skill, which he had learned in the medicine garden.
’The Water Element...’
’Let’s see if the Ice Cone Skill will work.’
Li Yuan unequipped the Jade Cloud Talisman Brush and took out the manual for the Spirit Cleansing Body Purification Skill from his storage bag.
Equip.
[Permanence Condition for Foreign Power Resistance (White) has been met]
[Make Permanent?]
’As expected, the Ice Cone Skill is a Water Element magic.’
[Permanence Successful]
[Foreign Power Resistance (White) has become a Permanent Entry]
[Equipment Consumed]
The manual for the Spirit Cleansing Body Purification Skill dissolved into a faint, water-blue light between his fingers and merged into his body.
The change was subtle. He felt a very thin protective layer form on his skin—not a hard shell like a Spiritual Power barrier, but an increase in his skin’s own tolerance to foreign spiritual powers. In the future, when attacked by Poison Spiritual Power, conflicting elemental Spiritual Power, or other negative energies, his body could endure thirty percent more.
An equipment slot opened up.
Li Yuan cleared the things on the table and picked up the bottle of Soul Nourishing Pills.
He uncorked the bottle and placed his finger on one of the pills at the opening.
[Equippable Item Detected: Soul Nourishing Pill (Intact)]
[Entry Preview: Soul Power Supply (White) — Can consume Spiritual Power to replenish used Divine Soul power, while also slightly accelerating the natural recovery of Divine Soul power.]
[Permanence Condition Preview: Cultivation must reach Qi Refining Ninth Level]
[Equip?]
’A white entry. Soul Power Supply.’
’Consume Spiritual Power to replenish the Divine Soul, and accelerate its natural recovery.’
’The permanence condition is simple and direct: just reach the Qi Refining Ninth Level.’
Li Yuan corked the bottle and equipped the Soul Nourishing Pills.
A cool, refreshing sensation appeared in his mind, then vanished.
’My spirit is probably at its peak right now, so the effect of the Soul Power Supply entry isn’t noticeable.’
Outside the window, the sky slowly darkened. The Spirit Lamps of Yunyang Marketplace began to light up, their glow seeping through the cracks in the window and casting long, thin bands of light on the wall.
Li Yuan closed his eyes, his breathing even. Inside his body, Qi Blood and Evil Qi circulated in alternation.