Chapter 312 - 309: Harvest
Although the battle against Shen Tingchu had been unremarkable—a complete steamroll—but as they say, you can learn something from everyone.
Shen Tingchu was weak in comparison, but as a genius among ordinary Cultivators, he naturally had his own strengths and specialties.
For instance, his method of nourishing his Lifebound Longsword with his own lifeblood, which greatly enhanced its power and his control over it.
This had given Shen Changchuan a few new ideas during their fight.
At the same time,
fighting an enemy,
is also a form of self-refinement.
It helps polish one’s mastery of Magical Power and combat skills.
Of course,
it was a fact that Shen Tingchu was "weak."
Thus, Shen Changchuan didn’t need much time to process what he had learned from the battle.
In just half a day, he had fully absorbed everything he had gained.
’Combat is also a way to rapidly improve one’s strength!’
Shen Changchuan thought to himself.
Sometimes, it’s hard to make things clear through mere discussion and exchange of theories.
Only by personally fighting can one fully demonstrate their own principles.
It was like the difference between reading a description in a book and putting it into practice.
Taking direct action was far more intuitive than any written description.
It was no wonder that sparring matches were so frequent in this world.
Constantly clashing, communicating, and improving—
this led to much faster progress than burying one’s head in books.
Of course,
that was the principle of it,
but Shen Changchuan wasn’t about to go around picking fights just to raise his Cultivation. He wouldn’t deliberately seek out Cultivators stronger than himself for life-or-death battles, walking the edge of mortality just for a chance at rapid improvement.
’With my progress bar panel, I have no need to take such risks.’
’For me, it’s better to stay holed up in my safe haven, cultivating in seclusion and grinding one Magic skill after another to Perfection, than to risk my life for progress in deadly battles.’
The thoughts flashed through Shen Changchuan’s mind.
Reining in his thoughts,
Shen Changchuan turned his attention to the materials the Ancestor had given him as compensation.
One hundred fifty thousand Spirit Stones.
It was just a number, a price tag.
It wasn’t as if the Ancestor had handed him a Storage Bag filled with 150,000 Spirit Stones.
Of course,
if Shen Changchuan had wanted that, the Ancestor would have unhesitatingly taken the Spirit Stones directly from the Shen Family’s treasury and given them to him.
This 150,000 was less like funds,
and more like a line of credit.
A credit that could be used to purchase any materials from the Shen Family’s treasury.
One had to admit,
the foundation the Shen Family had built over its 300-year rise was quite impressive.
In the end,
after some consideration,
Shen Changchuan ultimately chose to exchange it for three hundred Middle Grade Spirit Stones, a bottle of thirty Tier Two Cultivation Elixirs called True Essence Pills, a bottle of ten Tier Two Body Tempering Pills, and three Tier Two Rejuvenation Pills.
And then...
that was it.
The 150,000 Spirit Stone credit was spent on just those items.
It really had to be said...
the items used by Soul Emergence Realm Cultivators were all extremely expensive.
And this was just the internal family price for Shen Changchuan.
If he had tried to buy these items on the open market,
the price would be several times higher, and that’s if you could even find them for sale!
’I thought I was pretty wealthy, but now it looks like I’m just a poor wretch after all!’
Taking stock of the Cultivation Materials he had exchanged his 150,000 Spirit Stone compensation for,
Shen Changchuan couldn’t help the wry smile that appeared on his face.
The prices of these Elixirs used for Cultivation were just too high!
Even for a Soul Emergence Realm Cultivator, 150,000 Spirit Stones was a considerable fortune.
Even for Shen Changchuan, who now presided over Dawan Village, it would take nearly ten years to accumulate that much.
But such a vast number of Spirit Stones...
were gone in a flash!
It didn’t last at all!
’Actually, the price of Elixirs is still somewhat acceptable. Treasure Artifacts are even more expensive!’
’No wonder even someone like my clansman Shen Tingchu, the supposed hope of his lineage, couldn’t get a Treasure Artifact for protection. Prices like these are simply beyond what an ordinary person can afford!’
Recalling the prices for Treasure Artifacts on the list the Ancestor had shown him,
Shen Changchuan couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow and shake his head.
The expenses involved...
were truly astronomical.
Fortunately, he had his golden finger, the progress bar panel. A Perfection Level Tier Two Magic was in no way inferior to a Treasure Artifact.
In some ways, a Perfection Level Tier Two Magic could even be more effective in combat than a Treasure Artifact.
Therefore, he only needed to focus on Elixirs or Heavenly and Earthly Treasures that could advance his Cultivation Realm, without having to worry too much about offensive tools like Treasure Artifacts.
Otherwise,
those 150,000 Spirit Stones would have been far from enough!
’Immortal Cultivation in this world is basically a competition of Cultivation Resources... I have no idea how ordinary Soul Emergence Realm Cultivators manage to practice...’
Shen Changchuan sighed to himself.
However, what he didn’t know was that...
ordinary Soul Emergence Realm Cultivators would never be so extravagant as to use Elixirs to aid their Cultivation and advance their Cultivation Realm.
Ordinary Soul Emergence Realm Cultivators relied on the slow, daily accumulation of Refining Spiritual Qi, tempering themselves, and advancing their Cultivation Realm step by step.
Tier Two Elixirs...
were something only the filthy rich or the Direct Lineage Descendants of powerful figures could afford.
In fact,
what Shen Changchuan didn’t know was that...
when he had exchanged his entire 150,000 Spirit Stone credit for Elixirs from the family treasury, the Ancestor’s brow had twitched.
His choice had been quite surprising.
A normal Soul Emergence Realm Cultivator with enough Spirit Stones would typically prioritize buying a Treasure Artifact for combat.
Next would be Talismans, Arrays, and other such tools for self-preservation and offense.
Only last would they consider Tier Two Elixirs or Heavenly and Earthly Treasures that could advance their Cultivation Realm.
This was because while Elixirs or Heavenly and Earthly Treasures could accelerate one’s Cultivation Realm progression,
the time saved amounted to only a few years at most!
For the small matter of saving a few years of hard work,
one might not even earn back the Spirit Stones spent. It was almost always a losing proposition.
And for a Cultivator in the Soul Emergence Realm,
with a total lifespan of two to three hundred years, being a few years faster or slower didn’t really matter.
Paying such a steep price for it wasn’t worth it.
In contrast,
prioritizing a Treasure Artifact could rapidly increase one’s strength in a short amount of time, adding another layer of security to their life.
What’s more,
the stronger you were,
the more Immortal Cultivation Resources you could obtain in this dog-eat-dog world.
Thus, a normal Cultivator’s first choice was almost always a Treasure Artifact, Talisman, portable Array, or something similar that could quickly boost their power.
Someone like Shen Changchuan,
who exchanged most of their Spirit Stones for Elixirs, was a rare sight indeed!