Chu Ming said, "Change it to silver notes for me."
Carrying over five thousand silver taels on oneself is truly inconvenient. Converting it to silver notes is much more practical.
After instructing the attendant to take the materials to the back, the shopkeeper took a few silver notes from the safe and neatly placed them on the counter.
Chu Ming glanced casually and then nodded in approval before accepting them and looking around at the items on the counter.
As a shopkeeper, he was highly skilled at reading people's expressions. Smiling, he said, "Is there anything else you need, young hero?"
"Do you have any elixirs here to aid cultivation and body refining?"
Chu Ming asked softly. The path of cultivation is filled with hardships. Relying solely on oneself would make progress too slow, but if one has elixirs, things could be different. Even a simple Spirit Gathering Pill can save a cultivator five days of laborious practice.
"Let me get you a list," the shopkeeper responded. He walked to the counter, and soon returned with a stiff piece of paper, which he handed to Chu Ming before busying himself once more.
Chu Ming looked at the stiff paper in his hand.
Spirit Gathering Pill, four hundred silver taels each, can save a cultivator five days of hard cultivation.
Blood Tiger Pill, primarily made from the essence blood of a Blood Tiger, can increase strength by one hundred jin, five hundred silver taels each.
Earth Spirit Pill, three thousand silver taels each, can save a cultivator a month of hard cultivation.
Demon Flood Dragon Pill, refined from the essence blood of a Demon Flood Dragon, can increase strength by five hundred jin, three thousand silver taels each.
Looking at the densely packed names of elixirs and their respective prices below, Chu Ming couldn't help but frown.
Martial artists truly are a money-draining group. Though making money quickly, as killing a few demon beasts in the Cyan Yang Mountain Range can sell for over a thousand silver taels, the spending rate is even faster. Buying a few elixirs would deplete one's finances rapidly.
Chu Ming felt a pang of envy for the children of great families. Consuming miraculous elixirs as if they were candies, receiving various spiritual power infusions since childhood. Growing up, their elixirs could almost fill a room. Even the most average person could become a significant force, though such methods can shape skilled individuals, but not true powerhouses.
Chu Ming placed the list on the counter and called a passing attendant, "Get me one Earth Spirit Pill, and four Blood Tiger Pills."
"Sure, please wait a moment," the attendant replied and went to the back yard. Soon he returned with two bottles in hand.
One bottle contained a single green elixir of thumb size, with a streak of green spiritual power flickering on it. The other bottle held four red elixirs, all of the same size.
"Here are your elixirs," the attendant said as he placed the elixirs in Chu Ming's hand. Chu Ming took out five thousand silver taels from his silver notes and handed it over, leaving him with only four hundred taels.
With the two bottles in his pocket, Chu Ming walked out of the Spirit Medicine Pavilion, heading towards the Cyan Yang Sect.
...
"Gulp～"
Chu Ming placed the Earth Spirit Pill into his mouth. The elixir melted instantly, transforming into a powerful stream of spiritual power which continuously integrated into his body, gradually enhancing his spiritual strength.
If he used the silver taels spent on the Earth Spirit Pill to buy Spirit Gathering Pills instead, the final enhancement would undoubtedly be significantly higher. However, that would be too time-consuming, and Chu Ming currently lacked time most of all.
The spiritual power circulated within his dantian, slowly nourishing his body. At this moment, he urgently needed to enhance his strength quickly.
As far as he knew, there were many experts in the outer sect. The top expert was Wu Lei, a Postnatal Ninth Layer peak expert who had even defeated a Transcendence Realm expert in combat. This demonstrated how the sect disciples' power exceeded that of outside martial artists.
Moreover, the top ten disciples in the outer sect were all above the Postnatal Eighth Layer, and their power was comparable to that of outside Postnatal Ninth Layer experts.
Buzz!
Chu Ming felt a slight swelling in his dantian. Instantly, his inner spiritual force grew stronger, transforming into a small stream flowing slowly within his body.
Postnatal Sixth Layer Middle Stage!
After the breakthrough, the spiritual power in the Earth Spirit Pill was not exhausted and continued to circulate, enhancing his inner breath. Although he didn't know exactly what the light shard in his body was, he knew it was the foundation of reaching the peak.
Until his cultivation was pushed to the Postnatal Sixth Layer Middle Stage peak, the spiritual power in the Earth Spirit Pill was fully consumed. Chu Ming also discovered that his Cyan Yuan Technique had broken through to the Second Layer, increasing the spiritual power in his body by an extra 30%.
The current him could seriously injure his pre-breakthrough self with a single strike. Even with the spiritual power from the Earth Spirit Pill used up, Chu Ming continued to circulate his spiritual power to consolidate his cultivation.
...
At the foot of the Cyan Yang Sect's mountain, a courtyard stood, quite spacious compared to others in the outer sect. Such courtyards weren't many, only ten in total, reserved exclusively for the top ten experts in the outer sect.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yun, with his injuries recovered, stood behind a thin man with a somber expression, looking somewhat uneasy. Around them were several disciples, all above Postnatal Seventh Layer cultivation.
"Zhao Yun, you said Chu Ming refused to hand over the spirit stones and even injured you?" The thin man asked Zhao Yun, his back turned to him and a longsword strapped on his back. After a moment of contemplation, he questioned Zhao Yun.
"Yes, that Chu Ming is really ignorant. If we don't teach him a lesson, he'll never know his place," Zhao Yun said viciously, a hint of malice in his eyes.
After being handled by Chu Ming, Zhao Yun first thought of asking his older brother, Zhao Hu, to deal with Chu Ming. However, considering his brother was an Inner Sect Disciple, dealing with Chu Ming would tarnish his reputation.
Thus, he sought out Zhao Hu's close friend here, the thin man named Wu Ming, ranked ninth in the outer sect, a Postnatal Eighth Layer Middle Stage expert.
As a sect disciple, even though one might be at the Postnatal Eighth Layer Middle Stage, ordinary Postnatal Ninth Layer martial artists might not be a match for him.
"You want me to teach Chu Ming a lesson?" Wu Ming turned to Zhao Yun, his sharp eyes seeming to pierce through him, revealing a man of offensive nature.
Looking at Zhao Yun, Wu Ming felt a great deal of disdain. If not for Zhao Yun being Zhao Hu's brother, he wouldn't spare him a glance. Those with such lack of courage were of no use.
Back when Zhao Hu was in the outer sect, he was one of the top ten experts. Zhao Hu had once helped him, and they had often undertaken missions together, forging a deep friendship.
"No need for Brother Wu to act. Just a couple of Postnatal Seventh Layer martial artists should be enough to handle him!"
Zhao Yun forced a laugh. Knowing Wu Ming's disdain, he didn't dare say much, given that he sought his help.
Wu Ming nodded in satisfaction at Zhao Yun's response. Asking him to handle an ordinary outer sect disciple would be humiliating to him.
After musing for a moment, Wu Ming pointed at two young disciples next to him and said, "Cheng Ming, Cheng Lin, you two accompany him."
Cheng Ming and Cheng Lin were both Postnatal Seventh Layer Late Stage martial artists. To Zhao Yun, they would be more than enough to deal with Chu Ming, and he was instantly overjoyed.
Soon after, the three left the courtyard and headed for Chu Ming's cabin, brimming with hostility.
...
Huff
Chu Ming opened his eyes, two bright lights shooting out, illuminating the cabin. He exhaled a breath of impure air, and felt his inner spiritual power, feeling highly satisfied.
He then took out another bottle from his pocket, containing four rotating blood-red elixirs.
These were the Blood Tiger Pills, each capable of increasing one's strength by one hundred jin. The Blood Tiger was a high-tier Second Level demon beast, which even ordinary Postnatal Ninth Layer martial artists couldn't defeat.
"Gulp～"
Chu Ming tipped one into his mouth and refined it. Instantly, a warm current surged within his body, his muscles tingled, and his strength increased. Initially, Chu Ming's strength was five hundred jin. After refining one Blood Tiger Pill, it increased to six hundred jin.
The second, strength grew to seven hundred jin!
The third, strength grew to eight hundred jin!
The fourth, strength grew to nine hundred jin!
After refining all four Blood Tiger Pills, his strength significantly increased, but a bitter smile appeared on his face, with only four hundred silver taels left.
"Chu Ming, get out here!"
A rampant shout came from outside the cabin. Chu Ming's expression remained calm. He opened the door and walked out, seeing three figures.
Zhao Yun? Seeing the other two men, Chu Ming instantly understood what was going on, narrowing his eyes.
"A defeated opponent, yet you dare to be arrogant?" Chu Ming said lightly, facing the three without a change in expression, not showing the slightest hint of putting them in his eyes.
"Such a sharp-tongued brat. Kneel and kowtow three times to Zhao Yun, and this matter will end here," Cheng Ming said with narrowed eyes, his tone indifferent as he eyed Chu Ming's cultivation, Postnatal Sixth Layer Middle Stage, not taking him seriously.
Chu Ming replied, "What if I don't?" Grabbing the refined iron sword at his waist, his aura instantly changed, forward and unyielding, reflecting the unique essence of Sword Dao.
"Then fight!" Cheng Ming roared, his aura exploding. A faint golden light rose from his body, revealing him as a body-refining expert.
His golden hands shone brighter, resembling two massive suns. "If you regret it now, it's not too late," Cheng Ming said calmly.
"Let's fight!" Chu Ming shouted, his iron sword transforming into a cyan whirlwind light, like fog, like wind, elusive, a perfect test of his recent breakthrough.
"Hmph!"
Cheng Ming swung his fists, golden light scattering. His cultivation was an advanced yellow-level technique, Tyrant Fist, already cultivated to great success. Even facing Postnatal Eighth Layer martial artists, he was a formidable match.
"Gentle Breeze!"
Chu Ming's iron sword seemed to transform into a gentle breeze, invisible and traceless, the Wind Dao's essence enhancing its power, not inferior to an intermediate yellow-level technique.
"Tyrant Fist!"
Clang clang
The cyan light continually clashed with Cheng Ming's golden fists, emitting metallic clashes, sparks flying. The wind, omnipresent, made Chu Ming's attacks equally pervasive.