My dreams can simulate the future.

Chapter 7 Spirit Gathering Pill

After the money and goods were exchanged, Jiang Chen solemnly said, "Monkey, don't reveal to anyone that I can draw mid-grade first-rank talismans."

I'm only at the third level of Qi Refining right now, and I don't want to stand out too much.

Having a skill can certainly earn you a lot of spirit stones, but if you don't have the strength to match it, you'll inevitably bring trouble upon yourself.

Some smaller factions would capture alchemists and talisman masters, imprison them, and force them to refine elixirs and draw talismans.

The lower one's cultivation level, the higher the probability of being targeted.

Fighting is forbidden in the market, but it's not uncommon for cultivators to disappear from their homes without a trace.

Although I know I can't hide it for long, I can use this time to cultivate properly and strive to break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining.

Even if you can't break through, having more talismans and buying more magical artifacts will make you more capable of protecting yourself.

Hou Ming nodded: "Don't worry, Brother Chen, I know what's important. By the way, you asked me to keep an eye out for information, and I actually found some useful stuff."

The Garrison Command has introduced a new rule: anyone whose skills in alchemy, weaponry, talismanic arrays, and other related arts reach the mid-level of the first rank can report to the Garrison Command.

After passing the inspection, you can choose to join the Garrison Command. I heard there's also a token, and the treatment is the same as that of a patrol guard.

Besides, if you need anything here, the market's patrols will take extra care of you.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chen was somewhat tempted.

Currently, an unknown group has its eyes on them, and other smaller forces may follow suit in the future.

If I could join the Garrison Command and enjoy the benefits of patrolling, most small factions wouldn't dare to mess with me.

"What are the consequences of seeking refuge with the garrison command?"

Hou Ming shook his head: "I don't know about that, but I heard that Zhang Laokou has already defected to the garrison command."

If you want to find out more information, you can go and ask him.

Knowing his personality, if you bring him a pound of spirit grain to gather even these trivial details, he definitely won't refuse.

After chatting for a few minutes, Jiang Chen returned to his own courtyard.

He didn't rush to inquire about the news, because if he went out to find out, the matter of drawing a mid-grade first-rank talisman would be exposed.

"There's no rush to join the Garrison Command. Right now, we need to improve our cultivation. It will be easier to gain their attention after we break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining."

I'll buy some pills tomorrow and try to break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining as soon as possible.

Before deciding whether to join them, we should ask Old Zhang about the restrictions that might apply to the garrison command.

The Golden Cauldron Sect is no benevolent force; they couldn't possibly offer such high treatment without ulterior motives. Moreover, given that it's wartime, the conditions will undoubtedly be even harsher.

Although there is only a small difference between cultivators at the third and fourth levels of Qi Refining, the actual gap between them is quite significant.

The former has difficulty projecting their divine sense and is extremely weak in long-range attacks; once they leave the market, they are doomed.

Even if you have magical artifacts and talismans, it's difficult to hit your opponent without divine guidance.

The latter can project their divine sense outwards to investigate the situation within a radius of several feet, and can hunt demons in the mountains and forests outside the market to make a living.

Therefore, in Blackstone Mountain Market, a Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator without a skill cannot survive independently, and naturally cannot have any status.

Once you have money, you'll be blackmailed or even killed.

A cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining possesses considerable combat power and the ability to leave the market to make a living. With the help of powerful talismans and magical artifacts, they may even have the opportunity to kill a cultivator at the late stage of Qi Refining.

A talisman master at the fourth level of Qi Refining is certainly not short of money or protective treasures, and even cultivators at the late stage of Qi Refining would not want to provoke him.

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Early the next morning, Jiang Chen left his courtyard and headed straight for the East Market.

Although Blackstone Mountain Market is extremely bustling, there are very few shops selling elixirs.

Among the various arts of cultivation, alchemy is the most profitable, and it also has the lowest entry difficulty among alchemy, artifact crafting, and talisman arrays.

However, alchemy is easy to get started with, but extremely difficult to master.

The term "easy to learn" means that the pills are not particularly difficult to refine.

The difficulty in entering this industry lies in the extreme challenge of making money by selling elixirs.

Since elixirs are, after all, things to be ingested, cultivators who purchase them are naturally very cautious.

An unknown, rogue cultivator goes to sell pills; who knows if the pills are poisonous?

Those who can open a pill shop are either from a powerful sect or family, or are highly respected rogue alchemists.

To put it bluntly, this industry relies on the reputation of individuals or their backers to guarantee the quality of elixirs.

It is extremely difficult for independent cultivators to make money through alchemy.

Jiang Chen soon arrived at the front of a luxurious shop with the words "Yuzhi Danyao Shop" written in gold lettering on the signboard.

"This Jade Mushroom Pill Shop should be a property under the name of Jade Mushroom Hermit."

Yu Zhi Sanren is also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and he comes from a rogue cultivation background. He is known for his superb alchemy skills.

This Yuzhi San has an excellent reputation, and his pill shops have never had any problems.

Jiang Chen immediately entered the shop, and a waiter came to greet him.

"Sir, what would you like to order? Our shop has all the common first and second-grade pills you could want."

Jiang Chen didn't waste any words and immediately said, "Give me two Spirit Gathering Pills."

The Spirit Gathering Pill is a pill that assists Qi Refining cultivators in their cultivation. The effect of one Spirit Gathering Pill is roughly equivalent to Jiang Chen's two months of arduous cultivation.

Taking the Spirit Gathering Pill is essentially trading money for time, and for a rogue cultivator like Jiang Chen with relatively poor talent, time is exactly what he needs most.

The waiter immediately brought over a small white porcelain bottle: "This is a common-grade Spirit Gathering Pill, five spirit stones per pill. Please examine the pill, esteemed guest."

Elixirs are ingested substances, so one must be cautious.

Therefore, there are many tricks among independent cultivators to verify the quality of pills and whether they are toxic, and Jiang Chen naturally knows some of them as well.

He opened the elixir bottle, and a fragrant aroma wafted out.

Looking into the elixir bottle, one could see two pills the size of longan fruits inside.

He brought the pill close to his face and laboriously released a wisp of his divine sense to examine it.

"A great reputation is well-deserved; your shop's elixirs are indeed exceptional."

After saying that, he took out ten spirit stones and handed them to the attendant.

Upon returning home, Jiang Chen immediately swallowed a Spirit Gathering Pill and began circulating his cultivation technique to refine it.

The cultivation technique he practiced was the [Primordial Nourishing Body Technique], which is attribute-free and characterized by its stability and lack of any obvious flaws.

The downside is that the cultivation speed is slow, and it lacks powerful accompanying spells. Its main advantage is strengthening the foundation and building a solid base.

Because of these advantages, this technique is extremely popular among independent cultivators. Even the disciples of many small factions choose to practice this technique.

Once the pill is swallowed and refined, a cool, refreshing aura emanates from it.

This refreshing aura is not just spiritual energy, but also has medicinal properties that can enhance cultivation.

Guided by the exercise, the cool energy is absorbed into the body and circulates in the meridians.

Subsequently, the spiritual energy enters the Yintang acupoint, is refined into magical power, and then enters the middle dantian.

At this moment, there were three grayish-white beams of light, about the thickness of chopsticks and about a foot long, in his middle dantian; this was his magical power.

This magical power has been gathered into a single strand, which supports the cultivation level of a Qi Refining cultivator and will not easily dissipate; therefore, it is called [Stable Magical Power].

Every time a Qi Refining cultivator breaks through a minor realm, a wisp of stable magical power will condense in their middle dantian.

The newly refined magical power quickly merged into the three strands of stable magical power.

However, only about 10% of the magical power successfully merged in, while the rest overflowed again, drifting within the middle dantian.