Xitu stepped out of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion in high spirits. After all, his 'business venture' had succeeded. With these 150 Spirit Stones, he could buy the next batch of pills, Magic Beast meat, and daily necessities while still having plenty left.
He strolled toward the outskirts. Upon reaching the forest entrance, he paused to look around, then slipped into a secluded corner hidden by trees and bushes. There, he removed his disguises, packed them into his cloth bag, and stowed it carefully in his storage pouch. To distinguish this pouch from the one at home, he marked it with a small black symbol on its surface.
With everything settled, Xitu headed home. He cleaned himself and ate his usual meal. Afterward, he went to the underground storage to hide his new earnings, placing the Spirit Stones in his spare storage pouch and tucking it deep inside the clay rice jar.
Then, it was time to cultivate. Xitu very much enjoyed the feeling of growing stronger.
A month had passed since that day. Nothing dramatic happened, but in many ways, everything had changed for Xitu. With nutritious meals and daily Qi Harmonization Pellets, his cultivation steadily advanced. He even saved over 200 Spirit Stones.
Don't be mistaken into thinking this was a small amount just because he started with 160. It had only been possible thanks to his 15 years of savings. Only after so many years of hard work, traded for Spirit Stones, could he have that much on his first attempt. Besides, his life now was so much better!
With all that wealth, he had bought himself a 'life-saving treasure'—a Mid Rank, Excellent Grade protective talisman: the Golden Armor Talisman. This little gem could block several full-powered hits from early-stage Qi Foundation cultivators. He could sleep soundly every night thanks to it!
In a bustling tavern nearby, the air was thick with the scents of oil, smoke, and cheap Spirit Wine. Voices and laughter echoed off the walls. Xitu sat in the corner and enjoyed his lunch—a bowl of noodles with plenty of Magic Beast meat. Of course, at only 2 Spirit Stones per bowl, there was no trace of rare or expensive ingredients.
"Hey, have you heard? Burning Ice Palace just fought Nether Ghost Valley over a Spirit Stone mine!" a man at the opposite table whispered eagerly.
"What do you know? That's old news! I heard a core disciple of Burning Ice Palace already led a team to claim it," another replied.
"Only a core disciple? I thought they'd send some elders or something!"
"Are you stupid? These 2 are among the strongest powers on the continent. A Spirit Stone mine is just an excuse for the younger generation to test themselves."
A burly man from a nearby table joined in. "I heard the lead disciple's name is Mu Bingxue. She's the rising star of this generation. No one had seen her face before this fight. But now, everyone's talking about her."
"What do you mean?" the first man asked.
"You don't know? In the fight, she alone took on 3 early-stage Core Formation Realm cultivators. She had the same cultivation as them and wasn't overpowered even after a long battle!"
"Really? When did Burning Ice Palace produce such a talent? I've never heard of her."
"Maybe she's a 'hidden card.' Now that she's matured, they're finally showing her off."
"Wow, this is exciting! Is she remarkable enough to shake the entire continent? The last heaven-defying prodigy everyone talked about was Kang Chul from over 60 years ago already!"
"Ahh... The Tribulating Spear. No one has heard from him since the last Immortal Summit Gathering. Even the Divine Thunder Sect remains tight-lipped about his whereabouts. I wonder where he vanished to...?"
"Maybe he's in closed-door cultivation, preparing for a breakthrough."
"Probably. He'll be the pillar of Divine Thunder Sect for a long time. If he had disappeared, they'd be scrambling to find him right now."
Xitu sat quietly, sipping his herbal tea as he absorbed the gossip. Now that he no longer had to work every day to get by, he found the atmosphere refreshing.
He already knew some of this information, but the story of this new talent intrigued him.
'I wonder if she's younger or older than me? I'm almost 2 whole realms behind her, and they say she's a newcomer to the younger generation! I swear these geniuses are breaking the rules!' he thought with amusement.
After finishing his meal and enjoying a bit of 'human interaction,' he left the tavern. Since he had sold pills yesterday, today was a free day. He planned to practice his Qi Bullet Spell in the forest.
Over the past month, he had grown proficient enough to hit static targets within a 10-meter radius. Now he wanted to challenge himself with moving targets.
Like the old saying: where weakness breeds caution, power stirs desire. Growing wealthier and stronger by the day, he found himself daring to do things he never would have before.
'These are some dangerous thoughts... I must be extra careful not to get overconfident. No matter how strong you become, there will always be someone stronger,' Xitu reminded himself.
Standing near the forest's edge, he scanned for a target. Suddenly, a rustle was heard. A small brown rabbit poked its head out from the bushes.
"Rabbit meat for tonight it is! Don't blame me, you chose this yourself, little one..." he murmured.
He took a breath, steadied his stance, and formed hand seals. Seeing this, the rabbit abruptly moved—its survival instincts sending warnings about the 2-legged creature.
Right at that moment, Xitu fired. 'Pff!' The glowing Qi Bullet zipped past and slammed into a nearby rock.
'It moved! Lucky.'
The rabbit bolted further into the underbrush as Xitu pursued it, blue Qi flickering on his index finger.
After a few seconds, he fired again. This time, the bullet grazed the dirt near the rabbit's hind legs. It squealed and veered left.
'Still too slow.'
The 3rd shot struck. 'Thud!' One of the rabbit's legs cracked, and it tumbled, kicking in panic. Before it could escape, Xitu closed in.
The rabbit looked up at him with pleading eyes as if begging for mercy.
'Sorry, today you'll be my sacrifice on the path to greatness. But don't worry, when I become a powerful expert someday, I'll tell tales of my first great battle!'
He formed another hand seal and aimed carefully at its head. The 4th Qi Bullet struck with a dull snap. Silence followed.
'Wasted half of my Qi just to kill a rabbit. Low-level spells really can only do so much,' he muttered, clicking his tongue in frustration.