After the mind-reading cripple junior sister, the entire sect rose to prominence.

Chapter 191 Can’t afford it

The place Qiao Laohei ran towards was none other than Xianlaifang.

Manager Niu had already spread rumors about the Breakthrough Pill, but the Breakthrough Pill is a completely new kind of pill that has never appeared before, and its efficacy may contain false information.

Therefore, most cultivators are still observing it, and not many people actually believe in it.

But, Qiao Laohei believed it!
He ran an ironware shop, but he didn't make much money. He only had a small amount of savings, which was far from enough for him to buy those life-extending items that were being sold at exorbitant prices.

And the things that help with breakthroughs are similar, such as Foundation Establishment Pills, Golden Transformation Pills, and Nascent Soul Pills, each more expensive than the last.

However, this Breakthrough Pill is different. It's a new product with unknown effects, so Qiao Laohei thinks its price might not be too high, and he might be able to afford it.

After trying other methods to no avail, Qiao Laohei felt that this breakthrough pill was his last chance.

"Manager Niu, has the Breakthrough Pill arrived yet?" he asked as soon as he entered.

Manager Niu smiled helplessly as soon as he saw him. "You're here again. Not yet, but you'll arrive in three days."

This wasn't the first time he'd seen Qiao Laohei. Ever since he'd spread the word, Qiao Laohei would come over every day or two to ask.

"Really? That's great!" Old Qiao was overjoyed. "Then when I come back, you must save one for me."

Upon hearing this, Manager Niu was not overjoyed, but instead gave him a worried look.

Of course he knew about Qiao Laohei's father's situation and that his family desperately needed Breakthrough Pills to "save their lives".

The product itself is of course genuine. Since Chen Lan and Liu Feng both said that the pill is guaranteed to be authentic and that it will become famous as long as they get through the first few days, their Xianlaifang will be bustling with customers. Manager Niu must believe this without a doubt.

The problem is... the price!
Old Qiao's smile faltered. "Manager Niu, is there a problem?"

"You need to be prepared, the price of this pill... is no cheaper than the Golden Elixir." Manager Niu finally revealed a little bit of the truth.

The price of Breakthrough Pill has not yet been disclosed, and he has not given any information when others have asked.

Only Qiao Laohei, he felt sorry for the other party because of his filial piety and the fact that he was always running back and forth like this.

Telling him early on, whether he tries to raise the money or gives up sooner to avoid wasting his time, is a small act of kindness from Manager Niu.

There was more he could do, but nothing more.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Laohei's face turned pale, and his heart sank rapidly.

The Foundation Establishment Pill costs two thousand crystal stones, which is more expensive than many magic weapons of the same level. Ordinary cultivators without some wealth simply cannot buy it.

Once you reach the Golden Core stage, it becomes even more expensive, costing 80,000 crystal stones. Most importantly, it's priceless and unavailable.

Qiao Laohei's blacksmith shop didn't have anything valuable. Even if he sold all the ironware and the shop, he wouldn't get 20,000 crystals. With the savings of the father and son, they only had less than 50,000.

This is because his business is almost entirely made to order; customers provide the materials themselves, and he only handles the refining. Therefore, he doesn't have any precious materials on hand to convert into crystals.

The price of the Golden Transformation Pill at 80,000 was already prohibitive for him, let alone the Breakthrough Pill, which was even more expensive!
"How could this be... It's just an obscure pill, why is it more expensive than the Golden Transformation Pill?" he muttered in bewilderment. Could this new pill be more effective than the old and renowned Golden Transformation Pill?
"Because the success rate for breakthroughs below the Golden Core stage is as high as 90%, from the Golden Core stage to the Nascent Soul stage it's 50%, and beyond that it's 20%," Manager Niu explained. "Moreover, it can also dispel inner demons, leaving no hidden dangers."

Qiao Laohei's eyes widened. "Ninety percent? Really?"

"That's right." Manager Niu nodded affirmatively.

Below the Golden Core stage, that is, from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, and from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core!
That's as high as 90%?!
Old Man Joe was shocked.

You should know that even the Foundation Establishment Pill and the Golden Transformation Pill only have a success rate of 70% to 80%!
This breakthrough pill not only has 10% more power, but more importantly, it can also eliminate inner demons. This one effect alone is enough to justify the expensive crystals it contains!
Qiao Laohei's heart was pounding; he was extremely excited, yet at the same time, a chill ran through him due to pessimism.

Coincidentally, the reason his father's lifespan was nearing its end was because he had an inner demon!

His inner demons are related to his mother's death. His mother had been pregnant with a younger sister after him, but due to an accident, both she and her unborn child died. This made his father unable to let go of his grief and he was always blaming himself.

Because of the inner demons, Father's breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage was extremely dangerous, but thankfully he managed to pull through.

But now that he was about to advance to the Golden Core stage, he was filled with unease and somewhat afraid to face the breakthrough.

If they weren't so short on money, they would definitely buy another pill to eliminate their inner demons. However, they needed to spend their money wisely. They could still manage to overcome their inner demons, but their breakthrough was an urgent matter.

If this breakthrough pill can not only help Father break through to the Golden Core stage, but also remove his inner demons, then it would be the most ideal pill ever!

But here's the sad part—they can't afford it.

"Can't you really lower the price a bit more?" he pleaded, his lips trembling as he stared at Manager Niu.

Manager Niu was powerless to help; he was just a manager himself. Although he could offer some discounts to regular customers, it was only a few dozen or a few hundred crystals.

But what Joe Black lacks is more than just this amount of money.

So he sighed and shook his head.

“I can exchange the missing magical artifacts for the rest,” Qiao Laohei hurriedly said. “Your shop also sells magical artifacts, right? You provide the materials, and I can help you refine them at a lower price.”

Manager Niu shook his head again, "Our shop has a craftsman."

Meng Ling is a weapon refiner, and perhaps because of her better aptitude, her progress in weapon refining is even more exaggerated than Du Yue's.

Qiao Laohei is just average, so why should Manager Niu go to such lengths?

Sympathy is sympathy, and business is business; they are two separate things. If he helped everyone in need, his own wages wouldn't even be enough to cover his own expenses!
Besides, this shop isn't even mine!
Old Qiao gritted his teeth, his eyes gradually dimming.

He forced a smile and thanked them, then walked out of the shop as if he had lost his mind, taking slow steps forward.

He wasn't actually his father's son.

Qiao Laohei already knew this, having overheard it from his parents' conversation. He was an orphan who was picked up by his parents and raised as their own son.

Over the years, his parents provided him with food and drink, taught him how to be a person, and helped him cultivate himself. He even learned his cooking skills from his father, who never held anything back from him.