Food gives me an entry, I will be invincible if I stay alive

Chapter 372 Young man, do you want to get out of this predicament?

At the entrance of the aperture, Chen Xu carefully observed how others entered the Hundred Battles Ruins.

There were no guards at the entrance, and a dozen or so beautiful phantoms circled around the halo, flying and playing around without stopping.

Someone took out a jade bottle from a storage pouch at their waist and carefully poured out five pills that shimmered with light.

This is the Qi Hua Dan—

Chen Xu stared intently, and immediately, the inscription appeared on the Qi Hua Dan:
【Qi Hua Dan is the essence of spiritual energy and pure Qi, which is refined and condensed by cultivators who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage or above.】

It can be ingested directly or used as an aid in cultivation.

Direct consumption can accelerate the recovery of vital energy, nourish the body, and has a certain effect on prolonging life.

Because of its pure spiritual essence, auxiliary cultivation aids can help cultivators increase their cultivation speed, accumulate true energy, and accelerate their cultivation to a certain extent.

If used as an auxiliary ingredient in cooking spiritual food, it can improve the quality of the spiritual food and increase the probability of it gaining additional attributes.

An ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator can condense about one Qi Essence Pill in a day of cultivation.

Because of its inherent depletion, one Qi Hua Dan is roughly equivalent to half a day's cultivation for an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Note: This item will be ineffective for cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage.

Previously, Chen Xu had actually heard Ding Chuan mention Qi Hua Dan several times.

However, in order to maintain his mystique, Chen Xu did not directly ask what Qi Hua Dan was.

Only now, upon reading the entry, did he realize that the Qi Hua Dan originated from this.

The entry only contained a few words of information, but Chen Xu suddenly felt an unusual sense of unease.

At first glance, this Qi Hua Dan seems to have no problem, but upon closer inspection, its existence is equivalent to an endless, suspended sword.

It hovers above the heads of all low-level cultivators at all times, always ready to strike silently at any moment.

Every stab will result in blood.

How could the Xuan Tian Star Realm, which uses this as its currency, possibly be a peaceful place?
Thinking of the war between immortals and demons and the conflicts between sects mentioned by the Star Return Ancestor, Chen Xu's understanding of this world became even clearer.

Remembering Ding Chuan's vow that he would present Chen Xu with "ten Qi Hua Pills" within a month once his cultivation reached a certain level, one can truly call it a do-or-die commitment.

Looking again at the gate of light, several cultivators took out Qi Hua Pills one after another.

Some people looked pained, some didn't care, some pretended to be nonchalant but were actually very cautious...

It is evident that the same Qi Hua Dan can have different values ​​in the eyes of different people.

The cultivators poured their Qi Hua Pills into the bronze cauldron carved with a ram's head next to the light gate, and then strange specks of light descended from the light gate.

Sparkling orange-yellow light fell upon the cultivators, and they stepped into the portal bathed in light.

Chen Xu lightly clung to one of them before stepping into the portal.

Upon entering, a strange, invisible force seemed to sweep over everyone within the area of ​​the light gate.

The cultivators were surrounded by shattered light, which resonated with the strange power. Those who had given the Qi Hua Pills were like water droplets merging into a river, and they passed through the barrier of the light gate.

Chen Xu, however, had no shimmering light on him.

But when the strange power of the light gate swept over him, he was like a wisp of wind detached from the world; he existed and he did not exist.

It was as if he had stepped from a real world into an endless void.

When Chen Xu opened his eyes again, the portal had disappeared, and an incredibly grand market appeared before him.

Chen Xu successfully passed through the light gate!
His understanding was indeed correct; his current state could not be simply summarized by the word "invisible".

More accurately, he may be "integrating" with the world at this moment.

If he waits until the moment of complete "fusion" is achieved, his advantage of being "as if he doesn't exist" will naturally disappear.

Chen Xu looked around. First, the clamor of noise reached his ears, and then he felt a strange, uneven texture under his feet.

He first looked up, and what he saw was a vast, dark blue sky, seemingly torn apart—

Yes, the Hundred Battle Ruins is not in the real world, but in a void rift.

It is called "Hundred Battle Ruins" because it was once rich in Void Crystals, making it a coveted location for various sects, where countless battles were fought.

Later, all the Void Crystals in the Hundred Battle Ruins were mined out, and the fighting finally stopped.

The Hundred Battles Ruins, which was once fought over by countless people, has instead become a desolate wasteland.

It remained quietly in the void, as if it had been left in the old days, or as if it was meant to be this way, never having changed.

What has changed are those creatures that come and go, endlessly embroiled in conflict.

Chen Xu looked down at the ground again; the ground of the Hundred Battles Ruins was also barren and hard.

It appears to be composed of countless hard rocks, pitted and uneven, like the marks of mining or scars left by battles.

Today, Baizhanxu has become a well-known market, but those who set up the market don't seem to have any intention of repairing the ground.

I don't know if it's because it's impossible to repair, or because they're unwilling to repair it.

Chen Xu is now unaware of the various reasons and details involved.

He simply followed the flow of people through the vast market, seeing stalls of all shapes and sizes, with various shops behind them.

Several shops stood out prominently.

For example, at the end of the street there is a small building floating in the air, and what supports this building and makes it float is not some magic array or magic treasure, but actually four ferocious-looking monsters!

Thick iron chains tightly bound the monsters, and although they were some distance away, Chen Xu could almost sense the malevolent aura emanating from them.

Another shop is shaped like a flying boat, suspended high above the market.

A bright flag flies at the front of the airship, which reads: Sky Ship Chamber of Commerce!

As Chen Xu walked along, he overheard some people discussing:
"The Four Symbols Alliance's auction is said to be held in ten days on that unmoored boat. I wonder what good things it has to offer, that they're boasting about it so early."

"If we can't come up with anything good then, we'll make a fool of ourselves."

Some people mocked, "Ha, it's just a small Qingyang Sect they've taken down. What treasures could the Qingyang Sect possibly have? Why all the mystery?"

However, some people with different views said, "You don't know this. The Qingyang Sect was once very glorious."

It is said that it once even ranked among the fourth-grade sword sects, and its lineage included a low-grade sword technique.

If the Four Symbols Alliance were to put this Earth-grade sword technique up for auction, it would be impossible to support such an ordinary auction.

It's entirely possible that this event, even if included in the annual auction of the Hundred Battles Ruins, might cause a stir throughout the entire Myriad Valleys Domain.

But some people scoffed: "Wishful thinking, utterly ridiculous!"
If the Qingyang Sect still possessed a Grade-Earth Sword Technique, how could it have survived until now, only to be swallowed up by the Four Symbols Alliance?

How could the small Four Symbols Alliance possibly swallow up a Grade Earth Sword Technique?

Ha ha ha, how foolish the world is, how truly foolish…

"You!" The person being refuted immediately became angry.

But then the sneer's body was filled with true energy, and suddenly he trembled slightly, immediately knocking away a person blocking his way.

That fleeting burst of powerful true energy was either at the Golden Core stage or the Foundation Establishment stage. Although the crowd could not make a precise judgment, they all guessed that this person was no ordinary individual.

Immediately, everyone made way, and in their conversations, they all changed their tune, praising the man's words as absolutely correct.

Chen Xu watched the spectacle unfold and felt that these cultivators were not much different from the mortals he had seen in the Great Li Kingdom.

It's mostly about fearing the strong and bullying the weak; it's just human nature.

I wonder what level of cultivation one must reach to rid oneself of this nature?
In contrast, Chen Xu had encountered many generous and magnanimous people in the Dali Kingdom.

Although its future may not be as promising as that of the cultivators in the Xuan Tian Star Realm due to the limitations of its domain, it seems to be far superior in terms of cultivating one's character.

Chen Xu also inspected many stalls along the way.

Taking advantage of the fact that others couldn't see him, he would often peek through the gaps to get a closer look, and he saw many strange and wonderful treasures, thus gaining a lot of knowledge.

For example, there is a type of liniment called Duanxu Dieda Gao (断续跌打膏), which can reconnect severed limbs with just one application.

This medicine is incredibly effective, but unfortunately it can only be used by cultivators below the third level of Qi Refining or by ordinary people.

That is precisely why the name of this liniment is so simple and unpretentious.

Cultivators who can afford five Qi Hua Pills to enter the Hundred Battle Ruins usually wouldn't even consider such a low-level external injury medicine.

Chen Xu saw it and thought it was excellent, and immediately had the idea of ​​buying it.

But he has no money, what should he do?

There is another kind of pill called the Five Flavors Qi-Regulating Pill, which allows one to directly experience the five flavors of sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, and salty after taking one pill.

The combination of sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, and salty flavors creates a truly strange taste. Therefore, the Five Flavors Qi-Regulating Pill is actually a product of a failed attempt to refine a normal Qi-Regulating Pill.

Although it also has the effect of assisting in the circulation of Qi, its selling price is often 20% lower than that of ordinary Qi-circulating pills.

Even so, the Five Flavor Qi-Regulating Pill is still not selling very well.

However, in Chen Xu's view, the Five Flavors Qi-Regulating Pill could be used as a superior auxiliary material for making spiritual food.

If its five flavor properties are properly utilized, it can be far superior to many other seasonings.

There is also a magical artifact called Earth Spirit Master, which looks like a wine vessel on the surface, but actually contains ten acres of spiritual soil inside. It can be carried with you to plant spiritual plants.

And this was exactly what Chen Xu wanted most before entering Bailiu City!
He urgently needed something to grow Qingyun lotus seeds.

This Ruins of a Hundred Battles was indeed filled with all sorts of treasures, everything imaginable.

The above are just the initial items that Chen Xu has already decided he must obtain.

There are actually many other things in the Hundred Battles Ruins that Chen Xu also wants, but he doesn't have the determination to buy them right now.

Such as various magical treasures, spirit swords, precious knives, or various jade talismans, as well as books, magic books, and so on.

Of course, Chen Xu didn't plan to buy these things. Was it because he really didn't want to buy them?

Ah, he's just short of money.

In addition, Chen Xu also paid special attention to items related to the Spirit Kitchen of this Realm.

Just now, he saw a strange object appear on a stall.

The "Cooking Lamb Cauldron" is a flawed Xuan-grade cooking cauldron, crafted primarily from Star Essence Gold and meticulously refined by a weapon refiner over forty-nine days.

When the cauldron was completed, wind and rain fell from the sky to help it be tempered.

Unfortunately, the final tempering failed, leaving the cauldron incomplete and downgraded to the Xuan level.

This cauldron has cooked hundreds of demons and countless spiritual ingredients, and has accumulated all kinds of spiritual energy, evil energy, and the smell of smoke and fire.

Over the years, the treasure has become covered in dust and grime, which is difficult to remove.

This is actually a cooking vessel, a cauldron!
Chen Xu had recently learned, through a hint in the Book of Culinary Arts, that certain spiritual ingredients required cooking in a cauldron.

At that time, he kept the need for the tripod in mind.

In the Great Li Kingdom, there was no such thing as a cooking vessel, but when he arrived in the Tianxuan Star Realm, there were indeed countless treasures. He wanted a cooking vessel, and a cooking vessel appeared.

But the same problem remains: Chen Xu can't afford it.

He can't very well steal it, can he?

Smuggling himself into the Hundred Battles Ruins was his skill, but stealing for personal gain would violate his moral bottom line.

Chen Xu wasn't in a hurry; he strolled back and forth along the first main street of the Hundred Battles Market three times.

Centered around the flying boat at the end, the market also extends along six main streets.

Chen Xu hadn't explored the other main streets in detail yet; he had only glanced at them briefly. Finally, at a certain moment, he chose a target.

He was a gray-clad boy who had suffered a great blow.

His stall was scattered with quite a few items, but these items were either cheap and only suitable for low-level Qi Refining cultivators.

Or they may be incomplete, such as certain magical artifacts that have some damage.

Or perhaps its purpose is unclear.

Stones of strange colors, grayish-brown tokens, and seeds with a burnt gray hue.

These items, placed in the bustling marketplace filled with countless stalls and shops, would naturally be inconspicuous and have no selling points. How could the gray-clad youth possibly have good business?

It was one thing that few people stopped at his stall, but the most troublesome thing was that a monk dressed as a manager came to the boy's stall several times in a row.

The manager looked down at him and said, "Little Ji, it's not that your Uncle Zhang is unwilling to make an exception, it's just that the stall fee your father paid before his death only has one payment left."

After today, I'll have no choice but to take back your stall, even if I don't want to.

"If you ask me, you'd be better off selling the stall sooner rather than later. You'd get some money back, and your life wouldn't be so difficult, would it?"

The boy named Ji Yang's face turned bright red, and he stammered, unable to utter any clever words, only awkwardly replying:

"I won't accept this. I'll get through this today."

"What's done is done; we'll talk about the next time...next time."

Manager Zhang was furious and said in a tone of disappointment, "Stubborn brat! You're so inflexible! Wherever you set up your stall, it doesn't matter."

If you insist on selling these junk items in this desolate place, frankly speaking, who would buy them?

But if you're willing to sell your stall in time, you can go to any city, any low-level market, and you won't have to worry about selling your things.

Do you think this is the reason? "

Ji Yang did not respond, but simply repeated his disagreement.

Finally, Manager Zhang stormed off in anger, leaving Ji Yang standing dejectedly behind the stall.

Ji Yang was on the verge of tears when he suddenly heard a faint voice in his ear.

"Young man, do you want to get out of this predicament?"

(End of this chapter)