Immortality and cultivation: Heaven rewards diligence, and success is inevitable.

"The market price is five spirit crystals. I need one hundred plants, which is four hundred and eighty spirit crystals. If you can, pack them up for me; if not, forget it," Jiang Shi said.

He wasn't a novice; he possessed the "Experiences in Alchemy," and he was well aware of the prices of the materials needed for the Rejuvenation Pill.

Upon hearing Jiang Shi's words, the stall owner knew that the visitor was not a novice, so he stopped talking and quickly packed up one hundred Moon Spirit Grasses and handed them to Jiang Shi.

After paying for the spirit crystals, Jiang Shi changed his form several times and bought Moon Spirit Grass and auxiliary medicinal materials in other places.

He bought a total of one thousand Moon Spirit Grass plants, along with some auxiliary medicinal herbs.

After making all the preparations, Jiang Shi rented a small courtyard in Canglin City as his residence.

Since I need to refine pills, staying at an inn is no longer appropriate.

Inside the rented house in Canglin City, there was a training room specially prepared for cultivators. Jiang Shi entered the training room and took out the alchemy cauldron he had obtained from the Liu family.

Then, without wasting any time, he channeled his magic power, and fire-type spiritual energy surged forth. Jiang Shi had five spiritual roots and abundant magic power, so he didn't need firewood at all when refining pills.

Using one's own magical power to refine pills makes it easier to control temperature and heat, resulting in a higher success rate.

[Proficiency +1]

Jiang Shi added the Moon Spirit Grass and other auxiliary medicinal materials, and began refining pills, gradually increasing his proficiency.

Although the progress was slow, his alchemy skills were steadily improving.

A week later, Jiang Shi's alchemy skills reached the minor level of mastery.

A month later, Jiang Shi broke through to the Great Mastery level.

[First-Grade Rejuvenation Pill: Great Success (15/3000)]

During this period, Jiang Shi refined more than two hundred low-grade first-rank spirit-restoring pills and more than thirty mid-grade first-rank spirit-restoring pills.

He would make a fortune if he sold them all.

This time, however, he needs to be careful not to attract attention.

Jiang Shi put away the alchemy cauldron and went outside.

He began to change his identity and sell Rejuvenation Pills in Canglin City. He sold very few at a time, and after selling them all, he would quietly disappear without leaving any trace.

A month later, Jiang Shi disposed of all the low-grade first-rank spirit-restoring pills he had in his possession.

He then used all the spirit stones he obtained to buy cultivation pills.

[Proficiency +100]

After reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining, the proficiency he could gain from taking pills decreased significantly.

Moreover, the efficacy of the medicine will decrease with each dose.

These second-grade low-level pills have significant limitations, and this is not only true for Jiang Shi, but also for others who take them.

Lower-grade pills contain many impurities, and their medicinal properties are greatly reduced with each dose. Moreover, excessive consumption can lead to erysipelas in the body.

Jiang Shi had previously taken ten pills, which had caused his body to develop drug resistance.

In the end, he consumed all the pills, gaining only 600 points of proficiency.

It is no longer possible to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage using second-grade low-level cultivation pills.

Unless you obtain a mid-grade or high-grade second-rank pill.

However, the most common type of pills on the market are low-grade second-rank pills. The mid-grade second-rank pills are expensive and have limited availability.

As for the second-grade superior pill, no one in the entire Canglin region has been able to refine it.

"To break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, I need to find another path," Jiang Shi thought to himself.

What Jiang Shi didn't know was that his sale of Rejuvenation Pills over the past month, no matter how careful he was, still attracted the attention of others.

On the top floor of Canglin Pavilion, a mid-Foundation Establishment stage cultivator was scanning the area below through the window.

"Sect Master Lu, in the past month, a force has suddenly appeared in Canglin City, selling large quantities of low-grade first-rank spirit-restoring pills." A late-stage Qi Refining cultivator reported to Sect Master Lu.

This Pavilion Master Lu is none other than the Pavilion Master of Canglin Pavilion, and also an inner elder of the Lu family of Qingyun Sect.

This Canglin Pavilion is the property of the Lu family of Qingyun Sect.

"Sect Leader Lu, should we thoroughly investigate this matter?"

"Notify the City Lord's Mansion and the Guard Station of this matter. Also, issue an order forbidding any Qingyun Sect disciple from investigating this matter." Pavilion Master Lu issued the order with unusual seriousness and an unyielding tone.

"Yes, Pavilion Master Lu!" Although the cultivator was very puzzled, since the higher-ups had given the order, he, as a lower-level person, could not have any thoughts and only needed to obey the order.

After the monk left, a young man walked in.

"Grandpa," the boy called out respectfully.

"Did you hear the order I just gave? Do you know why your grandfather gave this order?" Pavilion Master Lu looked at his grandson with some affection, and then asked as if testing him.

"Grandson doesn't know." The young man came from the Qingyun Sect and was a core disciple. He didn't know who he needed to fear in Canglin City. Why would his grandfather give such an order?

"A few days ago, a cultivator went to the Spirit Talisman Pavilion to sell spirit talismans. He was spotted by the guards of Biluo Valley, and as a result, all three guards were killed."

"You must know about this matter, but there's something the City Lord's Mansion has kept quiet about," Pavilion Master Lu said in a deep voice.

The young man was also intrigued by what Pavilion Master Lu had said and quickly asked what the news was.

"The people of Biluo Valley asked Elder Sui, a divination master from the Lingxu Sect, to divine this matter, and Elder Sui died tragically on the spot!"

The boy was horrified as soon as Pavilion Master Lu finished speaking.

Having been carefully nurtured by Pavilion Master Lu since childhood, he had a very high standard. He knew what kind of person Elder Lingxu was, and that such a person had died in divination, which already showed how deep the water was.

Elder Sui had performed divination for the Lingxu Sect for many years and made countless contributions. As a Foundation Establishment stage divination cultivator, even if he were to divine for a Golden Core stage True Person, he would not die on the spot.

"Grandson knows what to do." The boy stood up again and bowed respectfully.

The reason why Pavilion Master Lu patiently reminded the young man was because he was afraid that his grandson would offend the wrong people and end up like Elder Sui.

Not only Canglin Pavilion, but also Pavilion Master Lu sent people to the City Lord's Mansion and the guard team to spread the news.

Lord Shangguan issued a similar order, forbidding anyone from investigating the matter.

The newly appointed commander of the guard team from Biluo Valley acted as if he hadn't heard the news at all.

None of the three major sects in Canglin City inquired about the matter again.

Those scions of powerful families and arrogant young masters were all warned not to cause trouble.

For a time, the trading market in the entire Canglin City became much more stable.

The person who started this whole thing was completely unaware of the situation.

Jiang Shi thought he was being watched, so he stopped selling elixirs for the past two days.

Let's wait until things calm down before doing it again.

Jiang Shi walked down the street, pondering how to obtain a large number of spirit stones to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Just then, he heard some news, and a thought struck him.

"The city lord's mansion has started recruiting guards again, and I heard the pay is quite good."

"That's great! Of the three major sects, the City Lord's Mansion offers the best benefits. With my Qi Refining Stage 8 cultivation, I'm sure I'll be selected."

Many rogue cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining used their movement techniques to quickly head towards the City Lord's Mansion.