First achieve immortality, then cultivate immortality.

A year and a half later, the Grade 2 Spirit Gathering Fruits were finally harvested.

The Spirit Gathering Fruit is the fruit of the Spirit Gathering Grass, a herbaceous plant. It is the size of a grape and its color is greenish-red.

The Spirit Gathering Grass matures once a year, and withers after bearing fruit. A single plant can typically produce three to five Spirit Gathering Fruits.

Xu Mu planted three Spirit Gathering Grasses, but they didn't grow very well. It was probably because the spiritual energy concentration here was not high enough, and he couldn't plant any more.

However, at least ten Spirit Gathering Fruits were produced, which can be used to refine ten Spirit Gathering Pills.

He rewarded the Tiger King and the Monkey King with one of the three as a token of his appreciation.

He decided to abandon refining the remaining eight Spirit Gathering Pills himself and instead take the auxiliary ingredients to the market to sell, and then buy Youth Preservation Pills.

Because he didn't have a pill-making qualification certificate, he couldn't sell pills directly; he could only sell raw materials.

Although many people secretly sell elixirs, they are "operating without a license," and getting caught would be troublesome. They don't want to do anything risky, so selling elixirs is safer.

Elixirs are sometimes more valuable than pills because pills contain toxins and may not be suitable for everyone.

Raw materials become more sought after, and sometimes, if supply falls short of demand, prices can rise.

However, many medicinal herbs are not easy to preserve, while elixirs can not only be preserved but also have a higher premium, making them more profitable.

If given the chance, he would like to take the alchemy qualification exam and earn more money.

……

"You two wait for me to come back at home. It might take a year or two," Xu Mu said softly to his two adorable cats.

Previously, there was no difference between one or two years and one or two days, and it didn't even matter if it was considered as one or two hours.

But now, watching Li Zhiyuan and Li Zhihua gradually mature, he can deeply feel the passage of time, and the weight of time has become heavy.

"Have a safe journey, young master," Li Zhiyuan said softly, stepping forward to straighten his collar.

"Come back soon..." Li Zhihua hugged Xu Mu from behind, directly expressing her feelings.

Xu Mu smiled and patted her hand, then reached out and hugged Li Zhiyuan, feeling each other's body temperature before leaving.

Li Zhihua also squeezed into his arms from behind.

After embracing them for a moment, Xu Mu released them, patted their heads, and then took his leave.

Once outside the house, he called the animals over and instructed them to continue guarding the house, prioritizing the protection of the two sisters, and then the medicinal herb field.

Having benefited, the Tiger King and the clever monkey nodded even more enthusiastically.

A single Grade 2 Spirit Gathering Fruit is enough to compensate for their twenty or thirty years of cultivation here, and giving it to their children will further help them awaken their spiritual intelligence.

In order to continue obtaining Spirit Gathering Fruits, they are naturally extremely loyal.

After explaining everything, Xu Mu left the valley again, followed the river down to Taoshan County to buy a horse.

The horse that had been carried earlier was sold to a good family upstream because it was inconvenient to bring it back. It was worth it for carrying the heavy load for Xu Mu.

He bought another horse this time and headed in the same direction as the capital. He would need to pass through the capital and continue on his journey until he reached the border between the cultivation world and the mortal world.

Such boundaries are usually characterized by naturally formed rugged terrain, which blocks both spiritual energy and mortals.

The mountain roads are difficult to traverse, and there are also monsters and ghosts; ordinary people certainly cannot get through.

Xu Mu sped up his journey this time, no longer taking his time, but it still took him more than three months to reach a small mountain range.

After settling the horse, he stepped into the mountains, flew on his sword, and indulged in a bit of luxury.

Once you cross this mountain range, you'll reach the realm of cultivation, where the spiritual energy becomes much richer.

Moreover, he currently has Qi-restoring pills, so he is not afraid of running out of mana.

In the valley, he not only planted fertilizer and materials for Spirit Gathering Pills, but also some spiritual herbs for refining Qi-Returning Pills.

The Qi-restoring pill allows him to recover his magical power after leaving the valley, making it a very important strategic item in the mortal realm.

While spiritual practice can be slowed down, things that ensure one's safety are naturally indispensable.

After flying into the mountains, before even entering the cultivation world, he stopped to take pills to recover his magical power and be prepared for any unexpected situations.

The immortal cultivation market we're going to is located in a valley opposite the mountains, called Nanlian Valley, and it's a legitimate trading place.

This place can also be considered a sect whose main business is market transactions.

According to the Imperial Preceptor, it was originally a gathering of independent cultivators who exchanged ideas. Later, as their strength grew, they formed several cultivation families, and with a Core Formation Spirit Lord in charge, the black market transformed into a legitimate market.

Major sects opened shops here, attracting more independent cultivators to trade.

The key lies in its unique location, situated on the edge between the world of cultivation and the mortal realm.

Although the spiritual energy is not abundant, it provides a sense of security for independent cultivators who can retreat to the mortal realm if things go wrong. Therefore, they like to trade items here.

The master of Nanlian Valley is also a shrewd businessman. He grasped the needs of independent cultivators, raised the banner of ensuring safety, and turned it into a free market.

His ability to maintain a balance between independent cultivators and sects and to achieve free trade is evident.

It is said that there are several black markets nearby, but they are rather shady, with many items of dubious origin and possibly even demonic cultivators mixed in.

Xu Mu dislikes taking risks, so he would never go to the black market; Nanlian Valley is enough.

At this moment, he transformed into an old man and put on a cloak to conceal his figure.

Seeing other cultivators coming and going, they followed them and found Nanlian Valley.

Although it is called a valley, it is actually a small basin surrounded by mountains.

At first glance, one can see pavilions and towers standing on and around the mountain, with people coming and going, and a lively atmosphere, just like a small town specifically for cultivators.

Because cultivators in the Qi Refining stage cannot completely abstain from grains, they still need to eat, which is why you can see some mortals running restaurants here.

Xu Mu had learned the details from the Imperial Advisor, but this was the first time he had seen such a scene, and he was immediately struck by its novelty.

Flying is prohibited in the valley, so he landed at the entrance and had to pay an entrance fee of 15 coins.

The entrance fee isn't cheap, but the advantage is that you can enter simply by paying, without any checks.

As long as you don't cause trouble inside, nobody cares who you are.

It is said that even if a sect causes trouble, the Valley Master of Nanlian Valley will step in to vouch for the safety of independent cultivators.

Whether it's true or not is still in doubt, but it certainly looks legitimate and reliable.

……

Xu Mu took a short walk around and saw independent cultivators setting up stalls, as well as high pavilions set up by sects, selling spiritual herbs, pills, magical artifacts, and talismans.

You can even see spirit beasts that have been tamed to the point of being able to form contracts, which are produced by a sect called Spirit Beast Mountain.

It can be seen that the female cultivators paid more attention to them and were very fond of those cute-looking spirit beasts.

Xu Mu glanced at the price and immediately took his leave.

Looking around, there wasn't much to sit down and rest, so I could only go to the teahouse for a while.

I glanced at the tea fee on the wooden sign. The lowest price was 1 coin, and the tea was ordinary tea. More expensive teas would cost more.

Anything with the character "灵" (spirit/spirit) in its name costs 10 talismans or more.

If it says "Immortal Sprout," then it's definitely worth more than 50 talismans.

Xu Mu was astonished. He ordered the cheapest Dancong tea, which was plentiful and filling.

I could only hear the fellow Daoists chatting nearby.

One person said, "The Guihe Sect has recently become very famous. The younger generation of geniuses have been comprehending the Dao and forming their cores in the secret realm, which has caused the Great Dao to resonate with them and manifest extraordinary phenomena."

"A celestial phenomenon? This must be at least a third-stage Mystic Pill, right?" the listener exclaimed in surprise.

Xu Mu was also surprised to hear this.

Most people struggle to even form a core, yet someone can form a profound core right after forming a core—that's truly genius.

"That's right, I heard that genius is the biological daughter of the Guihe Sect Master."

"Hiss, so he's a second-generation immortal."

Xu Mu wasn't surprised when he heard this.

On the path of cultivation, resources and opportunities are paramount; it's rare to hear stories of ordinary people achieving success against all odds.

Many geniuses come from privileged backgrounds, enjoying the benefits of magic beans and broth from a young age, giving them a head start over others.

"The outer disciples of the Qinglan Sect still don't have any Foundation Establishment Pills. It's really damnable. If all sects were like this, the cultivation world would have been finished long ago."

"That's right, we shouldn't go to sects like that. We shouldn't buy a single pill from them. Let them perish sooner."

Xu Mu suddenly heard "outrageous remarks".

Then they saw someone from the teahouse tap on a plaque hanging on a pillar, which read: "Please do not damage the reputation of the sect."

The cultivators who were chatting glanced at it, their faces showing no interest, but they did not discuss the topic again.

There were about ten cultivators drinking tea and chatting in the teahouse, gossiping about the cultivation world.

Xu Mu slowly sipped his tea while listening.

He didn't go to a restaurant until he felt hungry.

The meal cost him 5 coins, but luckily the taste was pretty good.

"Sigh, I need to make some money. I haven't done anything here, and I've already spent 21 talisman coins..." Xu Mu sighed, feeling poor.

When he left Qinglan Sect, he only had a little over sixty talisman coins left, and now he has already spent a third of them in half a day.