If Gou Cheng becomes the Dao Ancestor, the monkey will come to become his disciple.

Jiang Chuan snapped out of his daze, his gaze complex as he looked at Xu Mu's retreating figure, finally feeling a pang of pity.

"Wait, how much do you need to borrow?"

Upon hearing Jiang Chuan's answer, Xu Mu's sorrow turned to joy, and he immediately looked at Jiang Chuan with anticipation, saying:

"Uncle Jiang, I'd like to borrow 5 spirit stones."

"How many?"

Jiang Chuan doubted that he had heard clearly.

Xu Mu scratched his head sheepishly:

"I... I know quite a lot, four or three spirit stones would also be fine."

Seeing that Xu Mu seemed to genuinely only intend to borrow 5 spirit stones, Jiang Chuan's expression was quite interesting.

Suddenly, he thought of the days when he first transmigrated here, and sighed inwardly. For ordinary low-level rogue cultivators, it was not easy to save up 5 spirit stones in a year.

Especially in recent years, due to the monster riots, most independent cultivators dare not venture into the Yunmeng Mountain and Taihu Lake areas, resulting in a sharp decline in their income.

"Okay, please wait a moment."

Jiang Chuan sighed inwardly and returned to the wooden house.

He wrapped some spirit fragments and three spirit stones he had accumulated from selling books in a tattered burlap sack and handed them to Xu Mu.

"Xu Mu, keep this safe!"

Xu Mu took the spirit stone and immediately knelt down again with a thud, kowtowing heavily once more, his weathered voice slightly choked with emotion.

"Uncle Jiang, thank you. I, Xu Mu, promise to repay this spirit stone. I will never forget this kindness."

Jiang Chuan shook his head: "I'm just an ordinary spirit farmer, and I'm short on money, so I can't help you much."

Xu Mu clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I understand, thank you!"

"Uncle Jiang, I'll go get the medicine for Tiedan now."

Jiang Chuan nodded: "Okay, you should go now."

Watching Xu Mu take his leave, Jiang Chuan's gaze was deep and unsettling, his heart filled with apprehension.

Is Xu Mu playing himself?

Since meeting Old Man Wang, he has stopped easily trusting others and no longer puts his own safety above any sympathy.

If it weren't for the fact that Xu Mu and his family of three had visited him with gifts before, he would have completely ignored them.

In any case, he presented himself to the outside world as a middle-aged, down-on-his-luck man who was aloof and not good at communicating, which reduced his social skills and the risk of being exposed.

A total of 5 spirit stones, which is quite fitting for his status as a poor and destitute spirit farmer at the second level of Qi Refining.

"Forget it, I should have stayed home and continued my secluded cultivation."

……

In the blink of an eye, several months have passed.

During this period, he secretly went to Cifang Market again and tried out the newly created Jiangchuan version of "Phantom Character Secret" and "Traveling Character Secret".

It must be said that the results were truly impressive.

The "Illusionary Word Secret" is exceptional in its ability to change appearance and conceal one's aura. It can easily disguise the aura of someone in the Qi Refining stage, and it went to Biyang Tower without being detected.

As for whether it has any effect on Foundation Establishment cultivators?

He doesn't know yet.

However, he felt that it shouldn't be weaker than most first-tier mid-grade concealment techniques and transformation secret techniques.

He still lacks experience and his vision is too limited.

The speed of the "Xingzi Secret" far exceeded expectations. When it sprinted across the ground, only a blur could be seen. It could be described as moving as fast as the wind and as fast as lightning...

According to his estimation, the fastest speed almost reached the speed of sound, perfectly matching his expectations.

After all, it is only a first-order secret technique in the Qi Refining stage. In the future, as it integrates more movement techniques and secret techniques, and invests more lifespan to evolve and improve, it will continue to strengthen and has virtually unlimited potential.

Someday in the future, it's not impossible to travel tens of thousands of light-years in a single step, traversing the infinite universe...

After purchasing enough blood ginseng and polygonatum seeds to sow in one acre of spiritual field...

Jiang Chuan carefully planted it, watered and fertilized it, looking forward to a bountiful harvest next year...

this day,

After finishing his farm work, Jiang Chuan was hiding inside the house studying "alchemy."

In recent months, the invasion of demonic beasts has become much less frequent. The demonic beast uprising that has lasted for several years is said to be on the verge of being quelled by the intervention of the Golden Core True Person of the Biyang Immortal Sect. As a result, the price of talismans on the market has plummeted, with goods available but no market.

After all, low-level talismans are consumables that are used infrequently on a daily basis, unless there is a large-scale battle, such as the recent monster riot, in which tens of thousands of Qi Refining stage cultivators were involved in the Taihu Market.

But elixirs are different.

Elixirs are related to cultivation, healing, and daily life, and are the undisputed number one consumable in the cultivation world. Alchemists are also the noblest profession among all the arts of cultivation, without exception.

Previously, due to a lack of basic conditions,

But now, he also wants to be a noble alchemist.

"The art of alchemy is indeed vast and profound, even more so than talismans, formations, and weapon crafting. Formulas, herbs, pharmacology, combinations, fire control, pill condensation, pill collection… and so on—it involves so much knowledge, and each aspect requires a tremendous investment of time and energy…"

Jiang Chuan was engrossed in studying a book called "Understanding Daoist Alchemy" when he suddenly heard a knock on the door.

"Who could be looking for me at this hour?"

Jiang Chuan put down the book, feeling slightly helpless.

If using an array wasn't inappropriate for someone of his status as a rogue cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining...

He had already set up arrays around the spirit field and the wooden house to prevent people from disturbing them at any time.

"When I have money and power in the future, I must find a quiet and secluded paradise to farm in peace."

Jiang Chuan muttered to himself.

He didn't open the door immediately, but cautiously scanned it with his spiritual sense.

Then they saw a young woman standing outside the wooden house.

She was dressed in plain clothes, with tear stains on her face, her jet-black hair casually draped over her shoulders, and a distinctive beauty mark an inch below the corner of her right eye, giving her a somewhat "born widow" look.

His appearance looks somewhat familiar.

But why would a woman come looking for him?

Jiang Chuan was a little surprised and became highly vigilant. He had already gripped the silver flying sword in his sleeve. He gently pushed open the door and looked at the other person.

"My lady, what brings you here?"

Upon seeing Jiang Chuan, the woman in plain clothes' eyes brightened slightly; she bit her lip, a hint of shyness in her expression.

"Brother Jiang, my name is Su Qing, and I am Tie Dan's mother. I've come to see you today because...because..."

Su Qing lowered her head, her gaze drooping so low that she couldn't see her toes, and her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, almost inaudible.

"I...I'd like to borrow some more spirit stones."

Jiang Chuan then realized that the woman in plain clothes in front of him was Xu Mu's Daoist partner, which explained why she looked somewhat familiar.

but,

Here to borrow spirit stones again?

He almost laughed out of anger.

Do you really think you're a pushover or an ATM? How can you even open your mouth?

His spirit stones didn't just fall from the sky.

Although he was very unhappy, Jiang Chuan did not lose his temper and politely declined.

"Fairy Su, please forgive me. The market for spirit plants has been poor in recent years, and with the increase in rent for spirit fields, the harvest is meager. I also need to cultivate myself, and I am short of money. I really can't afford any extra spirit stones..."

Rejected by Jiang Chuan, Su Qing's face turned deathly pale, and a few glistening tears appeared in the corners of her eyes.

This added a touch of sadness to her melancholic, widow-like demeanor.

Su Qing clutched the hem of her clothes, looked at Jiang Chuan's weathered face, bit her lip, and made up her mind.

She reached out her slender hand, unbuttoned her blouse, revealing a patch of bright, snow-white skin, round and full like a seed, swaying and bouncing as if about to burst forth, exuding a unique charm.

Su Qing's fair face was now flushed crimson, as if it were dripping blood. Her gaze was resolute as she looked at Jiang Chuan:

"Brother Jiang, I have nowhere else to go and nothing left to give you but this withered and broken body..."

"Please...please have mercy on me."