Fantasy: Starting with a bowl, you can exchange it for endless cultivation.

Alchemy takes a lot of time.

It takes an average of two hours to refine one batch. Gu Chen refines one batch in the morning and one batch in the afternoon.

Exactly two batches.

Three days have passed.

Gu Chen refined sixty Qi and Blood Pills.

He went directly to Cheng Mengling.

"I have a batch of Qi and Blood Pills. Baoyao Pavilion is having a promotion, offering a 10% discount. Does your Cheng family want them?" Gu Chen said.

"A 10% discount?" Cheng Mengling's eyes lit up. Usually, when the Cheng family went to buy Qi and Blood Pills, they would go to a member of the Treasure Medicine Pavilion to get the goods at an internal price of 92% off.

If they could get the goods from Gu Chen at a 10% discount, it would save the Cheng family a lot of money.

"Yes, 10% off. Currently, we only have Qi and Blood Pills. In a while, Qi and Blood Elixir will also be available," Gu Chen explained.

"If the quality of the pills is not a problem, our Cheng family will take as many as we have," Cheng Mengling said directly.

If the Cheng family can't handle the goods at a 10% discount, they can simply use cargo ships to sell them elsewhere.

If they resell it at a 5% discount, the Cheng family can make a profit.

"Don't worry, the quality is definitely not a problem," Gu Chen assured him, patting his chest.

"I'll deliver sixty pieces to you today, and three hundred pieces will be delivered in half a month," Gu Chen said.

"Okay, I'll go back and prepare the money." Cheng Mengling nodded.

On the day.

Gu Chen then completed the transaction with Cheng Mengling for sixty Qi and Blood Pills, receiving a payment of five hundred and forty taels of silver.

The Cheng family was able to accept his goods.

He would no longer need to entrust Baoyao Pavilion to help him sell his products, and he could also save the 20% commission he would have to pay to Baoyao Pavilion.

They now have a stable way to earn money.

The time that follows.

Gu Chen then focused on his work as a servant in his Treasure Medicine Pavilion, while refining pills to earn money, and waited for the divine examination three months later.

Although he could refine pills to earn money.

But he still has to take the divine test, as it relates to his future acquisition of cultivation techniques and his background.

By becoming an official of the Divine Dynasty or a member of a special institution, and having such a background, he could sell elixirs without any scruples in the future.

Otherwise, if his business grows too big, the Cheng family won't be able to handle it, and neither will he.

That night.

Zhou Guang came to the teahouse again.

In the past few days, I wonder if any assassins at Lou Wai Lou who are at the second level of the Innate Realm have accepted the missions he assigned earlier.

He did not see any signs that Gu Chen had been assassinated.

Instead, he applied to the Treasure Medicine Pavilion for the Dan Sect's nominal disciple assessment, and most importantly, he passed it.

He demonstrated a talent for alchemy.

This is outrageous!

He couldn't wait any longer.

Gu Chen's talent in cultivation alone is terrifying, let alone his talent in alchemy.

Given time, once he grows up, I will have even less of a way to kill him.

He gritted his teeth and scraped together another five hundred taels, making a total of two thousand five hundred taels.

We're going all out.

Zhou Guang entered the teahouse and inquired about the matter. He learned that none of the experts at the second level of the Innate Realm had come to accept the mission he had offered for two thousand taels of silver.

"Even if it's an assassin at the early stage of the second level of the Innate Realm, the price for a powerful expert in this realm is two thousand five hundred taels of silver," a voice replied from behind the screen.

"Then I'll raise it to two thousand five hundred taels." Zhou Guang took out two hundred and fifty taels and placed them on the table.

Adding the 1,000 taels given before, that makes 1,250 taels.

He will only pay the remaining half after the matter is completed.

"I want to see that kid dead within seven days," Zhou Guang said.

"As you wish."

Zhou Guang left the teahouse.

Time passed day by day.

Six days later.

The underground black market trade fair in Chiyang City has begun.

Gu Chen disguised himself and entered.

His goal was to find a powerful innate martial arts manual and see if he could come across it.

The Lightning Five-Strike Combo, with its power comparable to a first-grade innate martial art, is no longer sufficient.

This was a channel he had previously obtained from Su Ming.

Innate martial arts are strictly controlled by major sects and aristocratic families.

Since there were no official sales, he could only try his luck at the black market.

This black market trading venue was located in a secluded alley.

This area is a black zone tacitly approved by the Chiyang City government, allowing some cultivators to trade with each other.

No one usually cares about it.

This alley is very long, with exits all the way. The practitioners along the way trade with each other by setting up stalls.

"Qi and Blood Pills, of the same quality as those from Baoyao Pavilion, are only eight taels of silver each."

"An ancestral sword, a top-grade Yellow-rank weapon, for only five hundred taels of silver."

"A family-inherited swordsmanship manual, an absolute innate third-grade martial art, open to exchange with other martial arts of the same grade."

Gu Chen entered and found that they sold all sorts of things.

The man who sold the Qi and Blood Pills had now learned how to refine them. He only glanced at them and judged them to be defective, not even half the medicinal power of a regular Qi and Blood Pill.

They dare to boast that their medicine is of the same quality as that of Baoyaoge, and they'll buy one for eight taels of silver.

This black market trading market is rife with shady dealings.

Gu Chen arrived at the stall where the ancestral sword technique manual was being sold.

"Brother, have you taken a fancy to my ancestral sword technique manual?" The stall owner asked enthusiastically as soon as Gu Chen approached.

"May I take a look?" Gu Chen asked. This stall owner was quite powerful, possessing top-tier strength.

He was only one step away from achieving innate superhuman strength.

"No problem, this is a third-grade innate martial art. The grade is definitely not a problem. If I didn't urgently need money to buy Qi and Blood Pills to break through to the innate level, I would never put it up for sale," the stall owner explained.

Gu Chen picked up the manual and flipped through it.

The first part is a brief introduction to this sword technique: "Burning Wood Sword Technique," a third-grade innate martial art. When mastered to perfection, its power is comparable to some fourth-grade innate martial arts.

Then Gu Chen flipped through several more pages.

With his current understanding of the Lightning Five-Strike Combo, which he has mastered to an unparalleled level, he possesses a profound understanding of the world.

He could tell at a glance whether the swordsmanship was genuine or fake.

This is a genuine innate third-grade sword technique, but it is quite difficult to master.

Without a certain talent for swordsmanship, it is difficult to learn.

"How do we trade? What do you need?" Gu Chen asked the stall owner.

The cultivators who had set up stalls around the area all looked over when they saw Gu Chen asking the stall owner how to trade sword techniques.

The stall owner who sells sword techniques manuals attends the trade fair every ten days and has already sold many copies.

His ancestral sword technique is probably possessed by many innate martial artists in Chiyang City.

However, very few people are able to successfully cultivate it.

It's not that the swordsmanship is bad, it's just that it's too difficult to master.

It requires extremely high talent in swordsmanship.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to reach the perfect realm, and the power would be comparable to a fourth-grade innate sword technique.

Gu Chen is likely to become yet another sucker.

"I'll trade you martial arts of the same level, or you can just give me a thousand taels of silver," the stall owner said.

Upon hearing this, Gu Chen thought for a moment and said, "Although your swordsmanship is a third-grade innate martial art, I just took a look at it and found that it is extremely difficult to cultivate. I might not be able to master it."

"I have a rare, second-grade innate movement technique. If you agree, we can exchange it," Gu Chen said, looking at him.

"A second-grade innate movement technique, is it?" The stall owner pondered for a moment and said, "Take it out and let me take a look."

Gu Chen took out the secret manual on how geckos move along walls and handed it to the stall owner.

After examining it, the stall owner said, "It's fine. Although your martial art is only at the second level of the Innate Realm, it is a relatively rare martial art that combines movement techniques, footwork, and lightness skills. It is qualified to be exchanged for my 'Burning Wood Saber Technique'."

Gu Chen made a deal with the stall owner.

They successfully obtained the secret manual for the Burning Wood Knife Technique.

Anyway, he had already mastered the gecko wall-climbing technique to perfection, so keeping the manual was useless.

It would be perfect to exchange it for this innate third-grade Burning Wood Saber Technique.

As for why this sword technique is so difficult to master?

Sorry, none of that matters when it comes to his copper bowl.

All you need to do is spend money.

If you master this sword technique, its power will be comparable to a fourth-grade innate martial art.

Then he will be able to use the fourth realm of the Innate Realm, the Bone Forging Realm.

Gu Chen left, having mastered the sword technique.

He had just reached the exit of the black market trade fair.

As soon as he stepped out of the alley, he saw a man in black holding a precious sword, blocking his way.

Gu Chen sensed a faint killing intent emanating from the man in black.

"The assassin is here to kill me?" Gu Chen stopped in his tracks, pondering the question.

Or perhaps it was a robber who saw that someone had acquired a third-grade innate sword technique and wanted to take advantage of the situation.

Gu Chen drew his mid-grade yellow-level treasure weapon longsword.

The black-clad man before them possessed a formidable aura, exhibiting cultivation at the early stage of the second realm of the Innate Realm.

They belong to the most elite group of experts in Chiyang City.

He must not be careless.

Suddenly, the man in black moved.

I didn't waste any words with him.

He brandished his long sword, unleashing an extremely impressive innate martial art; the sword energy surged forth, hurtling towards him.

Gu Chen showed no weakness, unleashing a lightning-fast five-hit combo with explosive power.

The power of earth and metal lightning surged forth and coiled around his treasured sword, meeting the black-clad man's sword strike.

clang!clang!clang!

The two men's swords clashed rapidly, producing a piercing metallic clang.

The man in black was forced back step by step by Gu Chen's slashing, and the tiger's mouth holding the knife split open, spilling blood!

He could barely hold the knife steady in his hand.

"Perfected Skin Tempering Realm? How is that possible!" Feeling the terrifying power emanating from Gu Chen's blade as he clashed with Gu Chen, disbelief flashed in the black-clad man's eyes.

The mission description stated that Gu Chen was at the early stage of the first realm of the Innate Realm, so how did he become the perfected second realm of the Innate Realm?

His martial arts are at the second level of the Innate Realm, which is more powerful than Gu Chen's, but he is only at the early stage of the second level of the Innate Realm. His strength and reaction speed are far inferior to Gu Chen's.

After only a few exchanges, he was already struggling to keep up and was forced to retreat.

Let's set aside for now why the intelligence was wrong.

He turned and ran.

If you want to escape from here, Lou Wai Lou's rule is that there will be no punishment for a failed assassination attempt.

If we continue fighting Gu Chen, he might suffer a setback today!

Seeing the man in black turn to flee, Gu Chen coldly snorted, "Trying to escape? Not so easy!"

Gu Chen used his wall-walking technique, taking three steps in two, leaping across the wall and landing directly in front of the man in black.

With a single slash, terrifying golden and earthen lightning power, carrying dazzling sword energy, struck the man in black.

He was sent flying backward by the blow, his long sword slipping from his hand and falling to the side.

A deep, bone-revealing cut appeared on his chest.

This man in black had already perfected his flesh-refining technique and undergone a skin-tempering process, which enabled him to withstand Gu Chen's attack without dying.

If it were someone below the Innate Realm, they would have been cleaved in two with a single strike.

However, even though he didn't die, he was seriously injured and couldn't escape.

"Who are you, and why are you trying to kill me!" Gu Chen pointed his knife at him.

The man in black remained silent, clearly unwilling to answer Gu Chen's question.

"Did you think you had no way of knowing if you didn't answer me?" Gu Chen raised his sword and slashed directly at the man in black's neck.

"Wait, I'll talk!" The man in black attacked Gu Chen before he could even negotiate, after Gu Chen had only asked him one question.

He hurriedly tried to stop him.

"Too late!" Gu Chen didn't hesitate and slashed down with his sword, blood splattering onto the wall of the alley.

The man in black died with his eyes wide open in disbelief.

The man in black originally wanted to say that he was an assassin sent by Lou Wai Lou, hoping that Gu Chen would think twice before letting him go.

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Chen chopped him down.

If he had known Gu Chen was so decisive, he wouldn't have hesitated to negotiate terms just now.