Chapter 326: Chapter 52: This Is a Secret Not to Be Shared... It’ll Cost Extra!

Cyan Jade Town is over ten thousand miles away from the westernmost end of Yanlai Country.

Unlike the war-torn Righteous Alliance, Cyan Jade Town appeared to be peaceful and serene.

Lin Chen walked in the marketplace of Cyan Jade Town, observing the peaceful coexistence of mortals and cultivators in the small town.

The cultivators in town were of low cultivation, mostly at the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment Stages.

It was Lin Chen’s first time leaving the Righteous Alliance’s territory, intrigued by the local specialties, he strolled through the marketplace.

After half a two-hour stroll, Lin Chen discovered the most famous specialty of Cyan Jade Town was gemstone gambling!

It is gambling on jade stones.

Logically, whether there’s jade inside the stone should be crystal clear to cultivators using Divine Sense exploration.

But the specialty jade of Cyan Jade Town has a unique property that can shield Divine Sense.

Even Foundation Establishment and Golden Core Cultivators’ Divine Sense could not see through it.

Lin Chen tried with his Seven-Turned Golden Core cultivation enhanced by the Celestial Derivation Technique, which was close to Nascent Soul Stage Divine Sense, yet he still couldn’t see the jade inside the Cyan Jade.

"Ordinary jade stone holds little value for cultivators..."

"But the jade produced within Cyan Jade is Jade Marrow...extremely beneficial for cultivators’ cultivation!"

"One liang of Jade Marrow is worth a thousand gold..."

Lin Chen pondered continuously, recalling the few tons of Jade Marrow he acquired that remained untouched in his Storage Bag.

Just as Lin Chen was deep in thought, a sudden uproar arose around him.

"It’s been revealed, it’s been revealed!"

"Full Jade! Oh my, this stone has yielded at least ten liang of Jade Marrow, worth a thousand Spirit Stones! This Qi Refining Stage lad...is unbelievably lucky!"

"Tsk tsk, a thousand Spirit Stones! He might even consider a Foundation Establishment Pill, truly a turning point!"

In front of this stone gambling shop, the surrounding cultivators expressed visible awe and envy without hiding their emotions.

And the Qi Refining Cultivator who uncovered the Jade Marrow was beaming with joy, dancing happily.

His piece of jade was merely a scrap worth three Spirit Stones, not at all favored by others.

Yet after revealing, its value soared three hundred times!

This is the allure of stone gambling, a great temptation for these Loose Cultivators.

Soon, a voice emerged from the crowd.

"Daoist friend, this Jade Marrow... our Guangyuan Commerce Association will purchase it for a thousand Spirit Stones, would you sell?" A luxuriously dressed young man stepped out.

That Qi Refining Cultivator immediately nodded upon hearing, "I sell, I sell!"

Thus, money and goods exchanged hands; the cultivator sold the jade and then dove straight into a pill shop in the marketplace.

Lin Chen watched this scene, deep in thought.

He glanced at the cultivators next to him, asking in a low voice:

"Daoist friend... Jade Marrow is precious, but isn’t ten liang of Jade Marrow for a thousand Spirit Stones too expensive?"

Upon hearing this, the lavish young man who purchased the Jade Marrow scrutinized Lin Chen briefly and chuckled:

"Daoist friend, you must be new to Cyan Jade Town, right?"

"The reason for Jade Marrow’s high price is, of course, because it’s a treasure for Alchemy!"

"The two signature pills of Cyan Jade Town, the Jade Marrow Qi Replenishing Powder, and the Jade Marrow Bone Forging Pill are both worth a fortune..."

Lin Chen blinked upon hearing this and gave a hand salute:

"Thank you for the reminder, Daoist friend."

Afterward, Lin Chen wandered the marketplace a few more times before finding an inn to stay overnight.

...

The next morning, Lin Chen went to the largest commerce association in Cyan Jade Town.

Inside this association, Lin Chen saw the two pills the luxurious young man mentioned beforehand. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Jade Marrow Qi Replenishing Powder is a special Qi Nourishing Pill.

Lin Chen saw the two pills displayed on the shelf and summoned an association steward, inquiring:

"Daoist friend, I’ve heard that both the Jade Marrow Qi Replenishing Powder and the Jade Marrow Bone Forging Pill are top-grade pills...how much are they?"

The steward glanced at Lin Chen, noticing his distinguished demeanor and couldn’t see through his cultivation.

Thus, with a respectful attitude, he replied:

"Daoist friend, the Jade Marrow Qi Replenishing Pill costs fifty Spirit Stones each."

"As for the Jade Marrow Bone Forging Pill, it’s three hundred Spirit Stones each..."

Upon hearing the price, Lin Chen knitted his brows gently.

The price of these two pills is exorbitant...

Observing Lin Chen’s unnatural expression, the steward promptly explained:

"Daoist friend, the effects of the Jade Marrow Qi Replenishing Pill are several times that of ordinary Qi Nourishing Pills, and it’s immensely beneficial not only for Qi Refining Cultivators but also for Golden Core and even Nascent Soul Cultivators’ cultivation."

"The only unfortunate thing is that there’s a tolerance to the Jade Marrow Qi Replenishing Powder; while the initial consumption effects are excellent, after consuming a thousand pills, the effects diminish significantly until none remains..."

"If it weren’t for the consumption limit, the price of the Jade Marrow Qi Replenishing Pill would be far more than fifty Spirit Stones!"

Lin Chen blinked after hearing this.

If it’s effective for both Golden Core and even Nascent Soul Cultivators...unlike ordinary auxiliary cultivation pills?

"So, is this Jade Marrow Qi Replenishing Powder a secret medicine?"

"Hmm, if it’s a secret medicine... fifty Spirit Stones each doesn’t seem too expensive..."

Lin Chen silently thought to himself, then pointed at the Jade Marrow Bone Forging Pill, asking:

"Then what unique effects does this Bone Forging Pill have?"

The steward explained:

"The Jade Marrow Bone Forging Pill can improve a cultivator’s bones and physique, rumored to be a Body Refinement pill of the Ancient Body Cultivators."

"As long as you consume enough, your entire skeletal structure will become as crystal-clear as white jade, greatly benefiting Body Cultivators’ cultivation."

"The so-called Ice Skin Jade Bone is one of the two unique physiques of Ancient Body Cultivators... The Jade Marrow Bone Forging Pill can help achieve the Jade Bone effect!"

The steward explained for quite some time and smiled, saying:

"It seems this is your first time in Cyan Jade Town, Daoist friend. Why don’t you buy some pills to try back home?"

Lin Chen shook his head and said:

"Not only pills... but I wonder if you’re willing to sell the pill formulas for these two types of pills?"

Lin Chen had several tons of Jade Marrow and was troubled about how to use them.

By chance, he encountered these two pill formulas, so why wouldn’t he buy them?

It’s just... he’s unsure if the commerce association is willing to sell them.

The steward frowned after hearing Lin Chen’s words and, after a moment of silence, said:

"Hehe, Taoist friend, you must be joking. Such precious pills are secret treasures, invaluable!"

"So, you’re not selling?" Lin Chen asked in return.

"We are, but... the price needs to go up!" The steward’s smile did not falter.

...

A moment later, under the steward’s introduction, Lin Chen met with the president of the commerce association.

It was the same young, richly dressed cultivator Lin Chen had seen the night before.

Upon seeing Lin Chen, the young cultivator revealed a look of surprise and smiled, saying:

"So it’s you, the Taoist friend who’s interested in purchasing the pill formulas for two types of pills... it must be fate, so let me be frank."

"The pill formula for the Jade Marrow Qi Replenishing Pill is one hundred thousand Spirit Stones. The pill formula for the Jade Marrow Bone Forging Pill is two hundred thousand Spirit Stones..."

"Does this price sit well with you, Taoist friend?"

After listening, Lin Chen nodded slightly. Three hundred thousand Spirit Stones was nothing significant to him at this point.

Especially since before leaving the Righteous Alliance, Lin Chen worried about not having enough Spirit Stones on the road, so he carried many on him.

At this moment, the amount of Spirit Stones Lin Chen possessed exceeded ten million.

Therefore, without much hesitation, Lin Chen flicked his finger, and a Spirit Stone Bag landed in the young cultivator’s hand.

After counting the Spirit Stones, the cultivator lightly patted his Storage Bag, and two pill formulas fell into Lin Chen’s hand.

Lin Chen perused the pill formulas, and with his level of alchemy skills, he could tell the medicinal properties of the formulas were reasonable.

To determine if they were indeed correct, they would need to be tested through refining later.

"Since the transaction is complete, I shall take my leave..." Lin Chen said, clasping his hands.

"Please wait, Taoist friend."

At this time, the young cultivator said:

"Taoist friend, my name is Huayang, and I am the branch president of the Guangyuan Commerce Association."

"How should I address you, Taoist friend?"

Lin Chen nodded, "Zhou Wu."

"Taoist friend Zhou Wu, I wish to invite you to become my Sect Guest... if you agree, the two pill formulas will be given to you for free."

"Additionally, every year, you’ll receive a stipend of five hundred thousand Spirit Stones. What does Taoist friend think?"

Hearing this, Lin Chen looked slightly surprised at Huayang.

But he still shook his head and said:

"Thank you for your kind offer, Taoist friend Hua, but I am used to my freedom... this time, I’m traveling to experience the great rivers and mountains of Qing State, so please forgive my refusal."

Huayang merely nodded slightly upon hearing this and didn’t press, instead smiling:

"I have a feeling that you and I are destined to meet... we shall meet again."

Lin Chen smiled and said, "Let’s talk about it when we meet next time then."

With that said, Lin Chen did not linger and left the commerce association.

After Lin Chen left, the previous steward approached Huayang and quietly asked:

"Young Master, what is so peculiar about this Zhou Wu for you to personally solicit him..."

"He was quite insensitive, actually refusing your kind offer, Young Master."

Huayang glanced at him and smiled, saying:

"It was just a casual invitation; this Taoist Friend Zhou’s strength is not weak!"

"If I am not mistaken, he should be in the Late Golden Core period... perhaps even a Nine Revolutions Golden Core Cultivator!"

Nine Revolutions Golden Core!

The commerce association steward was shocked upon hearing this, "Young Master, a Nine Revolutions Golden Core Cultivator... there aren’t many in the entire Qing State, right? Zhou Wu... the name seems unheard of."

Huayang chuckled after hearing this and said:

"Who knows? The old president’s lifespan is nearing its end... the new president’s selection will be within the next few decades."

"That position... so many people covet it..."

Huayang walked to the window of the commerce association, watching Lin Chen’s departing figure, lost in thought.

...

After obtaining the two pill formulas, Lin Chen did not linger in Cyan Jade Town.

Instead, he continued flying towards the direction of the Wenda Sect.

This time, traveling under the identity of Zhou Wu, he did not hide his cultivation level.

After all, revealing a Golden Core cultivation can spare him a lot of trouble along the way.

In the following days, Lin Chen continued to travel during the day and found the nearest towns to rest at nightfall.

He passed through five or six towns along the way and witnessed another side of Qing State.

Even though the Righteous Alliance and the Demon Sect were fiercely at odds, the distant areas tens of thousands of miles away remained peaceful.

Along the way, Lin Chen encountered one or two groups of Tribulation Cultivators, but they were merely delivering ’takeaways’ to Lin Chen.

Until the sixth day at noon, Lin Chen looked at the majestic city in the distance and felt a sense of awe.

"Ah, the first city of the Three Cities of Wendao... Human Path City has finally arrived!"

From afar, the city wall was dozens of zhang high, covering an area of over a hundred miles; it was indeed grand and imposing.

And this Human Path City was divided into the upper and lower cities.

The lower city was no different from ordinary cities, mostly inhabited by mortals, with occasional sightings of cultivators.

As for the upper city, it was suspended hundreds of zhang in the air, with white walls and blue bricks, bustling with activity...

As Lin Chen approached the gates of Human Path City, he received a transmission.

"Taoist friend, if you do not possess a permit within Human Path City, flying with a magical artifact is prohibited..."