Chapter 1411: Eighty-Eighth Grand Hall

The two teams of ten people had all exited the arena, but Lu Ye and his two companions still maintained their spiritual connection, holding their battle formation. He had already put away his Panshan Saber, now wearing wide robes and flowing sleeves, seemingly controlling the wind. Anyone who saw him would praise him as an excellent spell cultivator. Yet, who would have known that this very person, with the standard appearance of a spell cultivator, had just moments ago wielded a saber, cutting down two full teams as if the autumn wind were sweeping away fallen leaves?

Chu Shen burst into laughter, exclaiming, "What a thrill, truly exhilarating!" He had never experienced anything like it in his entire life.

Many individuals in the Business Alliance, like Liu Ruyin, were responsible for transactions with cultivators. While they received a monthly stipend, it wasn't substantial enough to cover their cultivation expenses. Tips from customers served as one of their supplementary income sources. Naturally, for those like Liu Ruyin who were willing to humble themselves to serve guests, it presented another means of earning a living. Everyone within the Business Alliance originated as rogue cultivators, often impoverished before joining. More than any other cultivators, they understood the brutal realities and difficult struggle for survival in this cultivation world. Thus, serving guests was not an unbearable burden, but rather a necessity driven by their circumstances.

Lu Ye sighed as he exited the Heavenly Secret Business Alliance. He had originally intended to ask if the several storage bags could be sold, but Liu Ruyin's behavior had made him completely forget. It felt awkward to turn back now, so he decided to wait until next time. He had initially planned to depart for the Crimson Blood Sect's outpost, but it now seemed there was no need to rush. He possessed some valuable items. The proper course of action was to fully absorb and convert them into his own cultivation power. A higher cultivation level would ensure greater safety during his journey.

Lu Ye didn't consider staying at the Heavenly Secret Business Alliance. He was currently short on funds; while one spirit stone per night might not seem like much, it would amount to a significant expenditure if he stayed for many days. With four spirit stones remaining, Lu Ye followed his memory from earlier that day and located a pill shop. He spent two spirit stones on two Spirit Accumulation Pills, then returned to the street where he had set up his stall.

He casually took out a few pieces of ore from his storage bag and laid them out. Lu Ye then sat down cross-legged and retrieved a spirit stone. This was his first time acquiring a spirit stone; these items could assist with cultivation. Lu Ye had already experimented with cultivating using pills. Now, he wanted to try cultivating with a spirit stone to compare their efficiencies. If the spirit stone proved effective, he wouldn't need to spend spirit stones on elixirs in the future.

Though he had never cultivated using spirit stones, he had witnessed others doing so. Earlier that day, he had observed many stall owners leisurely holding a spirit stone and cultivating while selling their wares. Now, by imitating them, Lu Ye discovered a particular advantage of cultivating with a spirit stone. This advantage was the ability to interrupt his cultivation at any moment. Unlike taking an elixir, where its power would dissolve in his abdomen and could cause a buildup if not guided promptly, spirit stone cultivation offered flexibility.

Cultivating with a spirit stone was different; he could immediately stop if anything came up, without any adverse effects. The street was also bustling at night, with cultivators frequently approaching to inquire about prices. Lu Ye handled them just as he had during the day and miraculously closed a deal, selling one piece of ore for five spirit stones.

By dawn, Lu Ye concluded his cultivation. He opened his palm to examine the spirit stone, noting it had only shrunk slightly. Then, observing the spiritual power that had accumulated in his tenth aperture, Lu Ye frowned faintly. After a night of experimentation, he drew several conclusions. Cultivating with spirit stones was safer than using elixirs. Firstly, the cultivation process could be interrupted at any moment. Secondly, cultivating with spirit stones carried no hidden risks, much like absorbing spiritual energy directly from heaven and earth. However, in terms of efficiency, it was significantly inferior to consuming elixirs.

Perhaps due to his own aptitude, which made it difficult to guide spiritual energy into his body, Lu Ye estimated that at his current cultivation efficiency, it would likely take him several days of continuous practice to fully deplete a single spirit stone. Other cultivators might achieve higher efficiency, but it certainly wouldn't surpass that of consuming elixirs.

As for cost-effectiveness... The value of one spirit stone was generally equivalent to one Spirit Accumulation Pill. The spiritual power gained from consuming a spirit stone was roughly comparable to that from consuming a Spirit Accumulation Pill, making their cost-effectiveness quite similar. After this series of tests, Lu Ye finally understood why cultivators typically exchanged spirit stones for pills: in terms of efficiency, consuming elixirs was indeed superior, making them naturally more favored.

As dawn approached, Lu Ye packed up his stall and exited the market. Since he was unwilling to spend unnecessary money on lodging at the Heavenly Secret Business Alliance, he had to find an alternative. He decided to return to his previous cave in Qingyun Mountain, where it was relatively safe and he wouldn't be disturbed while cultivating. The primary reason he hadn't departed during the night was the inherent danger of traveling after dark. Before leaving, he spent two more spirit stones on a large quantity of food. Hunting in the mountains was time-consuming, and the wild beasts in that area had become scarce.

He took stock of his current assets: forty-seven Spirit Accumulation Pills, five low-grade spirit stones, nearly thirty spiritual talismans, six healing pills, nearly thirty large and small Yuan Magnetic Ores, some unidentified ores, and four sets of spare clothes. Compared to when he first entered the Spirit Stream Battlefield, his assets remained roughly the same, yet his cultivation had vastly improved. Lu Ye believed that if he could convert all his current possessions into strength, he might advance several levels within the Spirit Stream Realm. However, such things could not be rushed; he needed to proceed gradually and systematically.

Many cultivators moved in and out of the market, most traveling in groups. There were also lone wolves like Lu Ye—rogue cultivators who had no one to rely on. Lu Ye left the market just as dawn was breaking, before full daylight. As he was alone, he had to proceed with extra caution. After successfully entering Qingyun Mountain, Lu Ye ran swiftly, intentionally circling several times to ensure he wasn't being followed before continuing along the path leading out of the mountains.

Before noon, Lu Ye had already returned to his previous cave. To his surprise, there was movement inside the cave. He cautiously crept in, a spiritual talisman clutched in his hand, ready to strike. Upon closer inspection, he was so exasperated his nose nearly twisted out of shape. Inside the cave, a snow-white figure lay sound asleep on the ground. It was none other than Big Tiger. Yiyi floated out from Big Tiger's forehead, meeting Lu Ye's gaze, and an awkward silence fell. "What are you doing in my home?" Lu Ye demanded.

Yiyi retorted, "Didn't you leave?"

"I've returned!"

A moment later, Big Tiger's massive form bolted out of the cave, turning to roar at Lu Ye. Perched atop Big Tiger's head, Yiyi was filled with indignation, gritting her teeth as she cried, "Big liar! Untrustworthy and disloyal!"

"Get out!" Lu Ye's exasperated shout echoed from within the cave.

After driving out the spirit and the tiger who had taken over his dwelling, Lu Ye ate a little and then entered a state of cultivation. He first took out the two Spirit Accumulation Pills he had purchased with spirit stones. Consuming one, he waited for its power to dissolve in his abdomen, then guided the spiritual energy into his spiritual aperture. Once the power of the first Spirit Accumulation Pill was fully consumed, Lu Ye opened his eyes and noticed something. The efficacy of the Spirit Accumulation Pill he had bought from the market seemed inferior to those given to him by the sect master. While not a vast difference, a clear disparity was evident, discernible from the spiritual energy accumulated in his own spiritual aperture.

Without pausing, he consumed the other Spirit Accumulation Pill. After its power was completely depleted, he became even more certain of his findings. Next, he took out and consumed the Spirit Accumulation Pills he had obtained from the Heavenly Secret Business Alliance. After this comparison, he finally reached a conclusion: Liu Ruyin had not lied to him. The Spirit Accumulation Pills from the Heavenly Secret Business Alliance were indeed superior to those sold elsewhere and were equivalent in quality to the ones the sect master had given him. Thus, it seemed he hadn't wasted his money. In the future, if he needed to purchase elixirs, he would still go to the Heavenly Secret Business Alliance, where quality was at least guaranteed.