Chapter 44: I Am Back Again

Within the merchant guild, there are many individuals like Liu Ruyin who handle transactions with cultivators. While they receive a monthly stipend, it's not substantial enough to cover their cultivation expenses. Tips from customers are one of their additional income streams. Naturally, individuals like Liu Ruyin, who are willing to humble themselves to serve clients, have another lucrative method.

Everyone in the merchant guild originated as a rogue cultivator, having been destitute before joining. They understood the harshness and difficulty of survival in the cultivation world more acutely than any other cultivator. Therefore, serving customers wasn't difficult to accept; it was simply a necessity.

Lu Ye sighed as he stepped out of the Tianji Merchant Guild. He had originally intended to inquire about selling those storage bags, but Liu Ruyin's presence had made him forget. It would be awkward to go back now, so he'd have to wait for another opportunity. He had planned to depart for the Crimson Blood Sect's stronghold, but it seemed there was no need to rush. He had some valuable items on hand, and the proper course was to fully utilize them to enhance his cultivation. With higher cultivation, he would be safer on his journey.

Lu Ye didn't consider staying at the Tianji Merchant Guild. He was currently low on funds, and while one spirit stone per night seemed insignificant, it would accumulate into a substantial cost over many days.

With four spirit stones remaining, Lu Ye followed his memory of the daytime layout to find an elixir shop. He spent two spirit stones on two Spirit Nurturing Pills, then returned to the same street where he had set up his stall earlier. He casually took a few pieces of ore from his storage bag and arranged them for display. Lu Ye then sat cross-legged and retrieved a spirit stone.

This was his first time acquiring a spirit stone, an item known to aid cultivation. Lu Ye had already tried cultivating with elixirs. Now, he wanted to attempt cultivating with a spirit stone to compare the efficiency. If it proved effective, he wouldn't need to spend spirit stones on elixirs in the future.

Although he had never cultivated with spirit stones himself, he knew the principle—"he hadn't eaten pork, but he had seen pigs run." During the day, he had observed many stall owners here cultivating leisurely with a spirit stone in hand while selling their wares. Now, imitating what he had seen, Lu Ye discovered a significant advantage of cultivating with spirit stones. The main benefit was the ability to interrupt cultivation at any time. This differed from consuming elixirs, where the elixir's power would dissolve in the abdomen and could lead to a buildup if not guided promptly. Cultivating with a spirit stone was different; he could halt his practice immediately if something came up, with no adverse effects.

The street remained bustling at night, with cultivators occasionally approaching to inquire about prices. Lu Ye handled these interactions as he had during the day, and to his surprise, he made a successful transaction: one piece of ore sold for five spirit stones.

By dawn, Lu Ye concluded his cultivation session. He opened his palm to examine the spirit stone; it had only diminished slightly in size. Then, observing the spiritual power accumulated in his tenth aperture, Lu Ye frowned slightly.

After a night of experimentation, he reached several conclusions. Cultivating with spirit stones was safer than using elixirs. Firstly, the cultivation process could be paused at any moment. Secondly, cultivating with spirit stones carried no hidden risks, similar to absorbing ambient spiritual energy from heaven and earth. However, its efficiency was significantly lower than that of consuming elixirs. Perhaps due to his own talent, which made it difficult to guide spiritual energy into his body, Lu Ye estimated that at his current cultivation rate, he would need to cultivate non-stop for several days just to deplete a single spirit stone. Other cultivators might achieve higher efficiency, but it would still undoubtedly fall short of the benefits gained from consuming elixirs.

As for cost-effectiveness... The value of one spirit stone was roughly equivalent to that of a single Spirit Nurturing Pill. The spiritual power gained from depleting a spirit stone was also approximately the same as that from consuming an elixir. Therefore, their cost-effectiveness was comparable.

After this series of tests, Lu Ye finally understood why most cultivators preferred to exchange spirit stones for elixirs. In terms of efficiency, consuming elixirs was indeed superior, making them naturally more favored.

As dawn approached, Lu Ye packed up his stall and left the market. Since he was unwilling to spend unnecessary money on lodging at the Tianji Merchant Guild, he had to find an alternative place to stay. He decided to return to his previous cave in Qingyun Mountain, which he considered relatively safe and where he wouldn't be disturbed during cultivation. The primary reason he hadn't departed during the night was the inherent danger of traveling after dark.

Before leaving, he spent another two spirit stones on a large amount of food. Hunting in the mountains was time-consuming, and game was becoming scarce in that area.

He took stock of his current assets: forty-seven Spirit Nurturing Pills, five low-grade spirit stones, nearly thirty talismans, six healing pills, almost thirty pieces of various sizes of yuan magnetic ore, some other unidentifiable ores, and four sets of spare clothes. Compared to when he first entered the Spirit Stream Battlefield, his assets were largely unchanged, but his cultivation had significantly improved. Lu Ye believed that if he could convert all these resources into tangible strength, he might be able to advance several levels within the Spirit Stream realm. However, such matters couldn't be rushed; they required a gradual approach.

Many cultivators entered and exited the market, most traveling in groups. There were also lone wolves like Lu Ye, typically rogue cultivators with no familial support. Lu Ye left the market just as dawn was breaking. Being alone, he naturally had to proceed with caution.

He successfully entered Qingyun Mountain and ran swiftly. Along the way, he deliberately took several detours to ensure no one was following him before proceeding on his path 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 talisman ready in his hand. When he peered inside, he was so infuriated his nose nearly twisted out of shape. Inside the cave, a snow-white figure was sprawled on the ground, sound asleep. Who else could it be but Big Tiger? Yiyi floated out from Big Tiger's forehead, meeting Lu Ye's gaze, creating an awkward moment.

"What are you doing in my home?" Lu Ye demanded.

Yiyi retorted, "Didn't you leave?"

"I'm back!"

A moment later, Big Tiger's massive form bolted out of the cave, turning to let out a roar at Lu Ye. Perched atop Big Tiger's head, Yiyi seethed with indignation, gritting her teeth and exclaiming, "Big liar! Untrustworthy and faithless!"

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

After expelling the spirit and tiger who had occupied his abode, Lu Ye ate a meal and then entered a state of cultivation. He first retrieved the two Spirit Nurturing Pills he had purchased with spirit stones. After consuming one and allowing its power to dissolve in his abdomen, he guided the spiritual energy into his spiritual aperture. The spiritual power in his tenth aperture slowly accumulated.

Once the power of one Spirit Nurturing Pill was depleted, Lu Ye opened his eyes and noticed something. The efficacy of the Spirit Nurturing Pill he had purchased from the market seemed inferior to those given to him by the Sect Master. While the difference wasn't substantial, it was discernible, a fact he could deduce from the spiritual energy accumulated in his own spiritual aperture. Without pause, he consumed the second Spirit Nurturing Pill. Once its power was fully expended, he became even more certain of his initial assessment. Next, he took out a Spirit Nurturing Pill he had acquired from the Tianji Merchant Guild and consumed it.

After this comparison, he finally concluded that Liu Ruyin had not deceived him: the Spirit Nurturing Pills from the Tianji Merchant Guild were indeed superior to those sold elsewhere, on par with the ones provided by his Sect Master. It appeared he hadn't wasted his money. In the future, if he needed to purchase elixirs, he should stick to the Tianji Merchant Guild, where quality was at least guaranteed.