Starry Sky Professional

"Alas..."

Fang Xing opened the door and sighed.

The 'Ghost God's Blade' was difficult to master, which meant his combat ability wouldn't soar anytime soon, leaving him feeling insecure.

Not to mention, he couldn't yet seek revenge for the grudges noted in his little book!

"Brother Fang..."

At this moment, his neighbor Meng Yi happened to come out and greeted him, "Long time no see..."

"Previously, I saw how fierce that demon bird was, so I chose to retreat into seclusion. What happened afterwards?" Fang Xing asked unabashedly.

"That demon bird was already taken down by the Zheng family ancestor... Building Foundation cultivators are indeed extraordinary. It's a pity Brother Fang didn't witness it," Meng Yi replied, somewhat with nostalgia.

'You seem more excited about the loot from the raid than seeing a Building Foundation cultivator in action, don't you?'

Seeing Meng Yi's demeanor, Fang Xing couldn't help but secretly criticize in his heart.

That day they encountered the demon bird, Meng Yi sent his wife to hide in the market while he excitedly ran out, definitely not to help fight the bird, but to seize an opportunity!

After chatting with Meng Yi a bit more, they delved into martial arts topics.

After all, this otherworld had much to offer, and combining the best from both worlds was the real magic of his golden finger!

"Oh? So Brother Fang is practicing a demonic art but is troubled by distracting and evil thoughts?" Meng Yi remained unfazed.

After all, he himself was a martial artist who had trained some so-called demonic arts of the secular world, and held no prejudice against them.

"Does Brother Meng have any solutions?"

Seeing Meng Yi's calm expression, Fang Xing's eyes lit up, and he earnestly said, "Please be generous with your advice..."

"Haha, you must know that our martial arts, in the eyes of cultivators, often appear incredibly crude... Even the martial arts that dominate the martial world are the same."

Meng Yi laughed, "The heart demons of cultivators are far scarier than the distracting thoughts we face when practicing demonic arts. There's even a rumor that when a high-level cultivator breaks through major realms, outside demons may manifest physically to obstruct their path... Therefore, the experience cultivators have in dealing with such situations far surpasses ours. Whether it be practicing special secret techniques or gathering relevant pills and magical tools, there’s always some effect. Brother Fang could look into it, there should be some gains. Even if we're mere martial artists, the pills and magical items effective for Qi Refining cultivators, even if not very effective on them, are good enough for us..."

"So cultivators are best at handling such situations? Thank you!"

Fang Xing clasped his hands in thanks and immediately headed towards the market.

He obviously wouldn't completely trust Meng Yi's words, so he planned to seek advice from others as well.

That old man, Ding Bushan, is a good candidate.

…

After several hours.

Within the Qing Dan Pavilion, Fang Xing looked up at the signboard and the green leaf insignia, striding confidently inside.

Not long ago, he’d visited Ding Bushan under the pretense of buying spiritual grains, subtly inquiring about certain matters.

According to this mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivator, there are indeed many ways for cultivators to combat inner demons.

However, most of these methods are beyond the reach of ordinary Qi Condensation practitioners.

As for martial artists?

They’re even further out of luck.

Despite this, Fang Xing still intended to give it a try.

‘Secret arts for cultivators, special artifacts for safeguarding the mind... Even if I had them, I wouldn’t be able to use them, given my lack of spiritual roots... On top of that, these are hard to find and prohibitively expensive...’

‘As for talismans, there is a “Calming Talisman” particularly suitable for this situation, but the unfortunate part is that it requires at least Innate True Qi to use...’

‘The only viable option left is the pills...’

As he contemplated, Fang Xing looked at the approaching girl.

He was fortunate this time; it was the same girl he’d met during his first visit to Qinglin Market, whose disposition was quite pleasant.

“Honored guest, what type of pill might you be seeking?”

The girl asked with a charming smile.

“I need something suitable for martial artists, to help clear the mind when cultivating martial skills...”

Fang Xing stated his requirements.

The girl pondered briefly upon hearing this: “Given your circumstances, our shop’s ‘Tranquility Pill’ would be most suitable. It slightly enhances the spiritual perception of Qi Condensation practitioners and clarifies the mind... However...”

“As for the price, we can work something out. How many spirit stones does it cost?”

Fang Xing portrayed an air of wealth.

Actually, it was true to some extent—thanks to his drone herbal picking, even if short on spirit stones, he could always sell more herbs.

Due to the recent beast tides, the danger of going out to gather herbs has increased significantly, causing the price of spiritual herbs to rise sharply.

Currently, Fang Xing could easily take out dozens of spirit stones without a second thought.

If it weren't for the demand for the 'Tranquility Pill,' he would have already bought an 'Innate Pill' for future use.

He wondered, do the pills in this world of cultivation have an expiration date?

"The usual price for the Tranquility Pill is thirty spirit stones per bottle... But unfortunately, our shop is currently out of stock..."

The young woman offered an apologetic smile.

"What? Out of stock?"

Fang Xing was slightly taken aback. "Why is that?"

"To make the Tranquility Pill, we need a rare herb called the 'Heart Phantom Orchid.' Previously, the shop could occasionally acquire a few plants, but now, with the rampant beast tides and the high demands of its growing environment—deep within the wilderness—no herbalists are able to venture there anymore. It’s naturally become scarce..."

The young woman explained seriously, "Perhaps you can come back and check after the beast tides have subsided..."

"Thank you. May I know your name?"

Fang Xing, somewhat disappointed, prepared to leave, but looking at this young woman, he felt it would be beneficial to foster a good relationship.

After all, he was now presenting his true face, wanting to explore the potential of this world thoroughly. Building and maintaining relationships was crucial. Cultivation was not just about fighting and killing!

"My name is Xiao Rui!"

"Alright, I’ll remember that."

Fang Xing nodded solemnly.

...

Despite this knowledge, Fang Xing was still a bit unwilling to give up.

Although the pill shop didn't have the Tranquility Pill, there might have been some stock sold previously, potentially available among the stalls.

However, after scanning around, he became somewhat disheartened.

Given the nature of rogue cultivators, any beneficial pill obtained was usually consumed immediately to boost strength, with few remaining behind.

Moreover, even if there were one or two on the rogue cultivators' stalls, Fang Xing might not dare to use them.

"I suppose we need to buy enough for a round of testing on a guinea pig, and only then give it a try, right?"

"Of course, if the vial is still sealed, that would be even better."

Among the scattered stalls, if some pills are of dubious origin, they will definitely be cheaper than the sealed, branded goods. In the Qinglin Market, very few stalls sell pills.

Mastering the four arts of cultivation—formation, alchemy, artifact crafting, and talisman making—alchemy ranks second, not only because it requires rare inheritance, but it also consumes terrifyingly.

Typically, no wandering cultivator would labor over refining alchemy skills in vain.

Even if there are one or two 'alchemists,' they specialize in only one or two kinds of pills, often marginal ones.

Additionally, their competitiveness often falls short of the larger pill shops.

As a result, pill-selling stalls are extremely rare and uncommon.

Fang Xing circled around for a while before finally locating a few stalls, the pills they offered were scant.

"May I inquire if there are any 'Tranquility Pills' for sale here?"

He approached a stall where an elder, hair tied with ebony, adorned in a robe shimmering with spiritual light, stood.

Upon hearing Fang Xing's question, the elder's eyes lit up, smiling as he replied, "Comrade, you've asked the right person. In this market, there are very few channels for 'Tranquility Pills,' but I happen to be one of them…"

"Oh? You have Tranquility Pills? What's the price?"

Fang Xing perked up with interest.

"Uh, still in the furnace…"

The elder stroked his beard, posing as a sage-like figure.

Fang Xing turned to leave immediately.

"Hey, wait… young friend, wait a moment!"

The old alchemist leaped up quickly, "Hear me out, indeed I am an alchemist. Long ago, I acquired the recipe for the 'Tranquility Pill.' I have a sixty to seventy percent success rate in pill formation. If you don't believe me, ask around about my reputation in Wan Fenglin!"

Fang Xing slightly paused, "So, do you have any pills or not?"

"Well…" Master Wan chuckled, "I, along with a few fellow Daoists, have gathered enough materials for several batches of 'Tranquility Pills'; we're just missing one ingredient, the 'Illusory Heart Orchid'…"

"That was as good as saying nothing…"

Fang Xing turned his head, looking back.

“Why the rush, young friend? I've discovered a site where 'Illusory Heart Orchids' grow. The place is somewhat perilous, with a swarm of 'Purple-winged Scorpions' entrenched there. I’m planning to gather allies to eliminate this threat. Once that’s done, we'll have plenty of 'Illusory Heart Orchids', and 'Tranquility Pills' will be within easy reach.”

Fang Xing responded, “Then I’ll wait until you refine the pills, and I can purchase them. Price is negotiable.”

He nodded and cast a deep glance at the old man.

“Would you be interested in lending a hand? If successful, I would reduce your costs considerably...” The old alchemist offered cautiously.

“How can a mere Postnatal martial artist like myself be of any help?”

Fang Xing chuckled, turned away, and left without hesitation.

“...”

The old man watched Fang Xing’s retreating figure, wanting to keep him, but the words failed to come, leaving only a soft sigh.

He resumed his stall, selling low-tier pills like 'Fasting Pills' until the sunset, slowly packing up and returning to his shack.

Unbeknownst to him, a thumbnail-sized beetle had appeared in the corner of his shack, lying there silently.

Its size made it seem like a lifeless object, devoid of any aura.

To Fang Xing, this beetle-like listening device was a godsend, as today’s encounter with the old man seemed suspicious. If he was merely selling pills, he should have asked Fang Xing to come back later. Why try to enlist a Postnatal martial artist unless he knew Fang Xing wasn’t ordinary?

After leaving, Fang Xing deployed the beetle to eavesdrop.

Returning to his shack, the old man first meditated, swallowing a Fasting Pill before moving to his workspace to tend to some herbs.

Everything seemed ordinary until a knock echoed at the door deep in the night, the rhythm three long, two short.

Immediately, the old man rose and opened the door.

With a creak, the wooden door unveiled a figure.

“You’ve arrived?”

The elder's expression instantly showed a hint of dissatisfaction at the sight of the newcomer.

]

(End of Chapter)