2: Medium-grade spirit stone!

The sun set, and the outline of Qingzhu Mountain gradually blurred in the twilight.

Xu Qi'an walked quickly along the small path leading to the shantytown, the soil beneath his feet still holding the residual warmth of the day.

In the ling rice fields by the road, a few Spiritual Farmers were still busy, their backs hunched as if bent by life.

The shantytown was located on the outskirts of Qingzhu Market, a cluster of low thatched huts.

The houses here were built with ling rice straw and ling mud, and the roofs were covered with thick thatch.

Although they were thatched huts, they looked very simple.

But because they were covered with ling rice straw, the spiritual energy was often a bit more concentrated.

This was also the Spiritual Farmers' helpless choice.

Good spiritual wood was simply unaffordable; even the cheapest spiritual bamboo would cost several or dozens of ling stones.

With so many ling stones, how could they be willing to spend them?

Among the people who came here, many were originally high officials and noblemen from the mortal world, and many were lucky individuals who had their Spiritual Roots detected.

Without background, they could only become the lowest stratum of Qingzhu Market.

Immortality was already distant, and most people were still willing to work here, simply hoping to accumulate something for future generations.

Perhaps one day, a Genius with a supreme Spiritual Root would appear in their family?

Xu Qi'an's residence was located in the innermost part of the shantytown, a thatched hut less than ten square meters in size.

Inside the house, besides a wooden plank bed and a worn-out cushion, there were only a few clay pots for storing ling rice.

"Old Yan Tou!"

Xu Qi'an walked to the thatched hut next door and knocked on the dilapidated wooden door.

"Who is it?"

A hoarse voice came from inside the house, followed by a violent cough.

"It's me, Xu Qi'an."

The wooden door opened with a creak, and a hunched-back old man poked his head out.

His face was covered in wrinkles, and he held a dry tobacco pipe in his hand. It was indeed Xu Qi'an's neighbor, Old Yan Tou.

Old Yan Tou had been a Spiritual Farmer his whole life, in his seventies or eighties. His sons and grandsons were living quite comfortably in the mortal world.

His relatives all told him to go back and enjoy life, but he didn't listen.

He only felt that among the countless things in the world, only cultivating immortality was supreme!

Having spent so many years with him, how could Xu Qi'an not know his true thoughts?

He had injured his foundation bones in his early years, and his cultivation could no longer advance. Everything he did was simply hoping that a descendant with a talented Spiritual Root would appear.

"Ah, Xu Qi'an, what's the matter so late?"

Xu Qi'an knew he had some savings, so he came to borrow from him.

Xu Qi'an rubbed his hands and put on a smile: "Old Yan Tou, I want to borrow your fine iron hoe..."

"What? Borrow the fine iron hoe?"

Old Yan Tou's eyes widened, and he shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, that's my lifeblood!"

"I'll only use it for one day, I promise not to break it..."

"Not even one day!" Old Yan Tou's attitude was firm. "Last time I lent it to Old Li Tou, he took it to dig for spirit ore and almost broke the hoe!"

“This is my only treasure, a Low Grade artifact. I'm planning to leave it to my grandson.”

Xu Qi'an cursed inwardly but also understood his concerns.

He still kept a smile on his face: "Then... lending me a Low-Grade Spirit Stone should be fine, right?"

Old Yan Tou looked at him suspiciously: "You're not planning to go to the Mei Chun House in the Qingzhu Market, are you!"

“Uh...”

Xu Qi'an naturally knew what the Mei Chun House Old Yan Tou was talking about was.

The top brothel in the Qingzhu cultivation world!

Inside were a bunch of little vixen spirits, and there were even enchanting demons who had cultivated charm techniques, skilled in all kinds of arts.

As long as you went in, it could make people feel like they were in heaven and hell, unforgettable for a lifetime.

But Xu Qi'an, having received quality education in his previous life... also couldn't resist the temptation.

He had gone once and spent the ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones he had saved for a year.

It was really comfortable, but his wallet really couldn't take it!

After Xu Qi'an went, he regretted it and swore never to go to such a place of ill repute again!

“Look at what you're saying, do I look like the kind of person who would go to that kind of place?”

“Seriously, Old Yan Tou, I urgently need one ling stone right now!”

“We've been neighbors for so many years, is our relationship not even worth one ling stone?”

Old Yan Tou hesitated, took a puff from his pipe, trying to find some information on Xu Qi'an's face.

He sighed and finally pulled a Low-Grade Spirit Stone from hisArms: "Alright, remember, next time you must return two!"

“What?!”

“Return two ling stones?!”

Xu Qi'an was shocked.

Old Yan Tou didn't say more and immediately wanted to take back the ling stone in his hand. Xu Qi'an quickly reached out to stop him and snatched the ling stone.

“Fine! Two it is!”

Xu Qi'an gritted his teeth and turned to leave.

Old Yan Tou remained, happily puffing on his pipe.

Xu Qi'an returned to his room, cursed Old Yan Tou for a while, and then calmed his emotions.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, his mind sinking into his Sea of Consciousness.

In his Sea of Consciousness, an ancient bronze basin quietly floated.

The basin was covered in mysterious runes, emitting a faint light.

This was the hope for a comeback—the Omnipotent Treasure Basin!

Xu Qi'an took a deep breath and placed the ling stone in his hand against his chest.

"Invest!"

As his thought moved, the ling stone instantly disappeared.

At the same time, ripples appeared in the gathering treasure basin, and four ling stones flew out of the basin, landing in his hand out of thin air.

"This..."

Xu Qi'an widened his eyes, looking at the ling stones in his hand in disbelief.

Three Low-Grade Spirit Stones, one middle-grade Spirit Stone!

He actually got four ling stones at once, and one of them was a middle-grade one!

One should know that one middle-grade Spirit Stone is equivalent to one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and they are often priceless.

Because the spiritual energy in middle-grade Spirit Stones is more refined, it is greatly beneficial for cultivation.

"I'm rich!"

Xu Qi'an was so excited he almost jumped up.

He forcefully suppressed the ecstasy in his heart and began to carefully examine the middle-grade Spirit Stone.

The ling stone was crystal clear throughout, emitting a faint blue light.

Holding it in his hand, he could feel the pure spiritual energy contained within.

"With this middle-grade Spirit Stone, maybe I can break through to the Refining Qi Level 4 in one go!"

But this thought was suppressed by Xu Qi'an as soon as it arose.

These Spiritual Farmers living in the shantytown were all sharp-eyed; they knew clearly what happened to each household.

Xu Qi'an heard that four years ago, a Spiritual Farmer in the shantytown accidentally obtained a middle-grade artifact and it was leaked out.

The next day, the Enforcement Team from the Qingzhu Market came knocking on his door.

Then the person disappeared.

In other words, since they were all Spiritual Farmers, who would want to see others doing better than themselves and soaring to success?

In this cultivation world, everyone wished others were weaker and lived more miserably than themselves.

Let alone the matter of huddling together for warmth, it is said that this Qingzhu Market Enforcement Team secretly has a special rule.

Those who report others are rewarded with ling stones!

Interests are the most tempting!

Xu Qi'an had been here for so many years since transmigrating, and he saw it clearly.

On the surface, the Spiritual Farmers were harmonious, but once matters of interest were involved, it was worse than dogs fighting.

If he impulsively raised his cultivation to the Refining Qi Level 4 today, it was likely that a Spiritual Farmer would notice him the next day and report him to the Enforcement Team.

However, he wouldn't be able to explain himself, and then he could only throw up his hands and concede defeat.

Xu Qi'an sighed and put all the ling stones in his hand back into his storage bag.

He began to ponder his future plans.

Run? Or not run?

To be honest, Xu Qi'an could very well run away now. With the Omnipotent Treasure Basin, he would certainly not lack resources in the future.

But Xu Qi'an was afraid that running away would lead him to encounter rogue Cultivators.

So-called rogue Cultivators are Cultivators who specialize in robbing other Cultivators of their money, women, and lives.

Those who could be rogue Cultivators had decent cultivation and considerable strength, and it was even possible they had some connections with the Qingzhu Market.

Xu Qi'an had also heard the Spiritual Farmers talking; these rogue Cultivators specifically liked to rob them, the low-level Cultivators.

Even a small mosquito is meat!

As Spiritual Farmers, they had no background and no strength, making them easy targets for robbery.

They were fine in Qingzhu Market; rogue Cultivators wouldn't dare to come here openly.

But if he left Qingzhu Market, with Xu Qi'an's current strength, he would definitely be dead.

“This is so difficult!!!”

Xu Qi'an's brows furrowed into a knot, feeling as if he had strength but couldn't use it.

It continued like this until dawn.