Chapter 477: The Genius Merchant
“Oh my heavens, it’s already been an entire day, and not a single soul has come out of there?”
The sky transitioned from light to dark, then back to light, and now the horizon was just beginning to glow like a fish belly in the morning.
After a grueling day of hard work, some disciples of the Xuantian Sect standing outside, sipping their soup, had broken through years of stagnation. Just as they rose with excitement, they realized no one had exited the Four Beasts Secret Realm.
Gradually, even more people began to take note of this oddity.
“Is something wrong with the Four Beasts Secret Realm? Why is it taking so long for anyone to come out?”
This had never happened since the founding of the Xuantian Sect.
“Who cares? Maybe the Master increased the difficulty; we’re not in there! The longer they stay, the more soup we can enjoy, right?”
“True.”
At first, not many were worried, lost in their own cultivation.
After all, the current disciples of the Xuantian Sect were young and had never witnessed the grand spectacles of the past. Their understanding of the Four Beasts Secret Realm was merely hearsay.
They had no idea how harsh the conditions inside could be.
Even if it was unfathomably deep, nobody had seen it with their own eyes. Everyone was impressed, but it didn’t really sink in.
Only a few prodigious disciples, like Li Yifeng and Zhao Lingxiao, seemed a tad more serious.
“Oh no! I didn’t bring enough Foundation Establishment Pills!”
“cr*p! Me too, I only packed enough for one day of strenuous practice!”
“I also didn’t bring enough Golden Core Pills…”
Suddenly, a few disciples started to realize the implications of time.
It was rumored that the Four Beasts Secret Realm usually only lasted a day, so most disciples prepared only a day’s worth of auxiliary pills for their cultivation.
And now? They were all out.
If they went back to fetch more, the time wasted would mean they wouldn’t recover enough Spiritual Energy, and the pills wouldn’t compensate for it. But if they didn’t go, they felt cheated.
“Hey, fellow cultivator, I’ve got plenty of Foundation Establishment Pills here—want two?”
Just then, a sweet voice chimed in.
A pair of golden fox ears perked up adorably.
That’s right! Wherever there’s a business opportunity, you’ll find the little fox, Hu Shang!
She had been lurking around, waiting for just this chance.
Even though the representatives invited from all corners of the Five Continents had already left, Hu Shang had decided to stick around at the Xuantian Sect.
Before the Four Beasts Secret Realm opened, she could already smell the scent of money in the air.
“Top-notch Foundation Establishment Pills are one thousand Spirit Stones each, while supplies last!”
Her outrageous price nearly made a few people choke on their soup.
“Are you robbing us? A Foundation Establishment Pill is supposed to be five hundred Spirit Stones! Little fox, you’ve gone too far!”
“Robbing? This is a premium Foundation Establishment Pill, complete with pill patterns!”
“Premium or not, it should only be worth two to three thousand Spirit Stones!”
“Now, now, value is determined by the current situation. Look at the density of the Spiritual Energy here; this premium Foundation Establishment Pill can help you absorb at least fifteen thousand Spirit Stones worth of energy. You stand to gain an extra five thousand Spirit Stones!”
Hu Shang argued with unmatched confidence.
The crowd fell silent.
Indeed, thinking about it that way, they might actually make some profit, but it still felt like a kn*fe to the gut!
Hu Shang truly had a knack for business.
Of course, for her, the amount of profit didn’t really matter. She wasn’t exactly short on money; the real goal was just the thrill of the game.
Eventually, a few people gritted their teeth and bought a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Most chose to borrow from their fellow disciples around them, even if it meant paying a small price increase. It was still better than purchasing from Hu Shang.
However, Hu Shang was sure these people would eventually have to come back for pills.
With Ah He inside, records would surely be shattered, and eventually, everyone’s pockets would be empty!
……
Inside the White Tiger Secret Realm.
Mu Jixue seemed to be surrounded by an invisible light sphere. Despite the howling winds and blizzards around her, not a single snowflake dared land on her.
But her second acupoint still showed no signs of opening. She had pumped in so much Spiritual Energy, and yet only a third had been activated.
When Yun Zhonghe had helped her open her first acupoint, it had felt so much easier back then.
Was it her posture that was wrong?
Did she need Yun Zhonghe to help her open the Earthly Court acupoint?
At this moment, Mu Jixue had already reached the eighth level of the Golden Core stage.
As one advances in the Golden Core ranks, the amount of Spiritual Energy required for upgrades increases exponentially. Even prodigies like Mu Jixue couldn’t just breeze through.
The gaps between levels were becoming wider.
Moreover, as her cultivation level rose, the refinement rate of the Spiritual Energy began to decline.
Many might find this contradictory—shouldn’t higher cultivation lead to faster refinement of Spiritual Energy?
In theory, yes! The higher the level, the wider the range of Spiritual Energy capture, leading to quicker refinement.
But the key was that Mu Jixue’s rapid advancement was more about her talent than sheer cultivation level.
In the initial phases, her abundant talent accelerated her upgrading, but as she climbed higher, that high-speed upgrade talent began to fade, and her innate advantages diminished.
However, compared to ordinary cultivators—even outstanding disciples—Mu Jixue’s upgrading talent remained quite formidable.
Let’s not forget, this was a high-pressure spiritual energy environment, with a density dozens of times that of the outside world. Thus, the impact of her talent was amplified many times, making it all the more noticeable.
On top of that, from the sixth hour onward, the pressure inside the secret realm inexplicably intensified, increasing the difficulty further.
“If only the second acupoint would open, there’d be so much less pressure.”
Mu Jixue mumbled. She had thought the second acupoint would open, allowing her to cultivate both simultaneously and effectively stream the abundance of Spiritual Energy.
Unfortunately, it seemed that plan had fizzled out.
She glanced at the porcelain bottle with the small ice flower design—inside, the Cold Moon Yin Water was running low.
Was she really about to hit a dead end here?
I wonder how Yun Zhonghe, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Xiao are doing.
Although she couldn’t tell how long she had been at it, Mu Jixue felt it had been nearly a day, matching the record mentioned by the Master. It shouldn’t be too embarrassing.
But…
“The powers of the Four Divine Beasts have yet to appear.”
Clenching her teeth, Mu Jixue was quite eager for the powers of the Four Divine Beasts.
Because she was very conscious of her own inferiority.
Of course, she was already strong in her own right.
But when she had someone like Yun Zhonghe up ahead, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was lagging behind.
Whether facing the Disaster Empress or fighting Li Yifeng, Mu Jixue felt worlds apart.
No matter how hard she tried to catch up, Yun Zhonghe seemed to leap even farther away.
At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before she couldn’t even catch a glimpse of his back.
