When it comes to cultivating immortality, it naturally starts with upgrading the herb garden.

Song Chen left the pharmacy, silently noting its location; the service was good, and the medicines were plentiful.

If the "potential stock" really works as Li Hu said, he wouldn't mind doing it a few more times.

Song Chen's gaze shifted; he was preparing to purchase some magical artifacts for movement and defense.

Suddenly, the crowd began to move in one direction.

"Master Yun is here this year! Everyone go check it out!"

"What! Master Yun is here! I have to go see!"

Song Chen looked at the crowd in front of him with a puzzled expression. He looked in the direction they were moving towards, towards the port—the place where caravans sold their goods.

He glanced at the two thousand spirit stones and the recipe for the Purple Qi Breakthrough Pill in his storage bag, found a dark spot, put on a mask to cover his face, and followed the crowd toward it.

The port was filled with trading tables, and although there were many people, there were quite a few empty trading areas.

Everyone crowded in the middle, where a high platform had been erected. A middle-aged man dressed in white, who looked quite handsome, stood on it and spoke eloquently to the people below.

Song Chen didn't go over there, but instead started browsing the surrounding stalls.

A shop far from the crowds, but filled with magic spells and artifacts, caught his eye.

The shopkeeper had the face of a young man, but his voice sounded rather mature.

"Sir, what do you need? I have all kinds of magical artifacts and spells."

Do you sell high-grade defensive and mobile attack magic items?

"Yes! There are three mobile-type items, take a look."

As he spoke, the shopkeeper took out three magical artifacts and placed them in front of Song Chen, pointing at them as he began to introduce them.

"These are flying boots. They make movement easy when worn, and when infused with spiritual energy, they can instantly travel a hundred meters. The downside is that there is a pause when activating them, about one second."

Song Chen remained silent, clearly dissatisfied.

One second is a very long time in a critical moment, enough to give the enemy the opportunity to kill him.

As a top-grade magical artifact, these little flying boots have no advantages other than being able to teleport ten meters instantly.

The shopkeeper patiently continued:

"These are wind boots. Wearing them makes you feel like you're traveling with the wind, and you can travel a thousand miles a day without any problem. If you infuse them with spiritual energy, your speed can increase several times over without any gaps."

Song Chen raised an eyebrow and said, "Let's see if the next one works out, then we'll go with this one."

The shopkeeper smiled slightly and said:

"Finally, these are the Shadow Boots. Wearing them makes walking silent and your movements ghostly. Infusing them with spiritual energy allows you to cast the mid-grade spell Shadow Step, greatly enhancing your escape ability!"

Looking at the Shadow Boots, Song Chen suddenly felt that his Shadow Step training was no longer worthwhile.

Oh well, life goes on as usual, the big intestine wraps the small intestine.

"These windproof boots will do!"

"Alright, sir, one hundred spirit stones."

Song Chen paid the spirit stones and put on the wind boots on the spot.

As soon as he put it on, he felt a lightness in his body. When he walked, it was as if he was floating in the air, yet his feet were firmly on the ground. He took one step at the speed of three.

After walking around, I returned to the shop.

"What about defensive types?"

"Only this one, the Robe of Defense, is invisible when worn and can block attacks from those below the seventh level of Qi Refining."

"I'll take it."

"Ninety-five spirit stones."

After paying the spirit stones, Song Chen added, "For offensive weapons, it's best to choose the kind that's easy to use in the shadows."

The shopkeeper understood immediately and took out two magical artifacts, saying, "These two items will surely meet your requirements, sir."

"This is the Soul-Snatching Needle, which kills without leaving a trace and is extremely powerful. When activated with spiritual energy, it is not at a disadvantage even in a head-on confrontation and can easily penetrate the defense of a high-grade talisman."

Song Chen's eyes lit up, but then returned to normal.

The shopkeeper pretended not to see it and continued:

"This is the Heaven-Returning Blade, which is extremely powerful and very suitable for direct combat. Once activated by spiritual energy, it can be moved at will, making it effective in the shadows as well, but its effect is not as good as the Soul-Snatching Needle."

"Both cost 120 spirit stones; you may choose whichever you prefer."

"How about a discount?"

The shopkeeper smiled slightly: "One hundred and ten spirit stones, no bargaining."

"Soul-Snatching Needle"

Pay in one hand and deliver in one hand.

After paying, Song Chen didn't leave; instead, he started making conversation:

"Who is Master Yun, and why are there so many people associated with him?"

The shopkeeper turned his head to look at Master Yun in the distance and smiled:

"This is my first time here!"

"Yes."

"Master Yun is the only Qi Refining Peak cultivator in our caravan who has the potential to reach Foundation Establishment."

Song Chen was puzzled; this alone shouldn't have made someone so popular.

The shopkeeper added, "I have the formula for Foundation Establishment Pills. You can buy it for two thousand spirit stones. Of course, you can also barter with other items."

Song Chen instantly realized that this Master Yun was probably Yun Qingzi.

It turns out Zhang Yuanshan wasn't stupid, he was just brainless!

Thinking about buying Foundation Establishment Pill recipes when you're only in the mid-stage of Qi Refining is beyond foolish.

Song Chen didn't plan to buy the Foundation Establishment Pill recipe right now; he figured it would be more practical to use the spirit stones to buy a few Spirit Gathering Pills.

"Are you exchanging this for mid-grade spirit stones?"

"Exchange! 110 to 1."

"Ten pieces, please."

The shopkeeper paused for a moment, then a smile flashed across his face.

"Exactly ten yuan!"

Ten jade boxes appeared before Song Chen's eyes, and just looking at them, he could feel the rich spiritual energy fluctuations inside.

Song Chen was certain that with this thing and the Spirit Gathering Pill, his cultivation would definitely advance by leaps and bounds!

He took out a thousand spirit stones and quickly completed the transaction.

Song Chen still hadn't left, and the boss narrowed his eyes slightly.

Is there still business involved?

Who is this person? His face is covered, his cultivation level is unknown, yet his voice is so young.

Song Chen had already mastered the Concealment Technique, and his cultivation level could not be discerned within three minor realms.

He remained expressionless, and although his face was hidden by a mask, the other person couldn't see it. He asked, "What's your name?"

"Liang Wenjin, where is the guest?"

"Jiang Shuyan, I have a big business opportunity that could be a great chance for you. Are you in or not?"

Liang Wenjin smiled and said, "Oh? There's no deal that I, Liang Wenjin, wouldn't dare to do!"

Song Chen didn't take anything out, but instead brought his face close to Liang Wenjin's ear.

Liang Wenjin swallowed hard, looking at Song Chen with shock in his eyes, but quickly regained his composure, feeling somewhat doubtful and uneasy.

Song Chen said softly, "Don't worry, there's no problem with its origins."

After saying that, Song Chen took out the bone whistle: "Do you recognize this?"

Liang Wenjin's eyes trembled.

He recognized the object; it was the token of Xu Bo, the top Qi Refining cultivator in the Lower Sword Sect.

He looked at Song Chen with a complicated expression, all his previous concerns gone.

Who exactly is this person?

At this moment, Song Chen said calmly, "Fifty Spirit Gathering Pills in exchange for my pill formula."

Upon hearing this, Liang Wenjin lost his composure and shouted, "Are you kidding me! Forty at most!"

Song Chen spoke slowly and deliberately, his tone calm yet firm, like a cunning fox:

"Are you sure? Think about it again. There's only one copy of this formula, and very few people besides me know about it. You could sell it repeatedly for more than this price, right?"

"This doesn't even include the price of the pills produced."

Liang Wenjin knew that Song Chen was right, but he still found it hard to accept the offer of fifty Spirit Gathering Pills.

After all, that's 50,000 spirit stones!

In a major power, 50,000 spirit stones could probably create a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, right?

He fell silent, unable to make a decision for a moment.

Song Chen observed Liang Wenjin's expression and sneered inwardly, feeling absolutely certain of his victory.

He immediately pressed his advantage, refusing to give up:

"How about this? Let's compromise. Forty Spirit Gathering Pills are fine, but I want something else in exchange. How about that?"

"If you don't want it, I believe Linglong Tianlou will definitely be very interested."

That's just empty talk. Song Chen would never sell it to Linglong Tianlou; doing so would only bring trouble.

Such a valuable treasure must be sold to those who are constantly on the move, so that the news can be cut off and they can protect themselves.

Moreover, Song Chen did not intend to obtain only the Spirit Gathering Pill; he also wanted to use it to acquire materials for upgrading the pill room and fertilizer room.

Upon hearing this, Liang Wenjin naturally understood that Song Chen was right.

Formulas for top-grade third-rank pills are highly sought-after anywhere.

He gritted his teeth; he was struggling, he was hesitating, he was crossing that threshold in his heart.

"Make a decision quickly! I don't have much time."

Song Chen urged, standing up as if to leave.

Seeing this, Liang Wenjin's expression became even more unpredictable, his eyes darting left and right before he finally made up his mind and took a deep breath:

"No! I want it! What are the other things?"

Song Chen thought for a moment and said, "Five Kidney Kings, fifteen portions of Cold Iron Sand, five pieces of Mysterious Ice Stone, and five Qi Gathering Pills—can you get them?"

These materials are all needed for the current upgrade of the system building.

He made up his mind and prepared to take a gamble on those upgrade paths that required the ribs of a Qi Refining Peak cultivator.

Song Chen thought, if he can't beat a Qi Refining Peak cultivator, can't he at least buy a corpse?

He figured he could find out somewhere he could buy it someday.

Liang Wenjin was stunned when he heard this. He recognized all these things and they were worth about two thousand spirit stones.

However, there was one thing that puzzled him: why did Song Chen want the Qi Gathering Pill?

If you have a superior pill like the Spirit Gathering Pill, why would you need a Qi Gathering Pill?

That's a really strange person.

However, Liang Wenjin didn't think much of it. On the contrary, he was relieved because Song Chen's conditions weren't high, and said, "No problem."

A short while later.

Song Chen held a jade box in his hand, which was filled with Spirit Gathering Pills.

Beside it was a small box filled with spiritual herbs and ores.

Song Chen inspected the two boxes inside and out, and after confirming that there were no problems, he put them into his storage bag.

He was overjoyed, but showed no sign of it on his face; he simply parted his lips slightly and said:

"Give."

Song Chen took out the prescription and spread it on the table for Liang Wenjin to examine.

After the two finished their examination, they looked at each other and nodded slightly.

The next moment, Song Chen turned into a puddle of foam and disappeared from the spot with his belongings.

Liang Wenjin was taken aback, then smiled and said, "He's really overly cautious."

This is a corner of the dockside stalls, where you can easily see the coastline with just a turn of your head.

Liang Wenjin gazed at the shimmering waves on the sea and said with anticipation:

"Hopefully this deal will bring me a turning point..."