Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

As usual, Li Xiuyuan went to Lingbao Pavilion to sell thirty medium-grade and five high-grade Bigu Pills.

Prices soared, and fifteen spirit stones were sold, more than five spirit stones more than usual.

He spent another three spirit stones to purchase 150 portions of herbs for the Bigu Pill.

I also paid the rent and taxes for the first half of the year's cave dwelling, which totaled five spirit stones.

He strode towards the market for independent cultivators, not forgetting to buy more herbs and ingredients for the Bigu Pill.

After passing through two streets and alleys, you will arrive at the market for freelance monks.

The place was already bustling with people, a mix of everyday life and the wit of Weibo.

From time to time, there were the roars of spirit birds and demonic beasts, the shouts of stall owners and cultivators, and the sounds of bargaining.

The passersby were of all kinds: there were hunters wearing animal robes and carrying long knives on their backs, and young cultivators dressed as scholars with talismans hidden in their sleeves, hurrying along.

Li Xiuyuan glanced around and saw that the market had everything from pills and talismans to medicinal powders and magical artifacts, mostly low-level items.

It is specially designed for cultivators in the early and middle stages of Qi Refining.

He didn't head straight for the crowded stalls, where there were many people and lots of disputes.

After a series of twists and turns, I headed towards a corner on the west side of the market. This corner was mostly occupied by stalls run by local cultivators who made a living by hunting demons or who had settled in the market for generations. The prices were fair, and you could sometimes find a bargain.

As soon as he reached the corner, he smelled a delicate fragrance, crisp and sweet. Even though Li Xiuyuan had lost his appetite after taking the [Qingji Yunyuan], he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

Li Xiuyuan took a closer look, and a thought struck him: "Spirit rice, and its grade isn't low!"

This spirit rice comes from a spirit plant expert, also known as a spirit farmer.

It can be simmered and boiled with cinnabar and spiritual fire, which can not only fill the stomach, but also nourish the dantian, relieve qi stagnation, and long-term consumption can further improve the cultivation of qi cultivators.

However, with prices soaring these days, this spirit rice is even more expensive than elixir herbs, so he probably won't be able to afford it.

Under a large umbrella woven from bamboo poles, three or five monks dressed in robes sat around a stove, brewing tea. The aroma of rice filled the air, and laughter filled the air, creating a tranquil atmosphere.

Li Xiuyuan paused, glanced at the group briefly, a craving of food welled up inside him, but he quickly suppressed it and turned to leave.

The spirit stones on my body are very useful. I have also refined three [Hunger-Clearing Essence] stones, so I will not need to eat for at least half a year.

After walking several more miles, they came to an inconspicuous little stall and stopped.

The stall owner was a middle-aged cultivator who was dozing off. Rows of demon beast meat and prepared spirit-clearing water were displayed on his stall.

Others were not particularly interested, but Li Xiuyuan could see the purity of the perfectly prepared demon beast meat, and the refreshing coolness of the spiritual water with a hint of spiritual energy was just what he needed to refine the Bigu Pill.

The cultivator opened his eyes, glanced at Li Xiuyuan, and said in a stiff tone, "Fellow Daoist has sharp eyes. This is top-grade Black Mountain beef, and also pure spiritual water diluted from a first-grade low-level spiritual spring."

Black Mountain Beef is a mixed-blood beast that has one foot in the ranks of first-tier demon beasts, and Qingling Water is roughly the same.

Li Xiuyuan nodded without asking any further questions; these were exactly what he needed.

He got straight to the point: "Give me fifty catties of Black Mountain beef and thirty catties of Qingling Water."

The middle-aged cultivator said, "Five spirit crystals."

Li Xiuyuan didn't try to bargain; he had looked at the prices along the way and knew that this was already a low price.

Then he took out five pebble-sized spirit crystals from his pocket and handed them to the stall owner.

He packed his things away and turned to leave.

Over the next half hour, Li Xiuyuan repeatedly purchased about five hundred portions of materials for refining the Bigu Pill from different stalls, spending a total of three spirit stones, which was seven spirit crystals more than before.

He was about to leave the market when a hawker's cry interrupted him.

Two men dressed as wandering monks stood at the alley entrance, arguing heatedly, their faces flushed. They spoke in extremely loud voices, their tone laced with anger.

"I bought a fancy mouse from you yesterday, and it died when I got home last night. I want a refund, you swindler!"

"Produce the evidence! You can't just falsely accuse someone!"

Li Xiuyuan took a few steps closer and got a general idea of ​​the situation.

The reason for the argument is simple.

One vendor claimed that all his spirit pets were of superior quality, while another insisted that the spirit pets he bought from him would die within a day.

They argued back and forth, creating a huge uproar.

And that wasn't the end of it; many onlookers were adding fuel to the fire.

"Hey, you're really clueless! Everyone knows the Beast Taming King's family sells counterfeit goods!"

"Hmph, you think you can outdo the Wild Dog Gang? We Wild Dog Gang made our fortune through thievery and robbery! Wang kid, you're out of luck this time!"

The two were already angry, and the onlookers egged them on, so they started pushing and shoving each other.

Someone, taking advantage of the stall owner's inattention, opened all the animal cages, fish baskets, and bird stands on the spirit beast stall.

The entire alleyway was in chaos.

"Chirp chirp chirp!"

"Coo coo coo!"

"Awooooo!"

"My fiery rat; oh dear, my golden arowana, and don't go, my lucky magpie!"

Many people took advantage of the chaos, planning to capture a few spirit beasts and take them away.

The troublemakers, who called themselves the "Wild Dog Gang," were planning to flee with a golden-jade spirit pet with shiny fur and lively eyes.

Just as things were about to get out of hand, the law enforcement team arrived.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing! Do you really think the Master is just a freeloader!"

Ten sword-wielding cultivators, dressed in the robes of the joint law enforcement team, marched in unison toward the alley entrance.

Those rogue cultivators who had previously been causing trouble and even capturing spirit beasts scattered like birds and beasts.

Li Xiuyuan's eyes lit up as he stared intently at the golden jade mouse in the troublemaker's hand.

"Lost Valley Mouse!"

It was a rare species he had seen in ancient books, containing the bloodline of an ancient demon beast, and the quality of its bloodline was superior.

After reaching adulthood, they possess the combat power of the Foundation Establishment stage, and more importantly, the Migu Rat has innate supernatural abilities.

Ancient texts record: "The 'Unfathomable' supernatural ability of the Misty Valley Rat allows it to dispel low-level fog and provide direction, making it an excellent tool for exploration. When cultivating, it can help wood-elemental cultivators calm their restless minds, and it can also manipulate mid- to high-level wood-elemental energy to summon Misty Valley Branches and Blessing Grass to assist in combat and cultivation."

"If one can form the [Spirit Wood Dao Pattern], one can cultivate by drawing upon the wood spirit energy of heaven and earth, and at the same time, break earth-based spells."

He had a sudden thought and was about to stop the man, but then he remembered that the "Wild Dog Gang" was a notorious group of rogue cultivators in the outer city.

They bully the weak and are divided into five major branches. The branch leaders are all at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and the gang leader is known as the number one person below the Foundation Establishment level.

"The Wild Dog Gang even dares to bully the disciples of the Beast Taming King's family. I'd better not get involved in this mess."

He turned to leave, only to see the man toss the golden jade rat into Li Xiuyuan's hand.

He shouted, "Brother, run with your spirit pet! Our people are waiting for you at the end of the alley!"

Before Li Xiuyuan could come to his senses, a palm-sized mouse with golden fur flew into his arms.

The troublemaker then ran away.

"This is truly an undeserved disaster!"

Li Xiuyuan sighed deeply; he was unwilling to suffer for someone else's sake without being blamed.

Holding the mouse, he unleashed three charged fireballs that blasted directly at the man's head, calves, and perineum.

"Bang bang bang!"

The man instantly screamed in agony, his skin torn and bleeding, and he collapsed to the ground like a dog falling into the mud.

A few breaths later, a flash of sword light appeared, and a sword-wielding cultivator swung his sword and beheaded him.

Soon, a late-stage Qi Refining enforcement team cultivator sternly addressed Li Xiuyuan, "Fellow Daoist, come with us! I suspect you are his accomplice; cooperate with the investigation."

Li Xiuyuan smiled helplessly, "Getting caught up in the fun and having to pay bail is inevitable!"

He was a seasoned veteran of the marketplace in his previous life, so he could easily understand the unspoken meaning behind the man's words.

He strode up to the man, reluctantly pulled five spirit stones from his robes, and placed them in the man's palm, whispering, "Fellow Daoist, I am an innocent victim. Could you spare me the questioning? These are the man's stolen goods, which I will now hand over to your sect!"

The man's eyebrows twitched, and he smiled as he looked at Li Xiuyuan, saying, "Although you acted without authorization in the market, you voluntarily maintained market order and assisted the sect in apprehending the fugitive. Your merits and demerits cancel each other out, so there's no need for further questioning."

Having said that, he shouted at the several team members behind him who were still looting the spiritual materials and "people's hard-earned money" that the rogue cultivators hadn't had time to take with them when they escaped in the chaos, "Fall back!"

The group lined up neatly and menacingly took away the spiritual materials and the corpses of the Wild Dog Gang members.

Li Xiuyuan breathed a sigh of relief, having lost money to avoid disaster.

He cursed inwardly, "Damn stray dog, it bit me back, but I still kicked it to death!"

Just as he was about to leave with the golden jade rat in his arms, a simple and honest voice called out to him from behind: "Fellow Daoist, wait a moment."