Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

Most of the cultivators coming and going in Black Wind Market are independent cultivators, and their cultivation levels are not high.

The term "unaffiliated cultivator" refers to an ordinary person who accidentally obtains a fragmented cultivation technique and embarks on the path to immortality, or a descendant of a poor family who is all alone, or a cultivator who has been abandoned by a sect and has no chance to join the immortal sect.

Most of them practice incomplete and mixed cultivation methods, lacking orthodox lineage, resulting in slow progress in cultivation and a lifetime of lingering in the Qi Refining stage.

Among those of the same level, because they often teeter on the edge of life and death, their temperament is far more resilient and ruthless than that of disciples from sects and aristocratic families. They are also more patient and decisive in their actions, and never easily reveal their true strength.

Furthermore, since over 90% of the resources in the cultivation world are controlled by major sects and families, it is extremely difficult for independent cultivators to move forward. This has led to a principle of prioritizing interests, making it difficult for independent cultivators to form alliances. Instead, they are mostly loosely organized groups bound by interests.

As Li Xiuyuan traversed the second mountain range, he concealed his aura and used the vegetation to avoid several terrifying second-tier monster territories—the territories of the Azure Spirit Snake, the Iron-Backed Bear, and the Black Heart Wolf.

Relying on their own strength, they successfully arrived at Black Wind Market in one hour.

Black Wind Market is built against the mountain and has no formal city gate, only a circle of earthen walls.

The entrance was guarded by many rogue cultivators dressed as hunters in animal skins, but he could tell that the simple earthen wall was just a concealment formation, which was usually used to block ordinary people from entering the mountains to gather herbs. From what he saw and felt, it was not very effective.

Li Xiuyuan arrived at the valley entrance, took out a sound transmission talisman, whispered a few words to his lips, then lit the talisman with his fingertips, tossed it into the air, and it turned into a white light that disappeared into the mist.

The entrance street to the market is narrow and crowded with untrained monks on both sides.

The area covers about a hundred acres, with pavilions and towers of varying heights surrounding the center of the market, giving it a somewhat ethereal feel. However, it is far inferior to the market in Shanyang, not only in terms of quantity but also in terms of quality.

The strange costumes worn by people coming and going inside the building were quite novel. Of course, there were quite a few like Li Xiuyuan who wore long robes that obscured their faces.

Therefore, his entry into the market did not attract the attention of others.

Most of the cultivators here are at the early stage of Qi Refining; there isn't a single "expert" at the late stage of Qi Refining.

In the center of the buildings, large and small, is a spacious square paved with bluestone. The square is filled with vendors who have set up stalls.

The stall displayed various low-level magical artifacts, incomplete cultivation techniques, materials from demonic beasts, and even demonic beast cubs.

It was a mixed bag, with spiritual energy, demonic energy, the smell of smoke and fire, and the stench of blood all intertwined.

At the stalls, many cultivators came and went, asking about prices. Some were haggling with their faces flushed, while others just looked and didn't buy, simply touching the stalls.

Li Xiuyuan remained calm; he was already quite used to the daily life of a rogue cultivator.

He gathered his robes and blended into the crowd, becoming extremely inconspicuous.

With a clear goal in mind, he went directly to the construction area, intending to first understand the local market for medicinal pills.

The price of pills fluctuates slightly depending on the medicinal herbs required for refining them and their rarity, but the differences are generally not significant.

Li Xiuyuan went in and out of three or four shops, casually inquiring about the prices of Qi-Nourishing Pills and Mind-Clearing Pills. His behavior of asking without buying attracted strange looks from the shop assistants, but he didn't care.

After some investigation, Li Xiuyuan learned that the price of Qi Nourishing Pills and Heart Clearing Pills in Black Wind Market was slightly higher than that in Shanyang Market by one spirit stone, and most of them were of medium to low grade, with almost no high-grade pills.

However, it sells extremely well, probably because the area is resource-poor and lacks alchemists.

Li Xiuyuan did not plan to sell directly to shops: firstly, he was selling a considerable amount of pills, and secondly, this place was the closest gathering place for cultivators to Black Wind City, and he would come here again in the future.

There are only six or seven shops selling pills here. Selling too many would inevitably arouse suspicion. Money can be tempting, so there's no need to cause trouble.

Secondly, the major shops collude to monopolize the market, so the purchase price is not high, and each time it is tens of spirit stones less.

Little by little, it adds up to a considerable sum over ten years, which he naturally didn't want to accept. More importantly, since rogue cultivators have no fixed abode, selling them would make it impossible to trace the number of pills he sold.

With a plan in mind, Li Xiuyuan acted immediately.

He went to the market management office to inquire about the rules for setting up stalls there.

I learned that five spirit crystals can be exchanged for a day's voucher for setting up a stall, and the price of the voucher varies depending on the time of day.

Li Xiuyuan decisively spent a low-grade Qi-Nourishing Pill to exchange for a three-day certificate, and then found an open space to start setting up a stall.

He took an old bed sheet from his storage bag and spread it on the ground, then laid out five bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills and ten bottles of Mind-Clearing Pills.

They then wrote the prices on pre-selected wooden boards, set up their stall, and declared, "Honest dealings with everyone, young and old, no bargaining!"

He then sat on the futon, closed his eyes to rest, and waited for the destined person.

As an indispensable resource for cultivators, elixirs are never short of buyers.

Before long, a rogue cultivator arrived at the stall. When he saw the price marked on the wooden sign, he was delighted and was about to start bargaining, as rogue cultivators always try to save money wherever possible.

Li Xiuyuan glanced at the man, pointed to the wooden board, and said calmly.

"No bargaining!"

At the same time, he released his cultivation level of the sixth level of Qi Refining.

This rogue cultivator's cultivation level was only at the third level of Qi Refining, and he probably didn't have more than a hundred spirit stones on him.

The best way to deal with these kinds of people is to use force to intimidate them.

The man was about to speak in his defense, but upon sensing that the person was far superior to him, he was immediately terrified and stopped talking.

But the price of this pill was indeed cheaper than in the shop, saving him five spirit stones, so he was reluctant to give it up.

After confirming that the pills were fine, he reluctantly took out thirty-five spirit stones, picked up a bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pills, and hurriedly left.

After the guests left, Li Xiuyuan took out another bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pills to replenish the supply, waiting for the next guest.

As time passed, the Qi-Nourishing Pill and the Heart-Clearing Pill sold extremely well, and were sold out in less than two hours.

Li Xiuyuan figured he should refine more pills next time, focusing on low-grade and mid-grade ones.

He packed up his stall and carefully calculated that he had earned a full three hundred spirit stones from selling pills this time, after deducting costs, which would be enough for him to use for a while.

He plans to go to the market to purchase a batch of Rejuvenating Elixir materials.

With plenty of time, he planned to try his luck at becoming a mid-grade alchemist.

……

Not far from Li Xiuyuan's stall, two or three mid-stage cultivators with dim auras stared intently at Li Xiuyuan's departing figure.

"Where did this new alchemist come from? What a shrewd move! Selling hundreds of spirit stones in one go! I'm so envious!"

A muscular man put his arm around a charming female cultivator beside him, and began to seduce her, which elicited a burst of lewd laughter.

One of the skinny men, with a shrill voice, rubbed his chin and chuckled, "I'm in dire need of spirit stones, so I'll have to try this fat sheep that's delivered right to my door."

"Ugly Rat, go and test his strength!"

The burly man gave a wink, and a short, dwarf-like man with a face covered in pockmarks stepped out from behind him. He was extremely ugly.

The two exchanged hunting smiles, as if they considered the new alchemist as their prize.

……

Following the information he had gathered beforehand, Li Xiuyuan arrived at the west side of the market.

This is the territory of the Zhou family, the same Zhou family where his friend married into.

The Zhou family occupies a courtyard of moderate size within the market area.

The courtyard gate was wide open, and inside were piles of various spiritual plants and herbs, full of vitality, which was out of place with the chaotic atmosphere of the market.

The guards standing at the entrance had stern expressions and were all at the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Disciples of the Zhou family could be seen moving around the courtyard from time to time, tending to the spiritual herbs and receiving guests.

This place is the stronghold of the Zhou family in the second mountain. The Zhou family controls a natural spiritual land suitable for the growth of spiritual herbs, thereby producing a large number of low-grade spiritual herbs and medicines, and almost monopolizing 90% of the spiritual plant business in the market.

The Zhou family is adept at handling affairs and skilled at cultivating relationships with various powerful forces, which is why their business is extremely successful.

It is said that Wang Daniu was assigned to guard that sacred site, a very arduous task.

After observing for a moment, Li Xiuyuan stepped inside.

Having just seen off the guests, Zhou, who was engrossed in his work, saw that another guest had arrived and greeted him with a smile.

"Please come in, sir."

"What do you need? My Zhou family can provide any first-tier spiritual herb."

He patted his chest and assured them.

"The spiritual herbs for refining the Rejuvenation Pill? I need five hundred portions."

Li Xiuyuan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a calm and collected aura, slightly emanating the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining, which startled the Zhou fellow's servant, causing him to tremble.

"This, sir, the quantity you requested is too large. I cannot make the decision on your behalf. I will go and fetch the person in charge and wait a moment."

After saying that, the waiter quickly replied in a low voice, apologized to Li Xiuyuan, and ran quickly to the back room.

A moment later, a middle-aged cultivator dressed in the Zhou family uniform came out, cupped his hands and smiled at Li Xiuyuan, saying, "My name is Zhou Youfang. May I ask your esteemed surname? Is what you just said about the five hundred portions of Rejuvenation Pill materials true?"

The middle-aged cultivator was at the fourth level of Qi Refining. Although he was not as skilled as Li Xiuyuan, he was neither arrogant nor humble, and his every move was quite like that of a disciple from a noble family.

"My name is Yuan Xiu. In addition, I also need to collect five hundred portions of Qi-Nourishing Pill herbs and five hundred portions of Grain-Abstaining Pills. I wonder if the Zhou family has any?"

Zhou Youfang was taken aback upon hearing this. He had been in charge of the Black Wind Market for more than ten years, and this was the first time he had encountered a big customer who would buy thousands of doses of medicinal herbs on a whim.

Such a large sum of money doesn't seem like someone buying medicinal herbs; this person must be an alchemist.

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but he smiled with unusual excitement and said, "Fellow Daoist Yuanxiu, please follow me."

He then led Li Xiuyuan into a private room on the second floor, and after having a maid serve tea and water, he dismissed them.

Zhou Youfang's tone was slightly tentative, "Fellow Daoist Yuanxiu, are you an alchemist?"

He thought that if he could get to know a master alchemist who could refine Qi-nourishing pills, it would be a good thing for the Zhou family.

"Hmm!" Li Xiuyuan didn't hide it, after all, the only person who could buy such a large quantity of spiritual herbs was an alchemist.

Even if they knew Li Xiuyuan's true identity, they probably wouldn't dare to harm the disciples stationed at the Blazing Fire Sect!

If the matter is exposed, it will inevitably lead to the extermination of the entire clan.

They have lived under the rule of the Blazing Fire Sect for generations. They can leave, but what about their family and blood relatives?

"Alright, enough chit-chat. Prepare all the spirit herbs I asked for. You won't be shortchanged on spirit stones."

Li Xiuyuan looked slightly displeased, as if he didn't like having his privacy pried into.

Zhou Youfang was taken aback upon hearing this, and quickly apologized, saying, "I was being presumptuous. As an apology, my Zhou family will lower the price by 10%. I will go here now and wait a moment."

After saying this, Zhou Youfang stood up, bowed, and walked downstairs.

An hour later, Zhou Youfang, panting heavily, returned to the private room with three full storage bags.

He then handed the storage bags to Li Xiuyuan for inspection one by one.

Li Xiuyuan scanned the herbs with his divine sense and quickly discovered that they were of superior quality, rich in spiritual energy, and clearly recently produced.

He nodded slightly and smiled, "The Zhou family's reputation for spiritual herbs is indeed well-deserved; the quality of these herbs is quite good."

Zhou Youfang smiled and said, "Thank you for your praise, Fellow Daoist Yuan. Five hundred portions each of the Bigu Pill, Yangqi Pill, and Qingxin Pill have arrived, totaling two hundred spirit stones."

"As an apology, Fellow Daoist Yuan, you may pay 180 spirit stones."

Zhou Youfang sincerely offered a discount to the market price, and Li Xiuyuan nodded slightly.

It's really good, a quarter cheaper than what he bought at Shanyang Market. It's true that not having a middleman saves money.

So Li Xiuyuan took out a cloth bag and handed it to Zhou Youfang.

"Please trouble the shopkeeper to check the goods. If there are no errors, then the payment and goods are settled."

Manager Zhou checked briefly and found that the number of spirit stones was sufficient, so he accepted the money.

Then, Zhou Youfang said with a hint of apology, "Fellow Daoist, if you need any spiritual herbs in the future, you can come here to find me. The price will still be 10% lower than the market price. Consider it my apology."

"Okay, I'll definitely do it next time!"