Chapter 106: Deer Monster Bone

After descending the mountain, Chen Luo did not rush to leave immediately. Instead, he sent messages to Doude, Xie Shuang, and his other friends who had escaped together from the Yue Tomb. Previously, when Du Jian gave him the pill formula, he also included contact methods, which proved useful now.

Having left the messages, Chen Luo finally felt relieved. Next, it was time to consider his future path.

The mission assigned by Daoist Wuwei required him to travel to the She Nation, necessitating an intercity flying boat for the journey. If he were to rely solely on foot, it would take at least three years.

“I still have some distance to reach the tenth level of Qi Refinement. Once I attain that level, I must begin preparing for Foundation Establishment.”

Once again, the advantage of purchasing all cultivation techniques in advance became evident.

Without those early purchases, the first challenge upon leaving the mountain would be acquiring subsequent techniques. Without the sect’s resources, finding new cultivation methods becomes exponentially harder. Why do rogue cultivators knowingly risk their lives to enter dangerous arcane realms? It’s because they lack further techniques, leaving them with only their lives as leverage.

This predicament was familiar to Chen Luo from his past experiences.

“First, let’s visit the market.”

Checking the time, Chen Luo decided to utilize this waiting period by visiting the market to sell his medicinal pills.

Having spent most of his spirit stones on the mountain, it was now time to replenish his funds.

Given the current situation, no one would notice the sudden influx of medicinal pills. With disciples descending from the mountain daily, bringing various items, it was impossible for every object to be scrutinized closely.

Although war had not yet arrived, those involved in commerce could already sense the impending danger.

Upon entering the market again, Chen Luo distinctly felt a significant decrease in people. The pharmacy he frequently visited was closed, with a ‘Temporarily Closed’ sign hanging at the entrance. Other shops were similarly shut or, if open, had sparse offerings.

An atmosphere of anxiety permeated the market.

Chen Luo walked along the street until he reached Beast Control Peak’s shop. Uncertain if he’d have another chance to return, he aimed to gather as much information as possible this time.

With Elder Ke leading the defection, the remaining disciples might sell the beasts from the mountain for profit—an opportunity Chen Luo couldn’t miss.

This perfectly aligned with the ethos of Divine Lake Immortal Sect: prioritizing gain above all else.

“Ah, brother, you’re finally here!”

As soon as he entered the shop, the owner rushed over, shouting excitedly.

“Remember how you asked me to keep an eye out for beast skeletons? Just three days ago, I received one—a skeleton from a Qi Refinement Realm deer monster.”

Chen Luo’s interest immediately spiked.

To his surprise, there was indeed a fortunate find! He could only commend his fellow brethren on the mountain for their work.

“I’ll take it,” Chen Luo declared without hesitation, tossing all his remaining spirit stones at the owner without even asking the price. After shopping around earlier, he had only about three hundred spirit stones left. In an instant, the earnings from half a year of crafting talismans were virtually depleted.

Clutching the bag of holding handed to him by the shopkeeper, Chen Luo swiftly turned and left.

“W-wait, that’s not enough!” The shop owner opened the bag, counted quickly, and panicked. He wanted to retrieve payment from Chen Luo but, upon looking up, found no trace of him.

“This damn fool! What a massive loss!”

With the unexpected acquisition of the deer monster bones, Chen Luo felt remarkably cheerful.

After strolling through the market, he arrived at the free-trade area.

Here, numerous small vendors displayed goods, mostly junk excavated from ruins—rusty magical swords, fragmented black jade slips, and the like. Most items were worthless, with occasional hidden gems, albeit exceedingly rare.

Chen Luo stopped at one particular stall.

It was run by a scruffy rogue cultivator who wasn’t selling items but rather purchasing them—specifically, medicinal pills for all levels within the Qi Refinement Realm.

“Give me your offer.”

Chen Luo took out two Vitality Nourishing Pills, one low-grade and one mid-grade, tossing them into the cultivator’s hands.

“Low-grade inferior Vitality Nourishing Pill, three spirit stones each. Mid-grade Vitality Nourishing Pill, ten spirit stones each.” The man examined the pills briefly before sniffing them.

Apparently, he knew his trade well.

“In total, there are two hundred pills. Pay up.”

Chen Luo emptied both gourds, pouring out the remaining medicinal pills altogether. Since these pills were not needed for his own use, it was convenient to sell them all at once.

The cultivator was taken aback, surprised by the quantity. He quickly straightened up and began meticulously counting.

After a short while, the middle-aged rogue cultivator finished tallying and produced a bag of holding.

“There are two hundred and six pills in total: one hundred twenty-eight low-grade inferior pills and seventy-eight mid-grade spirit pills.”

Realizing that Chen Luo might be an alchemist, the cultivator’s demeanor became exceptionally friendly.

“Altogether, one thousand one hundred and twenty-eight spirit stones. Please verify.”

“No need.” Chen Luo took the bag of holding without even checking and tucked it into his sleeve.

With this transaction complete, he prepared to leave. Considering the time, Doude and the others should have descended the mountain by now.

“If you acquire any new medicinal pills in the future, feel free to sell them to us as well.” As the middle-aged rogue cultivator spoke, he hastily retrieved a token from his robe and handed it to Chen Luo.

It was a token for the Rogue Cultivators’ Alliance.

Chen Luo glanced at it briefly, paid little attention, and stored the token in his bag of holding.

This middle-aged rogue cultivator wasn’t as simple as he appeared; being able to produce such a large number of spirit stones at once indicated considerable influence behind him. However, Chen Luo had no interest in probing further, nor did he care about their background.

It was merely a straightforward transaction: He sold medicinal pills, they provided spirit stones, nothing more.

“How come only the two of you?” Upon exiting the market, Chen Luo noticed that only Du Jian and Xie Shuang were present, while Doude and the other three hadn’t joined them.

“The Eldest Apprentice Brother and Junior Brothers Du Zhi went to the arcane realm,” Du Jian managed a strained smile, but the worry in his eyes could not be concealed.

By now, news of the situation within the arcane realm had spread rapidly throughout the entire sect.

Considering the information Chen Luo had shared with them, both understood the dire situation and held little hope for their three companions.

“Don’t worry too much; perhaps fortune will smile upon them,” Chen Luo reassured the two, knowing that under these circumstances, it wouldn’t be feasible to flee together.

“I hope so.” Du Jian responded briefly, falling silent afterward.

Unlike Xie Shuang and Chen Luo, Doude and the others were like blood brothers to Du Jian. The four of them had been raised together by their master, Daoist Heartflame, rarely ever parting since childhood.

“Elder Brother Chen, what realm have you reached now?” Xie Shuang suddenly asked, feeling somewhat unfamiliar with the Chen Luo standing before her.

It had been over a year since she last saw him, and the Elder Brother in front of her seemed different from the one she remembered, making her feel slightly uneasy.

“Qi Refinement Ninth Layer,” Chen Luo replied without hesitation. He would not forget the help Du Jian provided, nor could he overlook Xie Shuang’s care during their escape from the Yue Tomb, as she patiently waited for him to regain consciousness.

Upon hearing Chen Luo’s response, shock simultaneously appeared on the faces of both Xie Shuang and Du Jian.