Chapter 107: Yang Shen Dan

Chapter 107: Yang Shen Dan

Upon witnessing this, Gu Xiaoqing couldn't help but look at Chu Ning in surprise.

Chu Ning explained, "Senior Sister Gu, I obtained quite a few pills from the storage bags of those Yin Demon Sect members yesterday. I couldn't identify them all at once, so I wanted to ask for your help in appraising them."

Hearing this, Gu Xiaoqing finally understood.

"Let me take a look, but I may not recognize all of them," she said as she picked up one of the bottles and poured out a pill. "This is a common Hui Yuan Dan."

Chu Ning nodded. He had actually taken it out to examine it yesterday and thought so too. However, there were many pills with similar shapes and colors, and he wasn't entirely sure.

"This is a Jing Xin Dan. Some cultivators practice unique techniques, and if they cultivate too hastily or improperly, it can easily lead to loss of emotional control. In severe cases, it may even cause backlash. This Jing Xin Dan is used to regulate their mental state."

"This is a Ju Qi Dan, which has similar effects to the Ju Yuan Dan..."

Gu Xiaoqing held the bottles one by one and started identifying and explaining the pills to Chu Ning.

Then, she took out some paper tags and labeled each bottle accordingly.

Most of the pills were identified, but there were two types that Gu Xiaoqing set aside.

It wasn't until later that she picked up the two bottles again.

"These two types of pills are intriguing. One of them, I'm completely unfamiliar with. The dense bloodthirsty aura suggests it might be a specialized pill for those cultivating certain nefarious techniques."

Gu Xiaoqing put down one bottle and picked up the last one, hesitating slightly before speaking, "This pill here resembles one I've seen before in the possession of my master. It's called the Yang Shen Dan, but as I haven't encountered it often, I can't be entirely sure."

Hearing Gu Xiaoqing's words, Chu Ning's eyes flickered.

The two pills in this bottle had been set aside by him separately.

Within was the Yang Shen Dan he had obtained from Qi Chongmao.

Previously, Chu Ning hadn't found a suitable opportunity to have them appraised, but now with so many pills together, he had taken a few out discreetly.

At this moment, hearing Gu Xiaoqing's identification as Yang Shen Dan, Chu Ning hurriedly asked, "Senior Sister Gu, what is the Yang Shen Dan used for? It sounds like it has something to do with spiritual sense."

Gu Xiaoqing nodded, "Indeed. The Yang Shen Dan is said to be a commonly prepared pill for Foundation Establishment cultivators. It's similar to the Hui Yuan Dan used by us Qi Refining cultivators, mainly for restoring spiritual sense consumption. I've also heard that it has some effect on repairing spiritual sense damage."

Chu Ning nodded slightly, as this information was more or less what he had expected. Now, he finally had confirmation.

After a moment's thought, Chu Ning hesitantly asked Gu Xiaoqing, "I seem to recall that this bottle was indeed labeled as containing Yang Shen Dan. Senior Sister Gu, is there anything unusual about this pill?"

Gu Xiaoqing poured out a pill and examined it for a long while before carefully smelling it and then returning it to the bottle. "In that case, there's no doubt that this pill is indeed the Yang Shen Dan, and there doesn't seem to be anything amiss with it."

Seeing this, Chu Ning finally relaxed.

He picked up the bottle containing the two Yang Shen Dan and the one with the Ju Qi Dan. After some thought, he also took the bottle containing the other pill that Gu Xiaoqing didn't recognize, the one purportedly containing a large amount of bloodthirsty aura.

Then, Chu Ning turned to Gu Xiaoqing and said, "Senior Sister Gu, I won't be using the rest of these pills for now. Why don't you keep them with you and see if there's an opportunity to sell them? Or, if we ever return to the sect, could you help me hand them over to the sect for recycling?"

"Sure, leave these pills to me, and I'll handle their disposal. I'll give you the appropriate amount of spirit stones later," Gu Xiaoqing readily agreed.

Chu Ning chatted with her a little longer before returning to his shop.

He spent the day refining talismans and cultivating in his courtyard.

As for the spirit fields, he didn't dare go there for the time being. He decided to wait until the sect completed a larger-scale sweep before revisiting them.

Fortunately, with both types of spirit plants already harvested, there wasn't anything urgent happening at the fields.

On the other hand, the talisman market hadn't been significantly affected.

The Yin Demon Sect hadn't taken action against the loose cultivators or the cultivator families, so they remained unaware of the recent events.

Moreover, just as everyone had sensed before, there was an increase in low-level and high-level rank one magical beasts in the mountain range.

Consequently, more loose cultivators and cultivator family members had indeed entered the mountains to hunt beasts lately, just as they had anticipated.

So, the sales of talismans the next day were quite good.

In the afternoon, just before the market closed, Chu Ning and the others received a sound transmission talisman from Lin Changqing.

After reporting their encounter with the Yin Demon Sect disciples a couple of days ago, the sect acknowledged their contribution.

Therefore, they agreed to Lin Changqing's suggestion to compensate for the group's losses.

They asked everyone to prepare and return to the sect in half a quarter of an hour.

Receiving this news, Chu Ning was undoubtedly overjoyed.

He returned to his courtyard and started packing his belongings.

In his Qingxi Spirit Plant Store courtyard, he had planted numerous spirit plants that he had acquired over time, and now he could finally bring them all back to the sect.

He could submit them to the Spirit Plant House and offset some of his monthly contributions.

Of course, he also packed everything he had obtained from the Yin Demon Sect members.

In addition, although Chu Ning hadn't drawn any elementary high-grade talismans in the past few days, he had focused on drawing a considerable number of elementary medium-grade talismans.

He intended to turn these talismans over to the sect for recycling as well, hoping to exchange them for something useful.

Half a quarter of an hour later, Lin Changqing arrived at the market on time and picked up the group.

After several months away, the group finally stepped through the mountain gate once again.

"You guys head to your respective peaks first. Tomorrow morning, go to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to receive your rewards. Your losses and contributions have already been reported to the sect," Lin Changqing said before hurrying off.

The rest of the group wore similar expressions.

Only Chu Ning felt a twinge of melancholy.

He had yet to figure out where he would stay for the night.

Previously, it had been mentioned that arrangements would be made for him to stay in a courtyard outside the sect, but before that could be finalized, he was sent off to Yanjifang.

As for the courtyard on Ding District's side, he had already vacated it, and it was likely reassigned to someone else.

After some thought, Chu Ning decided to look for He Changyou first. If he couldn't find him, then he would seek out Liao Yunming.

It would be a good opportunity to speak with these two stewards regarding certain matters.

The group bid farewell outside the sect, and while it was still early, Chu Ning quickened his steps towards the Lingzhi Hall's training grounds.

Upon arriving, he discovered that He Changyou was nowhere to be found.

He asked one of the senior brothers from Lingzhi Hall, but even he didn't know where He Changyou had gone.

As a steward, He Changyou resided within the inner sect's premises, an area that Chu Ning had no qualifications to access, making it impossible for him to locate his residence.

Left with no other choice, Chu Ning headed straight for the Spirit Talisman Pavilion.

However, to his surprise, Liao Yunming was also absent.

Even Tan Zhangtan, the senior brother whom Chu Ning was familiar with, was nowhere to be seen.

There was only another senior brother whom Chu Ning didn't know well, and he couldn't very well ask him for accommodations.

There was no point in seeking out Zhuang Yunde or Mu Ling, so after some contemplation, Chu Ning turned around and made his way back to the Lingzhi Hall's Ding District.

It had been a while since he last saw Qiu Shuny, so he decided to spend the night there.

As Chu Ning made his way to Qiu Shuny's residence, in a courtyard filled with spirit plants of obvious high grades within the inner sect...

Liao Yunming and He Changyou sat across from each other, sipping on spirit tea.

"Old He, why bother with all these flowers and plants? It would be better to have more of this spirit tea.

I could come here every day to relax and soothe my heart."

He Changyou glanced at Liao Yunming and chuckled, "I know now where that kid gets his habit of asking for favors. He must have learned it from you.

Back when he was in Lingzhi Hall, he used to be so honest."

Liao Yunming scoffed, "He's honest, but he also knows how to take advantage when there are benefits involved.

Before he went to Yanjifang last time, he came to us asking for favors, and this time, since he's suffered some losses, he'll definitely come crying to us."

He Changyou nodded, "That's for sure. If the sect doesn't compensate or reward him, it's fine, but as his mentors, we should take care of him.

However, if the sect does compensate and reward him, and we still have to take out our own spirit stones, that's unacceptable."

Liao Yunming nodded vigorously in agreement, "Exactly. After the sect rewards him, if he comes to us again, we can easily turn him down.

To be honest, I regret being too generous to him in the beginning, spoiling him with too many favors..."

...

Of course, Chu Ning was unaware of what was happening within the inner sect.

How could he know that these two steward elders were deliberately avoiding him?

At that moment, Chu Ning arrived at Qiu Shuny's residence in the Ding District of Lingzhi Hall.

He called out, but Qiu Shuny wasn't there.

"That kid is so diligent; he's still in the spirit fields even at this hour?"

Chu Ning thought to himself as he made his way towards Qiu Shuny's spirit field.

It was the season for harvesting Chiling Rice, and as Chu Ning walked, he spotted Qiu Shuny from a distance.

Qiu Shuny stood with his back to him, facing an older servant disciple. They seemed to be engaged in a heated argument.

Chu Ning quickened his pace and drew closer, his spiritual sense keen enough to pick up their conversation without deliberately extending it.

First, he heard Qiu Shuny's angry voice.

"Senior Brother Chen, this spirit field is mine, and I planted the Chiling Rice. Why should I give you a share?"

"Although this spirit field belongs to you, I made a mistake with my spellcasting, which benefited your Chiling Rice.

Since my spellcasting helped improve the yield and quality of your Chiling Rice, isn't it reasonable for you to share some with me?"

The man spoke slowly, but his tone carried an air of indisputability.

"Nonsense!"

Qiu Shuny must have been arguing with him for a while, as he finally lost his temper and shouted.

"How many times do I have to tell you? The reason these Chiling Rice plants are doing so well is that I used Longqing Fu given to me by a friend."

The servant disciple named Chen sneered, "You, a servant disciple? Where did you get a friend who could give you Longqing Fu? And not just any, but enough to cover such a large area..."

Some people in the Ding District knew that Chu Ning had moved from the Ding District to the Bing District and then directly to the Spirit Talisman Pavilion as an outer sect disciple.

But those who didn't pay much attention might not be aware of this.

In fact, if Chu Ning hadn't told Qiu Shuny himself before he left, even Qiu Shuny might not have known.

Chu Ning now understood the situation.

The two disciples' spirit fields were adjacent, and before he left, he had given Qiu Shuny some Longqing Fu to enhance the quality of his Chiling Rice.

As a result, the yield and quality of this particular patch of Chiling Rice were superior.

However, Senior Brother Chen was using this as an excuse, claiming that it was due to his misfired spell.

Chu Ning frowned slightly and shook his head inwardly.

"This is one downside of the lower-grade spirit fields in the Ding District. There's only a ridge separating the fields, with no separate restrictions in place."

At that moment, the standoff between the two continued, and the older servant disciple, Senior Brother Chen, said in a slow, cold tone, "Also, kid, watch your mouth, or I'll teach you a lesson."

Being older and already at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, Senior Brother Chen was two cultivation levels above Qiu Shuny.

In response, Chu Ning casually pointed a finger, using the same technique to move the rice back to its original place.

Simultaneously, he appeared in the field.

"Chu Ning?"

Hearing this voice filled with delight, Chu Ning turned to see Qiu Shuny, who had finally noticed his presence.

The disciple named Chen was taken aback for a moment, but upon recognizing Chu Ning, his expression changed drastically.

"An outer sect disciple?"

Although the sect robes of the Qingxi Sect were all green, there were distinct differences between the outer sect disciples' robes and those of the servant disciples.

Thus, Chen easily identified Chu Ning's status.

Hearing the two voices, Chu Ning first nodded towards Qiu Shuny and then turned his gaze towards the Chen disciple.

"The talismans that Shuny used were given by me. Don't you think I'm incapable of doing that?" Chu Ning said.

At these words, the Chen disciple's face turned awkward, and he quickly bowed and cupped his fists in greeting. "Apologies, Outer Sect Senior Brother. This was just a misunderstanding. If Junior Brother Shuny had mentioned that he knew you earlier, I..."

"Swish!"

Before he could finish his sentence, a green light flashed by, and a strand of Chen's hair fell to the ground.

This display caused cold sweat to break out on Chen's forehead.

Although Chu Ning's cultivation level didn't seem much higher than his, this single move made it clear that they were not on the same level.

"Consider this a warning. If there's a next time..." Chu Ning said.

"No! No! There definitely won't be a next time!" Chen quickly assured.

Chu Ning paid him no heed and turned to Qiu Shuny. "Shuny, gather your things, and let's go."

"Okay!" Qiu Shuny eagerly picked up the Chiling Rice, delighted.

However, Chu Ning took out a storage bag and casually swept all the rice into it. With a stride, he began walking out of the spirit field.

Qiu Shuny, beaming with joy, followed closely behind.

"This guy actually knows an outer sect disciple." Chen disciple, seeing their departing backs, heaved a sigh of relief. His face was filled with a mix of emotions.

"When did you get back, Chu Ning?" Qiu Shuny asked excitedly.

"Haha, it felt so good just now. Did you see that guy's expression? It really made my day," Chu Ning replied.

"..."

As they walked, Qiu Shuny couldn't stop chattering.

Chu Ning casually explained that the sect had asked him to return and report on the situation in the market, omitting any mention of the Yin Demon Sect's attack.

Such matters were too distant and held little significance for Qiu Shuny.

From Qiu Shuny's words, Chu Ning learned that this Chen disciple had been oppressing him for a long time, taking advantage of his earlier entry into the sect and higher cultivation level.

Thus, Qiu Shuny was thrilled that Chu Ning had stepped in to intimidate the other disciple.

Chu Ning smiled at Qiu Shuny's enthusiasm.

In the Qingxi Sect, a fourth-layer Qi Refining servant disciple from the Ding District was among the lowest in status.

However, it was often those in such positions who developed twisted personalities.

The previous servant disciple, Cao Dongxin, was a prime example.

When such individuals decided to bully others, it could indeed make life miserable.

This Chen disciple, who had lingered in this position for years, likely had little talent or resources. Chu Ning's casual warning served as a timely reminder.

The two returned to Qiu Shuny's courtyard, and Qiu Shuny, upon hearing that Chu Ning would be staying the night, began bustling about, preparing a meal.

He cooked spirit rice and made three to four dishes.

Chu Ning didn't stop him and waited until after dinner to hand over a storage bag to Qiu Shuny.

Qiu Shuny was taken aback for a moment, not quite understanding.

"Shuny, I've been in the secular world recently, and the sect gave me some storage bags. I have a few extra now, so I'll give this one to you.

Your Chiling Rice is in this bag, along with some pills and talismans I added..." Chu Ning explained, seeing the flush on Qiu Shuny's face.

"In the cultivation world, strength is paramount if you don't want to be bullied.

I've been lucky to earn some spirit stones through crafting talismans, but these items are of little use to me at the moment.

If you feel awkward about it, consider it a loan.

Improving your cultivation and accessing higher-level spirit fields will grant you more resources. Taking that step ahead of others could put you several steps ahead in the long run." Chu Ning advised.

Hearing these words, Qiu Shuny nodded vigorously.

He then took the storage bag, clutching it tightly in his hand, and expressed his gratitude. "Chu Ning, you're right. I'll borrow these from you, and I promise to return them to you in the future."

Chu Ning smiled and nodded in response.

He didn't expect Qiu Shuny to return them anytime soon, as these items weren't of much use to him either.

He had an abundance of storage bags, and crafting a Longqing Fu talisman was as simple as a few quick strokes.

As for the pills, they were the bottle of Ju Qi Dan that he had kept from before, which he had tested the previous day.

The pills had effects similar to the Ju Yuan Dan and weren't particularly useful to him.

However, these resources could potentially change Qiu Shuny's destiny.

Qiu Shuny had treated him well in the past, and Chu Ning acknowledged that debt.

But that was the extent of his involvement; he couldn't do much more to help at the moment.

In the cultivation world, one's path ultimately depended on oneself.

After spending the night at Qiu Shuny's courtyard, Chu Ning headed straight for the Outer Sect Hundred Treasures Pavilion the next morning.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end