Chapter 29: Buy One, Get One Free

Chapter 29: Buy One, Get One Free (Please Support the Serial!)

For the second half of the celebration banquet, the rest of the guests at the Second Sub-Academy's table remained trapped in an awkward silence.

Only Xiao Chen and Ye Fei continued devouring their meals with unshakable focus, as if nothing unusual had occurred.

After the feast had run its course, Steward Chen conveniently excused himself, leaving the remaining guests to disperse freely.

An impromptu trading fair followed later that evening. At Jiang Si Xuan's invitation, Ye Fei chose to stay.

Xiao Chen, however, had no interest. He returned directly to the Second Sub-Academy to resume his cultivation.

From Li Sibao's uncharacteristic behavior today, Xiao Chen had sensed an inexplicable but unmistakable hostility.

Especially that venomous glare before Li Sibao left - it practically screamed this matter wouldn't end here.

"What did I ever do to him? This makes no sense!"

By heaven and earth, before today, Xiao Chen and Li Sibao weren't even acquaintances. At most, they'd exchanged polite greetings three times total, including their disguised encounter in the valley.

When things turn abnormal, there's always a hidden cause. Li Sibao definitely had ulterior motives.

Unfortunately, Xiao Chen currently lacked the means to investigate the truth.

Fortunately, he'd already reached the threshold of Qi Condensation Stage 7. Just one final push remained for breakthrough.

"Time to focus on cultivation first."

At any time, strengthening one's power remained the top priority. With sufficient strength, he could handle any crisis.

Xiao Chen sat cross-legged in meditation, clearing his mind as he immersed himself in cultivation.

The next morning, after a full night of continuous practice, a dewdrop clung to Xiao Chen's brow.

Autumn had arrived, the air turning crisp, yet he remained oblivious.

As the first rays of dawn pierced the horizon, purple qi rose.

Xiao Chen's eyes snapped open, his face flushed crimson. White vapor erupted from his body in thick waves.

"Success! Worth every sleepless hour."

Feeling the surging mana within, Xiao Chen's face lit with joy. He'd successfully broken through to Qi Condensation Stage 7, entering the Late Qi Condensation Stage.

Suddenly, three golden cards materialized before him, displaying three choices:

Bitter Before Sweet: Sacrifice 50 years of lifespan to obtain four random magical artifacts.

Meditation I: Gain one mana every quarter-hour when carrying no magical artifacts.

Buy One, Get One Free: Receive an identical pill for each batch successfully refined.

"Huh?"

Seeing the first hex, Xiao Chen rubbed his eyes, thinking sleep deprivation had caused hallucinations.

"Who in the heavens designed this 'Bitter Before Sweet' hex? At my cultivation speed, who cares about a few magical artifacts fifty years from now?"

Considering his current progress, breaking through Foundation Building within five years seemed achievable. So the first option was out.

The second hex, Meditation, appeared powerful.

Though restricted, he could simply store artifacts away when needed.

The only issue - he already had Featherweight Class, making mana recovery sufficient. Choosing this would be wasteful.

The third hex, Buy One, Get One Free, clearly catered to pill refiners.

Though potent, Xiao Chen currently lacked pill refining skills.

After becoming an Inner Sect disciple, he could choose one of the Hundred Arts of Cultivation to master.

Among the four most popular arts—Pill, Forging, Talisman, and Formation—Formation had the highest barriers to entry, requiring immense resources and time. Out.

Pill and Forging held similar status, but this hex only benefited Pill and Talisman arts. Forging was out.

Remembering the Outer Sect Trials, he'd seen Inner Sect seniors easily earning Spirit Stones selling Talismans. He'd considered learning Talisman Crafting himself.

Talisman Crafting's advantages were low cost and easy mastery, making it the most accessible of the four arts. Talismans, as consumables, had massive market demand for most Qi Condensation cultivators.

But its accessibility bred fierce competition, driving profit margins razor-thin. Worse, talismans had expiration dates, forcing buyers to purchase only when needed.

If choosing Talisman Crafting, Meditation would be ideal. Each talisman creation, successful or not, consumed mana. Lower realm cultivators quickly exhausted their reserves.

Meditation allowed repeated practice, offering advantages for both skill development and sales. It significantly raised Talisman Crafting's baseline.

Conversely, Buy One, Get One Free paired with Pill Refining offered far greater potential.

Pill Refiners represented the most lucrative profession. A qualified First-Rank Alchemist could earn multiples of a Talisman Master's wealth.

However, the barriers were equally steep.

Ordinary cultivators first faced the issue of accessing pill legacies, all prohibitively expensive.

Thankfully, as an Inner Sect disciple, Xiao Chen could claim a pill manual for free.

Still, the learning costs remained astronomical.

Every pill refiner's skill came from countless wasted pills. Before mastering a formula, cultivators burned through Spirit Stones like firewood.

Most couldn't afford this, turning to alternatives like Talisman Crafting.

Xiao Chen, however, had accumulated substantial Spirit Stones during trials. With Buy One, Get One Free, he could produce more pills faster, dramatically reducing recovery costs.

Pill Refining had another drawback - the time investment.

Refining required continuous hours tending the pill furnace, adding herbs, adjusting spirit flames, and applying secret techniques. Higher-grade pills demanded even longer durations.

Plus, extensive study of various formulas consumed more time.

Many pill refiners, while contributing greatly to sects or families, sacrificed their own cultivation time. Though spirit pills could advance cultivation, they caused magical technique deficiencies, leaving them vulnerable in duels.

Though respected, their power often lagged.

Coincidentally, Xiao Chen had Featherweight Class. Against peers, he might not be invincible, but he'd never be defeated.

"In this case, I can overcome all three major pill refiner challenges."

"What else can explain this innate Pill Forging Saint Body?"

Xiao Chen sighed, decisively choosing 'Buy One, Get One Free'.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end