Eternal Life from the Golden Needle Technique

Chapter 182: Chapter 179: Impoverished

’Going by how many elixirs I’m consuming, if I want to just brute-force my way through cultivation with them, the Spirit Stones required to get from the Seventh Layer to the Ninth Layer Peak would probably cost as much as several Soul Emergence Pills!’

’In this world, I doubt even one in a hundred people could actually afford to take this path!’

Faced with these expensive Elixirs,

Shen Changchuan couldn’t help but sigh to himself.

But then again,

it made sense.

After all, he had gone from the Qi Introduction Third Layer Peak to his current Eighth Layer Middle Stage

in only a single year.

In that time,

the Cultivation Elixirs he used had played a huge part.

Without the same fortuitous encounters Shen Changchuan had, like obtaining the Cyan Essence Purifying Spirit Pills, others might not have been able to progress so rapidly.

But with a sufficient supply of Cultivation Elixirs, advancing from the Third Layer Peak to the Seventh Layer Realm within a year was definitely possible!

In comparison,

someone cultivating without Elixirs might not achieve the same leap even after more than ten years of painstaking effort.

This just went to show the true value of Elixirs!

The price of Elixirs was so high

for a reason.

”I’ll take eight Purple Gold Pills, then.”

Shen Changchuan said, weighing his options and enduring the ache in his heart.

In the end, he had chosen the most expensive Elixir, which was also the most effective.

’There was no other choice.’

’Because frequently taking Elixirs led to an accumulation of Elixir Poison, a more potent Elixir meant he would have to take it less often, resulting in less buildup...’

’For that, he was willing to spend every last Spirit Stone in his pocket.’

’A problem that could be solved with Spirit Stones wasn’t a real problem.’

’Besides, as long as he grew stronger,’

’finding more Spirit Stones wouldn’t be too much of an issue.’

Leaving the Ten Thousand Spirits Pavilion with eight Purple Gold Pills,

Shen Changchuan’s recently accumulated Spirit Stones were all gone.

Wiped clean, so to speak.

And even if he consumed all eight Purple Gold Pills as quickly as possible, it might not be enough to raise his Cultivation to the Eighth Layer Peak.

At the same time,

the cost of using Elixirs to accelerate the breakthrough from the Eighth Layer Peak to the Ninth Layer Realm would probably be even more terrifying!

’Difficult.’

’So difficult!’

’Where could he get his hands on a large amount of Spirit Stones?’

’He had originally thought he was quite wealthy compared to others.’

’But after falling into the money pit that was Elixirs, he realized just how poor he truly was...’

Troubled by his lack of Spirit Stones,

Shen Changchuan rested for a day at an inn in Qing City.

「The next day.」

The head steward of the trade team sent a message:

the caravan was ready to depart.

Shen Changchuan stopped overthinking, pushed the thoughts from his mind, and set out directly for the caravan’s meeting point.

He could see that

this time, the caravan was more than double the size of the last one.

’Was it because I showed sufficient strength as an escort last time,’

’so they’re no longer worried about losses and have increased their cargo as much as possible?’

’Or is it because business in Dawan Village is so good’

’that they had no choice but to increase the number of goods?’

The thought flashed through Shen Changchuan’s mind,

but he didn’t dwell on it.

He walked straight into the luxurious carriage the caravan steward had arranged for him.

A look of delight appeared on the face of the United Trade Team’s head steward.

With a grand wave of his hand,

the caravan rumbled out of Qing City and headed toward Dawan Village.

...

「Tian Nan City.」

Deep within the magnificent Shen Family Mansion,

CRASH!

As the sound of a teacup smashing violently against the floor echoed, a shrill, acrimonious voice rang through the main hall:

”You useless bunch of good-for-nothings! It’s been a whole year and you still haven’t caught that little bastard born from a lowly bitch!”

”Do you all think that just because I’ve lost my backing from my maternal family, you can walk all over me?!”

”Let me tell you, even if I’ve fallen from grace, I can still crush your so-called Shen Family with a single finger!”

”Are you good-for-nothings covering for that little bastard?! Are you looking to die?!”

Sitting on the main seat, a woman dressed in a gorgeous brocade robe with her hair in a high chignon and eyebrows as fine as willow leaves was throwing a tantrum at the several people kneeling before her.

Her rage was so great

that her voice had become incredibly shrill, just like a common shrew on the street.

”Great Madam, please calm your anger.”

”It is not that we have been idle. It’s just that the little brat is too cunning, and his tracks are extremely difficult to find.”

”Furthermore, the boy is very strange. One time, we had clearly set a trap and surrounded him, but somehow, the brat used some unknown technique. His Cultivation, which was merely at the Qi Introduction Fourth Layer Realm, suddenly surged to Half-step Soul Emergence... We lost several skilled men, and we ourselves almost died there.”

”It’s truly not for our lack of effort. The boy is just too bizarre!”

The men kneeling on the floor exchanged glances before the one in the lead explained helplessly.

”Don’t give me this nonsense!”

”A group of Qi Introduction Ninth Layer cultivators can’t even catch one at the Qi Introduction Fourth Layer? That’s the biggest joke I’ve ever heard!”

”I don’t care what methods you use! If I don’t see that little bastard’s head within one month, you can all wait for death!”

”Get out!”

”Get as far away from me as possible!”

The woman shrieked, sweeping the tea set from the adjacent table onto the floor.

She was venting her monstrous rage.

Several figures retreated in a sorry state.

”This Great Madam, how can she be so...”

”Sigh, what can you do? She was born into nobility. Probably never taught any manners and has no moral character.”

”Nobility, my ass. If she were truly capable, why would she have had to marry down to our Clan Leader here from the Central State?”

”Heh, I heard she was originally the Legitimate Daughter of an Immortal Cultivation Clan in the Central State. Her mother was the main wife, but unfortunately, she was narrow-minded and killed a concubine. Who would have thought that after many years of wandering, that concubine’s own son would return after achieving great success in Immortal Cultivation? The clan sentenced her mother to death, and she herself was exiled from the Central State, ending up in a remote place like our Tian Nan Domain...”

”No wonder she’s so harsh toward that illegitimate son, Shen Chong... no, toward all illegitimate sons. The Clan Leader really has it rough.”

”Forget it. This is the Clan Leader’s family business; what’s it to us? We should focus on figuring out how to find that Shen Chong quickly. You all saw how the Great Madam was. She’s probably at her limit. If we don’t catch him, I’m afraid something terrible will happen to us.”

”Does anyone have any clues? Let’s share them and discuss.”

”I got word that the boy was spotted in the Border Desolate Forest.”

”The Border Desolate Forest? You mean that stretch of wilderness south of Qing City?”

”That’s the one. Not long ago, there was a rumor that a local power, the Wu Clan, had taken control of some kind of Spiritual Land that produces Cyan Essence Water Grass. The whole situation is a chaotic mess, and it seems that Shen Chong kid has gotten himself involved.”

”If that’s the case, let’s head over there to search...”