Chapter 425: Chapter 203: Crossing the Sea by Deceit: Arriving at Hundred Herbs City

By offering generous discounts, they indirectly controlled the output of the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm.

This method indeed allowed them to avoid some unseen curse.

Over time, it gradually developed into a regular, grand event.

Every time the Hundred Herbs Secret Realm opened, it attracted countless cultivators who came to try their luck.

After all, for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, finding a single Tier Three Spirit Medicine was like striking it rich.

And if they managed to find a Tier Four Spirit Medicine, they would become rich overnight.

This, in turn, allowed Hundred Herbs City to earn a significant amount of extra Spirit Stones by selling various books and tools for collecting and preserving Spirit Grass.

When Xiao Chen arrived on Hundred Herbs Island, a number of cultivators had already gathered, having come early to prepare for the event.

This was especially true for Qi Refining cultivators from more distant islands within the Nanlao Sea.

They had arrived extra early and built their own small huts to live in within the designated areas.

The inns within the city were too expensive for them, charging one Spirit Stone per night.

For Golden Core True Men, Hundred Herbs Island had even constructed a series of independent cave abodes.

However, to maintain a low profile, Xiao Chen chose to stay in a city inn, pretending to be a Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator.

In a way, he really was half a Loose Cultivator now.

The Li Huo Sect was far away in the Southern Domain and could offer him almost no help.

Unless he happened to run into Daoist Feihong in the Eastern Domain, he might be able to use his Sect Token to connect with a fellow member.

But the Eastern Domain was vast, and since the two had never met, the chances of them happening to meet and recognize each other were incredibly low.

’I should focus on my cultivation for the time being.’

Xiao Chen did a quick calculation. There was still nearly half a year until the Secret Realm opened.

Come to think of it, he had barely had a chance to focus on his cultivation since breaking through to the Golden Core realm.

First, he had to find a Cultivation Technique. Then he dealt with the Azure Flame Sect, followed by resolving the Demonic Calamity. And finally, he had been preoccupied with the Purple Crystal Bodhi, worried he would run out of time.

While he hadn’t been incredibly busy, he had spent most of his time traveling, with little opportunity to cultivate properly.

Since his period of Opting Out had ended, this was perhaps the longest break from cultivation he had ever taken.

’It’s been so long since I’ve cultivated. I’m a bit rusty.’

After sitting cross-legged and performing a few Grand Circulations, Xiao Chen found that he was still having trouble settling in.

It was true what they said: practice makes perfect.

He had grown lazy after just a few months without practice.

In less than an hour, he was already feeling restless, fighting the urge to go outside for a walk, enjoy the breeze, and take in the scenery.

Fortunately, Xiao Chen’s cultivation speed was now astonishingly fast. He persisted for a little while longer and soon felt the faint signs of True Essence beginning to gather.

Thanks to this immediate feedback, he was finally able to focus his mind and begin condensing his True Essence in earnest.

Before he knew it, two days had flown by, and he had added another wisp of True Essence to his Golden Core.

He had to admit, cultivating here was far more pleasant.

For one thing, the Spiritual Qi in the Eastern Domain was generally richer than in the Southern Domain.

Especially on Hundred Herbs Island, which had a Tier Four Spirit Vein, the Spiritual Qi was exceptionally dense.

For another, Xiao Chen was staying in Courtyard A, located at the back of the inn.

While it wasn’t as luxurious as a cave abode, which would occupy a large, separate area...

...it was still spacious with multiple rooms, and the main chamber was even equipped with a Spirit Gathering Array to help concentrate the Spiritual Qi.

At least while cultivating here, he didn’t run into the kind of Spiritual Qi shortage he had once experienced in the Scripture Pavilion.

After all, he consumed a hundred times the normal amount of Spiritual Qi.

When cultivating in the Southern Domain, he had to rely on consuming Spiritual Objects to supplement his practice; otherwise, his efficiency would be severely hampered.

Here, however, he could conserve his Spiritual Objects, which was equivalent to saving the large sum of money he would have spent to purchase them.

Even though Courtyard A cost as much as ten Spirit Stones a day...

...it still reduced his cultivation costs by about ninety percent. After all, a single bottle of ordinary Tier Two Spiritual Liquid cost over a hundred Spirit Stones.

This also showed that the higher overall skill level of Eastern Domain Cultivators was inextricably linked to the environment here.

He buried his head in cultivation for several dozen days straight.

Just as Xiao Chen was getting back into the rhythm of cultivation...

...early one morning, the sound of beating gongs and drums drifted in from outside.

An endless clamor of various noises followed, making it clear that this was no ordinary day.

Although a cultivator could use Magical Power to block out the noise, Xiao Chen thought for a moment and decided to go out for some fresh air anyway.

For one thing, he had been cultivating for a long time already.

For another, as a Loose Cultivator, he knew next to nothing about Hundred Herbs Island.

He figured he might as well use this lively day to go for a walk and gather some information at the same time.

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