Shopkeeper Ding was astonished: "You want to use the Explosive Spirit Pill to break through?"
"I'm sixty-one years old this year. If I don't try now, I'm afraid I won't even have the chance to try in the future!" Shen Xuan said sadly.
His appearance looked like a worldly thirty-year-old, in the prime of his life.
But once you're over sixty, your vitality starts turning into decline.
So, in the Cultivation Realm, sixty is the dividing line.
Cultivators with strength usually choose to establish their foundation before sixty.
As for someone like Shen Xuan, stuck at Qi Cultivation Third Layer, unable to break through to the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation, this is the fate of most lower-level Loose Cultivators.
"Fellow Daoist Shen, you must think it over. Although the Explosive Spirit Pill is a Rank-Breaking Spirit Pill, it squeezes the cultivator's potential, damages the Dao Foundation, and leaves endless troubles. A wise person wouldn't do it!" Shopkeeper Chen kindly advised.
In his view, Shen Xuan was close to the strength of a Middle Grade Talisman Master.
After deducting the talisman-making materials, he could earn more than ten spirit stones a month, which was already a good life.
He even considered whether to introduce a female cultivator from his clan to marry him.
After all, a cultivator with no worries about food and clothing who earns over a hundred spirit stones a year is rare in Cyan Dragon Bay.
What has delayed his decision to suggest to the family is considering Shen Xuan's age.
Sixty-one years old!
The achievements are limited, can only stop here.
Fortunately, cultivators have a long lifespan.
Shopkeeper Ding estimated that Shen Xuan, who never fought with anyone, had an intact Dao Foundation and could live to at least one hundred and twenty years old.
Such a long life allows one to accumulate a considerable fortune.
"Cultivators defy the heavens with their practice. I'm already sixty-one; if not now, then when!"
"Shopkeeper Ding, don't try to persuade me anymore. I just want to ask you, do you have any Explosive Spirit Pills?"
Shen Xuan put on a look of heroic enthusiasm.
Seeing that Shen Xuan wouldn't listen, Shopkeeper Ding could only sigh.
"Yes, there are. Each costs fifty spirit stones. How many does Fellow Daoist Shen want?"
"So expensive?"
"Rank-Breaking Spirit Pills have always been this expensive. Explosive Spirit Pills are the cheapest, followed by the Impact Origin Pill at three hundred spirit stones, and the Foundation Establishment Pill costing tens of thousands of spirit stones!"
Shen Xuan knew Shopkeeper Ding wasn't lying.
Despite all the drawbacks.
As long as it's a Rank-Breaking Spirit Pill beneficial for breaking through barriers, it has always been valuable.
"Can it be any cheaper?"
"For the sake of our old friendship, forty-eight spirit stones, no less!"
"Alright, just one!"
In front of Shopkeeper Ding, Shen Xuan opened his storage pouch, cleared out the spirit stones inside, leaving only three.
"Sigh, bankrupt!"
Shen Xuan cautiously accepted the medicine bottle from Shopkeeper Ding.
Opening it, he sniffed it, and the fragrance of the medicine was overwhelming.
"Rest assured, our Ding family shop never sells fake goods. This is a product of Cyan Cloud Sect."
"I know. Thank you, Shopkeeper Ding."
Spirit Pills, unlike other spiritual objects, cannot have any falsehood, otherwise, the effects would be greatly reduced, or even backfire on the cultivator.
Shen Xuan would rather buy at a high price from the Ding family shop than risk buying randomly at the market.
Spirit Pills at the market are twenty to thirty percent cheaper than at the Ding family shop.
But the quality cannot be guaranteed.
After leaving the shop, Shopkeeper Ding looked at Shen Xuan's back with a sigh.
A man in his sixties, still unyielding, risking a forced breakthrough.
He believed Shen Xuan's hope to break through to the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation was very faint.
Someone like Shen Xuan, an ascetic stuck in the Early Stage of Qi Cultivation, his spirit root quality worrying, possibly an inferior spirit root.
Even a lower-grade spirit root should have broken through to the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation by now.
As for an inferior spirit root, even with Explosive Spirit Pills, the probability of breakthrough is only twenty percent.
Moreover, Shen Xuan is old, his vitality declining.
He hoped that after Shen Xuan's breakthrough failure, he wouldn't suffer too heavy a backlash and could maintain his current cultivation realm.
After all, transactions with Shen Xuan would bring five or six spirit stones in profit each month to the Ding family shop.
The sigh from the Ding family shop, Shen Xuan did not hear.
"So expensive!"
He was still brooding over the price of the Explosive Spirit Pill.
Fortunately, it's a product of Cyan Cloud Sect, with a related certification.
Otherwise, he won't know how to unload it in the future.
Returning home.
Shen Xuan told Ding Yuyao and began his secluded cultivation.
"Having lived in Cyan Dragon Bay for over forty years, if I suddenly break through to the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation, it will surely attract attention."
"Therefore, even with the excuse of the Explosive Spirit Pill, I must be cautious."
At this time, the Concealing Breath Technique can be of great use.
Also, the Invisibility Technique is very useful, whether in magical combat or fleeing.
Like the Concealing Breath Technique, the Invisibility Technique doesn't consume much spiritual power, is long-lasting, and has a strong effect, far superior to premium Invisibility Talismans.
Shen Xuan cultivated the Divine Hidden Sea Technique while improving the skill level of the Concealing Breath Technique and Invisibility Technique.
In more than a year, he earned over one hundred thirty spirit stones from the Ding family shop openly.
Secretly, disguising himself to sell ordinary Concealing Breath Talismans, Invisibility Talismans, he earned over seventy spirit stones.
Every month he spends over ten spirit stones on purchasing Profound Water Turtles and Silver Jade Fish, plus twelve spirit stones annually for the rent, along with the food expenses for him and Ding Yuyao.
So, few spirit stones remain.
After buying the Explosive Spirit Pill, only three spirit stones were left.
However, Shen Xuan was not worried.
In his storage pouch, he had over a hundred premium talismans worth forty spirit stones.
Moreover, after breaking through to the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation, as long as he wished, his income from making Concealing Breath Talismans and Invisibility Talismans would increase significantly.
"Explosive Spirit Pill, such a Rank-Breaking Spirit Pill, cannot be dealt with at the market."
"Going out would be too dangerous; sell it when there's a safer chance."
Shen Xuan meditated in his heart.
Until now, besides the talisman brush in his hand, he didn't even have a single magical artifact.
The techniques he knew were only the simplest Water Shield Technique, Water Blade Technique.
And the earliest Cloud Rain Technique learned for farming.
It can't be said he has no combat ability, but it is practically zero.
"For now, endure; later, when I have spirit stones, I must buy some better magical artifacts and techniques."
Shen Xuan stopped overthinking and continued his secluded cultivation.
More than ten days later.
Shen Xuan emerged from the practice room and no longer concealed his aura.
Ding Yuyao noticed her husband was full of energy, curiously asked, "Husband, are you alright!"
"What could happen to me! Come, let your husband check how Yuyao's inner power is progressing!"
"No, it's broad daylight!"
"So what if it's broad daylight, some things are more interesting in broad daylight!"
After a playful struggle of half acceptance and half denial.
Shen Xuan indulged himself one time.
Afterwards.
Ding Yuyao's pretty eyes repeatedly examined Shen Xuan.
"Say what you have to say."
"Husband, I feel you have changed!"
"Bigger or longer?"
"Husband!"
After some coquettishness, Ding Yuyao finally said it.
"Husband, you've become stronger!"
Shen Xuan smiled slightly.
"I broke through!"
"Ah!"
Ding Yuyao opened her small mouth wide, unable to close it.
This news was truly explosive!
Before marrying Shen Xuan, the family provided her with detailed information.
Shen Xuan, inferior spirit root, sixty years old, lower-grade Talisman Master, skilled in making Concealing Breath Talismans, Invisibility Talismans, an ascetic, neither whoring, gambling nor drinking, with no bad habits.
Unexpectedly, Shen Xuan actually broke through!
She picked up a big bargain!
Given her husband's diligent nature, it's only a matter of time before he advances to Middle Grade Talisman Master.
That's a Middle Grade Talisman Master!
Even in a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Clan, he could earn a position as a tributor!
Ding Yuyao heard that Ding Family had an over one-hundred-year-old elder tributor, a Middle Grade Pill Master, who married three wives, with an unknown number of concubines!
Truly a harem!
"Husband, did you really break through to the Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation?"
After a long time, Ding Yuyao asked with a trembling voice.