Hiss~
Just as Chen Xiao nodded inwardly, he immediately felt a bone-chilling cold spread from his chest. It was so cold that even he, with his ice attribute, shivered.
"Stuffing everything into my embrace..."
Muttering to himself, Chen Xiao reached into his chest.
When he pulled his hand out again, a crystal-clear jade bottle had appeared in his palm.
This jade bottle was crafted from excellent materials, allowing it to preserve the Ice Spirit Cold Spring perfectly so that its medicinal properties wouldn't dissipate.
Cold air swirled around the outside of the jade bottle, carrying a bone-chilling coldness. As soon as it was taken out, the surrounding temperature instantly dropped significantly.
Chen Xiao's palm was even covered with a thin layer of ice crystals, and judging by the look of it, they were rapidly spreading.
Crack crack~
Chen Xiao circulated his Dou Qi, and with a gentle flick of his wrist, the condensed ice crystals shattered and fell to the ground.
"Gu Te, as Pill King Gu He's older brother, only has one bottle of this. Where did Medusa Queen get so much?"
Thinking of how Medusa Queen was able to collect a small pool of Ice Spirit Cold Spring after obtaining the Green Lotus Core Flame, Chen Xiao found it unbelievable.
Unfortunately, Medusa Queen was probably just starting her preparations now. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been absent from the subsequent events mentioned in the original plot.
"Ice Spirit Cold Spring, can be taken directly..."
Recalling how to use this item, Chen Xiao carefully inspected it to ensure there were no issues. Only then did he open the stopper and pour about a tenth of it into his mouth and swallow.
Feeling the bone-chilling cold begin to spread within his body, Chen Xiao quickly capped the jade bottle, put it into his Storage Ring, and rapidly formed cultivation hand seals.
At this moment, Chen Xiao looked inward and could see that the surface of his meridians was covered as if by a layer of white frost. Waves of coldness originated from within, freezing his limbs slightly stiff.
However, when Chen Xiao circulated his cultivation technique, he found that the speed of his Dou Qi circulation within his body was nearly three times faster than usual!
The time it normally took for his cultivation technique to complete one cycle could now complete three cycles under the effect of the Ice Spirit Cold Spring!
It felt as if his meridians had been completely cleared, becoming the most suitable track for ice-attribute Dou Qi.
With the rapid circulation of his Dou Qi, Chen Xiao felt an unprecedented sense of exhilaration. Every moment, he could clearly perceive himself improving, climbing towards a higher realm.
This feeling was truly intoxicating!
Completely immersing his mind in cultivation, time flew by.
Unconsciously, a morning passed.
As the effects of the Ice Spirit Cold Spring completely wore off, Chen Xiao instantly felt a sense of loss, like suddenly switching from a high-speed train to a slow green-skinned train.
Slowly opening his eyes, Chen Xiao experienced the changes from this short morning.
"Without the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, it would have taken me at least another month to possibly advance to Dou Ling. But now, ten days is more than enough!"
This was the difference between arduous cultivation and relying on opportunities.
Cultivating behind closed doors would never bring surprises.
You could cultivate diligently in seclusion for ten years, and it might not even be as effective as someone swallowing a single pill or encountering a chance opportunity.
It sounded frustrating, but that was the reality.
Flicking his sleeve, Chen Xiao got up and called Qing Lin out. After having lunch together at the Inn, he checked out of the room.
Immediately after, he took Qing Lin to Hai Bo Dong's Map Store and found several of the most detailed maps of the Jia Ma Empire.
When traveling, maps were essential.
...
Two days later.
Black Rock City.
Chen Xiao, accompanied by Qing Lin, walked out of a peculiar building located in a corner near the south of the city.
Behind them, a disheveled, thin old man with a beaming smile saw them off.
"Little brother, if you ever have such rare items again, remember to come and trade with me. I can guarantee that the price will be ten percent higher than anyone else on the market. It doesn't matter if I lose money, I just love collecting these things."
This old man, named Gu Te, was unremarkable except for his severe collecting habit.
Including his strength.
But even the Yun Lan Sect Master Yun Yun, or the guardian of the imperial family, would treat him with courtesy upon seeing him.
All because of...
My Pill King Brother!
Chen Xiao knew this person and had anticipated that trading with him would be very simple.
After all, in the original trajectory, Xiao Yan was able to achieve his goal by taking out the Companion Amethyst Source. There was no reason why the even rarer and more precious Earth Fire Lotus Seed would fail.
And the facts were just as Chen Xiao had expected.
When he took out the Earth Fire Lotus Seed, the old man's eyes seemed to light up. Naturally, the trade was completed very smoothly.
With one Earth Fire Lotus Seed, Chen Xiao not only exchanged for the bottle of Ice Spirit Cold Spring that the other party had collected, but also took away the only Fifth-Order Magic Core he possessed, as well as two complimentary medicinal herbs.
"Master Gu Te, don't worry. If I get anything good, I'll definitely prioritize you!"
Chen Xiao nodded sincerely in response.
He liked businessmen like Gu Te the most!
After a reluctant farewell at the city gate with Gu Te, Chen Xiao led Qing Lin out of the city.
Seeing that there was no one around, and even Qing Lin wasn't paying attention, Chen Xiao took out the Ice Spirit Cold Spring he had acquired from the previous transaction from his Storage Ring.
The material of the jade bottle was exactly the same as the one he had pre-acquired. However, after opening it, the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, which was perfectly intact during the inspection, had now turned into a bottle of useless clear water.
"As expected..."
Casually pouring out the clear water from the bottle, Chen Xiao's face showed no surprise.
As early as a few years ago when he pre-acquired the Qi Gathering Powder, Chen Xiao had his doubts. This pre-acquisition was not creation out of thin air; it still followed some principle of conservation of matter.
Chen Xiao still remembered that he had first pre-acquired the Qi Gathering Powder, and then later picked up the Qi Gathering Powder that a kind friend had 'accidentally' dropped in the Back Mountain.
At first, Chen Xiao was quite happy, thinking he had two portions.
But after returning, he found that the one he picked up was merely a shell and had lost all its medicinal effects.
The same was true for the Ice Spirit Cold Spring now, further proving that his suspicion was correct.
Pre-acquisition was equivalent to an interest-free loan with no time limit, not a pie falling from the sky!
Chen Xiao was even certain now that the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid he had pre-acquired many years ago would likely be filled in somehow in the future.
Having confirmed his guess, Chen Xiao no longer dwelled on it.
"Young Master, where are we going next?"
After taking one last look at Black Rock City, Qing Lin turned back and asked with anticipation.
Chen Xiao rubbed Qing Lin's head, a relaxed smile on his face.
As of today, his affairs in the Jia Ma Empire were basically settled.
He had also secured some useful items in advance, so he could calmly wait for Jia Nan Academy to arrive.
If he had to be thorough...
Then there was only one matter left that he hadn't decided on before.
"Let's go to Green Mountain Town."
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