"Confidence."
Alkaid pondered.
In his mind flashed insights into Body Refinent, Qi Refinent, and Divine Refinent.
It took him a while before he spoke, "In ancient tis, the distinctions among Body Refinent, Qi Refinent, and Divine Refinent were not so clear. The reason for dividing them into so many professions ultimately stems from changed needs.
The invasion of the Moon Demon Empire made people urgently need the strongest combat capabilities in the shortest ti, thus refining systems were ticulously tailored to different people's strengths."
He paused, then opened his mind to further thoughts, "Perhaps at the stage of great cultivators, these career paths are highly detailed, but what about the Golden Core Realm? Are the boundaries between Body Cultivators, Sword Cultivators, Technique Cultivators, and Divine Cultivators still so distinct? And beyond?
When cultivators collapse their own power sources into a black hole, whether it be Body Refinent, Qi Refinent or Divine Refinent, is there any difference left?"
He smiled, "It's like being in a mall full of great items, wanting each one but lacking the funds, you can only buy the one with the best value for money. But if you have enough money to just be a number, to buy everything in the mall, would you still need to fret over which to choose?"
At these words, not just Zong Lian, but everyone else present was left speechless.
It was a while before Zong Lian spoke, but the woman by his side laughed, "It turns out that Holy Master Alkaid's mind has already surpassed that of a great cultivator, focusing on the Golden Core Realm and even the Hollow Void Realm. He is truly full of confidence, with aspirations higher than the heavens."
"That's not confidence, that's arrogance, oblivious to the vastness of heaven and earth."
Her companion added.
"Perhaps, his understanding of the cultivation world is still stuck in the era of centuries past,"
The man, calling himself Chen Shu, seed to have lost interest in competing with him, "He thinks, with his talent, he can easily achieve a Golden Core, but how could he know how much the Golden Core Realm has changed from hundreds of years ago? A current day Technique Cultivator from the Golden Core of centuries past probably wouldn't last through even one Lifebound Spell."
Speaking, he beca sowhat puzzled, "Hasn't the Cangwu Alliance been continuously discussing in recent years to redefine the concept of Foundation Establishnt, calling the oldest Foundation Establishnt as the First Generation, the modern era as the Second Generation, those who establish Dao Foundations as the Third Generation, and those who build Immortal Foundations as the Fourth Generation?
Hasn't it passed yet?"
"No way, I heard that they want to reclassify Foundation Establishnt as Alchemy Dao's Nine Layers? To implent the 'Core Formation' process earlier, integrate it into the current Foundation Establishnt Realm to address the issue of delaying longevity...
after all, even though many people are moving in this direction, lifespan during Foundation Establishnt is hard to push beyond the three-hundred-year limit."
"Integrating the Core Formation into Foundation Establishnt? Doesn't that an that one could enjoy a lifespan of four to five hundred years like Core Formation?"
Several core disciples quickly exchanged words.
Almost no one paid attention any longer to Alkaid who had made those bold claims.
Seeing this, Zong Yan grew anxious.
He could see that the other senior brothers and sisters were doing this deliberately, but...
Alkaid's talent was clear to him. The Golden Core Realm might be uncertain, but stepping into the realm of a Star Master was definitely not out of reach.
Just as he was figuring out how to start the conversation, Zong Lian spoke.
"Having ambition is good, but... in life, one should not aim too high, too soon."
The Sect Leader of the Hundred Refinents Sect glanced at Alkaid, "When I first ca to the Cangwu Realm, I was like you, thinking of myself as a peerless genius, second to none. But it wasn't until I truly joined the Artifact Sect that I realized how nurous geniuses are. Those who can stand here and put down roots, which one is not a genius?"
He tapped slightly on the armrest of his chair, "You don't need to rush to conclusions. Stay at the Hundred Refinents Sect for now, then go and have a look at the Nine Cauldrons Sect's examination hall. After that, consider your next direction, whether to join the Nine Cauldrons Sect, or to stay with the Hundred Refinents Sect, and... stand by your decision, or establish your own sect."
Alkaid listened and vaguely understood Zong Lian's intention.
Compared to establishing his own sect, Zong Lian would rather have him stay in the Hundred Refinents Sect.
But if establishing his own sect was not an option, Alkaid still had the choice of joining the Nine Cauldrons Sect.
Thus, he could not bring himself to speak such words.
At least not until he was certain Alkaid had no inclination at all to join the Nine Cauldrons Sect.
For now, Alkaid did not say anything.
He settled in the Hundred Refinents Sect temporarily.
The very next morning, Zong Yan and Ji Pingtian ca looking for him, "Holy Master Alkaid, are you planning to pay a visit to the Nine Cauldrons Sect's sub-sect today or…"
"Just call Alkaid."
Alkaid responded, "On the way here yesterday, I saw an Elixir store, offering a wide variety. I'm going over to take a look."
"The Proving Immortal Tower? It's a branch of a large international corporation from the Immortal Alliance, indeed it has various kinds of elixirs. Our entire Nine Heavens Domain only has four branches, but..."
Zong Yan paused, "The prices are very high, and they only accept Spirit Stones."
"We'll see when we get there."
Alkaid said.
Right after, Ji Pingtian and Zong Yan accompanied Alkaid to the pavilion.
Upon entering the Proving Immortal Tower, Alkaid once again sensed the changes around him.
It seed as though even the air had a purifying and calming effect.
And the interior space was actually larger than it appeared from the outside.
"Formation effect."
Alkaid noted ntally.
"Hello, may I help you with anything?"
Soon, a well-dressed, fair-skinned woman approached.
At first glance, Alkaid thought she was a Qi Refinent Sixth Layer cultivator.
At the Sixth Layer of Qi Refinent, one could revert from the postnatal state to the innate state, significantly enhancing appearance, skin, and posture, matching the woman he saw.
But upon close inspection, it was not so.
However, that made sense; the woman looked to be in her twenties — a Qi Refinent Sixth Layer at such a young age might even be a contender for an official disciple spot at the Nine Cauldrons Sect, not likely serving as a staff mber here.
"I'd like to see the elixirs for Body Tempering above the Seventh Layer."
Alkaid said.
"Alright, this way, please."
The woman smiled and led Alkaid toward the high-end elixir area.
Zong Yan, who was nearby, seed to perceive Alkaid's curiosity and slightly stimulated his Divine Intent, "So cultivators have clear career intentions and will specially cultivate special techniques.
For example, a cultivator at the Third Layer of Qi Refinent who manages to develop Divine Sense, which is normally achieved at the Fourth Layer, could apply for a position in the Energy Departnt.
The staff at the Proving Immortal Tower is required to have an Innate Body, so many cultivators take dicines years in advance and use the power of Divine Sense to stimulate the latent dicinal properties within their bodies, making their bodies revert from acquired to innate."
He paused, "Next, they just need to persist with the dicine to ensure that their Innate Body does not degrade."
Alkaid glanced at the woman...
With his Sixth Layer Divine Path strength and Ninth Layer Divine Path realm, he quickly "saw" sothing.
The dicine, although maintaining her Innate Body form, was also eroding her body.
Not only was her path of cultivation ruined, but her lifespan would also be greatly reduced.
"Is the inco at Proving Immortal Tower high?"
Alkaid asked.
"A hundred thousand a year."
"A hundred thousand? That's not bad compared to the average person's inco of twenty to thirty thousand a year, but relative to her Fourth Layer Qi Refinent cultivation, it's not high!"
"Every year, they also get the authority to purchase one Spirit Stone."
Zong Yan paused, "The Nine Cauldrons Sect controls the outflow of Spirit Stones very strictly. Working in these 'foreign capital' companies is one of the few ways that mid and low-level cultivators can obtain Spirit Stones."
As the two conversed, the woman had already brought Alkaid to the elixir area.
"The most affordable elixir for Body Tempering Seventh Layer is the Celestial Pill, which is specifically formulated for tempering the Celestial Body. One pill can save a Seventh Layer Body Cultivator one month of standard Body Tempering cultivation amount..."
The woman smiled as she introduced the elixir.
Alkaid took a glance...
Goodness, a bottle costs thirty Spirit Stones!
But that wasn't all. The price of the elixirs that increase Body Tempering efficiency was relatively cheap.
After all, progression in Body Tempering could be achieved over ti.
However, elixirs that increased Celestial Perception and were beneficial for breaking through realms were truly expensive.
Their prices were several tis higher than those of the Body Tempering elixirs.
"Hmm!? Is this... Immortal Golden Body Pills!?"
At that mont, Alkaid seed to notice sothing and his gaze suddenly fell on a type of elixir, "Even the Proving Immortal Tower sells this kind of elixir!?"
Records left by the Jiang Family of Red Star ntioned that a Body Cultivator at the Seventh Layer had once enhanced their physical strength by a level in just one month using a bottle of Immortal Golden Body Pills.
"Of course, and our Immortal Golden Body Pills have improved in effect by twenty percent compared to the forr Golden Body Pills."
The woman said with a smile, "Even the Five Qi Toward the Yuan Pills that can condition the flesh to perfection are sold here as long as you can afford the price."
Alkaid then shifted his gaze to the price tag of this kind of elixir...
Six hundred Spirit Stones.
The Jiang Family of Red Star had not paid tribute to the main family for over forty years and had only amassed fewer than eighty Spirit Stones.
This was despite him controlling half the world.
Although the Artifact Nurturing Realm wasn't a node of Spiritual Power and the yield of Spirit Stones was naturally low, it indirectly highlighted the rarity of Spirit Stones.
Over the years, Alkaid had used the Five Emperors Soul Refining Furnace to concoct Nurturing Soul Pills, spending quite a number of Spirit Stones, and the remaining count had already dropped below thirty.
He couldn't even afford a bottle of Celestial Pills with these elixirs.
Contemplating, Alkaid searched the elixir area for a mont and quickly found the Nurturing Soul Pills.
"This..."
When he saw the selling price of Nurturing Soul Pills at the Proving Immortal Tower, he was slightly shocked.
Comparatively, his cost of purchasing Nurturing Soul Pills was actually cheaper than using Spirit Stones to drive the Five Emperors Soul Refining Furnace to concoct them!?
Zong Yan noticed Alkaid's gaze and quickly understood his surprise, explaining, "As I've said, all industries have entered large-scale, industrialized production now. Alchemy... is no exception, and the Immortal Alliance, as one of the top six powers, possesses alchemical techniques far superior to ours, driving costs down to the extre..."
He paused, "Recently, with the market of the Nine Cauldrons Sect opening up, a large amount of foreign goods have entered, allowing us to easily buy large quantities of cheap elixirs, magic artifacts, talisman records, array plates from the Immortal Alliance, Limitless Star Palace, Great Sun Sword Sect, Star Sea Sect..."
Alkaid listened and regained his composure.
This scene...
It seed familiar to him.
Were powers such as the Immortal Alliance, Limitless Star Palace, Great Sun Sword Sect, Star Sea Sect looking to destroy the manufacturing system of the Nine Cauldrons Sect with these cheap goods?
No wonder the Nine Cauldrons Sect was repeatedly declaring trade protection.
He wandered the elixir area for a long while, until the woman's smile grew sowhat stiff, before taking two Spirit Stones given to him by Zong Yan to make up the money to buy a bottle of Celestial Pills, and then he left after making the purchase.
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