"One Goldenrod herb, two Purpleblood Fruits, and a Vein Condensing Stone..." In a meticulously crafted redwood store permeated with a pungent medicinal scent, a youth dressed in a cadet blue cloak spoke with a gentle smile.
"It appears you intend to refine a first-grade Dan medicine – the Continuation Pill. The total cost for these medicinal ingredients will be twenty spirit coins." An elderly man with white hair nonchalantly replied to the young man, swiftly retrieving the herbs from his counter.
To refine medicine is a craft familiar to any cultivator in the Heavenly Emperor World. The path of cultivation is long and distant - medicinal pills are indispensable items for the journey.
The first-grade Continuation Pill is among the lowest-ranking Dan medicines. Its utilitarian function is simple: the treatment of severe external wounds. However, even this basic-grade pill requires substantial skill to refine, barring just about anyone from casually concocting one.
The young man reached into his pocket and pulled out twenty glittering stones, shimmering with a faint essence of divine dragon energy that, if absorbed by common folk, brings immense tranquillity.
Spirit coins are the most common currency in the cultivation world; each one is more precious than worldly gold. These coins can be used to purchase the majority of cultivation resources, various medicinal ingredients for pill refining, crafting materials, or even already refined pills and Divine Weaponry.
After handing over twenty spirit coins, Wang Teng carefully placed a bag of medicinal herbs into his pocket and walked out of the store. At this moment, the golden rays of the sun shone brightly, illuminating Wang Teng's handsome face vividly.
A slight smirk curved his lips as he assumed a cool demeanour. A light breeze blew past, causing his dark hair to flutter, lending him a certain edgy charm that, were he in the mundane world, would be capable of bewitching countless young ladies.
"Nice figure!" The next moment, this perfect image was completely shattered as the smirk on Wang Teng's lips suddenly took on a wicked curve, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the lifted rear of a girl.
The way she swayed was indeed provocative and enticing.
To Wang Teng, the concept of cultivators was a mere legend three months ago. Now, he himself has become one of them.
The Heavenly Emperor World is dominated by cultivators; its vast territory is almost boundless. Mortals could never traverse it all in their lifetime, and even the cultivators of legendary profound skill could not explore it entirely.
Wang Teng was just an orphan from a remote village in the Tang Dynasty. He always had to fend for himself, exhibiting cunning and resourcefulness in his actions. He thought that he would lead an ordinary life, his biggest aspiration being to marry a beautiful wife and live in love and harmony. He didn't possess any lofty ambitions or ideals.
However, a month ago, while wandering aimlessly, he stumbled upon a group of cultivators recruiting disciples and inadvertently joined their ranks.
Among ordinary folk, there have always been many legends about the immortals. They believe that gods watch over them from only three meters above their heads, prompting the construction of temples everywhere to worship these divine entities in exchange for their blessings.
Wang Teng had once dreamt of soaring through the vast sky, wielding remarkable spells just like the legendary disciples of the immortals. Unfortunately, such an opportunity had always eluded him.
When luck came knocking, however, it was impossible to resist. Wang Teng, who initially only intended to join the crowd, unexpectedly found himself selected after entering the recruitment.
He could distinctly remember uttering a single phrase: "Honorable ones, please accept me! I have waited ten years for this day. Oh, ten long years! How many decades does one get in a lifetime?"
Perhaps they were moved by his words.
The Xiao Chi Sect recruited a total of thirty disciples, including Wang Teng. They were then sent to an ancient city a thousand miles away.
The heavenly world was vast and boundless, filled with countless humans and various other sentient beings, including demons, monsters, and formidable beasts. Ordinary human soldiers stood no match against such creatures, hence they sought the protection of cultivation sects.
The ancient city before him was Xiao Chi City, a place managed by the well-known Xiao Chi Sect, a small branch of the famous cultivation empire, the Imperial Emperor Sect.
The Xiao Chi Sect was located two hundred miles west of Xiao Chi City. This sect benefited from a continuous mountain range enveloped by a dense spiritual energy, offering flourishing vegetation all year round. Hidden beneath these mountains was a second-grade spiritual vein which nourished the cultivators of the Xiao Chi Sect.
These spiritual veins were where a world's spiritual qi gathered. Depending on the strength of the qi, they were divided into twelve grades. The most common were grades one through nine, which could be found in various parts of the world.
In order for cultivators to cultivate, they needed to absorb spiritual qi. But, spiritual stones also contained sufficient spiritual qi, which was why they were carved into spiritual coins and used as currency within this cultivation world.
As part of the righteous great sects of this world, the Imperial Emperor Sect was rumored to possess a ninth-grade spiritual vein and even a celestial vein superior to the first-grade spiritual vein. The cultivators there progressed a thousand miles a day, far surpassing those in the Xiao Chi Sect.
Walking down the jade-paved streets, Wang Teng's gaze frequently swept over well-endowed female cultivators, unable to alleviate his melancholy.
Upon arriving in Xiao Chi City, he discovered that cultivation wasn't as glamorous as he'd imagined. The only reason he was chosen was because of his slight aptitude for cultivation; and rather than being a true disciple, he was just a handyman for the Xiao Chi Sect.
Condensing medicinal herbs was one of Wang Teng's main tasks.
Although unhappy, Wang Teng didn't plan on leaving. Even as a handyman, he was learning a lot about cultivation, like names of medicinal herbs and where to find them.
Armed with such knowledge, he'd be able to gather medicinal herbs and amass wealth even if he returned to the mundane world.
"I'm currently at the second layer of the Dao Foundation stage. Once I enter the fourth stage, I'd be able to draw some simple talismans, ensuring my safety even in the heart of an army," a glint of hope sparked in Wang Teng's eyes.
