CHAPTER 238: 36 CHAPTERS A SUDDEN BRAINWAVE

「Treasure Pavilion.」

Shen Changqing walked in and directly stated that he wanted to see Huang Yan.

Upon receiving the message, this steward of the Treasure Pavilion hurried over.

"I heard the magpies chirping this morning and guessed that something auspicious must be happening. Sure enough, Lord Shen has graced us with his presence." As soon as he came in, Huang Yan bowed with his hands clasped, a warm smile on his face.

Shen Changqing nodded and smiled. "Steward Huang."

"What brings Lord Shen to us this time?" After Shen Changqing sat opposite him, Huang Yan inquired seriously.

Hearing this, Shen Changqing got straight to the point. "It’s simple. I want to purchase some elixirs from the Treasure Pavilion that are more advanced than Satiety Pills. Silver is not a problem."

In the Demon-Subduing Division, there was no shortage of elixirs available for exchange. Especially after his promotion to Earth Rank Demon Hunter, the variety of elixirs he could exchange had increased even more. But all the elixirs in the Demon-Subduing Division were related to cultivation. Elixirs like the Satiety Pill didn’t actually serve much of that purpose. However, it was precisely such elixirs, those deemed of little use, that Shen Changqing needed.

The Great Sun Golden Body had risen a level and now required significantly more resources than before. The Satiety Pills he had purchased were long depleted. To advance further, he had to purchase more. The problem was that the energy provided by Satiety Pills was too little; he had to consume many bottles at a time just to replenish what was expended.

Truthfully, Shen Changqing was getting quite sick of eating Satiety Pills. If possible, he would rather switch to higher-grade elixirs. Not to mention, at least he could eat less when advancing.

"Lord Shen has come to the right place; indeed, the Treasure Pavilion has such elixirs," Huang Yan said with a smile. He immediately had someone fetch the elixirs. Before long, an attendant brought them up.

"This elixir is called the Essence Pill, and its effects are ten times that of the Satiety Pill. However, ordinary people need to dilute it with water before consumption. Otherwise, they could be overwhelmed by the pill’s power," Huang Yan introduced, pointing to the elixirs in the bottle.

After hearing the explanation about the Essence Pill, Shen Changqing nodded. He took a pill bottle and poured out one of the elixirs. The azure-colored elixir looked quite appealing. He swallowed it in one gulp. Upon entering his stomach, a torrent of powerful and surging energy burst forth. Yet, such an outburst of power was nothing to a Grandmaster. Shen Changqing remained seated, unmoving.

After a while, he nodded. "The Essence Pill is good, much better than the Satiety Pill. How much does this elixir cost?"

"Twenty Silver Taels per bottle."

"Acceptable." Shen Changqing did not haggle. He was no longer the person he used to be; a thousand or so Silver Taels were trifling to him now.

"How many Essence Pills does the Treasure Pavilion currently have?"

"There are not many Essence Pills, no more than fifty bottles. After all, Lord Shen, you also know that such elixirs are infrequently purchased, so the Treasure Pavilion does not stock many."

"Then I’ll take all the Essence Pills," Shen Changqing immediately declared.

Upon hearing this, Huang Yan nodded and had someone count the Essence Pills. After the attendant left, Huang Yan looked at Shen Changqing, his expression hesitant.

"If Steward Huang has something to say, please speak freely." Seeing Huang Yan’s hesitation, Shen Changqing broke the silence.

Huang Yan clasped his hands. "Last night, there was quite a disturbance both inside and outside the Capital City. May I inquire about the current situation?"

With Demon Evils causing chaos, the Treasure Pavilion was also under considerable pressure. If their business here were to be destroyed, the loss would be substantial.

Shen Changqing calmly said, "As long as the Demon-Subduing Division stands, Demon Evils will not have the audacity to wreak havoc in the Capital City."

"With Lord Shen’s assurance, I feel relieved." Huang Yan visibly relaxed.

Though he didn’t fully believe Shen Changqing’s words, they served as a comforting reassurance, alleviating the tension he had felt before.

"The Treasure Pavilion has established its business in the Capital City and is certainly influential. I believe it also employs many martial artists. It’s questionable whether Demon Evils would dare act so freely before the Treasure Pavilion," Shen Changqing said with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.

In his perception, there were Innate-level martial artists within the Treasure Pavilion, and not just one or two.

Huang Yan shook his head slightly. "Lord Shen jests. How can the strength of the Treasure Pavilion compare to that of the Demon-Subduing Division? If even the Demon-Subduing Division cannot withstand Demon Evils, then the Treasure Pavilion would be nothing but a joke before them."

As the two conversed, the attendant returned with all the Essence Pills. They were placed on the table: a total of thirty-six bottles. At twenty Silver Taels per bottle, that amounted to seven hundred and twenty Silver Taels.

Shen Changqing took out the equivalent amount in silver notes and placed them on the table. "This is seven hundred and twenty Silver Taels. Steward Huang, you can count them."

"There’s no need to count. How could I not trust Lord Shen?" Huang Yan didn’t even look before accepting the silver notes.

After leaving the Treasure Pavilion, Shen Changqing had another package on his back. Every time he came to the Treasure Pavilion, he ended up buying many things.

If only I could have a storage ring like those in legends, then I wouldn’t have to carry so many bags and packages, Shen Changqing thought. But thoughts were just thoughts. He had never heard anyone mention the existence of storage rings. This place, after all, wasn’t a fantastical world of cultivators and immortals, but a world of martial artists; mystical items like storage rings might not even exist.

Then again, it might not be completely non-existent. The Hidden Heart Pavilion researches so many things; perhaps they could really develop a storage ring. I should find time to chat with Jiang An and see if the Suppressing Evil Hall has any news.

Shen Changqing thought of Jiang An. He didn’t know many people in the Hidden Heart Pavilion. As for the Demon Sealing Hall and the Suppressing Evil Hall, he only knew Jiang An. If he had any questions, asking Jiang An would be much better than guessing blindly.

After returning to the Demon-Subduing Division, Shen Changqing went straight back to his room. Sitting cross-legged, he placed the newly bought Essence Pills to one side and calmed his mind.

First, he checked his Sea of Consciousness. The blood-red lotus swayed gently; the shadow of its third petal had become more complete.

He had first slain the Fiend Level Strange Monster in Fengyun Village, and just last night in the Capital City, he had killed many Resentment Level Monsters, including several at the Resentment Level Peak.

After a rough estimate, Shen Changqing discovered he had slain a total of thirteen Demon Evils last night. His Slaughter Value on the panel had officially broken through the three-hundred-point threshold.

The Fiend Level Strange Monster from Fengyun Village was, at the very least, mid-stage Fiend Level. The True Intent it provided was probably equivalent to a month of my hard cultivation. Resentment Level Monsters are quite inferior; a common one only equals a day or two of cultivation at most, whereas a Resentment Level Peak monster provides about two to three times that. The thirteen Resentment Level Monsters I killed gave me the equivalent of two months of uninterrupted cultivation in terms of True Intent. Adding that Fiend Level Strange Monster, that’s three months of rigorous cultivation.

Three months of hard cultivation, yet the shadow of the third petal hasn’t even solidified, let alone become fully formed.

If I relied solely on my own cultivation, it would take at least two to three years for the third petal to fully materialize. What’s more, this assumes two to three years of continuous, uninterrupted cultivation. Otherwise, the time would have to be doubled.

The third petal merely corresponds to three-tenths of Martial Dao True Intent. The peak of the Spiritual System likely requires a full ten-tenths. The growth for each subsequent tenth becomes much more challenging. The third tenth needs two to three years of continuous cultivation. Then, the fourth tenth would require at least five to six years, and for the fifth and sixth tenths onward... Shen Changqing made a rough calculation, and even he was startled by the result.

If, say, it took a little over a year to advance from one-tenth to two-tenths True Intent, then the time from two-tenths to three-tenths doubled. If calculated purely by this multiplication, then the cumulative time to cultivate to ten-tenths Martial Dao True Intent would amount to over seven hundred years! Even if this number were halved, it would still be over three hundred years.

Grandmaster Martial Artists, at most, live a little over a hundred years. Three hundred years is enough time for two or three cycles of reincarnation!

It was then that he truly understood why someone who reached the pinnacle of the Spiritual System in seventy years was hailed as a peerless prodigy.

If one were to rely solely on rigorous cultivation, anyone who managed to cultivate the Spiritual System to Perfection within their lifetime would be a genius among geniuses. Therefore, those who have reached the peak of the Spiritual System must have relied on more than just cultivation; they must have encountered various fortuitous opportunities. Of course, there’s also the possibility that they advanced purely by slaying Demon Evils, harvesting their power to nourish themselves, and continuously breaking through.

Now, having carefully calculated the time needed to reach the peak of the Spiritual System, Shen Changqing abandoned the idea of secluded cultivation altogether.

To hell with cultivation! Unless I could borrow another five hundred years from heaven, there’s absolutely no way to reach the peak of the Spiritual System.

Ever since he stepped into the Grandmaster Realm, he knew his talent in the spiritual aspect wasn’t particularly strong. If I want to improve rapidly, there’s only one path: continuously slay Demon Evils and draw spiritual power from them to nourish my True Intent.

Only in this way can I elevate my Spiritual System to a peak state within my lifetime.

Moreover, the number of Demon Evils I would have to kill is definitely not small.

Just think about it. Thirteen Resentment Level Monsters plus one Fiend Level Strange Monster weren’t enough to make the shadow of the third petal even appear. To advance further by killing only Resentment Level Monsters, I’d have to slay thousands, even tens of thousands, with basically no chance of improvement.

If I kill Fiend Level Strange Monsters, the number needed would diminish significantly, Shen Changqing consoled himself. Although I can improve by slaying these monsters, the sheer numbers required are still daunting.

However... I wonder if slaying a Demon Evil can also nourish the spirit? If so, how much could one Demon Evil increase my Martial Dao True Intent!