Back at the inn, Chi Changye asked Gu Yao, "Thinking of entering the Tianfu Academy?"
Gu Yao nodded, "What about you, Big Brother Ye? With your spiritual roots and talents, you can join any sect."
Chi Changye shook his head, "That doesn't hold much meaning for me. I might as well accompany Little Yao to the Tianfu Academy for a stroll. Besides, I've heard there's a Sword Pavilion in the academy, and it seems quite extraordinary."
Regarding the Sword Pavilion, Gu Yao had also heard discussions during their shopping spree. The most exaggerated claim was that of those who entered the Sword Pavilion, nine out of ten were either foolish or crazy. Therefore, not many dared to step into this Sword Pavilion nowadays. However, there was another saying that the headmaster of the Tianfu Academy successfully walked out of the Sword Pavilion. Initially not having high aptitude for cultivation, they soared to become the top figure in the Tianfu Academy. Because of this headmaster's presence, despite the academy's tarnished reputation, it still stood unshaken in the Tianlin Continent.
"But that Sword Pavilion... could there be any problems with it? Why would there be rumors of nine fools and one madman?" Gu Yao expressed concern.
Chi Changye smiled, "Don't worry, I won't rashly enter the Sword Pavilion. I'll investigate the situation first. Besides, not everyone is qualified to enter the Sword Pavilion."
At the mention of the "Sword Pavilion," Gu Yao immediately thought of his own Pill Pavilion, calling out to Senior Xu Chen in his mind, "Senior, have you heard of the Sword Pavilion? With both Pill Pavilion and Sword Pavilion, could there be any connection?"
Xu Chen awakened slowly and sneered in Gu Yao's mind, "When you've seen more of the world, you'll realize that so-called Pill Pavilions, Sword Pavilions, and Artifact Pavilions are commonplace in the cultivation world. Oh, and don't forget about Pill Towers, Pill Valleys, and Pill Peaks. Stop overthinking; not everyone is fortunate enough to encounter such things easily."
Gu Yao pondered. Without being disheartened by the ridicule about his limited knowledge, he realized the priority was to gather more spirit stones.
In the bustling streets of Ten Directions City, they decided to sell some pills and talismans discreetly. In the past, due to concerns about the Gu and Lu families, they hadn't dared to showcase their best pills, and even premium pills hadn't been revealed to the Tian family. Now, in the vast Ten Directions City, they could sell numerous pills and talismans without attracting undue attention. They concluded that while individually running errands, they would sell their products to various stores.
After a few discreet transactions, their wealth soared. Hearing that Chi Changye had accumulated over a thousand spirit stones, Gu Yao grinned like a cat that had stolen cream.
Some customers inquired about the Premium Azure Essence Pills they had previously purchased, but the shopkeeper regretfully informed them that they had sold out. The customers inquired about pills from the same alchemist, but the shopkeeper explained that the alchemist's stock was limited and quickly sold out due to high demand. He expressed regret for not clarifying the situation when the alchemist was present.
Gu Yao and Chi Changye then focused on buying materials for alchemy and talisman crafting. In Ten Directions City, where spiritual herbs were abundant, Gu Yao found most of the herbs he needed in the market. With these herbs and some alchemical materials, Gu Yao's cultivation speed increased, creating a positive cycle.
Gu Yao, abandoning the use of spirit pearls, placed spirit stones in his Spirit Gathering Plate during cultivation. With abundant spiritual energy and the aid of pills and talismans, Gu Yao felt his heart pounding as if he had transitioned from an old car to a roller coaster. His spirit was exhilarated for several days, shining brightly.
"Excited over this? It's just low-grade spirit stones. When you leave here for a higher-level cultivation continent, you'll realize that low-grade spirit stones are merely playthings." Xu Chen poured cold water on Gu Yao's excitement.
Undeterred, Gu Yao remained cheerful, showing no signs of being discouraged. He retorted, "But Senior, you can't even produce a single low-grade spirit stone now."
He refrained from expressing the latter part of his thoughts aloud, internally mocking Senior Xu Chen. Gu Yao always felt having the Pill Pavilion in his sea of knowledge was a hidden danger, but the Pavilion seemed to prefer staying there.
A few days later, some Northern Star Sect disciples visited the store, inquiring about Premium Azure Essence Pills and the alchemist's identity. The shopkeeper, feeling regretful, reiterated the previous explanation. The disciples expressed their disappointment and then discussed the situation among themselves, hinting that they would like to be informed if the alchemist returned.
The disciples of the Northern Star Sect left the store, and the discussion continued. One disciple had inadvertently bought a pill, the Hua Guan Pill, and after consuming it, successfully advanced to the seventh layer of Qi Refining. He attributed this breakthrough to the pill. A senior elder accompanying them noticed another pill he had bought and instructed Yan Yang to investigate which alchemist crafted it.
Upon inquiry, they learned that the pill was called the Hua Guan Pill, with a similar function to the Azure Essence Pill for advancement. It didn't conflict with the effects of the Azure Essence Pill, but many cultivators were unfamiliar with the Hua Guan Pill. The crafting method was somewhat unique. If the alchemist was from another sect, it would be acceptable, but if they were a wild alchemist or from a small faction, it would be worthwhile for the sect to recruit them.
Senior Yin's junior sister suggested, "Maybe it's the disciple of some eighth-grade alchemist who stole his pills. After aimlessly wandering around, they ran out of spirit stones and secretly sold the pills for more. These small factions and families may have alchemists, but they can't even produce middle-grade pills. Recruiting such alchemists would be a waste of the sect's resources."
Even for the Northern Star Sect, cultivation resources weren't freely distributed among disciples. If they focused on cultivating certain disciples, it meant relatively fewer resources for others.
Yan Yang calmly remarked, "Since we encountered this, let's inquire. If it's not worth recruiting, the sect wouldn't accept them. The Northern Star Sect isn't like other forces; they don't recruit cultivators with any level of aptitude."
Senior Yin agreed, stating, "The Tianfu Academy has become more and more unreasonable over the years, specifically recruiting trash. It has become a joke in our Tianlin Continent."
As Gu Yao and Chi Changye passed by, they waited until the group had gone a distance before stopping and exchanging glances. Gu Yao hesitated and asked, "Are they from the Northern Star Sect... looking for an alchemist?"
It couldn't be that coincidental, could it?
Chi Changye shook his head, "Not impossible. Since we've encountered this, let's inquire. If it's not worth it, the sect wouldn't accept them. The Northern Star Sect is different from other forces; they can't recruit cultivators of any aptitude."
"Senior brother is right. Tianfu Academy in recent years has become outrageous, specifically recruiting some rubbish. It has become a joke in our Tianlin Continent."
Gu Yao and Chi Changye, passing by, waited for the group to go a distance before stopping and exchanging glances. Gu Yao hesitated and asked, "Are they from the Northern Star Sect... looking for an alchemist?"
It couldn't be that coincidental, could it?
Chi Changye shook his head, "Not impossible. They're probably searching for an alchemist. We need to be more discreet. I've inquired; these sects lack eighth-grade alchemists, especially advanced ones. Little Yao, let's not publicly sell the Hua Jing Pill from now on."
Gu Yao overlooked the fact that the Hua Guan Pill was not scarce in the Lingyun Sect. Initially, he hadn't paid much attention to it and had casually included it with other pills for sale. After traveling around, gaining more information, he realized that the cultivation situation here was significantly less advanced than where he had been before. If a prestigious sect like the Northern Star Sect discovered that Gu Yao was just a wild alchemist, they wouldn't spare him.