Li Taixing paid no attention to Xiong Hu and his two friends. After preparing his bed, he decided to go shopping, hoping to find something useful and solve the problem of his dinner along the way.
After getting off the top bunk, he greeted Lu Tong and Sun Bohu before leaving the dormitory.
Xiong Hu and the others completely ignored him. However, one of the teenagers, knowing Li Taixing's low aptitude, called out, "Boy, remember to come back early and help us wash our clothes."
Li Taixing snorted coldly in his heart, ignoring the comment. This only intensified his desire to become stronger.
'Three young men provoking me, and I can't do a thing. How much worse will it get from here?' Li Taixing thought, his resolve hardening.
'I have to learn some self-defense skills as soon as possible,' he reminded himself as he left the dormitory.
Meanwhile, Lu Tong and Sun Bohu exchanged worried glances as they watched him leave.
'When the opportunity arises, we need to tell Li Dage not to reveal his aptitude so casually. Otherwise, more people will start bullying him,' Lu Tong thought, feeling concerned.
---
Outside the dormitory, Li Taixing observed the crowd. They were all boys and girls between thirteen and eighteen, some chatting, others busy with their own tasks. His attention drifted away from them until he overheard a conversation nearby.
A group of people had gathered around a chubby youth, who was holding a small box of Medicine Pills, explaining excitedly, "This is a Bone Forging Pill. After swallowing it, it will improve your physique, making it easier to step into Body Refining."
"Wow, how did you get such a good thing?"
"Yeah! That's amazing!"
The Bone Forging Pill was not rare for cultivators, but for these ordinary teens from small towns, it was a highly valuable treasure—especially useful at their current stage.
"Of course, I bought it," Fatty boasted proudly. "My family is loaded, and I happen to have an extra one. If anyone's interested, I'm willing to sell it to the highest bidder!"
"How much?" someone asked excitedly.
"Ten thousand taels of silver," Fatty said, flashing a grin.
A nearby youth spat out the water he was drinking. "Ten thousand taels?!"
"That's ridiculous! Even if we went to buy it ourselves, it'd only be a thousand taels! You're charging ten times that!"
"Yeah, Fatty, aren't you being a bit greedy?"
"Hmph, you don't understand the concept of scarcity. If it weren't for my lack of funds, I wouldn't even sell it. So, do you want it or not?"
Fatty, annoyed by their complaints, brushed them off and walked away.
Li Taixing had been listening quietly, his thoughts racing. 'One tael of silver is equal to 1,000 copper coins... Ten thousand taels is equivalent to ten million copper coins.'
'Though Bone Forging Pills are the most basic type of Medicine Pill, they're exactly what I need right now. Maybe I should talk to him,' Li Taixing decided.
He followed Fatty discreetly until they reached a quieter area. Stepping in front of Fatty, he blocked his path.
"What do you want?" Fatty frowned, clearly irritated but not afraid.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Li Taixing asked.
"About what?"
"Can it be paid for with copper coins?" Li Taixing asked, getting straight to the point.
Fatty raised an eyebrow. "Sure, but this is ten million copper coins. Are you sure you can manage that?"
He eyed Li Taixing skeptically, noting that although his clothes were simple, he didn't seem to come from a poor family.
"As long as you can pay, I'll sell," Fatty added.
"Deal," Li Taixing said confidently, pulling out a spatial ring containing the full amount.
"You… You really have that much?" Fatty stammered, wide-eyed.
"Well, how about it?" Li Taixing asked, calm and composed.
Fatty, still shocked, nodded quickly. "Alright."
They completed the transaction smoothly. After transferring the copper coins, Li Taixing retrieved his ring, now holding a precious Bone Forging Pill.
Suddenly, he heard a familiar system notification.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining 10 billion Bone Forging Pills.]
"If you have more Medicine Pills in the future, I'd be happy to do business with you," Li Taixing said, surprising Fatty further.
"Oh?" Fatty looked at him in disbelief.
Seeing that Li Taixing could easily afford ten million copper coins, Fatty realized this was no ordinary person. He memorized Li Taixing's words, nodding eagerly.
"Good."
"Also, if possible, please keep this transaction between us," Li Taixing added, sensing Fatty's caution.
"Of course," Fatty agreed, though it was clear he wouldn't divulge where he had bought the pill.
Satisfied, Li Taixing left, and Fatty stood there, scratching his head as he watched him go.
---
Li Taixing found a remote spot, away from prying eyes, and sat cross-legged to begin his cultivation.
'Cultivation isn't just about techniques; resources are essential too,' he reminded himself, taking out the Bone Forging Pill.
After swallowing the first pill, he felt a slight increase in strength and a modest improvement in his physique, but nothing dramatic.
'Strange, I thought it'd be more transformative. Maybe I expected too much.'
Unfazed, he swallowed more. Little did he know that most people could only absorb five Bone Forging Pills before their bodies reached a saturation point.
Li Taixing, however, felt no significant effect after five pills, so he continued consuming them. His body absorbed them quickly, and while his physique improved with each dose, it was barely noticeable.
'No matter… as long as I get stronger.'
He swallowed ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred pills. The characteristic of the Bone Forging Pill allowed it to be absorbed efficiently, and Li Taixing had no fear of overloading himself.
What he didn't realize was that his non-attribute Spiritual Roots, acting like a bottomless pit, were devouring the pills greedily, fueling a quiet but profound transformation within him.
After consuming what seemed like thousands of pills, Li Taixing suddenly felt something shift.
'What's going on?'
A strange, wonderful sensation coursed through his body. His entire being had undergone a fundamental change—a qualitative leap. His skin felt tougher, his muscles denser, his strength greatly enhanced.
But just how much stronger, he couldn't tell yet.
When he attempted to consume another pill, he found it had no further effect.
'Looks like I've reached my limit,' he thought, stopping his consumption.
Unbeknownst to him, his Spiritual Roots had already begun evolving into something far greater.