"Grass Snake, you're finally back! We thought you were dead or something…"
At that moment, a clear, childlike, and familiar voice came from the right.
Hearing this voice, Long Huang's eyes twitched, and he tightened his fists. Frowning, he turned to look at the source of the voice.
Not far away stood a male and a female. The one speaking was a youth dressed in a purple robe adorned with a black lotus on the back, exuding a slight, intimidating aura.
"It's him. My God, why did it have to be this annoying guy…" Long Huang sighed.
The male and female duo were Chi Wei and Zhao Xue. Zhao Xue was the female disciple who had insulted Long Huang the last time they met; she was a direct descendant of the Zhao family in Blossom City.
She shot Long Huang a disdainful look, though deep down she wished to gain his favor and have him climb into bed with her. However, she acted this way to please the childish Chi Wei, as he was her ticket to a more cushy life.
"Brother Chi, he looks like he wants to buy something here," Zhao Xue said mockingly.
"Hmph, just him? Does he even have the right to enter the medicine pavilion? Anything from the medicine pavilion costs a few years of his income," Chi Wei replied disdainfully, glancing at Long Huang.
Zhao Xue provoked Chi Wei like this to belittle Long Huang, knowing that with Long Huang's background, it would be challenging for him to produce even a few hundred silver coins, much less gold notes.
In comparison, Chi Wei's father was both an alchemist and a cultivator of the Profound Xiantian Origin Realm and held the most prestigious positions in the sect, making their wealth incomparable.
She hoped to humiliate Long Huang just enough so she could later discuss a business proposal of sorts that might improve his situation.
Ignoring the pair, Long Huang walked into the Medicine Pavilion and began searching for resources that would aid his cultivation. The pavilion was bustling with disciples purchasing herbs and pills, some of whom stared at Long Huang as he entered, but he was too preoccupied with his thoughts to notice.
"Meridian Tempering Realm, the second most painful realm when pushed to the limit… This is when the body's qi becomes stronger. In this direction, common-grade pills and herbs are incredibly beneficial. They can consolidate one's foundation and even help some cultivators understand Inner Strength early…"
Long Huang contemplated this and confirmed his needs. Among all the available items, he opted for herbs rather than pills because of the impurities often found in pills. Although herbs weren't as effective as pills, they contained no impurities.
He focused on herbs that aid in tempering the meridians and concluded that ginseng was the most useful for cultivators in the Meridian Tempering Realm.
Spirit ginseng plants are categorized by age; older plants possess greater medicinal properties, making them more expensive. The reason was quite simply, the older the ginseng, the more beneficial its effects.
"One hundred-year-old spirit ginseng, 50 gold. Two hundred-year-old spirit ginseng.... 200 gold notes. Three hundred-year-old spirit ginseng…. 300 gold notes and 50 silver coins….. Five-hundred-year-old spirit ginseng… 1000 gold notes. Thousand-year-old spirit ginseng.... 10000 gold notes, huh, how do they even have this on sale?"
Long Huang meticulously scanned the price list of the various spirit ginsengs displayed at the pavilion, his sharp eyes taking in each detail. For cultivators like him, the best available option was spirit ginseng plants that were five hundred years old, something few could afford.
Just then, Zhao Xue's voice cut through the ambient chatter, laced with a subtle but unmistakable hint of seduction.
"Brother Chi, if I could get my hands on a perfect-grade Skin Tempering Pill, I might be able to ascend to the peak of the Skin Tempering Realm in just half a year," she said, her tone both alluring and hopeful.
Chi Wei rolled his eyes, responding with a note of practicality.
"That's not realistic. At most, I can manage to buy you a mid-grade pill."
"You know I'm trying to break through to the Meridian Tempering Realm before the competition, and I need every bit of my gold notes for essential materials to help me achieve that."
While Chi Wei was indeed wealthy, he was far from reckless about his spending, well aware of Zhao Xue's attempts to manipulate him for her benefit.
"A mid-grade one is acceptable too," Zhao Xue conceded, a faint smile flickering on her lips. Yet disappointment was evident in her eyes, betraying her true feelings.
At that moment, a calm and authoritative voice pierced through the noise.
"Elder, I would like to purchase two three-hundred-year-old spirit ginsengs and two five-hundred-year-old spirit ginsengs, please." The voice commanded attention, drawing curious glances from several bystanders.
"It's him!"
Zhao Xue thought, her heart racing as she spotted Long Huang standing confidently a short distance away. There was something about his demeanor that intrigued her. And his looks, of course.
"Five-hundred-year-old spirit ginseng? He must be exaggerating," Chi Wei sneered, unable to conceal his skepticism.
"There's no way a mere official disciple could afford such extravagant demands."
The elder's voice rang out, succinct and professional. "Two three-hundred-year-old spirit ginsengs and two five-hundred-year-old spirit ginsengs will cost you 2,600 gold notes."
As if on cue, Long Huang reached into his robe, producing an impressive stack of gold notes that he exchanged with the elder for the precious herbs. Chi Wei's previously confident smile faltered, morphing into an expression of incredulity.
"How… how is this even possible?" Zhao Xue whispered, her expression one of disbelief as she watched the transaction unfold before her.
"Elder, I would also like three bottles of high-level healing pills and three bottles of high-level blood recovery pills," Long Huang continued, his focus unwavering as he added to his purchase.
"That would be 2000 gold notes extra, bringing the total to 4600 gold notes," said the elder, his voice a bit shaken as this was the first time he had seen an official disciple spend so much money.
The pills, all of high-level common grade, would complement his newly acquired herbs, and he casually spent another thousand gold notes without a second thought. Around them, whispers began to circulate among the other disciples.
"He purchased those pills without even inquiring about the prices."
"Exactly! He only picked up the herbs list, so there's no way he knew the costs of the pills."
"What a tycoon he is!"
" Who even is he?"
Disciples in the pavilion said in admiration. After concluding his extensive shopping spree, Long Huang turned and waved nonchalantly at Zhao Xue as he made his exit. She forced a smile, avoiding his gaze, the reality of his wealth making her feel a mix of admiration and frustration.
"Tsk… such a show-off," Chi Wei muttered under his breath, envy tinged with disbelief evident in his voice as he watched Long Huang walk away.
As Long Huang walked away from the medicine pavilion, the crisp sect air filled his lungs, invigorating him. The recent battles in the Sky Cloud Forest had sharpened his instincts, and he understood that to survive the treacherous depths of the Archdevil Mountain Range, he would need more than just brute strength; he needed precision.
"I should buy a bow for the next time I enter the Archdevil Mountain Range," Long Huang thought.
Over the past two months in the Sky Cloud Forest, he had often found himself at a disadvantage against swift beasts and distant enemies, taking pleasure in dispatching foes from afar using improvised branches. A proper bow would give him the reach he lacked. His eyes, pulsing with faint energy, scanned the weapons lining the walls of the armory before locking onto a silver longbow. Its surface gleamed like moonlight on still water.
The weapon exuded a chilling aura, yet there was a deep serenity about it, as if it had been forged not only for destruction but for a perfect harmony between the wielder and the arrow.
"How much for this bow?" Long Huang asked, his voice steady.
The elder, a shrewd old man with sharp eyes, appraised him for a moment before smiling.
"You have excellent taste! This is the 'Mysterious Silver Bow,' one of the finest weapons in my shop and a low-tier profound grade weapon at that."
"Only a true cultivator, one skilled in archery, can unleash its full potential." He paused, gauging Long Huang's reaction.
"Its price is three thousand and eighty gold notes."
Though the elder doubted that this young man could afford such a luxury, he maintained his professionalism.
Long Huang didn't hesitate. " Three thousand and eighty gold notes? That's reasonable. I'll take it."
It was clear that the Mysterious Silver Bow was crafted from rare, high-grade materials, and its power far surpassed that of his arms when hurling tree branches.
Properly wielding it required the strength of at least the Meridian Tempering Realm, a threshold that Long Huang had recently crossed.