The auction concluded, and a faint, satisfied smile touched Chen Ping’s lips.

The beast-skin scroll containing the Origin Nourishing Pill formula lay safely within the Jade Pendant’s space, nestled beside the charred, unassuming stump of Soul Nourishing Wood.

His wealth, once a mountain of two thousand seven hundred Spirit Stones, had been reduced to rubble. After the purchases, he was left with just over four hundred stones.

It wasn’t a fortune, but it was enough to buy the seeds.

“The formula is secured. Now, I need the ingredients.”

Chen Ping calculated his next move.

The Black Market was a den of vipers, but its inventory was comprehensive. It was the perfect place to source specific botanical goods without leaving a paper trail.

He didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he merged with the crowd, weaving through the labyrinth of underground stalls. His eyes scanned the dazzling array of contraband, filtering out distractions.

His goal was singular: seeds and seedlings.

Refining the Origin Nourishing Pill required three primary ingredients: the Origin Nourishing Fruit, Moonlight Grass, and the Three Star Flower.

Finding the fruit was surprisingly easy.

At a stall reeking of wet earth and crushed leaves, he spotted several fist-sized fruits with rough, brownish skin.

The vendor was a hunchbacked old man wrapped in a thick, mildewed cloak.

“How much for a whole fruit?” Chen Ping asked, weighing one in his hand. It was heavy, dense with juice.

“One hundred and twenty Spirit Stones,” the old man rasped, his voice like sandpaper dragging over stone.

“And just the pits?”

“The pits?” The old man paused, peering up at Chen Ping’s masked face. “Ten Spirit Stones each.”

Perfect.

The fruit flesh was useful for Alchemy, but the pit contained the spark of life. In the Black Earth, a pit could become a tree. A tree provided infinite fruit. Buying the finished product was for fools; Chen Ping was investing in the means of production.

“I’ll take ten pits.”

The old man nodded, his gnarled fingers deft as he dug ten dark, glossy seeds from a sack. He placed them in a cheap wooden box and handed it over.

Chen Ping paid the hundred stones and stored the box.

Next was the Moonlight Grass.

This herb absorbed lunar essence, its leaves glowing with a faint silver light at night. Its seeds were as fine as dust.

He found a middle-aged woman selling small pouches of them.

“Moonlight Grass seeds. Twenty Spirit Stones per pouch,” she said flatly.

“Quantity?”

“Enough for a small patch. Germination depends on your skill, not my seeds.”

The price was fair.

“I’ll take ten pouches.”

Two hundred Spirit Stones vanished from his pouch.

Finally, the Three Star Flower.

This plant grew slender stems topped with star-shaped, three-petaled blooms. It propagated through root division.

At a larger stall, a muscular man was selling potted mature plants.

“Fellow Daoist, how much for a division?” Chen Ping pointed at a healthy specimen.

The man sized him up. “Rooted divisions, guaranteed survival. Five Spirit Stones per stalk.”

Cheap.

“I’ll take ten.”

The man efficiently separated ten seedlings, wrapping their roots in damp moss and binding them with straw.

Another fifty Spirit Stones gone.

As for the two auxiliary herbs—Dew-Gathering Vine and Stoneheart Grass—Chen Ping had already confirmed their presence in the Hundred Herb Garden. They were common weeds there, easy to harvest and low in value. He wouldn’t waste money buying them here.

Chen Ping checked his pouch. He had just over one hundred Spirit Stones left.

He lingered for a moment, scanning the stalls for cheap Talismans or defensive tools, but his budget was too thin. Anything worth buying cost more than he had.

He turned and left the underground market.

Outside, the sky was turning the bruised purple of pre-dawn.

Chen Ping merged into the sparse morning traffic. He took a circuitous route, doubling back through alleys and using his Divine Sense to check for tails. Once he was certain he was clean, he shed his disguise and hurried back to the Qingyun Sect.

His pouch was light in weight but heavy in value. The formula, the wood, the seeds—this was his future.

Back in the safety of his cottage in the Hundred Herb Garden, Chen Ping finally relaxed.

He secured the doors and windows, activated the perimeter Restrictions, and vanished.

Whoosh.

He appeared inside the Jade Pendant.

The familiar, earthy scent of the Black Earth filled his lungs.

The space was becoming crowded.

The Cold Star Grass tree dominated one section. Nearby, the Qi Gathering Grass tree stood tall, surrounded by a chaotic mix of auxiliary herbs used for the Qi Gathering Pill.

Chen Ping frowned. He needed space.

He walked over to the Qi Gathering section. He kept the main tree—it was too valuable to lose—but began ruthlessly uprooting the auxiliary herbs.

They were young and hadn’t reached peak potency, but he needed the land. He harvested them carefully, storing them for future batches, until only ten plants of each auxiliary herb remained.

It was enough to maintain a small supply of Qi Gathering Pills if needed.

The field opened up, revealing a large swath of empty black soil.

Chen Ping retrieved his purchases.

First, the Three Star Flowers.

He unwrapped the moss and dug shallow holes in the soft earth. He planted the ten seedlings with precision, packing the soil around their roots and watering them with the spiritual spring water stored in the space.

Next, the Origin Nourishing Fruit.

These needed depth. He dug ten holes, half a foot deep, and placed the dark, hard pits at the bottom. He covered them with loose soil and soaked the ground.

Finally, the Moonlight Grass.

The seeds were like silver dust. Chen Ping selected a flat patch of land and mixed the ten pouches together. He broadcast the seeds evenly, covering them with a dusting of fine soil before misting the area with water.

Moonlight Grass typically required actual moonlight to germinate. Chen Ping was banking on the Black Earth’s intrinsic energy to substitute for the lunar essence.

He stood back, wiping dirt from his hands.

With the twelve-fold time acceleration, these seeds would become a harvest in no time.

He looked around. The space was full again.

His gaze drifted to the corner, where the charred Soul Nourishing Wood lay next to the vibrant Five Elements Yin Spirit Vines.

The space was too small. If he wanted to plant the wood, if he wanted to expand his production… he needed more land.

He exited the space and dumped his remaining Spirit Stones onto the floor of his cottage.

One hundred stones.

It was time to feed the Jade Pendant.