Several days later, Mo Tiange concluded her alchemy practice.
Of course, she hadn't used up all seven or eight hundred portions of pill materials yet. However, after over a hundred alchemy experiments, she had gained a preliminary grasp of the entire process and had successfully refined about five or six finished pills.
A mere half-percent pill formation success rate was low, but considering she was a beginner, it was perfectly normal. Even a master alchemist only achieved a five or six out of ten success rate for pills of the same rank, while ordinary alchemists could only manage three out of ten. Still, this result frustrated her a little. No wonder the Ye family wasn't proficient in alchemy. With results like these, if she were in a sect, she'd definitely be categorized as having no talent whatsoever.
Knowing her talent was lacking, Mo Tiange set her sights low. She only aimed to reach the two or three out of ten success rate of an ordinary alchemist. Given her current preliminary understanding of alchemy, she figured that by using up all seven or eight hundred portions of materials, she could achieve a three-out-of-ten success rate. Then she could move on to learning more difficult pill formulas.
Judging by the formula, the Foundation-Solidifying Pill was a particularly difficult pill to refine. Its hand seals were complex, and the control required over the dantian's true fire was extremely meticulous. It wasn't something that could be mastered quickly.
After carefully calculating the costs again, Mo Tiange realized she had been overly optimistic. This time, she had only been refining the most common pills to familiarize herself with alchemy, yet she had still spent nearly two hundred Spirit Stones. If she moved on to more difficult ones, the remaining three thousand-plus Spirit Stones probably wouldn't be enough to buy materials. And with her current pill formation success rate, the idea of selling pills to buy materials to fund further practice was just a pipe dream.
Furthermore, the materials for the Foundation-Solidifying Pill itself weren't cheap. Those two stalks of Purple Ganoderma and Green Fern, each over five hundred years old, would probably cost over a thousand Spirit Stones combined. Even if she were lucky enough to advance her alchemy skills to the point of refining the Foundation-Solidifying Pill using her three thousand-plus Spirit Stones, she still wouldn't be able to afford the materials.
After a moment of headache, Mo Tiange suddenly came to her senses and couldn't help but laugh at herself for worrying unnecessarily. She had just started learning alchemy. By the time she could refine the Foundation-Solidifying Pill, who knew how many years it would be? She didn't have to cultivate as arduously as before anymore. If she worked for a few years, she'd surely earn enough. Besides, even if she obtained the Foundation-Solidifying Pill, she wasn't confident she would succeed in her Foundation Establishment on the first try. If she failed, she'd have to compete for a Foundation Establishment Pill again in ten years, and if that didn't work, another ten years after that... She was only twenty now. She still had over a hundred years. What was there to fear?
Thinking this, Mo Tiange extricated herself from the endless cycle of alchemy.
Now, with less than half a month until the Tiandao Sect's Immortal Platform Meet, the crowd at the mountain foot town was growing larger. Fortunately, she had rented the house a few days earlier. Otherwise, she'd be sleeping outdoors by now.
Walking on the main street, watching the stream of cultivators, Mo Tiange strolled along with the flow. She was now at Qi Refining Perfection, with hopes of Foundation Establishment, and possessed considerable wealth. Everything was going smoothly, except for the matter of her Second Uncle nearing his end—something she was utterly powerless to change.
A cultivator's lifespan was related to their cultivation level and maintenance. The most important factor was cultivation realm; the higher the realm, the longer the lifespan. Advancing a major realm added at least a hundred years of life. For example, a Qi Refining cultivator's lifespan ranged from one to two hundred years. Cultivators before the fourth layer of Qi Refining typically only lived to what mortals called a ripe old age of a hundred. Breaking through to the fourth layer allowed one to live to around one hundred and fifty. If one's cultivation was extremely profound, reaching the peak of Qi Refining Perfection, one could basically live to two hundred. However, advancing from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment added at least another hundred years!
Her Second Uncle was originally at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. With good maintenance, he could have lived at least another fifty years. But the injury he suffered a few years ago was too severe. Now, though he was only nearing three hundred years old, his lifespan was about to end.
Since there was no hope of him advancing, the only way to keep him alive would be to consume Longevity Pills, each adding a hundred years of life. But Longevity Pills hadn't appeared for centuries. Even if one did appear, who knew how many Nascent Soul cultivators would fight over it? How could it possibly reach someone like them?
With a low-spirited laugh, Mo Tiange followed the crowd onto the path leading up the mountain. They were just minor cultivators. Those peerless spiritual pills had no place in their lives. They could only accept their fate.
The Tiandao Sect's mountain gate truly lived up to its reputation as the number one sect in Kunwu. The entire gate was carved from a single massive piece of spiritual jade. Under the sunlight, it refracted a spectrum of colors, radiant and dazzling. Clouds drifted and flowed around it, giving one the feeling of an immortal realm.
Mo Tiange couldn't help but sigh. No wonder the Tiandao Sect's emblem was an immortal gate with auspicious clouds. Anyone who had seen their mountain gate would find it hard to forget this sight.
Not being a Tiandao Sect disciple, and with the Immortal Platform Meet not yet open, she naturally couldn't enter the mountain gate. Like all the sightseers, she made a turn and headed back down the mountain.
She didn't feel much envy toward the Tiandao Sect. Even though the Yunwu Sect was far inferior, a sect was just a sect. It was merely that the Tiandao Sect offered better treatment. Of course, she wasn't dismissing sects entirely. Although she had long planned to leave the Yunwu Sect, her ultimate goal was only to escape trouble. Eventually, she still needed to find a sect to settle in. If for no other reason, it was easier to rest under a big tree; it saved a lot of trouble.
Returning to the mountain foot town and remembering she was out of Spirit-Replenishing Pills, Mo Tiange stepped into the Hundred Herb Hall.
Inside the Hundred Herb Hall, the counter was still surrounded by crowds. Seeing the layers of people, Mo Tiange didn't want to squeeze through. Besides, Spirit-Replenishing Pills weren't anything special; she could buy them elsewhere just as easily. She was about to turn and leave when she caught sight of the old man who had sold her materials and pill formulas that day, still sitting in the same corner, waving at her. Hmm, was he calling her?
Seeing her stop, the old man waved even more vigorously.
Mo Tiange approached with curiosity. "Are you calling me?"
The old man smiled and cupped his hands toward her. "Of course. Fellow Daoist, what are you here to buy today?"
Mo Tiange said, "Just some Spirit-Replenishing Pills."
"Oh?" The old man looked at her more carefully. "Could it be you're also here for the Immortal Platform Meet?"
Mo Tiange neither confirmed nor denied it. "Is there something you need, Fellow Daoist?"
The old man smiled again, his eyes crinkling. "Nothing much. It's just that we've met once before. Seeing you suddenly, this old man wanted to say hello. Also, if you need anything else, why not tell me? I might be able to help."
Mo Tiange gave him a wary look. She was just here to buy Spirit-Replenishing Pills. She shouldn't be conspicuous at all. Why did this person seem to want to establish a connection?
The old man was shrewd. Seeing her expression, he waved his hand. "Don't misunderstand, Fellow Daoist. This old man just has some news that might be useful to you."
News? Mo Tiange looked at him questioningly.
The old man fished out a piece of beast-hide parchment from somewhere and handed it over with a meaningful look. "You might be interested."
Mo Tiange took the parchment. At the top, a line of characters read: Hu Family Shop Sales Fair Inventory List.
She looked up at the old man before her, waiting for his explanation.
The old man leaned closer. "The Hu Family is the largest cultivation family in our Tiandao Sect. In this mountain foot town, apart from the shops belonging to the sect, the Hu Family holds the most influence. This Sales Fair is for clearing out some of their premium inventory."
Mo Tiange was puzzled. "If they're premium goods, how do they become inventory?"
The old man chuckled. "You might not know, Fellow Daoist, but there are far too many types of spiritual herbs and materials in this world. Some things, though rare and premium, might not find a buyer for a very long time. Any large shop, once it's been open for a while, accumulates many such premium goods. If they want to sell them, it's not convenient to just put them on the counter. Even if they did, the counter probably wouldn't have enough space. But not selling them ties up a lot of the shop's capital. So, some large shops hold a clearance sale every thirty to fifty years, organizing a Sales Fair. At that time, all the items for sale are displayed for people to choose from. However, with premium goods everywhere, the attendees of the Sales Fair aren't ordinary cultivators. They're carefully selected, reliable individuals."
The last sentence surprised Mo Tiange. "If that's the case, why are you telling me, Fellow Daoist?"
The old man glanced at her, a sly smile on his face. "Because I see you have considerable assets, conduct yourself with great steadiness, and your cultivation is decent. I figure you should be qualified to attend this Sales Fair."
"Oh?" Mo Tiange raised an eyebrow. "Who are you, Fellow Daoist, to decide the qualifications for the Sales Fair?"
The old man smiled with narrowed eyes, looking rather pleased with himself. "Although this old man isn't a high-level cultivator, I am a member of the Hu Family. Every Hu Family cultivator has the right to recommend one or two people to the Sales Fair."
"I see." No wonder this old man's cultivation was so low, yet his job was quite good. He had backing.
Seeing her acknowledge but not respond further, the old man blinked his beady eyes. "Don't you want to go, Fellow Daoist? There's a good chance of finding some bargains there."
Mo Tiange continued flipping through the beast-hide parchment, then looked at the old man unhurriedly. "You get some benefit for recommending people, don't you, Fellow Daoist?"
The old man was taken aback, then stroked his beard with a somewhat crafty smile. "Indeed. If a guest buys something, the recommender gets a one-percent commission. It's not much, but it's a little something for the effort."
Mo Tiange could tell at a glance the old man wasn't telling the whole truth. The benefits were certainly more than he said. But she couldn't be bothered to expose him over such a minor matter and continued slowly browsing the sales list.
Seeing her like this, the old man grew a bit anxious and couldn't help asking, "So, are you going, Fellow Daoist?"
After looking through all the sale items, Mo Tiange smiled. "I'll go to broaden my horizons. It's fine if I don't buy anything, right?"
Hearing this, the old man relaxed and nodded with a smile. "You just need to pay a two-Spirit Stone entrance fee."
"Two Spirit Stones?"
The old man showed that slightly sly smile again. "Don't tell me you can't afford it, Fellow Daoist. This old man has a bit of an eye for people. You don't look extravagantly wealthy, but you should have a decent amount of assets. Besides, with so many premium goods, even just to see the spectacle, two Spirit Stones isn't expensive."
This old man, having mixed in the marketplace, indeed had sharp eyes. Mo Tiange smiled and nodded. "Alright, thank you. When is this Sales Fair held, and what are the rules?"
Hearing this, the old man took out a wooden token and handed it over.
Mo Tiange took it. It was made of ordinary material. One side was carved with the character "Hu," the other with the number "125."
The old man explained, "This number is your identifier. There might be gifts given out later. Also, you need the token to make purchases, so you mustn't lose it. After the Sales Fair ends, the Hu Family will naturally take it back."
Mo Tiange nodded.
The old man continued, "Tomorrow evening at the hour of Xu is when the Sales Fair begins. At that time, come to the back door of the Qingfeng Pavilion not far from here. Someone will receive you."
"As for the buying and selling format, it's free selection, first come first served. You don't need to worry about conflicts with others."
Mo Tiange was quite satisfied. She lifted the beast-hide parchment in her hand. "Can I keep this?"
The old man beamed. "Of course. Since you're going, it's meant for you. However, please don't spread it around."
"Naturally. Then I'll take my leave for now."
The old man made a "please" gesture. "As you wish."
With a final cupped-hand salute, Mo Tiange left the shop.
Walking on the road, she lifted the paper in her hand and smiled. Among the list of goods, one item was written: "One stalk of Purple Ganoderma, several hundred years old."