In the morning, Li Chen accompanied Alchemist Chen to the Medicinal Garden and identified dozens of first-order Spiritual Plants and Spirit Medicines.
In the afternoon, Li Chen followed Ink White to learn how to light and warm the furnace.
As night fell, Li Chen and Han Mao returned to the shantytown together.
Han Mao had changed a bit, speaking much less and becoming much more silent.
Since Han Mao didn't speak, Li Chen also had nothing to say to him.
Upon returning to the shantytown, Shu Chan had already been waiting for a long time.
"Brother Chen, you're back."
Shu Chan came forward, naturally taking Li Chen's arm, her smile gentle, her words soft, and her eyes full of affection.
"Brother Chen, I've thought it over carefully."
"Since we're going to be together, we need to get some things."
"I plan to buy a Cloud Bed, a Ice Silk Silkworm Quilt, two Black Jade Calming Pillows, a dressing cabinet... only then will it look like a home, don't you think?"
Han Mao stood aside, a forced smile on his chubby white face.
"Brother Chen, Sister Chan, I'll go back to Cultivate first."
After Han Mao left, Shu Chan continued, counting on her fingers,
"Brother Chen, I've calculated it. Acquiring these items will cost two hundred and twenty Spirit Stones."
"I've saved some money over the years, I have seventy Spirit Stones. Now we're still short one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones."
"Brother Chen, as long as these things can be acquired, we can become Dao Companions and live together."
Li Chen's eyes flickered slightly, and he said calmly,
"Chan'er, you're making things a bit difficult for me."
"I'm a handyman apprentice at the Divine Pill Pavilion, and I only earn two Spirit Stones a month. One hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, how can I possibly come up with that much?"
"Could it be that you never intended to be with me at all?"
"Brother Chen, what are you saying?"
"Since I agreed to become your Dao Companion, I naturally won't go back on my word. After becoming Dao Companions, we will live together and support each other on the Immortal Path."
"I don't ask you to buy an Immortal Cave built on a Spiritual Vein, but the place we live in should at least look like a home, right?"
"If you can't even meet this small request, how can I believe that you are sincere about becoming my Dao Companion?"
As Shu Chan spoke, her eyes reddened, and she looked pitiful.
Li Chen remained calm and said,
"But I really can't come up with that many Spirit Stones right now. How about we postpone it for a while?"
Shu Chan's gaze shifted.
"Brother Chen, although you can't come up with that many Spirit Stones, Linglong Fairy can."
"One hundred and twenty Spirit Stones is not a small sum for us, but in Linglong Fairy's eyes, it's nothing. Even a little something she scrapes out of her teeth would be worth far more than one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones."
"Brother Chen, given your relationship with Linglong Fairy, wouldn't it be easy to ask her for one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones?"
Li Chen looked at the beautiful woman beside him and sighed softly.
"Chan'er, if we don't have these one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, does that mean we can't become Dao Companions?"
Shu Chan, with red eyes, retorted,
"Brother Chen, are you truly sincere about becoming my Dao Companion?"
Li Chen gave a self-deprecating smile.
"Shu Xianzi, let's just drop this matter of us becoming Dao Companions. This humble Li will go back to Cultivate first."
With that, Li Chen walked straight back to his room and closed the door.
Shu Chan stood outside the door, her expression shifting, finally stomping her foot and muttering,
"He can't even come up with one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones. It seems your relationship with Linglong Fairy isn't that close after all. I guess I misjudged you."
Bang!
Shu Chan returned to her own room, and the sound of her slamming the door heavily reached Li Chen's ears.
Li Chen's expression was calm, not at all surprised.
Shu Chan was merely interested in his relationship with Linglong Fairy, but before becoming Dao Companions, she didn't forget to test whether Li Chen and Linglong Fairy truly had a close relationship.
Indeed, there are few fools in the Cultivation World.
Actually, if he really went to Linglong Fairy to borrow one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, Li Chen felt that Linglong Fairy would lend them.
But Li Chen was unwilling to do so.
If he really went to Linglong Fairy to borrow Spirit Stones, that would be ungrateful.
Li Chen would rather delay completing the System task than let Linglong Fairy form a bad impression of him.
As for why he didn't want to ruin his image in Linglong Fairy's eyes, Li Chen couldn't quite explain it.
Inside the room, Li Chen sat cross-legged on the cold, hard wooden bed, slowly closing his eyes, gradually emptying his thoughts, and then took out a Qi Cultivation Pill.
The Immortal Path is as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
Even though he had already obtained the second-order Alchemy Legacy, Li Chen dared not be arrogant or complacent, much less slack off.
In the Cultivation World, cultivation is the foundation.
If he only had Qi Refining (1st level) cultivation, even if Li Chen was given Spiritual Plants and Spirit Medicines for refining Medicinal Pills, he could only refine simple first-order low-grade Medicinal Pills like Pigu Pill, Spring Return Pill, Zhi Xue Pill, and Qi Cultivation Pill. He would definitely not be able to refine first-order Intermediate Medicinal Pills such as Harmonizing Qi Pill, Gathering Spirit Pill, and Yellow Sprout Pill.
Alchemy is not without requirements for cultivation.
It would certainly be a fantasy to ask a Qi Refining cultivator to refine second-order Medicinal Pills for Foundation Establishment cultivators, or third-order Medicinal Pills for Golden Core cultivators.
Li Chen didn't take the events of Today to heart.
It didn't matter if he couldn't find a Dao Companion right now and couldn't complete the System's first side quest. Li Chen believed that once he became a Qi Refining (3rd level) Cultivator and could refine Intermediate Medicinal Pills, finding a female Cultivator with a Spiritual Root to have children would definitely not be difficult.
There was more than just Shu Chan among the low-level female Cultivators in Yin Mountain Market.
A night passed, and when Li Chen awoke from his meditation again, his spiritual power had increased further, bringing him one step closer to Qi Refining (2nd level).
Since entering the Dao by introducing Qi into his body, Li Chen no longer needed to sleep; he could completely replace sleep with meditating and refining Qi.
Early in the morning, when Li Chen pushed open his door, Han Mao across the way was already awake.
Shu Chan was washing the spirit paper made from green bamboo. Seeing Li Chen, her gaze was cold, and she didn't even greet him.
Li Chen was indifferent to Shu Chan's attitude.
Little Fatty's gaze darted back and forth between Li Chen and Shu Chan.
On the way to the Divine Pill Pavilion, Little Fatty finally couldn't hold back and quietly asked Li Chen,
"Brother Chen, what happened between you and Sister Chan?"
Li Chen shrugged and calmly replied,
"Shu Xianzi wanted me to come up with one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones to buy a Cloud Bed, Ice Silk Silkworm Quilt, Black Jade Calming Pillow, dressing cabinet, and other items before she would agree to become my Dao Companion, but how could I possibly come up with that many Spirit Stones?"
"So, we broke up."
Little Fatty's eyes lit up, and his complexion visibly became rosy.
His eyes darted around. As they neared the Divine Pill Pavilion, he looked at Li Chen with hesitation and then blurted out,
"Brother Chen, can you lend me a Qi Cultivation Pill?"
Li Chen stopped and frowned at Little Fatty.
Little Fatty's gaze was firm, and he said in a deep voice,
"Brother Chen, I've been stuck at Qi Refining (3rd level) for a long time. I feel like I can try to Break Through to Qi Refining (4th level)."
"As long as you lend me a Qi Cultivation Pill, I'm confident I can break through the Qi Refining (3rd level) Bottleneck."
"Once I Break Through to the Qi Refining Middle Stage and gain Spiritual Sense, I can raise Spirit Stones to buy Magical Artifacts and then join the monster hunting team in the Market."
Li Chen looked at Little Fatty, and after a long moment, he raised his eyebrows.
"You want to resign from your job at the Divine Pill Pavilion after Breaking Through to Qi Refining (4th level), go hunt monsters to earn Spirit Stones, and then, once you've earned one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, become Dao Companions with Shu Chan?"
Han Mao nodded heavily, his eyes gleaming, his face filled with anticipation for the future.
Actually, Li Chen really wanted to tell Little Fatty that even if he risked his life to hunt monsters and earned one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, Shu Chan probably wouldn't be willing to become his Dao Companion.
Shu Chan's condition of one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones for Li Chen was her way of testing Li Chen's relationship with Linglong Fairy.
For Han Mao, one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones would definitely not be enough.
Moreover, if he gave Han Mao a Qi Cultivation Pill, would he definitely be able to break through the Qi Refining (3rd level) Bottleneck and advance to Qi Refining (4th level)?
Han Mao only had an eighth-grade Spiritual Root; a single Qi Cultivation Pill might not be enough to help him break through the Bottleneck.
Facing Han Mao's expectant gaze, Li Chen ultimately couldn't bring himself to tell him the truth, nor could he bear to discourage him.
Little Fatty took the Qi Cultivation Pill from Li Chen's hand. He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes and face full of gratitude.
"Brother Chen, don't worry, I will definitely repay this Qi Cultivation Pill, and I'll even calculate interest for you."
Li Chen waved his hand and walked towards the Pill Refining Room, ignoring Little Fatty.
A Qi Cultivation Pill is worth about seven Spirit Stones. Given that Little Fatty and he had a good relationship, he lent it. Li Chen didn't expect him to pay it back.
Read 80 CHAPTERS ahead
on Patreon! patreon.com/ZkFlow