Chapter 9: First Arrival at Qingshui Town

Days passed, and as Xiao Chen continued his diligent cultivation, the soul power within him gradually strengthened. However, Xiao Chen did not rush into alchemy, as he was still not very familiar with medicinal herbs.

Before alchemy, the most basic requirement is to understand the effects of various herbs. Currently, the herbs in the storage ring left by Bahun were all ordinary herbs, with nothing particularly precious, and the variety was limited. Xiao Chen needed to learn about them himself.

"I've been cultivating for more than ten days now. My current soul power should be enough to refine a first-grade pill, but it's not the right time yet, and I don't have the herbs needed to refine a first-grade pill," Xiao Chen muttered to himself, a happy smile on his face.

If the alchemists on the Tianyue Continent knew that he had developed enough soul power to refine a first-grade pill in just over ten days of cultivation, they would be shocked.

Soul power is much harder to cultivate than true essence. Xiao Chen had only cultivated for a little more than ten days and already possessed soul power, which would astonish all alchemists.

Looking at his clothes, which had become tattered and unwearable due to cultivation, Xiao Chen couldn't help but smile wryly, "My clothes are in tatters, and my shoes are worn out. I look so shabby."

Despite his shabby appearance, Xiao Chen was very pleased and happy because, after ten months of cultivation, he had not only become an early-stage Heart Movement cultivator but also a first-grade alchemist!

"There's no point in returning to Fengyue City now. I should head to Tiandu. I've been cultivating for nearly a year. Without actual combat experience, high cultivation is useless," Xiao Chen said. He had initially planned to leave after breaking through to the Heart Movement stage, but the discovery of the alchemy technique had delayed him by half a month.

Cultivation is important, but combat experience is even more crucial. Xiao Chen had never been in a real fight; the most he had seen were the sparring matches among disciples in the Immortal Dao Sect.

"Goodbye, and thank you for accompanying me for almost a year!" Xiao Chen said to the cave with a smile. After watching for a while, he turned and left, heading towards Tiandu.

Xiao Chen had no money or crystals, so taking a carriage was out of the question. He had to travel on foot, treating it as part of his cultivation. Besides, the road to Tiandu was very long.

Ever since his body had been cleansed by divine blood, Xiao Chen had never felt tired. In the cave, he could practice swordsmanship from morning till night without feeling fatigued. This extraordinary physical condition amazed him.

Leaving the cave, Xiao Chen swiftly traversed the mountains and forests, jumping from tree to tree like a monkey. In the blink of an eye, he had disappeared from sight.

In just an hour, Xiao Chen had crossed several mountains. In the past, he would have been exhausted halfway up a single mountain.

As he swiftly moved, Xiao Chen laughed happily, "My physique is indeed much stronger than before. I've crossed several mountains and don't feel tired at all. No wonder the disciples of the Immortal Dao Sect are so happy when they break through."

After another hour, Xiao Chen arrived at a small town called Qingshui Town, a necessary stop on the way to Tiandu.

Entering Qingshui Town, Xiao Chen, dressed in tattered and dirty white clothes and barefoot, immediately attracted the attention of the town's cultivators. The rate at which people turned to look at him was almost 100%!

"Hey, who is that kid? He looks like a beggar!" a cultivator exclaimed, looking at Xiao Chen curiously.

"Who is this kid? I've never seen him in Qingshui Town before. He looks so unfamiliar."

"He's barefoot, and there's a sword on his back! Strange, I can't see his cultivation level."

"He has such a determined look in his eyes, and he seems very calm."

Xiao Chen was not annoyed by these curious looks; instead, he was happy. These looks were merely curious, without any mockery or disdain, unlike the looks he received in Fengyue City. He enjoyed these curious looks.

"I don't have any money or crystals now, so I guess I'll have to pawn the herbs left by Senior Bahun to get some. Otherwise, dressed like this, people will definitely laugh at me," Xiao Chen muttered to himself.

After asking around, Xiao Chen found his way to the pawnshop in Qingshui Town. The shop was busy with people trading and others contemplating whether to sell their items due to the low prices offered.

After exchanging some herbs for crystals, Xiao Chen went to a clothing shop and bought a new set of clothes. Changing out of his tattered clothes, he looked much more spirited.

Dressed in clean white clothes, with neatly combed hair and a youthful, handsome face, Xiao Chen looked like a different person compared to his previous shabby self. With a sword on his back, he appeared quite imposing. No one would recognize him as the boy who had just been wearing tattered clothes.

With new clothes and a happy heart, Xiao Chen left the shop. After eating flowers, grass, and tree bark for almost a year in the cave, he was tired of it. Now that he had crystals, he decided to have a big meal.

After a satisfying meal, Xiao Chen planned to leave Qingshui Town and continue his journey to Tiandu. Although Qingshui Town had cultivators, their cultivation levels were very low, even lower than those in Fengyue City. Qingshui Town was just a temporary resting place.

Tiandu, however, was different. It was said to be filled with experts, with strength surpassing even that of the Yang family. Many of Tiandu's cultivators trained independently, often going to the nearby Beast Mountain Range to practice.

The Beast Mountain Range, as the name suggests, was home to various powerful beasts. The cultivators of Tiandu often went there to train.

Although Tiandu was far from Fengyue City, Xiao Chen had heard of the Beast Mountain Range since he was a child. This was one of the reasons he wanted to go to Tiandu—to train and improve his cultivation. Only through continuous battles could he break through his limits and gain valuable combat experience!

After paying with a low-grade crystal, Xiao Chen left.

Feeling full and energetic, he left Qingshui Town and entered a dense forest. The cool breeze blowing through the trees made him even happier.

"Hey, boss, a kid just entered the forest!" In the forest, a burly man pointed at Xiao Chen, who was happily walking.

"Ha ha, we've got a mark today. It's just a kid; you guys can handle him," the boss said, a lewd smile appearing on his face, his eyes flashing with cruelty.

Xiao Chen, who was happily walking, noticed the burly men. Seeing their expressions, he knew they were trouble, but he wasn't worried.

"Kid, hand over your money and crystals, and we'll let you pass. Otherwise, we'll break your arms," a burly man shouted, glaring fiercely at Xiao Chen with a menacing look.