Immortality and Cultivation: This old man seeks enlightenment through mere survival.

A gentle breeze rustled through the dense forest, creating waves of green.

Under the dappled shade of the trees, sunlight filters through the leaves and falls on the forest clearing, creating patches of light and shadow.

Scattered on the open ground were stones of varying sizes and wooden sticks of varying lengths.

Some sticks are straight and upright, some are bent and forked, some lean against stones, and some are stuck in the soil.

Some branches lay haphazardly, like abandoned paintbrushes.

These scattered items together form a chaotic yet somewhat bizarre pattern.

The patterns are intricately intertwined, seemingly without any discernible pattern.

But it also seems to conceal some mysterious and profound meaning, making people fall into endless reverie.

"This is so strange, I have absolutely no idea how to do it. This is just one of the basic array symbols for beginners, how can it be so difficult?"

A puzzled murmur came from the side. A figure squatted on the ground, scratching his messy silver hair, looking very confused.

The figure was none other than Lu Zaian.

After obtaining the "True Explanation of Talisman Arrays, Volume 1" from the Blood Spirit Orb, Lu Zaian became completely absorbed in it.

Unfortunately, half a month has passed, and Lu Zaian still hasn't figured out even the most basic array symbol.

"Forget it, don't rush things. I was too impatient. It's only half a month. I have plenty of time."

Lu Zaian scrambled the pattern on the ground, threw stones and sticks into the bushes to destroy the evidence, then stood up, clapped his hands, and muttered to himself.

"I'm struggling with the lack of materials to practice my talisman skills. Since I'm also not making any progress in the art of formations for the time being, I guess I'll have to go to Black Rock Market."

Heiyanfang City is more than ten miles north of here; this was information Lu Zaian received two years ago.

Out of caution, Lu Zaian chose to continue his secluded life in the mountains.

But it's different now.

With the bottleneck of the third level of Qi Refining blocking his progress, his Qi Refining cultivation could no longer increase.

The inheritance of talismans and formations cannot be improved in a short period of time.

To break through and increase one's strength, one can only seek out relevant breakthrough pills.

The only way Lu Zaian knew to obtain pills was through Black Rock Market.

Although there were indeed many pills inside the Blood Spirit Pearl, Lu Zaian didn't recognize any of them and didn't dare to try them rashly.

I'll just go to Black Rock Market to see if I can find out more about the cultivation world and brush up on some basic cultivation knowledge.

At least I'll know whether any of the pills I get later are poisonous.

The stack of spell talismans inside the Blood Spirit Orb gave Lu Zaian some confidence.

"We have talismans ranging from low-grade first rank to low-grade second rank, so there shouldn't be any unexpected problems, right? Unless we encounter a Foundation Establishment cultivator..."

"Pah, pah, pah... What are you saying? How can you curse yourself like that?"

Since we've already made the decision, let's get right to it.

Lu Zaian packed his things and headed north.

……

Nothing happened along the way. Lu Zaian walked out of the Black Soil Mountains and saw many lively villages of ordinary people along the way.

After asking the mortals for directions, they made subtle adjustments to their route.

Until the sun gradually sets in the west.

As Lu Zaian walked along, he witnessed the gradual change in the color of the clouds and sky, from golden yellow to a fiery red.

And finally, we arrived at our destination.

A bustling and prosperous market town lies ahead.

Many ordinary people and horse-drawn carriages gathered here, some carrying two or three bags on their way, and others carefully driving with their goods full.

Every now and then, cultivators would arrive riding on auspicious clouds and riding various magical treasures, streaking across the sky like shooting stars, and finally landing steadily in the array at the entrance of the market.

These cultivators were either dressed in flowing robes, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance; or clad in heavy armor, displaying imposing power; or wielding feather fans and wearing silk turbans, displaying graceful demeanor.

The magical artifacts they piloted were incredibly diverse; some resembled flying swords, radiating light; others were shaped like birds and beasts, exceptionally agile…

At this time, one can often attract envious glances from ordinary people.

Lu Zaian had already cleansed himself with water purification magic beforehand, and now he followed the mortals, quietly joining the group and appearing inconspicuous.

Black Rock Market

At the entrance, four large characters are engraved on the towering archway, and a strange wave connects the surroundings.

"Is this a formation?"

Lu Zaian noticed that from the outside, it looked like an ordinary market where mundane items were sold.

However, upon closer inspection, one can see that there is a faint glimmer of spiritual light inside, indicating that some kind of formation has been set up.

This kind of formation is obviously only accessible to cultivators. If a mortal were to accidentally enter, he would probably be torn to pieces by the formation immediately!

Lu Zaian first found a shop on the outskirts and bought a black robe and hat to wear in order to conceal himself.

Qi Refining cultivators only cultivate the spiritual sense of inner vision. Without special pupil techniques, this bamboo hat can provide some concealment.

If one is a Foundation Establishment cultivator with divine sense, a mere sweep of the eyes will reveal their true nature.

Of course, Foundation Establishment stage cultivators aren't as common as cabbages; they're not so easy to encounter.

"Hmm, what is this...?"

Suddenly, a pharmacy caught Lu Zaian's eye.

This pharmacy is located on the outskirts of the market, near the inner perimeter. Logically, it should just be a shop for ordinary transactions.

If Lu Zaian wasn't mistaken, a mortal was actually selling a spiritual herb to a shopkeeper.

"The Cold Silver Grass is worth ten taels of gold. Here, keep it."

The shopkeeper was an ordinary fat man, with a bulky figure and wearing luxurious clothes.

His chubby face was adorned with two neatly trimmed mustaches, and his beady green eyes gleamed with greed.

With a casual toss, he threw a large, heavy lump of gold onto the wooden counter with a dull thud, then shouted at the mortal in an arrogant voice.

"Shopkeeper... I heard from my fellow villagers that it used to be twelve taels of gold, didn't it?"

The man selling the elixirs was an honest, simple old farmer, covered in the smell of earth and looking incredibly weathered.

"Can't I lower the price? Take it or leave it, or get out!"

The fat shopkeeper showed no annoyance and was about to take the gold back from the counter.

"Wait, wait... Sell, sell!"

The old farmer hurriedly reached out and grabbed the gold. Although it was two taels less than the market price, it was enough for his family to live on for half a lifetime.

He thanked the heavens for allowing him to survive a near-death experience and obtain this miraculous herb.

After the old farmer left, Lu Zaian took the opportunity to move closer.

The fat shopkeeper had already noticed the guy standing to the side, who was completely hidden in a black robe and hat. The fat man was used to this kind of attire.

Many of the guys who came to trade were afraid of being seen by others, so they tried to cover themselves up in various ways.

What do you want to sell?

The fat shopkeeper, with his hoarse voice, clearly mistook Lu Zaian for an ordinary person who had come to sell medicinal herbs.

"Hehe... I'm not selling. But I'd like to ask the shopkeeper, can this elixir be traded for gold?"

Lu Zaian had seen that Cold Silver Grass in the novel "Nine Fiends Demon Body".

It is an auxiliary medicinal ingredient needed to refine a certain demon blood, belonging to the first-grade low-level spiritual medicine.

However, the fact that these cultivation resources could be traded for mortal gold was truly beyond Lu Zaian's expectations.

"Of course, what do you have? Hand it over. If it's of good quality, you'll get your share of the gold."

The fat shopkeeper slapped his chubby, pig-trotter-like hand on the counter, signaling Lu Zaian to hurry up.

"No, no, I want to buy that Cold Silver Grass from earlier. How about I offer fifteen taels of gold?"

Lu Zaian pointed to the Cold Silver Grass from earlier, thinking that if he could buy it with gold, he would have gotten a bargain.

"What? You're not selling? Didn't you see our shop sign? We only take in, we don't sell out! We only buy herbs, we don't sell to the public!"

Upon hearing this, the chubby shopkeeper quickly and patiently waved his hand, signaling Lu Zaian not to disturb his business.

Lu Zaian frowned. "Only in, no out? What does that mean?"

Or does this fat shopkeeper actually know the true value of that Cold Silver Grass?

"If you're not selling anything, don't block the way!"

The fat shopkeeper's hoarse voice rang out again, immediately attracting the attention of people near the shop.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zaian lowered the brim of his hat, not wanting to attract attention.

'Forget it, let's not complicate things. If we don't get any advantage, that's fine. The important thing is to get down to business.'

Just as Lu was about to turn and leave, a faint voice suddenly came from inside the shop.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment."