Chapter 137: Are You Interested in Selling?

Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Are You Interested in Selling?

"Senior Brother, there’s no need to rush. It’s not like I’m short on Spirit Stones anyway."

Liu Chen walked right out of his room, and Ren Xunchun slowly emerged from another.

"I’m sorry to disturb you all..."

Yuan Hui watched them, feeling even more awkward.

"Don’t mention it, Senior Brother. You know my situation; I have to suppress the poison day and night."

Ren Xunchun shook his head. He and Yuan Hui had become Inner Sect Disciples at the same time, but Yuan Hui had joined Purple Cloud Valley a little earlier, so calling him "Senior Brother" was appropriate.

Yuan Hui gave a sheepish laugh, his gaze falling on Liu Chen. He had expected to see an arrogant Spirit Chef, especially since the previous Spirit Chef’s disciple had left a rather poor impression on them.

But this Spirit Chef looked to be in even worse shape than him—not in terms of physical injuries, but his mental state. An overwhelming sense of exhaustion seemed to radiate from him, leaving Yuan Hui momentarily at a loss for words.

"As you can see, Senior Brother, I’ve been suffering from insomnia for a long time."

Liu Chen shrugged. He hadn’t been able to rest peacefully in Fire Dragon Valley, and it had become a habit. It had been half a month now. If he actually tried to rest, he might sleep for an entire day, so he had no choice but to push through it.

"This can’t go on. I have a Concentration Technique here that can alleviate fatigue and restore your energy. If you don’t mind, Junior Brother, please take it."

Yuan Hui took a Secret Manual from his Storage Ring and handed it to Liu Chen. It was a Basic Magic Technique he had acquired a long time ago. To this day, it had only been useful for alleviating mental fatigue. He’d once thought the five hundred Spirit Stones he spent on it were a waste, but who could have imagined it would come in handy one day.

"How about this, Senior Brother? I can’t take advantage of you. Let’s just say I’m buying this Magic from you for one thousand Spirit Stones."

Liu Chen reached out and took the Secret Manual. He didn’t know Yuan Hui very well and would feel bad just accepting it. However, since the other man still owed him Spirit Stones, it wasn’t like he’d be losing out.

"Nonsense, Junior Brother. This Magic would cost five hundred Spirit Stones at most."

Yuan Hui hesitated. If this Magic could help improve their relationship, that would be for the best. He wouldn’t lose out on the sale either, but if the other disciples in Purple Cloud Valley found out about this one-thousand-Spirit-Stone deal, he’d probably be chewed out.

"Rest easy, Senior Brother. This is Fire Dragon Valley. In Purple Cloud Valley, a single serving of Spiritual Cuisine is only two thousand Spirit Stones."

Liu Chen put the Secret Manual away and then took out one thousand Spirit Stones from his Storage Ring.

Seeing this, Yuan Hui could only accept the Spirit Stones with a sigh of resignation. In any case, this Magic had ultimately reduced his total debt by one thousand Spirit Stones. He was one step closer to saving up the twenty thousand Spirit Stones needed to pay for his past recklessness.

"It’s getting late. Everyone should go back and rest. I’ll walk Junior Brother Yuan out."

Seeing that the matter was settled, Xie Xichen pulled Yuan Hui and walked him out of the courtyard. After the two left, Liu Chen yawned, said a brief goodbye to Yang Haichen and Ren Xunchun, and went back to his room.

Ren Xunchun and Yang Haichen exchanged a few pleasantries before also returning to their own rooms.

In the alley outside the courtyard, Xie Xichen and Yuan Hui walked side by side.

"You don’t need to feel so burdened. In fact, most Inner Sect Disciples don’t pay much attention to family matters. Last time was just a coincidence. As for the debt, almost every fellow disciple in Purple Cloud Valley at or near the Meridian Passage Realm is in debt. By the time the trial ends, Ren Xunchun and I conservatively estimate our debt will be around two hundred thousand Spirit Stones."

Xie Xichen spoke slowly. At first, the words weren’t really sinking in for Yuan Hui, but after hearing the final amount, he stared at Xie Xichen in astonishment, wondering if he had misheard.

"It’s exactly what you’re thinking. A pity there are only four rooms in that courtyard, otherwise you’d probably be able to live there too."

Xie Xichen patted Yuan Hui’s shoulder and turned to leave.

Yuan Hui watched his retreating back and felt a sense of relief wash over him. When he walked back to his own courtyard, the few Inner Sect Disciples gathered there greeted him with congratulatory voices. Yuan Hui thought these people were quite pragmatic; they were the same ones who had shut their doors and avoided him when he lost yesterday, and now they were the ones celebrating with him today.

Back in his room, Yuan Hui felt a sense of clarity. ’I did fail, but that doesn’t mean I can’t succeed. I did indirectly offend Liu Chen by targeting Yang Haichen, but that doesn’t mean the situation is beyond repair. Instead of dwelling on such trivialities, I should just focus on my cultivation.’

Meanwhile, after returning to his room, Liu Chen continued to practice the Spirit Wheel Skill. By the time he was ready to prepare breakfast, another three hours had passed. The number of Spirit Wheels dancing around him had increased from five to seven, and his Spirit Wheel Skill had entered the Perfection Realm.

After breakfast, Liu Chen didn’t continue practicing the Spirit Wheel Skill in his room. Instead, he began studying the new Concentration Technique. If this Magic could truly alleviate his mental fatigue, it would drastically improve his condition.

Even Liu Chen himself could tell; if he kept on in this state, it wouldn’t be long before every disciple in Purple Cloud Valley would be watching him constantly.

In the three hours between his morning cultivation session and lunch, Liu Chen successfully gained three thousand Proficiency points in the Concentration Technique.

It cost one hundred Proficiency points to reach the Beginner level of the Concentration Technique, five hundred for Minor Success, and one thousand for Great Success. In just that short amount of time, Liu Chen had already raised his Concentration Technique to the Great Success level.

[Concentration Technique: Great Success, 1400/5000]

When practicing the Concentration Technique, Spiritual Power would surge into his mind, bringing with it a cooling sensation. At first, it wasn’t very noticeable, but after three hours of practice, Liu Chen’s mental state had improved by seventy percent.

It wasn’t just others; Liu Chen himself felt a deep sense of mental relaxation.

’From now on, I’ll practice the Concentration Technique for two hours every day.’

Having experienced this effect, Liu Chen secretly made up his mind. ’Perhaps after the Concentration Technique evolves into a unique skill, it could completely replace sleep. But this Magic, just like the Solid Spirit Technique, can be practiced whenever it’s used throughout the day. There’s no need to chase efficiency in the short term.’

At lunch, Liu Chen clearly noticed that the gazes of the other three held a hint of relief. He breathed a secret sigh of relief himself. ’If my previous state had lasted a few more days, they probably would have forced me to rest.’

"Senior Brother Xie, I was wondering if you had any intention of selling the Recovery Technique you’ve mastered?"

After lunch, Liu Chen couldn’t help but ask Xie Xichen. The Recovery Technique was quite powerful. ’Even at the Beginner level, it can reduce swelling, stop pain, and make wounds scab over. If I cultivated it to Great Success or even Perfection, wouldn’t a single cast of the Magic take a person from the verge of death to perfect health?’

"You want to learn it, Junior Brother?"

Xie Xichen couldn’t help but look over. He had no intention of hoarding it. ’I bought this Recovery Technique from a street stall for three hundred Spirit Stones back in the day. With Liu Chen’s means, if he wants to learn it, he could easily buy a similar one anywhere.’

Liu Chen nodded. ’If I get injured in the future, the Recovery Technique will undoubtedly be a lifesaver. I’m not naive enough to think I’ll never get hurt.’

"Wait a moment, Junior Brother. I’ll go and write down the Recovery Technique in a Secret Manual for you."

Xie Xichen nodded in agreement and went straight back into his room. ’Finally, a chance to pay back part of my debt,’ he thought.