I am grinding experience in another world

“`

The next day.

At the foot of Eagle Grief Cliff, in the market district.

Chen Mu curiously looked at the bamboo buildings in the marketplace, each elevated one to two meters off the ground.

It was said that before Jilong Road had arrived, this place was a large mutual trade fortress.

The original powers had been driven out, and it became a market district overseen by a different estate.

Inside a certain pharmacy.

“Customer, the total is one hundred and twenty-three White Jade Coins,” said the thin, dark-skinned shopkeeper.

“That’s twice as expensive as Jade Spring Mountain, isn’t it?!” Chen Mu couldn’t help but exclaim.

Although he wasn’t short on White Jade now, he couldn’t just waste money like that.

“As you mentioned, that’s the price at Jade Spring Mountain.” The dark-skinned shopkeeper shrugged, “The herbs were transported from a long way, taking great risks. It’s only reasonable for the price to go up a little, no?”

“What kind of risks could there be?”

I think they’re just gouging prices to swindle people!

“What else but the remnants of wild cultivators from Eagle Grief Cliff?” said the thin, dark-skinned shopkeeper helplessly, “Our transport teams have been frequently ambushed by them.”

“With three mountains already taken, people still dare to provoke Jilong Road?” Chen Mu was quite surprised.

“You also know that we have taken three mountains; it’s quite normal for the remnants of the local powers to retaliate against Jilong Road,” the shopkeeper spread his hands.

Miscalculation, miscalculation!

I should have stocked up on herbs back at Jade Spring Mountain, Chen Mu regretted in his heart.

“They’re just annoying flies. They’re incapable of confronting us head-on and can only cause us trouble in secret. The Inspection Courtyard will deal with them sooner or later,” the thin, dark-skinned shopkeeper said confidently.

Chen Mu nodded involuntarily.

Jilong Road was investing more and more power into Jade Spring Mountain.

The local powers on the East Ridge side had no large Dao Sects and couldn’t withstand Jilong Road; they were bound to be expelled and dispersed eventually.

“The prices should get a bit cheaper by then. If you’re not in a hurry, you could wait,” the thin, dark-skinned shopkeeper suggested.

“No need for that.”

He was buying these herbs for testing; it didn’t matter if they were expensive.

And no matter how expensive, he couldn’t spend more than the cost of a Rejuvenation Pill.

“If it has even one-tenth of its efficacy, I will be very satisfied,” Chen Mu thought with anticipation.

After purchasing over a hundred jin of fresh Exotic Beast Meat, he was about to leave when he noticed the signboard for Hundred Treasures Pavilion, and on impulse, Chen Mu walked in.

…

“Sword Qi Talisman?” The forty-something-year-old shopkeeper of Hundred Treasures Pavilion said with a smile, “We have them, five hundred White Jade Coins each.”

Chen Mu’s mouth twitched immediately.

Are they that expensive?

Recalling how he had thrown three to four dozen just one night, his heart couldn’t help but clench.

What he threw was not Talismans; it was more than twenty thousand White Jade Coins!

He had only about thirty-seven thousand White Jade Coins on him. That was like throwing away most of his fortune in one go!

He had previously thought about stocking up on Sword Qi Talismans to throw at enemies in abundance.

I can’t afford this, I just can’t!

“What about the Spiritual Light Talismans?” Chen Mu asked.

“Those are cheaper, just one hundred White Jade Coins each. How many would you like?” the shopkeeper asked with a friendly smile.

Chen Mu’s mouth twitched again, “I… I’ll look around some more.”

“Take your time, customer,” said the shopkeeper with a knowing smile.

Chen Mu could only pretend to look before he quickly and awkwardly left.

Ah… I’ll never learn that tactic of throwing Talismans indiscriminately that the Sun brothers used.

That’s a luxury only wealthy players can afford.

“The Sun brothers died deservedly!” Chen Mu thought bitterly.

“All that money, surely gained from exploiting and cheating others.”

“I did say I was a good person, killing them was simply enforcing justice on behalf of Heaven!”

…

One month later.

Chen Mu’s wooden building.

Ten meters underground, there was a secret chamber about the size of three bedrooms.

Digging secret chambers and tunnels in new places had become a habit ingrained in Chen Mu’s bones.

In the past, he had to move everything bit by bit with the Five Ghosts Moving Mountain technique.

Now, with Point Ground into Steel, he was able to make soil and rock soft or hard at will, making the construction of secret chambers more convenient and swift.

“It’s a pity that the tunnels are far from complete.”

With his experience on Mist Smoke Mountain, Chen Mu dared not recklessly use the Truthful Listening Technique to probe for underground water veins for fear of being discovered by those with the Condensing Aperture ability. He could only expand little by little downward.

“`

He flipped his right hand.

A ghastly pale bone sphere materialized before his eyes.

Mana surged, and with a buzz, the bone sphere expanded, enveloping Chen Mu in the blink of an eye.

“At least I have some sense of safety now,” he said.

The Kui Water Yin Thunder from Sun Jian had cast a great psychological shadow over him.

“I wonder how much that secret technique is worth.”

If he could get his hands on it, he would definitely want to practice it.

Its formidable power and speed made Chen Mu both fearful and full of longing.

Unfortunately, it seemed the Scripture Transmission Institute had not included the Kui Water Yin Thunder Secret Technique. It might very well be a secret passed down within the Sun Family.

“The Spirit Nourishing Curse must continue to be recited.”

The Yang Error Bone Shield could still grow.

Chen Mu narrowed his eyes, “If I face Sun Jian again, as long as the Yang Judge Bone Shield blocks the fatal strike, relying on the sharp surprise attack of the Yin Error Moon Blade, heh heh… there might be a chance to escape.”

Of course, it would be best if he could condense his own Divine Orifice.

Then he wouldn’t be afraid of Sun Jian.

Chen Mu pulled out the gray wall.

Netherworld Grand Summary: 2290/10000/Second Rank;

Within the Jade Seed, around the silver filigree sphere, another layer of mesh-like talismans formed from stars of silver thread had appeared.

“Ordinary medicinal soups really don’t compare to Rejuvenation Pills.” Lately, he had been testing the effects of ordinary supplements.

In the past, he took a Rejuvenation Pill every three days. Now, combining hefty medicinal soups with a vigorous consumption of Exotic Beast Meat, he had changed to taking a Rejuvenation Pill every four days.

“The effect ultimately isn’t as good. It should be over two thousand seven hundred experience by now.”

After pondering for a while, Chen Mu decided to cultivate with all his might, no longer sparing the Rejuvenation Pills.

“If it comes down to it, I’ll just fly back to Jade Spring Mountain.”

“Using the Five Ghosts Yin Spirit to become invisible and hidden, I should be able to avoid dangers along the way.”

Having made up his mind, he took a Rejuvenation Pill and dove into the Linglong training ground to cultivate.

Eagle Grief Cliff was no comparison to Jade Spring Mountain.

The location of his wooden tower was already not bad, but the concentration of Earth Spirit Vital Energy was only half that of the Jade Spring Mountain cave abode.

Now, as he cultivated Condensing Aperture, his mana consumption was high, and the demand for external Earth Spirit Vital Energy was great, making it necessary to utilize the Exquisite Jade Plate.

“It’s just six White Jade Coins a day, no big deal at all,” Chen Mu wasn’t concerned.

Thinking back to five or six years ago, when he first arrived at Jilong Road in Yunzhou, how he counted every single White Jade Coin and spent it cautiously, it was truly hard and difficult.

Luckily, he now mastered how to refine Fasting Pills. He had indeed achieved the freedom to use the Exquisite Jade Plate.

…

Several days later.

Chen Mu went down the mountain to purchase food.

As soon as he walked into the Market Fortress, something felt off.

Several shops had closed their doors, and passersby were hurrying along. Many carried large and small bags, all stocking up on a large number of items.

On the north side of the fortress, the stench of blood filling his nostrils, Chen Mu headed straight to a familiar butchery.

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“Lu Tu, cut me two hundred pounds of fresh meat, the good stuff.”

“Only one hundred pounds of pork rabbit left, do you want it?” Lu Tu asked, his robust body shaking as he spoke hoarsely.

“No Wind Marcher?”

From his years of experience as a trained chef, pork rabbit meat was tender and delicious, but its benefits to the body were incomparable to Wind Marcher.

He was now cultivating Condensing Aperture and needed the substantial nourishment from Exotic Beast Meat.

Having top-notch culinary skills, he wasn’t worried about the taste being inferior.

“Gone, all snatched up,” Lu Tu shook his head helplessly.

“What’s going on…” Chen Mu turned, gesturing toward the bustling crowd on the street.

“A group of mysterious Wild Cultivators attacked and destroyed three supply transport teams consecutively.”

“Isn’t everyone afraid that prices will go up again, and rushing to stock up?”

Chen Mu was taken aback, “That group hasn’t settled down.”

“Once they dive into the deep mountains and forests, who can find them?” Lu Tu said with a helpless face, “Those people are more familiar with East Ridge than we are.”

Guerrilla tactics? Chen Mu was stunned.

Indeed, that would be hard to track.

“No movement from the compound?”

“I heard that the Inspection Courtyard has already assembled teams to sweep the mountains,” Lu Tu said with a relaxed expression. “They should be able to clear the transport roads soon.”

“Well, that’s good,” Chen Mu nodded.

“Pack up these hundred pounds of boiled rabbit meat for me.”