Three days later, precisely as promised, Kai stood before Elder Liu Renshu once more. The Elder eyed him with intense scrutiny, his impatience palpable. Without a word, Kai mentally retrieved the item from his dimension storage. A vibrant, fist-sized herb materialized in his hand with a soft golden shimmer.

  It was the Sunpetal Herb, perfect in every way. Its golden-yellow petals radiated a gentle warmth, pulsing with a dense, pure solar Qi that felt like captured sunlight. The aroma was fresh, invigorating, a stark contrast to the stale scent of dried herbs.

  Elder Liu gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief. He snatched the herb, bringing it close, his spiritual sense probing it intensely. He examined the petal structure, the stem, the faint energy signature resonating within. "Incredible… Perfect maturity… The solar Qi concentration is even higher than naturally grown peak specimens! How… How did you…?"

  "My methods are confidential, Elder," Kai repeated respectfully, keeping his expression neutral despite the relief flooding through him. "Is the herb satisfactory?"

  "Satisfactory?" Elder Liu let out a booming laugh, a mixture of disbelief and sheer joy. "It's magnificent! More than satisfactory! This will elevate the entire batch! Boy, you… you truly delivered!" He looked at Kai with newfound respect, his earlier suspicion replaced by awe and curiosity.

  Without further haggling, he produced another pouch. "The remaining two Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, as promised! And… take this as well." He added two more Mid-Grade Spirit Stones to the pouch. "A bonus, for exceeding expectations and solving my critical problem. If you ever… acquire… such unique items again, do not hesitate to seek me out."

  Kai accepted the pouch, the weight of four Mid-Grade Spirit Stones feeling substantial. "Thank you, Elder. I shall remember your generosity." He bowed and quickly took his leave before the Elder could ask more awkward questions.

  [Major Sale Complete! Earned: 200 System Points, 5 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones (Net Profit after System Cost: 3 Mid-Grade Stones + Bonus 2 = 5 Mid-Grade Stones).]

  [System Points Balance: ~50 + 200 = ~250]

  [System Debt: 522 Points]

  [New Task: Pay off System Debt (Priority High). Reward: Increased Credit Limit, System Store Discounts.]

  Back in the relative safety of the woodshed, Kai let out a long breath. He had done it. His massive debt was still there, but he now had a hefty chunk of points and, more importantly, five Mid-Grade Spirit Stones – equivalent to 500 Low-Grade fragments. This was serious capital.

  His first priority was the debt. He immediately accessed the system payment function.

  Apply 250 System Points towards System Debt.

  [Payment Received. System Debt: 522 - 250 = 272 Points.]

  [System Points Balance: 0]

  He had halved the point debt in one go. The remaining 272 points still loomed, but it felt manageable now, especially with the capital he held. Next, his own power. Qi Condensation Level 3 was good, but still far from dominant in the Outer Sect, let alone sufficient for the upcoming challenges he anticipated. With resources finally in hand, it was time for a serious upgrade.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  He converted one Mid-Grade Spirit Stone into 100 Low-Grade fragments via the system interface (the system acted as a convenient, if slightly lossy, money changer). He then accessed the System Store, browsing the cultivation consumables.

  The 'Qi Attunement Pill' had worked wonders before. But were there better options now that he had more capital?

  Concentrated Qi Pill (System Synthesized): Provides a dense burst of pure Qi, directly absorbable. Significantly accelerates progress within a minor realm. Minimal impurities. Cost: 50 System Points OR 250 Low-Grade Spirit Stone Fragments.

  Cultivation Speed Enhancement Array (Personal, 7 Days): A set of small flags/discs to place around a cultivator. Creates a localized zone where ambient spiritual energy is richer and easier to absorb (~15% increase). Cost: 300 System Points OR 1 Mid-Grade Spirit Stone + 100 Points/500 Fragments.

  The Concentrated Qi Pills offered direct energy, good for pushing through bottlenecks. The Enhancement Array offered a sustained boost over a week. Kai considered his options. He had just broken through to Level 3. A sustained boost seemed more beneficial for solidifying his foundation and pushing towards the next level than just a single burst of energy.

  Purchase Cultivation Speed Enhancement Array (Personal, 7 Days)! Pay using 1 Mid-Grade Spirit Stone and 100 System Points (Incurred as debt).

  [Purchase Confirmed.]

  [System Balance: 4 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.]

  [System Debt: 272 + 100 = 372 Points.]

  [Item: Cultivation Speed Enhancement Array (Flags x5) added to Dimension Storage.]

  He winced again at the debt increasing, but the investment felt necessary. He also decided to supplement the array with direct energy.

  Purchase Concentrated Qi Pill x 2! Pay using 500 Low-Grade Spirit Stone Fragments (converted from 1 Mid-Grade Stone).

  [Purchase Confirmed.]

  [System Balance: 3 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.]

  [Item: Concentrated Qi Pill x 2 added to Dimension Storage.]

  His remaining 3 Mid-Grade Stones (worth 300 fragments) and the few dozen loose fragments he'd earned recently were kept as operating capital. Now, for the application.

  He couldn't just set up a cultivation array in the noisy, shared dormitory. He needed seclusion. The sect offered basic, low-energy seclusion huts for a small fee – usually one or two fragments per day. He paid for three days upfront, securing a small, isolated stone hut near the edge of the Outer Sect area. It wasn't ideal, lacking high energy density, but it offered privacy.

  Inside the hut, he carefully placed the five small flags provided by the system in the prescribed pattern around his meditation spot. As the last flag settled, a faint, almost invisible barrier shimmered into existence, and the ambient spiritual energy within the hut immediately felt richer, more vibrant. He then consumed one of the Concentrated Qi Pills. A wave of pure, warm Qi flooded his system, ready to be refined and absorbed.

  Kai sat down, closed his eyes, and began circulating Qi according to the Azure Cloud Qi Manual, amplified by the array and fueled by the pill. The speed was phenomenal. Qi flowed like a torrent, refined smoothly thanks to his tempered body, and poured into his dantian. His progress, previously measured in trickles, now felt like a rushing river.

  He cultivated relentlessly for three days, barely stopping to eat basic rations (also system-bought, MREs rebranded as 'Nutrient Paste Bricks'). He used the second pill on the third day. The combination of the manual, his improved talent, the array's sustained boost, and the pills' direct energy infusion propelled his cultivation forward at an astonishing rate.

  He felt the barrier to Level 4 shatter after the first day. By the end of the third day, as the array's effect began to wane slightly (though it would last four more days at diminishing returns), he pushed through another bottleneck.

  [Host Cultivation Detected: Qi Condensation Level 5 Achieved!]

  In just three days of intensive, resource-fueled cultivation, he had leaped from Level 3 to Level 5. The sheer speed was intoxicating, a testament to the power of the system when combined with sufficient resources. He felt significantly stronger, his Qi reserves far denser, his control more refined. He was now solidly in the upper tiers of Outer Sect disciples, at least by cultivation level alone. Emerging from the seclusion hut, Kai felt ready to face whatever came next. The investment had paid off spectacularly.