CHAPTER 24: CHAPTER 24: HUNDRED FLOWERS BREW

Xu Ping poured himself a cup and took a sip.

The spicy intensity of the liquor hit him like a blaze straight to the Celestial Spirit.

The aroma of the brew was rich and enticing, yet the taste was unexpectedly strong and fierce.

For those who love liquor, this was truly a fine drink.

Xu Ping finished his bowl of Hundred Flowers Brew in a few gulps, feeling as if a fire had ignited in his stomach, the heat surging within, making his blood boil.

"This liquor... is formidable!"

Sweating profusely, Xu Ping hurriedly approached the wooden barrel in the kitchen.

The barrel was filled with hot water he had prepared beforehand.

He took out a medicinal liquid from his storage bag and poured the entire bottle into the hot water.

Then, he undressed completely and jumped in.

With Xu Ping’s current physique, he was long immune to the temperature of boiling water.

He adeptly practiced the entry-level spell of the first layer of the Nourishing Life Skill, guiding the medicinal liquid throughout his body.

A murky green liquid seeped through his pores, nourishing his bones and cleansing his meridians...

At this moment, the medicinal power of the Hundred Flowers Brew also began to take effect, flowing along the meridians and being hungrily absorbed by the cells.

Xu Ping was like being submerged in magma, sweat dripping in large drops from his forehead.

His whole skin was turning a deep red.

The pain from cultivating the Nourishing Life Skill right after drinking the Hundred Flowers Brew was somewhat unexpected for Xu Ping.

Yet it was still slightly less painful than what he endured the first time. He could endure it.

Moreover, as the medicinal power was absorbed, the pain gradually diminished.

After an unknown period,

Xu Ping suddenly felt his entire body lighten, and all the pain and discomfort inside vanished.

He opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the proficiency panel.

[Nourishing Life Skill first layer: 23/100]

"It increased by 3 points in one go!" Xu Ping was overjoyed.

He immediately felt that all the suffering he had gone through was worth it.

Every time he cultivated the Nourishing Life Skill, he only increased by one point, and now it had increased by two-fold!

At this rate, he would break through to the second layer within a month.

"This Hundred Flowers Brew is truly a treasure!" Xu Ping was in high spirits.

He had felt that the Nourishing Life Skill’s progress was slow, but now, with the assistance of the Hundred Flowers Brew, he might catch up with his cultivation before long.

Perhaps even surpassing it entirely wasn’t out of the question!

"But it’s rather expensive, a jar of Hundred Flowers Brew costs about two Spirit Stones, and he would need to drink four or five jars a month, which amounts to around ten Spirit Stones a month."

"Adding the Qi Nourishing Pills and Body Refining herbs, the monthly expense could exceed sixty Spirit Stones."

Thinking of this made Xu Ping’s head ache.

That’s not even including food and other expenses; if added, the basic expenditure a month would be eighty to ninety Spirit Stones.

"Cultivation is truly costly!" he sighed helplessly.

"I wonder if relying on my Spirit Rain Skill and Spirit Wine can earn me that many Spirit Stones a month."

"Never mind, I’ll think about it when I get to Longevity City, a big city should have more opportunities."

"By my reckoning, the flying ship should arrive in about three days."

...

...

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Xu Ping got up early and collected all the useful items he had.

Today was September 18th, the day to board the ship.

At last, he could leave this place.

He carefully checked everything for any omissions, and Xu Ping pushed open the door.

At this moment, it was still early, the morning sun rising, casting golden rays across the sky, as if paving a golden path for the new journey he was about to embark on.

He shut the door firmly, with no trace of reluctance, and turned away.

Along the way, Xu Ping saw many houses and sheds reduced to ruins, with traces of blood still evident among the debris.

The chaos of the demon beasts in recent days undoubtedly claimed countless lives.

The scene before him sent a chill through Xu Ping’s heart, prompting him to quicken his pace.

However, upon reaching the market, it was a completely different scene.

It seemed completely unaffected by the beast horde outside, just as bustling as ever.

People came and went on the streets, and businesses thrived in the shops.

Just separated by a wall, the difference was stark.

Xu Ping had no interest in wandering around, so he turned down several streets and directly headed to a Longevity Sect office.

This was the place for signing up to board the ship.

Even though it was early, a long queue had already formed.

Xu Ping lined up patiently at the end.

Fortunately, the ticket inspection was quick, and soon it was his turn.

He handed his ticket to a disciple of the Longevity Sect.

The disciple received it and illuminated it with a magic mirror, and the ticket emitted a faint red light.

"You may enter," the disciple nodded and returned the ticket to Xu Ping.

Xu Ping stored the ticket securely, and followed the crowd to a plaza large enough to accommodate a thousand people without crowding.

Inside the plaza, at least a hundred people were scattered around, with acquaintances chatting with each other, and loners sitting aside meditating.

"There are plenty of wealthy people in the market!" Xu Ping thought in surprise.

Considering that each ticket cost 200 Spirit Stones, that was easily two to three million Spirit Stones.

And that wasn’t counting those who hadn’t arrived yet; if everyone was present, it would be no less than forty or fifty thousand Spirit Stones.

"Monopolizing business is profitable indeed!"

Exclaiming this, Xu Ping found a quiet spot to sit and meditate.

As time passed, more people arrived in the plaza, and the noise grew louder.

"Dad, why are we leaving Dongwu Market? Isn’t this place nice?" a girl’s voice rang out.

"What’s so good about this small place? There’s a beast tide every few years, so it’s not safe. Longevity City offers more opportunities. My path to immortality is bleak, but it’s different for you. You can’t waste your potential in this little place," a middle-aged man said sternly.

"Also, it’s easier to find you a suitable husband in Longevity City, and remember, your first child should bear your surname, we can’t let our family..."

"Dad!" the daughter interrupted her father bashfully before he could finish.

Sitting nearby with his eyes closed, Xu Ping couldn’t help but overhear their conversation.

In truth, he wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but his hearing was just too keen now.

He glanced over, seeing a demure and graceful young woman, her bright eyes glaring shyly at her father.

"Mo... Mo Ting!?" Xu Ping’s heart raced, nearly causing him to lose control and rush over to the girl.

"No, it’s not her, she just looks similar."

He quickly regained his composure.

After a closer look, the girl was not his past life’s girlfriend, Mo Ting.

Mo Ting had been his childhood friend.

They grew up together, naturally fell in love, and naturally reached the point of discussing marriage.

They even had their wedding venue booked.

But one night she didn’t return from her night shift, and Xu Ping failed to pick her up due to overtime.

On her way home, she was killed by a drunk driver while riding a shared bicycle.