Chapter 414: Born with a Natural Drug-Consuming Holy Body

What a classic setup.

Standing amid the crowded crowd outside Baiyu Magical Pharmacy, listening to the pharmacist speak with solemn conviction, Gao De couldn't help but form this untimely thought.

Isn't this just the same as the poison accumulation in cultivation novels from his past life?

He silently scoffed inside, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

But classics are classics precisely because they embody unshakable underlying principles.

Magical potions are all blended from various extraordinary materials and magical plants.

These materials themselves contain trace impurities and toxins; even after blending, they cannot be entirely eliminated, leaving small residues.

These residual impurities and toxins accumulate inside the drinker's body after consumption.

It's like daily meals—even vegetables marketed as green, natural, and perfectly healthy still contain harmful trace toxins and substances, such as oxalic acid.

But as long as intake doesn't exceed limits, the body's metabolic system will process and eliminate these harmful trace substances without causing any trouble.

Yet if intake vastly exceeds the capacity of this "metabolic machine," these once-negligible trace substances gradually accumulate inside the body, like a snowball rolling downhill, eventually causing immeasurable harm.

Magical potions follow the exact same principle.

Though they are "tonics" that aid cultivation, rapidly boost power, and offer many other benefits, unrestrained overconsumption will inevitably lead to layer upon layer of drug poison accumulating in the body over time.

"Once drug poison accumulates too much, it will impair your ability to absorb, convert, and circulate magic."

The pharmacist continued his lecture, his tone unquestionable: "Magic flow in your body is like a rushing river; too much drug poison creates blockages everywhere, drastically lowering cultivation efficiency, even halting or regressing your progress, causing you to fail breakthroughs you would otherwise have cleared smoothly."

He spoke with grave sincerity: "Worse still, when drug poison reaches a certain threshold, it directly causes physical discomfort. Hence, purchase limits are also for your own good—we fear you'll drink recklessly and ruin your future."

Everyone present was no fool; they understood the logic, but merchants certainly didn't think that way. Still, there was no point in exposing the truth and inviting unnecessary trouble.

So everyone enthusiastically agreed and praised Baiyu Magical Pharmacy, warming the atmosphere with lively applause.

Satisfied with the response, the pharmacist retrieved a set of neatly packaged alfalfa juice from the cabinet and handed it to the first in line, the mage.

The mage had been eagerly waiting nearby; upon seeing it, he quickly and obediently paid fifty Jin Jin Quehua coins, then left the pharmacy clutching the juice, barely containing his joy.

The next person immediately stepped forward.

The entire transaction flowed smoothly and swiftly.

Gao De waited less than three minutes before it was his turn.

Same deal: money for goods.

But as he took a few steps away from the pharmacy, still within its doorway, the pharmacist suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Apologies, everyone—the alfalfa juice we stocked today has sold out. If you still need it, please return on the 17th of this month."

As soon as the pharmacist spoke, those yet to be served erupted in outrage.

"What the hell? I came at dawn, waited this long, and now you tell me it's sold out?!"

"Exactly! If you still have stock, bring it out! Why wait until next month?" A middle-aged mage nearby chimed in.

People began complaining one after another; the pharmacy instantly filled with noise and discontent, all trying to pressure the pharmacist into restocking alfalfa juice.

But the pharmacist remained utterly unmoved, letting them rant.

Seeing this, the crowd realized their outburst was useless and gradually fell silent.

Gao De didn't linger. He grabbed his alfalfa juice and quickly left Baiyu Magical Pharmacy.

Loushang Magical Materials Shop.

This was one of the two magical materials shops recommended by the teenage guide; both were owned by mages from the Sea Sentinels.

Gao De intended to sell all his remaining extraordinary materials brought from the Northern Frontier.

Since this was his first journey through the Star Realm, he hadn't brought many extraordinary materials from the Northern Frontier—doing so would hinder mobility and might offer no chance to sell them.

In Holde Town, Gao De had already sold most of the materials he brought.

But unfortunately, the purchase prices were halved, and he'd also spent money on eight sets of magical potion ingredients and paid 220 Jin Jin Quehua coins as a "guarantee fee" to Knight Gerard, then another 50 Jin Jin Quehua coins for this set of alfalfa juice.

After all these expenses, his savings were completely drained.

Truly drained—not an exaggeration.

Gao De now had only two Silver Dragon coins and twenty Copper Stone coins left in his pocket.

This amount wouldn't even cover his lodging until the Sea Sentinels' retest.

If he didn't earn money soon, he'd be sleeping on the streets.

As the teenage guide had said, Loushang Magical Materials Shop was not large, and its location matched its name—situated in a narrow alley off the main street.

It was a two-story stone building; patches of moss poked through the gaps in its dark gray bricks.

The ground-floor walls, eroded for years by sea winds, bore a faint layer of salt crust.

The door was thick solid wood, painted a deep navy blue, though much of the paint had peeled away, revealing worn, weathered wood grain beneath.

Above the door hung an oval copper plaque engraved with the shop's name; the characters, worn and oxidized by years of touch, were now faint and hard to read.

The brass door handle gleamed with an oily luster from decades of human grip.

Gao De stepped inside.

"Hello, customer. What do you need?" A middle-aged man rose from behind the counter, wearing a plain robe and offering a perfectly measured smile as he approached.

"I want to sell some extraordinary materials," Gao De said bluntly, scanning the shop.

Though the exterior looked run-down, the interior was spacious, clean, and tidy—wooden shelves neatly arranged, magical materials orderly displayed, bottles and jars glowing with strange light, faint herbal and magical energy scents lingering in the air.

"No problem," the man asked. "Would you prefer a private room for the transaction?"

He pointed to a small door on the side of the shop, half-open.

Inside, the setup was more private: thick curtains blocked outside views, soft sofas and soundproofing magic runes ensured discreet dealings.

Everyone understood the principle of not flaunting wealth, so many preferred private spaces when selling magical materials, to avoid drawing unwanted attention or envy.

Recognizing this need, magical materials shops naturally offered dedicated private transaction rooms.

"Let's do it here. No need to waste time." Since the shop had no other customers yet, Gao De saw no reason to delay—he pulled out his final batch of extraordinary materials from the Northern Frontier.

He dumped a cloth sack onto the counter; with a few dull thuds, seven or eight ice-blue glowing stones rolled out.

The middle-aged man, previously calm, instantly narrowed his pupils.

"Is this… Frost Pattern Stone?" he blurted out, eyes flashing with surprise.

Gao De nodded slightly.

Frost Pattern Stone was a common mineral found in extreme cold environments, its surface intricately carved by frost, covered in irregular white patterns resembling frost on winter windowpanes, faint ice-blue glimmers shimmering within the veins.

Due to prolonged exposure to frigid energy, it contained magic that enhanced water-element spells with additional "coldness," making their effects sharper and more chilling.

Whether embedded in staves or crafted into casting rings, it was highly sought after by mages specializing in water-element magic.

The practice and use of spells often bore distinct regional characteristics.

As a coastal city, most mages in Dun City, though not specializing in water-element magic, still possessed at least a few water-element spells due to practical and combat needs.

Thus, this material was guaranteed to sell quickly in Dun City—no risk of it sitting unsold.

"Two of these are second-rank, and two are third-rank!" The man examined the stones, casting identification spells on each, growing more astonished.

Gao De smiled.

The remaining extraordinary materials he had not yet sold were all of high value.

In Holde Town, he'd feared drawing attention by selling too many high-quality items at once, so he'd held back.

These Frost Pattern Stones were mined by hunters of the Enduring Zhenbing Tribe from a small vein discovered at the junction of a glacial fissure and frozen earth near Phoenix.

Since the Enduring Zhenbing Tribe had little demand for Frost Pattern Stone, they never formally mined the vein—only marked its location and collected a few high-quality samples to bring back.

The stones Gao De brought were precisely those samples.

"How much will you offer?" Gao De asked.

"Six second-rank, two third-rank Frost Pattern Stones," the man considered, speaking sincerely. "These stones are large—each weighs over two pounds, enough to craft a single extraordinary item."

"Market price for a second-rank stone over two pounds is around seventy gold; third-rank ones fetch about three hundred forty gold. Our standard acquisition rate is half that, but since Frost Pattern Stone doesn't sit unsold, I'll give you an extra half percent—fifty-five percent of market value."

"These eight stones total six hundred five Jin Jin Quehua coins."

"What do you say?"

Fifty-five percent was indeed a sincere offer.

As the teenage guide said, Loushang Magical Materials Shop's remote location and shabby appearance belied its century-old reputation for fairness.

"Deal." Gao De didn't haggle further—he accepted.

Hearing Gao De agree, the man beamed.

This transaction was a sizable one for the shop—perhaps only once every half-month.

Both sides were pleased.

Emerging from Loushang Magical Materials Shop, Gao De's purse was noticeably heavier, his confidence restored.

Dun City far surpassed Shengxi En City in prosperity—the largest city Gao De had seen since arriving in this world—and accordingly, prices and living costs were high.

Without a full purse, you couldn't move an inch.

But conversely, with money in hand, Dun City was paradise—resources and comforts everywhere.

With his newly bolstered wealth, Gao De headed straight for the bustling downtown commercial district.

"Ten stacks of Lacquered Jade Paper, ten reams of first-rank magic paper, a set of first-rank rune pens, five bottles of first-rank magic ink." Entering a large rune shop in the city center, Gao De began his purchase with bold confidence.

The shop smelled faintly of ink and magic energy; towering wooden shelves reached the ceiling, filled with all manner of rune materials, while walls displayed classic rune diagrams.

To cultivate the tree, he'd journeyed far to the Northern Frontier, and under those conditions, he'd long abandoned rune studies.

This wasn't just knowledge passed down by He Xi—it was also Gao De's personal passion.

Now that he was in the Jin Jin Quehua Dynasty with the means, he was eager to resume his rune studies immediately.

First, he needed to buy the proper "stationery."

As a large rune shop, its rune pens, magic paper, and magic ink were mass-produced, generic goods—not particularly rare or unique—but sufficient for Gao De's needs.

A Level One rune pen costs slightly less than a Level One arcane item, just 50 gold.

A stack of Level One magic paper costs 6 gold; one stack contains ten sheets, so ten stacks—hundred sheets—cost 60 gold.

Level One magic ink, being durable enough to draw over a hundred runes per bottle, is relatively expensive—one bottle costs 10 gold. Gao De bought five bottles at once, totaling 50 gold.

Lacquered jade paper is a specialized "magic paper" used by rune artisans to practice rune crafting techniques.

Because it is extremely thin, one stack contains a hundred sheets, and it also costs 6 gold.

Ten stacks—a thousand sheets—will last Gao De one or two years.

In any world, you can't learn art without some wealth—Gao De, having just spent 220 Jin Jin Quehua coins, watched the clerk neatly pack the goods and sighed inwardly.

After leaving the rune shop, Gao De turned toward a mage training room just across the street.

The shop's sign hung high, shimmering with mysterious rune glows in the sunlight; though unimpressive in size, it radiated a quiet, profound aura.

This shop rents out training rooms for mages to enter seclusion and cultivate.

After leaving the Northern Frontier and arriving in the Jin Jin Quehua Empire, Gao De deeply felt the greatest inconvenience: he could no longer freely enjoy the cultivation environment of a Level Four spiritual land.

Fortunately, the problem wasn't severe—if willing to spend, alternatives always existed, and renting a training room was the current solution.

This training room had considerable scale, offering up to Level Four chambers, but the prices were exorbitant; for Gao De, a Level Three chamber at 10 gold per two hours was more than sufficient.

In fact, with careful budgeting, a Level Two chamber at 2 gold per two hours could fully meet daily cultivation needs.

Yet Gao De kept thinking of the alfalfa juice he had just acquired, curious about its effects.

Such a rare magical potion as alfalfa juice requires an environment saturated with magic to maximize its potency.

Added to that, his purse had swelled from selling Frost-pattern Stone, leaving him with decent funds—so Gao De decided to indulge once and chose the Level Three chamber.

Renting a training room offered poor value.

Because these rooms were never designed for mages' daily cultivation.

For most mages, they only splurged on high-level chambers during critical breakthrough moments, seeking to boost success rates with concentrated magic.

Nobles who could afford it didn't need to rent at all—they had superior cultivation environments at home.

With these thoughts, Gao De paid, climbed the winding staircase, and soon entered a Level Three training room on the third floor.

The training room's structure resembled those in the Sairen Academy: a square space, walls inscribed with ancient runes emitting faint light.

Gao De expertly activated the chamber's magic node array.

When the alchemical display showed the chamber's magic concentration reaching 1056, he pulled out a vial of alfalfa juice glowing faintly green, then drank it down in one gulp.

The cool liquid slid down his throat, carrying strange threads of magical energy that instantly spread through his body.

Yet Gao De did not begin cultivation immediately—he froze in place, as if stunned by a startling discovery:

【Toxic residues from the potion are beginning to accumulate in your body. You are adapting to this toxin. Your immunity to various toxins has increased by 0.1%. Your body's organs have improved their ability to digest, metabolize, and expel toxins by 0.1%.】

(End of Chapter)