Chapter 262: The Third Path

Two months later!

Qiao Huizhu hasn't returned yet, but she's almost here.

One of the heart-to-heart talismans in He Pingsheng's storage pouch stirred; he picked it up, glanced at it, and found Qiao Huizhu's message: "I'll be home in three days!"

Since she'd be back in three days, He Pingsheng didn't tell her about Qiao Xiaoqiao.

We'll talk when she returns.

"Master, Master…"

Outside, Cheng Xiaohe hurriedly called out: "They're fighting again…"

"Why don't you go take a look?"

He Pingsheng strolled slowly out of a room in the small courtyard behind the shop, lazily asking: "Anyone dead?"

Xiaohe replied: "No one died—it's just two Qi Refining disciples."

He Pingsheng smiled.

Over the past two months, He Pingsheng's elixir shop had risen to great fame.

Two reasons.

First, his shop carried top-grade elixirs, and sometimes even supreme-grade ones.

Second, the quality of his elixirs was genuinely better than ordinary ones.

Take the 【Juli Dan】 that Foundation Establishment cultivators consume during cultivation, for example.

Even when both were mid-grade Juli Dan, his elixirs had one-third more potency than those sold by the guild.

Once others tried them, they'd come back to buy again.

In just two months, the shop was packed.

Even if He Pingsheng worked nonstop, he couldn't produce that many.

Besides, even if he could produce them, the Treasure Basin couldn't enhance them.

The Treasure Basin's current limit is two batches of 【Juli Dan】 per day; after enhancement, that becomes four batches.

Of course, that's supreme-grade.

If you don't want supreme-grade and only want top-grade, you can enhance eight batches.

That's all!

While enhancing Juli Dan, you can't enhance Juyuan Dan.

There are also Foundation Establishment Elixirs, Chaoyuan Dan, and others waiting to be enhanced!

So later, he simply imposed purchase limits.

Each day, he sold only two batches of 【Juli Dan】 and four batches of 【Juqi Dan】.

As for third-grade elixirs, he released them sporadically.

This had two advantages.

First, he didn't get too tired.

Second…

He didn't offend the guild.

If you could supply unlimited quantities in bulk, do you think this shop could even stay open?

So fights frequently broke out at the elixir shop's entrance.

Because of the purchase limits, some tried to cut in line.

Then…

Before long, they started fighting.

"Don't bother!" He Pingsheng waved his hand. "Let them fight. By the way, after today's sales end, post a notice: the shop will close for the next month."

Xiaohe stared in shock: "Why close?"

He Pingsheng's face darkened: "Because we're losing money!"

"Go! Don't ask!"

Xiaohe dared not press further, but she knew he wasn't actually losing money.

In truth… he wasn't losing, but he wasn't making much either.

Even if he did nothing, just tossing ordinary spirit stones into the Treasure Basin earned him four mid-grade spirit stones a day.

That's forty thousand spirit stones.

Enhancing elixirs brought slightly more, but not much more.

Besides, He Pingsheng's real goal was the hype—he wanted everyone to know about Qiao Xiaoqiao's elixir shop, to help him find Qiao Xiaoqiao.

He wasn't doing this for profit.

Why exhaust himself?

If you close, won't your reputation grow even bigger? Don't you believe it?

Starting tomorrow, every street and alley will be talking about this elixir shop.

"Master, Master…" After selling the elixirs, Xiaohe ran over again: "Something else happened!"

He Pingsheng asked: "What now?"

Xiaohe said: "Someone says they're your friend and has come to see you."

"My friend?" He Pingsheng frowned: Where the hell did I get a friend?

"What's their name?" he asked Cheng Xiaohe.

Xiaohe replied: "Says his name is Lin Zifang. He has urgent business to discuss."

Lin Zifang?

Who is Lin Zifang?

He remembered.

The guy who attended the private trade gathering organized by Elder Ling Zhi of the Red Moon Guild, and traded his family's array technique for a copied copy of the 【Hehuan Jiji Jing】 with He Pingsheng.

"Fine!"

He Pingsheng walked from the back courtyard into the front shop.

The shop was already closed.

Inside stood a man—Lin Zifang.

Seeing He Pingsheng, Lin Zifang beamed: "Xu Daoist… Hahaha… Perfect! It really is your elixir shop!"

"Lin Daoist, please come in!"

He Pingsheng directly led Lin Zifang to the small courtyard behind.

Xiaohe, perceptive as ever, brought over a pot of spirit tea.

He Pingsheng poured the tea himself, saying as he did: "Lin Daoist, what brings you here?"

Lin Zifang said: "I'm about to break through. I've come specifically to ask you for a batch of elixirs!"

"Look… I've brought all the cultivation materials!"

"Here…"

He waved his hand, producing a jade box, then opened it himself: "According to martial world custom, one batch of elixirs requires five sets of materials!"

"Is that acceptable?"

He Pingsheng glanced at the materials, raised his eyebrows in surprise: "Chaoyuan Dan materials?"

"You… you… broke through?"

He remembered that at the last trade gathering, Lin Zifang was only at Foundation Establishment Level 11.

Level 11! Still stuck in a bottleneck—what the hell are you making Chaoyuan Dan for?

The next moment, He Pingsheng's spiritual sense surged outward, sweeping over Lin Zifang.

He was stunned to discover the man had already reached Level 12.

"Envious…" He Pingsheng was genuinely envious, almost drooling: "Lin Brother, where did you find the heavenly treasure that broke your bottleneck?"

"None!" Lin Zifang waved his hand. "No heavenly treasure—I didn't break through with that!"

"Huh?" Hearing this, He Pingsheng grew even more envious: "Then… did you suddenly attain enlightenment?"

There are two ways to break through a bottleneck.

The first is through heavenly treasures.

The second is through opportunity.

Sometimes, one breaks through at the edge of life-or-death combat, or after comprehending some great truth of life or the Dao.

But breakthroughs through opportunity are rare—once in ten thousand.

Some people, even after life-or-death battles or being beaten to death, still won't break through.

"No!" Lin Zifang shook his head again. "I didn't have that kind of opportunity!"

He Pingsheng grew even more puzzled: Not a heavenly treasure, not an opportunity.

Then what?

Could there really be a third way to break through a bottleneck?

He Pingsheng stared at Lin Zifang, baffled: "Lin Brother, please enlighten me."

Lin Zifang laughed heartily: "Well… I can tell you, but can you use these five sets of materials to refine one batch of top-grade 【Chaoyuan Dan】?"

He Pingsheng said: "Of course. My master is currently in Hongshi City. I'll take these materials to him—he'll guarantee you a batch of top-grade Chaoyuan Dan!"

"Now, can you tell me?"