Chapter 838: Highly Competitive

An hour later, the auction ended.

After the auction concluded, the Jiaoyi Society did not begin immediately.

According to the merchant guild's rules, it would be held early the next day.

He Pingsheng teleported directly to Dinglu Street.

Indeed, as Elder Dong had said, Dinglu Street was bustling, filled with cultivators strolling about.

Along both sides of the main street stood hundreds of shops.

Altogether, there were roughly two hundred and more.

He Pingsheng's expression darkened slightly: Damn, such fierce competition—opening a shop really isn't easy.

No choice!

After all, this was Lei Huang Continent, where alchemists were unusually numerous—and not just numerous, but exceptionally skilled.

Crucially, the largest demand for elixirs came from low-grade ones, like Jiling Dan, Juqi Dan, and Juyuan Dan.

The higher the level, the fewer cultivators there were; moreover, some cultivators could brew elixirs themselves, making the market even harder to crack.

And elixirs like Jiling Dan and Juyuan Dan, being low-grade, yielded little profit.

In short, there was hardly any profit to be made.

Hence the competition was especially fierce.

That was also why no one wanted to bid for or take over the shops on Dinglu Street.

He Pingsheng did not head straight to his own shop but casually stepped into one nearby.

"Elder, welcome!" A sweet, lovely girl stepped forward and bowed to He Pingsheng: "What elixir would you like, Elder?"

He Pingsheng smirked: Damn, hiring such a beautiful girl to stand at the counter and draw customers—competition is everywhere.

"Hmm," He Pingsheng nodded. "What level of elixirs can you brew?"

The girl blushed. "Elder, you jest—I cannot brew elixirs at all. Our shopkeeper can brew up to fifth-rank elixirs."

Fifth-rank?

He Pingsheng smiled. "I have the materials. Can you brew a batch of Shenpo Dan? What quality might it achieve?"

Shenpo Dan was an essential elixir for Nascent Soul cultivators entering Soul Transformation.

After ingesting it, one could advance to Soul Transformation.

It was similar to 【Foundation Establishment Elixir】, 【Chaoyuan Dan】, and 【Po Hua Dan】.

Only higher in rank!

The woman said: "Quality cannot be guaranteed. If fortune favors you, you might get a mid-grade batch. But we guarantee a minimum of one low-grade Shenpo Dan per four sets of materials…"

"Elder, this price is very fair!"

He Pingsheng smiled.

In the cultivation world and Spirit Realm, the standard rule had always been five sets of materials for one batch of elixir.

Now, here, they only required four.

Wow…

Truly, it's intense!

"Fine," He Pingsheng nodded. "But I'd like to check out other shops first."

"Elder, please don't go!" The girl stepped beside him, her face flushed. "Elder, this price is already excellent—you won't find lower elsewhere. If you brew here, we'll give you extra benefits!"

"I… I can serve as your furnace for two days!"

As she spoke, her face turned even redder.

Holy shit…

He Pingsheng nearly swore: "No… that's really not necessary!"

He quickly left.

After visiting just the first shop, He Pingsheng deeply felt the pressure of competition here.

There were too many alchemy shops, and their promotions were wildly varied.

He did not continue browsing but went straight to his own shop's entrance.

Outside the shop was a formation.

He pulled out the formation key he'd won at the auction and jabbed it sharply into the formation's light membrane.

Hummm…

Golden light rippled instantly.

The formation opened.

Before He Pingsheng stood a modest, ancient-looking shop.

With a wave of his hand, the shop door swung open, revealing darkness within.

Above the entrance hung a deep blue stone tablet, inscribed with golden characters: Zhenhuo Alchemy Shop.

Presumably left behind by the previous owner.

They left in a hurry and didn't even bother to remove the sign.

"Elder, welcome!" As He Pingsheng stood at the threshold, a woman of lingering grace stepped forward and bowed.

"Hmm," He Pingsheng did not think she was a customer, so he nodded coolly. "What do you want?"

"Hehe…" The woman smiled warmly. "Zhenhuo Alchemy Shop closed recently due to poor business. The shopkeeper and alchemist left, saying this place was too hard to survive—they're crossing the Evil Sea to another continent."

"You're new here?"

"You bought this shop?"

The woman regarded He Pingsheng curiously.

He Pingsheng nodded. "Yes, I bought it. This shop is mine now."

"May I ask your name?"

The woman said: "I am the shopkeeper of the neighboring Tianhe Alchemy Shop… my husband is the alchemist."

"Oh my! Are you also planning to open an alchemy shop?"

"I think you'd be better off opening a shop selling talismans or magic treasures instead."

"Alchemy shops bring little profit now—and they waste your cultivation time."

"Of course, I'm only offering good advice—it's up to you whether to listen."

He Pingsheng smiled.

He sensed the neighboring shop's hardship—business was already poor; now another alchemy shop opening next door would only intensify the competition.

"I'm sorry," He Pingsheng shook his head. "I know nothing else but alchemy. I can only open an alchemy shop."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, erasing the golden characters on the deep blue stone tablet, then pulled out a talisman brush, dipped it in golden demonic blood, and swiftly wrote new characters on the stone: Tai Xu Alchemy Shop.

"Alright," the woman sighed. "Then we'll have to support each other. If either of us runs short of elixirs, we can trade to keep our customers."

He Pingsheng said: "Good idea. I have no objections."

"Then I won't disturb you," the woman said, and left immediately.

He Pingsheng pushed open the door.

Inside the dark room, he tossed in a few spirit stones, and light filled the space.

Boom…

The next instant, Feng Wu was thrown out of his magic treasure space.

"Master!" Feng Wu stared blankly at the surroundings, thinking He Pingsheng had pulled him out due to another danger.

He Pingsheng said: "I've acquired a shop. Now I have a foothold."

"Clean up the shop and arrange these elixirs on display."

He Pingsheng pulled out some elixirs he no longer used.

Some low-grade ones too.

Though low in rank, their quality was astonishingly high.

Either top-grade or supreme-grade.