Perhaps their conversation had grown a bit too loud, and the pavilion where they were gathered was akin to a common tavern.
The second floor was not occupied by their table alone; many other outer disciple were scattered about.
Following the sound of the voices, a lean young man in his early twenties walked over to them.
"If you want to achieve Inducing Qi into the Body quickly, you should come to me!"
As soon as the lean young man arrived, he said this with a smile.
"You have a way to help us achieve Inducing Qi into the Body quickly?"
Hearing the young man's words, the few who had yet to induce Qi into the body asked in doubt.
"That's right, I do have a way, but it doesn't come for free. If you want it, you have to pay a price!"
The young man kept his smiling expression, his tone full of certainty.
"What way? What price do we have to pay?"
Hearing the word "price," the ones who had yet to induce Qi into the body instantly grew vigilant.
Having entered the sect for quite some time now, they had learned a thing or two about the ways of cultivators. Therefore, they maintained a degree of skepticism toward the young man's words and did not easily believe him.
"Have you ever heard of Qi-Inducing Pills?"
The young man paid no mind to their vigilance. With a flick of his wrist, he produced a small jade bottle from the storage bag at his waist and waved it before them.
"Qi-Inducing Pills? How come we've never heard of such pills!"
"That just shows how ill-informed you are. There are countless kinds of pills in the Cultivation World—only things you can't imagine exist!"
The young man raised his chin with a confident air. "My Qi-Inducing Pills come straight from the hands of an alchemist on Yuheng Peak, one of the seven main peaks! These are hot commodities; ordinary people can't buy them even if they want to. Consider yourselves lucky to have run into me today!"
Everyone present knew very well that Yuheng Peak, one of the seven main peaks of the Taixuan Sect, specialized in the Dao of alchemy.
Hearing that the Qi-Inducing Pills came from an alchemist of Yuheng Peak, those who had yet to induce Qi into the body couldn't help but believe him a little.
"Then what are the effects of these Qi-Inducing Pills, and are you willing to give them to us?"
"The effect of the Qi-Inducing Pill is very simple: taking a single pill will help you quickly achieve Inducing Qi into the body."
The young man explained the pill's effect, then paused for a moment before continuing: "However, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If you want these Qi-Inducing Pills, you have to buy them with spirit stones!"
Hearing the mention of spirit stones, they finally understood. It turned out this young man was just here to sell pills.
"Then how many spirit stones for a pill?"
"Not expensive, ten spirit stones each. That's already very cheap!"
The price quoted by the young man made the expressions of those who had yet to induce Qi into the body change drastically.
"Ten spirit stones, and you call that cheap!"
Someone's face turned ugly, and he couldn't help shouting out loud.
"Is that any way to speak to your Senior Brother? I'm willing to sell to you out of regard for you. Instead of being grateful, how dare you raise your voice and scold me? I think this matter won't end so easily today!"
The young man suddenly wiped the smile from his face, turning to a chilling expression as his tone grew hostile.
"What do you want!"
Someone slammed the table and stood up, glaring at the young man.
The young man spoke in a freezing tone: "You've got some nerve. Just a tiny nobody who hasn't even reached Inducing Qi into the Body, yet you dare to stick your neck out first. Very well, I'll teach you a lesson so you know how to respect a Senior Brother!"
Just as the young man finished speaking, a powerful aura instantly swept over the young man who had taken the lead in slamming the table.
The rest of them also felt that formidable pressure, and all their expressions changed instantly.
Xu Yuxiu's expression also turned serious, and she quietly began to mobilize the spiritual power within her dantian.
Thud!
The next moment, the sound of someone dropping to their knees rang out. The others quickly looked over and saw that the teenager who had first slammed the table was already kneeling on the ground, trembling all over.
"Wu Ming!"
The group cried out in alarm, and Wang Fugui turned to glare angrily at the young man. "You dare use force within the sect? Aren't you afraid of punishment by the sect rules!"
"Hmph! Brat, you still dare try to crush me with sect rules? Looks like your skin is itching for a beating too!"
The next moment, the oppressive aura radiating from the young man bore down directly on Wang Fugui. Following in Wu Ming's footsteps, Wang Fugui let out a thud and dropped to his knees as well.
Seeing this, the remaining people didn't dare say another word, each of them watching the young man with wary eyes.
"Today, you will buy my Qi-Inducing Pills whether you want to or not!"
The young man looked down with a condescending gaze at everyone present. "Now, take out the spirit stones you have on you!"
Just as the young man was watching with satisfaction as someone began to retrieve spirit stones from their storage bag, a small figure suddenly stood up.
It was Xu Yuxiu.
Xu Yuxiu rose to her feet, her clear eyes staring straight at the young man. "We don't need any Qi-Inducing Pills!"
"Oh, interesting. For a little girl, you've got some backbone. However—"
Before the young man could finish speaking, he felt a fierce aura rushing toward him, and he couldn't help being startled.
"Who is it! Who dares meddle in my business!"
Yet when he scanned the surroundings and found no other veteran outer disciples approaching, his gaze shifted and landed on Xu Yuxiu.
When he sensed the aura of the Qi Condensation 2nd Layer emanating from Xu Yuxiu, his expression altered drastically. "It's you! You actually reached the Qi Condensation 2nd Layer after only half a month of entering the sect!"
"No, you can't be an outer disciple—you must be an inner disciple!"
Panic flickered in the young man's eyes. He could never have imagined that among a group of outer disciples, there would be an inner disciple.
Even among inner disciples, very few reached the Qi Condensation 2nd Layer within half a month of entry, yet this young girl right before his eyes had done it.
Although his cultivation was currently higher than hers, her future achievements would undoubtedly surpass his.
By that time...
At this thought, the panic in the young man's eyes grew even more intense.
After struggling in place for a moment, he spat out a harsh parting threat—"Consider yourselves lucky!"—and hurried away.
With the young man's departure, the pressure bearing down on Wang Fugui and Wu Ming instantly vanished, and the two of them staggered to their feet.
At this moment, however, everyone's attention was no longer on the two of them, but concentrated instead on Xu Yuxiu.
"Xiaolian, have you really cultivated to the Qi Condensation 2nd Layer?"
Finding it somewhat hard to believe, Li Xiaolian, who was closest, spoke up first.
"Mn." Xu Yuxiu nodded in confirmation without hiding it.
Receiving her definite, nodding confirmation, everyone present wore looks of shock.
"How did you cultivate so fast!" they exclaimed in wonder.
Meanwhile, Shen Fengjiao's gaze flickered slightly at the side, as if she had thought of something.
"Xiaolian, thank you so much this time. Without you, we might have—"
Wang Fugui and Wu Ming stepped forward to thank her. One could easily tell from their eyes that they were truly grateful for Xu Yuxiu's intervention this time.
"No need to thank me. I was saving myself this time as well; otherwise, that person would have extorted all our spirit stones."
Xu Yuxiu waved her hand and sat back down in her original seat.
Seeing this, Wang Fugui and Wu Ming said no more and returned to their respective seats.
The gathering resumed, but the atmosphere had grown dull. The few of them hurriedly ordered some spiritual food, ate briefly, and soon dispersed.
Through this experience, they had truly come to understand the cruelty of the Cultivation World—far more real than what they had read in the *One Hundred Tales of Cultivation*. What they had once doubted, they now believed completely.
Without strength, one was merely at the mercy of others in the Cultivation World!
They believed that for the coming year, very few of them would gather together like this again.
In a small alley, two figures met.
One of them was the very same young man who had previously shaken down Xu Yuxiu and the others, while the other was a short, plump person. Both wore the garments of outer disciples.
"How much did you make this time?" the plump outer disciple asked as soon as he met the young man.
"Don't mention it, what terrible luck today!"
With an ugly expression, the young man waved his hand, his tone turning rather gloomy.
"What happened?" Seeing the young man's appearance, the plump outer disciple asked in puzzlement.
"I ran into a newly entered inner disciple. Good thing I didn't tell him my name, or it would have been a huge mess!"
"A newly entered inner disciple?"
"Yeah, and not just any ordinary newcomer either. Her aptitude probably places her among the very best of the new inner disciples!"
"Is it really as exaggerated as you say?"
"How could it not be! She's only been in the sect for half a month, yet she's already reached the Qi Condensation 2nd Layer. Tell me how long it took you to reach the Qi Condensation 2nd Layer back then!"
"It took me about five months... Hiss! When you put it like that, her talent really is extraordinary!"
"Glad you know. I get two extra shares this time, you have no objection, right?"
"Fine, alright."
After the two negotiated in the alley, quiet soon returned to the alleyway.