The main avenue in the city was constructed by the Heavenly Works Academy, one of the ten academies. It was paved with white stone, extending in all directions, spacious and clean, with greenery and flowers on both sides for sightseeing. Compared to the main roads of some modern cities, it was hardly inferior.

The avenue was wide, and the carriage and horse industry was also thriving.

Cultivation was not about severing emotions or abandoning righteousness; on the contrary, cultivators placed great importance on inheritance.

Heaven and earth, master and disciple, parent and child.

The inheritance between master and disciple was above all, but bloodline inheritance—such as between father and son, or brothers—was equally important.

Some accomplished high-level cultivators would bestow their treasures and spirit stones upon their mortal relatives to improve their lives.

In the highly competitive and resource-scarce world of cultivation, some cultivators naturally lowered themselves, turning their attention to the mortal world, creating convenient magical tools and refining beauty-enhancing pills for them in exchange for treasures and spirit stones.

Carriages, communication agencies, and image stones were such products.

Carriages were powered by spirit stones and true qi, capable of traveling three thousand miles a day.

Top-tier carriages were not much slower than sword-flying cultivators at the Condensing True stage.

Compared to the hardship of channeling true essence and enduring the elements while flying on a sword, how much more comfortable and carefree was it to ride in a carriage?

And if accompanied by a beauty, the tedious journey would instantly become delightful and enjoyable.

The only downside was the heartache over the consumption of spirit stones and true qi.

However, a single carriage often sold for a dozen or even several dozen spirit stones, which, converted to copper coins, amounted to tens of millions, directly excluding ordinary people.

Those who could afford a carriage hardly cared about hiring a cultivator who had trained true qi for a spirit stone a year to serve as a driver.

“No need for a carriage. I have something to sell—find me a channel.”

“Should I list it at Harris Trading Company?”

“Harris Trading Association…”

Henry Carter thought of his “Windchaser” carriage.

Although he was the eldest legitimate son of the Baiyu Liu family, his annual allowance was only ten thousand taels of silver, which converted to just ten spirit stones.

Even with occasional support from his parents, it only amounted to a hundred thousand taels a year.

And that “Windchaser” had been stored at Harris Trading Company for over a year without selling. In the end, he was talked into it by Emily Harris, sold a protective magical tool, scraped together eighty spirit stones, and bought it.

“If you can’t sell it, just give it to me, you sucker… This account needs to be settled.”

Henry Carter pondered.

In this case, it was inappropriate to list this “nuclear bomb” there; he needed to find another way.

Moreover, this “Windchaser” was too ostentatious—even the city lord’s son’s carriage was only forty spirit stones.

Now, he was just a small cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining. If someone killed him for his wealth, wouldn’t he regret it?

“Act cautiously. First, I need to improve my cultivation.”

Thinking of this, Henry Carter said, “Starting today, I plan to train diligently and strive to reach the fourth level of Qi Refining by next September to enter the Taixu Hall. Go, sell the ‘Windchaser’ carriage, exchange it for spirit stones, and fund my cultivation.”

“Sell the ‘Windchaser’?”

Franklin Grant was startled. “Young master, this is the carriage you and the young madam love most.”

“Sell it! I must strive for progress! After all, it’s eighty spirit stones. With the help of Qi Nourishing Pills, I can last a month or two. If I supplement with some spirit stones myself, I can gather enough for a hundred days of cultivation. By then, reaching the third level of Qi Refining won’t be a luxury!”

Henry Carter said.

Qi Nourishing Pills could accelerate a cultivator’s absorption of spiritual energy from spirit stones—the higher the grade, the better the effect.

Ordinary Qi Nourishing Pills cost ten spirit stones each, with effects lasting eight to ten days.

A hundred days…

At least a hundred spirit stones in expenses.

Not to mention the spirit stones refined during cultivation.

“This… Such a luxurious carriage, I’m afraid no one in Baiyu City can take it off your hands in a short time…”

Franklin Grant hesitated.

“No one can take it?”

“Right, we’ll have to lower the price.”

“How much?”

“Forty spirit stones?”

Goodness, that’s cutting it in half.

Thinking back to half a year ago, when he took over this carriage, he sold a protective magical tool worth nearly two hundred spirit stones to Harris Trading Association for just one hundred spirit stones…

At that, he said directly, “I bought the carriage for eighty spirit stones at Harris Trading Company, and I’ve barely used it in the past half year. Of course, I’m not unreasonable—considering depreciation… Let Harris Trading Company buy the ‘Windchaser’ back for seventy-nine spirit stones!”

“Young master… If you really sell the carriage… the young madam will be angry.”

Franklin Grant reminded him cautiously.

“No one can stop me from cultivating!”

Henry Carter waved his hand with a look of determination and resolve. “Sell it!”

Chapter 3: Demonic Evil

In this world, all cultivators used spirit stones to assist their cultivation.

The faster one could refine spirit stones, the faster one could cultivate.

Depending on the method, a lower-grade spiritual root cultivator could use a single spirit stone for ten to a hundred days.

In the first ten days, forty percent of the spirit energy in the stone could be refined; in twenty days, sixty percent; in fifty days, eighty percent; and in a hundred days, all the spirit energy would be exhausted.

A mid-grade spiritual root could refine spirit energy twice as fast as a lower-grade one, meaning it would take five to fifty days to refine a spirit stone. High-grade and supreme-grade spiritual roots were even faster.

Therefore, for those with supreme-grade spiritual roots, the key factor limiting their cultivation speed became the number of spirit stones.

In other words…

Resources.