After sending Colin Grant back to bed to rest, Chad Grant was thinking to himself whether he should teach his father a top-tier Xiantian-level cultivation technique, so that his father’s cultivation could improve more quickly.

“Father is already old. Even with a first-class technique, he won’t be able to catch up to Gordon Grant within two years, unless... he could have a top-grade spiritual pill, the Cleansing Dust Pill, to completely transform his body. But refining the Cleansing Dust Pill requires spiritual herbs and fruits over a thousand years old: Gathering Essence Ganoderma, Primal Embryo Fruit. In Leshui City, it’s hard to find even a single spiritual herb over five hundred years old in a year. If you don’t venture deep into the Eastern Wilderness to search personally, how could you possibly find Gathering Essence Ganoderma or Primal Embryo Fruit over a thousand years old?”

“What’s more, I just made up a lie about having a celestial master in my dreams, and now I’m going to teach him a Xiantian-level technique? That’s a bit too much. It’s better to wait another month before teaching him, and say it was passed down by the celestial master. That would make more sense. Father is already this old, waiting another month won’t make a difference.”

After murmuring to himself, Chad Grant still decided to wait another month before teaching Colin Grant the top-tier Xiantian-level cultivation technique.

Chad Grant secluded himself for bitter cultivation every day. Every three days, he would refine and take a dose of Gathering Essence Spiritual Liquid. After taking five doses in a row, half a month later, Chad Grant had reached the peak of the third postnatal layer, only feeling a stuffy energy in his chest that couldn’t be dispersed.

Chad Grant was overjoyed, knowing this was the result of touching the barrier to the next level. He immediately circulated his energy to break through. Compared to half a month ago, his muscles, bones, and flesh had been continuously strengthened through training, and his strength was already close to four stones.

The true qi in Chad Grant’s body had deepened several times, flowing unimpeded, already with a hint of thickness. After circulating several cycles, Chad Grant struck out with all his might. The true qi in his body surged out like a giant serpent, as if a membrane had been pierced, the barrier instantly broken, and the true qi in his body began to circulate automatically without end.

Chad Grant opened his eyes and immediately felt a surge in strength. He performed a set of Mighty Vajra Fist, each punch whistling through the air, the force reaching four stones, his cultivation breaking through to the fourth postnatal layer.

In just half a month, his cultivation had risen from the second to the fourth postnatal layer, stepping into the mid-stage of the postnatal realm. Although the progress from the second to the third layer was due to previous training, the leap from the third to the fourth was entirely the result of Chad Grant’s painstaking cultivation over the past half month.

To go from the third to the fourth postnatal layer in half a month—such speed would make even Leshui City’s number one young genius, Sean Harris, sigh in admiration.

Chapter 009: Pill Refining and Auction

After advancing to the fourth postnatal layer, Chad Grant was delighted for a while, but then faced a problem: he was out of spiritual liquid, and his spiritual herbs were all used up.

Spiritual herbs over 100 years old cost between 500 and 800 wasteland coins. Last time he bought medicine, Chad Grant had spent almost all his savings. Now he had less than 1,000 wasteland coins left. Gathering Essence Spiritual Liquid required at least one stalk each of three main herbs over 100 years old: Ice Dream Grass, Royal Blood Grass, and Snow Lotus. With 1,000 wasteland coins, he couldn’t even buy the raw materials for one dose of spiritual liquid.

The money Chad Grant had now was only enough to buy the three main herbs of 50–100 years old. But herbs of 50–100 years are very effective for early postnatal stages, but their effect is halved for the mid-stage. While they are very tempting for ordinary people, for Chad Grant it would be a complete waste of time.

What Chad Grant was after now was the fastest way to improve his strength. If he had herbs over a hundred years old, he would never use those over fifty.

Out of money—should he ask his father? Chad Grant shook his head. Although his father would definitely give it to him if he asked, Chad Grant knew this was a bottomless pit. Last time he bought medicine, he spent over ten thousand wasteland coins, and that only lasted half a month. There’s still a long way to go; how could he ask his father every time?

Fortunately, the spiritual herbs needed for the Xiantian realm are all over 200 years old, so herbs under 200 years can still be traded with wasteland coins, though the price isn’t cheap. Chad Grant could barely afford some. But if it’s herbs over 200 years old, those have to be bought with spirit stones. Chad Grant didn’t have a single spirit stone now, so he could only look on helplessly.

If he couldn’t ask his father, he’d have to earn it himself. As a pill alchemist, how could he not make money? Just casually refining a batch of pills and taking them to auction would bring dozens or even hundreds of times the profit.

Now Chad Grant had less than 1,000 wasteland coins. Herbs over fifty years old cost between 100 and 300 wasteland coins. He didn’t need to buy the best—just pick those exactly fifty years old. The three main herbs would cost just over 300 wasteland coins, and with five supplementary herbs, the total cost would be about 400 wasteland coins.

Spiritual liquid refined from fifty-year-old herbs is very effective for early postnatal stages, and half as effective for mid-stage. While Chad Grant didn’t care for it, in Leshui City, where there are no pill alchemists, any medicine refined by a pill alchemist is precious.

Chad Grant decided to refine a batch of Gathering Essence Spiritual Liquid from fifty-year-old herbs and take it to the auction. It would definitely fetch a good price. The auction was in the west city, within the government’s sphere of influence. Every month at mid-month and month’s end, there would be auctions of cultivation items. With so many people in Leshui City, there was always a big market.

Moreover, truly good things are rarely seen on the open market—they’re always displayed at auctions. Auctioning a batch of Gathering Essence Spiritual Liquid would bring enough money for Chad Grant to cultivate for a long time.

He decided to act immediately. It was mid-month now, and there would be an auction in the west city tomorrow. He would refine the medicine today and take it to the auction tomorrow.

Just as he stepped out the door, Colin Grant happened to be walking toward him.