I am grinding experience in another world

Chen Mu's cave dwelling.

Grilled meat slices, steamed meat cakes, rice-flour-steamed pork ribs, braised meat in a pill furnace, and four or five quick-fried seasonal vegetables filled the square table.

"Is the Cloud Bat Flying Boat still sending people to Jade Spring Mountain?" Chen Mu chewed the grilled meat finely and asked.

"You haven't heard the news that South Mountain was taken down?" Shang Huan said with an oily smile across the table.

The other courtyard was actually expanding its territory again?

"Are they planning to occupy all five mountains?" Chen Mu raised his eyebrows.

First there was Mist Smoke Mountain and now South Mountain; the intention of the other courtyard was very clear.

"How can others be allowed to snore beside one's couch?" Shang Huan chuckled.

Chen Mu couldn't help but think of the incident of ghosts causing chaos on Mist Smoke Mountain.

It indeed wasn't very safe unless the local forces nearby were driven out.

"There's a rumor that the Sect Master plans to make this place a second Upper Court." Old Hao added from the side.

"The Cloud Bat Flying Boat isn't just bringing Da Qian warriors. There are also brothers from the Upper Court who are in the Perceptive Realm."

"If it were just an ordinary Lower Courtyard, they wouldn't have brought so many people."

Chen Mu nodded thoughtfully.

His current dwelling was filled with Vital Energy, its density already a third of what it had been at Cold Moon Mountain's cultivation field.

In such a good environment, turning it into a second Upper Court wasn't impossible.

"If it's turned into a second Upper Court, it'll be better for my business with more people."

"But if there really are more people, we might not be able to stay on Jade Spring Mountain," Shang Huan said, somewhat conflicted.

"Is it because of the brothers from the Upper Court?" Chen Mu raised an eyebrow.

"Those arrogant brothers, they look down upon those five barren little mountains." Shang Huan curled his lip.

Chen Mu fell silent.

"Actually, it's not so bad," Old Hao seemed to enjoy the prospect.

"Staying on Jade Spring Mountain, if you offend a brother from the Upper Court, wouldn't that be even more troublesome?"

"Going to the other five little mountains, you can cultivate peacefully."

"But away from Jade Spring Mountain, with fewer people, business will be bad," Shang Huan said with a worried frown.

"No rush, those mountains aren't that easy to occupy," Chen Mu said reassuringly with a smile.

"By that time, you might have cultivated Spiritual Light and then you'd have more options."

He had just checked with the United Heart Curse a moment ago, and Shang Huan's Jade Seed was shining bright.

In a year or two, this chubby fellow might indeed be able to cultivate Spiritual Light.

...

After a hearty meal and drink.

Chen Mu sent the two away.

At the entrance, Shang Huan, carrying an empty bamboo basket, suddenly said, "The Cloud Bat Flying Boat brought a lot of Blackscale Snappers this time. That stuff is very nourishing, want some?"

"Yes," Chen Mu agreed without hesitation.

After two months of intensely cultivating the Condense Aperture Secret Method, he had consumed a lot of nutrients and urgently needed replenishment.

"I'll bring it to you tomorrow," Shang Huan said with a meaningful smile.

Old Hao, holding his pipe, took a big puff, hesitated for a moment, and then gritted his teeth and said, "Chen Mu, you need to exercise moderation."

Chen Mu was confused.

"The company of women is the bane of heroes."

"Above the character for 'lust,' there hangs a blade!" Old Hao sighed long and short, like someone who had been through it all.

What did that mean?

Chen Mu was even more puzzled.

"Pale face, puffy eyes, tsk tsk, you're looking pretty drained..." Shang Huan clicked his tongue in pity.

I'm definitely not kidney deficient!

Chen Mu's face immediately darkened.

"I'm nutritionally deficient due to cultivation!"

"I understand..." Shang Huan's laugh was full of implication.

You understand nothing!

"How about I get you some Eighteen-Flavor Rehmannia Pills tomorrow?" Shang Huan asked in a low snicker.

"Scram!"

...

"This depletion really is a bit too much."

Inside the cave dwelling, in front of a tall silver mirror, Chen Mu looked at his somewhat gaunt cheeks, his face not looking good.

His current state was very odd.

Clearly, he looked emaciated and weak.

But he felt full of vigor, as if he could stay up night after night to cultivate immortality.

His skin and muscles were becoming tougher, and his strength was increasing daily.

Yet the pallor of his face clearly told Chen Mu that he was indeed quite depleted... Hm, definitely not due to kidney deficiency!

"I have to take a break from the Condense Aperture Secret Method," Chen Mu sighed.

He was afraid that he'd perish before he managed to condense a Divine Orifice.

No sooner had he thought this than a gray wall surfaced.

Netherworld Grand Summary: 5315/10000/First Rank;

After toiling tirelessly for two months, he had only managed to fully cultivate three and a half of the seven Inner Law Talismans of the first group.

There were sixty more waiting for him to cultivate.

"There's definitely a way!" Chen Mu asserted.

Sun Wuhuan was not only substantial in appearance but also had a face full of affluence, looking plump and smooth!

...

South of Jade Spring Mountain, over ten miles west of the Administrative Affairs Institute, lay the Scripture Transmission Institute.

A five-story, octagonal wooden structure was hidden among the mountains and forests.
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The black tiled eaves occasionally peeked out of the lush greenery, ancient and yet natural.

Hanging at the entrance of the wooden building was a black wooden plaque with three golden, flowing characters—Tianyi Pavilion.

Chen Mu, holding an Identity Jade, walked into Tianyi Pavilion without any barriers.

He even saved the admission fee of a White Jade per hour.

"The 'Scripture Doctorate' title is unexpectedly useful," thought Chen Mu with a chuckle.

The scripture repository in the separate court was structured similarly to the Lower Courtyard by the Tongtian River but on a larger scale.

Inside was the miniature reflection spell of a thousand-mile household, looking like a delicate wooden building nestled in the mountains from the outside, yet the inside was like a grand plaza.

On the third floor, in front of the shelf with books related to medicinal stones and elixir pills, Chen Mu skillfully pulled out a bright yellow silk scroll to inspect.

In order to find a method for rejuvenation and strengthening, he had been visiting Tianyi Pavilion for three days in a row.

Embracing the scroll, he quickly immersed himself in its contents.

It wasn't until a crisp and pleasant sound of wind chimes echoed that he returned to his senses.

At this moment, the jade tubes hidden in the room's ceiling emitted a faint light.

Outside the french windows, the sky was gradually darkening.

"What a pity..." Chen Mu frowned.

He had been searching for three days, finding a wealth of knowledge on various medicinal herb cultivation techniques.

But the information on elixir pills for rejuvenation was scarce and spotty at best.

And most were like the decoctions similar to the 'Complete Tonic Soup'. Even if useful, their effect was limited.

"I should ask someone for advice."

There were too many and too varied books in the Scripture Transmission Institute. Searching for information on his own was inefficient.

...

In the east side of the first floor of the Tianyi Pavilion, there was a row of nine small compartments.

The compartment entrance had latticed wooden windows on both sides, while a round arch moon gate hung with white jade bead curtains.

Soft couches, low tables, and bronze incense burners were vaguely visible inside.

Inside compartment "Bing".

Li Changjiu, over forty years old, dressed in black, was reading a blue-covered book.

Hearing the sound of the bead curtain, his eyes shifted slightly, and he looked over impassively.

Noticing Chen Mu's waist with a jade token, he immediately smiled.

Here comes business!

"What's your honorable surname, junior brother?" Li Changjiu put down the book and asked with a warm smile, "Do you have any difficult questions?"

"No need for formalities, my surname is Chen." Chen Mu replied politely with a cupped fist greeting, "I was indeed hoping for Brother Li's assistance."

This person was a Scripture Doctorate who regularly stayed at the Scripture Transmission Institute, responsible for assisting disciples with passing on scriptures and resolving doubts.

"Please speak, junior brother, I will be as open as a book," Li Changjiu said hospitably.

Answering such doubts could earn some Daoist Jade.

"I am currently cultivating a secret technique that strengthens the body by making the skin as cold as ice and bones as hard as jade."

"But this secret technique is too exhausting, and the accompanying decoctions aren't very effective. That's why..."

"You must be looking for a method to replenish and reinforce your essence," Li Changjiu deduced, looking at Chen Mu's pale face.

"Strengthening the body with a secret technique requires a gradual approach, junior brother. You're being too impatient, practicing too frequently."

"You just need to reduce the intensity appropriately and switch to a better Rejuvenation Secret Medicine," said Li Changjiu, slightly disappointed.

It's too bad it's not about the cultivation of a secret technique; otherwise, he could have made more money by breaking it down into smaller pieces of information.

Well, even a tiny bit counts.

Sorting out his thoughts, Li Changjiu pondered for a bit, "Here at Jade Spring Mountain, there are quite a few similar decoctions and elixir pills."

"As far as I know, there are seven types of average-effect decoctions, five types of slightly better pills, and the most effective are the elixir pills refined by pill masters. We have two types here in the separate court."

"For just fifty Daoist cultivation points and one hundred White Jades, I'll tell you this classified information."

"Junior brother, it's not expensive, right?"

Expensive? To earn fifty Daoist points, I'd have to cultivate a thousand Fasting Pills!

"Is junior brother's budget tight?"

"I can lend you some in advance." Li Changjiu said with a full smile, "You can just give me twenty percent more when paying it back."

The corner of Chen Mu's mouth twitched.

Was this some kind of one-stop service for swindling and lending?

Scripture Doctorate, is it that profitable?

Suddenly, Chen Mu laughed.

Then, under Li Changjiu's expectant gaze, he took out his identity jade and, pointing to the four large characters that read "Scripture Doctorate," he laughingly said, "Not expensive, not at all!"

Li Changjiu's face immediately twitched.

Tsk... looks like there's no mosquito leg to feast on now.

Looks like he's met a fellow professional.

"Fine, just give me five Daoist points," Li Changjiu said, interest waning.

Now it was Chen Mu's turn for his face to twitch.

Marking up ten times the price?

That's too damn exploitative!