Chapter 58: The Trouble with Plant Spirits, and a Hard-Earned Gain
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
You can buy coins here to unlock advanced chapters: https://gravitytales.com/coins-purchase-page/
Under the influx of triple spiritual energy, Yu Xian’s entire body steamed once more, with yet another trace of impurities forced out.
At this point, Yu Xian wasn’t exactly sure how strong his body had become.
After all, he wasn’t a body cultivator, nor had he studied martial arts or combat techniques.
But he knew clearly—his strength had grown significantly.
Most importantly, with the power of triple spiritual energy, the strength of all his spells would increase dramatically—at least by onefold!
That was the real benefit of breaking through a cultivation realm.
This was the difference between the late Qi Condensation and the mid-stage.
Under normal circumstances, a mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivator would never stand a chance against one in the late stage.
Of course, that’s assuming it’s a fair fight.
Yu Xian had killed enemies more than once—but it was always through strategy, ambushes, and preemptive strikes. Hardly the behavior of an “honorable man”…
Exhaling slowly, he stood up from the bed, refreshed and composed.
He wore a calm smile, but there was no trace of arrogance.
Despite reaching late-stage Qi Condensation, there were still greater stages ahead: perfection of this realm, Foundation Establishment, and beyond.
He had spent ten thousand spirit stones on the Wood Spirit Liquid to achieve this breakthrough.
Now, it was time to get back to business.
His plan to deliberately cause damage to the third floor of the Wanbao Pavilion had likely taken effect.
By now, they were probably renovating it.
And that large beam—the main structural one—would definitely be replaced, if not by tonight, then by tomorrow.
They needed to move fast. After all, business couldn’t be delayed too long.
As Yu Xian walked toward the door, he opened it and immediately spotted two heads snapping back behind a cabinet—not too subtly.
He pretended not to see them and headed downstairs to roam the streets.
The two tails kept following him, reporting his movements to the ones who had sent them.
Yu Xian went around browsing stalls, bargain-hunting, grabbing food and wine—acting perfectly normal, like someone who had no intention of leaving the market town.
As long as he stayed within the Black Mountain Market, he would be protected by the strict rule: no fighting within the town.
Meanwhile, in a luxurious courtyard within the city…
Feng Chang and the old Daoist Song sat across from each other, both wearing cold expressions as they listened to their subordinates’ report on Yu Xian.
Afterward, Feng Chang cursed furiously.
“Senior Song, that bastard clearly knows what’s going on. He’s not leaving anytime soon—what do we do now?”
The old Daoist’s gaze turned icy, his voice low.
“No worries. We’ll just outlast him. I want to see how long he can hide in there. He can’t stay in the Baiyun Sect forever.”
He chuckled coldly, “Feng Daoist, patience is a virtue.”
“Patience? I’d rather skin that bastard alive right now!”
Feng Chang clenched his teeth. But in the end, he too held back.
“Fine. Let the bastard live a few more days. Let’s see when he slips up!”
Yu Xian wandered the streets for the entire afternoon, eating, drinking, even passing by Wanbao Pavilion three times casually.
By the fourth pass, as dusk began to fall, he saw a large amount of broken wooden debris—burnt chairs, shattered beams—being hauled out from the third floor.
Renovation had begun.
He quietly walked into a restaurant close to Wanbao Pavilion and picked a window seat.
Ordering some dishes and wine, he pretended to enjoy the street view but actually kept a constant eye on the building across the road.
A while later, as darkness fell, a dozen strong laborers appeared, carrying a massive red-lacquered beam into Wanbao Pavilion.
Yu Xian’s eyes narrowed.
It was time.
He knew that replacing such a huge beam was a tough task. Back when one of the beams in his childhood home cracked, even seven or eight grown men had struggled to replace it over the course of an afternoon.
So for now, the old beam wouldn’t be hauled away just yet. No need to rush.
An hour passed. A muffled boom echoed from within the pavilion, making the entire building tremble faintly before settling again.
A few more minutes later, the old beam—badly charred and cracked—was finally carried out by a dozen workers.
Yu Xian’s eyes flashed with a sharp glint.
He drained his cup, tossed three spirit stones on the table, and stood up.
That beam—likely meant to be recycled into furniture—was his real target.
Now he had to go buy it.
Though Black Mountain Market was a trading hub for cultivators, many mortals lived here too.
Cultivators couldn’t make everything from thin air—they needed basic materials, labor, and services.
Those seventeen laborers were part of a workshop that made furniture and built homes for cultivators.
After hauling the beam across miles of streets, they finally reached the outskirts of the market.
There stood the Liu Family Woodworks, a massive yard filled with all kinds of wood and nonstop sounds of sawing and hammering.
As Yu Xian followed them in, a plump middle-aged woman approached him with a warm smile.
“Ah, a customer! Looking for furniture? Or perhaps a house built? Our master craftsmen can do anything you want!”
Though she was only at early-stage Qi Condensation, she was like a goddess in the eyes of mortals here.
Yu Xian chuckled. “I’m here to buy a large beam. Do you have one that suits?”
“A beam?” She paused, then muttered, “Why is everyone asking for beams lately…”
“Hm? What was that?” Yu Xian asked.
“Ah, no no, we’ve got plenty!” She laughed quickly. “From small courtyard beams to grand hall pillars—we have it all. Please, this way!”
As she led him deeper into the yard, Yu Xian casually glanced around until his eyes landed on the beam those seventeen men were hauling.
He stopped.
Pointed.
“That one looks just right for what I need.”
“Huh? That one?” She blinked, flustered. “That one’s broken! Just replaced from some pavilion. It could collapse any day!”
Yu Xian smiled slyly. “That’s fine. It’s cheaper, right?”
The woman laughed awkwardly, her eyes gleaming.
So this guy was buying it on behalf of someone else—probably a shifty master trying to cut costs.
“Well, if you insist… That beam’s made from an 8000-year-old redwood. Quite heavy. Cost us a laborer’s life. Was worth 80 spirit stones, but for you—just 18! But just to be clear: if anything goes wrong, our shop won’t be held responsible.”
“Eight thousand years…” Yu Xian murmured, then asked half-jokingly,
“Still not enough to become a spirit?”
“Become a spirit?” The woman burst out laughing.
“Clearly you haven’t read many strange tales. Plants can turn into spirits, but it’s rare. Grass and trees don’t have souls, just the tiniest shred of awareness. For them to develop a soul, it takes countless years, and even more to take shape. But if they do become human-shaped beings—at that point, they’re gods, able to move mountains!”
Yu Xian’s smile faded.
Her words echoed in his mind—
“Xiao Xian… I should’ve taken form today… but I was plotted against…”
“Shut up!!”
His furious roar exploded like thunder!
A violent wave of late-stage Qi Condensation spiritual pressure erupted from his body.
The woman let out a shriek and tumbled backward, face pale as paper.
Everyone in the yard froze, stunned by the overwhelming pressure.
“What’s going on here?! Who dares cause trouble in my woodyard!?”
From a tall pavilion, four cultivators soared over.
Seeing their arrival, the woman scrambled to her feet.
“Master Liu! That guy just went crazy! I nearly died of fright!”
The leader of the four, Liu Xu, was at peak Qi Condensation. He looked at Yu Xian with a frown.
“Fellow Daoist, what was that outburst about? This is a serious matter if misunderstood.”
Since Yu Xian hadn’t actually harmed anyone, Liu Xu refrained from outright hostility.
Yu Xian clenched his fists tightly, then sighed and said,
“Apologies. My cultivation technique was a bit unstable. It’s under control now.”
Liu Xu’s face softened slightly.
“There are all kinds of cultivation arts out there. Some look fast but are riddled with issues. Be careful.”
The woman clicked her tongue quietly, cursing Yu Xian in her heart, but her eyes lit up again when Yu Xian turned to her and said,
“Apologies again. I’ll add five more spirit stones for the trouble.”
The mention of extra payment immediately soothed her.
She beamed.
“Oh no, it’s fine, really! It wasn’t your fault!”
Liu Xu nodded and walked off with his men, leaving her to handle the sale.
Yu Xian handed over twenty-three spirit stones in total.
The woman, now all smiles, turned and barked at the workers,
“Hey! You lot! Don’t take it inside. Carry that beam with this gentleman. And don’t dawdle, or I’ll skin you alive!”
The exhausted laborers—who’d just hoped for a break—were near tears.
But an immortal’s order was law.
They followed Yu Xian as he strode ahead, desperately trying to keep up.
After a mile, their legs were shaking, lips pale, but they didn’t dare complain.
Fortunately, Yu Xian stopped.
He turned and pointed at the roadside.
“Leave the beam here. You’re dismissed.”
“Huh?” The laborers were stunned.
Wasn’t this a random deserted path?
Yu Xian scowled. “You deaf? I said leave it!”
“Yes sir! Yes yes!”
They dropped the beam, bowed, and fled without a word.
He was a cultivator—whatever he said went.
With them gone, Yu Xian placed a hand on the beam and quickly searched.
Within two seconds, his eyes lit up.
With a flash, his Jade Spirit Sword emerged!
Slash!
The beam was cleanly cut in two.
Another slash—this time carving out a three-foot-thick chunk, which he stored in his pouch.
He turned and vanished down the trail.
All within three breaths.
The object that had made his jade pendant heat up…
…was hidden inside that wooden block.
