Having acquired the Storage Bag, Xu Changshou approached the counter dedicated to spirit beast hides.

He made a point to peruse this particular stall whenever he visited the Trade Hall.

His primary goal was to seek out the elusive Black Antelope Thunder Cowhide or a Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros Horn.

Sweeping his gaze across the wares, he found no trace of either item. A pang of disappointment struck his heart.

"One-Horned Azure Wolf Hide."

Suddenly, a massive, lustrous pelt of azure fur caught his eye.

The One-Horned Azure Wolf was a rare wind-attribute spirit beast. Its hide served as an exceptional medium for wind-attribute spirit talismans, perfectly suited for crafting Windwalk Talismans and Flight Talismans.

A Windwalk Talisman inscribed upon this hide could carry a cultivator five thousand Li in a single day, far surpassing the speed of Sword Riding.

A Flight Talisman drafted on the same material would achieve identical velocities.

Five thousand Li in a single day-what a terrifying concept! Not even an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could muster such speed. It was a supreme life-saving Dharma Treasure.

He already possessed the Earth Stalwart Talisman drafted upon the Yellow Weasel hide. In terms of defense alone, he was virtually invincible within the Qi Condensation realm. If he added a Windwalk Talisman of this caliber to his arsenal, his odds of survival would soar.

Even if he crossed paths with a Foundation Establishment expert, he would possess the capital to flee for his life.

Buy it.

His mind made up, Xu Changshou shifted his focus to the attendant. She was a middle-aged woman, perhaps around forty, yet still retaining a mature charm.

"Senior Sister, I wish to purchase this One-Horned Azure Wolf Hide. How many Spirit Stones does it cost?"

"Eight Spirit Stones."

So expensive!

Xu Changshou was secretly astounded. It demanded a steeper price than even the Yellow Weasel hide.

However, this pelt was vastly larger-at least three times the size of the weasel's-meaning it could yield a greater number of spirit talismans.

Calculating the yield, it is actually a steal.

"Junior Brother, do you truly intend to buy this?"

"I do."

Confirming his earnest intent, the middle-aged woman retrieved the hide and smiled. "Junior Brother, are you a disciple of Redblaze Peak?"

Disciples from Redblaze Peak specialized in refining artifacts. Since the One-Horned Azure Wolf Hide was primarily used to weave Dharma robes, she naturally assumed his affiliation.

"Senior Sister misunderstands; I do not hail from Redblaze Peak. I am merely acquiring this on behalf of a senior. He requires it to refine a wind-attribute Dharma robe."

"I see."

"Senior Sister, please verify. Here are eight Spirit Stones."

"The count is exact. Safe travels, Junior Brother."

"Farewell, Senior Sister!"

...

Departing the Trade Hall, he boarded a public flying spirit boat bound for Taiyi Peak.

Xu Changshou cast a pained glance at his Storage Bag. A mere eighty-eight Spirit Stones and a handful of fragmented pieces remained within.

Hemorrhaging twenty Spirit Stones in a single trip stung bitterly. An ordinary Miscellaneous Disciple would struggle to amass such wealth in a full year of grueling labor.

Still, these were vital resources for his survival, not squandered wealth.

Dusk had already begun to blanket the sect by the time he departed the hall. The hour for the agreed-upon banquet was fast approaching.

Xu Changshou headed directly for Taiyi Tower, striding through its grand entrance without a hint of hesitation.

In the past, he wouldn't have dared set foot within these walls. The extravagant costs would have bled him dry.

Now, things were different. With eighty-eight Spirit Stones weighing down his robes, he possessed enough capital to feast like an inner sect elite.

In the brutal world of Cultivation, hard currency is the only true backbone a man can have.

Stepping into the lavish lobby of Taiyi Tower, he spotted a familiar cluster of young men and women.

Sweeping his gaze over the group, he noted the arrivals: Ye Shanhu, Lin Xian'er, Jiang Xiaochuan, Han Zong, Zhang Feixian, Shi Wantong, and Qian Yuanbao.

Eight of the original ten from their Gengzi Courtyard were present. Only Lin Haoran and Su Mo were missing.

Reunited after so long, the changes in his former peers were starkly apparent.

Foremost was their physical maturation. Over the span of a few arduous years, these youths had hardened into adults.

Beyond that, the very essence of their expressions had mutated.

In his memories, they had been a vibrant, fiercely ambitious lot, brimming with naive confidence.

Now, they clustered around Ye Shanhu like moths to a flame. Their faces were painted with a pathetic spectrum of fawning subservience, timid envy, gnawing inferiority, and hollow numbness.

"Junior Brother Xu has arrived."

"Senior Brother Xu, it has been too long."

"Greetings, Senior Brother Xu!"

...

Upon noticing his arrival, Ye Shanhu was the first to offer a welcoming smile, prompting the others to blindly parrot his greeting.

Xu Changshou plastered a flawless, amicable smile onto his face, returning their pleasantries one by one.

"Senior Brother Xu, what took you so long?" Jiang Xiaochuan jogged over, his tone laced with poorly concealed displeasure.

Xu Changshou frowned inwardly. "What is the matter, Junior Brother Jiang? Have I missed the appointed hour?"

Jiang Xiaochuan scoffed softly. "It is not that you are late. But Senior Brother Lin is the one hosting this banquet. Arriving early shows proper respect. Thankfully, he has not yet graced us with his presence, or it would have looked terribly improper."

"I see."

Xu Changshou offered a noncommittal nod, keeping his true thoughts tightly veiled.

"Infuriating. Where is Su Mo? I explicitly warned him to arrive ahead of schedule. If Senior Brother Lin arrives before he does, it will reflect poorly on all of us. He is utterly devoid of tact."

Jiang Xiaochuan muttered venomously under his breath.

"Indeed, Su Mo oversteps his bounds."

"He should have been here waiting."

"Does he not understand the gravity of this gathering?"

A chorus of sycophantic voices swiftly echoed Jiang Xiaochuan's disdain.

Xu Changshou mentally shook his head. They have all been thoroughly corrupted by the grind.

The harsh realities of the sect had ground away their innocence, replacing it with a suffocating, ruthless hunger for status.

Time trickled by.

Finally, Su Mo arrived. His azure Daoist robe was threadbare and ragged, riddled with scorch marks and ember burns.

Xu Changshou recalled that Su Mo had been assigned as a fire-fanning servant at Redblaze Peak. His battered appearance perfectly mirrored his grueling station.

Sweeping the newcomer with his Divine Sense, Xu Changshou's brow furrowed. Qi Condensation, seventh layer.

Nearly everyone else in their cohort had broken through to the eighth layer. Su Mo alone stagnated.

The reason was no secret. The Su Family Fort, his mortal clan, had fallen into ruin. Without the backing of his clan, his supply of Spirit Stones and pills had been severed.

In the Cultivation world, attempting to progress without resources was akin to drawing water with a bamboo basket.

A flicker of empathy stirred within Xu Changshou. Had he not awakened the Bloodline Jade Talisman and mastered the Dao of Talismans, he would undoubtedly be rotting in the exact same miserable bottleneck as Su Mo.

"Oh, Junior Brother Su finally graces us with his presence."

"Long time no see, Junior Brother."

"Junior Brother Su, still stuck at the seventh layer, are we?"

Mocking greetings rained down upon him, their faces openly leaking varying degrees of condescending pity and thinly veiled contempt.

Shrinking under their collective gaze, Su Mo muttered a hasty greeting before retreating to a dim corner, sealing his lips in silent shame.

"The utter nerve of Su Mo, arriving at this hour. Is he truly unafraid of inciting Senior Brother Lin's wrath?"

Jiang Xiaochuan's venomous remark struck Xu Changshou's ears like screeching metal.

Xu Changshou cast a glance toward the corner. Su Mo's fists were trembling, knuckles white-he had clearly heard every word.

Ignoring the sycophants, Xu Changshou walked over to the isolated youth and offered a warm smile. "Junior Brother Su, how have you fared lately?"

"I... I am doing well!" Su Mo's eyes darted evasively, his head bowed low as if unworthy of meeting Xu Changshou's gaze.

"Junior Brother Su, your aura fluctuates. I can see you are on the very cusp of a breakthrough. Take this."

With a flick of his wrist, Xu Changshou materialized a small jade vial and pressed it into Su Mo's palm. Within lay ten pristine Qi Gathering Pills.

Su Mo was but a hairsbreadth away from advancing. A potent surge of Spiritual Qi from these pills would serve as the battering ram to shatter his bottleneck.

"Senior Brother Xu, I... I will carve this debt into my bones. I will repay you."

Pride warred with desperation for a fleeting second, but survival won out. His trembling fingers closed tightly around the jade vial.

Right now, these pills were the only lifeline capable of hauling him into the eighth layer of Qi Condensation.

Xu Changshou's smile deepened. "The path of the Dao spans countless years. Do not blind yourself with temporary setbacks or fleeting gains. I believe in your potential."

Su Mo nodded with solemn gravity, his eyes igniting with a desperate fire. "Senior Brother Xu, rest assured. I swore an oath that I would reach Foundation Establishment, and I shall not fail."

"Excellent. I look forward to witnessing it."

Xu Changshou turned away, a genuine smile touching his lips. In this room full of hollow husks, Su Mo alone retained his original essence.

Defiant and ambitious enough to rival the heavens themselves.