2- Protagonist!

The Profound Moon Sect allocated separate cultivation spots to its few thousand Outer Court disciples to prevent conflicts among them.

As one of the Righteous sects in the Desolate East, the Profound Moon Sect strictly prohibited disciples from initiating internal disputes, let alone killing someone within the sect.

That was one of the many reasons why Outer Court disciples were often occupied, spending most of their time cultivating in seclusion within their abodes.

After acquiring his new strength, Zhao Ming set out for Plum Blossom Town. Situated nearby, it served as a convenient destination for many Outer Court disciples seeking various purchases.

Despite the Sect also offering similar necessities, acquiring them often required sect points. Thus, visiting the town provided a more cost-effective and accessible alternative.

The town was massive, though not comparable to the Sect; still, it was half as wide.

Zhao Ming navigated through the crowd and reached the Skyward Pavilion, the sole establishment offering cultivation-related resources for purchase.

Standing four stories tall and spanning dozens of meters in width, the Pavilion boasted considerable size. However, it was not overly crowded, allowing Zhao Ming to enter effortlessly, as there were no guards stationed at the entrance.

Arriving at the counter, he asked the charming lady behind it, "I want to buy alchemy-related resources."

The lady raised a brow in surprise when she saw a Profound Moon Sect's disciple asking for alchemy resources, but still, she answered him calmly as it was her job, "All the Alchemy-related items are on the Second floor... Is there anything else I can assist you with?"

Zhao Ming shook his head. "Nothing else," he said with a smile, then proceeded towards the stairs.

Upon reaching the alchemy floor, emptiness greeted his sight. Except for one person, the floor was deserted.

But upon seeing that person, he couldn't help but curse his luck for being so dismal.

It was Xiao Lin, the protagonist of this world.

Why the fuck he is here? Hmm, ah I remember now. He is going to purchase healing pills before leaving for the nearby mountain range to hunt demonic beasts...

Ooh? He is still in the 3rd stage of the Qi Purification realm, which means he hasn't encountered that roadside opportunity yet, hehe, I have to snatch it before he does...

Advancing to the counter, Zhao Ming paid no mind to the silver-haired boy who was avidly inspecting the medicinal pills.

As the pills were securely stored on the counter, the thought of snatching them didn't even cross anyone's mind. Not solely due to their location, but also because of the Xia family, owners of the Pavilion.

Renowned as the town's exclusive distributor of cultivation resources, the Xia family commanded immense respect. Their stature as a formidable cultivation clan deterred any would-be troublemakers.

With numerous powerful experts discreetly stationed within the Pavilion, no one had any reason to fear threats or theft.

"I want to buy a cauldron and ten stalks of Meridian Cleansing herb," he requested from the old man stationed behind the counter.

The Meridian Cleansing herb, one of the many herbs in the cultivation world, that could be beneficial for cleansing the meridians, was one of the best herbs to turn into a pill.

The Pills ranks were divided into Low, Middle and Top grades. Since Zhao Ming didn't read after 200 chapters, he was unaware of the further grades beyond these.

The old man nodded impassively and inquired, "We do have Meridian Cleansing herbs, but I need to know the grade of cauldron you require."

Zhao Ming recollected that he possessed only 72 Spirit stones, leaving him no choice but to opt for a low-grade cauldron. "Is there anything available for around 40 low-grade Spirit stones?" he inquired.

With no change in expression, the old man nodded and then vanished.

Core formation expert! Fuck, this world is really dangerous...

If I weren't a disciple of Profound Moon Sect, I would be having a heart attack right now...

It's good that I transmigrated as a cultivator, I don't know what would happen if I were a mortal...

Zhao Ming contemplated for a brief moment before he was interrupted by a voice.

"Fellow Brother... I'm Xiao Lin. Are you in need of a cauldron?"

Xiao Lin, the silver-haired boy and protagonist, smiled as he approached and inquired.

This bastard has a system to purchase any pills, techniques and treasures he wants after killing demonic beasts, which gives him system points... This fucking system is too overpowered, I have to do something about it in the future...

"Indeed," Zhao Ming said with a smile as he nodded, then added, "Fellow brother, I'm Zhao Ming... Do you also need a cauldron?"

Shaking his head sideways, Xiao Lin smiled awkwardly in response, "No, no... I'm just here to purchase some low-grade healing pills, nothing more..."

"Are you venturing towards the Mountain range, Brother Xiao?" Zhao Ming inquired.

"Yes," the silver-haired boy answered, his expression tinged with surprise.

Zhao Ming nodded, his expression shifting into one of concern as he spoke in a low voice, "Brother Xiao, I can see that you're still at the 3rd stage, so I feel compelled to offer some advice as a senior... It's best not to venture too far into the mountains alone. There are often powerful beasts that hunt in groups there, so it's better to be safe than sorry."

Xiao Lin raised a brow in acknowledgement and nodded. "Thank you for the advice, Brother Zhao. I'll make sure to stay within safe bounds," he replied gratefully.

Having expressed his gratitude, Zhao Ming considered inviting him to join in hunting beasts, but before he could speak, the old man from earlier returned.

"It will be 55 Spirit stones in total, 50 for the cauldron and 5 for the herbs," the old man announced as he delivered the items on the counter from his space ring.

Fuck, that will leave me with only 17 spirit stones... It should be barely enough to buy that thing.

Zhao Ming's wry smile accompanied the placement of 55 Spirit stones on the counter, evoking a mix of awe and embarrassment from Xiao Lin, who possessed a mere 5 Spirit stones.

The old man acknowledged the payment with a nod, confirming the transaction with his divine sense before stowing the stones away in his space ring.

"Is there anything else you require?" he inquired, hopeful for additional sales, yet Zhao Ming remained steadfast in his focus on his current purchase, rendering the old man's efforts futile.

"No, this should suffice," Zhao Ming remarked, shaking his head as he stowed away the purchased items into his space ring.

With only a cubic meter of storage capacity, the space ring quickly reached its limit.

He turned around and nodded at Xiao Lin. "Let's meet again sometime, Brother Xiao... If you ever need assistance, don't hesitate to find me at the 63rd Mountain of the Outer Court," he offered sincerely.

"Many thanks, fellow brother," he said and saw Zhao Ming leave before his eyes.

Only after some time did he remember that he forgot he wanted to invite Zhao Ming with him.

*Cough* The old man coughed.

"Yes...! Low-grade Healing Pills, please!" he responded hurriedly.