Cultivation Starting from Choosing Augments-Chapter 67 - 65: The Route Map Named After You

When Xiao Chen produced this chest of Fire Crystals, everyone around him was instantly stunned.

What was going on?

’Did you come to the Secret Realm to stock up on inventory?’

Lin Ping’an was even more bewildered. He had personally watched Xiao Chen practicing Magic for the last few days.

’Where did he find the time to mine Fire Crystals?’

’Could it be that Xiao Chen had already gathered a full chest of Fire Crystals in the first two days?’

’If that’s the case, does that mean he also practiced some incredibly powerful Earth Magic?’

Thinking of this, and then recalling the recent scene of thorns blanketing the ground, Lin Ping’an grew even more certain of his speculation. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Xiao Chen paid no mind to their thoughts. He directly counted out thirty Fire Crystals and handed them to Ye Fei. "Here, for you."

Then, the other disciples from prominent families couldn’t be bothered with their surprise any longer. They swarmed forward, taking out their money to trade.

They had a tacit understanding among themselves, taking as many as thirty and as few as ten, nearly dividing up the five hundred Fire Crystals in the chest completely.

In the end, they even tacitly left Xiao Chen with ten Fire Crystals at the bottom of the chest.

The commotion from the gathering crowd quickly attracted the other disciples.

Some disciples not from major families watched them purchase Fire Crystals with envious eyes.

If circumstances allowed, they too would have liked to bring a few Fire Crystals back with them.

One of the junior sisters from Bishui Peak, gritting her teeth and stamping her foot, ran right up.

She looked at Xiao Chen with pleading eyes and asked, "Xiao, could I have one? Just one is enough for me."

Xiao Chen shook his head.

Then, he casually produced another identical chest, opened the lid, and revealed that it too was filled with five hundred Fire Crystals.

Being able to exchange the Fire Crystals for Spirit Stones was a good thing for him.

After all, Xiao Chen didn’t have a Fire Spirit Root, so he had no use for Fire Crystals.

Selling them to his fellow disciples was quick and convenient, and it saved him the trouble of having to take them elsewhere to trade for Spirit Stones later.

He first called out to those farther away, "We’re all on the same side, no need to be polite with me. Anyone who wants to trade, or even just wants one as a souvenir, feel free to come over."

Then he looked at the junior sister before him. "Junior Sister, just say how many you want. Don’t be so reserved."

At this, the onlooking disciples could no longer hold back. They all crowded around, wanting to trade for a few Fire Crystals to take back with them.

Ye Fei, on the other hand, couldn’t contain himself. He felt he had bought too few.

’If I had known Xiao Chen had so many Fire Crystals, I should have asked for more.’

The problem was, he never would have imagined there would be so many Fire Crystals in the first place.

Fire Crystals had to be dug out of a mine with a Flying Sword; they weren’t just lying on the ground for anyone to pick up.

Who would believe that a single person could bring out a full one thousand Fire Crystals?

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, no one would believe it if he told it as a story.

Not far away, Jiang Sixuan watched Xiao Chen, who was surrounded by a crowd trading for Spirit Stones, and felt a sour feeling in her heart.

She looked at Jiang Cungang. "Third Brother, should we go and trade for a few Fire Crystals?"

Jiang Cungang waved his hand. "There’s no need. That’s not the important thing. Eighth Sister, when we get back, you’re coming with me to see the Patriarch."

"The biggest problem now is that Xiao Chen is clearly on the rise."

"I gravely underestimated him, and the family did too. We need to report this situation immediately."

Jiang Sixuan was a little confused. "He’s already at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. I imagine it won’t be long after we get back before this news spreads."

"Isn’t it too late for us to report it now?"

Jiang Cungang replied softly, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "No, it’s not too late. There’s still time. Between the ninth level of Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment, there is still a great chasm."

Jiang Sixuan still didn’t understand. "With Xiao Chen’s potential, it wouldn’t be hard for the Chen Family to get him a Foundation Establishment Pill, would it?"

Jiang Cungang reminded her, "Of course it’s not hard, but it takes time. And until then, he’s still just a Qi Refining Cultivator."

Jiang Sixuan fell into thought. Just then, she saw Elder Liu and Elder Fu appear together.

Foundation Establishment Cultivators have sharp Divine Sense, which they can extend hundreds of yards away.

Naturally, they had easily picked up on the unusual commotion here.

The two Elders had been observing from the shadows, but as they watched, they couldn’t just sit back any longer.

’Something important must have happened in the Secret Realm. Otherwise, how could so many Fire Crystals have appeared?’

Elder Fu looked Xiao Chen up and down and asked directly, "These Fire Crystals... did you dig all of them out of the Secret Realm by yourself?"

Elder Liu chuckled and took a couple of steps closer. "Don’t be nervous. Fu is just concerned about whether something has changed inside the Secret Realm."

"This is your first time in the Secret Realm, so you might not be aware."

"In the past, when the Flame Pool Secret Realm opened, the biggest harvest ever was when sixty disciples combined brought out just over eight hundred Fire Crystals."

"But in recent times, the numbers have been getting smaller and smaller."

"But this time, you alone have brought out a thousand, haven’t you? Can you share with us how you managed that?"

"It would also make it easier for the other disciples who enter the Secret Realm in the future. They could learn from you."

In Xiao Chen’s view, there were two main reasons for this.

First, it was the selection of participants. When Cultivators like Chen Guangyu at the sixth level of Qi Refining could sneak into the Secret Realm, it naturally affected the group’s overall efficiency.

Second, it was the obstruction from the Guardian Spirit Beasts. As the shallower areas deeper inside were mined completely, it naturally became harder for later disciples to obtain Fire Crystals.

But these were not matters for him to consider.

So, he took out the map of the Secret Realm and marked the location of the mine he had encountered when he killed the Three-headed Lion King.

There was no need to keep this a secret anyway. By the time the Secret Realm opened again in fifty years, he should have managed to reach Foundation Establishment even if he had to grind his way there.

Of course, he couldn’t mention the palace. After all, he had promised Lin Ping’an he wouldn’t reveal the secret.

"There’s an entire Fire Crystal ore mountain here? Are you sure? You didn’t misremember the location?"

Elder Fu was astonished and asked a series of follow-up questions.

Elder Liu’s expression also grew solemn, but he first set the tone. "This is a major discovery. If it’s true, you should be credited with a great merit."

"Did anyone else see it? No? That’s fine."

"Then we’ll have to trouble you to think carefully and try to perfect this map. For instance, are there any forks in the road? Any obvious landmarks?"

So the two of them pulled Xiao Chen aside and spent a full hour drawing the map.

They practically wanted him to mark down every single thing he had seen along the way.

Finally, Elder Liu grabbed Xiao Chen’s hand and said earnestly, "Rest assured, this map of the Secret Realm’s route will be named after you in the future."

"The next time it’s explored, the sect will organize a special team to verify it. Every disciple who harvests Fire Crystals will remember your contribution."

"The sect will also remember your contribution."

’"The next time it’s explored," my ass. So no reward until it’s verified, huh?’

Meanwhile, Elder Fu put away the map, leaped cleanly onto the Flying Boat, and shouted, "Everyone, board the boat!"