(Keep voting for support!) Another more widespread approach uses a medium called "spirit stones" as the currency for trading goods among cultivators. As the name suggests, spirit stones are ordinary stones imbued with the vital qi of heaven and earth—this qi is exceptionally beneficial to cultivators. During meditation or physical practice, if cultivators absorb the qi from spirit stones, their cultivation progress becomes remarkably accelerated, since drawing in refined, concentrated qi that is readily available around them is far more effective than absorbing scattered, less refined qi on their own. However, the most significant advantage of spirit stones lies not just in this. Their primary function is actually in the consumption required to set up spirit arrays and perform spells. The success and effectiveness of a high-level spirit array often depend entirely on the quality of the spirit stones used. High-quality spirit stones not only ensure the array's success but also significantly enhance its power. Moreover, the number of spiritual stones consumed in casting spells far exceeds that required for activating magical arrays. Since a cultivator's spellcasting level and effectiveness are generally determined by their own spiritual energy cultivation, it is unlikely they can summon spells beyond their current capacity solely through personal strength. Thus, spiritual stones serve as the ideal enhancers of spiritual energy. When a cultivator casts a powerful spell and holds a spiritual stone in hand, the inner qi within the stone continuously replenishes the spiritual energy depleted during the spell, enabling the cultivator to perform spells that would otherwise be impossible. Consequently, spiritual stones have become an excellent strategic asset for cultivators to outcompete rivals and achieve victories despite being initially weaker, and also serve as the most effective means to swiftly restore their original strength after significant energy depletion, greatly enhancing their chances of survival during combat. Naturally, the practical and astonishing benefits of spiritual stones have driven their value to steadily rise. Yet, with the massive depletion of spiritual stones, the intensive extraction of spiritual stones, and the growing scarcity of spiritual stone veins, spiritual stones have gradually become a precious luxury in today's immortal cultivation world—serving as the foremost means of exchange and the unique circulating currency among cultivators. Together, they have established detailed specifications and grading systems for spiritual stones. Classified according to the amount of spiritual energy they contain, spiritual stones are divided into four grades: low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and super-grade. Furthermore, based on the distinct spiritual energy attributes, they are categorized into the Five Elements: Golden, Wood, Water, Earth, and Fire spiritual stones. Additionally, rarer types such as Wind and Thunder spiritual stones exist, though these are even more scarce. Despite being such a valuable resource, Han Li has not even managed to acquire a single piece. He considered himself to have little to offer in exchange, so he simply set out with the intention of broadening his horizons, leisurely glancing here and there as he proceeded along his journey. Although Han Li appeared calm and composed, many of the items on the stalls truly stirred his admiration and excitement. Take the stacks of blank scroll papers found at every stall—though ordinary, these were among the most essential items Han Li currently needed. Though Han Li had not yet learned what specific meanings the various grades and levels of scroll papers carried or how they differed, he knew that his current level of cultivation would certainly allow him to use the basic lower-grade scrolls to perform his "Stabilizing Spirit Technique." Thus, acquiring even a few scrolls would immediately grant him a new spell, enhancing his power significantly. In addition, the diverse range of magical scrolls—such as "Thunder and Fire Scrolls," "Fire Dragon Scrolls," and "Power-Boosting Scrolls"—also deeply appealed to him. Even at an unimpressive stall, Han Li spotted a spiritual scroll identical to the one capable of releasing a golden aura—the one he himself possessed. The price tag clearly stated: "Jingang Scroll, a foundational to intermediate-level defensive spiritual scroll, priced at nine lower-tier spiritual stones." Having visited so many stalls, Han Li now had a solid understanding of the prices for these scrolls. A bundle of blank, foundational lower-tier scroll papers could be purchased for one lower-tier spiritual stone, while finished foundational lower-tier scrolls sold for one to two such stones, depending on the type of spell they contained. As for foundational intermediate scrolls, prices jumped significantly—ranging from six to ten spiritual stones—and defensive scrolls were slightly more expensive than offensive ones. Since he himself possessed a similar item, Han Li naturally took notice. After carefully observing the Dharma scrolls on the stalls, he noticed that the spiritual energy of the scrolls there was significantly richer than that of the one he carried in his bosom—clearly a fresh, unused product, while his own, worn-out scroll likely could only fetch one-third of the price. With this realization, Han Li chuckled slightly. It seemed that among these immortals, he truly was a poor man. As he ran his fingers over the items on his person, a sudden thought struck him—what about the scroll inscribed with a small sword he carried inside? Though he didn't yet know its name, he was certain it would surpass the value of the Dharma scrolls. With this thought, Han Li began paying close attention to each stall, scanning for any scrolls similar to the one with the small sword. Unfortunately, after visiting several stalls, he still failed to find any such scrolls. However, at a spot where five or six immortals were gathered, he spotted someone selling a scroll of intermediate to high rank. Next to the scroll was a sign that read: "Skyborne Scroll – a初级 upper-tier flying spiritual scroll, valued at thirty medium-tier spiritual stones, or equivalent solid foundation tonic pills. Upon seeing this sign, Han Li was momentarily stunned. After visiting so many stalls, this was the first upper-tier初级 spiritual scroll he had encountered. He carefully examined it, and indeed, the spiritual energy on the scroll was remarkably dense—far surpassing the quality of the lower and mid-tier scrolls he had seen before. "Twenty stones—would you take that, or not?" a barefoot, red-faced man with a broad face, who had gathered around, finally spoke up. The stall owner, a lean young man wearing a straw hat, simply pointed at the sign and then ignored the man. "It's just a flying scroll—nothing more than an offensive or defensive scroll. Twenty stones is quite a good price!" the red-faced man, still unconvinced, said. "Hmph! If it were truly an offensive or defensive scroll, I'd charge thirty!" No way—you won’t even get a glance unless you have fifty pieces of silver! If you want to save money, go elsewhere! I’m not welcoming you at all." The young man finally spoke coldly, and the moment he opened his mouth, the broad-shouldered man was flushed with anger. "Good lad! I, Qin Yelei, the Leopard of the Yelei Ridge, will remember you. After the grand gathering, we’ll settle our differences properly!" The man exclaimed, furious. Han Li, who had been watching with a cheerful smile, suddenly felt a jolt when he heard the name "Qin Yelei." "Isn’t that the place where the dwarf claimed to have come from? Even if I’m not sure about the dwarf’s story, since this man claims to be from the Ye family, I’d better be cautious!" With that thought, Han Li unconsciously stepped back a few paces and quietly moved to the next stall. However, he made a mental note of the mention of "renewed essence-strengthening tonic pills" on that stall’s sign. He remembered he still had several unused "Yellow Dragon Pills" and "Golden Essence Pills," and wondered whether they might meet the young man's requirements. He would go and ask again when the crowd thinned out. If successful, he would have some leverage to exchange for the items he needed. As he pondered this, he turned back to the young man's stall and found Ye Bao had already disappeared—nowwhere to be seen. Among the remaining people, another one produced a bottle and handed it to the young man. The young man opened the bottle, sniffed it, then gently shook his head and returned it to the owner. The original owner, looking disappointed, walked away. The other several people, who seemed to be part of the same group, followed suit and soon the stall was completely empty. Seeing this, Han Li felt a quiet sense of satisfaction and slowly walked back to the young man's stall. When he saw it was Han Li, the young man paused slightly, clearly recognizing him as someone who had visited just once before. Han Li merely smiled at the young man and said, "I have two kinds of pills. Would they meet your requirements?" With that, he produced two small porcelain bottles and placed them before the young man. The young man didn't waste any time; he took the bottles into his hands, opened each one carefully, and brought his nose close to the mouths, inhaling deeply, his expression thoughtful. After a moment's pause, he did not immediately respond, but gently placed the bottles back in front of Han Li. "How do you think?" Han Li blinked, asking. "To be honest, your pills are slightly better than those shown by the others, but still, they fall short of what I need." The young man hesitated, then shook his head and declined.