I am grinding experience in another world

The night sky of Heavenly Pass Star had no moon, yet the starlight was exceptionally bright.

The silvery starlight penetrated through the jade window. Even without lighting the fluorescent algae lantern, the room remained brilliantly illuminated.

Chen Mu stood in front of the window, gazing at his reflection on the glass, his heart somewhat uneasy.

“Pale face, dark circles—classic signs of vital energy depletion.”

“Chasing quick results is never the way,” Chen Mu let out a long sigh.

He had already figured out the reason for his vital energy depletion.

Jade Seed Reformation required Primordial Qi, and refining Primordial Qi consumed a vast amount of mana.

The recovery of mana relied not only on Earth Spirit Vital Energy but also on one’s own essence and divine energy.

Each time he drained his mana and replenished it, a portion of his vital energy was inevitably siphoned away.

His neighbor Zhong Qing depleted his mana five times a day and ended up with vital energy loss. Chen Mu drained his mana over twenty times daily—how could his body not suffer?

“It’s all because the cultivation of Jade Seed Reformation is too enticing,” Chen Mu shook his head with a touch of regret.

The golden patterns grew continuously, his experience values soared rapidly, and the epiphanies came flooding in. The myriad of sensations made him addicted day after day, unwittingly causing his vital energy depletion.

“Cultivation is meant to make one stronger, not to destroy oneself.”

…

For the next five consecutive days, Chen Mu refrained from Daoist Foundation cultivation.

He went to bed early and rose early. When working at the Xinsi Courtyard, he mostly kept his eyes closed, resting.

He consumed small, frequent portions of Nourishing Spirit Wine and Replenishing Origin Soup daily. He even brought out his long-stored supply of Rejuvenation Pills for emergencies.

After a stretch of days focusing on recuperation, his pale complexion finally regained a healthy glow, and the dark circles under his eyes gradually faded.

At night, Chen Mu stood before the window, using his Truth Listening Divine Power to carefully examine himself inside and out.

After ensuring that his energy flow was stable and vigorous, he finally felt a sense of relief.

“I need to carefully plan out the Jade Seed Reformation process. I can’t afford to rush blindly in cultivation.”

Looking at the luminous starry sky, Chen Mu began to silently calculate.

“Jade Seed Reformation must proceed, but the number of cultivation sessions per day must be controlled.”

“Replenishing Origin Soup and Nourishing Spirit Wine can strengthen my foundation, but relying on them excessively isn’t feasible. The body has a limit to what it can absorb; the intake must be regulated and timed.”

With this plan in mind, the anxiety that had been plaguing Chen Mu for days finally subsided.

Now, he had the leisure to observe the peculiar night sky above.

“There’s no moon at night, and no sun during the day.”

“The daylight visibility even comes entirely from the light emitted by the Heavenly Pass Star’s own skies.”

“Interesting.”

Chen Mu had been to the Netherworld and also ventured to Outer Heaven Demon Sky. While the environments were different in those places, both had suns and moons. Yet, the Heavenly Pass Star had neither.

Having been here for over a month, he had deliberately asked around, but the locals were accustomed to it and had no idea why this was.

“I heard there are eighteen main and subsidiary stars of Heavenly Pass Star. I wonder what those places are like,” Chen Mu pondered quietly, gazing at the sky.

“The Heavenly Pass Star is stable, but the other stars are frequently plagued by demons and monsters. It’s definitely not the time to visit yet.”

“Perhaps in a few years, once I’ve established my Daoist Foundation, I could find an opportunity to explore the other stars.”

…

More than a month later, in the evening.

East of Heavenly Pass City, on Heavenly Market Street.

The street lay to the east of the Inner City of Heavenly Pass, west of the Yangdu and Heavenly Craft quarters, acting like a boundary line separating the two areas.

The Heavenly Gate Magical Artifact through which Chen Mu had first entered the Heavenly Pass Star was situated at the southernmost end of Heavenly Market Street.

“One white jade for a pound of meat? Is it really that expensive?” Inside the Hundred Flavors Inn, Chen Mu stared at the snow-white meat with traces of frost, looking visibly shocked.

Back in Yunzhou and Hai Province, a single white jade could purchase over a dozen Fasting Pills or several dozen pounds of Exotic Beast Meat, enough to sustain an average Qi Cultivator for a month. Yet here, it could only buy one pound of meat?

These prices…

“It is indeed pricey, but the value is there,” said the gray-clad servant, accustomed to such questions, smiling as he explained.

“The meat you see before you is from the Six-winged Golden Feathered Eagle, distilled of demon poison through the Heavenly Craft Furnace. It is the essence of its leg meat.”

“Not only does it have the ability to strengthen and stabilize your foundation, but with consistent consumption, the effects surpass even those of the Rejuvenation Pill.”

“More importantly, its taste is extraordinarily exquisite—absolutely unlike anything you’ve ever tried before,” the servant said confidently.

But taste was irrelevant.

The Ghosts had no interest in the flavor of demon beast meat; they needed quantity and sustenance.

Chen Mu inwardly sighed in resignation.

He wasn’t buying the demon beast meat for himself but to replenish the Bottomless Pool.

Whether it was to feed the Ghosts or to refine Replenishing Origin Soup and Nourishing Spirit Wine, large amounts of blood and flesh had to be thrown into the Bottomless Pool.

After spending more than two months on Heavenly Pass Star, the blood and flesh he had previously stored in the Bottomless Pool had nearly been exhausted.

After inquiring about the prices of various demon beast meats from the servant, Chen Mu left the Hundred Flavors Inn carrying five pounds of Six-winged Golden Feathered Eagle leg meat.

He visited several other butcher shops afterward, only to receive similar information.

The demon beast meat sold in Heavenly Pass City either came from Outer Heaven Demons or from human-bred Exotic Beasts.

Their flavors were exceptional, and they had special benefits, but their prices were universally steep.

As materials for refining Replenishing Origin Soup and Nourishing Spirit Wine, they weren’t cost-effective at all.

“I need to find a more affordable source for demon beast meat.”

“Hmm, I think Demon Dispel Alley looks promising.”

…

The next afternoon.

In the Xinsi Courtyard of Demon Dispel Alley.

Chen Mu sat slouched on a high stool, half-asleep.

After a long while, a glimmer of life returned to his empty eyes.

“The fifth session of Reversed Practicing Primordial Qi is complete. No more for today.”

He uncorked the gourd on his waist, took a swig of Nourishing Spirit Wine, and stood up to stretch his joints.

Since his earlier ordeal with vital energy depletion, Chen Mu had slowed his pace in Jade Seed Reformation.

He spent over half a month experimenting with Replenishing Origin Soup and Nourishing Spirit Wine in various tests.

Ultimately, he confirmed that the maximum number of Reversed Practices of Primordial Qi he could safely do each day was twelve.

Staying within this limit allowed him to maintain a positive balance in his body:

avoiding vital energy harm while continuing the swift reformation of the Jade Seed.

The reason he could only practice five times during the day was solely due to the insufficient Earth Spirit Vital Energy in Demon Dispel Alley.

“It’s still the Outer City of Heavenly Pass City; the Earth Spirit Vital Energy here cannot compare to the richness of the Inner City.”

“Even if I wanted to train more in the daytime, I’d have to return at night to rely on the Exquisite Jade Plate for cultivation.” Chen Mu shook his head slightly.

The entirety of Heavenly Pass City existed within a kind of dojo-like Forbidden Law. In every region, the Earth Spirit Vital Energy was limited.

In the Outer City, the Earth Spirit Vital Energy was sufficient for an ordinary Daoist Soldier to recover mana, but Reversed Practicing Primordial Qi was a major consumer of vitality—it couldn’t be sustained by the Outer City’s energy for long periods.

The Exquisite Jade Plate, a portable dojo in itself, once again proved to be invaluable.

“Apart from its constant demand for large amounts of white jade, it has no flaws whatsoever.”

Chen Mu was incredibly fond of the Exquisite Jade Plate. This magical artifact had been by his side for over a decade, offering tremendous assistance.

As for the vitality-rich Inner City, he felt no envy at all.

Every Daoist Soldier who lived in the Inner City was required to frequently join expeditions to exterminate demons and monsters.

High-level cultivation came with great perks, but it was said that the mortality rate was not insignificant.

“I’d rather stick to my butcher’s work, thank you very much.”

Chen Mu stretched his body leisurely, shaking his head and muttering to himself.

“While Earth Spirit Vital Energy isn’t lacking, the ingredients for Replenishing Origin Soup and Nourishing Spirit Wine are something I’ll have to give careful thought to.”

He lowered his gaze to the wooden bucket beside the stone table.

The bucket contained the entrails and sinews of an Eagle-beaked White Jade Snake.

According to the Demon and Demon Map, the blood and flesh of Outer Heaven Demons contained demon poison. Consuming it without proper processing would lead either to madness or death.

Hence, despite nearly two months of work at Demon Dispel Alley, Chen Mu had never considered consuming the meat of those demon beasts.

But now…

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