Translator: AnubisTL
The stallholder’s eyes lit up. "Eighty spirit stones!" he declared. "Don’t balk at the price—I risked my life to retrieve this antique from that cave abode!"
Hearing the price, the rogue cultivators who had been examining the corroded blade imdiately lost interest. Eighty spirit stones could buy two Foundation Nurturing Pills! Why waste money on a piece of rusty junk? Most rogue cultivators, struggling to make ends et, were ultimately practical. They were eager to find a bargain, but none wanted to be ripped off.
To everyone’s surprise, Shi Nantian hesitated only briefly before generously handing over the spirit stones. Witnessing this, the surrounding cultivators exchanged bewildered glances. Could there be so hidden secret within the dilapidated blade that they had overlooked?
With the transaction complete, the others watched Shi Nantian store the broken blade in his storage pouch, their faces a mixture of astonishnt and suspicion.
"Hey kid, don’t get swindled!" one cultivator warned.
"Exactly!" another added. "Anything put up for sale has been thoroughly examined. If there were any hidden secrets, they wouldn’t be on display."
"A greenhorn fresh out of the nest, still wet behind the ears!"
The smiling stall owner’s cheerful deanor instantly soured. "Hey, hey, hey! Don’t go spreading baseless rumors! I guarantee these antiques were freshly unearthed from Daoist Ling Miao’s cave abode and brought straight to the Heavenly River Market for sale!"
"Besides," he added defensively, "Daoist Ling Miao’s cave abode only surfaced a few days ago. How could I have had ti to inspect them so thoroughly? Maybe this Little Brother truly has so kind of spiritual connection to the item?"
A mocking voice rang out, "Heh heh, if you swear a heart demon oath to the Great Dao, we’ll believe you."
The stall owner’s face flushed crimson, then paled as he stamred platitudes about "honest business practices" and "fair dealings for young and old," drawing roars of laughter from the crowd.
Having acquired the broken blade, Shi Nantian didn’t linger. With a faint smile, he departed from the stall.
Naturally, many had witnessed this exchange. Their eyes flickered with calculation as they etched Shi Nantian’s features into their mories, their thoughts inscrutable.
Li Qing watched Shi Nantian’s retreating figure, but remained hidden, refraining from revealing himself.
"Could this kid have actually stumbled upon so hidden secret that others have overlooked?"
"Should I warn him to be careful lately? Hmm... No need for to ddle. After all, he’s a mber of the Shi Clan. His powerful Third Uncle is undoubtedly watching over him from the shadows."
Li Qing shook his head, dismissing the urge to interfere. He quietly examined the old, dirt-covered artifacts on the stall.
Alas, he lacked the Fortuitous Destiny to uncover a hidden treasure. Apart from their age, these items appeared unremarkable, rely antiques with no special properties.
In the cultivation world, antiques were practically worthless. Li Qing had no intention of wasting the spirit stones he had painstakingly earned from mining on such trifles.
After leaving the stall, Li Qing’s interest turned to the information hubs within Heavenly River Market. Staying inford about the latest developnts in the cultivation world was always prudent.
Before major events unfolded, unusual signs often surfaced in various corners of the world. Gaining early access to such information could provide a crucial advantage.
"Fortunately, the Immortal Path is relatively peaceful these days, with no major wars between the great immortal sects. This is perfect for my plan to quietly develop my power," Li Qing thought.
He soon paused at a stall in the plaza. The vendor primarily sold books and scriptures, but one item caught his eye: the Fragnted Manual of Artifact Refinent!
An incomplete artifact refinent inheritance being sold in the open? Li Qing squatted down, intrigued, to browse it. The stall owner, however, wordlessly pressed a hand on the manual, preventing him from opening it.
Sensing the man’s unapproachability, Li Qing tactfully withdrew his hand. "Esteed sir," he asked with a smile, "I’m interested in this Fragnted Manual of Artifact Refinent. May I ask what type of spirit patterns it contains?"
Though the vendor looked sowhat disheveled, his eyes held a steadfast integrity. "It primarily details light and agile spirit patterns, with a small section on basic fire attribute patterns."
No wonder it’s called the Fragnted Manual of Artifact Refinent, Li Qing mused inwardly. As an experienced cultivator, he knew that the best way for a Weapon Refinent Apprentice to begin learning artifact refinent was through the Five Elents Basic Spirit Runes.
Spirit patterns that enhance speed and agility, like these, have limited value and aren’t particularly useful for aspiring artifact refiners.
"Hmm, does this manual contain thods for crafting spirit boats?" Li Qing asked, posing a pointed question.
While speed and agility spirit patterns are crucial for crafting spirit boats, simply possessing their inheritance doesn’t guarantee success. Material selection and pattern combinations are equally vital factors. Li Qing’s question stemd from his desire to eventually refine a spirit boat for himself, primarily for travel.
The stall owner shook his head. "Fellow Daoist, you’re overthinking it," he said. "The thods for crafting spirit boats are closely guarded secrets within many major clans."
"To be frank, this artifact refinent inheritance contains only a limited number of speed and agility spirit patterns. It’s simply impossible to craft a spirit boat using just this knowledge."
As expected!
Li Qing felt a twinge of disappointnt, but he still wanted to purchase the manual if the price was reasonable. "How many spirit stones for this Fragnted Manual of Artifact Refinent?" he asked.
"Fifteen spirit stones."
"Not bad, not too expensive!"
Li Qing imdiately reached for his spirit stones, ready to purchase the Fragnted Manual of Artifact Refinent.
Seeing this, the stall owner hesitated. "Fellow Daoist, are you an artifact refiner?"
Li Qing considered for a mont and decided there was no need to hide the truth. "I know a little," he replied.
Now it was the stall owner’s turn to fall silent. After a long pause, Li Qing thought he glimpsed a faint fire burning in the man’s eyes.
"Fellow Daoist, I’ll sell you this Fragnted Manual of Artifact Refinent for ten spirit stones. Furthermore, you can choose any cultivation manual or secret technique from my stall for just five additional spirit stones."
"But I need you to promise one thing!"
Sothing felt off. Li Qing imdiately grew wary, unwilling to entangle himself in any karmic debt just to save a few spirit stones.
"You jest, esteed sir. I’m rely a humble rogue cultivator with pitifully weak cultivation. I doubt I could be of any help to you."
Undeterred, the stall owner persisted, "What I ask is not difficult. Once your Artifact Refinent Technique improves, would you help repair a high-grade magical artifact?"
"And I’ll compensate you handsoly afterward! What do you say, Fellow Daoist? This isn’t a binding request; I only need your word. There’s no need to swear to your heart demon, and it won’t matter if you forget about it later."
Li Qing hesitated, his gaze sweeping across the books on the vendor’s stall.
At first, he wasn’t particularly interested, but upon closer inspection, he discovered a manual that truly piqued his interest.
It was a manual on spirit plants, but not a Spirit Herbalist’s inheritance. Instead, it detailed a secret technique for transplanting already-cultivated Spirit Herbs and spirit wood.
Its title: Secret Art of Sealing Wood.
Most Spirit Herbs and spirit wood lose their vitality when uprooted and stored in a storage pouch. While their dicinal power remains intact for the years they’ve already grown, they can no longer continue to grow if replanted.
But by employing the Secret Art of Sealing Wood, their vitality could be preserved, allowing them to continue growing even after replanting.
For many, this technique might seem rather impractical, but Li Qing found it utterly fascinating.
Li Qing slowly set down the Secret Art of Sealing Wood. "Perhaps you could tell ," he said, "what grade of magical artifact you want to repair?"
"A top-grade magical artifact!" the stall owner replied bluntly in a hushed tone.
Hearing those words, Li Qing felt a slight tremor within him. He chuckled bitterly. "This puts in a difficult position. Top-grade magical artifacts are coveted even by cultivators in the Foundation Establishnt Realm!"
"Repairing such a thing requires at least the ability to refine high-grade magical artifacts. I’m just a Weapon Refinent Apprentice—I lack such skill."
"No matter," the stall owner insisted earnestly. "I only need your verbal promise."
Li Qing pondered for a long mont before finally nodding. "I can agree to this, but I never take unnecessary risks. Do you understand?"
The unspoken implication was clear: if Li Qing deed the task too dangerous, he would decline, regardless of his ability to repair the artifact. As for what constituted "dangerous," that definition ultimately rested with him.
"Of course!" The stall owner visibly relaxed upon hearing Li Qing’s agreent.
Li Qing retrieved fifteen spirit stones, took back the Fragnted Manual of Artifact Refinent and the Secret Art of Sealing Wood, and stored them in his storage pouch.
Without lingering, he imdiately left the stall.
Not bad, today’s haul is pretty decent!
Still, he wanted to investigate the stall owner’s background.
Lost in thought, Li Qing continued wandering through the sprawling market square. Countless stalls displayed a dazzling array of goods.
Having secured the Secret Art of Sealing Wood, Li Qing now focused on acquiring spirit wood—even seeds would suffice.
If necessary, I can secretly plant a few spirit trees in the Liu Clan’s territory, seal them away when I leave, and replant them elsewhere.
Once the spirit wood has matured sufficiently, I can use it to cultivate the Precious Wood Body Refinent Manual!
It won’t require too much effort or attention, so it’s perfect.
(End of the Chapter)
📖Read [IR] ahead on Pa.treon@AnubisTL upto c270. [ 4/6.6k].
🎁All [2] Novels can be accessed for just $6/mo.
🔥Translated [700 ] Chapters and [1.42M ] Words.
User Comments
0 comments from readers