"Yan Xiaobao, what can we do for you?" Ma Kong’s father asked curiously as Yan Xiaobao slowly placed the mory Stone in his hand onto the table. "Once, when I returned to Liluo City, I was invited to dine with the Ma family. At that ti, I t the manager of Liluo City’s Black Market Auction House, who gave the black blood dagger. It’s the weapon I’ve used up to this point," he said. "This dagger has served well over the years. During those years, I struggled to survive, and it always held a special place in my heart; however, now it no longer suits . It was designed for cultivators of the Lower Dantian, but I’ve reached King-level now, and I need a weapon more appropriate for my current capabilities. I’m certainly willing to pay for it, though I can’t imagine finding a better place to look for weapons than here."
Nodding, Ma Kong’s father considered for a mont. "Knowing you’ve used this dagger before already tells much about your worth this year. Although we don’t currently have any weapons suitable for auctioning to you, we do have so stored in the family armory. For the sake of our family, we occasionally purchase weapons and store them in our own armory. I’ll have Ma Gang take you there, and you can choose any weapon you desire," he continued. "Consider it our gift to you," he said, smiling and gesturing for Ma Gang and Yan Xiaobao to leave. Yan Xiaobao, unsure of how to repay such kindness, simply thanked the two mbers of the Ma family.
Following his friend Ma Kong, the two young n left the office, walking down corridor after corridor. Yan Xiaobao sensed they were delving deeper underground; the corridors gradually shifted from elegant decor to rugged stone walls. The windows disappeared entirely; instead, torches mounted on the walls provided the light. After walking for so ti, they arrived at a massive door crafted from heavy wood. The door was bare of decorations, carvings, or symbols, offering no hint of the treasures it guarded. Draped in robes, Ma Kong finally retrieved a set of forged iron keys. This was quite unusual, as most places were locked using mory Stones, but these intricately designed keys clearly served a different purpose. It was a door that couldn’t be opened with mory Stones, no matter how one tried.
With the keys in hand, Ma Kong suddenly stepped forward and unlocked the door, producing a crisp click. He then pushed the door open. As the heavy door swung aside, revealing the room inside, the sound echoed. Yan Xiaobao was intensely curious about the appearance of the Ma family’s treasury. Following closely behind Ma Kong, Yan Xiaobao stepped into the room, and his mouth went dry at the sight of the overwhelming wealth surrounding him. Shelves numbering in the hundreds filled the vast room. On each shelf lay an assortnt of items. As he scanned the surroundings, Yan Xiaobao felt utterly lost about where to focus. The torches affixed to the walls and shelves caused golden treasures to glimr in the fla’s glow. Silver shimred brilliantly, jewels glittered under the light, and jade artifacts were placed on the shelves, hiding valuable objects within.
Among the items on the shelves, Yan Xiaobao spotted boxes brimming with precious dicinal herbs, jade boxes containing rare herbal dicines, and a select few divine herbs so valuable they were locked away in boxes made of pure gold. Gazing at the herbs, Yan Xiaobao was suddenly reminded of his ti in Shen Yun, where he had collected various rare herbs and stored them in a mory Stone. He had used jade to preserve them, but it had been at least a year since he last opened it; now he found himself curious about how his many rare herbs were faring and whether they retained their potency for treatnt.
Yan Xiaobao road the treasury, encountering an array of priceless treasures. So had obvious applications, so were pills carefully refined by alchemists, and others were weapons forged from black iron, gold, silver, or common iron, all inscribed with magical inscriptions to enhance their durability. So weapons even bore engraved abilities, allowing their wielders to use these abilities so long as their spirit energy was sufficient.
One portion of the treasury was filled with rare tals. At the bottom lay chunks of black iron, while at the top were bars of silver and gold. Most of these tals were infused with spiritual energy, which made them stronger. Beyond these rare tals, all the gemstones were brimming with spiritual energy. These gemstones could be used in various ways. When vast amounts of natural energy from heaven and earth beca trapped within the land or mountains, gemstones would form as the essence naturally refined and compressed over ti. The larger the gemstone, the greater the energy it carried, refined and compressed by the earth. These gemstones could be harnessed in different ways. One thod was to use them as batteries, enabling individuals to absorb their energy to increase their own spiritual energy. Alternatively, they could be combined with weapons. When embedded into weapons, and with the aid of inscriptions, they could activate the abilities carved onto armor or weapons. This allowed lower-ranked experts to utilize the powers engraved on their gear. Yan Xiaobao, who had once lived in Liluo City and studied at the Royal Academy there, had never encountered such things before; yet here, surrounded by gemstones and inscribed weapons, he saw they were commonplace in the capital. They served as gifts from families to their talented young mbers, offering safety as they struggled to beco the strongest. This allowed lower-ranked experts to utilize the powers engraved on their gear.
Although gemstones could be utilized in various ways, there were also beast cores. Beast cores were similar but contained far more original energy than gemstones. These cores carried the entire cultivation base of the slain beasts, often used to assist individuals in cultivation. They enabled cultivators to slowly absorb and refine their internal Fog Energy. However, unlike gemstones, beast cores couldn’t be used to activate inscriptions because their energy was Fog Energy, a type incompatible with the energy humans trained in.
Due to his familiarity with these items, Yan Xiaobao didn’t linger long on the beast cores. Walking through the treasury, Yan Xiaobao finally reached the final section, where he found a multitude of weapons. So hung on the walls, while others rested on shelves. As he gazed at them, his pulse quickened, and his eyes lit up with excitent. Stepping closer, he saw many different types of weapons, and his head spun with indecision. Picking up a rod, Yan Xiaobao curiously observed its intricate details. Playing with it in his hand, he realized it was a long staff, engraved with magical inscriptions.
"Be careful with that," Ma Kong said with a smile as he watched Yan Xiaobao inspecting the item. "If you infuse this staff with your Qi or spiritual energy, it will start to shoot small fireballs, which explode at a distance before reaching their target. These fireballs can travel up to three hundred ters before detonating. As long as you have enough energy, the staff will keep firing. I’m surprised you haven’t seen these used in battles. The Siban Empire must have employed them extensively," Ma Kong said, a hint of confusion in his voice. Yan Xiaobao simply shook his head. Perhaps they had been used, but he hadn’t noticed them. Yan Xiaobao returned the staff to the shelf, and his gaze shifted to examine swords, axes, spears, and long pikes. Although he was intrigued by all the weapons, he couldn’t help but focus more on the swords than anything else. Picking up sword after sword, he found each to be a masterpiece. Many of them were engraved with inscriptions: one capable of firing fireballs, another designed to summon ice shards, and yet another capable of unleashing lightning strikes. However, no matter which weapon Yan Xiaobao picked up, he couldn’t shake a feeling of dissatisfaction. They were exceptional, but none seed to be what he truly desired. After examining nearly all the weapons scattered throughout the room, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointnt.
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