txolops Chapter 5 Minor Qi Refining Level 9
Chapter 5 Minor Qi Refining Level 9
Stepping into the shop, a unique aroma, a blend of herbs and aged wood, wafts through the air. The shop is dimly lit, and the shelves are filled with a dazzling array of low-level cultivation items.
Behind the counter, the shopkeeper was talking in hushed tones with a long-faced man, seemingly haggling over the price of a certain item.
Han Xiaoliu remained calm, his gaze sweeping around the shop before he gently waved to the servant standing nearby, signaling him to come over.
Upon hearing the sound, the young servant hurried over. When he saw the person's appearance, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
The person was small and petite, clearly the size of a child, but his head was excessively large, as if an adult's head had been forcibly attached to a child's body, making him look extremely strange and comical.
But Xiao Si had been in the cultivators' market for many years and knew the principle that "you can't judge a book by its cover".
This wasn't the first time he'd seen a dwarf cultivator, and the one before him who had even stepped into this place was undoubtedly a cultivator.
He dared not be negligent in the slightest, and immediately bowed, his face full of a professional smile: "Sir, what do you need? I will get it for you right away."
Han Xiaoliu didn't say anything, but took out a piece of paper and a charcoal pencil from his sleeve, quickly wrote a line of words, and handed it to Xiaosi.
The paper contained only three words: "Spirit Stone Test".
Xiao Si understood immediately and, to be cautious, confirmed again, "Sir, you need a spirit-testing stone to assess your spiritual root aptitude, right? I'll get it for you right away."
Seeing Han Xiaoliu nod slightly, Xiao Si dared not delay and quickly took out an exquisite wooden box from a hidden compartment under the counter.
He carefully opened it, took out a warm, jade-like, milky-white stone, and introduced it: "Please take a look, sir. This is a spirit-testing stone personally crafted by a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It can not only test the aptitude of the five elemental roots, but also reveal rare and mutated spiritual roots other than metal, wood, water, fire, and earth..."
Xiao Si wanted to continue promoting, but Han Xiaoliu impatiently waved him off.
He pushed the paper in front of Xiao Si and tapped the words "Spirit Testing Stone" lightly with his gloved fingers, indicating that the other party should make a price directly.
Seeing this, Xiao Si stopped beating around the bush and respectfully said, "Sir, this item is widely available in the market and its production is not too complicated, so the price is not expensive, eighty spirit stones."
Eighty spirit stones? Not expensive? My entire fortune combined wouldn't be enough!
Han Xiaoliu sighed inwardly, realizing that he still had to sell that century-old Crimson Gold Fungus to make ends meet.
His gaze passed over Xiao Si and returned to the shopkeeper's position. He saw the shopkeeper and the long-faced giant still haggling over the price; it seemed the deal hadn't been finalized.
Han Xiaoliu's gaze sharpened slightly, and his spiritual energy quietly circulated within his body, silently activating the Heavenly Eye Technique.
[Nine Levels of Qi Refining]
It's just a small carambola.
Han Xiaoliu immediately made up his mind and stopped taking the other party to heart.
He picked up his pen again, quickly wrote a few lines on the paper, then got up, walked straight to the counter, and pushed the slip of paper in front of the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper was getting annoyed by the long-faced man's nagging when someone handed him a note. He instinctively took it and read it.
The paper was written in sharp strokes: "I have a business deal to discuss. I don't have the patience. Don't wait any longer."
The shopkeeper's heart skipped a beat. He had been in this business for many years and had a keen eye for business.
Although the person in front of them had an odd appearance and was wrapped up tightly, his undeniable aura and the concise and powerful note all conveyed one message—this person had goods, and a lot of them!
He immediately put on a smiling face and turned to the long-faced giant, saying, "Immortal Master, this is truly the price my shop can offer for your piece of cold iron. This is the highest price we can get. If you wish to sell it for a better price, you might want to check other shops. Perhaps one of you, an immortal master who urgently needs this item, will offer you a surprisingly high price."
Upon hearing this, the long-faced man's expression immediately darkened. He understood the innkeeper's implication of dismissing him, and his gaze involuntarily followed the innkeeper's line of sight, landing on the short figure wearing a strange hood.
A mere Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator dares to try and steal my business?
A thought struck him, and he sneered inwardly, "I'd like to see what you have to offer in exchange."
"Hmph, you don't know what's good for you!" The long-faced man snorted coldly in dissatisfaction and turned away.
Before leaving, he glanced at Han Xiaoliu without making a sound, and a hint of undisguised cruelty and sinisterness flashed in his eyes.
After dismissing the long-faced cultivator, the shopkeeper's impatience vanished instantly, replaced by a professional and respectful smile.
He quickly walked around the counter to Han Xiaoliu, bowed slightly and said, "Greetings, Immortal Master. May I ask what materials you wish to sell? My humble shop is willing to accept them."
Without wasting words, Han Xiaoliu flicked his finger, and a seemingly ordinary wooden box flew out of thin air and landed steadily on the counter.
Curious, the shopkeeper wondered what this strange man was up to, and quickly took the wooden box with both hands and opened it. The moment the lid was opened, a rich and mellow medicinal fragrance wafted out. Inside, a bright red herb with clearly defined roots lay quietly on the brocade, its surface faintly glowing with a spiritual light.
The shopkeeper's pupils suddenly contracted, and his breathing became more rapid.
He quickly closed the box, his expression turning extremely serious. He turned to the servant at the door and shouted sternly, "Go and guard the door! Don't let anyone come in and disturb our distinguished guest!"
Xiao Si had never seen the shopkeeper so serious before, and dared not ask any questions. He quickly ran to the door to stand guard, watching the passersby warily.
After confirming that no one was watching, the shopkeeper carefully opened the box again, gently stroking the stems and leaves of the herbs with his fingertips, feeling the spiritual energy contained within.
"A century-old elixir! What a wonderful thing!"
The shopkeeper was overjoyed and almost cried out. In a place like Kui Xing Island, century-old medicinal herbs were absolutely rare treasures.
It should be noted that although the spiritual energy of the Chaotic Star Sea is abundant, most islands can only nurture herbs that are two or three hundred years old, and those that can grow naturally to a hundred years old are extremely rare.
Treasures of this caliber usually circulate only among cultivators in the mid-to-late stages of Foundation Establishment, or are used as the main ingredient in pills for breaking through to the Core Formation stage.
I absolutely have to get my hands on this!
If you put it in your own auction house and resell it to a major sect or a rogue cultivator who urgently needs to break through, the profit is simply astonishing.
The shopkeeper suppressed his excitement, raised his head, and looked intently at Han Xiaoliu, his tone even more respectful: "Immortal Master, are you sure you want to sell this spiritual herb? This is a hundred-year-old Crimson Gold Ganoderma!"
Seeing the shopkeeper's delighted expression, Han Xiaoliu felt much more at ease; it seemed the deal was secure. He nodded slightly, signaling the other party to make an offer.
The shopkeeper took a deep breath, pondered for a moment, and then quoted a price: "Immortal Master, my shop is willing to pay 1,500 low-grade spirit stones to purchase this century-old Crimson Gold Fungus."
Upon hearing the price, Han Xiaoliu secretly began to calculate.
In the Tiannan region, an ordinary thousand-year-old spiritual herb is worth only 1000 to 2000 spirit stones. Generally speaking, although hundred-year-old herbs are precious in Tiannan, because the cultivation world in Tiannan has a long history and some major sects have mastered the technology of cultivating spiritual herbs, hundred-year-old herbs are not absolutely exorbitantly priced, and are generally around several hundred spirit stones.
The herb he took out, which was only a hundred years old, cost less than 200 spirit stones.
The situation in the Chaotic Star Sea is completely different.
Monsters roam freely here, and the islands occupied by human cultivators are limited, with spiritual energy unevenly distributed. Most islands can only produce herbs that are two to three hundred years old for use in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, while the spiritual mountains that can produce herbs that are four to five hundred years old or older are almost monopolized by star palaces or large forces.
Thousand-year-old medicinal herbs can only be found in secret realms, such as the Void Heaven Palace, which is opened once every three hundred years.
For independent cultivators, obtaining spiritual herbs that are over a hundred years old is extremely difficult.
Therefore, in the markets of the Chaotic Star Sea, a truly century-old medicinal herb is worth far more than Tiannan.
Unexpectedly, the difference was as much as 10 times.
The shopkeeper quoted 1500 spirit stones, which was a very fair price, or even slightly high.
This not only reflects his recognition of the age and quality of the Crimson Golden Fungus, but also shows his eagerness to close the deal. After all, even if he doesn't earn much spirit stone by reselling it to his own auction house, it can still enhance the shop's reputation.
At this moment, however, Han Xiaoliu felt like dying.
My heart is filled with endless lamentation!
My home space!
My 48x speed planting space!
My grand plan to make money was cut short before it even began!
孽 孽!
Yunlu, you fucking deserve to die!