Translator: AnubisTL
Hall of Rare Treasures.
The interior layout of this building was far more refined than the hidden treasures pavilion they had just visited. Upon entering, one was immediately enveloped in a dense spiritual mist, and two pots of unknown spiritual flowers, emitting an extraordinary fragrance, flanked the entrance.
A plush red carpet stretched from the doorway to the depths of the hall, its luxurious texture evident with every step.
In stark contrast, the hidden treasures pavilion Li Qing and Shen Ningbing had visited earlier felt like a hastily constructed, crude structure.
The Hall of Rare Treasures comprised three floors. The first floor displayed common spiritual objects.
The hall was bustling with activity, almost entirely populated by foundation establishment realm cultivators. Occasionally, a few qi refining realm cultivators could be seen, but they clearly possessed significant backing, otherwise they wouldn't dare enter such a place so openly, showing no signs of intimidation.
Li Qing and Shen Ningbing made no attempt to conceal their auras as they strode confidently into the hall.
A late foundation establishment realm cultivator and a pseudo core formation stage cultivator!
Their arrival immediately drew the attention of many in the hall.
Reaching the foundation establishment realm, advancing one's cultivation was no longer as easy as it had been in the qi refining stage.
Li Qing and Shen Ningbing's cultivation levels were quite remarkable, even within the Heavenly Palace Market.
"Fellow Daoists, please come upstairs!" A middle-aged woman with considerable charm greeted them warmly as they entered.
Li Qing nodded and strode confidently toward the second floor.
"I am one of the managers of the Hall of Rare Treasures," the woman said with a friendly smile. "Given your exceptional cultivation, having already reached the pinnacle of the foundation establishment realm, you must be preparing for core formation, correct?"
Li Qing nodded calmly. "Indeed. We heard you sell Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar and Azure Jade Spirit Water, so we came to inquire."
At their cultivation level, cultivators typically begin seeking core formation spiritual materials.
It was hardly surprising that the woman could discern their purpose. If she lacked such discernment, she wouldn't be running a shop like this!
"What a coincidence! We have plenty of Azure Jade Spirit Water left, but we can barely scrape together a single portion of Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar," the middle-aged woman said apologetically.
Li Qing's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He hadn't expected this at all.
His reaction wasn't disappointment, but rather a hint of delight.
He had come here hoping to at least purchase one core formation spiritual material, but to find not only an ample supply of Azure Jade Spirit Water but also a single portion of Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar available was beyond his wildest expectations.
The Hall of Rare Treasures truly lived up to its name!
Beside him, Shen Ningbing, who had remained silent until now, showed a flicker of interest in her eyes.
To make such a significant discovery so soon after arriving in the Imperial City filled her with satisfaction.
"May I ask how much these spiritual objects cost?" Li Qing asked calmly.
The middle-aged woman's lips curved into a gentle smile as she replied softly, "You can purchase them with spirit stones or exchange them for spiritual objects of equal value."
"However, I recommend combining spirit stones with spiritual objects for the exchange, as both the Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar and Azure Jade Spirit Water are exceptionally valuable."
Next, the middle-aged woman revealed a number that sent a violent tremor through Li Qing's heart.
"Azure Jade Spirit Water: 9,000 spirit stones per portion."
"Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar: 11,000 spirit stones per portion!"
Though he had anticipated high prices, Li Qing couldn't help but swallow hard, stunned by the staggering figures.
Expensive! Utterly, impossibly expensive!
And these were merely the slightly less potent core formation spiritual materials. He shuddered to imagine the astronomical price a complete portion of Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid or yin-yang spirit liquid would fetch!
Perhaps those latter two spirit liquids were simply priceless treasures.
Together, Li Qing and Shen Ningbing needed two portions of Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar and two portions of Azure Jade Spirit Water, totaling 40,000 spirit stones!
Even with their steady income from the black market, it would take them at least a decade or two to amass such a sum.
While a decade or two might not seem long, consider that this was just the time required for Li Qing and Shen Ningbing.
For rogue cultivators without any backing, gathering such a fortune would take far longer!
If one weren't proficient in cultivation techniques, even a Pseudo-Core Formation cultivator might spend half their life scrambling for these spirit stones.
A flicker of shock crossed Shen Ningbing's eyes, clearly startled by the figure.
A wave of relief soon washed over her. If Li Qing hadn't impulsively dragged her into the black market, gathering these spirit stones might have taken her until the year of the monkey and the month of the horse.
By then, she might have been forced to forgo the core formation spiritual material and attempt to condense her Golden Core by force.
Before meeting Li Qing, she might have dismissed this as nothing special—attempting core formation without spiritual materials was a common practice.
But since knowing Li Qing, she had unconsciously adopted a more cautious mindset, now feeling such a method was somewhat reckless.
Sensing their financial constraints, the middle-aged woman chuckled softly.
"Are you two short on funds? That's no problem at all. The Hall of Rare Treasures values talented individuals. If you sign a three-year contract with us, you can obtain the core formation spiritual material immediately."
"A three-year contract?" Li Qing raised an eyebrow, curious.
"The so-called three-year agreement means you'll serve the Hall of Rare Treasures for the next three years. Of course, if you successfully achieve core formation during this time, you'll only need to complete one task for us!"
"What do you say? Three years is but a fleeting moment for cultivators like us."
The middle-aged woman spoke persuasively, her tone growing warmer and more intimate.
But Li Qing remained unmoved, a cold smile forming in his heart.
To be at someone's beck and call for three years in the chaotic Great Wilderness Domain meant being assigned to all sorts of perilous tasks. Whether he'd even survive that long was questionable.
Moreover, while completing a single task after achieving core formation would fulfill the agreement, repaying a favor owed to a core formation realm cultivator wouldn't be easy. It might even mean clashing with other core formation True Lords—an extremely dangerous prospect.
Naturally, Li Qing refused.
"Heh, we appreciate the offer, but if it's just a matter of acquiring some core formation spiritual materials, we can grit our teeth and scrape together the resources ourselves."
After speaking, Li Qing and Shen Ningbing first emptied their spirit stones.
They had a total of 13,000 spirit stones, enough to purchase only one portion of Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar!
This was all the spirit stones they had accumulated, including their earnings from the black market and their personal savings.
But that wasn't all. Two years prior, Li Qing and Shen Ningbing had ambushed and robbed several elders of the Shangqing Sect!
While the elders hadn't carried many spirit stones, they possessed a considerable number of valuable items.
"This is a treasure armor, a masterpiece among high-grade magical artifacts. What do you think?"
"And here's a top-grade flying sword, its sharpness unmatched. It's a top-grade magical artifact with a metal attribute!"
"The Condensing Light Mirror, though only a high-grade magical artifact, can invert the heavenly gang. It can completely block and reflect magical attacks from mid-foundation establishment stage cultivators, making it a truly extraordinary item!"
"This bottle contains the essence blood of a Second-Tier Demonic Beast. The malevolent energy within is overwhelming, suggesting it was extracted from at least a mid-second-tier beast."
"..."
Li Qing pulled out a series of valuable items from his storage pouch in one breath. These treasures had all been taken from the storage pouches of several Shangqing Sect elders.
One could only say, "Thank you, great self!" No, wait—it should be, "Thank you, Shangqing Sect, for your generous gifts!"
The middle-aged woman beside him watched Li Qing produce one magic artifact after another, her expression growing increasingly grave.
It was clear these items hadn't come from a single person. The faint auras emanating from them were distinctly different, originating from the magic artifacts of multiple foundation establishment cultivators!
Good heavens! This seemingly honest and sturdy young man was actually a murderous fiend!
No, wait—it was more accurate to say they were a pair of murderous fiend dao companions!
Bandit cultivators existed everywhere, not just in the Azure Ridge Domain. The Great Wilderness Domain was particularly rife with them.
"Kill, burn, and wear a golden belt" was a common saying there. Robbing others of their wealth was an everyday occurrence in the Great Wilderness Domain.
Those who dared to engage in such acts were invariably formidable warriors, far surpassing cultivators who merely secluded themselves for arduous cultivation.
As Li Qing finished emptying his storage pouch, the middle-aged woman's smile froze, and her demeanor instantly became reserved.
(End of the Chapter)
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