"No, I—... Wait, is that... a storage ring?!"
Lin Feng stared, stunned, at the object in the man's hand.
"Yes! Broken beyond use, but still a rare 'collector's item,' right?" The man grinned, pushing the cracked ring closer.
"Useless?" Lin Feng took the ring, focusing inwardly.
Equipment damage: 95%
Repair materials: Grade-I Void Sand.
He channeled a wisp of qi into the ring. A flickering cubic space—roughly two meters wide—materialized in his mind. But the void trembled violently, threatening to collapse.
Storage rings, even low-tier ones like this, cost more than top-grade artifacts when intact. But this? A death trap. If it shattered, its contents would vanish into the spatial abyss—irretrievable, even by Mahayana-stage experts.
"Two... no, one spirit stone! Take it!" The man pleaded, desperation edging his voice.
Lin Feng paused, masking his racing heartbeat.
"You're right. Even broken, it's a treasure most Foundation Building cultivators never own. I'll take it."
Two stones changed hands. The man vanished into the crowd.
The Art of Recycling
Lin Feng hurried home, dumped his haul, and returned to the market for repair materials.
Inventory:
Five mid-grade artifacts (80-85% damage)
Five low-grade artifacts (90%+ damage)
Two depleted Chain Talismans (Ice Spike + Fireball)
The crumbling storage ringA pile of materials (except Void Sand)
Problem:
25 stones spent. Four left. Missing:
Grade-I Frostgrass Sap (Ice Spike Talisman repair)
Grade-II Thunderwasp Stinger (mid-grade dagger)
Grade-I Void Sand (storage ring)
"Funds… always the bottleneck," Lin Feng muttered. But his eyes gleamed. Profit loomed.
Dawn of a Tycoon
Next morning, Lin Feng marched toward Wanbao Pavilion—the city's largest artifact emporium—lugging a sack of pristine refurbished artifacts.
Why Wanbao Pavilion?
Bulk sale convenience (lower profit, less hassle)Void Sand availability
The three-story pavilion loomed, its gold-trimmed signboard radiating opulence. Rumor claimed even spirit-grade artifacts lurked inside—though likely just marketing for this provincial branch.
Inside: A cathedral of commerce. Glass cases glittered with artifacts; uniformed attendants stood like statues. Lin Feng's old workplace, Treasure Pavilion, paled to a closet.
"Welcome! How may I assist?" A porcelain-faced attendant glided over.
"Selling artifacts. And buying materials."
She led him to a mahogany counter where Manager Qi—a scholarly man with Foundation Building aura—inspected a golden token.
"Young master wishes to sell these," the attendant announced.
Lin Feng unknotted his sack, revealing nine flawlessly restored artifacts.
Manager Qi lifted a mid-grade dagger, brow furrowing. "These are… new? You're selling new artifacts?"
"All of them."
Qi's gaze sharpened. A Qi Refining youth with mint-condition gear? Suspicious. Yet he shrugged—business trumped curiosity. "Four mid-grade, five low-grade. 130 stones."
(Market value: ~160 stones. Bulk discount: 18%.)
"Deal."
A jade-green spirit stone pouch—worth 10 stones alone—landed in Lin Feng's palm. His fingers trembled. 130 stones! Four years' wages at Treasure Pavilion…
"Also… do you stock Grade-I Void Sand?"
Manager Qi blinked. "Void Sand? For what?"