"Artifact Pavilion! Get your top-tier items now! When you're out making a name for yourself, what's most important? Face! Of course, it's face! A Magical Artifact is a symbol of status, face, and strength! What are you geniuses waiting for? Hey handsome, come take a look!"
Magical Artifacts were the crystallization of a Cultivator's wisdom. Simply put, weapons were a type of Magical Artifact, but Magical Artifacts were more complex, more powerful, and required Spirit Stones to function. Of course, their prices were far beyond what an ordinary person could hope for. Even Zhang Xiaopang couldn't afford one. So, the two of them coolly ignored the shopkeeper's enticements and strode past majestically. In their hearts, however, it was a different, more sorrowful story. 'Some day, when we've made it big, we'll buy one just to smash one, damn it.'
Those with more means, however, would naturally go inside to find something suitable for themselves. A good Magical Artifact was definitely an impressive sight, the equivalent of a luxury item in the Cultivation Realm.
At least, that's what Wang Meng thought. Although he knew Magical Artifacts were good, he didn't feel that cultivation necessarily required them.
'A person's most important asset is themself... especially when they're broke!'
"Boss, I bought my Bow of Love at this shop! They have all kinds of Treasure Swords inside, absolutely beautiful. Should we go in and have a look?"
The Little Fatty's excitement was even greater than Wang Meng's.
To be honest, the Little Fatty's bow was indeed very beautiful. Its lines and the way it felt in the hand were quite good. Weapon shops like this were usually backed by craftsmen of a considerable standard. Of course, the quality of a Cultivator's weapon wasn't judged by its appearance, but people were always vain, and Cultivators were no exception. The shop owner was also quite enthusiastic, looking at the two of them as if they were a pair of walking moneybags.
Wang Meng felt as if he had entered the Grand View Garden, touching this and looking at that. He really found it hard to put things down.
"This was crafted by a weapon master! It's perfect for young geniuses like you."
When he saw Wang Meng fiddling with a Long Sword meant for Entry Level Cultivators from the First to Fifth Layer of the Life Mark, the owner immediately sidled up and offered some free flattery.
Sure enough, the Little Fatty was already starting to get pumped up. 'That's right,' he thought, 'we're the young geniuses of the Thunderlight Holy Hall!'
Wang Meng swung it twice and felt that it handled quite well.
"Young men, it looks like you're new disciples at the Holy Hall this year. Little brother, what's your name?"
"Wang Meng. The 'Meng' stands for 'fierce'."
"Wang Meng, a fine name! I'm Ma Lue, you can call me Uncle Ma Lue. Coming to my shop shows you have good taste, and for that, I'll take responsibility for your future. There's a truth in this market: trusting Uncle Ma Lue is the first step toward success! Little brother, I can see your potential is extraordinary; you're destined for greatness. This sword!" Ma Lue took out a thick, wide Great Sword. It was about 1.5 meters long, with exquisite patterns, and looked very impressive.
"Its name is Overlord! Look at this design, this feel, these lines! All the meticulous work of a master. Paired with your name, it's practically tailor-made for you!"
Ma Lue said with great enthusiasm, solemnly placing the Great Sword in Wang Meng's hands. "Channel your Elemental Power into it and give it a try! It will absolutely push your Elemental Power to its limits. It'll turn Third-Layer Strength into Fourth-Layer Strength, and Fourth-Layer Strength into Fifth-Layer Strength! A true treasure. It's fate that brought you to it today. I wouldn't recommend this to just anyone!"
"Brother Meng, I think this sword really suits you. What do you say? This one?" The Little Fatty rubbed his hands excitedly, as if he could already see their future of sword and bow combined, dominating the Holy Hall.
Wang Meng gripped the sword, channeled his Elemental Power into it, and swung it a few times. How to put it... it did look pretty impressive, but the conduction of Elemental Power wasn't as good as the man claimed. He secretly glanced at the price: 1,800. 'Shit,' he thought, 'why don't you just rob people? What kind of Treasure Sword is this? Anything for those below the Fifth Layer is the lowest grade of weapon. What master would have the time to make this kind of junk? Only the Little Fatty is this easy to fool.'
Although he was a Sword Cultivator, in the beginning, the focus was definitely on fundamentals and cultivating his Life Mark. A weapon was just for peace of mind. Wang Meng wasn't in a hurry, nor did he want to waste money for no reason.
"We'll look around some more, boss," Wang Meng said, putting the sword down.
Ma Lue was slightly taken aback. "Young man, if you miss this shop, you won't find another like it. You should know, I've had a steady stream of customers lately. It's possible someone will buy it the moment you walk out the door."
Wang Meng just smiled. "Uncle Ma Lue, my greatest virtue is yielding to others. I wish you great fortune."
With that, he grabbed the Little Fatty and bolted. To be honest, he had been a little tempted by the sales pitch, but it clearly wasn't worth the price. 'If it were my own money, fine, but if I'm spending the Little Fatty's money, it has to be a good value.'
The two continued to wander. There were weapon shops, Magical Artifact shops, and all kinds of Messengers for sale—they had everything. However, after visiting a few stores, Wang Meng found they were all more or less the same. It wasn't that there weren't good items, but he didn't even need to go inside. Just seeing the string of zeros on the price tags was enough to make him retreat in defeat.
What was the first key to cultivation? Talent?
Correct, that was a personal requirement. But for the process of cultivation, there were three essential elements.
First, you need money. Second, you need money. And third, you still need money!
Cultivation was the most expensive business in the world. When it came to luxury, the sky was the limit. He'd heard that disciples from great families could sleep hugging Spirit Stones and drink Spiritual Milk meant for cleansing meridians and purifying marrow as if it were water.
After wandering for quite a while, they discovered an inconspicuous shop at the end of the road. The storefront was in poor condition, and more importantly, it was tucked away in a corner. The name on the sign was even stranger: "Sword Tomb."
There were names like "Sword God," "Sword Sect," and what-have-you, all as exaggerated as they could be. But this name...
"Brother Meng, let's go. A little storefront like this won't have anything good."
"Not necessarily. In stories, the real hidden masters are always tucked away in places like this. Come on, let's try our luck."
Zhang Xiaopang shrugged. 'Sigh, Brother Meng can be really naive sometimes.' But today, the Little Fatty was prepared to follow his friend to the ends of the earth. They had been wandering for half the day and hadn't bought a thing.
As soon as they stepped inside, they saw an old man smoking by the entrance, basking in the sun. Compared to the hustle and bustle outside, this place was utterly deserted. The old man didn't even bother to bat an eye at their arrival.
What's the most important thing when doing business these days?
Service!
The Little Fatty whispered in Wang Meng's ear, "He's really got the 'hidden master' act down. You don't think this guy's a scammer, do you? Specializing in luring curious young geniuses like us?"
"Let's look around first," Wang Meng replied. He figured this place had at least one advantage: it was cheap.
"Alright, you're the boss!"
The two of them went inside. All sorts of swords were scattered messily around the shop—quite a lot of them, actually. There were big ones, small ones, and some with very strange designs, but they all looked very plain, a far cry from anything ornate.
The Little Fatty also picked one up and swung it a few times. He didn't feel anything special. He channeled some Elemental Power into it, but there was no reaction. He immediately pursed his lips in disappointment.
Wang Meng picked up a Great Sword. He really did like Great Swords; they were so commanding. He swung it a few times. It handled well. Although the design was a bit poor and the appearance wasn't great, its inner qualities were passable.
But when he channeled a bit of Elemental Power into it, he discovered a great deal of resistance. 'That's a critical flaw.' However, he glanced at the Little Fatty and knew the kid wouldn't be satisfied until he bought a sword.
"Boss, how much for this sword?" 'It should be between one and two hundred,' Wang Meng estimated. 'If it's under a hundred, my parents should be able to afford it.'
Without turning his head, the old man held up one finger.
"Here, this is one hundred and ten. Keep the change. I say, old timer, this is no way to do business. At your age, you should be retired."
The Little Fatty magnanimously showed off the true nature of a benevolent nouveau riche.
(The spring flowers are blooming, it's the day of the annual meeting, bromance is in the air, Skeleton is working hard at writing, moving heaven and earth. Asking for votes, for everyone to add to their collections, and for lots of recommendations ^_^)