Chapter 23 (Part 1)

The Xuantian Sect market stretched for hundreds of li. Every house and tiled building had been constructed around the sect. Many of them were outposts established here by family forces dependent on the sect, making it easier for them to communicate and exchange what each side needed.

As a result, it attracted many wandering cultivators as well as forces from other small sects, gradually forming a small city. Xuantian Sect took over the place accordingly and assigned a Golden Core elder and several Foundation Establishment disciples to manage and maintain it in shifts.

And such a smoothly circulating marketplace, where people could buy and sell whatever they lacked, became the favorite place for Qi Refining disciples to browse.

Among them, Zui Xian Tower was the most famous of these shops. It did not only have a branch in Xuantian Sect’s market, but also in the markets of other major sects.

Song Yuanxi was a first-generation cultivator. He did not lack resources in daily life, so he was not particularly enthusiastic about the market. He had only visited a few times out of curiosity when he had first arrived in the cultivation world.

Today, entering the market again with Jiang Lanyi after several years, he unexpectedly felt a deep sense of familiarity.

“Junior Brother Song, has it been a long time since you last came out? Everything seems fresh to you.” Jiang Lanyi looked at her junior brother’s childish expression and could not help asking with a smile.

Song Yuanxi scratched his head in embarrassment. “I guess so. I really have stayed in the sect for too long. I’m like a country bumpkin entering the city. This market seems much livelier than it was two years ago.”

The two walked and chatted, and soon arrived at Zui Xian Tower.

Jiang Lanyi insisted on treating him. Song Yuanxi could not persuade her otherwise, so he could only compromise. “Then I’ll pay the spirit stones for reserving the private room. Senior Sister, don’t argue with me about this anymore, or I really will get angry.”

Being too clear-cut about certain things would only make them seem distant. Jiang Lanyi smiled and let it go, then followed him upstairs.

Song Yuanxi paid the spirit stones for the private room, while Jiang Lanyi’s prepaid spirit stones were even more generous. She ordered four large dishes in one go.

“Junior Brother Song, I heard that Body Cultivation consumes a great deal of physical strength in daily life, even more arduous than Sword Cultivation. I’ve seen you lose quite a bit of weight recently, so you need to nourish yourself properly. These spirit beast meats not only taste good, but their spiritual power is also extremely gentle. They can quickly repair the body.”

Jiang Lanyi now regarded Song Yuanxi just like her own little brother. Her overflowing “maternal affection” was practically spilling out. Once the dishes were served, she kept piling food into his bowl.

In daily life, what Song Yuanxi ate most often was Spirit-Rhyme Tender Chicken. Occasionally, when he wanted a treat, he would go to Frost Icefall to catch shrimp. Those were the spirit beast meats from which he could most directly absorb spiritual power. But the dishes at Zui Xian Tower gave him an unexpected surprise.

The instant he bit into the meat, he felt his meridians heat up. As he chewed the spirit beast meat, the spiritual energy contained inside quickly entered his body. It hardly needed much transformation before it smoothly entered his dantian.

“What spirit beast meat is this?” Song Yuanxi looked up and asked.

Jiang Lanyi said, “This dish is called braised eight-horned beast. It’s said to be made by cutting and blending the most essential parts from eight different spirit beasts. During the blending process, the spiritual energy in the eight kinds of spirit beast meat clashes against one another, then undergoes special cooking, causing the spiritual power to be sublimated.”

After Jiang Lanyi finished speaking, she shook her head lightly. “I only heard this from my senior sisters. As for which eight spirit beasts they are, I have no way of knowing.”

Both of them were very satisfied with Zui Xian Tower’s dishes. These dishes could directly nourish the body, so no matter how much they ate, it did not feel excessive. In the end, the entire table of dishes was wiped clean.

Song Yuanxi ordered another pot of clear wine and drank it along with the green fruit brew he had brought himself, feeling perfectly delighted.

After eating and drinking their fill, the two left the restaurant and strolled leisurely back along the bustling street.

Song Yuanxi was still thinking about that braised eight-horned beast. He planned to go back and ask his other senior brothers and senior sisters whether they knew which spirit beasts it was made from.

“Father keeps quite a few spirit beast species in the back mountain. Maybe I can gather all eight. Later, I’ll borrow Senior Sister Jiang’s pill furnace and try making a pot myself? I wonder if thinly sliced eight-horned beast meat would taste good in hot pot?”

Song Yuanxi was so lost in thought that he kept his head down and simply followed Jiang Lanyi straight ahead. When he came back to his senses, he realized all the people around him were female cultivators. He had entered a shop that sold jewelry.

Someone quickly came over to promote goods to him. “Is this fellow Daoist looking to buy jewelry as a gift? Our shop has just released many new hairpin designs. Each hairpin is inlaid with hundred-year-old jiao pearls. They are not only exquisite and gorgeous, but can also remove dust and cleanse dirt. They are essential items for female cultivators at home or when traveling.”

Song Yuanxi and Jiang Lanyi were both dressed in pure white Daoist robes, the customary clothing of Xuantian Sect’s Qi Refining disciples. But Song Yuanxi could not hide the jade pendant hanging at his waist. The shopkeeper had sharp eyes and spotted the pattern and mark on it at a glance.

That was the work of artifact refining master Miaoshan. And Master Miaoshan never refined artifacts alone. Every item she produced was engraved with arrays.

A Qi Refining disciple who could wear something refined by Master Miaoshan might as well have had the words “has spirit stones” written on his forehead.

The shopkeeper did not only bring out novel hairpin designs, but specifically chose ones with practical functions. He did not pitch them to the female cultivator beside Song Yuanxi. Instead, he fixed his attention exclusively on Song Yuanxi.

“Junior Brother, this is a branch of Imperial Treasure Pavilion. Every item here is… rather expensive.”

Jiang Lanyi had entered the shop to buy semi-finished products. She knew a senior sister who refined artifacts. As long as she paid some spirit stones, that senior sister could help her craft something, which would be much cheaper than buying a finished product. Of course, that kind of finished product would not come with defensive or offensive power.

Although she knew Song Yuanxi did not lack spirit stones, the items sold by Imperial Treasure Pavilion had always been overpriced, so she still reminded him.

Song Yuanxi, however, kept staring at the hairpins before him. He had no particular feelings toward women’s items, but he was not a blockhead. He understood very well a woman’s love of beauty. Even in the cultivation world, this point would not change.

“Senior Sister has helped me so much, yet I have nothing to repay her with. Buying a hairpin as a small gift is only right.”

Thinking this, Song Yuanxi soon began choosing from the row of jewelry. In the end, he selected the most expensive hairpin.

The shopkeeper smiled so broadly he could hardly close his mouth. “This fellow Daoist has a good eye. The body of this hairpin was carved from thousand-year-old Cuiyin bamboo, and the tail of the hairpin is inlaid with a three-hundred-year-old jiao pearl. The entire hairpin is engraved with two arrays. It can withstand a full-force strike from anyone below Golden Core, and can also launch indiscriminate attacks against cultivators below Foundation Establishment.”

“How many spirit stones?” Song Yuanxi favored this one most.

The shopkeeper held up one hand and said with a kindly smile, “Not expensive. Only fifty mid-grade spirit stones.”

Song Yuanxi estimated its value himself and felt it was acceptable, then nodded and said, “This hairpin, then. Wrap it up for my senior sister.”

The moment Jiang Lanyi heard that the person Song Yuanxi intended to give the hairpin to was her, her expression instantly changed. Fifty mid-grade spirit stones meant five thousand low-grade spirit stones. Such a tiny broken hairpin cost this much. Why didn’t they just rob people?

“Junior Brother, I don’t need this. Let’s go.” She already owed him so many favors. How could she shamelessly accept such an expensive gift too?

But Song Yuanxi quickly took out fifty mid-grade spirit stones. Money and goods exchanged hands, and the hairpin was directly stuffed into Jiang Lanyi’s hands.

“Senior Sister, this hairpin will look good on your head. Its defensive and offensive power are also quite good. It’s a handy spiritual artifact.”

In the cultivation world, artifacts were divided into categories. The weakest were magic artifacts, followed upward by spiritual artifacts, spiritual treasures, and ancient treasures.

As Qi Refining cultivators, unless they came from major clans, they generally wore magic artifacts. Magic artifacts came with some small functions, such as dust removal, cleansing, beautification, and so on. Occasionally, some had low-level defensive abilities.

Spiritual artifacts were different. They definitely had defensive functions, and some also had offensive abilities. Both male and female cultivators loved to wear them.

The jade pendant hanging on Song Yuanxi’s body was an upper-grade spiritual artifact. It was engraved with special arrays and had been a birthday gift from Daoist Master Shuanghua. How could its value be estimated by a mere shopkeeper?

Song Yuanxi had seen many artifacts since childhood, and also had an artifact refining master as his master, so a spiritual artifact hairpin really did not surprise him much. He even felt that this kind of hairpin was not at all worthy of Jiang Lanyi, who had treated him so well.

But he also understood the boundaries of interpersonal relationships. He and Jiang Lanyi had not yet reached a life-and-death friendship. If he gave something even more expensive, it would instead trouble her. The hairpin he had bought before him was just right in value.

“Senior Sister Jiang, I’ll still have to ask you to teach me more lessons in the future. There are many things I’ll need you to worry over. Just think of it as a student’s filial offering, all right? Otherwise, how could I have the face to let you keep teaching me?”

Although Song Yuanxi spoke jokingly, his expression was very serious. Jiang Lanyi hesitated for a moment, then could only accept it. “Thank you, Junior Brother Song.”

Song Yuanxi was satisfied. Today, he had finally experienced the joy of doing whatever he wanted with money. Fifty mid-grade spirit stones. His little savings could completely afford it. It was nothing at all.

After Jiang Lanyi accepted such an expensive gift, she became even more conscientious in teaching Song Yuanxi. Not only was she responsible for explaining the cultivation method content of the Yin-Yang Art, she also refined the pill refinement content together with it, preparing to teach her junior brother within five years so that he could refine first-grade upper-grade pills.

“Junior Brother Song, I’m already a first-grade pill refiner. I’m basically proficient in first-grade pills now. Daoist Master Yunxi once said my pill refinement techniques were acceptable. If you learn from me, you’ll definitely be able to refine first-grade upper-grade pills.”

Jiang Lanyi stuffed a thick notebook into Song Yuanxi’s hands. “These are the pill refinement insights I organized recently. Inside, I recorded a total of eight thousand three hundred and forty-five types of first-grade pills.”

Song Yuanxi held the notebook, dumbstruck. What did Senior Sister Jiang mean? More than eight thousand kinds of first-grade pills?

“I know I haven’t collected enough. There are almost fifteen thousand kinds of first-grade pills, and I still haven’t collected half of them. I’ll read more jade slips and books.”

Senior Sister, are you misunderstanding something?

“There’s really no need to go to such trouble.” Song Yuanxi forced out a faint smile.

But Jiang Lanyi nodded. “There is. I myself have not refined every first-grade pill yet. Daoist Master Yunxi told me to lay a solid foundation, so I naturally have to refine all the remaining seven thousand-plus kinds of pills once. Afterward, I’ll write my insights and reflections, and make an extra copy for you while I’m at it. It’s very convenient.”

“…”

Had he made another top-student friend?

In this instant, Song Yuanxi especially missed Lu Ziqi in the outer sect. The joy shared by fellow poor students was something you top students could never understand!

Before Jiang Lanyi left, she gave him another gift. It was an egg. It was smooth and round, and looked rather delicious.

“Senior Sister, what kind of spirit beast egg is this? Are we roasting it or boiling it?” Song Yuanxi’s eyes shone.

Jiang Lanyi fell silent for a moment, then said, “This is a demonic beast egg. I came across it when buying spiritual plants in the market. I felt it had quite some affinity with me, so I brought it back. Junior Brother, didn’t you keep saying before that you wanted a contracted beast? This demonic beast egg is avian. In the future, it should make a decent mount for you.”

Song Yuanxi immediately pushed the egg back. “Then I can’t accept it. This is Senior Sister’s fortuitous encounter.”

There were two ways to contract a demonic beast. One was to suppress it with superior cultivation and force it to sign a contract. The other was through the sensing of destiny. And demonic beasts contracted through the sensing of destiny were often of higher value.

A demonic beast egg that Jiang Lanyi herself sensed was her fortuitous encounter.

Song Yuanxi said, “My mother already promised me that once I reach Foundation Establishment, she’ll give me a contracted beast. Senior Sister, you…”

“You could give me a valuable hairpin, but I’m only giving you an ordinary demonic beast egg. Are you going to refuse that too, Junior Brother?” Jiang Lanyi’s expression looked somewhat downcast. She really only wanted to give him something within her ability to express her thanks.

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