Cautiously Cultivating Immortality in a Strange World

Chapter 72: Spirit Stones

Since spiritual equipment was extremely rare, the appearance of high-quality spiritual equipment would undoubtedly lead to a fierce battle.

Chen Lin secretly felt relieved that he had made a wise decision not to participate in the treasure hunt.

The shopkeeper nodded and said, "The battle was indeed intense, but it's said that a group of Qi Refining cultivators discovered it first. Most of the casualties were Qi Refining cultivators, but in the end, it was obtained by a Foundation Establishment cultivator from outside."

Chen Lin was puzzled. "Wasn't there a senior from Mountain Sect and Qingyun Sect present?"

He was curious, but not because he had any sense of belonging or loyalty to the place. He was simply asking out of curiosity.

The shopkeeper shook his head. "The ancient relics unearthed from the ancient tomb were all Qi Refining-level, with only one or two broken Foundation Establishment-level items, which were ordinary anyway. Although it caused a stir, the cultivators who came were mostly Qi Refining cultivators. After all, it was an abandoned tomb, and no one expected the treasures to be of high quality."

"So, the nearby sects, including Mountain Sect and Qingyun Sect, agreed to let the Qi Refining cultivators excavate and compete for the treasures, which would give our local cultivators an advantage."

Chen Lin finally understood. He had not paid much attention to the news from the ancient tomb and was unaware of these events.

"But why did a Foundation Establishment cultivator still intervene and snatch it?" Chen Lin asked again.

He then laughed and answered his own question, "Of course, this is a high-quality spiritual equipment, and what agreement can resist the temptation of treasure?"

The shopkeeper also laughed and said, "If agreements were effective, the cultivation world would be too peaceful. High-quality spiritual equipment is too enticing, and any agreement would be useless. Even if the outside Foundation Establishment cultivator obtained it, they wouldn't be able to take it away easily. I heard that the seniors from Mountain Sect and Qingyun Sect are already chasing after them."

As he spoke, his expression turned serious. "Daoist Chen, I'm telling you this mainly to remind you to be careful. Since high-quality spiritual equipment has appeared, Lietian Sect might also send experts over. Be cautious in your actions recently, and don't offend anyone you shouldn't."

This was the shopkeeper's true intention.

Chen Lin hastily bowed and thanked him, "Thank you for the reminder, I'll be careful."

He then asked the shopkeeper, "Do you have any high-quality spirit stones here?"

The shopkeeper looked at Chen Lin suspiciously. "What do you need high-quality spirit stones for? You shouldn't need them for Qi Refining cultivation, right?"

Chen Lin naturally wouldn't reveal his true intentions and made up a reason. "Oh, I was just curious. I've been practicing for so long, but I've never seen what high-quality spirit stones look like."

The shopkeeper looked at him doubtfully.

The old shopkeeper looked at Chen Lin and said, "Although they are all spirit stones, high-quality spirit stones are extremely rare. I estimate that there aren't any in this market. Even if there were, it wouldn't be possible to exchange them like lower-quality spirit stones. If you're just curious, that's fine, but if you really need them, you can try looking at Zhao Merchant House."

Chen Lin furrowed his brow. He knew that high-quality spirit stones were rare, but he didn't think they were that rare.

"Why are high-quality spirit stones so rare?" Chen Lin asked.

He needed to understand the situation, especially since he was using puppets. Currently, he was only at the Qi Refining stage, and middle-quality spirit stones were barely sufficient. If he wanted to refine a Foundation Establishment puppet in the future, he would definitely need high-quality spirit stones.

The shopkeeper laughed and said, "Why are high-quality spirit stones rare? Of course, it's because the mines that produce high-quality spirit stones are scarce."

Without waiting for Chen Lin to ask further, the shopkeeper continued to explain, "Although there are many spirit stone mines in the cultivation world, most of them produce middle-quality or lower spirit stones. There's only one high-quality spirit stone mine in the entire Yan Kingdom, and it's controlled by Lietian Sect. The production of high-quality spirit stones is limited, so it's no wonder we rarely see them in our small town."

"Moreover, high-quality spirit stones are used by Foundation Establishment strongmen and Golden Core true men. As a small Qi Refining cultivator, we basically don't need them, so it's normal that we don't see them in this market."

Chen Lin nodded, thinking that it was the same in any world – the strong enjoyed the best resources.

Since he had asked, he might as well ask clearly, so Chen Lin asked again, "If high-quality spirit stones are so rare, then extreme-quality spirit stones must be even rarer. What do the strongmen who are even stronger than Golden Core true men use?"

The shopkeeper burst out laughing and pointed at Chen Lin, saying, "You're quite ambitious, but I advise you not to think too much about it. There are tens of thousands of cultivators in Yan Kingdom, but only one Golden Core true man. As for stronger cultivators, I've only heard rumors, but I've never seen them!"

After thinking for a moment, the shopkeeper continued, "Although I've never seen stronger cultivators, the records of spirit stone quality levels do mention that above high-quality spirit stones are extreme-quality spirit stones, and even higher are spiritual crystals. However, we probably won't be able to see them."

The old shopkeeper's expression suddenly turned solemn, and Chen Lin also fell silent.

The path of cultivation seemed even more difficult than he had imagined.

Leaving Ruyi Pavilion, Chen Lin went to Zhao Merchant House. After purchasing some materials, he inquired about high-quality spirit stones.

"Do you want to set up a special array for high-quality spirit stones, friend?" There were many customers in Zhao's Business. When they heard Chen Lin's question, several customers cast surprised eyes, and an old man at the counter asked curiously.

The old man was the same cultivator who had auctioned off items at the exchange meeting. He was said to be a supplier for the merchant house and was skilled in appraising various treasures. He had been stationed in the shop for a while.

Chen Lin had seen him several times before.

"It's not for researching arrays, but for another use. Do you have any stock?" Chen Lin asked without revealing his specific purpose.

The old man didn't press for more information. High-quality spirit stones were rare, but not particularly scarce for Zhao Merchant House.

He looked at Chen Lin and said, "As it happens, I have one piece. If you want it, I'll trade it for 120 middle-quality spirit stones."

Chen Lin's eyes lit up, but he quickly forced a laugh.

"Sorry, I was just asking if you had any. I don't have enough spirit stones right now, so I'll come back to buy it later."

The surrounding customers smiled, but no one mocked him. 120 middle-quality spirit stones were not something they could easily produce either.

The old man smiled and nodded, "Alright, if you gather enough spirit stones, come find me. Just hope I haven't sold it by then."

Chen Lin left the merchant house with an embarrassed expression, returning to his residence.

In reality, he could have gathered 120 middle-quality spirit stones if he had sold some of his Initial Yuan Pills. However, with so many people in the merchant house, it would be easy for someone with ill intentions to notice.

So, he decided to take his time and focus on refining talismans to gather spirit stones quickly.

Leaving the merchant house, Chen Lin bought a few talismans and a higher-level demon-slaying talisman.

He needed to be prepared, regardless of whether the strange occurrences with the new bride were just illusions or not.

Of course, with his current cultivation level, he could handle ordinary demonic creatures.

He was no longer the weakling he was in Kaiyuan City.

Over the next few days, Chen Lin increased his work on refining talismans.

During his breaks, he controlled his puppet to increase his proficiency.

The puppet didn't consume much spirit stones when not using skills, so it was sustainable.

Chen Lin also took time to nurture the re-condensed, nameless sword qi.

This sword qi was a huge drain on resources, requiring a large amount of pure spiritual energy to condense and maintain. Moreover, it would be completely depleted after use.

However, Chen Lin was willing to spare no expense to strengthen this sword qi.

It had helped him twice before, and its concealment effect was extremely strong, making it a trump card.

When he thought of the sword qi, Chen Lin remembered the female cultivator Xu Ruolan.

He wondered if she had escaped.

He seemed to have seen her on the giant flying sword of the Han family when he was on Yu Yuehai's flying boat, but it was just a fleeting glimpse.

If it was really her, then she should have escaped as well.