Barren Ancient City, Floating Air Port.
Return to Heaven Pavilion, Barren Ancient City’s largest Spirit Medicine and Spirit Pill store.
Li Mu used the Spirit Fox Mask to change his appearance, transforming into the image of ‘Zhang Laotou’, put on a five-tier golden Magic Robe, and stepped into Return to Heaven Pavilion.
After three days, with the recommendation of Lin Baoqing from Wanbao Pavilion, Li Mu met ten Soul Transformation Cultivators who had pre-ordered Artifact Refining, acquiring a large quantity of five and six-tier Artifact Refining Spirit Materials from them, as well as a seven-tier Spirit Material - Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Plank.
Li Mu only needed to complete this wave of Artifact Refining commissions, and his shriveled Storage Ring would fatten up, and the Spirit Material resources required for Myriad Swords Mountain and Painting World Treasure Mansion’s advancement would no longer be so scarce.
As for the Spirit Materials, Shipbuilding Techniques, and Formulas needed for shipbuilding, Li Mu also exchanged for some incidentally, to try learning and self-making Spirit Ships in his leisure time later.
After leaving Wanbao Pavilion, Li Mu had already changed his appearance, wearing a five-tier Magic Robe, a Magic Crown, and using the Spirit Fox Mask to transform into ‘Zhang Laotou’s’ face, appearing at the main entrance of Return to Heaven Pavilion.
His purpose for this trip was to sell the Spirit Pills he had refined during this period, and at the same time, purchase another batch of High Grade Spirit Medicine and High Grade Spirit Seeds.
“Great Master Ye, we’ve finally waited for you! It’s been a while!”
Seeing ‘Great Master Ye’s’ figure, Return to Heaven Pavilion’s Great Shopkeeper - Xu Xiangyi was overjoyed, she greatly missed ‘Great Master Ye’ who had not shown his face for a long time, and quickly handed over the customers she was attending to the shop assistants, personally greeting him with a warm smile and graceful figure, displaying a mature woman’s unique charm to Li Mu.
“Indeed, it has been a while since I last came, Shopkeeper Xu, shall we go directly into the inner hall to discuss in detail?” Great Master Ye smiled slightly and nodded.
“Of course, no problem, Great Master Ye, please come in!” Xu Xiangyi appeared very respectful, stepping aside and making an inviting gesture.
Soon, the two entered the inner hall one after another, and a maid served Spirit Tea.
The room was warm like spring, and soon after, the soundproofing formation inside the room activated, preventing anyone outside the main hall from peeking in.
“Great Master Ye, please have some tea.” Xu Xiangyi’s smile grew even wider, and she said respectfully. Her attitude was extremely warm, as if Li Mu’s arrival brought a touch of joy to her ordinary life.
Li Mu nodded slightly, he picked up the Spirit Tea and savored it carefully. As the Spirit Tea entered his mouth, threads of Spiritual Qi flowed on his tongue, warm and sweet, leaving an endless aftertaste.
“Great Master Ye, coming here today, you must have some Spirit Pills to sell!” Xu Xiangyi looked at Li Mu, a hint of anticipation flashing in her eyes.
Li Mu smiled calmly, put down the Spirit Tea in his hand, and nodded gently: “Indeed, I have some Spirit Pills to sell.”
As soon as his words fell, Li Mu waved his hand, and dozens of Medicinal Pill bottles appeared out of thin air on the tea table. Each Medicinal Pill bottle had a yellow paper label, clearly stating the name of the Medicinal Pill: huantian pill, Creation Pill, Bodhi Pill… all of them were five-tier Spirit Pills.
Seeing these Medicinal Pill bottles, Xu Xiangyi’s spirit was greatly invigorated, and she was almost unable to contain her joy.
“Great Master Ye, may I examine the quality of these Spirit Pills?” Xu Xiangyi looked at Li Mu eagerly, requesting.
“Of course, Shopkeeper Xu, please do.” Li Mu smiled and nodded.
Xu Xiangyi carefully picked up the Medicinal Pill bottles, gently opened the stoppers, and inspected them one by one. As she did so, the smile on her face grew wider and wider.
These five-tier Spirit Pills had extremely strong Medicinal Power; just by smelling them, one’s cultivation showed signs of Breakthrough, and their quality was all of the highest grade.
“Excellent! These five-tier Spirit Pills are almost all High Grade, and many have even reached Top-Grade! Great Master Ye, it’s been a while since we last met, your Alchemy has advanced another level!” Xu Xiangyi looked at Li Mu with a face full of joy, complimenting him eagerly.
“Shopkeeper Xu, you flatter me. Last time, the High Grade Spirit Seeds I entrusted you to purchase? Have there been any leads?” Li Mu smiled slightly, asking with concern.
“Of course I remember, Great Master Ye, please examine them!” Xu Xiangyi’s expression turned serious, and she quickly took out a Jade Slip recording inventory from her Storage Ring.
Li Mu took the Jade Slip, immersed his Divine Sense into it, and began to read.
After a while, Li Mu frowned, looking at Shopkeeper Xu, and asked with dissatisfaction: “Why is there no Nine Yang Spirit Grass Spirit Seed, and the quantity of some other five-tier Five Elements Spirit Plant Spirit Seeds isn’t much either! For example: White Blaze Spirit Flower, Purple Orchid Vine, …”
Hearing this, Xu Xiangyi couldn’t help but smile bitterly, explaining apologetically: “Great Master Ye, some Spirit Plants have special medicinal properties, and due to the regulations of our pavilion, they cannot be sold. six-order nine yang spirit grass, five-tier White Blaze Spirit Flower… these Spirit Plants are among those restricted, and some Spirit Plants are also difficult to Cultivate from seeds…”
After a pause, Xu Xiangyi looked at Li Mu expectantly and frankly stated: “Great Master Ye, if you are willing to join our Return to Heaven Pavilion, these Spirit Plants and Spirit Seeds can be supplied openly by our pavilion. Furthermore, Great Master Li, your Alchemy is only one step away from being able to refine six-tier Spirit Pills, right! If you are willing to join our Return to Heaven Pavilion, not only will six-tier Spirit Medicine be supplied openly, but six-tier Pill Formulas will also not be a problem.”
Hearing this, Li Mu frowned and decisively shook his head: “Shopkeeper Xu, please don’t mention joining Return to Heaven Pavilion again. Let’s leave it at that! You can appraise the price of this batch of Spirit Pills and deduct it with Spirit Medicine and Spirit Seeds.”
“Alright!” Xu Xiangyi nodded regretfully and began to calculate on the spot.
Li Mu’s Divine Sense was on the Jade Slip, sifting for the required Spirit Medicine and Spirit Seeds.
He originally wanted to rely on Return to Heaven Pavilion to get the Spirit Seeds of Nine Yang Spirit Grass and Nine Yin Spirit Grass, so he could plant them himself and acquire the ‘Spirituality’ plant spirit attribute for his future Breakthrough.
However, having to join Return to Heaven Pavilion to obtain the required Spirit Medicine and Spirit Plant seeds was not what Li Mu hoped for.
As Great Grandmaster Li in Artifact Refining, he was already very conspicuous. The identity of ‘Great Master Ye’ should not be further exposed. Li Mu did not want this identity to become widely known, so he would certainly not use this identity to join other organizations.
Two hours passed, and Li Mu and Xu Xiangyi completed their transaction. Under her enthusiastic farewell, he left Return to Heaven Pavilion.
The next day, after a brief rest at the tavern, Li Mu changed his identity and went to Tianji Pavilion to gather information, and at the same time, purchase some High Grade Spirit Materials to replenish those for Spiritual Charms Drawing, Puppet refining, and Spirit Ship manufacturing.
It had been a long time since he came to Barren Ancient City, so Li Mu was not in a hurry to return to Yin Yang Valley. He wandered around the market of Barren Ancient City, thinking that with the Talent Divine Power - Identify Myriad Spirits, he might be able to pick up a bargain.
After a full day of wandering through Barren Ancient City’s market, Li Mu sensed a different aura.
With the arrival of Cultivators from the Central Continent Spirit Domain, Barren Ancient City had become much livelier, and the quality and quantity of Spirit Objects sold in the market had both increased by a Rank.
Soon, Li Mu stopped in front of a stall selling Ancient Artifacts.
The stall owner was a Yellow-robed Old Daoist. On the stall were tripods, altars, wooden fish, and other Ancient Artifacts emitting faint Spiritual Power. At a glance, they were ancient items unearthed from some Ancient Tomb ruins.
“Young man, what caught your eye!” It was rare to have a customer, so the Yellow-robed Old Daoist greeted him warmly.
At this time, Li Mu had restrained his aura, only displaying a Late Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation. The Yellow-robed Old Daoist, who was at Early Stage Golden Core, called Li Mu ‘young man’, already showing a very humble attitude.
“How are these Ancient Artifacts sold?” Li Mu asked with a smile.
“They are indeed Ancient Artifacts, you can pick them up and look. Their original Materials are good, and if properly maintained, restoring their former glory is not a problem.” The Yellow-robed Old Daoist introduced them volubly.
“Just tell me how they’re sold! Be quick about it!” Li Mu glanced at the Yellow-robed Old Daoist, urging him.
“One thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones per piece. If you take them all, I’ll give you an 80% discount!” The Yellow-robed Old Daoist glared at Li Mu and quoted the price.
“Hmm! I’ll take them all!” Li Mu nodded cheerfully, threw a bag of Spirit Stones from his bosom into the Yellow-robed Old Daoist’s hand, and with a wave of his hand, packed up all the Ancient Artifacts on the stall, along with the beast hide tablecloth, and took them away.
The Yellow-robed Old Daoist stared at Li Mu in surprise, only then realizing that this ‘young man’ in front of him was a disguised expert. He quickly reached into the Spirit Stone bag and found nearly a thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones, which was more than enough to buy everything on his entire stall.
“Too much! Too much!” The Yellow-robed Old Daoist looked at Li Mu excitedly.
“The extra is your reward!” Li Mu smiled, waved his hand, and turned to leave.
The Yellow-robed Old Daoist rubbed his eyeballs, feeling as if there was something wrong with his eyes. His gaze had been following the other party’s figure, but as the other party’s voice faded, he suddenly couldn’t find any trace of the other party in the dense crowd.
“An expert!” The Yellow-robed Old Daoist exclaimed, then suddenly realized something and slapped his thigh in annoyance: “Damn it! Could those Ancient Artifacts be hiding valuable Spirit Objects?”
On the other side, Li Mu’s figure emerged from a secluded alley. He immediately chose to leave Barren Ancient City, piloting the five-tier Spirit Ship - Sky Sword Ship, gifted by Lin Baoqing, flying back to Yin Yang Valley.
【Beast Transformation Skin】
【Rank: Six-tier Leather Material】
【Properties: Spirit Concealment Demonic Essence, Ten Thousand Years Hidden Joy, Spirit-Bearing Qi-Masking, Primordial Spirit Not Attached, Water and Fire Isolation, Self-Contained Hidden Domain】
【Status: Hidden Breath and Concealed Spirit, Mortified and No Spirit Power Revealed.】
【The shed skin produced when a seven-tier Hidden Buddha True Spirit advanced to True Spirit. It comes with a hidden spiritual domain, is impervious to blades and swords, isolated from water and fire, contains faint Spiritual Power, and has a built-in hidden spiritual domain. It is a High Grade Spirit Material for refining invisibility and Qi-concealing Magical Artifacts and Spirit Treasures.】
【year star fruit kernel (Damaged)】
【Rank: Seven-tier Spirit Seed】
【Properties: Year Star Power, Year Solid Star Void, Age Force Gathering Domain, Ten Thousand Years Spirit Bearing.】
【Status: Age Force Accumulated, Star Power Lost, Vitality Lost】
【The fruit kernel of the Spirit Fruit borne by a seven-tier Year Star Wood. Year Star Wood is a Heavenly Spiritual Root that only grows during the end of a star. This wood gathers Age Force and Star Power, taking ten thousand Years to bear a Year Star Fruit. This kernel is the core of the Year Star Fruit. The kernel’s vitality has dissipated, but it contains a large amount of Years Force, making it a Top-Grade Artifact Refining Material for refining Years Treasures.】
Li Mu took out the two Spirit Objects he had acquired from this bargain. Under his Heavenly Talent - Identifying Myriad Spirits, he obtained their detailed attributes.
Looking at the two Spirit Objects, Li Mu’s face revealed unconcealed joy. This bargain was too easy and too unexpected to find.
Firstly, the beast hide used for the stall was one bargain, and the other was a thumb-sized fruit kernel hidden inside a wooden fish Ancient Artifact.
If it weren’t for his Heavenly Talent - Identifying Myriad Spirits, which revealed the attributes of the two Spirit Objects, Li Mu would never have imagined that two ordinary-looking items could have such extraordinary origins.
This six-tier beast hide is perfectly suitable for refining an invisibility Magical Artifact.
Li Mu still remembered that before he reached Foundation Establishment, when he defeated the assassin from Listening Rain Pavilion, among the spoils of war was a good invisibility Spirit Cloak. If he used this Beast Transformation Skin to refine a similar invisibility Magic Treasure, its ability to conceal and hide would be undetectable even by Soul Transformation and Void Refining Cultivators!
As for the seven-tier year star fruit kernel, although it was no longer complete, the kernel contained a large amount of Years Force. Li Mu’s eyes flashed with unusual light, thinking of another Artifact Refining direction.
The five-tier Sky Sword Ship was like a Flying Sword, swift as the wind, and in a blink of an eye, it arrived at Yin Yang Valley.
Li Mu put away the two High Grade Spirit Materials, piloted the Sky Sword Ship directly into Yin Yang Valley, flew to the core of the Spirit Valley, and entered the Great Formation.
“Who! Come out quickly!”
A Nine-Tailed Sky Fox suddenly appeared above the Spirit Valley, its pair of scarlet eyes staring intently at the Sky Sword Ship, ready to attack.
“It’s me! Huanling, you’ve refined it so quickly! You’re using it well!”
Li Mu flew out from the Sky Sword Ship, smiling as he looked at the blustering Nine-Tailed Sky Fox, teasing her with a smile.
“Lord Li, you’re back! You scared me!”
Seeing Li Mu, with a “bang”, the massive Nine-Tailed Sky Fox’s figure transformed into a white mist, and Xue’er’s form was revealed, looking at Li Mu with pleasant surprise.
“Hmm, nothing happened in the valley, right!” Li Mu asked with a smile, casually putting away the Sky Sword Ship.
“No! My third uncle hasn’t arrived yet, but! I’ve already refined the Illusory Moon Bell, how about it, Lord Li, wasn’t my display just now good!” Xue’er proudly showed Li Mu the Illusory Moon Bell in her hand.
The Illusory Moon Bell then transformed into a small fire fox, flying to Xue’er’s shoulder.
“Very good, you have the form of a Sky Fox, but the power is insufficient to scare High Grade Cultivators.” Li Mu smiled, pointing out the flaw.
“I know that flaw.” Xue’er nodded with a slight regret, then confidently replied: “I haven’t seen a Nine-Tailed Sky Fox! If I could see one, I would definitely be able to transform into it.”
“Hmm! You should Cultivate diligently! Maybe one day, you’ll successfully Breakthrough your Bloodline limit and advance to Nine-Tailed! Your mother said you have that potential.” Li Mu smiled and nodded, encouraging her.
“You’re trying to trick me into Cultivating again, Lord Li, are you planning to refine artifacts now!” Xue’er frowned, her dark eyes rolled, and she looked at Li Mu.
“Haha, you clever little imp, I’ll go check on the Spirit Plants first. Next, I’ll be in seclusion to focus on Artifact Refining for a period. If your third uncle comes, or any other guests visit, remember to treat them courteously and don’t be rude!” Li Mu laughed heartily, instructing Xue’er.
This trip to Barren Ancient City, Li Mu gained a lot, and he also accepted commissions from ten Venerable Deity Transformation to refine six-tier spirit treasures. The nine storage spiritual pearl contained a massive amount of High Grade Artifact Refining Spirit Materials.
Next, Li Mu planned to focus on Artifact Refining for a period, to improve the success rate of refining six-tier spirit treasures, and to prepare to refine the long-desired Divination Spirit Treasure.
“Got it! I’ll guard the Spirit Valley for you!” Xue’er nodded understandingly, solemnly promising Li Mu.
Li Mu smiled and nodded, then flew to the Spirit Field to take care of the Purple Yang Spiritual Mushroom and Yin Soul Fruit. After that, he entered the Painting World Treasure Mansion to inspect the Five Elements Spirit Plants, planting all the High Grade Spirit Seeds he had acquired on this trip, setting up corresponding formations, and transforming the Spirit Fields to suit the growth environment of numerous High Grade Spirit Plants.
Compared to Artifact Refining, Alchemy, and other hundreds of Cultivation arts, planting and taking care of Spirit Plants is a very troublesome task.
However, planting Spirit Plants and acquiring plant spirit attributes is key to improving cultivation in the future. Li Mu understood the priorities and dedicated most of his energy to it.
