novelnext Chapter 282: Strategize
Chapter 282: Strategize
Chapter 282: Strategize
"True, but this time I didn't just buy this invitation to broaden my horizons. I've inquired that at the auction, Shengye Sect will offer an elixir called Huayuan Pill, which aids in breaking through the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment stage. Its efficacy surpasses anything currently on the market, and it's said to be extremely rare, with only a few bottles refined each year. Aside from the one sold at the auction, they only accept orders from other sects and don't sell to individual cultivators," Yu Qingli said.
"Eh, I remember last time we met, Qingli, you were complaining about the slow progress in the Foundation Establishment stage, unsure when you'd even reach the early bottleneck. Isn't it a bit premature to think about buying elixirs to aid in breaking through?" Zhang Zhi questioned, puzzled.
"Heh, Brother Zhang, you're not aware. There's a spiritual incense shop in town that released a new product called Zixuan Incense the year before last. It's much more effective than Qingxuan Incense. I've been buying it frequently these past two years. Combined with elixirs, my cultivation speed has increased significantly. Now, my cultivation level has already reached the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage," Yu Qingli said with a laugh.
"Oh, really? I've bought Qingxuan Incense before and felt it was too weak, only suitable for the Qi refining stage. I didn't expect there to be one for the Foundation Establishment stage too. It seems I'll have to buy a few sticks myself when I get back," Zhang Zhi said, pleasantly surprised.
"Wait until you get back? Their incense is limited in stock. If you go now, even Qingxuan Incense might be sold out, let alone Zixuan Incense. Dream on!" Yu Qingli shook his head.
"That popular? Then when does their shop open? I'll go early enough," Zhang Zhi frowned.
"They open at the hour of Mao in the morning, but there are so many buyers, you'd have to be there at the hour of Yin to get a chance at grabbing a few sticks. However, I do have a way to avoid the queue, but I'm not sure if you, Brother Zhang, would be willing," Yu Qingli said.
Seeing the mischievous smile on his face, Zhang Zhi felt a bit uneasy, but he couldn't resist the temptation of Zixuan Incense.
"Come on, Brother Yu, stop beating around the bush and just tell me."
"Well, I've been a patron of their shop for a long time and have accumulated quite a few points, which allows me to reserve in advance, a day before. However, there's a limit to how much Zixuan Incense a single person can buy in a day. If I give some to you, I'll have less for myself," Yu Qingli said meaningfully.
After a moment's hesitation, Zhang Zhi gritted his teeth and said, "Brother Yu, we've known each other for so long, I wouldn't let you lose out. How about this: for each stick of incense, I'll pay ten percent more than the price?"
Yu Qingli nodded and agreed with a smile.
However, just then, Yuan Ming suddenly said, "Fellow Daoist Yu, I've heard that if the spiritual incense shop discovers someone reselling incense by taking advantage of their points, they'll blacklist them and never sell incense to them again. You might want to be more cautious."
Hearing this, Yu Qingli was stunned, and Zhang Zhi, realizing the situation, burst into laughter.
"Brother Yu, with our years of friendship, how could I bear to see you at a loss? To be safe, I'll just buy at the market price from you. Otherwise, if someone reports us, it would be troublesome."
Yu Qingli's face flashed with embarrassment and annoyance as he glared fiercely at Yuan Ming, but he had no choice but to agree to Zhang Zhi's terms.
Yuan Ming didn't mind; after all, regular customers with points got a discount on incense, so Yu Qingli was still making a profit.
Reselling was inevitable, and Yuan Ming didn't have the time to deal with every case, but since it happened right in front of him, he felt obliged to give a warning.
"Fellow Daoist Yu, since you're placing an order, could you also reserve a few sticks of Beautifying Incense for me? You probably don't need those, right? I'll pay the market price," Hua Xianzi also spoke up.
"Will do," the manager nodded, checked the delivery, and confirmed the quantity. He then went inside and quickly returned with a storage bag.
"Here's the payment for the incense from our shop. Could you check it, Brother Hu Tu?"
Hu Tu took the storage bag, counted the spirit stones inside, and then looked up, "Manager Xu, it seems you've given me extra spirit stones?"
"Heh, that's a little token of appreciation for your hard work, Brother Hu Tu. It's the rule of the City Lord's Mansion," Manager Xu said with a smile.
Hu Tu's eyes flickered, and he pocketed the storage bag without changing his expression, "With the relationship between you and me, Manager Xu, I wouldn't forget such a favor even if you didn't mention it."
After a few more words and laughter, the two parted ways.
Outside the alley, Yuan Ming turned and left.
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Back home, Yuan Ming sat cross-legged, carefully pondering the information gathered from the tea house visit.
The whole city knew about Sha Hao's case, and even the deaths of Gu Qiulong and Xu Changqing were attributed to him. Now, who knows how many were after his life.
It would be one thing if they simply killed him, but he feared some might covet Sha Hao's soul cultivation techniques, deliberately keeping him alive to extract them. After a moment, he took out the artifact refining books he had purchased in the past few days and began to study them intently.
He had paid a high price for these books, which contained much about top-grade magical artifacts.
He had already learned the basic content in Biluo Cave, so he quickly skipped over it, focusing instead on the explanations and analyses of top-grade magical artifacts.
Top-grade magical artifacts, for Nascent Soul stage cultivators, can also be referred to as "treasure embryos," considered unfinished magical treasures.
Unlike magical treasures, the runes on top-grade magical artifacts cannot be connected into arrays; they exist independently.
Not all magical artifacts can withstand the engraving of a fourth rune to become top-grade. The fundamental issue lies in the differences in spiritual materials.
Ordinary spiritual materials can only bear three runes at most. Attempting to add another would disrupt the balance of the existing runes, leading to their shattering and the destruction of the artifact material due to the inability to withstand the power.
Only artifacts that incorporate top-grade spiritual materials during the refining process can endure the imprinting and infusion of a fourth rune. Even if the process fails, the artifact will only drop one grade and not be completely destroyed.