Cultivation Family

Using his waist token to break through the Restriction, Lin Xuan returned to his room, his expression immediately darkening. He stood by the bed in silence. He had originally only wanted to pass the time at the restaurant and see if he could pick up any useful news, but he had never expected to hear such startling news.

At first, when he learned from the Jade Slip that four intermediate cultivation arts would be sold at the afternoon trade fair, Lin Xuan had been in a good mood. His goal was merely the Spirit Control Technique contained within them; he had no particular demands regarding the quality of the cultivation art itself. In any case, intermediate cultivation arts would only be needed after reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm, and that was still far away.

He could first learn the Spirit Control Technique. As for the intermediate cultivation art he would need after Foundation Establishment, he could consider it then. Thinking about it now was still too early.

With that mindset, buying one of the four cultivation arts should not have been a problem.

But now...

According to that old man, three of the four intermediate cultivation arts originally for sale had already been reserved in advance by cultivation families, leaving him with only a single choice.

Unlike the low-grade cultivation arts used by Spirit Movement Stage cultivators, intermediate cultivation arts rarely appeared on the market and were considered highly sought-after goods. More than three cultivation families had come to this gathering; other families, and even Rogue Cultivators, might all have their eyes on that sole intermediate cultivation art. The difficulty of acquiring it had greatly increased.

Though Lin Xuan was confident that, in terms of the number of pills, he would not lose to anyone, if he did that...

After a long silence, Lin Xuan gritted his teeth and made up his mind. No matter what, he would not give up. He had to obtain that intermediate cultivation art.

Although Lin Xuan was usually cautious and liked to plan before acting, that did not mean he was timid or afraid of trouble. He simply did not wish to provoke unnecessary complications.

But if the moment truly came when a choice had to be made, Lin Xuan would not shrink back either. A true man could pick things up and put them down; fearing wolves ahead and tigers behind would never accomplish anything great.

Since he was determined to obtain the intermediate cultivation art, there was no need to worry about so much.

With that thought, Lin Xuan sat down cross-legged and first restored his physical strength and spiritual power to their peak. That way, if conflict arose with others over buying the cultivation art, his chances of victory would be greater.

Less than half an hour later, Lin Xuan opened his eyes, left his room, and came to the square. Looking around, he saw nearly a hundred cultivators who had arrived early to wait for the trade fair to begin. They had all picked out treasures and were afraid someone else would beat them to the punch.

Most of them were from cultivation families, while there were only a scattered few Rogue Cultivators.

Lin Xuan seized a position near the front and silently observed the cultivators around him. Unfortunately, no one was in the mood to chat at this time, so he could not gather any information.

After a while, a cultivator dressed in Lingyun Sect robes walked out and cupped his hands to the crowd. "Welcome, fellow Daoists. The afternoon trade fair now begins..."

What cultivator eager to buy treasures had the patience to listen to him ramble? The moment the Restriction at the entrance to the square was opened, they surged inside.

Lin Xuan did not hesitate either. After entering the square, he headed directly south according to the Jade Slip's introduction. The stall selling intermediate cultivation arts was there.

"How much is this Ice Heart Art?" Seeing that a Jade Slip was still sitting safely on the stall, Lin Xuan inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. At least he had not arrived too late, though his face remained perfectly calm.

"You?" The person manning the stall was a late Spirit Movement Stage cultivator. He glanced at Lin Xuan curiously. The reason was simple: only Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators had use for intermediate cultivation arts.

Naturally, Lin Xuan would not foolishly explain what he needed it for. He raised his chin slightly. "I asked you how much it costs."

His indifferent, faintly arrogant expression immediately intimidated the other party. Though Lin Xuan was dressed like a Rogue Cultivator, he carried himself with unusual bearing. Perhaps some formidable elder stood behind him.

Then, recalling that Lin Xuan wanted to buy an intermediate cultivation art only useful in the Foundation Establishment Realm, the stall owner's attitude immediately improved. Smiling ingratiatingly, he said, "One hundred and fifty Low-Grade Marrow Cleansing Pills."

Seeing the shift in his attitude, Lin Xuan secretly found it amusing. He had done it deliberately. Since many people would likely compete for the only intermediate cultivation art, there was no point in keeping a low profile. It was better to act a little arrogant. That would leave others unable to gauge him, making them think he had a powerful backer and giving them another reason to think twice before playing any underhanded tricks.

Still, things had gone more smoothly than expected. At least no other buyer had appeared yet. It seemed his choice to arrive early had been the right one.

Lin Xuan reached into his robes, preparing to take out the pills. But at that moment, a frivolous voice reached his ears from behind. "One hundred and fifty Low-Grade Marrow Cleansing Pills. I'll take this Ice Heart Art."

Lin Xuan's heart skipped a beat. He had not expected a hitch to arise at the very last moment. Expressionless, he turned around and saw a young master dressed in the style of an aristocratic family. He wore fine brocade robes and looked around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, a Spirit Movement Stage cultivator.

Those clothes, that appearance, coupled with that irritating expression—there was no need to say more. He was obviously from a cultivation family.

Bang! Bang! Two jade bottles were tossed onto the stall, and the young man in fine robes reached for the Jade Slip.

"Hold it." Lin Xuan flashed in front of him and blocked his way.

"What?" Seeing Lin Xuan's Rogue Cultivator attire clearly, the young man's face filled with arrogance.

"Do you understand the rule of first come, first served?" Lin Xuan could not be bothered to waste words on someone like this. Besides, judging from the situation, the two sides would likely tear all pretenses apart anyway, so there was no need for false politeness.

"Heh, first come, first served? Can a Rogue Cultivator like you even afford an intermediate cultivation art?" The young man sneered. "And even if you have the pills, do you dare compete with our Yan Family?"

The Yan Family was a cultivation family of middling size. It did not have many members, with only around a dozen cultivators, but its family head was a master at the great perfection of the Spirit Movement Stage, only one step away from Foundation Establishment.

Information on the Yan Family flashed through Lin Xuan's mind. He said nothing more and took out his pills from his robes. "One hundred and sixty Marrow Cleansing Pills. I'll buy it."

The reason Lin Xuan was willing to offer ten more pills was that, at the same price, the stall owner would certainly sell the cultivation art to a cultivation family and ignore a Rogue Cultivator like him—unless he was willing to reveal his identity as a Floating Cloud Valley disciple, but that was clearly impossible.