Ancient Treasure

"Junior Brother, I do have some Talisman Coins on hand. I can lend them to you."

Xu Chang spoke up at this point.

After all, borrowing money from a senior brother was better than borrowing from an outsider. There was no interest, and no debt of gratitude.

"Little Brother Lin, this Pill Pendant and the Cloud-Treading Boots together will cost you only four hundred and fifty Mortal Talisman Coins. A twenty-year promissory note, no interest required!"

Dugu Ye said nervously.

What twenty-year promissory note? This was a lifeline.

With that note in hand, he would have a few more scraps of confidence when facing foreign enemies.

Once others knew his family had ties to a Shu Mountain disciple, they would not dare move against his family lightly.

Seeing Dugu Ye like this, Xu Chang knew there had to be some deeper meaning behind his actions. He said no more and left Lin Chan to make the decision himself.

Lin Chan was no fool either. He knew how to read people's expressions and naturally understood that Dugu Ye cared greatly about this promissory note.

Though it was a tangled karmic bond, Lin Chan truly wanted these two items.

Besides, Dugu Ye was treating him so generously because he clearly thought highly of Lin Chan's future.

After all, lending money was all about placing faith in the other party's future credit.

If Lin Chan's future were not worth the price, Dugu Ye would never have brought out such treasures!

"Since Senior Dugu trusts me so much, then let us calculate it at the original price. There is no need for twenty years—ten years will be enough. I will definitely repay it by then."

Lin Chan spoke earnestly.

"Little Brother Lin, we are fated to meet. Twenty years it is! That would be best."

Dugu Ye said.

"Then twenty years it is. But after I return to Shu Mountain, I will need to devote myself fully to cultivation. I am afraid I will not be able to come out for the time being."

Lin Chan said somewhat apologetically.

"It is no matter, no matter. Our family is not in such a hurry to collect those Talisman Coins right now."

Dugu Ye said with a smile.

Even if those Talisman Coins could not be recovered in the end, he would not care.

The Dugu Family might not even last until that day.

Of course, Dugu Ye did not expect Lin Chan or Xu Chang alone to save his family.

Over the years, he had begun selecting kind-hearted people, scattering his family fortune to the winds and swallowing humiliation to preserve what he could.

He did not expect all of it to prove useful. If even one or two efforts could play a small role in the future, that would already be extraordinary.

After drawing up the contract, Lin Chan examined it carefully himself, then had Xu Chang look it over as well. Only then did he formally sign it and take the Pill Pendant and the Cloud-Treading Boots.

Dugu Ye also gave Lin Chan a Storage Bag, palm-sized and containing half a cubic meter of storage space.

"You can return this Storage Bag to me when you repay the Talisman Coins, Little Brother Lin."

Dugu Ye said with a smile.

Though this Storage Bag was worth fifty Mortal Talisman Coins and was quite valuable, he had already handed over goods worth five hundred Mortal Talisman Coins. He did not care about this little bit.

"Then many thanks, Senior Dugu."

Lin Chan hurriedly cupped his hands in thanks.

"Senior Dugu really is a good man!"

Aboard the Floating Cloud Boat, Lin Chan sighed with feeling.

"It is because Junior Brother has potential. You are worth him spending so much thought on."

Xu Chang said with a smile.

He had roughly guessed something.

Most likely, Dugu Ye had failed his attempt to break through to Foundation Establishment, and the entire Dugu Family had no successors left. They could only seek outside aid.

Thus, they continually showed goodwill toward all manner of powerful factions.

Though Xu Chang looked like a young man barely over twenty, he was already more than forty years old. With some life experience beneath his belt, he could naturally tell that the items Dugu Ye had brought out were practically being given away for nothing.

The cultivation world was cruel. Whatever strength one possessed determined what resources one could occupy.

Without a Foundation Establishment cultivator, even if the Dugu Family did not offer up these things, those wolves and tigers would still devise every possible means to seize them.

Open contention and covert plunder, schemes and calculations.

There was no escaping it.

"Compared with my senior brothers, I am still far behind."

Lin Chan said very modestly.

"Junior Brother, why not try those Cloud-Treading Boots? Perhaps you can walk directly atop the clouds."

Xu Chang looked at Lin Chan and smiled.

If one had sufficient spiritual power, the Cloud-Treading Boots could indeed step upon white clouds.

"Then I will give them a try."

Lin Chan took the pair of Cloud-Treading Boots from his Storage Bag.

They were already above the clouds. Once he returned to the sect, Lin Chan would not have enough spiritual energy to rise above the cloud layer himself, and might never get another chance to tread on clouds.

Lin Chan took out the Cloud-Treading Boots from his Storage Bag. Xu Chang also slowed down and came to a stop, allowing Lin Chan to test his newly acquired artifact.

Lin Chan removed his old cloth shoes and put them into the Storage Bag. First, he used a Cleaning Spell to tidy up the Cloud-Treading Boots a little.

Then he put them on and used his magic power to adjust them, making them fit his feet snugly and wrap tightly around them.

An artifact could be used directly by pouring spiritual power into it even without refinement, but it could easily be taken away by others that way, making it unsuitable for use in a spell battle.

After all, an unrefined artifact would not recognize an owner.

Whoever had spiritual energy was its master.

Lin Chan had no time to refine them now. He directly gathered all the spiritual power in his body into his feet, and then felt his entire body become light as a feather.

He rose onto his toes, stepped out of the Floating Cloud Boat, and walked upon the clouds as if on level ground.

"A fine treasure."

Xu Chang said with a smile.

However, Lin Chan had too little spiritual power. After only two steps, he felt himself running out of strength and immediately returned to the Floating Cloud Boat.

Xu Chang joked with him for a moment, then set off once more.

Lin Chan did not take off the Cloud-Treading Boots, continuing to wear them just like that.

The Cloud-Treading Boots were somewhat more comfortable than the cloth shoes issued by the sect.

They hurried back to the sect, then waited together outside True Person Xuan Chen's main hall.

"You are back. Did everything go smoothly?"

True Person Xuan Chen looked at them and asked with concern.

"Everything went very smoothly. We never had the chance to use the Grand Summoning Talisman you gave us, Master."

Xu Chang took out the golden talisman and passed it through the air to True Person Xuan Chen.

He would not dare keep such a valuable treasure for himself.

Moreover, the Yang God summoned by this talisman was a living divine-path cultivator, as well as a Shu Mountain elder of extremely high seniority. Without reason, they could not be summoned at all.

If it were used casually, punishment would follow afterward.

"It is good that you returned safely."

True Person Xuan Chen nodded slightly and put away the golden talisman.

It was a Golden Core Grade life-saving measure. Since it had not been used, it had not gone to waste.

"Master, we came across a fine artifact along the way. Please take a look."

Xu Chang said with a smile.

Lin Chan knew what Xu Chang meant and immediately took the Pill Pendant from his Storage Bag.

The moment he held it out, True Person Xuan Chen took it through the air.

"This Flowing Cloud Pill Pendant can filter Pill Toxin. Its only flaw is that it is suitable only for Qi Cultivation cultivators, which is rather unfortunate."

Xu Chang explained.

Flowing Cloud Pill Pendant was the name the two of them had given it together.

True Person Xuan Chen studied it with his divine sense for a long while, then said calmly:

"This item is indeed ingenious. However, its materials are unusual. It uses a kind of Precious Jade that even I do not recognize, and its construction is also exquisitely intricate. It would be difficult to replicate. Even if it were replicated, it would consume vast resources."

True Person Xuan Chen shook his head. If he had the materials, he might have studied how to reproduce it.

Even the cleverest housewife could not cook without rice. He could only let the matter rest.

After gently stroking it twice, True Person Xuan Chen returned the Pill Pendant to Lin Chan.

"Could it be an Ancient Treasure?"

Xu Chang was somewhat delighted.

Within several hundred thousand li around Rong Country, there were not many materials that True Person Xuan Chen did not know.

This Pill Pendant had most likely existed long before the Dao Alliance was founded.

"Perhaps."

True Person Xuan Chen was not particularly concerned.

This was his disciple's little fortuitous opportunity. He would not interfere too much.

"Xu Chang, go back! Lin Chan and I will talk some more."

Now that Xu Chang had little else to do, True Person Xuan Chen sent him back.