Purchasing Dharma Artifacts

Li Chengjie touched his slightly shriveled Storage Bag. Inside lay one hundred and thirty-two Low-grade Spirit Stones.

This was his entire fortune at present. Most of it had been saved by secretly skimming Qi Condensation Pills before.

"I must buy an offensive Dharma Artifact as soon as possible." Li Chengjie murmured, the danger of last night's ruined Green Steel Sword and fighting barehanded still vivid in his mind.

Without a sharp weapon in hand, relying on spells alone was ultimately like a tree without roots—costly to sustain and lacking the intimidation of a decisive strike.

Li Chengjie did not set out immediately. Instead, he spent most of the morning roughly tidying the messy Pill Hut, at least clearing away the traces of fighting and blood so it would not look quite so much like a murder had just taken place.

Afterward, he sat down cross-legged, swallowed his last Qi Condensation Pill, and silently circulated his cultivation to regulate his breathing, restoring the spiritual power and mental strength he had expended the night before.

Only when he felt more than half recovered, with the sun already high overhead, did Li Chengjie rise, straighten his clothes, carefully hide his Storage Bag, and step out of the little courtyard that temporarily belonged to him.

The Marketplace streets seemed even more chaotic and desolate than they had in the morning.

Many shops had shut down completely. Pedestrians were few, and every one of them hurried along with wary expressions.

The air was thick with suppression and unease.

Li Chengjie had a clear destination and headed straight for the part of the Marketplace's West District that catered to Rogue Cultivators and sold low-tier Dharma Artifacts and materials.

He remembered several small shops there with relatively cheap prices. Though their quality varied wildly, they suited both his present needs and his means.

When he reached the street from his memory, the sight was even more bleak.

More than half the shops had their doors tightly closed. Several had even been smashed open by force, their interiors left in complete disarray.

Only a small shop at the very end of the street, bearing a crooked Hundred Refinements Pavilion sign, still had its door half-open.

Li Chengjie cautiously looked around. Only after confirming there was nothing unusual did he push the door open and enter.

The shop was dimly lit, and the air carried the smell of metal and ore.

A few Dharma Artifacts lay scattered across the shelves, most of their spiritual glow dull and their quality worrying.

An old man with graying hair and a greasy leather apron sat behind the counter.

Hearing someone enter, he did not even raise his head as he rasped,

"Look for yourself. The prices are marked, no bargaining. Payment in Spirit Stones."

His tone was indifferent, carrying the numbness of someone who had seen through all the ways of the world.

Li Chengjie's gaze quickly swept over the shelves.

Most of the items were daggers, short blades, crude shield blanks, and even some refined steel weapons used by ordinary martial artists.

Li Chengjie was mainly looking for sword-type Dharma Artifacts.

Before long, his attention was caught by an ancient-looking longsword about three feet and three inches long. Its blade was narrow and long, gleaming with a faint azure light. Beside it was a wooden tag with crooked writing: "Azure Edge Sword, mid-grade Dharma Artifact. Sharp and agile, with a weak armor-piercing effect. Price: eighty-five Spirit Stones."

On the other side, a palm-sized, hexagonal Black Iron Shield with a dark, muted sheen also caught his eye. "Black Iron Shield, mid-grade defensive Dharma Artifact. When activated, forms a spiritual power barrier. Highly stable. Price: sixty Spirit Stones."

The two together would cost one hundred and forty-five Spirit Stones! In normal times, they would only have been worth seventy-five Spirit Stones. Now, Dharma Artifact prices had soared.

The price had more than doubled! In a Chaotic World, things that could save one's life had indeed become priceless.

Li Chengjie frowned and looked at the old man, who was still sharpening a blade. "Shopkeeper, can the prices of this Azure Edge Sword and Black Iron Shield be discussed? Times are hard for everyone now."

Li Chengjie frowned and looked at the old man, who was still sharpening a blade. "Shopkeeper, could this Azure Edge Sword and Black Iron Shield be a little cheaper?"

Only then did the old man stop. He lifted his cloudy eyes to glance at Li Chengjie, then at the two Dharma Artifacts he had indicated, and gave a cold snort.

"Kid, take a look at the state of things now. You should be grateful there's anything to buy at all! Bargaining? That's the price. Buy it or don't."

Li Chengjie felt helpless. He knew that haggling at a time like this would indeed be difficult.

After pondering for a moment, Li Chengjie pointed at the Azure Edge Sword. "Just this Azure Edge Sword. Seventy Spirit Stones, how about it? That's all the Spirit Stones I have."

Li Chengjie deliberately quoted a lower price, leaving room to bargain.

The old man shook his head like a rattle-drum. "Eighty! Not one stone less! This Azure Edge Sword uses high-quality Azure Pattern Iron, and a qian of Wind Copper was mixed into it during forging. It's a notch faster than an ordinary Low-grade Flying Sword! Eighty Spirit Stones, fair to young and old alike!"

Li Chengjie carefully sensed the Azure Edge Sword. The spirituality within its blade was indeed far stronger than that of the ruined Green Steel Sword, and its faint azure glow showed that the material was exceptional. He truly needed a good sword.

"Seventy-five!" Li Chengjie said through gritted teeth. "Seventy-five Spirit Stones is the most I can offer! Shopkeeper, given the state of the Marketplace, there aren't many people who can immediately produce Spirit Stones to buy Dharma Artifacts."

The old man's hand paused over the whetstone, as if weighing the matter. He looked at the deserted street outside, then at Li Chengjie's resolute gaze. Finally, he waved a hand impatiently. "Fine, fine, seventy-five it is! Consider it my good deed for the day! Hurry up, pay and take it!"

Li Chengjie's heart settled. Without further hesitation, he quickly counted out seventy-five Low-grade Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag and stacked them neatly on the counter.

The old man swept them with his divine sense, confirmed they were correct, then casually took the Azure Edge Sword from the shelf and tossed it to Li Chengjie. "Take it."

Li Chengjie caught the longsword. It felt slightly heavy in his hand, yet lighter than he had expected. The hilt was cool to the touch. When he let a thread of divine sense enter it, he could feel the active, razor-sharp spirituality within the blade.

Li Chengjie casually flicked the sword through a flourish. Azure light flowed along the blade, and it gave off a faint whistle as it cut through the air. It was indeed far more natural to wield than the Green Steel Sword.

"Thank you, Shopkeeper." Li Chengjie strapped the Azure Edge Sword to his back and cupped his hands.

The old man merely waved him off, picked up his whetstone again, and ignored him.

Li Chengjie did not linger either. He turned and left the Hundred Refinements Pavilion, which was filled with an air of decay.

With the Azure Edge Sword in hand, he felt considerably more secure.

But he still lacked defenses.

Li Chengjie touched the fifty-seven Spirit Stones remaining in his Storage Bag. His gaze swept the street before finally settling on a stall with a half-open front that sold Talismans and miscellaneous goods.

The stall owner was a lean middle-aged man with flickering eyes that revealed his shrewdness.

"Fellow Daoist, what do you need? Golden Wound Medicine, Qi Restoration Powder, all kinds of Talismans—we have everything!" Seeing Li Chengjie stop, the stall owner immediately greeted him warmly, a stark contrast to the cold old man from Hundred Refinements Pavilion.

Li Chengjie looked toward the stack of pale golden Talismans on the stall. "How much are the Golden Armor Talismans?"

"Fellow Daoist, you have a keen eye!" The stall owner picked up a Golden Armor Talisman. "A first-rank mid-grade defensive Talisman. Once activated, it forms a layer of Metal Attribute armor around the body—strong and durable, enough to save your life at a critical moment! Only ten Spirit Stones each!"

The price had risen again. Li Chengjie remembered that such Talismans had previously cost around six or seven Spirit Stones.

"Too expensive." Li Chengjie shook his head. "Three for twenty-five Spirit Stones. Throw in a Half-cubic Storage Bag?"

The stall owner's smile froze. "Fellow Daoist, you're cutting the price far too hard! Materials are difficult to find now, and most Talisman Makers have fled. Every Talisman sold is one less remaining! Forty for three, that's the lowest price!"

Li Chengjie looked at the stall owner, his tone calm. "I only have twenty-five Spirit Stones for Talismans and a Storage Bag. If you sell, I'll take them. If not, I'll look elsewhere." With that, he made as if to leave.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't be in such a hurry, Fellow Daoist!" The stall owner hurriedly called him back, forcing a smile onto his face. "Fine, fine, since you truly want them, twenty-five it is! Let's make friends!"

Li Chengjie stopped, counted out twenty-five Spirit Stones, and handed them to the stall owner. He accepted two Golden Armor Talismans with faint spiritual light and a Half-cubic Storage Bag, carefully tucking them into his robes.

At this point, he had only thirty-two Low-grade Spirit Stones left on him.

With the newly acquired Azure Edge Sword on his back and two life-saving Talismans in his robes, Li Chengjie felt much more confident.

Though he had spent nearly all his savings, he believed it was a necessary investment.

With the newly acquired Azure Edge Sword on his back and two Golden Armor Talismans in his robes, Li Chengjie swept his gaze over the deserted street and finally fixed it on a medicinal herb shop that was still open.

Li Chengjie stepped inside. The shop's medicinal herbs had grown sparse as well.

"Shopkeeper, how much are the ingredients for Qi Condensation Pills?" Li Chengjie asked directly.

A worried-looking middle-aged shopkeeper behind the counter raised his head and replied weakly, "Azure Mist Grass, three Spirit Stones per bundle. Dew Condensing Flower, five Spirit Stones per blossom. Stone Marrow Powder, two Spirit Stones per portion. Ten Spirit Stones per set of ingredients, not sold separately."

Li Chengjie frowned slightly. "Shopkeeper, these prices are nearly double what they were before. If I buy several sets, can it be cheaper? I'll take four sets."

The shopkeeper sighed. "Fellow Daoist, it's not that I'm overcharging. Supplies from upstream are tight too, and the risk is high. Four sets... hmm, thirty-eight Spirit Stones, that's the lowest I can go. Any less and I truly can't sell."

Li Chengjie touched the mere thirty-two Spirit Stones left in his Storage Bag, fell silent for a moment, then said, "I only have thirty Spirit Stones.

Shopkeeper, given the state of the Marketplace, ready Spirit Stones are not easy to come by.

Thirty Spirit Stones. I'll take three sets of ingredients, and could you throw in some scraps from processing medicinal herbs?

Once I refine pills in the future, I'll sell them to you first."

Hearing this, the shopkeeper studied Li Chengjie, then looked into his calm eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he finally waved a hand. "Fine, fine, let's call it making friends.

Thirty Spirit Stones for three sets of ingredients, and I'll pack you some old leaves and roots left over from processing Azure Mist Grass.

But let's be clear—if you manage Pill Formation, you have to prioritize my shop!"

"A deal." Li Chengjie nodded and took out thirty Spirit Stones.

At this point, Li Chengjie had only two Spirit Stones left on him.

Carrying the three sets of ingredients he had traded for and a small bundle of scraps, Li Chengjie quickly returned to the little courtyard.

He tightly shut the courtyard gate. The resources were in place; it was time to fire up the furnace and refine pills.