The blade was out, yet Chen Ganliu's heart turned cold, and he abandoned the last shred of wishful thinking.
As its name suggested, the Azure Luan had a blue-green blade glow. It was said to cry like a phoenix when drawn, so there was no way its blade glow could be golden.
He focused his gaze and saw a faint strand of Golden Radiance flowing along the short blade. Two characters were also engraved on its edge—Delusion-Wandering Zen!
Chen Qing was instantly delighted and cried, "This blade is of such fine quality that it absolutely isn't merely a Momentum Sword-grade magic treasure. It must be a proper Flying Sword. It's just that I don't have the cultivation method to refine it, and I don't even know whether it'll sell well!"
"That's not right. How could a flying blade of this quality cost only a few Talisman Coins?"
Chen Ganliu immediately grew awkward and said sheepishly, "I was afraid Sister Chen would blame me, so I reported a smaller number."
Chen Qing let out a cold laugh, shot him a glare, and turned to leave.
In the end, we're only temporary companions. It's only natural that he'd guard against me.
Although she thought that, Chen Qing was still somewhat indignant. She wasn't greedy for anyone else's possessions, so why had he been so secretive with her? Why describe something bought for a high price as costing only a few Talisman Coins?
A flying blade of "Momentum Sword" grade could never be bought for less than several thousand Talisman Coins. Even several thousand might not be enough. Its price was probably measured in spirit stones.
A Flying Sword, even one of the lowest grade, was priced in spirit stones, starting at a hundred.
Chen Qing had always suspected that Chen Ganliu was concealing his cultivation, but she had never imagined that this fellow was hiding it so deeply!
Along with her irritation, she also felt a faint secret delight. With such abundant wealth, Chen Ganliu's cultivation had to be "formidable." Perhaps he was a great cultivator at the sixth or seventh layer of Qi Refining or higher, enough to protect her and keep her safe for the time being.
As for the future, Chen Qing didn't believe that she and Chen Ganliu could have any future together.
Chen Ganliu called out "Sister Chen," but when Chen Qing didn't look back, he didn't chase after her to explain. He lowered his head to examine the short blade, his heart filled with surprise as well. Although it isn't the Azure Luan, I have no idea how good its quality truly is. But with such a dazzling blade glow, it's undoubtedly a treasured blade of Flying Sword grade.
How did that shifty-looking man sell a flying blade of such quality so cheaply?
After pondering for a moment, he sheathed the Delusion-Wandering Zen Blade again. Without circulating the Azure Emperor Jia Yi Art, he roused the Great Vehicle Myriad Flower Fist and used the arm strength of a martial cultivator to pull hard. The Delusion-Wandering Zen Blade didn't budge in the slightest. He couldn't draw it out at all.
Only then did Chen Ganliu realize the truth. Sister Chen's cultivation is still above mine. Since she couldn't draw it, the cultivation method must have been incompatible.
That man couldn't draw it either, so he assumed this blade was worthless junk.
Chen Ganliu returned to his room and gave it a cursory inspection. He couldn't help smiling bitterly. Aside from the Delusion-Wandering Zen Blade, the other six "magic treasures" were all forgeries. They were merely ordinary objects with a few spells cast over them, cloaked in illusory spiritual light.
Such deceptive objects were only suitable for tricking cultivators who had just entered the path. Although Chen Ganliu's cultivation wasn't high, he was a seasoned old cultivator. He had actually fallen for this wicked scheme.
Yet that man had also misjudged the situation, selling a "true treasured blade" as worthless junk along with the rest.
When all was said and done, Chen Ganliu had struck it rich this time.
However, Chen Ganliu also found it faintly strange. Although the Suiyang Immortal Market was reputed to be one of the six great immortal markets, it had ultimately developed under the protection of the Little Moon Sect, Golden Bell Sect, and Jade Mountain Sect. The three sects did not even personally manage it. Its foundations were hardly profound, so how had treasures that could be picked up as bargains appeared one after another?
Although Chen Ganliu didn't know what grade the Delusion-Wandering Zen Blade was, and with his cultivation and eyesight couldn't see its true foundations, the fact that the shifty-eyed man, Chen Qing, and even he himself couldn't draw it without using the Azure Emperor Jia Yi Art was enough to show how extraordinary the blade was.
Not to mention, he had previously suspected that this short blade was the Azure Luan, the weapon of Gongye Lan, an elder of the Immortal Encounter Sect. If it truly differed little from the Azure Luan in level—if its quality really matched the Azure Luan's—then bringing it to the Immortal Encounter Sect and offering it to Gongye Lan might even persuade the female elder to accept him as a Registered Disciple. Its value was utterly impossible to estimate.
Even if its grade was several major levels lower, it was still a proper "Flying Sword."
Chen Ganliu held the Delusion-Wandering Zen Blade in his hand, and his heart suddenly stirred. He activated the Azure Emperor Jia Yi Art and poured it into the short blade. The Delusion-Wandering Zen Blade immediately gave birth to brilliant Golden Radiance, layer upon layer staining the air, dazzling and blooming with halos. With a light swing, the blade glow sliced through the six fake magic treasures, instantly reducing them all to powder as easily as cutting melons and fruit.
A thought rose in his mind. If I use this blade to break the restrictions on those Storage Magic Treasures, I wonder whether I can cut open a few?
After the demon calamity, he had obtained seventeen portions of merit—in other words, seventeen Storage Magic Treasures. Only five lacked mana imprints and could be opened easily. There was nothing he could do about the rest.
Although breaking open a Storage Magic Treasure with a flying blade or Flying Sword would inevitably damage the treasure itself, which was a great pity, he could at least obtain the things inside. That was still better than staring at them helplessly, able to see them but unable to reach them.
With this thought, Chen Ganliu wished he could grow wings beneath his ribs and hurry back to Blazing Light Cave, Twin Cloud Mountain. He also regretted not bringing those Storage Magic Treasures back with him.
At the time, he had thought that since he couldn't open them anyway, keeping them on his person might expose them to someone's probing gaze, leaving him with nothing but an empty dream.
Who would have thought he would encounter such an opportunity and obtain a Delusion-Wandering Zen Blade?
Chen Ganliu continuously poured true qi into the Delusion-Wandering Zen Blade. He hadn't expected to refine this "Flying Sword," but since the blade had never rejected him, he instinctively wanted to try. When his true qi began to run low, he even took out a spirit stone and absorbed its qi to replenish himself.
Soon, the spirit stone in his hand was drained of all its stored qi. He took out a second one. There were plenty of spirit stones in his possession, and a faint hope also rose in his heart. Could it be that this flying blade can actually be refined?
Chen Ganliu absorbed the qi from seventeen or eighteen spirit stones, and even he clicked his tongue in amazement. Why does it need so much true qi?
He hesitated, wondering whether he should stop for the time being.
Suddenly, a fierce blade intent rebounded from within the Delusion-Wandering Zen Blade and slammed straight into his sea of consciousness, transforming into a radiant mass of Golden Radiance.
The radiance shot outward, blazing and searing. Chen Ganliu's spiritual sense was too weak to observe it at all, yet his heart soared with wild joy. He cried inwardly, What an immense opportunity! A senior expert must have entrusted his inheritance to the blade before passing away.
Hmm, my cultivation seems to be too low. I can't analyze it at all...
His excitement lasted only a few moments before Chen Ganliu grew dejected again. He thought dispiritedly, I still have to return to Blazing Light Cave, Twin Cloud Mountain, and cut open those Storage Magic Treasures.
Just then, Chen Qing called from the courtyard, "Dinner's ready."
Chen Ganliu stored away the Delusion-Wandering Zen Blade and left the room. Seeing that Chen Qing no longer looked angry, he smiled and said, "Sister Chen isn't angry anymore?"
Chen Qing snorted. "How could I have that much anger to spend on you?"
Chen Ganliu didn't explain, nor did he have any intention of coaxing her. The two of them were merely sharing expenses and lodging. There was no need for so many words.
Chen Qing had prepared an exceptionally lavish meal. Even the poorest cultivator, with only one layer of Qi Refining cultivation, lived more comfortably in daily matters than an ordinary wealthy household.
Chen Ganliu was pondering how to tell Chen Qing that he needed to go out for a while when he heard Chen Qing say, "I'm going to the immortal market outside the Immortal Encounter Sect's mountain gate..."
Before you continue