Not Expensive, Just Better Value

To Li Xiuchang, buying a flashy Flying Boat to zip around the sect was no different than a ghost fire and a yellow-haired punk.

It didn't fit his low-key and steady persona.

Besides, he genuinely wanted to save some Spirit Stones. The Smoked Spirit Meat business had earned him nearly two thousand Spirit Stones, but it couldn't withstand his crazy spending. Now, he only had a little over four hundred left.

Spirit Stones needed to be spent wisely. He planned to save these for his future cultivation.

Li Xiuchang followed Senior Brother Wang Long to a shop in the market that specialized in Flying Boats, called "Flying Immortal Beyond the Heavens."

Li Xiuchang's requirements for a Flying Boat were simple: practicality.

His previous experience on Senior Brother Song Yu's Flying Boat had left him with some trauma, so he didn't have high expectations for flight speed. As long as it was decent, and ideally could shield him from wind and rain, that would be even better.

Upon hearing Li Xiuchang's request, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up. He pointed to a magnificent Flying Boat displayed in the center of the shop.

"Fellow Daoist, what do you think of this model? It's a top-grade artifact Flying Boat, fully powered, and inscribed with various Formation Arts like wind and lightning evasion arrays. It not only shields you from wind and rain but also from lightning, isolates noise, self-cleans, prevents peeping, and has first-class shock absorption... It meets all your needs!"

So, Flying Boat technology had developed to this extent?

Li Xiuchang had previously considered the idea of building a wind- and rain-proof Flying Boat himself, but it turned out such things already existed.

"Shopkeeper, how many Spirit Stones is this Flying Boat?" Li Xiuchang asked.

"Sixty..."

"That's not too bad."

"Mid-grade Spirit Stones."

"Sixty mid-grade Spirit Stones?!" Li Xiuchang's hand trembled.

Sixty mid-grade Spirit Stones was equivalent to six thousand low-grade Spirit Stones!

You're so kind, robbing me and throwing in a Flying Boat.

Wang Long coughed, "Shopkeeper, we don't need so many fancy features. The most ordinary Flying Boat will do, preferably one that can shield us from wind and rain."

"Ordinary, yet still wind- and rain-proof?" The shopkeeper looked troubled. "Carving Formation Arts onto a Flying Boat isn't like doing it on flat ground. It requires very high-quality materials for the Flying Boat itself – it needs to be lightweight yet capable of bearing the Formation Arts. Furthermore, it requires a Formation Master to meticulously carve the array patterns. The cost just can't be ordinary..."

Li Xiuchang didn't want to waste any more time. "Then just give me the most ordinary standard Flying Boat."

The shopkeeper's eyes darted around. "I do have a unique item. I wonder if Fellow Daoist would be interested."

"How many Spirit Stones?" Li Xiuchang, having learned his lesson, asked the price first.

"Fifteen... no, if you're truly sincere, then ten Spirit Stones, a firm price!"

"Low-grade Spirit Stones?"

"Low-grade Spirit Stones!"

"Then I can take a look."

A typical low-grade artifact standard Flying Boat would cost around a dozen Spirit Stones. This "unique item" the shopkeeper mentioned, at ten Spirit Stones, was even cheaper than a regular Flying Boat.

"Please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist. I'll go get the goods." The shopkeeper took out a box of Storage Bags and began rummaging through them one by one.

Only when he reached the very bottom of the box did the shopkeeper pick up a Storage Bag and quickly walk over to Li Xiuchang.

"Fellow Daoist, take a look. Do you like this Flying Boat?" The shopkeeper shook the Storage Bag, and a Flying Boat appeared before them.

Li Xiuchang's eyes lit up. This Flying Boat felt different from others he had seen.

The length and width were about the same, but the height and depth... they gave a great sense of security.

With ordinary Flying Boats, a person standing inside might only have their ankles covered.

In this Flying Boat, a person standing inside would only have their upper body exposed.

This was practically a godsend for people afraid of heights!

The shopkeeper jumped into the Flying Boat and began explaining its usage to Li Xiuchang.

"Fellow Daoist, when you fly, just sit cross-legged, and the wind outside won't bother you. If you're the only one in this Flying Boat, you can even lie down."

Li Xiuchang asked, "Then how does it block the rain?"

"Look here!" The shopkeeper pointed to the tail of the Flying Boat. Li Xiuchang then noticed a rolled-up tarp there.

The tarp had a metal frame inside to support it. The shopkeeper pulled the tarp upwards, instantly creating a semi-circular waterproof canopy that covered the entire Flying Boat.

From the outside, the entire Flying Boat now resembled an abalone.

Good heavens, a soft-top convertible...

The shopkeeper wasn't lying. This Flying Boat could indeed block wind and rain, but it was through physical means... This was hardly cultivation!

However, Li Xiuchang didn't rush to refuse. Frankly speaking, this Flying Boat met all his requirements, even accommodating his fear of heights.

"Can I test drive it?"

As soon as Li Xiuchang said this, both the shopkeeper and Wang Long were stunned, seemingly not expecting Li Xiuchang to actually be interested.

"Of course!"

The shopkeeper jumped out of the Flying Boat, making space for Li Xiuchang.

This was also a drawback of this Flying Boat. With ordinary Flying Boats, you could step on board with a light lift of your foot. But because this Flying Boat was so tall, you had to jump to get on and off.

Li Xiuchang leaped into the Flying Boat and invited, "Senior Brother Wang, want to go for a spin?"

Wang Long glanced at the Flying Boat, wanting to refuse, but since it was Li Xiuchang's first time piloting one, he reluctantly boarded for safety reasons.

The Flying Boat wobbled into the sky. The shopkeeper watched from below, not worried that the two would steal the Flying Boat and run.

After all, they were disciples of the Immortal Dust Sect and trustworthy. More importantly, the Flying Boat wasn't worth much.

Piloting a Flying Boat wasn't difficult. After Li Xiuchang got a little familiar with it, the Flying Boat stabilized and flew slowly but steadily through the air.

He turned his head and saw Senior Brother Wang Long had already crouched down.

The wind isn't even that strong?

Is there a need to crouch?

"Testing the speed," Senior Brother Wang Long reminded him.

"Okay!" Li Xiuchang immediately accelerated to full speed.

The wind howled past his face.

Li Xiuchang immediately crouched down. The high hull blocked the strong wind, making him much more comfortable.

From the outside, the Flying Boat looked like it was "unmanned."

"It's quite comfortable in here," Wang Long had to admit.

"Yeah, there's a transparent glass panel on each side of the hull. Sitting inside, you can see in all directions and don't have to worry about hitting anything," Li Xiuchang said with great satisfaction.

He stood up and pulled the canopy closed, completely shutting out the sound of the wind. Inside the Flying Boat was stable and quiet, with ample space, making it very comfortable.

It felt like four people could fit comfortably, and you could even hold a small meeting inside. It had the feel of a business-class vehicle.

Wang Long had initially been a bit dismissive, thinking the Flying Boat was embarrassing, but now, sitting inside, he felt it was truly awesome, much more comfortable than his own Flying Boat.

"Junior Brother, try going full speed."

"This is already the limit."

"At this speed, you can't even get a speeding ticket in our sect."

"Isn't that good?"

Wang Long thought about it and agreed. Sometimes, he'd accidentally speed and get caught, having to pay a fine. Piloting this Flying Boat meant he never had to worry about speeding.

As long as he didn't travel far from the sect, this Flying Boat was perfectly adequate for daily commuting.

"This is the one!" Li Xiuchang decided.

It wasn't that he couldn't afford a Flying Boat that cost six thousand Spirit Stones; it was just that a Flying Boat costing ten Spirit Stones offered better value.