Earning Some Spirit Stones

Lu Yan rose and placed his magic tool flying sword into the storage bag at his waist.

The storage bag he wore at his waist at this moment was not the Golden Silk Storage Bag he had obtained from Steward Chu, but an inconspicuous gray storage bag.

This was the lowest grade of storage bag in the market street. Its internal spatial array could only last for twenty years, and even the size of the storage space was less than one-fifth of the Golden Silk Storage Bag. Yet, even so, the selling price was a full thirty Spirit Stones.

After learning about the Red Lotus Demonic Sect from He Dongsheng, Lu Yan realized the danger of the Red Lotus Demonic Sect. Even the high-grade Golden Silk Storage Bag could potentially lead to exposure.

But as a cultivator, Lu Yan couldn't always keep his storage bag close to his body; that would appear too deliberate and would instead arouse suspicion from others.

So, Lu Yan could only grit his teeth and spend a large sum to buy an ordinary storage bag for disguise, using it to store things that could be seen in public.

Truly important treasures were all stored in the close-fitting Golden Silk Storage Bag.

He swept his right hand over the storage bag, and what fell into Lu Yan's hand were only a scattered dozen or so Spirit Stones, which made him frown slightly and sigh:

"It seems Spirit Stones are still not enough!"

He had previously sold most of the Spirit Talismans on him for ninety Spirit Stones, but in the past half month, renting a cave residence, buying a storage bag, and Bigu Pills had consumed quite a few Spirit Stones.

However, the biggest expense was on practicing spells. Practicing spells required multiple attempts, consuming Mana. Circulating energy and absorbing spiritual energy would consume a lot of time. Lu Yan only had three months to stay in the Xianxia version, and he didn't have that much time to waste.

So, Lu Yan could only grit his teeth and use Spirit Stones to recover Mana, consuming quite a few Spirit Stones before completing his spell practice.

And wanting to break through to Mid-Stage Qi Refinement later, and purchase resources in advance for the next version, each item required a large amount of Spirit Stones.

"I need to find a way to earn some Spirit Stones."

Thinking of this, Lu Yan got up, opened the restriction, and walked out of the cave residence.

As soon as he walked out of the cave residence, Lu Yan sensed a gaze fall upon him.

Following the direction of the gaze with his peripheral vision, he saw a yellow-clothed cultivator standing at the entrance of the cave residence, seemingly having just come out as well.

Lu Yan didn't speak and flew towards the area outside the cave residence district.

As Lu Yan left the cave residence district and entered the streets on the outskirts of the market street, Lu Yan could sense more gazes subtly peeking at him.

His soul, strengthened by absorbing three months of Moonlight Spiritual Energy, made Lu Yan's spiritual sense even stronger than Peak Qi Refining.

If it weren't for the fact that one could only condense a divine soul and give birth to divine sense after Foundation Establishment, perhaps Lu Yan would already be qualified to nurture divine sense at this moment.

With a cold sneer in his heart, Lu Yan knew very well that these peeking gazes belonged to some cultivators who regarded him as a fat sheep.

Azure Valley Market was not large, and it was no secret that Lu Yan, a cultivator in the early stage of Qi Refining, had sold dozens of Spirit Talismans and rented a mid-grade cave residence.

Such a large expenditure had long attracted the attention of some cultivators who made a living by plundering. Over a hundred Spirit Stones were enough for these cultivators to take risks.

Things like a Qi Refining cultivator plundering a traveling young master from an aristocratic family and relying on the resources in the storage bag to reach the heavens in one step and become a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator.

Low-level cultivators assassinating sect disciples and seizing a precious Foundation Establishment Pill, then taking the Foundation Establishment Pill and fleeing far away.

Similar incidents were not uncommon in the cultivation world.

As long as the profit was large enough and done secretly enough, these cultivators wouldn't care about your identity or background.

Even Steward Chu, who was at the fourth level of Qi Refining, had engaged in plundering sect disciples; the Red Lotus Demonic Sect storage bag was proof of this.

With a normal expression on the surface, Lu Yan stepped towards the outside of Azure Valley Market.

Leaving the Market Street, Lu Yan used a flying spell to head towards Witch Mountain. Seeing this, the cultivators also showed surprise and joy.

The most important part of a robbery was how to lure the target out of the Market Street. Lu Yan's initiative to leave the Market Street naturally delighted the numerous cultivators, who quickly used various methods to follow Lu Yan's flight.

Witch Mountain stretched for three thousand li and was uninhabited. After killing someone, there was no need to even bury the body; it would be completely devoured by wild beasts within a few hours.

"This kid really knows how to pick a good place to be buried."

"I heard he bought a First Order Spell Compendium as soon as he entered Azure Valley Market. He's probably a greenhorn who got some cultivator's legacy somewhere in Witch Mountain."

"Every year, some greenhorns appear. If they're wealthy, there are no worries after killing them. They can be said to be the best fat sheep. I didn't expect us to encounter one."

"After this harvest, maybe I can buy a Rank Breaking Pill and break through to the Late-Stage Qi Refinement."

"Let's stick to the old rules. Late-Stage Qi Refinement gets twenty percent, and the rest is split among the others."

A group of seven cultivators in total, two Late-Stage Qi Refinement and five Mid-Stage Qi Refinement, had already divided the spoils even before they started.

"Wait, that kid stopped."

A Mid-Stage Qi Refinement cultivator with a hooked nose looked at the circling hawk in the distance and said.

Another obese cultivator asked doubtfully, "Did he discover us?"

The cultivator who looked like a scholar in white sneered.

"What's the use of being discovered? A Mid-Stage Qi Refinement who just started cultivating First Order spells, does he dare to attack us?"

"Stop the nonsense, quickly finish this and then wait in Bamboo Forest Market for a few days. Come back after confirming there are no repercussions!"

A reprimand interrupted the discussion among the cultivators. The one who spoke was none other than a Late-Stage Qi Refinement cultivator.

If Lu Yan were here, he would notice that this Late-Stage Qi Refinement cultivator was the yellow-robed cultivator he had seen in the Cave Residence area before.

Everyone quickly saw Lu Yan on a small mountain. Lu Yan stood on the mountaintop, looking at them from afar, as if deliberately waiting.

"An ambush?"

The cultivators frowned, instantly becoming vigilant, and all looked at the cultivator who was controlling the hawk.

However, this cultivator shook his head, indicating that he did not see any other cultivators.

A Mid-Stage Qi Refinement cultivator sneered, a magic tool flying wheel landed in his palm, and he flew towards Lu Yan's direction. The distance of several hundred meters was covered in an instant.

"Putting on a show!"

The magic tool flying wheel gleamed with cold light, about to strike Lu Yan's head, but at this moment, dozens of ghost shadows emerged from the surrounding forest.

"What the hell is this?"

The flying wheel cultivator only had time to utter a fearful question before sinister ghost claws tore through his Mana protection, easily piercing his soul.

The next moment, the frost-covered corpse fell to the ground.

"It's Vengeful Souls! There's a Demonic Path Cultivator in ambush!"

A terrified voice rang out in the sky. The next moment, the remaining six cultivators turned around without hesitation and fled.

And at this moment, rolling black mist spread from the forest, engulfing all the cultivators within.

"Hundred Soul Banner! This is the Demonic Path's top-grade magic tool, the Hundred Soul Banner!"

"Could a Foundation Establishment Demonic Path Great Cultivator have come here?"

"A dignified Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator actually resorts to such despicable methods."

Roars of anger echoed within the ghost mist, but all that greeted them were icy ghost claws. Even a Foundation Establishment Zombie King would retreat three steps in the face of over eight hundred Vengeful Souls, let alone these Qi Refining cultivators.

After just three breaths, the black mist dispersed, leaving behind only seven cold corpses. Their souls had all been devoured by the Vengeful Souls.

Lu Yan put away the seven storage bags offered by the Vengeful Souls, flicked his finger, and a golden Profound Yellow Merit Fire landed on the corpses. The flames spread, and the remains instantly turned to ash.

With their souls devoured by Vengeful Souls, the Merit Divine Power Fire left no karmic traces. Even if a Golden Core True Person were to use heavenly secrets to deduce, they would find not a single clue.

Having done all this, Lu Yan tossed the storage bags in his hand.

"These resources should be enough for me to break through to Mid-Stage Qi Refinement, right?"