Ice Profound Iron Scythe

"Oh, I see. I was wondering what was going on. There are books on making Spiritual Talismans everywhere. Wouldn't that lead to Spiritual Talismans becoming widespread? Now that Shopkeeper Wang has explained it, I understand why. Thank you for clearing things up for me!"

Lu Wanyuan said with a smile.

"You're too kind. By the way, Baili, is there anything else you need? Our shop can certainly provide it. Do you need any pills? We have some here, such as Qi Gathering Pills, Spirit Gathering Pills, Spirit Returning Pills, Spirit Solidifying Pills, and so on. These are all pills used in the Qi Refining Realm."

"Oh, I don't need those for now. Do you have any scythe-type magical artifacts? I'd like one to harvest crops!"

Lu Wanyuan thought about how much trouble it had been to harvest an acre of Yellow Barley Malt Grass. The main problem was that he didn't have a suitable, handy scythe-type magical artifact. With one, harvesting should be easy and wouldn't take so long. In the future, he'd have to harvest five acres at a time. If he kept doing it the same way, it would surely kill him.

So, of course, the best thing would be to use a sharper tool to harvest. That would save time and effort!

"Come with me. Look, we have all kinds of scythes here, made from different materials. See which one you like!"

Shopkeeper Wang led Lu Wanyuan over to a shelf and pointed at the scythes wreathed in spiritual energy.

The scythes on the shelf came in all shapes and sizes, with unusual designs.

Lu Wanyuan was speechless. It was just a scythe-type magical artifact, yet they'd made them so flashy. He really didn't know what to say.

"This is a Mysterious Ice Scythe, very suitable for harvesting water-attributed spirit plants. It can double your efficiency. That one over there is a Blazing Flame Scythe, suitable for harvesting fire-attributed spirit plants. We have scythes for other attributes, too!"

Shopkeeper Wang pointed to several scythe-type magical artifacts nearby.

After hearing his explanation, Lu Wanyuan finally understood. He really had been ignorant.

"Shopkeeper Wang, could you recommend a scythe-type magical artifact suitable for harvesting metal-attributed spirit plants?"

"Oh, that's right. The Yellow Barley Malt Grass you harvest is a metal-attributed spirit plant. See that corner over there? Those scythes giving off a golden glow are what you're looking for. Take your pick. The prices are marked on them!"

Shopkeeper Wang pointed to the scythes on a shelf not far away.

Lu Wanyuan walked over and took out a slightly hooked scythe, about half a foot long. After he infused it with spiritual power, it instantly grew into a scythe a zhang long.

"This scythe is made from cold iron. It's called the Ice Profound Iron Scythe, and it gives off a chill that cools you down. Harvesting can make you hot and sweaty, so a cool breeze is certainly comfortable. Most importantly, can you see this faint ring of cold light around the scythe?"

Lu Wanyuan looked closely. Sure enough, it was wrapped in a layer of golden light, and he nodded.

"That light is what makes the scythe exceptionally sharp. It can easily cut through metal-attributed spirit plants!"

"Oh, how many Spirit Stones does this scythe-type magical artifact cost?"

"Well, Brother Baili, you're a regular customer here. The original price is 300 Spirit Stones, but I'll give you a discount and let you have it for 250."

"Ah, 250? No, make it 260!" Lu Wanyuan corrected him immediately. The moment he heard that price, he felt an overwhelming aversion to it.

Shopkeeper Wang was baffled by the price Lu Wanyuan offered. He hadn't expected the man to go ten Spirit Stones higher than his asking price. What was going on? Most people haggled downward, but this customer had raised the price.

But only a fool would turn down a chance to earn Spirit Stones. 260 Spirit Stones was even better.

"Very well, the Ice Profound Iron Scythe is yours!"

Shopkeeper Wang beamed and handed the Ice Profound Iron Scythe to Lu Wanyuan.

Lu Wanyuan took it at once without even looking at it, then tossed it directly into his Storage Bag. He took out 260 Spirit Stones and handed them to Shopkeeper Wang.

"Brother Baili, do you need anything else?"

Shopkeeper Wang took the Spirit Stones and continued with a smile.

"All right, then. Shopkeeper Wang, how many Spirit Stones does one Qi Gathering Pill cost here?"

Lu Wanyuan immediately realized that it would be more reliable to improve his cultivation first. Once his strength increased, he'd be able to cast the Spirit Rain Technique for longer. And harvesting more than a hundred acres of Yellow Barley Malt Grass wouldn't wear him out so much, either!

At first, he'd wanted to spend his Spirit Stones on other things. But now he realized that the benefits of improving his own cultivation realm far outweighed what those other things could bring him.

It would also give him better protection.

"Qi Gathering Pills cost 10 Spirit Stones each. There are ten in a bottle, so a bottle costs 100 Spirit Stones. How many bottles would you like, Brother Baili?"

"Give me four bottles!"

Lu Wanyuan immediately took another 400 Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag and handed them over.

So far, he'd earned 750 Spirit Stones, and now he had only 90 left. Truly, wherever he earned money was where he spent it. He wouldn't be taking a single Spirit Stone home!

"All right, wait a moment. I'll get them for you."

Shopkeeper Wang was so happy that his grin stretched from ear to ear. After taking the Spirit Stones, he went to fetch the Qi Gathering Pills.

Before long, he returned with the Qi Gathering Pills. Without a word, Lu Wanyuan took them and tossed them straight into his Storage Bag.

A shop like this certainly wouldn't ruin its reputation over a mere bottle of pills. Otherwise, it wouldn't be able to stay in business.

Shopkeeper Wang seemed like a shrewd man, and he certainly wouldn't do something so foolish. So Lu Wanyuan didn't check the pills before putting them into his Storage Bag.

He just hadn't expected these little pills to be so expensive.

Sure enough, people who could cultivate the Hundred Arts would never have to worry about starving. This made him a little hopeful. Once he had plenty of Spirit Stones, he could consider it. But plenty of people could cultivate the Hundred Arts, and very few truly succeeded.

Besides, the Spirit Stones he earned had to support three people: himself, Baili Qiuyue, and the baby in her belly. They were already stretched thin.

"All right, Shopkeeper Wang, I'll be off for now. We'll work together again when there's a chance!"

"Certainly, certainly. I look forward to your next visit, Brother Baili!"

Shopkeeper Wang smiled, watching Lu Wanyuan leave.

After leaving, Lu Wanyuan headed straight to the live-animal market, where Spirit Beasts, Spirit Fish, and spirit fowl were sold.

Baili Qiuyue was eating for two now, so of course he had to get her something nutritious.

"Shopkeeper, what kind of fish is this? How much does it cost?"

Lu Wanyuan stopped in front of a stall. The vendor was an old man who looked at least seventy or eighty years old. His long white beard made that clear.

Seeing the man like this, Lu Wanyuan couldn't help wondering whether he'd end up in the same situation at that age, still working as a street vendor.

But he soon came back to himself and stopped thinking about it.

There were several different kinds of spirit fish swimming in the pool. Their bodies gleamed silver, and spiritual energy seemed to swirl around them.

The fish looked plump, and their flesh seemed firm, too. They were about three pounds each!

"Oh, this is called a Silver Moon Spirit Carp. It's a very difficult fish to raise. A fellow cultivator found it in a cave, so it should be a wild Spirit Fish!"

"It's also extremely nutritious. Not only is the meat delicious, but it's rich in spiritual energy. Eating it regularly is very good for the body!"

"It can improve your constitution. It's especially effective for people with weak constitutions and pregnant women. Right now, it costs 20 Spirit Stones per pound!"

"Oh, in that case, pick out a smaller one for me!"

After hearing the man praise it so highly, Lu Wanyuan couldn't resist getting one to take home for Baili Qiuyue to try.

"All right! How about this smaller one?"

Shopkeeper Wang pointed to a smaller Silver Moon Spirit Carp in the corner nearby.

"Good, this one!"

Lu Wanyuan nodded.

It weighed three and a half pounds, costing 70 Spirit Stones. That left him with only 20 Spirit Stones in his Storage Bag.

After buying the Silver Moon Spirit Carp, he hurried home!