108109: The Golden Furnace's Fire Dies, the Spirit Tea Boils; Magic Artifacts Are Hard to Find, Precious Metals Are Dear

Crane Cultivator's cave abode was similar to Chen Dengming's, with roughly the same size. Inside, there were two meditation rooms, an Artifact Refining Room, a talisman-drawing room, a Spirit Pet Room, an artificial hot spring that had been reinforced by Formation, two bedrooms, a living room, and a small vegetable garden for growing Spirit Plant, etc.

Although the other party was a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator and a weapon-refining master of the Evergreen Sect, whose status was slightly higher than other Foundation Establishment Deacon, the Evergreen Sect still did not give him any special treatment in terms of cave abode dwelling.

The two sat facing each other in the cave abode hall.

The golden censer roared with fire, and the Crane Maiden practiced brewing tea with the grace of flowing clouds and water, pouring from a high position and then sprinkling it low, skimming off the foam and rinsing the lid, heating the beaker and pot before adding the shrimp-whisker water.

The aroma of spiritual tea instantly filled the entire cave abode, creating a misty, Spiritual Qi atmosphere.

Chen Dengming took a deep breath of the tea aroma and said with a smile, "Not only is Senior Sister He's tea-brewing skill superb, but this spiritual tea is also extraordinary."

Such a divine tea, I fear, would guarantee a mortal's health for years, free from any disease, even from just a whiff of it. It's truly a rare treat in the mortal realm. Junior Brother, it's an honor to be able to taste it today."

Crane Cultivator couldn't help but chuckle at Chen Dengming's praise, saying, "Junior Brother Chen, you certainly have a silver tongue. Of all the Foundation Establishment in the sect, I think you're the best at sweet-talking and flattering people."

Chen Dengming was surprised, "Senior Sister's approval is already a compliment."

"Hehe."

He Yingyu finally let out a silvery laugh. As her name suggests, she was tall and slender with a captivating figure and a charming demeanor. Although she was not as beautiful as Lüo Bing and Xu Wei, she possessed a mature and intellectual charm.

After looking Chen Dengming over again, she personally served him a cup of tea and said with a smile before speaking, "Junior Brother, you don't need to be so polite. I was instructed by Senior Brother Liang to properly repair your Law Artifact."

"Feel free to make any requests, but if you're asking me to pay for everything, that won't do."

"Of course, Junior Brother doesn't think that just saying a few nice words would make Senior Sister spend her own money to make Law Artifact for me. If that were the case, my words would be far too precious."

He Yingyu smiled and laughed again, but then realized she had been impolite, so she covered her mouth with her sleeve and chuckled. She found this Junior Brother Chen to be quite amusing.

Other Foundation Establishment Deacon within the sect, when they come to visit her, are mostly polite and courteous, or they are taciturn and only answer questions.

People like Chen Dengming, who are both humorous and bold, are rare. The key is that his boldness is never lacking in manners, always just right, and his humility and tranquility make him hard not to like.

The two chatted idly while drinking tea, and the atmosphere between them was quite lively.

He Yingyu brewed tea like Guan Yu patrolling the city, while Chen Dengming asked questions like Han Xin commanding his troops. Many questions were too profound for casual acquaintances, so they touched on them briefly and stopped there. They quickly changed the subject to the Law Artifact that both of them were interested in.

"Junior Brother Chen, I can easily forge top-tier first-order Law Artifact, but the materials are hard to come by. You should know that the value of a top-tier first-order Law Artifact is actually not much different from that of a low-tier second-order magic Law Artifact, and it may even be more expensive."

"Oh? Why is that? Is it because the materials for crafting Law Artifact are hard to come by?"

"That's right. First-tier top-level Law Artifact have more stringent requirements for materials, and the materials may even be better than those of second-tier low-level Law Artifact. Moreover, they consume less Spiritual Qi when activated."

Furthermore, these kinds of Law Artifact are highly sought after by scions of the Aristocratic Clan or sects, so their value can sometimes be even higher.

However, the power of a low-grade second-tier Law Artifact is definitely superior to that of a top-grade first-tier Law Artifact; it's just that activating it requires spiritual energy, making it unsuitable for Qi Cultivation Cultivator who only possess Spiritual Qi.

"What about second-tier intermediate and even advanced Law Artifact?"

"The power is naturally greater, but the consumption of Spiritual Qi varies. At present, my senior sister can only refine Second-Order Mid-grade Magic Item at most, and the failure rate is also very high. This level of magic Law Artifact corresponds to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, and it consumes a lot of spiritual energy."

Therefore, if Junior Brother needs to replace his Law Artifact, Senior Sister suggests that he first focus on a low-grade second-tier or a top-grade first-tier one, as they are easier to handle and cost less.

"If I need to forge a low-grade second-tier Law Artifact broadsword, I wonder how many Spirit Stone it would cost?"

"It depends on Junior Brother requirements and the material of the Law Artifact, but it will cost approximately one to three High-grade Spirit Stones."

Chen Dengming felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this.

Although he had expected it, if it really costs that much, this one Law Artifact could drain his entire fortune.

"Um, Senior Sister He, how about this?"

After a cup of tea.

Chen Dengming flew out of Senior Sister He's cave abode, smiled and asked her to stay, then returned to his own cave abode with satisfaction.

The subsequent communication essentially achieved Chen Dengming's goal, and he was very satisfied.

Senior Sister He Crane said she wouldn't suffer a loss, but in the end she still suffered a loss. She said she would refine a second-tier low-grade Law Artifact similar to the Zhao Guang Fan Ling Jing for him at cost price without charging a refining fee. Its power would far surpass that of the first-tier high-grade Light-Illuminating and Spirit-Reflecting Mirror.

As for the Ice Spirit Blade, this Law Artifact was damaged in battle, and the repair costs were subsidized by the sect, roughly equivalent to the cost of thirty Mid-grade Spirit Stone.

Therefore, after abandoning the repair, Chen Dengming could directly spend another sixty Mid-grade Spirit Stone as material costs to ask Senior Sister He to forge another low-grade second-tier Law Artifact Treasure Blade.

The cost of a second-tier low-grade Law Artifact ranges from one to three High-grade Spirit Stones. Chen Dengming spent nearly one High-grade Spirit Stone on materials, and the finished magic Law Artifact he produced was actually equivalent to a minor top-grade magic weapon costing three High-grade Spirit Stones.

In the end, Chen Dengming only needed to spend 140 Mid-grade Spirit Stone to obtain two low-grade second-tier Law Artifact.

He now only has about forty Mid-grade Spirit Stone left.

However, after selling some of the Law Artifact he had acquired from the fishermen, and adding the discarded Zhao Guang Fan Ling Jing that needed to be sold, he was barely able to cover the cost of refining them.

"I used to think I was very wealthy among Qi Refining Stage cultivators, until I suddenly became Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Chen Dengming returned to his cave abode, put his hands in his pockets, paced back and forth, looking worried and distressed, feeling the enormous gap between the rich and the poor.

It was quite obvious during her interactions with Crane Cultivator.

Even if the other party simply stated the cost of some High-grade Spirit Stone in a very calm manner, without deliberately showing off, it was precisely these plain and unassuming words that were most hurtful and fatal.

He could also discern from this that the weapon-refining master was wealthy, making her a veritable rich, beautiful, and powerful woman among Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Within the sect, aside from False Core Great Cultivator like Vice Sect Master Liang, other Foundation Establishment cultivators who want to become cultivation dao companion with Crane Cultivator probably can't afford the dowry.

However, if one can afford the bride price and the female cultivator is interested, then it's a sure win.

"Now I need to figure out a way to sell all the Law Artifact I have and exchange them for Spirit Stone. If I'm still short of Spirit Stone, I might have to learn spirit script and make a living by writing Daoist incantations."

He has now cultivated many Daoist techniques to the master level, and can now learn spiritual texts, combine the Daoist techniques with his own spiritual will, and inscribe his understanding of the Daoist techniques and Mnemonic on blank Jade Slip for sale.

However, he had heard that recording Daoist scriptures was a troublesome matter, requiring mental and physical exertion, making it a laborious task that only earned him hard-earned money. Therefore, he had never considered it.

But right now, I'm really short of money to get powerful magical Law Artifact and upgrade my equipment, so I might have to try again in the future.

"Let's see how much profit we make after we sell these Law Artifacts."

The matter of Law Artifact is of great importance.

Chen Dengming had a deep understanding of this from his fight with the Blood Ghost Daoist a couple of days ago.

The opponent's Blood Shadow Sword easily pierced through his Geng Jin Luo and Xuan Tie Battle Robe.

In the end, besides the cloak, the opponent also had special talismans that could provide protection.

His Ice Spirit Blade lost its spiritual Law Artifact and was damaged the moment it made contact with the opponent's Law Artifact whip.

If he had been holding a low-grade second-tier Law Artifact Treasure Blade at the time, he wouldn't have been in such a passive position. The Blood Demon dared to raise his hand to block, and his hand was chopped off.

Chen Dengming walked to the table in the cave abode and casually patted the Storage Bag.

A flash of inspiration struck, and a map floated out and unfolded on the table.

He examined it carefully for a moment, and finally his gaze fell on a large Marketplace near the Longevity Sect.

This Marketplace is called Chang'an Workshop, which is more than three times larger than Changle Workshop. It was established by the Longevity Sect and is frequently patrolled by cultivators from the Longevity Sect. With powerful figures guarding it, its safety is guaranteed. It is about a thousand miles away from the Evergreen Sect.

At his current speed, it would only take him half an hour to fly there at full speed, and only an hour to fly there at a constant speed.

"Those scoundrels from the demonic sects, even if some of them manage to infiltrate, wouldn't dare venture that far into the territory of the Longevity Sect to run rampant. That would be like an old man with a death wish."

Chen Dengming put away the map and prepared to set off for Chang'an Workshop right away.

Not only do I need to take this opportunity to sell off the magical Law Artifact I've accumulated, but I also need to buy a place for the Little Array Spirit Divine Sense of others.

After activating the protective Formation around the cave abode, Chen Dengming left all the Gu Worm inside, kicked the Black Cloud Leopard lying at the cave abode, instructed the Cave Guarding Spirit Beast to keep watch, and then left.

After half a cup of tea.

An Escape Light Swift as the Wind and Lightning across the sky at breakneck speed, hurtling towards the Longevity Sect deep within the Eastern Region.

In the Escape Light, Chen Dengming had once again changed his appearance, intending to go to the transaction discreetly under another identity, so as not to attract attention.

Although his Ice Spirit Blade was damaged and its spiritual essence greatly diminished, and its originally golden and translucent blade seemed to be stained with ink, it did not significantly affect his escape speed.

As he sped along the road, the fierce wind whistled past his ears, and Chen Dengming's way of traveling and his imposing manner were much more arrogant than when he was in the Qi Refining Stage.

Even when some demonic birds encountered them along the way, they hurriedly avoided them from a distance.

Foundation Establishment Realm Demon Beast are almost impossible to find in this eastern region. They are all highly intelligent, much smarter than the silly leopard. The stupid ones have long been hunted and killed by the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Longevity Sect.

Chen Dengming speculated why sword immortals are often depicted in some biographical novels as chivalrous heroes who slay demons and monsters.

It's likely that a small portion of it is fictional, a small portion is real, and the majority of it is simply because Demon Beast are definitely valuable resources.

Unlike the Ten Thousand Mile Frontier Gathering Place Demon Beast are kept in captivity, the fact that a Foundation Establishment Demon Beast dares to appear in the territory of the Longevity Sect is a veritable treasure trove for the Foundation Establishment cultivators here.

Teaming up to fight them, each person could easily earn several High-grade Spirit Stones, somewhat similar to the feeling of teaming up to fight wild bosses in Chen Dengming's previous life when playing games.

Twenty minutes later, Chen Dengming had already traveled five hundred miles at high speed, consuming about forty percent of his Spiritual Qi.

He slowed down his flight speed, switched to a constant speed, and began to recover his breath as he flew.

This would have been difficult to achieve in the past, but after his Spiritual Root Potential improved again, he now possesses High-grade Spiritual Root aptitude.

While flying at a constant speed, the rate at which energy is replenished has slightly exceeded the rate at which it is consumed, and it is no longer in a state of insufficient energy intake.

Another half hour passed, and the spiritual light in the surrounding air gradually increased, with even some small spirit boats flying across the sky.

There were also people riding flying Demon Beast, with beautiful women in their arms, looking like spoiled brats from the Cultivation Family, very arrogant.

Chen Dengming glanced at the flying Demon Beast and realized it was far inferior to the silly leopard, secretly feeling smug.

Looking ahead, a large, bustling Marketplace has appeared.

There were no city walls, but a huge, transparent barrier made of Formation, radiating waves of spiritual energy, was just like a city wall.

It has dozens of main streets and hundreds of alleys, which are interconnected like a network. They are all crowded with people, with gilded buildings and many cultivators strolling around.

In mid-air, buildings floated under the immense force of the Formation field. There were even rivers that resembled converging Spirit Spring, like colorful ribbons, flowing between the buildings in the Marketplace. Spirit Fish darted in the rivers, making it look exceptionally magnificent and luxurious.

"What a lavish display! With this massive Formation running, it must consume ten High-grade Spirit Stone a day! This extravagance proves that Chang'an Workshop Market is making a fortune every day, truly worthy of my Longevity Sect."

Chen Dengming felt a surge of pride. In the future, he would use the Evergreen Sect as a springboard to join the Longevity Sect. Now they were practically family, and it could be said that the sect belonged to him.

However, Chen Dengming's happiness soon turned sour.

From afar, it was clear that entering the Marketplace required an entrance fee, which was as high as half Mid-grade Spirit Stone, and verification of one's travel permit was also necessary.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Evergreen Sect, he might have access to discounts or even free admission.

However, he never intended to reveal his clean identity within the Evergreen Sect when he used so many Law Artifacts.

Taking advantage of the queue, he used his Bone Shrinking Technique in conjunction with his spiritual energy to subtly adjust his appearance, reverting to Gao Hu's identity and appearance, and put Breath Concealing Bead into his mouth.

Entering the Marketplace requires verification of travel permits, which is even stricter than in Changle Workshop. This is unexpected, perhaps due to the recent infiltration of Devil Cultivator from the Western Regions.

Chen Dengming had originally planned to enter the Marketplace with a completely different appearance, but now he had no choice but to go back to being Xiao Gao for the time being.

After a cup of tea, Chen Dengming, posing as Gao Hu, strolled around several shops Law Artifact in the Marketplace. After understanding the market prices, he showed a pleased expression.

"Recently, due to the impact of the war, the price of Law Artifact has risen quite a bit. Indeed, the bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish."

However, the price surge was likely limited to the heart of the Eastern Region; prices near the Battlefield had certainly dropped considerably and were very cheap.

This is easy to understand. As the war intensifies and Devil Cultivator from the Western Regions infiltrate, although the heartland of the Eastern Region is temporarily safe, many cultivators have begun to feel a sense of crisis.

Naturally, people will buy Law Artifact and talismans for self-defense, changing the supply and demand relationship and causing prices to soar.

Chen Dengming had no intention of intervening with merchants who had driven prices down to extremely low levels.

After paying the stall fee at the Marketplace's trading office, I went to set up my stall in the free market.

He placed a pile of ritual Law Artifact awaiting processing directly on his stall and put up a sign next to them, specifying the items he wanted to buy.

Only when you do these tasks yourself can you truly appreciate the benefits of having subordinates by your side.

In the past, he didn't need to run errands or do anything himself when dealing with these Law Artifacts. He could easily handle them by giving Zhu Xun and Qiangzi some money, and the two of them could even help him sell them for a good price.

Now that he's doing it himself, he's still a bit out of sorts.

"Wow? These must be Qi Cultivation High Level Law Artifact! Wow, there are several high-level Law Artifact here!"

At this moment, a passing cultivator saw the Law Artifact on Chen Dengming's stall and immediately exclaimed in surprise.

The sound instantly attracted the attention of other cultivators nearby, who all gathered around.

Qi Cultivation High Level Law Artifact are very common in large Marketplace like Chang'an Workshop.

However, this is not very common in free markets.

Generally, some monks sell them at stalls, usually only one or two items at a time.

The fact that Chen Dengming could display three Qi Cultivation High Level Law Artifact, along with a bunch of other mid-level Law Artifact, Storage Bag, and so on, at once shows he's a formidable opponent; he might have gotten his wealth through murder and robbery.

Soon, a group of Qi Cultivation Cultivator gathered in front of Chen Dengming's shop, attracting even many well-dressed disciples from the Cultivation Family and sects, who all inquired about the price.

"Law Artifact are all minor flaws, about 80-90% new. They're 30% off the market price at any other Law Artifact shop. Take them if you want them; otherwise, don't waste your breath."

Chen Dengming got annoyed by the questions from several people who only asked questions but didn't buy anything, and he snorted coldly on the spot.

The expressions of the several cultivators who were asking questions that didn't seem like they were buying anything, but rather like they were gathering information, changed slightly.

A bald cultivator's eyes flashed with a fierce light, but when he met Chen Dengming's deep and indifferent gaze, he felt a tremor in his heart, a chill run through his body, and his moving lips tightened.

Good things don't have to worry about not selling. Besides, in the unfamiliar, chaotic free market, you have to be assertive to sell things. If you're too friendly, people will think you're easy to bully and misunderstand. His friendliness is also appropriate to the person and the occasion.

After this incident, no one inquired about prices frequently anymore. Those who could afford it simply paid, while those who couldn't shook their heads and left.

In a corner, several cultivators who had been driven away by Chen Dengming were gathered together, whispering among themselves, glancing occasionally at the location of Chen Dengming's stall.

But in the end, seeing their leader shake his head, the group could only sigh and give up the idea.

That's a really tough one. If someone can sell so many high-level Law Artifact, even if they're not powerful themselves, they must have powerful backers. If someone really dares to try something like that, they'll probably break their teeth.

Throughout the day, Chen Dengming sold almost all of his Law Artifact. The few that were harder to sell were given away as bonuses when he sold high-level Qi Cultivation High Level Law Artifact. In the end, he earned a total of 133 Mid-grade Spirit Stone.

Adding his own forty-odd Spirit Stone, he now has over one hundred and seventy Mid-grade Spirit Stone.

"Hopefully, the magical Law Artifact in the Law Artifact that hold spirits won't cost more than thirty Mid-grade Spirit Stone."

Chen Dengming had not managed to purchase the items he needed by the end of the day.

The only solution was to visit several more shops Law Artifact.

After some haggling, they finally managed to purchase a special Law Artifact, the Soul House, to house the Little Array Spirit at a Law Artifact shop for twenty-eight Mid-grade Spirit Stone.

Chen Dengming then went to the Daoist shop, spent half a Mid-grade Spirit Stone to buy books on spiritual scripts, and then left the Marketplace. He then took Escape Light, maintaining the spiritual power and speed of Qi Cultivation Tenth Level, and slowly flew back, as slow as if he were fishing.

He was indeed fishing.

I had already noticed when I was setting up my stall that several groups of people were eyeing me.

Sure enough, after flying several miles away from the Marketplace, the sound of wind breaking came from behind, and several streaks of light rushed towards them.

Chen Dengming's spirits lifted; there really were benefits coming his way?

He quickly and discreetly extended his Divine Sense to investigate, and found that they were all cultivators in the Qi Refining Stage. He breathed a sigh of relief and was secretly delighted.

Just as he was about to stop his Escape Light, he feigned wariness and inquired about their purpose.

The result was 'whoosh whoosh whoosh--'

Escape Light flashed past him not far away, not even glancing at him, and sped off towards another streak of light far ahead.

"?"

Chen Dengming was taken aback. He could clearly see that one of the Escape Light contained the bald cultivator he had scolded earlier that day.

What, this group isn't targeting him?

As he frowned in thought, the booming sounds of battle erupted ahead, and someone intercepted the fat sheep in front of him.

The bald cultivator and others who arrived later immediately surrounded him and began to beat the poor cultivator mercilessly with their Law Artifact.

But the poor cultivator was clearly no pushover either. He charged left and right, breaking through the encirclement. Seeing that he was about to be overwhelmed, he immediately threw out his Storage Bag and shouted.

"Between the two sides of the road, losing money is the way to avert disaster!"

After that sentence, the cultivators stopped chasing and accepted the Storage Bag, seemingly abiding by the rules of the Dao.

"Are there even rules in the underworld?"

Chen Dengming found the spectacle fascinating. Seeing that they were just some Qi Cultivation Cultivator, he didn't bother to detour and flew straight past them, preparing to leave.

The bald cultivator's expression changed as he brazenly flew back to the group of cultivators who had just finished hunting. He then immediately looked at the leader, who was wearing a black mask.

"This guy seems to be fearless. He might have been trying to fish for us. Could there be some powerful accomplice watching nearby?"

The masked man's eyes also showed surprise. He then exhaled and, seeing that the other party was about to approach, raised the Storage Bag in his hand and laughed loudly.

"Fellow Daoist, you're also on the same path, aren't you? May I ask which Foundation Establishment expert you're associated with?"

I, Black Wind, have hunted this fat sheep today. According to the rules of the underworld, brothers who are on the same path must treat each other equally.

"Since you're just passing by, fellow Daoist, let's share some. Everyone who sees it gets a share."

Chen Dengming was full of questions, but judging from the words of the cultivator Black Wind who had robbed the caravan, it seemed that he was even going to share the spoils with this passerby?

What does "holding a bowl of water level" mean? It seems to imply that the bowl of water should be divided equally?

Is this for real?

He slowed his escape, becoming increasingly wary.

"As expected. This guy isn't afraid at all; he really seems to want a piece of the pie. Looks like he's a tough nut to crack in this world."

The Black Wind cultivator's eyes flashed, and his henchmen couldn't help but feel a chill. They were then filled with admiration for Chen Dengming's feat of single-handedly taking a share of the spoils from their boss.

This cultivator is indeed a formidable character. Fortunately, their leader had excellent judgment and excluded him from their list of easy targets beforehand.

A dozen or so breaths later.

"Farewell, Fellow Daoist Black Wind!"

"Fellow Daoist Gao, please wait! We won't see you off. Come to Chang'an Workshop again another time, and we can drink together!"

Whoosh whoosh--

The group of robbery cultivators sped away.

Chen Dengming watched the group leave, then looked at the ten extra Mid-grade Spirit Stone in his hand and couldn't help but admire their sharp eyesight.

The Storage Bag that the fat sheep just threw out contained supplies worth sixty Mid-grade Spirit Stone. After being divided among the six people, he would have ten spirit stones in his hand. It was truly a case of everyone getting a share.

He was originally planning to just walk by and leave, but he was unexpectedly stopped to share the profits.

If these people were simply killing and stealing treasures for no reason, he probably wouldn't want to get involved.

But since it was toll money left by a fat sheep, with little blood on it, he still hypocritically accepted it.

" In the Cultivation World, everyone has a livelihood, and business opportunities are everywhere. Why is it so hard for me to make money?"

Chen Dengming once again used his Bone Shrinking Technique, transforming himself into Chen Ming's appearance, donning the robes of the Evergreen Sect, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed from Gao Hu into a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Evergreen Sect. Riding Escape Light, he sped away.

(6,400 words guaranteed, already updated. I still need a little over 100 more monthly votes to qualify for an extra chapter. Brothers, let's clear things out at the end of the month.)