Intermediate Spirit Treasure

The quiet night passed in the blink of an eye.

After resting for a night in Qingping City, Lin Yiqing awoke from his dreams. After a night of relaxation and recovery, he felt the Origin Qi within him growing even more active.

Cultivation wasn't just about bitter, relentless training. The human body and will were like the string of a bow: pull them too taut, and they would eventually snap.

Only by balancing work and rest could one go farther.

After regulating his breathing, Lin Yiqing packed his things and headed to the merchants' guild's task board.

He could set out on his own, but these caravans traveled the roads year-round, and the shortcuts they had blazed could save him a great deal of time.

When he arrived at the merchants' guild's task office, Lin Yiqing couldn't help feeling surprised. It was still early morning, and the sky had yet to brighten, but the hall was already packed with people.

Suddenly, the corner of Lin Yiqing's eye caught a familiar, plump figure. The other man was sitting in a chair, looking utterly at ease as he dozed.

This Little Fatty actually got here so early. Doesn't the Hundred Treasures Pavilion need to open its doors?

Lin Yiqing grumbled to himself. He still remembered how the other man had tried to fleece him yesterday.

As he turned his attention back to the task notices hanging nearby, the dozing Little Fatty suddenly got up and scanned the crowd.

"Well, well, little brother! Long time no see. What brings you here?"

Spotting Lin Yiqing in the crowd, Little Fatty's eyes lit up, and he hurried over with a grin.

Lin Yiqing's pupils narrowed. He couldn't be bothered to respond, but stayed on his guard. The other man looked like a complete swindler; if he'd sought him out, it was probably for no good reason.

"Heh, so you're looking at the tasks. You seem pretty capable, little brother. I have a task posted here. Interested in hearing about it?"

Seeing that Lin Yiqing didn't respond, Little Fatty didn't get angry. He merely followed the other man's gaze, realized he was looking for a task, and asked with a grin.

"I am looking for a task, but I'm afraid your commission won't suit me."

Seeing that the other man had been friendly all along, Lin Yiqing softened his stance. He turned to look him in the eye and spoke earnestly.

"The task I'm looking for has to take me all the way to Ye City. I won't consider anything else."

Whatever the reason the other man had kept following him, Lin Yiqing believed you shouldn't strike someone who wore a smile. He patiently explained himself.

"Come on, this job really is best suited to you. Why not hear the reward before you decide?"

Little Fatty wouldn't let up. He kept his eyes on Lin Yiqing, smiling brightly, though with his narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes, his friendly grin looked more comical than anything else.

Lin Yiqing waved a hand and turned to leave. No matter what, he didn't want to get involved in the other man's business.

"This isn't difficult, but I'll need to borrow your spirit treasure, little brother. I'll reward you handsomely afterward!"

Just then, a secret transmission sounded in Lin Yiqing's ear. His pupils contracted, and killing intent surged in his heart.

The moment he heard the words "spirit treasure," Lin Yiqing thought of murder and plunder. He hadn't even taken it out, yet somehow someone else had learned he possessed one.

To those in the Origin Pellet Realm, spirit treasures were things they heard of only in legends. Even Form-Shaping Realm powerhouses would be tempted by one.

He turned and gave the other man a long look before smiling. "All right. Let's find somewhere to talk."

Hearing Lin Yiqing agree, Little Fatty's face brightened at once. Thinking he had persuaded the other man, he hurriedly led him outside.

Little did he know that Origin Qi had already surged within Lin Yiqing. With every rotation of the Supreme Origin Pellet, the Origin Qi gathering in his palm grew stronger.

But Lin Yiqing's control over his Origin Qi was so precise that he kept it firmly suppressed, not letting the slightest trace of his aura leak out.

After they rounded a corner, Little Fatty turned with a smile, about to speak. But Lin Yiqing's Origin Qi erupted in an instant. A thick, powerful current of Pure Origin Gang Qi formed a domineering, peerless fist imprint and came crashing toward him with the force of ten thousand jun.

"Thick Earth Thousand Mountain Shield!"

Horrified, Little Fatty hurriedly summoned an ocher-colored shield from his Universe Bag to block the blow. Yet he was still sent flying by the punch, slamming heavily into the ground.

"Bang!"

Several zhang away, Little Fatty's falling body smashed a huge crater into the ground. The flagstones shattered, and clouds of dust billowed all around.

"Pfft!"

Blood sprayed from Little Fatty's mouth. He felt as if every bone in his body had shattered. Terror filled his face and heart.

He hadn't expected Lin Yiqing to agree to talk only because he intended to kill him with a single punch.

Even more unbelievable, he had clearly possessed the strength of the Small Perfection of the Origin Pellet Realm, yet before Lin Yiqing, he had been as fragile as paper.

If his spirit treasure hadn't blocked that nearly fatal blow, he would already have died.

That kind of power was simply unheard of!

"Intermediate Spirit Treasure!"

Looking at the shield glowing with ocher Origin Qi, Lin Yiqing furrowed his sword-like brows. He had intended to kill the other man with one punch, but hadn't expected him to have such a trump card.

Still, that was all it was.

He clenched his hand, and the Qingli Ancient Sword appeared. Its razor-sharp aura burst in every direction, as if ready to cut the other man to pieces.

"Cough, cough—wait... wait! Hear me out first. I'm not plotting to steal your treasure. I really did want to ask for your help. If what I said just now gave you the wrong idea, I hope you'll forgive me, little brother."

Before he could cough out the blood in his mouth, Little Fatty hurriedly waved his hand to stop Lin Yiqing's attack. He feared that if he spoke a moment too late, his head would be rolling on the ground.

Lin Yiqing had activated his Origin Qi Vision the moment he attacked. Seeing that the other man had no sign of trying to fight back, he pressed the sword to Little Fatty's brow and asked, "Explain yourself."

He had suspected Little Fatty was waiting specifically for him from the moment he saw him in the task hall.

Otherwise, how could they have run into each other so coincidentally?

By the time the other man had struck up a conversation, Lin Yiqing had practically confirmed that he was the target. The secret transmission mentioning his spirit treasure had finally convinced him to kill.

Still, he was puzzled. What had made the other man set his sights on him? And no one but Lin Yiqing had ever seen the Qingli Ancient Sword—how had the other man learned of it?

"I have a natural ability that lets me seek out and sense things of immense value. That's why I opened the Hundred Treasures Pavilion."

As he spoke, Little Fatty coughed up several more mouthfuls of blood. Only after catching his breath did he continue, "When I saw you yesterday, young brother, I sensed a sharp aura filling your Universe Bag. That's how I knew you had an offensive spirit treasure.

"I discovered a cave dwelling deep in the mountain range some time ago. I need an offensive spirit treasure to explore it, so I came to you. That's the task I posted."

Listening to him, Lin Yiqing silently weighed his words. He was no longer a greenhorn who had just entered the cultivation world; he could judge how much of what the other man said was true.

No wonder Little Fatty had suddenly asked yesterday whether he was going out to gain experience. He must have sensed the Qingli Ancient Sword in Lin Yiqing's Universe Bag, which was why he'd asked.

After all, at this age, those who possessed spirit treasures were usually disciples from powerful sects or prominent families. Only a tiny number of rogue cultivators could afford one.

"A cave dwelling?"

Lin Yiqing's heart stirred. The Tianyan Mountain Range stretched across several prefectures, so it was hardly strange for it to contain a cave dwelling left by an ancient predecessor. But how could he know the other man wasn't trying to set him up?

People were greedy enough to swallow elephants, and Lin Yiqing generally didn't believe in pies falling from the sky.

"No need. I'm not interested."

After considering it for a moment, Lin Yiqing decided to stick to his plan and continue on to Ye City. The journey from Tiandu Prefecture to Great Wilderness Prefecture was a long one, and he couldn't afford too many delays.