Poison Spirit Power flowed into the dagger, Poison Fang, and Luo Mu carefully plunged it into the cliff face!
Poison Fang was a mid-grade magic artifact, more than capable of slicing through iron as if it were mud. After Luo Mu infused it with Poison Spirit Power, the dagger became even sharper. Without even needing to exert much force, he plunged it all the way into the cliff. Its keen edge was plain to see.
Luo Mu gently turned the dagger, cutting a square about a foot long into the cliff face. With a quick scoop of the dagger, he pried a block of stone from the rock.
To his surprise, there was a hollow space beneath the stone. Luo Mu was overjoyed, exclaiming inwardly, This could work!
Sure enough, a black, thumb-thick substance flowed slowly inside in a long, narrow strand, like a caterpillar crawling along. If the spot hadn't been directly exposed to sunlight, the black substance would have been very difficult to spot inside the cliff.
"It's exactly as the Insect Control Technique describes. This must be Ink Jade Marrow!"
Though thrilled, Luo Mu's hands moved without hesitation. He quickly took a porcelain bottle from his Storage Bag, then carefully wrapped the Ink Jade Marrow in Poison Spirit Power. Under Luo Mu's control, the black Ink Jade Marrow, which looked like a caterpillar, flew toward the bottle. In the blink of an eye, every last bit of it had entered the bottle.
Luo Mu swiftly sealed the bottle and immediately put it away in his Storage Bag, not even considering taking a look. It wasn't that he didn't want to inspect it; Ink Jade Marrow was simply too precious. If another cultivator discovered it, Luo Mu would surely be inviting death.
Unlike exotic flowers and rare herbs, Ink Jade Marrow wasn't classified by grade. That was because it was a precious treasure of the cultivation world, one that was difficult to encounter without great fortune. Though Luo Mu hadn't obtained much, it was still enough to make low- and mid-tier cultivators fight tooth and nail for it.
Ink Jade Marrow also had a wide range of uses, especially in alchemy, where its effects were most pronounced. Although the marrow itself contained potent poison, when refined into pills and neutralized by other ingredients, it could improve their quality.
That alone multiplied the value of Ink Jade Marrow several times over, enough to drive cultivators mad with greed!
Luo Mu understood the principle of keeping wealth hidden. He cautiously scanned the surroundings and, after finding no cultivators nearby, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He left at once, flying away on his sword.
After leaving the gorge, Luo Mu didn't return directly to Dragon Gate Town. Instead, he went back to Jinxiu City. He had planned to collect the Ink Crow Grass and then head straight back to Dragon Gate Town to increase the Poison Spirit Power in his dantian. But after thinking it over carefully, he suddenly realized there was still one thing he hadn't done.
And it was something he had no choice but to do!
A short while later, Luo Mu appeared outside a magic artifact shop in Jinxiu City. It was the very same shop where he had bought the Flying Artifact earlier that day.
The shop was not very large, but judging by the cultivators coming and going, business was quite good. Luo Mu stood outside for a moment, hesitating. Then determination settled over his face, as if he had made a momentous decision, and he stepped inside.
Several cultivators were browsing the artifacts inside, while two others were haggling with the shop's attendant. Luo Mu's arrival didn't draw much attention. They glanced at him briefly, then paid him no further mind.
Among cultivators, Luo Mu's second-level Qi Refining cultivation gave them little reason to notice him. The cultivators in the shop were low-tier too, but their cultivation was a level or two above his.
Luo Mu didn't find their disregard surprising. It only strengthened his resolve to grow stronger and rise above others! This world was one where the strong preyed on the weak. If you were inferior to others, you could only be ignored.
"Esteemed immortal master, what can I get for you?" Just as Luo Mu was making a silent vow to himself, an attendant came over, bowing and scraping as he asked with utmost respect.
The attendant was a mortal, but he dealt with cultivators every day and could tell at a glance whether someone was a mortal or a cultivator. The moment he saw Luo Mu enter the shop, he recognized him as a cultivator. Without a second thought, he reflexively came over and delivered the greeting he must have repeated countless times each day.
The attendant's words brought Luo Mu back to reality. Seeing his respectful manner, then recalling the other cultivators' cold indifference, Luo Mu couldn't help but sigh inwardly. By comparison, he much preferred the way the attendant made him feel.
He shook his head and returned his thoughts to the present. Under the attendant's respectful gaze, Luo Mu stated what he wanted to buy.
"Do you have any Spirit Beast Bags?" Luo Mu glanced around the shop but didn't see any for sale, so he asked the attendant beside him.
"Spirit Beast Bags? Of course! We have those! Esteemed immortal master, please follow me." The attendant answered enthusiastically and led Luo Mu to a counter in the corner.
"How many Spirit Beast Bags would you like, esteemed immortal master?" the attendant asked respectfully as they reached the counter.
"How much do they cost?" Though his pockets were nearly empty, Luo Mu kept his expression perfectly calm. Inside, however, he was anxiously wondering what he would do if they were too expensive and he couldn't afford them!
"Thirty Low-grade Spirit Stones each, esteemed immortal master."
Luo Mu raised an eyebrow. Without changing his expression, he took out ninety Low-grade Spirit Stones and set them on the counter. Then, without batting an eye, he said, "Give me three!"
The ninety spirit stones piled up on the counter like a small mountain, gleaming brightly in the light. Luo Mu's heart, meanwhile, was bleeding. He had had more than a hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones left, but now he had only a dozen or so. He had come with more than two hundred, and in a single day he'd nearly spent them all. Luo Mu couldn't help thinking that spirit stones sure were useful.
His move caught the attention of the other cultivators in the shop. They had never expected someone with only second-level Qi Refining cultivation to be able to take out so many spirit stones at once. And judging by how calmly he'd done it, he didn't seem to feel any pain at all.
The way the cultivators looked at Luo Mu changed at once—but the new looks they gave him were far from friendly.
Luo Mu sensed it too and was startled. He couldn't help thinking that keeping wealth hidden really was sound advice. In his haste, he ignored the other cultivators' stares and urged the attendant, "Hurry and get me three. I'm in a rush."
"Yes, esteemed immortal master. Please wait a moment. I'll fetch them right away."
The attendant bent down and took three Spirit Beast Bags from beneath the counter, placing them on top. He left the pile of spirit stones Luo Mu had taken out where it was for the moment.
Only after Luo Mu had carefully checked all three Spirit Beast Bags and found nothing amiss did the attendant collect the spirit stones from the counter. Luo Mu put the bags into his Storage Bag, then left the shop without looking back.
As soon as Luo Mu left, two cultivators followed him out and hurried after him in the direction he'd gone. The hostility in their eyes made it clear they had no good intentions.
Of course, Luo Mu sensed that he was being followed. His heart tightened, and he quickened his pace, hoping to shake them off. He couldn't see through either of their cultivation levels, which meant they were both stronger than him.
Their cultivation was already far beyond his, so no matter how fast Luo Mu walked, he couldn't lose them. The two stuck to him like dog-skin plasters, putting him on edge.
Fortunately, cultivators weren't allowed to fight inside the city. If the Jinxiu City enforcement squad caught them, the consequences would be severe. They could have their cultivation crippled and be driven out of the city—or, in the worst case, be killed on the spot!
That was the main reason the two followed Luo Mu without daring to make a move.
Now that he was being watched, Luo Mu wasn't foolish enough to leave the city for Dragon Gate Town. He might well lose his life if he did. For his own safety, he took a long detour and checked into an inn.
Without a word, Luo Mu took a room at the inn. The two following him were so furious their teeth ached, yet there was nothing they could do. They didn't give up, though, and hid nearby instead.
One day passed, and Luo Mu still hadn't emerged from the inn. The two began to grow impatient, but they held on.
Two days later, Luo Mu still hadn't come out???
By the third day, they still hadn't seen Luo Mu outside the inn. At last, the two gave up on killing him and seizing his treasure. They stormed off, flinging their sleeves in anger.
On the fourth day, Luo Mu still hadn't come out.
The fifth day.
The sixth day.
It wasn't until the seventh day that a man in a black robe emerged from the inn where Luo Mu was staying. A mask covered the left side of his face, concealing his true appearance.
After leaving the inn, the black-robed man headed straight for the city gate, neither hurrying nor slowing down. Nothing about him seemed out of the ordinary.
An hour later, the black-robed man reached the gates of Jinxiu City. After looking around, he let out a long breath of relief. He slapped the Storage Bag tied at his waist, and a Giant Sword shot into the sky. The black-robed man leaped onto it, landing steadily on the blade. Then the Giant Sword carried him away, vanishing into the distance like a streak of light!
The black-robed man was headed for Dragon Gate Town! And that man in black was none other than Luo Mu, fleeing from the two cultivators who had taken a wicked interest in him!
Luo Mu had planned to stay at the inn for a few more days, until he felt completely safe before returning. But that morning, he had suddenly sensed that the insect eggs at home, which were connected to his very lifeblood, had successfully hatched!
Unable to suppress his excitement, Luo Mu had sent the inn's attendant out early that morning to buy him the black robe and mask. Then, with a slightly uneasy heart, he resolutely left the inn.
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