Bargain-Priced Cultivation Method

A few low-level cultivators gathered around a stall, which seemed to be enjoying decent popularity. Luo Mu walked over after a few steps and discovered that a cultivator was currently haggling with the stall owner.

The moment the owner shouted his wares, cultivators immediately swarmed over, inquiring about the price. It was clear how much value cultivators placed on cultivation techniques.

"One hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones! That's so expensive!" one cultivator complained, his face turning livid after asking the price.

"Expensive? This is a rare 'top-grade' technique; one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones is already a bargain. Take it or leave it. I'm certain that a technique this good will be snapped up by another cultivator in no time. If it weren't for the fact that this technique doesn't match my elemental affinity, I wouldn't be willing to part with it at all." The stall owner was clearly very confident in his technique. Seeing the other party trying to drive the price down, his expression turned cold and his tone became somewhat blunt.

"The technique is indeed good, but could you lower the price a bit, Fellow Daoist? I truly cannot come up with one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones." The cultivator looked embarrassed, his tone laced with pleading.

"Forget about one spirit stone; I can't lower it by even a single one." The stall owner shook his head like a rattle, refusing flatly.

"If you can't afford it, move aside. I'll take this technique." Just then, another cultivator nearby spoke up. He tossed out one hundred spirit stones, grabbed the technique the owner had been peddling, and turned to leave.

The event happened so suddenly that neither the stall owner nor the first cultivator had time to react before the man had already pocketed the technique and walked away. Luo Mu, standing to the side, felt equally dejected; he hadn't even caught a glimpse of the technique before it became someone else's property.

The stall owner fared better. Once he recovered, he collected the spirit stones with a satisfied look on his face, while the cultivator who had wanted to buy the technique stood there with a livid expression, clearly in a foul mood. He had been on the verge of chasing after the man to vent his frustration, but upon sensing that the other party's spiritual energy was a few notches stronger than his own, he gloomily halted his steps.

With a flick of his sleeve, the cultivator turned and left. Having had the technique he needed snatched away by someone else, it was inevitable that he would feel somewhat depressed. The other cultivators who had come for the technique also dispersed one by one.

"What kind of technique were you selling just now, Fellow Daoist? It seemed quite popular." Luo Mu did not leave, but instead inquired about the technique that had just been sold.

Luo Mu had his reasons for doing this. If that technique truly was a rare 'top-grade' one and suitable for his own use, he wouldn't mind chasing after the cultivator who had bought it to purchase it back, or even trading for it with a Qi Gathering Pill if necessary.

In Luo Mu's view, using a Qi Gathering Pill to trade for items with Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators was ideal. The demand for Qi Gathering Pills was no less than that for a decent cultivation technique.

"Oh, that was a pretty good fire-attribute primary cultivation technique. Not only is it simple and easy to learn, but its power is also quite decent. If nothing goes wrong, it should be enough to carry a practitioner all the way to the Foundation Establishment Realm without any issues." Although Luo Mu wore a mask, making his face unclear and causing the owner some suspicion, Luo Mu was wearing the uniform of Jinxiu Academy. While the stall owner felt a twinge of envy toward Luo Mu, he still satisfied his curiosity.

Jinxiu Academy was a brand, a symbol of status, and the best place for low-level cultivators to practice. For a rogue cultivator, the annual tuition of one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones was simply too expensive. Therefore, even though every low-level cultivator dreamed of entering Jinxiu Academy, the issue of spirit stones kept many of them at bay.

The stall owner before him was one such person. With his already meager supply of spirit stones, he would rather spend the money he would have paid for tuition on spiritual herbs and medicines to improve his own cultivation than enroll in Jinxiu Academy.

For a rogue cultivator without spirit stones, that was far too extravagant.

"So it was a fire-attribute technique. It's of no use to me at all." A hint of disappointment appeared on his face as Luo Mu muttered to himself, his voice barely audible.

The stall owner began packing up his stall after speaking with Luo Mu. Now that the technique had been sold, he couldn't wait to go and buy some of the supplies he needed for his own cultivation. Since there were no other valuable goods left on the stall, there was no loss in closing up shop.

"Do you have any other techniques for sale, Fellow Daoist?" Luo Mu felt a slight sense of disappointment, and seeing the other man packing up to leave, he asked casually.

"Any other techniques? I think I have an auxiliary technique left. Would you like to take a look?" The stall owner's eyebrows arched. He remembered an auxiliary technique in his Storage Bag that he had never been able to sell, and his heart leaped with joy. Perhaps he could actually sell this one today.

Without waiting for Luo Mu to nod in agreement, the stall owner enthusiastically took out a Jade Slip and handed it to him.

"This is the only one left. Although it's an auxiliary technique, if you use it well, it's a sharp weapon for combat and killing! How about it? I'll sell it to you for a lower price." As he held the Jade Slip out to Luo Mu, the stall owner said with a smile, praising his own technique to the skies.

Upon hearing that it was merely an auxiliary technique, Luo Mu's interest waned significantly. Seeing the cunning smile on the man's face, he immediately understood that this technique couldn't be anything special.

However, since the man had already handed over the Jade Slip, Luo Mu knew that refusing to look would be rude. Sighing inwardly, Luo Mu took the Jade Slip symbolically and reluctantly sank his divine sense into it.

The stall owner watched Luo Mu intently, not even blinking. However, the part of Luo Mu's face visible outside the mask remained calm, devoid of joy or sorrow. This made the stall owner feel somewhat uneasy.

This technique had been in his possession for a long time, but he had no use for it. In other words, there were very few cultivators in the cultivation world who could make use of such a technique, which was why it had remained unsold for so long.

It was like chewing wax—tasteless to consume, yet a pity to discard. For the stall owner, selling this "chicken rib" technique would be the best possible outcome. However, he also knew that very few cultivators would take a fancy to it.

Sighing softly in his heart, the stall owner felt that this deal was going to fall through as well.

"How much for this technique?" Just then, Luo Mu spoke in a calm tone.

"Ah? This... you really want this technique?" The stall owner was startled at first, then his face lit up with joy, and he asked Luo Mu with a look of disbelief.

"This technique is somewhat interesting. I plan to take it back and study it," Luo Mu said, his tone unchanged.

"Oh, I see. Actually, this technique is really quite good. Since you want it, Fellow Daoist, how about I sell it to you for a cheaper price? Hmm... how about five spirit stones? Does that work for you?" The stall owner's expression was anxious as he watched Luo Mu closely, terrified that his asking price might be too high and cause the other party to walk away.

"Five spirit stones?" Luo Mu asked in return, a smile playing on his lips.

"Uh... do you think the price is too high, Fellow Daoist? How about this, three spirit stones. You should be satisfied with buying a technique for such a price, right?" Seeing the smile on Luo Mu's lips, the stall owner's heart sank. He immediately assumed Luo Mu thought the price was too high and, gritting his teeth, slashed the price by nearly half.

"Three spirit stones?" Luo Mu raised an eyebrow. Instead of giving the stall owner a definitive answer, he fell into deep thought.

"How about this, Fellow Daoist? You don't need to think about it anymore. I'm in a hurry, so just take it for one spirit stone and stop dithering." After only a moment, the stall owner, desperate to get rid of the technique, lost his patience and lowered the price once more.

"One spirit stone? Alright... but this technique..."

"Done! It's a deal! From this moment on, the technique in your hand is yours." Seeing that Luo Mu still wanted to say something, the stall owner interrupted him excitedly and announced the deal loudly, as if afraid someone wouldn't hear him.

The stall owner had his reasons for doing this. By shouting so loudly, both the passing cultivators and the other stall owners would know that the deal had been struck. He did this specifically to prevent Luo Mu from going back on his word.

Luo Mu was stunned for a moment, then looked around. Seeing that quite a few cultivators had noticed them, he shook his head helplessly and took out one Low-grade Spirit Stone, tossing it to the stall owner.

Catching the spirit stone, the stall owner's face beamed with joy. After hastily greeting Luo Mu, he turned and left, as if he truly had something important to attend to.

"One Low-grade Spirit Stone! Hehe... not bad, finally sold that piece of junk." On the road, the stall owner was all smiles, his heart filled with glee.

For a low-level cultivator, one Low-grade Spirit Stone was a decent amount, especially for low-level rogue cultivators who viewed spirit stones as their very lives. Selling a useless technique for a spirit stone was, for a low-level rogue cultivator like him, a massive stroke of luck.

"Lucky I ran into an idiot, otherwise who knows how long it would have taken to sell that technique. Though, come to think of it, the technique is actually quite good, just... just too much of a 'chicken rib'." Muttering to himself, calling Luo Mu an idiot, lamenting the uselessness of the technique, and feeling smug all at once, the stall owner slowly disappeared into the night market.

In his heart, the stall owner felt he had gotten the better end of the deal tonight, and at the thought, he couldn't help but chuckle aloud.

"Lucky I ran into an idiot..."

At the same time, Luo Mu, still in the night market, had said the exact same words to himself. These words, of course, were directed at the stall owner who had just left.

After carefully tucking the Jade Slip into his Storage Bag, a smile finally appeared on Luo Mu's calm face. Having spent only one spirit stone to acquire a technique—and one that was perfectly suited for him—how could Luo Mu not be happy?

Recalling the moment just now, when he had almost missed out on this technique by a hair's breadth, Luo Mu sighed loudly in his heart, thinking it truly was fate.

When the stall owner had first said the technique was only five spirit stones, Luo Mu had been startled, shocked that the technique was so cheap. Unfortunately, the anxious stall owner hadn't waited for Luo Mu to speak before lowering the price to three stones himself.

Upon hearing it was only three spirit stones, Luo Mu was even more surprised. While he was pondering why, the impatient stall owner, assuming Luo Mu was still debating the price, panicked and lowered it again, down to a mere single spirit stone.

One spirit stone—Luo Mu hadn't even considered it; he had taken the technique immediately!