Zhao Hao merely gave a quiet grunt of acknowledgment and said nothing more.
Yet that fleeting burst of pressure was like an invisible hand clamping tightly around the steward's heart.
"Senior... please forgive me, Senior!"
The steward no longer dared remain seated. He sprang from his chair in a panic, a fine sheen of cold sweat already beading on his forehead.
After decades of receiving and seeing off customers in this market, he still had a discerning eye.
Although the senior before him had reined in his aura to the utmost, the quality of the spiritual power he had released in that brief instant was absolutely beyond any Qi Refining cultivator.
That pressure, in particular, had been even more solid and weighty than that of certain early-stage Foundation Establishment Lineage cultivators he had met!
This was definitely a Foundation Establishment expert concealing his cultivation!
Thoughts raced through the steward's mind, and his smile became even more respectful, even acquiring a hint of flattery.
Carefully retreating half a step, he smoothly began his introduction. "You may not know this, Senior, but our Hundred Treasures Pavilion is the largest merchant association in the Northern Lands. Our pavilion master is himself a Nascent Soul Realm expert, and we have branches in every major market across the Northern Lands. Our reputation is absolutely assured."
This was both a gesture of goodwill and a veiled warning.
Zhao Hao did not respond. He continued toying with the teacup in his hand, seemingly unconcerned about this Nascent Soul pavilion master.
Seeing this, the steward grew even less certain and hurriedly got to the point. "What sort of techniques do you require, Senior? Our humble shop may not be large, but we do stock some commonly used Foundation Establishment Realm techniques."
Noticing that Zhao Hao wore a mask that blocked spiritual sense, and that they were in the Extreme Yin Sect's territory, he formed an idea.
He first named several spells commonly used by righteous cultivators, such as the Ten Thousand Sword Technique, Sword Control Technique, and Golden Awl Technique. When Zhao Hao showed no reaction whatsoever, he lowered his voice and cautiously continued.
"Of course, our humble shop also has some techniques... better suited to cultivators here in the Northern Lands."
"For example, this Yin Curse Technique is a soul-path technique. It allows you to enslave living souls and cast curses, unsettling your opponent's mind and preventing them from concentrating. It costs just six hundred spirit stones."
"There is also the Ten Thousand Blood Spirit Devouring Technique, an exceedingly vicious secret art of the blood path, priced at eight hundred spirit stones."
"If your spiritual sense is powerful, Senior, then the Yin Soul Nail is undoubtedly your best choice. This technique ignores physical defenses and attacks the soul directly, making it almost impossible to guard against! It costs one thousand spirit stones!"
After introducing them all in one breath, the steward quietly waited for Zhao Hao to choose.
In his view, this senior's aura was cold and sinister, so he would almost certainly choose one of those demonic secret arts.
Yet even after hearing him out, Zhao Hao remained unmoved.
He set down his teacup, and his hoarse voice sounded again.
"Do you have cultivation methods?"
The steward's heart tightened, and he hurriedly replied, "Yes! We have the Foundation Establishment section of the Ten Thousand Blood Return Demon Canon..."
"Do you have righteous cultivation methods?"
Zhao Hao cut him off.
The steward's expression froze. He glanced at Zhao Hao in surprise, towering waves of astonishment surging through his heart.
A Foundation Establishment senior with such a cold, sinister aura was asking about righteous cultivation methods rather than demonic arts?
What was his game?
Not daring to ask, he immediately answered respectfully, "Yes, yes! Senior, we have three righteous cultivation methods here as well."
"One is the Longevity Essence Nourishing Canon. Its main focus is nurturing vitality. Those who cultivate it can live ten years longer than other cultivators of the same stage, and it is easy to practice, making it the first choice of many rogue cultivators and Lineage cultivators. Its drawback, however, is mediocre magical power, which puts you at a disadvantage in combat."
"Another is the Heavenly Origin Qi Nourishing Art. This method is balanced and harmonious, suitable for cultivators of any of the five elemental affinities. Its strength lies in its reliability."
"The last..." The steward paused here, his tone taking on a touch of solemnity.
"Is the Li Fire Imperial Spirit Canon!"
"This cultivation method originated from the secret realm within the ruins of the ancient Li Fire Sect. It was created specifically for cultivators with a fire spiritual root, and its offensive power ranks among the very best of methods at the same stage!"
"It also includes several secret arts for condensing 'Li Fire.' If you can find a natural spiritual flame and fuse it into them, you can even fight opponents above your stage!"
"However... this method only has its Foundation Establishment section. To find the subsequent Golden Core section, you would probably have to visit the Li Fire Sect Secret Realm."
The Li Fire Imperial Spirit Canon!
Top-tier offensive power!
And secret arts included!
Zhao Hao's eyes suddenly lit up behind his mask.
He possessed a fire-affinity heavenly spiritual root. Wasn't this cultivation method practically tailor-made for him?
As for the missing later sections?
He could worry about those once he reached the Golden Core stage. For now, Foundation Establishment came first.
"I'll take this Li Fire Imperial Spirit Canon." Without another moment's hesitation, Zhao Hao asked, "How many spirit stones?"
Delighted, the steward hurriedly quoted the price. "Senior, this method costs two thousand low-grade spirit stones."
Zhao Hao nodded and took two thousand low-grade spirit stones from his Storage Bag. The steward carefully collected them into a Storage Bag, then retrieved a jade slip from his own Storage Bag and handed it to Zhao Hao.
Even after completing the transaction, Zhao Hao showed no intention of getting up.
The steward was about to offer a few flattering remarks when that hoarse voice sounded again.
"All the spells you mentioned earlier, those two righteous cultivation methods, and the Foundation Establishment sections of the three demonic cultivation methods-I'll take them all."
"Huh?"
The steward was utterly dumbfounded.
He stared blankly at Zhao Hao, unable to process his words for a moment.
All of them?
What did this senior mean?
Righteous cultivation methods and demonic spells alike-which path did he actually cultivate?
Besides, the magical power of the righteous and demonic paths had completely different properties. Cultivating both at once was impossible!
Zhao Hao offered no explanation, merely watching him in silence.
His gaze made the steward's skin crawl. Not daring to ask any more questions, he hurriedly packed up the six spells and five cultivation methods, eleven jade slips in total.
"S-Senior, the total is fourteen thousand three hundred low-grade spirit stones."
"Fourteen thousand low-grade spirit stones will do, Senior."
With another casual wave of Zhao Hao's hand, spirit stones covered the entire table.
Following the rules, Zhao Hao swore a solemn heart-demon oath never to pass on the cultivation methods, then put away all the jade slips and turned to leave.
As he walked out of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, the steward's gaze, mingled with awe, bewilderment, and incomprehension, remained fixed on his back.
Zhao Hao paid it no mind.
He stroked his Storage Bag, his heart burning with excitement at the large pile of jade slips inside.
Nearly twenty thousand spirit stones, gone just like that.
Everything that old ghost Jia Ren had painstakingly saved over his entire life had not even been enough to cover a single shopping trip.
If that old ghost Jia Ren were still around to see his hard-earned savings squandered like this, who knew whether he would climb back up and curse Zhao Hao for being a wastrel?
Zhao Hao quickened his pace, eager to return to his temporary cave abode as soon as possible.
He could hardly wait to see just how powerful this supposedly ancient cultivation method, the Li Fire Imperial Spirit Canon, would become after the system enhanced it!
Yet just as one foot was about to cross the Hundred Treasures Pavilion's threshold, a somewhat hesitant voice, tinged with surprise, suddenly drifted down from the second floor.
"Fellow Daoist, please stay!"
Zhao Hao stiffened, stopped in his tracks, and slowly turned around.