Shopping at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion!

"This young master must have come from some great lineage or powerful faction. I have to serve him well—those are High-Grade Spirit Stones!" Holding the ten High-Grade Spirit Stones Chen Huai'an had provided, the clerk was stunned beyond words.

In the cultivation world, High-Grade Spirit Stones were even rarer than high-grade pills.

They were strategic resources. Many cultivation sects and factions would never put them up for trade; most of the Spirit Stones circulating on the market were low-grade and mid-grade.

Chen Huai'an had no idea about any of this. But even if he had known, there was nothing he could do. He was simply too poor—so poor that all he had were High-Grade Spirit Stones.

"Junior Sister, although this flying sword is low-grade, it suits your current realm best. Once you break through to the Qi Refining Realm, Middle Stage, Master will personally forge a natal flying sword for you. This sword is merely for temporary use." Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out from the main hall of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.

Because the private room in the hall had no soundproofing formation, some sounds from the main hall still carried inside.

"She actually broke through to the Qi Refining Realm." Chen Huai'an naturally recognized the voice as belonging to Su Wanying's group, and the junior sister being mentioned was Su Wanying.

Su Wanying had entered the Qingyun Sect only a few days before Chen Huai'an, yet their cultivation levels were as far apart as heaven and earth.

She had already broken through to the Qi Refining Realm, while he was only at the Body Tempering Realm, Early Stage, Second Layer—not even the Body Tempering Realm, Middle Stage.

But when he considered that she was personally taught by the Qingyun Sect's sect master and enjoyed the finest resources, it was only natural that she had broken through to the Qi Refining Realm.

In Chen Huai'an's view, Su Wanying cultivated in the inner sect, so the cultivation resources she consumed had to be better than his. She had plenty of time and did not need to take on menial duties. Breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm did not seem all that difficult.

If he had her talent, his cultivation speed would probably have been just as fast.

Knowing that Su Wanying and the others were outside, Chen Huai'an made no sound and quietly waited for the clerk to return.

"Young master, here are the pills you requested. The total comes to five hundred and twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones. You only need to pay another four hundred and twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

"Alright." As he spoke, Chen Huai'an took out another five High-Grade Spirit Stones.

Seeing that every Spirit Stone Chen Huai'an casually produced was high-grade, the clerk's eyes went wide. This man had definitely come from some great lineage or powerful faction; otherwise, he could not possibly bring out so many High-Grade Spirit Stones at once.

But if he truly came from a powerful faction, he should not have lacked pills or cultivation techniques. This was what puzzled the clerk most.

Still, that was not something they needed to worry about.

The reason the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion stood apart from so many factions was because it had always remained neutral and upheld its professional principles, never entertaining thoughts it should not entertain.

"Here are eighty Low-Grade Spirit Stones in change, honored guest. Please keep them safe." After his brief shock, the clerk immediately took out eighty Low-Grade Spirit Stones and handed them to Chen Huai'an.

Looking at the large pile of goods before him, Chen Huai'an frowned. Carrying so many things out of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion was far too conspicuous, but he could not put them into the Purple-Skinned Gourd space either.

Though the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion remained neutral and was unmoved by external temptations, that did not mean there were no scoundrels within it.

"Young master, do you not have a storage pouch?" The clerk was sharp-eyed. Seeing that Chen Huai'an had not put the items away in a storage pouch and was instead preparing to carry the huge pile away on his back, he asked curiously.

"No." Chen Huai'an felt somewhat embarrassed. He was acting so lavishly, yet he did not even have a storage pouch on him.

"Young master, you are a valued guest of our Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, and you have spent so many Spirit Stones. This low-grade storage pouch shall be a gift for you." As he spoke, the clerk took out a palm-sized pouch.

It was the most basic low-grade storage pouch. Its space was not large, only about one cubic meter, but it was enough for Chen Huai'an to store everything he had bought.

"Then thank you very much. How many Spirit Stones is it? I'll pay." Chen Huai'an frowned. If he had known earlier, he should have bought one himself, and he would not be in such a passive position now.

But things had already developed to this point. Even if he wanted to salvage the situation, he could not. The image of a wealthy cultivation novice had already been firmly established.

Now, Chen Huai'an did not know what conflicts might arise afterward. All he could do was take one step at a time.

He had better not come to this place again. And whether he could safely leave the Qingyun Sect's marketplace was still a major question.

The thought gave Chen Huai'an a splitting headache.

This was fucking infuriating. Spending really could go to one's head. Whenever he saw something good that suited him, he wanted to buy it, and he had completely forgotten the principle of not flaunting one's wealth.

He understood the saying, "A common man commits no crime, but he becomes guilty by possessing a jade ring," and he had even suffered for it before. Yet now, he had forgotten that lesson.

"Young master, this is a small gift from us. We will not accept Spirit Stones for it. In the future, please visit our Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion more often," the clerk said with a smile.

Of course, he was curious about Chen Huai'an and interested in the things he possessed. Forget a low-level cultivator at the Body Tempering Realm—even experts at the Qi Refining Realm would be tempted upon seeing such things.

"Certainly, certainly." Chen Huai'an nodded and did not dwell on the matter.

It was not that he could not refuse the storage pouch. But if he rejected it, he could not guarantee that he would be able to leave the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion safely.

Of course, perhaps he was judging a gentleman's heart with a petty man's measure.

But for the sake of safety, he had no choice but to proceed cautiously.

Chen Huai'an dripped blood onto the storage pouch to claim it as its master, then put all the items on the table into it.

"No need to see me off. Stop here." Seeing that the clerk intended to escort him out, Chen Huai'an directly refused. He did not want to draw the attention of those keeping watch outside.

After leaving the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, Chen Huai'an headed deeper into the marketplace.

Only after reaching a deserted place did Chen Huai'an take everything out of the storage pouch and put it into the Purple-Skinned Gourd space.

As for the storage pouch, he had not bought it, so he did not dare keep it. What worried him most was that someone might have placed a mark on it.

But if he simply threw the storage pouch away, Chen Huai'an could not bear to do so. Having lived in poverty for so long, even now that he had money, he still did not want to waste anything.

As he was leaving the marketplace, Chen Huai'an sold the low-grade storage pouch to a stall vendor for ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Actually, it could not really be called a sale. The vendor refused to buy it, so Chen Huai'an exchanged the storage pouch for a pile of miscellaneous junk instead.

Only after doing all that did he leisurely head toward the marketplace exit.

When he left the marketplace, he was not empty-handed. Instead, he took a pound of Spirit Rice out of the space and placed it in a cloth bundle.

That was his harvest for the day.

On the third floor of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, a beautiful middle-aged woman looked out at the bustling street below and spoke without turning her head.

"He accepted the storage pouch?"

"Reporting to the shopkeeper, he accepted it. But I do not understand something. He is merely a small cultivator at the Body Tempering Realm. How did he catch your eye, my lady?" The middle-aged man in white robes was deeply puzzled. The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion's rules forbade them from inquiring into customers' private matters. What they were doing had already violated those rules.

"High-Grade Spirit Stones appearing on a small cultivator at the Body Tempering Realm—don't you find that strange?" The beautiful middle-aged woman smiled.

"Besides, I am merely curious about him, not planning to make a move against him. There is no need for you to be so nervous."