Spatial Material, Golden Toad's Mouth

Zhou Yao finally understood why Xie An had repeatedly failed after accommodating his first Mythic Trait, to the point that he still hadn't advanced even now.

So this guy had seen the four words "Profit at First Sight" and assumed that tall hat was related to fortune, intending to follow the Wealth Department Divine-System Schema.

White Impermanence was a deity of the Netherworld, worlds apart from the Heavenly Court's Wealth Department. It'd be a wonder if two utterly unrelated Mythic Materials could be accommodated together.

The corner of Zhou Yao's mouth twitched as he remarked:

"Good thing you chose the Wealth Department instead of the Heavenly Court Thunder Department's Mythic System Diagram. Otherwise, Yin Ghosts clashing with yang lightning would've gotten you blasted into body and soul annihilation on the spot."

The fact that something equally absurd could happen to a talented student of the Five Great Academies made Zhou Yao realize just how incomplete this world's excavation of Lost Mythology truly was.

In the Fortune Shop, Xie An was struck as if by lightning upon hearing the Yellow Wind Little Sage's remarks. He hurriedly asked:

"What did you say? The Mythic Trait of the Wealth-at-First-Sight Hat isn't related to fortune?"

The Yellow Wind Little Sage had no intention of hiding it. He stretched out a little claw and pointed at the tall hat atop Xie An's head.

"The Wealth-at-First-Sight Hat is connected to the Ten Great Yin Marshals of the Netherworld. White Impermanence oversees the seizing of souls, but he isn't a deity who brings misfortune. Only the souls of those whose allotted lifespan has ended will be taken away. If an ordinary person whose lifespan hasn't yet run out is fortunate enough to see White Impermanence, then so long as they've done good all their life and revered the gods, White Impermanence will grant them fortune. That is the origin of Profit at First Sight. But fortune is merely a minor path. White Impermanence's true duty is seizing souls. Fixating on that tiny, insignificant trace of fortune is simply picking up sesame seeds while dropping a watermelon."

Xie An stood frozen in place, the expression on his face changing violently.

One moment, it twisted as he wept; the next, he threw back his head in wild laughter, as though the myriad faces of life had all appeared upon that one face.

"So that's how it is, so that's how it is!"

"The Yin Mountain the prophet referred to wasn't Yin Mountain City, but the Yin Mountain Realm. Within the Yin Mountain Realm, ghosts and demons ran rampant, and the Mythic Materials it produced were all connected to Netherworld Bureaucracy ghosts and monsters, capable of matching Profit at First Sight. Yet I waited bitterly in Yin Mountain City for five years, never realizing the means of unraveling the secret had been right beside me!"

Seeing Xie An like this, the Yellow Wind Little Sage's scalp prickled. He was afraid that Xie An, having suffered such a massive shock, would go mad on the spot.

Fortunately, Xie An was ultimately a talented student of the Five Great Academies. The experiences that had tempered his mind over the years allowed him to recover quickly.

Looking at the Yellow Wind Little Sage again, Xie An immediately bowed deeply.

"Thank you, honored guest! If not for your guidance today, who knows how many more years Xie An would've remained trapped in confusion!"

As he spoke, Xie An directly offered the Square-Inch Artifact Refinement Art in his hand to the Yellow Wind Little Sage.

"This Square-Inch Artifact Refinement Art is merely a copied method, not an original artifact excavated from a mythic ruin. I shall give it directly to you today, honored guest."

"Furthermore, within this Fortune Shop, you may take anything that catches your eye!"

Upon hearing this, the Yellow Wind Little Sage's eyes went wide as he swiftly swept his gaze over the shelves glittering with spiritual light.

"I can really choose whatever I want?"

Xie An gave a grand wave of his hand and laughed heartily. "Honored guest, please help yourself!"

To Xie An, these Mythic Materials gathered within the Fortune Shop had all been collected in preparation for his advancement. Their only advantage was their variety; in terms of quality, they weren't necessarily all that exceptional.

Now that the advancement problem which had plagued him for years had been solved, he wouldn't lose out even if he gave all these Mythic Materials to the Yellow Wind Little Sage.

The Yellow Wind Little Sage had seen through the origins of the Wealth-at-First-Sight Hat at a glance, and combined with that faint, unfathomably lofty divine aura around him, his background was surely extraordinary.

If he could use these items to establish a connection with the Yellow Wind Little Sage, it would be more than worth the price.

The Yellow Wind Little Sage stared fixedly at the shelves, his eyes shining so brightly that he nearly drooled, wishing he could pack everything up and take it home.

But after careful consideration, the Yellow Wind Little Sage abandoned that idea.

"The Mythic Materials in the Fortune Shop seem plentiful in variety, but upon closer inspection, there aren't many truly valuable things. The few high-quality Mythic Materials are, at most, comparable to the Ghost Soldier's Steel Trident. Even if I took them, I wouldn't be able to turn them into my own strength anytime soon. Of course, the more crucial reason is... I can't take them away."

At that thought, the Yellow Wind Little Sage sighed inwardly.

Unlike Xie An, who had the Five Great Academies at his back, if a lone Mythic Walker like himself took away so many Mythic Materials, he definitely wouldn't be able to conceal it. There were no shortage of Mythic Walkers in the Yinshan Black Market.

If that drew the covetous eyes of Mythic Walkers, it'd be like a child carrying gold through a bustling market. It might even implicate his true body.

"Compared to that, getting what I need most right now from Xie An, this genius of the Five Great Academies, would be far more valuable."

Drawing back his gaze, the Yellow Wind Little Sage looked at Xie An and said:

"These things aren't worth much to me. I need something else."

"Please, honored guest, speak freely." Xie An nodded solemnly.

"A spatial-type Mythic Material, and Ascension Rituals."

A trace of surprise crossed Xie An's face. Under the Yellow Wind Little Sage's gaze, he hesitated briefly before saying:

"I actually do have what you mentioned. Please wait a moment, honored guest."

With that, Xie An entered the back of the shop, then returned with a redwood box.

The box appeared to have been left in some corner for a long time, and was already covered in dust.

Walking to the counter, Xie An opened the redwood box. What entered the Yellow Wind Little Sage's eyes was a strangely shaped Mythic Material.

[Golden Toad's Mouth

Type: Spirit Beast Treasure Material

Quality: Spiritual Dust

Mythic Trait: Bellyful of Windfall Wealth

Description: Material left behind by a Fortune Golden Toad. It can transform into a spatial technique to store treasures. Ordinary items of inferior quality cannot be placed within.]

The Yellow Wind Little Sage's eyes widened at once.

Spatial Mythic Materials were precious no matter where they were, to say nothing of how this Golden Toad's Mouth possessed both spatial and fortune attributes. Its value was likely greater than all the Mythic Materials in the entire Fortune Shop combined.

If the Yellow Wind Little Sage accommodated this Mythic Material, then the next time he snuck food in the Celestial Circuit Realm, he would no longer have to fear being unable to carry it away.

Xie An reached out and touched the Mythic Material, his face full of emotion.

"After accommodating the Wealth-at-First-Sight Hat back then, I was brimming with confidence. I scattered all my family wealth in exchange for several precious Mythic Materials from the Wealth Department Divine-System Schema, hoping to quickly complete the five great traits and break through to the next rank in one stroke. Who could've expected repeated accommodation failures to damage my foundation? In the end, only this Golden Toad's Mouth remained. Giving it to you today, honored guest, can be considered putting it to proper use."

As he spoke, Xie An closed the lid and placed the redwood box before the Yellow Wind Little Sage.

"As for the Ascension Rituals you mentioned, different Mythic Traits involve many different Mythic System Diagrams, so their Ascension Rituals vary greatly as well. I will sort them out later and compile every Ascension Ritual I know into a copy, then give it to you."

Xie An's words were sincere, but he also harbored a small calculation.

If the Yellow Wind Little Sage agreed, he would definitely return later to collect the Ascension Rituals. After going back and forth and interacting a few more times, they could become familiar with each other, and Xie An would have established a connection with the Yellow Wind Little Sage.

The Yellow Wind Little Sage didn't think so much about it and agreed immediately.

Glancing at the sky outside as it gradually darkened, the Yellow Wind Little Sage stirred up the scrolls and wooden cases with the breeze, preparing to vanish away.

At that moment, Xie An seemed to recall something and called out loudly:

"May I ask your honored name, esteemed guest?"

The wind and sand dispersed like smoke and dust, leaving only a voice echoing through the shop.

"Yellow Wind Little Sage."

Xie An stood dazed for a moment. "It actually is... Sage?"