Myriad Treasures Trading Association

Liu Yuanchen reconsidered. Most spirit plants grew somewhat faster when spiritual energy was abundant.

The Blessed Land Embryo was extraordinarily remarkable. It was only natural that it accelerated the growth of Golden-Thread Rice.

As far as he knew, the Divine Farmer Art inheritance contained quite a few methods for increasing the growth rate of spirit plants.

With the potential of the Blessed Land Embryo, coupled with Gao Ming's Divine Farmer Art, multiplying the yield several times over probably would not be a problem.

The Divine Farmer Art encompassed nurturing Spirit Fields, accelerating the growth of spirit plants, and cultivating spirit plant seeds.

Spirit grains like Golden-Thread Rice had all been carefully cultivated.

Whether in yield or growth speed, they far surpassed their wild counterparts.

The spirit plant seeds had just been planted, and his cultivation had only just broken through. There was nothing for him to do inside the Blessed Land.

The Spirit Field on Yujin Mountain could not be left unattended for too long. He still needed to hurry back.

To avoid exposing the location of the Blessed Land Embryo, it was best to wait until nightfall before leaving.

He sensed the changes in the meridians within his body. The qi and blood in his pericardium meridian were at their most vigorous.

According to the laws of Midnight-Noon Circulation, it should now be the hour of Xu, between seven and nine in the evening.

The sky had already darkened. It was time to leave.

With a thought, the scene before him changed drastically, and he returned once more to the dark karst cave from before.

At this time, the Spring Eye within the Spirit Nexus had vanished, and even the spiritual energy seeping out had noticeably diminished.

The missing spiritual energy had naturally been intercepted by the Blessed Land Embryo.

The Spirit Vein of Blackcloud Ridge had always fluctuated continuously. A change in the spiritual energy level of some remote hilltop was no big deal.

Moreover, this Blessed Land Embryo was sufficiently well concealed.

Neither the naked eye nor Divine Sense could directly detect the existence of the Blessed Land.

Just then, another stream of spiritual power appeared out of nowhere within Liu Yuanchen's Sea of Consciousness.

The amount was smaller, roughly equivalent to one fifteenth of a Low-Grade Spirit Stone.

After leaving the Blessed Land Embryo, the mana fed back to him had clearly decreased, but it had not disappeared.

Liu Yuanchen walked out of the cave and discovered that his detection range had increased.

Previously, using the Immortal Seed's ability to sense the life force of plants, his detection range had reached twenty zhang.

Now, his detection range had already exceeded thirty zhang.

He muttered, "After changing my cultivation technique, my previous special ability has strengthened. I wonder if I gained any new abilities."

The farther he was from Bluestone Mountain, the less mana the Blessed Land Embryo fed back to him.

After returning to Yujin Mountain, the mana fed back by the Blessed Land Embryo each time was only equivalent to around one percent of the spiritual energy contained in a Low-Grade Spirit Stone.

Though it was a little meager, it was still far more than the mana he refined through a full day of meditation and cultivation before.

Liu Yuanchen was content with benefits that came for free.

Early the next morning, Liu Yuanchen watered the Spirit Field once before leaving Yujin Mountain again.

This time, he was not heading toward Qingstone Mountain Blessed Land, but traveled northwest instead.

Zhang Jingcheng had previously sent him more than thirty Spirit Stones. Added to what he had saved before, he had over fifty Spirit Stones in total.

Since he had decided to study Alchemy Art, an alchemy furnace was indispensable.

Over fifty Spirit Stones were more than enough to buy a first-tier alchemy furnace and a small amount of low-tier spirit herbs.

Seventy or eighty li directly north of Yujin Mountain stood a small town called Qinghe Town.

East of Qinghe Town lay a Wasteland stretching for thousands of li, with only a few oases and rivers.

To the east of that unclaimed land was Demon Cloud Sea, the largest gathering place for rogue cultivators within tens of thousands of li.

The Wasteland had never held much profit to begin with. If major powers developed it, they would also have to guard against sneak attacks from hostile forces, making it more trouble than it was worth.

Thus, this barren land became a buffer zone between the two major powers.

The barren land that major powers disdained was not something independent cultivators would pass up.

This Wasteland became a paradise for independent cultivators.

Righteous cultivators did not dare enter Demon Cloud Sea, while independent cultivators trying to make a living in the Wasteland could only come to Qinghe Town to sell their gains and purchase the resources needed for cultivation.

Thus, Qinghe Town, bordering the Wasteland, had become an important gathering place for independent cultivators.

Yujin Mountain was more than five hundred li from the mountain gate of the Azure Elixir Sect, making travel inconvenient.

Whenever Liu Yuanchen needed supplies, he usually came to Qinghe Town as well.

After descending Yujin Mountain and heading north, he soon spotted a stream.

This stream was the upper reaches of Qingshui River. As long as he followed it downstream, he would reach Qinghe Town.

Vegetation flourished along both banks of Qingshui River.

Liu Yuanchen only needed to release a trace of Divine Sense to sense the vigorous life force within the vegetation.

Through that perception, he could also discover independent cultivators lurking in the shadows, waiting for easy prey.

He wore a green Daoist robe decorated with gourd patterns on the chest and back. This was the standard Daoist robe of the Azure Elixir Sect.

Within Azure Elixir Sect territory, unless there was an enormous benefit at stake, independent cultivators would not easily offend Azure Elixir Sect disciples.

If Liu Yuanchen had not relied on his status as an Azure Elixir Sect disciple, he would have encountered no shortage of fights along the way.

Without any danger or mishap, he arrived safely at Qinghe Town.

The small town stood on the north bank of Qingshui River. It covered only about one li square, was not large, and had no city walls.

Yet the town was extremely lively, with a constant stream of independent cultivators.

Liu Yuanchen came here often, so he knew the place well.

After entering the town, he headed straight for its center.

There were three major shops in the town center: the Azure Elixir Sect's pill shop, Iron Cauldron Mountain's artifact shop, and the Myriad Treasures Trading Association.

The force behind the Myriad Treasures Trading Association was extraordinarily formidable. Their shops could be found in every town and city within tens of thousands of li.

When it came to business, even the three major powers such as the Azure Elixir Sect were far inferior to the Myriad Treasures Trading Association.

Furthermore, the Myriad Treasures Trading Association was extremely mysterious. No one knew where its headquarters was located.

Rumor had it that the Myriad Treasures Trading Association was not a force of the Red Wasteland at all, but a branch extended here by some major outside power.

Demoncloud Sect, the leader of the wicked cultivators, had once clashed with the Myriad Treasures Trading Association.

The battle began in the morning, and Demoncloud Sect admitted defeat that afternoon.

The Myriad Treasures Trading Association lived up to its reputation. They sold every non-strategic resource cultivators needed, and the quality was excellent. Their only drawback was the price.

At the Myriad Treasures Trading Association, there was only what one could not afford, never what one could not buy.

Alchemy furnaces were not commonly used artifacts, nor were they meant for combat, so they did not require much strength.

Low-tier alchemy furnaces did not use particularly fine materials, received little effort in forging, and were not difficult to refine.

Among artifacts of the same tier, their prices could only be considered middling to low.

In some small artifact refining shops, a first-tier mid-grade alchemy furnace cost only around ten Spirit Stones.

Even a first-tier high-grade alchemy furnace cost only about twenty Spirit Stones.

But Liu Yuanchen understood that the only flaw of good-quality things was that they were expensive.

And the only virtue of poor-quality things was that they were cheap.

Alchemy was no joke. There were quite a few novice alchemists who had died in furnace explosions.

If an alchemy furnace was of insufficient quality, it might suddenly explode one day and send its owner to the grave.

There was no need to risk his life just to save a few Spirit Stones.

The Myriad Treasures Trading Association's goods were expensive, but he had never heard of their quality being unreliable.

As soon as he entered the Myriad Treasures Trading Association, a middle-aged cultivator stepped forward to greet him. "Young friend from the Azure Elixir Sect, what would you like to buy?"

Liu Yuanchen looked around the store. Its furnishings were rather simple.

Other than the counter for settling accounts, the small storefront contained nothing else.

The middle-aged cultivator's aura was unfathomable, so Liu Yuanchen naturally did not dare act presumptuously.

"This junior wishes to buy a first-tier alchemy furnace. I have long heard of the Myriad Treasures Trading Association's great name, so I came to take a look."

The middle-aged cultivator nodded with a broad smile. "Little Li, take this customer to look at the alchemy furnaces."

Before his words had faded, a young attendant who looked to be in his twenties emerged from the back.

"Customer, please follow me."

Liu Yuanchen followed behind the attendant, going around a wall behind the counter. Beyond it was a somewhat cramped room with many small doors.

A plaque hung above each small door, bearing words such as: Pills, Artifacts, Talismans, Formations, Spells...

The two entered the small door marked Artifacts. Beyond it was another room filled with weapon racks.

The attendant led him to a rack holding more than ten alchemy furnaces, ranging from first-tier low-grade to first-tier high-grade.

"Customer, all of our first-tier alchemy furnaces are here.

You are an Azure Elixir Sect disciple, so you presumably plan to specialize in Alchemy Art.

In my opinion, you should choose a first-tier high-grade alchemy furnace.

Even after becoming a second-tier Alchemy Master in the future, you will still be able to make do with it."

Naturally, Liu Yuanchen wanted to buy a first-tier high-grade alchemy furnace, but he only had a little over fifty Spirit Stones.

After buying the furnace, he still needed Spirit Charcoal and spirit herbs. If he bought a first-tier high-grade alchemy furnace, his Spirit Stones would truly not be plentiful.

"How much are your first-tier high-grade alchemy furnaces?"

Seeing that he intended to buy one, the attendant's eyes lit up.

He pointed to a black alchemy furnace. "This one is the Blackgold Furnace. Its main material is high-quality black iron, with a small amount of blackgold added. Its strength is beyond question.

Even if you wish to refine second-tier low-grade pills, there will absolutely be no risk of a furnace explosion.

This alchemy furnace was shipped from Azure Elixir City and was made by a Second-Tier Artifact Refining Master.

It sells for only forty Spirit Stones. It is absolutely worth every coin."

This Blackgold Furnace suited Liu Yuanchen quite well. Leaving aside everything else, it was at least safe enough.

Once cultivators reached the Peak Qi-Nourishing Realm, as long as their Divine Sense and mana were strong enough, they could attempt to refine second-tier low- and mid-grade pills.

Though the pill formation rate would be low and the consumption of Divine Sense and mana greater.

Still, as long as the pill formation rate could be raised to forty percent, the profits would be far higher than refining first-tier pills.

When that time came, this alchemy furnace would definitely be useful.

However, forty Spirit Stones was truly a little too expensive.

Seeing the troubled look on his face, the attendant immediately understood.

He pointed to a crimson alchemy furnace. "This one is the Crimson Copper Furnace. It uses crimson copper as its main material, with a small amount of crimson flame stone added.

In terms of strength, the Crimson Copper Furnace is somewhat inferior, but when refining first-tier high-grade pills, there is almost no risk of a furnace explosion.

Most importantly, this Crimson Copper Furnace contains flame Inscription Runes. They can stabilize the firepower, reduce the difficulty of controlling flames, and save Spirit Charcoal.

For beginners, it can effectively reduce the chance of mistakes.

The price is also slightly lower, only thirty Spirit Stones.

Among all the first-tier high-grade alchemy furnaces in our shop, this is the cheapest."

"Our shop also sells refined Spirit Charcoal. If you buy an alchemy furnace, I can make the decision to give you a twenty percent discount on the Spirit Charcoal."

Liu Yuanchen was startled. This attendant had a keen ability to read people.

The moment he hesitated, the man saw that he was short on funds.

On second thought, this Crimson Copper Furnace was also quite suitable for him.

Though he was now a first-tier mid-grade Spirit Apothecary and understood the medicinal properties of first-tier spirit herbs very well.

When it came to alchemy, he was a complete novice.

Resources had been limited back then, and he had been wholly focused on opening a Blessed Land.

In order to leave the mountain gate as soon as possible and manage Spirit Fields outside, he had devoted most of his energy to the Divine Farmer Art.

As for Alchemy Art, he had only mastered the basic knowledge and had little practical experience.

The Crimson Copper Furnace could stabilize the flames and reduce the consumption of Divine Sense. For a beginner with poor flame-control ability, it truly offered significant assistance.

After all, Liu Yuanchen did not have many Spirit Stones and could not afford to fail over and over.

As for the risk of a furnace explosion when the Crimson Copper Furnace refined first-tier high-grade pills, that was not much of a problem.

When that time came, he could simply replace it with a sturdier alchemy furnace.

With Qingstone Mountain Blessed Land at his back, once those spirit herbs had grown, he would no longer need to worry about lacking Spirit Stones.

"Fine. I'll take this Crimson Copper Furnace. Also, give me fifty jin of first-tier Spirit Charcoal."

First-tier Spirit Charcoal was inexpensive. One Spirit Stone could buy ten jin.

With the twenty percent discount the attendant had promised, it only cost four Spirit Stones.

After paying thirty-four Spirit Stones, Liu Yuanchen left the Myriad Treasures Trading Association.

Afterward, he purchased some medicinal ingredients needed to refine Spirit-Restoring Pills before leaving Qinghe Town and returning to Yujin Mountain.

Not long after he walked out of the Myriad Treasures Trading Association, the middle-aged cultivator minding the shop went up to the third floor.

"Manager, this Azure Elixir Sect disciple is somewhat interesting.

This subordinate was blind and failed to see through his background."

A young man's voice came from within. "He is indeed somewhat interesting.

He should be seventeen or eighteen years old, yet he is only at the fifth Qi Nourishing Realm layer.

His talent is presumably mediocre, and he has no background.

Yet his qi and blood are truly not weak, comparable to cultivators at the seventh or eighth Qi-Nourishing Layer."

The middle-aged cultivator asked, "Could he be a body-refining cultivator?"

The young man sneered. "Body refinement consumes even more resources than qi cultivation.

If he had that kind of wealth, would he still only be at the Eighth Qi-Nourishing Layer?"

The middle-aged cultivator nodded slightly. "That is true. If he is not a body-refining cultivator, yet his qi and blood are so powerful, could he possess a special constitution?"

The young man denied it again. "I did not sense the aura of a special constitution. Probably not."

The middle-aged cultivator asked again, "Could he have cultivated some methods of the Earth Immortal Path or the Physical Body Path?"

The young man instinctively retorted, "Impossible. When the Red Wasteland became like this, the Earth Immortal Path had not even taken shape.

There are countless famous mountains and great rivers. No one would come to such a backwater."

The Physical Body Path's inheritance demanded enormous resources—far more than body-tempering techniques.

The Earth Immortal Path was merely the former Physical Body Path inheritance, supplemented with some unknown method for opening a Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land.

In terms of resource consumption, it was not much better than the Physical Body Path.

Perhaps he had consumed some spiritual treasure that strengthened his vital energy and blood, or perhaps he cultivated some secret art that exhausted his potential."

The middle-aged cultivator asked, "Perhaps this person has encountered some opportunity..."

The young man's voice turned cold. "You've served the Merchant Association for decades. You should know its rules by now.

Do not pry into customers' secrets, and don't entertain any crooked thoughts.

Our business spans the entire Human Race. Even some of the Demon Race are willing to do business with us.

The most important reason the Merchant Association has reached its current standing is not resources, inheritances, or backing, but credibility."

"There are seven or eight shops selling pill furnaces in all of Qinghe Town. Why did he come to our Merchant Association?

Because we have a good reputation and keep our word.

The Merchant Association has existed for over ten thousand years. Never once have we made a move against a customer.

Besides, what good things could a mere Qi Nourishing Realm cultivator possibly have on him?"

"If you want a future, then work honestly.

If you dare do anything that damages the Merchant Association's reputation, even if you flee to the Demon Race, the Merchant Association will drag you out and punish you according to the law."

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