Hating Heaven's Unfairness, Hating Earth's Unevenness

"It was said that the Primordial Spirit Pearl was a rare treasure born of heaven and earth. Not only could it temper the body, strengthen the five viscera and six bowels, and consolidate one's meridians and foundation, it could also prolong one's life by more than twenty years.

It was said that once a martial artist reached the Qi Sea Realm, so long as their body was free of illness and disaster, they could live to the century mark.

If one consumed this Primordial Spirit Pill, their lifespan would break past a hundred years, allowing them to live to one hundred and twenty.

Such an age might still fall short of the reigning Shengde Emperor's current one hundred and thirty-two years, but it was something countless people dreamed of."

Information regarding the Primordial Spirit Pearl flashed through Peng Dongcheng's mind, making him even more excited.

His current martial cultivation was at the seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm, the Five Organs Tempering stage.

He was confident that if he used the Primordial Spirit Pill, once his foundation was established, he would swiftly make a breakthrough—entering the eighth level of Body Tempering, Six Bowels Tempering, the ninth level of Inner Sight, and perhaps even crossing into the next realm without obstruction.

The Qi Sea Realm.

"At the Qi Sea Realm, true qi is born, and martial artists are honored as martial masters. From then on, their status and standing become entirely different.

Not to mention that the Primordial Spirit Pearl's effects will also raise my lifespan limit.

Then in the future, even stepping into the Innate level of martial arts will not be impossible."

Peng Dongcheng excitedly envisioned it.

Innate martial arts, Innate Grandmasters—those were an entirely different world.

One had to know that the reason the Shengde Emperor had remained on the throne for ninety-seven years and lived beyond one hundred and thirty was precisely because his martial cultivation had long since broken through into the Innate Realm.

In other words, Innate martial arts could likewise shatter the limits of life, raising one's lifespan to more than one hundred and thirty years.

"Let's begin. Use the Primordial Spirit Pearl."

Peng Dongcheng suppressed his surging excitement and finally prepared to absorb the primordial spirit power within the Primordial Spirit Pearl.

Yet, the instant he tentatively drew out the power within the Primordial Spirit Pearl—

His expression changed.

"How is this possible?

There's nothing inside?"

His mind trembled violently, his face turned deathly pale, and disbelief filled his eyes.

He hurriedly increased the force of his spiritual pull.

Crack—

A crisp sound rang out.

The Primordial Spirit Pearl embedded atop the Jade Ruyi shattered.

At that moment, Peng Dongcheng's eyes nearly split apart.

It felt as though his own heart had shattered with it.

The foundation he had envisioned forging, the lifespan he had hoped to gain, his breakthroughs into the Qi Sea Realm and the Innate Realm... all those beautiful prospects, all those thoughts, vanished into thin air along with the shattered Primordial Spirit Pill.

Gone. Everything was gone.

"What exactly happened?"

His heart hurt so badly that he could scarcely breathe.

For a long while, he could not recover.

He had never imagined that the treasure he had spent half a year plotting for and obtained through untold hardship would turn out to be nothing but an empty shell.

And now, even that empty shell had shattered?

"Could someone have discovered the Primordial Spirit Pearl's secret earlier and absorbed the energy within it in advance?"

Only after quite some time did he barely regain his senses. Then he quickly shook his head. "No. Impossible."

He soon realized that if someone had discovered and absorbed the Primordial Spirit Pearl earlier, the pearl itself could never have remained on the Jade Ruyi.

Without the support of primordial spirit power, the Primordial Spirit Pearl could not possibly have lasted long.

"Then the primordial spirit qi within this Primordial Spirit Pearl could only have been absorbed by someone recently..."

As Peng Dongcheng guessed, unwillingness and regret immediately surfaced in his eyes.

He hated heaven for its unfairness, hated earth for its unevenness, hated himself for failing to discover it sooner, hated the person who had absorbed the primordial spirit qi for ruining his plans and cutting off his future...

The next day, the pawnshop remained calm and uneventful.

The only thing worth mentioning was that Zhang Ke got his wish and entered Third Appraiser Zhang Gao's Water Cloud Retreat.

What awaited him was a journey entirely unknown.

If he was lucky, he would emerge safe and sound.

If he was unlucky, he would go in upright and come out sideways.

Those who did not know the truth were more or less envious.

But Chen Shaojun had already learned from Ayong that Zhang Ke was merely a test subject. Seeing this, Chen Shaojun could only sigh and watch with indifference.

As for warning him?

There was no need.

Kind words could not dissuade a ghost bent on dying; Zhang Ke might even think Chen Shaojun was jealous.

Chen Shaojun could not be bothered to waste his effort.

Rather than spending time on that, he might as well quickly find a suitable martial arts school to learn martial arts.

Today's appraisal assignments were clearly much fewer.

Chen Shaojun received two items, gaining a carpenter's inheritance and a Blood-Qi Pill respectively.

Then he went to see the shopkeeper and asked for leave.

The shopkeeper of the Lin Family Pawnshop was a silver-haired old man surnamed Liu. Everyone called him Shopkeeper Liu.

Perhaps because he had spent many years doing business and receiving customers, he always wore a smiling expression toward everyone.

Of course, it had to be said that Chen Shaojun's proficient Divine Gaze Technique was likely one reason for the man's friendly attitude.

"A wise choice."

Upon hearing Chen Shaojun's reason, Shopkeeper Liu gave him an approving look and said, "I have worked at the pawnshop for decades. My understanding of appraisers may not compare to that of true appraisers, but it is not far off.

When appraisers identify treasures, the foremost thing is spiritual strength.

And where does spiritual strength come from? It is transformed from qi and blood.

Therefore, every appraiser ought to learn martial arts.

It need not be for competing with others. More importantly, it is to temper the body and strengthen one's qi and blood.

Leaving aside anything else, among the three appraisers of our Lin Family Pawnshop, which one has not practiced martial arts?

Do you know that your Chief Appraiser Qin is not only profoundly skilled at appraising treasures, but also quite formidable in martial arts? Outside, he even bears the title Copperhide Iron Hands.

The fact that you thought of learning martial arts, and raised your Divine Gaze Technique to proficiency in barely half a year—

It shows that you have talent, brains, and ideas.

With that being the case, I truly look forward to the day you become a formal appraiser."

As Shopkeeper Liu spoke, he seemed to have genuinely begun to think highly of Chen Shaojun.

"You flatter me, Shopkeeper Liu."

Chen Shaojun promptly showed a trace of gratitude, though inwardly he was somewhat surprised.

He had not expected that the ever-mysterious Chief Appraiser Qin possessed not only superb appraisal techniques, but also no weak martial skills.

One had to know that no martial-world title ever fell from the sky without cause.

One had to earn it through several respectable achievements in battle.

As for becoming a formal appraiser...

"Since you wish to learn martial arts, as the shopkeeper, I cannot offer nothing at all.

How about this? In a moment, go to Shen Lang and draw ten taels of silver. Consider it the pawnshop's support for your martial arts training."

Shopkeeper Liu pondered briefly before speaking again.

"Thank you, Shopkeeper Liu."

Chen Shaojun clasped his hands and did not refuse.

The tuition fees at martial arts schools were not low.

Although payments could be made monthly, with his current means, he should be able to afford two months.

But who would ever complain about having too much money?

Not to mention that if one wished to practice martial arts, aside from bitter cultivation, one also needed nourishment.

Food supplements, medicinal meals, and even pills... all of them were money-burning beasts.

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