"You actually know the young master of Star Peak from our Taixuan Sect?"
Red-Clad immediately asked in surprise.
"I have heard of Brother Hua's accomplishments. They say he is the genius of this generation most likely to become the sect master of the Taixuan Sect. He enjoys making friends, and this humble monk was just preparing to pay him a visit."
Jiang Ming smiled while holding a flower between his fingers, his appearance solemn and dignified. When it was time to put on airs, he naturally would not hide himself. Divine Patterns flowed with crimson radiance across his brow, while a Light God Wheel faintly emerged behind his head and slowly turned. Buddhist chants rose around him, making him resemble an ancient young Buddha walking through the ages.
Dao Palace Secret Realm cultivators from the Taixuan Sect had long since noticed Jiang Ming in secret. He was too young, too conspicuous, and had produced so many artifacts at once. At a glance, he seemed like the sort whose origins were unclear.
But upon seeing Jiang Ming's bearing and Dao aura, like that of a living Buddha in this age, they all felt that some reckless fools must have offended this master and then been enlightened by him. Weeping bitterly in repentance, they had offered up their weapons, laid down their butcher's knives, and immediately attained Buddhahood.
Before long, Gathered Worthies Tower took away those artifacts and converted them into resources. The two spirit herbs were naturally delivered into Jiang Ming's hands.
Some people could be provoked, while others were clearly extraordinary at a glance. One should not rashly provoke them without thinking, bringing trouble—or even calamity—upon the Taixuan Sect.
The elder stationed at Gathered Worthies Tower was now already wondering whether Jiang Ming was a Buddhist Son from the Western Desert traveling the world for experience.
Jiang Ming was quite happy to let them think so. Less trouble was better than more. Killing was not his wish; cutting karma did not mean cutting people.
"Artifacts refined by Life Spring cultivators can be exchanged for two taels and nine qian of Source. We rounded it up for you to three taels of Source. The seven artifacts refined by Divine Bridge cultivators can be exchanged for a total of one jin and two taels of Source.
"The two spirit herbs are Purple Jade Orchid, a precious herb with four hundred years of medicinal age that has absorbed the purple qi of the rising Supreme Yang for four hundred years, worth seven jin of Source.
"Daoheart Lotus, also called Mind-Calming Lotus, is a treasure lotus that can help one comprehend the Dao. It benefits cultivators seeking to break through to the Other Shore Realm or even gain insight into the Dao Palace Secret Realm. It is worth twelve jin of Source.
"Master, are you satisfied?"
Red-Clad became even more courteous. Her beautiful eyes glimmered as she respectfully addressed Jiang Ming.
"Then take a look at this piece of Star Iron. How much is it worth?"
Jiang Ming thought of the huge piece of Star-Pattern Iron the system had rewarded him after he killed the Life Spring bandit cultivator. It was useless to him. His Life-Bound Sword had become so proud that it circled the iron once, let out a clang, and directly smacked it aside before turning around and returning to the Sea of Bitterness in his dantian.
It even slept atop Light Stone. How could it possibly care for such low-grade artifact material?
A block of Star-Pattern Iron as large as a cubic zhang landed on the ground with a bang, making even Red-Clad's mouth twitch slightly.
"Star-Pattern Iron. This tower's purchase price is ten jin of Source per cubic zhang. The starlight patterns on this piece are clear, so I can offer you eleven jin of Source."
Red-Clad hurriedly named the price.
Although Star-Pattern Iron was excellent material for refining artifacts used by Sea of Bitterness cultivators, before it had been refined into an artifact, it was not as valuable as an artifact that had already been refined. It was only worth eleven jin of Source because there was so much of it.
Otherwise, this single block of material would be enough to refine more than a thousand artifacts.
Artifacts were generally very small, primarily delicate and compact, with most being around the size of a palm.
After refinement and the addition of Dao Patterns, they could also be enlarged or shrunk at will and stored back within the Sea of Bitterness.
Still not enough?
Jiang Ming searched through his Sea of Bitterness. With another bang, he tossed out two more blocks of material, each a cubic zhang in size: Obsidian Gold and Violet Cloud Stone.
Both were artifact materials on the same level as Star-Pattern Iron. His Life-Bound Sword did not care for them, and neither did Jiang Ming. There was no way he would use them to refine the sole artifact for his Shrouding Method.
Even though he had yet to obtain the Dao Scripture: Sea of Bitterness Chapter.
"For the two materials, I can give you twenty-two jin of Source. What do you think?"
Red-Clad had received truly professional training, so she did not laugh.
She suspected Jiang Ming had found small mineral veins containing all three types of artifact material and had specifically gone to refine them. Otherwise, why were all these materials so perfectly square?
Didn't the Buddhist School emphasize the principle of "roundness"?
Why were they not round at all, but so square instead?
In the end, Jiang Ming obtained fifteen and a half jin of Source, along with the two spirit herbs.
He finally understood just how precious Source was in this world. Its purchasing power far exceeded the spirit stones cultivators had used in his previous life.
"If you wish to go to the Taixuan Sect, Gathered Worthies Tower also provides flying mounts for rent. I recommend an Azure Feather Crane. It can reach the Gathered Worthies Tower headquarters at the foot of Taixuan Sect's mountain in as little as two hours.
"An Azure Feather Crane comparable to a Sea of Bitterness cultivator costs only one tael of Source.
"There are also better Azure Feather Cranes, though their fees are correspondingly higher.
"If you wish, you can depart tomorrow and travel with the caravan collecting goods."
Red-Clad added another quiet reminder.
"No need. I'll leave today. An ordinary Azure Feather Crane will do. I'm too poor. I have no money."
Jiang Ming glanced at Nannan as he spoke.
After buying what he needed, Jiang Ming saw that it was still early. He had already planned to stay at the Taixuan Sect that night, so he could get the Blood Pill Lingzhi he needed sooner.
He still had other things on him that would be enough to tempt Hua Yunfei.
Otherwise, he would jinx Hua Yunfei to death. Jiang Ming would simply move into Star Peak and never leave.
Right, Clumsy Peak of the Taixuan Sect. One of the Nine Secrets was there. If he remembered correctly, it was the Nine Secrets: Jie.
However, the Nine Secrets: Jie had not appeared for a long time, and Clumsy Peak had already declined. Whether he had such fortune was uncertain, though it was probably unlikely.
Besides, he was a monk from the Western Desert. If he caused a commotion, the Taixuan Sect would not be willing to let him take that secret technique away.
Forget it. There was no rush for now.
He had an unparalleled secret art and divine ability like Seventy-Two Transformations, allowing him to change in countless ways and borrow sixty percent of the innate divine abilities of heroes from Immortal Antiquity. That was more than enough for him to run wild in the early stages.
He also had the Quasi-Emperor Method and the Yaoguang Scripture. Some of the secret arts within could openly pass as Buddhist School divine abilities and secret techniques, making him a natural-born pretender to a radiant god.
Nannan was very obedient. She clung to Jiang Ming's head, terrified that he would abandon her. It melted his heart, and he raised her as his daughter.
Once he obtained an Emperor Armament to suppress his Heaven-Scourge Solitary Heart Fate Pattern, he would spend more time with Tingting.
For now, it seemed the system's rewards did have a pattern: the stronger the opponent he killed, the richer the reward.
As for receiving generous rewards by jinxing his relatives to death, he ignored that completely. Damn system, don't even think about it. He would rather perish together.
Just after Jiang Ming left Flame City, he immediately discovered figures trailing behind him one after another.
He and Nannan rode an Azure Feather Crane rented from Gathered Worthies Tower. It had a gentle temperament and was a variant savage beast. It possessed a great advantage in speed, flying even faster than Life Spring cultivators. Though it was only comparable to a Sea of Bitterness cultivator, it would not suffer any backlash.
Flame City was a full three thousand li from the Taixuan Sect. Riding an Azure Feather Crane, they could arrive in only two hours.
The benefit of using a mount was that one did not need to expend the divine power of one's Sea of Bitterness along the way, allowing cultivators to remain at their peak condition.
Jiang Ming had chosen a mount because when Red-Clad casually recommended one, Nannan's eyes had sparkled. Flying was something little girls naturally liked. He simply could not refuse her.
After leaving Flame City and flying three hundred li.
The Azure Feather Crane beneath them gave an uneasy cry. Exotic birds were far more sensitive to danger than ordinary cultivators.
First, Divine Bridge cultivators had secretly caught up to them. They had finally lost patience and were ready to act.
Murder and arson brought golden belts. Once those bandit cultivators set foot on this path, they became addicted. The high-risk, high-reward life made them unable to stop.