Divine Armament Pavilion

"We're here."

"This shop is huge. The Tongbao Acquisition and Clearance House covers a thousand square meters, but compared to this? It's like a child standing next to a giant!" Yang Yu stood a short distance from the entrance to the Divine Armament Pavilion. From there, he could easily take in the entire building.

The Divine Armament Pavilion occupied a vast area, and its decor was as lavish as an imperial palace.

Even on this floor, it was dazzling!

Its sheer size alone made it clear... the Divine Armament Pavilion possessed immense resources!

The annual rent it paid to the Ten Thousand Layers Tower for a shop this size would be an astronomical sum, far beyond anything Yang Yu could afford!

That young clerk at the Tongbao Acquisition and Clearance House was no ordinary fellow.

Yang Yu marveled.

He could write a letter of introduction to a major establishment like the Divine Armament Pavilion, refer customers directly, and even secure them a five-percent increase in the price offered for their treasures?

Not just anyone had that kind of influence.

The more Yang Yu thought about it, the more unfathomable that young clerk seemed... Although his strength was only at the Mortal Peak, the bearing he displayed in every movement was far beyond that of an ordinary clerk.

"What a shame."

"I didn't ask his name."

"If I get another chance to see him, I'll have to get to know him."

"If I'm right, that young clerk must have all sorts of ties to the core leadership of the Tongbao Acquisition and Clearance House... Perhaps he was making an incognito inspection and only temporarily playing the part of a clerk." Thoughts raced through Yang Yu's mind as he strode toward the magnificent Divine Armament Pavilion before him.

Ahead, red and blue light shone together!

The moment Yang Yu came within ten meters of the Divine Armament Pavilion, he felt two distinctly different powers wash over him!

Those powers carried the properties of ice and fire. One moment, Yang Yu's entire body burned, warmth spreading through every limb and bone... The next, it felt as though an icy wind scraped his bones, yet it did him no harm. It even soothed the restlessness deep within his cells and genes. Yang Yu faintly sensed that, under the influence of these alternating extremes of ice and fire, the Cosmic Force within him was becoming denser and more refined.

Yang Yu was astonished and silently praised it. Impressive!

"As expected of a major shop specializing in buying and selling Mortal Shedding Treasures, its presentation really is extraordinary... They've even installed powerful talisman formation wards at the entrance!"

"Ice and fire blend together, even slightly improving the strength of cultivators within a fixed area... Creating these two effects with special warding formations must cost a fortune in natural treasures. They'd probably need at least a Heaven Tier talisman formation master to set it up!"

Talisman formation practitioners were a branch of cultivators within the Immortal Civilization.

Their standing was exceptional. Compared to ordinary cultivators, they were rarer and held higher status!

The Immortal Civilization was much like the immortal cultivators of ancient Eastern myths... They cultivated by comprehending nature and the world, mastered pill refining and the crafting of magical implements and treasures, and laid talisman formations that harnessed the power of heaven and earth to unleash world-shaking might!

Those who refined pills were alchemists!

Those who crafted magical implements and treasures were artificers!

And those extraordinary individuals who specialized in studying and comprehending talisman formations, drawing upon the power of heaven and earth to wield strange and wondrous abilities... were respectfully called talisman formation practitioners!

A practitioner at the acquired human tier was considered a beginner.

Those at the Acquired Heaven Tier, however, had attained true proficiency and could be called masters!

A talisman formation master? They hired someone like that to set up these formations? Yang Yu thought. The hiring fee alone would be astronomical... Even for a simple formation, a talisman formation master would probably charge more than a million.

For a complex, large-scale formation like this, the fee could easily reach a hundred million!

And that's not even counting the astonishing amount of energy needed to keep this ice-and-fire formation running every day!

This expense alone would probably crush the finances of some smaller factions.

The Divine Armament Pavilion really does have money to burn.

As his countless thoughts settled into a single conclusion, Yang Yu collected himself... With the ice-and-fire power washing through his cells and genes, he reached the entrance to the Divine Armament Pavilion.

A welcoming party of cultivators, every one of them at the mortal peak, had been waiting before the brilliantly lit entrance.

As soon as they saw Yang Yu approach, they greeted him!

"Welcome!"

“At the Divine Armament Pavilion, every guest feels at home... We buy everything and sell everything. Whatever you desire, we have Mortal Shedding Treasures of every kind!”

After the perfectly synchronized greeting, a young clerk stepped out from the group and approached Yang Yu with a smile.

“Sir, welcome to the Divine Armament Pavilion. I'm Zhang Ning, clerk number three hundred and seventy-five.” Having introduced himself, Zhang Ning respectfully gestured for Yang Yu to enter and led him inside.

“Let's talk inside, sir. It's more comfortable there... Whether you have unused Mortal Shedding Treasures to sell or want to choose weapons and treasures that suit you, we'll make sure you're satisfied.”

“We offer the highest purchase prices and the most affordable sale prices for Mortal Shedding Treasures in the industry!”

"We hope you'll feel right at home here."

"This way, sir!"

As Zhang Ning spoke, he guided Yang Yu into the shop.

By the time he finished, Yang Yu was fully inside the Divine Armament Pavilion. From outside, it had already looked lavish enough, covered in carvings and paintings of dragons and phoenixes, its decorations glittering with gold.

But only after stepping inside did Yang Yu realize how little he had known.

The interior was even more lavish!

No, extravagant was the word for it...

Just look at these things!

Those sheets of emerald, glass-like material covering the walls? They were neither glass nor jade... They were a natural treasure called Green Marrow Heart!

This was a precious natural treasure!

And decorations like these were everywhere inside the Divine Armament Pavilion!!

Even building the entire shop out of solid gold would not have been so outrageously extravagant!

"Sir?"

"Sir?"

Yang Yu had fallen into a daze. Standing beside him, Zhang Ning waved a hand in front of his eyes and called to him several times.

At last, Yang Yu snapped out of it.

“Ahem.” Realizing he had lost his composure, Yang Yu looked embarrassed.

Some nearby cultivators had noticed what was happening. At the sight of Yang Yu, they shook their heads inwardly, contempt showing on their faces.

"Country bumpkin."

Some even muttered it under their breath.

Zhang Ning, however, showed no unusual reaction. He had worked at the Divine Armament Pavilion for years. What sort of customer hadn't he seen?

In fact, many first-time visitors to the Divine Armament Pavilion were stunned by its lavish decor.

That was perfectly normal.

Zhang Ning understood that there were all kinds of people in this world.

Some customers, in particular, spent their lives cultivating in seclusion. They possessed tremendous power and astonishing wealth... Their experience of the world was simply somewhat limited because they had always kept a low profile and cultivated in private.

People like that could not be offended.

He did not know whether Yang Yu was such a person... But whether out of caution or professionalism, he could not, and would not allow himself to, show the slightest disrespect.

Zhang Ning led Yang Yu to a corner furnished with a full set of tables and chairs.

After inviting Yang Yu to sit on a soft, comfortable sofa, Zhang Ning finally asked with a smile, "Sir, have you come to the Divine Armament Pavilion to sell goods, or to buy treasures and weapons that suit you?"

"To sell."

"I might buy a few things, too." Yang Yu answered without hesitation.

Then he turned his hand over and took a letter from his trouser pocket.

"Here!"

Yang Yu tossed the letter onto the table. It slid across the surface and stopped precisely in front of Zhang Ning.

"This is a letter of recommendation from the Tongbao Acquisition and Clearance House."

"They told me that if I brought this letter to do business at the Divine Armament Pavilion... I'd definitely leave satisfied."

PS: Thanks to the readers "Flying Dad" and "Tyrant Bear Ring" for their tips! Please send recommendation votes and add this novel to your favorites!