Low grade, middle grade, high grade, supreme grade-these were the four grades of spirit stones.
As for why the spirit stones he had enhanced were only middle grade rather than supreme grade, He Pingsheng could not figure it out.
Let's keep reading and see what these spirit stones are used for.
He buried himself in the book again.
About half an incense stick later, He Pingsheng raised his head in astonishment.
He finally understood why his Treasure-Gathering Basin had not produced supreme-grade spirit stones.
Because they were simply too heaven-defying.
Ordinary Low-Grade Spirit Stones could serve as currency and tools for transactions in the Cultivation World.
Middle-grade spirit stones contained abundant spiritual power. Even a single one could support the cultivation of a disciple at the qi refining stage or even the foundation establishment realm.
As everyone knew, cultivators in the Cultivation World had to find places rich in spiritual energy to cultivate.
Where was spiritual energy abundant?
The answer: blessed grottoes, famous islands, and immortal mountains.
Take the Great Void Sect, for example. A sect had been established here precisely because a spirit vein surfaced in the mountains beneath it, continuously releasing spiritual energy for cultivators to absorb.
Once they left the Great Void Sect, there was no spiritual power outside, and they could no longer cultivate.
But with a middle-grade spirit stone, they could cultivate even in an ordinary place.
A middle-grade spirit stone contained ample spiritual power to support one person's cultivation, and its spiritual power was even denser than that provided by low-level spirit veins.
And that was only a middle-grade spirit stone.
What about a high-grade one?
High-grade spirit stones were even more extraordinary.
Bury a high-grade spirit stone underground, and it became a small spirit vein.
Put it this way: a single high-grade spirit stone could sustain an entire [cultivation lineage].
As for supreme-grade spirit stones, they were even more heaven-defying.
A supreme-grade spirit stone the size of a human head, buried underground, was equivalent to a medium-sized spirit vein. It could sustain even a vast sect like the [Great Void Sect].
Now He Pingsheng finally understood why the Treasure-Gathering Basin had only enhanced his stones to middle grade.
If it had produced supreme-grade spirit stones straight away, how outrageous would that have been?
Of course, what He Pingsheng did not know was that the Treasure-Gathering Basin could indeed produce supreme-grade spirit stones. Its enhancement ability depended on his cultivation and on how thoroughly he had refined the basin. Just because it could not do so now did not mean it could not in the future.
Aside from this, there were exchange rates between the different grades of spirit stones.
For instance, one middle-grade spirit stone could be exchanged for ten thousand low-grade ones.
One high-grade stone could, in turn, be exchanged for ten thousand middle-grade ones.
The [Cultivation Miscellany] did not mention the value of supreme-grade stones, but it was certainly even more heaven-defying.
"Ten thousand..." He Pingsheng clicked his tongue in amazement.
He now had the equivalent of twenty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones in his hands.
But... that was no use.
Although he had middle-grade stones, He Pingsheng would not be foolish enough to actually spend them.
Before he had sufficient strength, taking out possessions that did not match his status would only invite disaster.
"Phew..." Looking at his remaining three hundred or so spirit stones, He Pingsheng sighed softly. "Who knows when I'll scrape together enough spirit stones for a Storage Bag!"
"No rush... I'll take it slowly!"
First, he tossed the low-grade magical artifact, the [Flying Sword], into the Treasure-Gathering Basin, then pushed the basin under his bed.
I'll enhance them one at a time!
While the enhancements were underway, He Pingsheng did not sit idle.
He took out his Alchemy Furnace and began refining pills.
His master, Yu Ning, had told him to provide five batches of Qi-Gathering Pills to their branch every month. This was a firm assignment, and he could not delay it.
After about seven days, he finally finished refining those five batches of pills.
The remaining failed pills would not go to waste either. He put them away so that he could enhance them into supreme-grade [Qi-Gathering Pills] later.
Over those seven or eight days, He Pingsheng also enhanced every item he had bought from the Treasury Hall.
First, enhancing the low-grade magical artifact, the [Flying Sword], yielded two supreme-grade [Flying Swords].
Of course, they were still magical artifacts.
Each Flying Sword now had four restrictions on it.
Second, enhancing the low-grade magical artifact, the [Greenwood Shield], yielded two Spirit Shields.
One was a [Vine Armor Shield], while the other was still a [Greenwood Shield].
After enhancement, however, both shields were supreme-grade magical artifacts with four restrictions each.
Enhancing the [Fireball Talisman] yielded two [Explosive Bomb Talismans].
Enhancing the [Ice Needle Talisman] yielded two [Ice Arrow Talismans].
The four enhanced talismans had improved greatly in quality. Though they were still first-grade talismans for use at the qi refining stage, their power had increased severalfold.
Looking at these treasures, He Pingsheng began frantically running calculations in his head.
I definitely need to keep those four Explosive Bomb Talismans and Ice Arrow Talismans for myself. They'll protect me.
I'll keep one Flying Sword and one of the two shields.
That way, he could sell one supreme-grade magical artifact Flying Sword, one supreme-grade magical artifact Greenwood Shield, and one supreme-grade magical artifact [Alchemy Furnace].
Three items!
He was not quite sure what the Flying Sword would sell for, but he could make a rough guess.
A high-grade Flying Sword, for example, cost a little over two hundred spirit stones. A supreme-grade one would surely fetch at least three hundred, perhaps even four hundred.
The Alchemy Furnace could not be worth less than the Flying Sword.
The most expensive item would have to be the [Greenwood Shield].
Among all magical artifacts, defensive ones tended to command the highest prices. He Pingsheng did not know exactly why, but what he had seen in the shops made one thing clear: these things were extremely expensive.
A high-grade [Greenwood Shield] sold for a hefty four hundred spirit stones. What about a supreme-grade one?
Eight hundred? Or a thousand?
That meant the three magical artifacts could sell for around fifteen hundred to two thousand spirit stones. That should just about be enough!
Enough to buy a [Storage Bag].
He Pingsheng had originally wanted to visit the Treasury Hall again to buy more magical artifacts to enhance, but he ultimately abandoned the idea.
Better not. It wouldn't be good to attract anyone's attention.
Only by treading carefully could he travel far.
Taking the five batches of pills, He Pingsheng headed out.
His master, Yu Ning, was in secluded cultivation, and she had said earlier that she would remain in seclusion for a long time. He Pingsheng therefore did not disturb her and went straight to the entrance of his sixth senior sister Zhao Ling'er's courtyard.
There was no sign hanging at Zhao Ling'er's courtyard entrance, which meant she was not in secluded cultivation.
He could simply knock.
"Junior brother?" Zhao Ling'er looked at He Pingsheng in surprise. "What brings you...?"
He Pingsheng gave an honest, good-natured smile and took out five porcelain bottles. "Senior sister... these are the pills I refined this month. Please take a look. Master said I could just hand them to you!"
"Wonderful!"
Zhao Ling'er was delighted. "Junior brother... please come in and sit for a while!"
"Yes!"
He Pingsheng did not stand on ceremony. He followed Zhao Ling'er into her courtyard.
Zhao Ling'er's courtyard was about the same size and layout as He Pingsheng's. They could almost be called identical, yet hers looked far more pleasing.
She had planted all sorts of flowers and greenery in her courtyard, creating a dazzling sea of color.
It smelled lovely, too.
He Pingsheng's gaze passed over the flowers and greenery, only to settle on the earthen-yellow film of light at her doorway. What was that?
Before you continue