One-Origin Heavy Water Pearl

"What would you offer in exchange?" Lu Zhao decided to find out first.

"A formation plate."

Chen Moyang took a heavy yellowish-brown stone plate from his Storage Bag.

Natural, tortoiseshell-like cracks covered its surface, with earthen-yellow spiritual light flowing deep within them. A fist-sized dark brown crystal, lustrous as fine fat, was embedded in the center, exuding a weighty, steady aura. "A first-tier inferior-grade Earth Vein Black Tortoise Formation."

He pointed a withered finger at the tortoiseshell patterns on the plate. "It uses a Wu Earth crystal as its core to link with the energy of the earth veins.

"Once the formation takes shape, earthen-yellow spiritual light covers a thirty-meter stretch of ground, solid as a boulder."

His fingertip traced the surface of the Wu Earth crystal. "The earth energy in Green Vine Ravine is cold and laden with dampness. Ordinary defensive formations are less effective here."

"I refined this formation using yin earth gathered from the bottom of the ravine, pouring three years of painstaking effort into it. Nothing could be better suited to the earth veins here!"

"Since this formation is deployed through a formation plate, even someone ignorant of formations can follow the diagram to set it up."

"At the Market District auction three years ago, this formation fetched seventy-five Spirit Stones."

"If you want it, fellow Daoist, I will likewise value it at seventy Spirit Stones in exchange for your puppet."

"Do you have a first-tier middle-grade defensive formation?" Lu Zhao asked after hearing him out.

Chen Moyang paused at those words, a troubled look appearing on his face.

"I only know a first-tier middle-grade Restraining Formation, and a middle-grade formation would not be of equivalent value."

After a moment of silence, Lu Zhao spoke:

"Agreed."

Chen Moyang breathed a sigh of relief at his answer and handed the formation plate to Lu Zhao first.

Seeing this, Lu Zhao also took an Ironwood Guard from his Storage Bag and handed it to Chen Moyang.

He had also intended to buy a defensive formation, so he knew something of their value. That formation was indeed worth seventy Spirit Stones.

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries. Half a quarter-hour later, Chen Moyang excused himself, saying he had something to attend to, and left Lu Zhao's stone house.

Inside the meditation chamber, Lu Zhao rested his hand on the formation plate. His fingertips touched the smooth, slightly cool surface of the Wu Earth crystal, and he felt particularly reassured.

"Activate!"

Seven pillars of earthen-yellow light shot skyward from the rim of the formation plate, crashing into the cold yin energy surging deep within Green Vine Ravine's earth veins.

Thick, dark yellow spiritual mist gushed from cracks in the ground, instantly condensing into a tortoiseshell-shaped dome of light spanning thirty meters.

With this formation, a weight that had long burdened Lu Zhao's heart was lifted.

"It's time to make a trip back to the Market District," Lu Zhao said with a faint smile.

The Nine Abyss Pavilion remained magnificent in the evening light. Stepping inside, Lu Zhao saw the shopkeeper beside the counter, his eyes half closed.

"The three months aren't up yet. Has something else come up, fellow Daoist Lu?" the shopkeeper asked with a smile.

"I have nothing important to report. I merely wanted to ask you to keep an eye out for a few things."

"Sure enough, you brat never come bearing anything good." The shopkeeper laughed as he scolded him.

"What is it that has brought you to this old man again?"

Lu Zhao told the shopkeeper why he had come. "Powerful water-attribute or ice-attribute spells."

"You've been to the Retainer Pavilion's library, haven't you?"

"Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come looking for you."

Lu Zhao had arrived in the Market District two days earlier. He had first spent a day searching the library and, sure enough, found no suitable spells.

He had also visited the Black Market, but the spells there were not even as good as those in the library.

"Give me a day. I'll ask around to see whether anyone has spells of that sort."

"As for the Dharma artifact you're looking for, go to the Hundred Refinements Pavilion. Their selection of Dharma artifacts is more comprehensive than mine."

The shopkeeper waved a hand, telling Lu Zhao to come back tomorrow.

"I didn't expect the two shops to be on such good terms." Lu Zhao walked along the road to the Hundred Refinements Pavilion.

Though both belonged to the Zhou Household, many shops in the Market District competed with one another and would never refer customers elsewhere.

When he reached the Hundred Refinements Pavilion, Shopkeeper Liu looked just as he had before. His oil-stained fingers habitually twirled a few sparse, ratlike whiskers; his small eyes still gleamed brightly, and the tip of his nose was red.

At the moment, however, he was scolding a girl in green.

She was sixteen or seventeen, with loosely tied black hair and faint dimples. Bits of grass clung to her green clothes, and her eyes held the lively grace of the mountains and wilds.

Her cultivation was only at the first level of Qi Refining. Under his scolding, she lowered her head, not daring to say a word.

Seeing Lu Zhao arrive, he stepped forward and personally welcomed him inside.

Then he caught sight of the girl still rooted to the spot and said irritably, "What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and serve the tea."

He led Lu Zhao into a private chamber. After serving the spiritual tea, the girl fled as though flying.

Lu Zhao found the sight somewhat amusing. In all his years here, he had rarely encountered anyone like this girl.

"Sorry you had to see that, fellow Daoist," Shopkeeper Liu said helplessly.

"She is the daughter of an old friend, but she has been far too sheltered. If I'm not stricter with her, I fear she'll have trouble surviving in the cultivation world."

"It's no matter."

Lu Zhao took a sip of spiritual tea. After a little casual conversation, Shopkeeper Liu returned to the manner of a capable shopkeeper.

He rubbed his hands. "Have you come to sell or buy, fellow Daoist?"

"I need a first-tier middle-grade water-attribute heavy-type Dharma artifact. Does your pavilion have one?"

"A first-tier middle-grade water-attribute heavy-type Dharma artifact." Shopkeeper Liu frowned slightly.

"Does even your pavilion lack such an artifact?" Lu Zhao asked.

"Not quite. It's just that artifacts of this kind are indeed rare."

"But our pavilion happens to have one in its collection. As for the price, though..."

"Whatever you wish to say, shopkeeper, please speak freely."

"You're straightforward, fellow Daoist Lu. Please wait here a moment."

Before long, he returned, personally carrying a jade box.

Lu Zhao looked over and saw ink markings on the jade box like a cracked abyss. A cold, deep blue gleam shone through, as though a weighty artifact lay hidden within.

Without saying anything more, Shopkeeper Liu opened the box.

A deep blue, mysterious pearl lay inside. Looking closely, it seemed to possess the weight of an ocean abyss. Dark water patterns surged across it like a collapsing river of stars, its rises and falls drawing a hundred streams to hang upside down.

"Surely you've heard of the One-Origin Heavy Water Pearl, fellow Daoist?"

Hearing the name, ripples stirred in Lu Zhao's heart.

He stared straight at Shopkeeper Liu, plainly waiting for an explanation.

Afraid he might misunderstand, Shopkeeper Liu said, "Please don't misunderstand, fellow Daoist Lu. This is indeed a One-Origin Heavy Water Pearl."

"It's just that this Dharma artifact is extremely unusual. Its grade depends entirely on the amount of One-Origin Heavy Water within it."

"Two drops of One-Origin Heavy Water were incorporated when this pearl was refined, so it is only a first-tier middle-grade Dharma artifact."

"The One-Origin Heavy Water Pearls you've read about in ancient texts, with the power to destroy heaven and earth, are all second-tier or higher."

"This one's effects are much the same as those described in ancient texts, only far less powerful."

"I had intended to put it up at the Nine Abyss Pavilion's annual auction, but since you're a longstanding customer of our shop, fellow Daoist Lu, I reluctantly brought it out."

"One hundred and thirty Spirit Stones. A fixed price."

As Shopkeeper Liu said this, he wore the look of someone taking a terrible loss.

After a brief silence, Lu Zhao spoke. "What is this pearl's lock-on range? Can it break through the flesh of a first-tier superior-grade Demonic Beast skilled in defense?"

"Within nine meters, anything locked onto by this pearl cannot evade it. A first-tier superior-grade Demonic Beast struck by it will be gravely wounded, if not killed."

"As for this pearl's drawbacks, you should be aware of those as well."

"It consumes a great deal of magical power and moves slowly when controlled. It can only be used against cumbersome things."

"As for its detailed effects, I can explain them to you at length..."