Three Treasures
Great Scarlet Heaven.
East Spirit Mountain Market.
Fang Yu altered his build and appearance, then used the Yuanchen Pearl to disguise the presence of his cultivation before making his way to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Since most of the cultivators had gone to the newly opened Autumn Moon Mountain Market, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion was unusually deserted, and there were noticeably fewer spiritual items displayed on its counters.
Even so, the shopkeeper, Huang An, was as welcoming as ever. He came over as soon as Fang Yu entered the shop.
"What can I get for you, fellow Daoist? Our shop..."
Fang Yu got straight to the point. "I intend to seek a fortuitous opportunity at Autumn Moon Mountain, but I hear Bandit Cultivators haunt the area and Demon Beasts roam in packs, making it extremely dangerous. So I'd like to buy some resources to protect myself and preserve my life. Do you have any recommendations, shopkeeper?"
Huang An's eyes lit up. He invited Fang Yu into a private room and served him tea before making his recommendations. "Fellow Daoist, your cultivation is at the Qi Refining Middle Stage. As long as you're a little careful, your safety shouldn't be a major concern at Autumn Moon Mountain.
"It's just that Qi Refining Late Stage experts, and even Foundation Establishment Ancestors, are frequently seen there now. Second-tier Demon Beasts also roam the area. Without a trump card to save your life, you'd certainly have reason to worry.
"It's only natural that you'd want to find some means of preserving your life, and our shop happens to have several. Even if you encounter a Foundation Establishment Ancestor or a second-tier Demon Beast, you can retreat unscathed. It's just..."
Fang Yu caught his meaning at once and said with a smile, "Please, speak freely, shopkeeper. As long as they're suitable, Spirit Stones are no problem."
"Hehe!" Huang An chuckled, took a sip of tea, and said, "Our shop has three treasures. The first is a secret Technique that unleashes an explosive burst of Law Power and Qi and Blood, instantly raising your escape speed to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Nothing could be better suited for fleeing for your life. The only drawback is that you'll suffer a long period of weakness afterward. This secret Technique costs just three thousand Spirit Stones."
At this point, Huang An glanced at Fang Yu. Seeing no change in his expression, he continued:
"The second treasure is a Spirit Artifact fragment. It can block one attack from a Foundation Establishment Ancestor, but it must be nurtured for several years afterward before it can be used again. It costs ten thousand Spirit Stones."
Fang Yu's brow twitched slightly. "What about the third treasure?"
Huang An took a sip of tea and smiled. "The third treasure is a talisman treasure containing a trace of a Law Treasure's might. With a single strike, even a Foundation Establishment Ancestor would have to give it a wide berth. It costs thirty thousand Spirit Stones."
"Your shop actually has a talisman treasure!"
Fang Yu was somewhat surprised. He had read about talisman treasures in miscellaneous books. A Golden Core Ancestor extracted a trace of power from his own lifebound Law Treasure and sealed it in a spiritual talisman, allowing it to unleash a tenth of the Law Treasure's might.
Though it was only a tenth, it could still kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator if used by surprise. Most importantly, the threshold for using a talisman treasure was extremely low. Even a Qi Refining cultivator could activate one. They were often bestowed upon the descendants of Golden Core cultivators or core sect disciples to protect their lives.
Seeing Fang Yu's reaction, Huang An explained, "To be honest with you, customer, the power of the talisman treasure we're selling is nearly exhausted. It only has enough for one strike, which is why it's so cheap."
"I see!"
Fang Yu nodded slightly, delighted. He felt his luck was quite good. The three treasures Huang An had described were simply perfect for him: a Spirit Artifact fragment that could block a Foundation Establishment attack, a talisman treasure that had a chance of seriously injuring or even killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and a secret Technique he could use to flee for his life. Even if they were all only usable once, they suited him perfectly.
After all, he was only looking for ways to preserve his life so he would be prepared for any eventuality. Having them wouldn't make him go out and pick vicious fights with others.
More importantly, the price was entirely within his means.
"Your pavilion truly lives up to its reputation as a long-established shop. You actually have three such treasures, and I'm quite tempted. Still, the price is a little too high. How about this? Thirty thousand Spirit Stones, and I'll take all three."
Huang An's hand paused slightly as he held his teacup, and he chuckled. "You do like to joke, fellow Daoist. Thirty thousand Spirit Stones would only buy the talisman treasure. There's simply no way I could throw in the other two. How about this? If you're sincere about buying them, I'll throw in the secret Technique. Forty thousand Spirit Stones."
"Fine, forty thousand it is!"
Fang Yu agreed at once without haggling further. It was better to get the three treasures into his hands sooner rather than later, lest something unexpected happen.
"You're refreshingly straightforward, fellow Daoist!" Huang An rose as he spoke. "Please wait a moment. I'll be right back!"
Fang Yu nodded and watched Huang An leave. He grew nervous, and the Yuanchen Pearl in his sea of consciousness began to turn slowly as he prepared to run at a moment's notice.
He couldn't be sure where the Hundred Treasures Pavilion would draw the line. Forty thousand Spirit Stones were enough to tempt even a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. If Huang An had gone to summon people rather than fetch the goods, Fang Yu needed to be ready.
His worries seemed unnecessary, however. Huang An soon returned, carrying a wooden tray with a Jade Slip, a golden sphere covered in cracks, and a spiritual talisman that gave Fang Yu an extremely dangerous feeling.
"Please look, fellow Daoist. These are our shop's three treasures: the Blood Escape Technique, the Sun Gold Wheel, and the Phoenix Cry Talisman."
Fang Yu swept his hand, and forty thousand Spirit Stones poured out of his Storage Bag, floating in front of Huang An.
"Please examine them carefully, fellow Daoist!" Only then did Huang An set down the tray.
Fang Yu picked up the Jade Slip and sent his spiritual sense into it. The Mnemonic for a secret Technique immediately appeared. It involved burning one's own Essence Blood to perform the Blood Shield Technique. The more Essence Blood burned, the faster the speed, but the longer the period of weakness afterward.
After putting away the Jade Slip, he picked up the Sun Gold Wheel. The next moment, the Yuanchen Pearl in his mind turned slightly, and in the next instant, the Sun Gold Wheel was drawn directly inside. The Primordial Qi within the Yuanchen Pearl immediately wrapped around it.
What's this?
Fang Yu's heart stirred slightly. He had triggered another new function of the Yuanchen Pearl. A surge of information reached him the next moment, and he understood.
If there was Primordial Qi inside the Yuanchen Pearl, it could be used to nurture Law Treasures. Although the Sun Gold Wheel was only a Spirit Artifact fragment, it had the potential to grow-or rather, its quality could be continuously improved through nurturing.
This is an unexpected windfall!
His expression unchanged, Fang Yu reached out and took the last talisman treasure, the Phoenix Cry Talisman, in his hand. He immediately sensed an extremely terrifying fluctuation of flames. It did indeed possess a trace of a Law Treasure's might.
I wonder if this talisman treasure can be nurtured too!
With a thought, he made the talisman treasure disappear. The next moment, it appeared inside the Yuanchen Pearl and, like the Sun Gold Wheel, was wrapped in Primordial Qi.
"Farewell!"
With the three treasures in hand, Fang Yu didn't linger for a moment. He left the Hundred Treasures Pavilion and sped toward the edge of the market on a streak of light.
Huang An stood at the entrance, watching Fang Yu's departing streak of light with a smile on his lips:
"The development of the Autumn Moon Mountain mine is wonderful. Overnight, so many nouveau riche have appeared.
"He only had to boast a little to get Fang Yu to obediently hand over a huge sum, selling at a high price a Spirit Artifact fragment that had been sitting in the shop for who knew how many years and was about to become scrap, along with a talisman treasure that had only a trace of its power left. If a few more nouveau riche like him came along, the shop could clear out its stock, and headquarters would surely reward him handsomely."