Chapter 67

After returning to the headquarters of the sect, Zixiang left first. In the Endless Mountain Range, apart from returning the weapon to her, all other magical artifacts became Zhuge Xiang's spoils of war. He had no intention of giving them back. However, with a medium-grade spirit stone, it somewhat compensated for the loss. As for Lu Yuling, she also left, paying Zhuge Xiang the reward she had promised before she left: a three-star magical artifact leg armor and a bottle of Xiaohuandan, a pill that increases cultivation by two years.

Without any formalities, Zhuge Xiang took the items and curiously asked Lu Yuling, "You've paid me the reward, but did you find what you were looking for in the Ice Maiden's Relic Tomb?"

"Of course," Lu Yuling smiled, clearly in a very good mood. She had no intention of chatting further with Zhuge Xiang and turned to leave. Seeing her eager departure, Zhuge Xiang understood that she had indeed obtained what she wanted and couldn't wait to enhance her strength.

What was her purpose in the Ice Maiden's Relic Tomb? And why did she seem so familiar with the place, even though she had never been there before? The opening of the storage room door and the fact that the unfinished item couldn't leave the palace were all very puzzling.

Shaking his head, Zhuge Xiang dismissed these doubts and decided not to think about them. After all, Lu Yuling was also smart enough not to ask about his own situation.

After staying in the Endless Mountain Range for so long, Zhuge Xiang completed several side quests to collect monster materials. He first went to the quest hall to turn in the quests and received a total of 300 spirit stones as a reward. Then he turned and headed towards the trading area.

The trading area was indeed bustling, like a market, with various items displayed, including equipment, martial arts manuals, materials, and pills, as well as many novel gadgets. Most of the stalls were set up by disciples, who had obtained these items during their adventures. In such a market, there were also vendors who bought and sold in bulk. On both sides of the trading area, rows of shops stood, with prices slightly higher than those of the disciples' stalls but offering a wider variety of items.

The bustling trading area made Zhuge Xiang feel as if he had returned to a secular city. Wasn't this just like the streets of the cities at the foot of the mountain? The only difference was that the people here were all disciples of the Devil Sect, all cultivators.

Zhuge Xiang's storage ring, which he had taken from Zixiang, contained over twenty magical artifacts. He came to the trading area to sell them and, if the price was right, to buy some magical artifacts he needed. After carefully examining the items for about half an hour, Zhuge Xiang had a general idea of the prices of magical artifacts.

In the trading area, a one-star magical artifact typically cost between 100 and 300 spirit stones. Two-star magical artifacts, especially those with good effects, could reach a high price of over a thousand spirit stones. Three-star magical artifacts generally cost over a thousand spirit stones, with better ones reaching up to two thousand.

As for four-star magical artifacts? Zhuge Xiang didn't check, as they were very expensive and relatively rare in the trading area. Moreover, many four-star magical artifacts required at least the Body Tempering Realm to activate, which Zhuge Xiang wasn't yet capable of.

"Little brother, are you looking to buy some practical equipment?" A voice caught Zhuge Xiang's attention as he was browsing the trading area. Turning around, he saw a tall, thin middle-aged man in his forties or fifties standing behind him, with a friendly smile on his face.

"Who are you?" Zhuge Xiang asked, puzzled. The man, in his forties or fifties, exuded a powerful aura, indicating he had been in the Devil Sect for at least thirty years.

"My name is Jin Bu Huan, and I am the owner of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion nearby. My shop collects all kinds of magical artifacts and other interesting items of varying quality. I noticed you've been browsing for a while. If you're looking for something, I'm sure the Hundred Treasures Pavilion has what you need," the man explained with a friendly smile that made people feel at ease.

"Ah, Brother Jin. Actually, I'm not looking to buy magical artifacts but to sell some," Zhuge Xiang replied.

In the trading area, there were some shops, but the rent was too high for ordinary people to afford. Most disciples didn't have a steady supply of goods, so they could only set up stalls when they had something to sell. Those who could afford to open shops in the trading area clearly had their own sources of goods and extensive connections.

"Really? You seem quite accomplished for your age. If you have magical artifacts to sell, we are always open to them," Jin Bu Huan said, looking at Zhuge Xiang with surprise. He looked only fourteen or fifteen but had magical artifacts to sell?

Seeing Jin Bu Huan's demeanor, he seemed to be a capable shop owner. Moreover, Zhuge Xiang knew that he would constantly be in battles, and many items would drop that he wouldn't need. Selling them himself in the trading area would be inconvenient, so finding a regular buyer made sense. Thus, Zhuge Xiang and Jin Bu Huan naturally agreed to work together.

Following Jin Bu Huan to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Zhuge Xiang was secretly impressed. The shop lived up to its name, being one of the largest in the trading area, with a wide variety of items, including magical artifacts, pills, and even martial arts manuals.

Taking out the items from his storage ring that he didn't need, Zhuge Xiang had them appraised by the shop's appraiser. During this time, he chatted with Jin Bu Huan and learned that Zhuge Xiang was a new disciple who had recently joined the sect. Jin Bu Huan was even more surprised, "I heard that among the new disciples, there was one named Zhuge Xiang who single-handedly defeated over a hundred disciples of the Fifth Layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm on Green Willow Peak. That must be you, right?"

Zhuge Xiang nodded in acknowledgment. In the Devil Sect, showing one's strength was necessary. Humility was not seen as a virtue but as a sign of weakness.

"Truly, the younger generation surpasses the older. In our time, no, in the past few decades, there has been no one like you, Brother Zhuge. I believe you will shine in the sect in the future," Jin Bu Huan said with a touch of nostalgia.

"Brother Jin, you're doing well too, running such a large shop like the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, which must be very profitable," Zhuge Xiang replied, shaking his head.

"Little brother, you don't need to comfort me. What is everyone's goal in joining the sect? Isn't it to transcend the mortal realm and overcome the heavenly tribulation? If I had a chance, why would I waste my time in the trading area? I'm already sixty-three and have been stuck at the Tenth Layer of the Reversion Realm for ten years. It seems I won't be able to break through in this lifetime," Jin Bu Huan said with a sigh, his words filled with bitterness.

To Zhuge Xiang, the Tenth Layer of the Reversion Realm was already a very powerful level. However, seeing Jin Bu Huan's bitter expression, he felt a heavy weight in his heart. Running a shop like the Hundred Treasures Pavilion in the trading area might seem glorious, but if it was just for money, why come to the Devil Sect? It was a choice made out of necessity, lacking hope for breakthrough.

The six realms of the Qi Cultivation Stage could be broken through with enough effort, though it took varying amounts of time. However, breaking through the three major realms required more than just effort. Talent, opportunity, effort, insight, and luck were all essential.

The bottleneck between the Qi Cultivation Stage and the Soul Transformation Stage blocked over 99% of cultivators. Only a tiny fraction could overcome the heavenly tribulation and transcend the mortal realm. In the entire cultivation world, let alone just the Devil Sect, countless disciples dedicated their lives to cultivation but died without breaking through, still thinking about the Soul Transformation Stage.

The sect claimed to have 200,000 formal disciples, but only a dozen or so could break through to the Soul Transformation Stage each year. Among the disciples at the Reversion Realm, at least 5,000 were stuck, and only a small fraction could break through to the Soul Transformation Stage. Most would die due to their lifespan, like Jin Bu Huan, who was just one of many.

"Look at me, I'm just an old man who talks too much. Seeing you, a new disciple with Sixth Layer Qi Cultivation, your potential is boundless. The possibility of you breaking through to the Soul Transformation Stage is at least ten times greater than others," Jin Bu Huan said, seeing that Zhuge Xiang was affected by his words. "By the way, our Hundred Treasures Pavilion usually buys items at 20% below market price, but since we hit it off, I'll only deduct 10%."

"Thank you, Brother Jin," Zhuge Xiang said, understanding that Jin Bu Huan saw his potential and wanted to form a connection. Selling items in the shop was more convenient and faster, even if the price was slightly lower.

Soon, the appraiser finished appraising Zhuge Xiang's magical artifacts. He had sixteen one-star magical artifacts and seven two-star magical artifacts, worth about 8,000 spirit stones on the market. After deducting 10%, he received over 7,000 spirit stones. Adding the 300 spirit stones from his completed quests and the 2,000 he already had, Zhuge Xiang now possessed over 10,000 spirit stones. For a new disciple just joining the Devil Sect, having over 10,000 spirit stones was hard to believe.

"Indeed, killing and looting is a surefire way to make money," Zhuge Xiang thought to himself, as most of the spirit stones came from Zixiang's storage ring.

Money is only money when it's spent. In hand, it's just a pile of stones. With over 10,000 spirit stones, Zhuge Xiang didn't leave immediately. Instead, he looked around the Hundred Treasures Pavilion for items he might need. At the Sixth Layer of Qi Cultivation, it was time to upgrade his equipment.

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