Chapter 12

compared to those who entered and left the shop in fine clothes, Luo Xiu's attire was rather shabby.

The shop assistants and the manager were busy attending to other customers, and none of them paid any attention to him.

"Where did this poor wretch come from? He can't even afford a first-grade Spirit Gathering Array worth ten thousand taels of silver, and he still has the nerve to come into this shop?"

"A first-grade Spirit Gathering Array is considered cheap among array devices. If it were a second-grade array device, it couldn't be measured in silver; it would have to be bought with Essence Stones."

"He must be a naive kid from the Martial Hall who has never seen the world. I bet he doesn't have more than a few hundred taels on him."

Nearby, many people whispered and mocked him, which made Luo Xiu feel quite helpless.

The highest-grade array device sold in this shop was second-grade, with prices ranging from one hundred to three hundred low-grade Essence Stones.

As for first-grade array devices, their prices ranged from ten thousand to fifty thousand taels of silver.

Although on the market, one Essence Stone was equivalent to five hundred taels of silver, in reality, almost no one would be willing to exchange Essence Stones for silver. The form of silver transactions mainly circulated among ordinary people and Body Refinement Realm martial disciples.

For those martial artists who had reached the Qi Sea Realm, they could easily earn large amounts of silver, and what they valued more was Essence Stones!

Essence Stones were divided into four grades: low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and supreme-grade. The higher the grade of the Essence Stone, the better the cultivation effect.

Luo Xiu walked out of the shop with a disgruntled expression, secretly resolving that once he earned some silver, he would definitely come back to buy an array device to aid his cultivation.

Then Luo Xiu went to another shop that sold medicinal pills.

"A bottle of Qi Nourishing Pills costs fifteen thousand taels of silver?" In this shop, Luo Xiu widened his eyes again.

Qi Nourishing Pills were the most commonly used first-grade medicinal pills for Body Refinement Realm martial disciples, which could enhance the absorption of Heavenly Essence Qi and the refinement of Inner Qi. According to Luo Xiu's knowledge, some of the noble descendants among the Martial Hall students usually used this kind of pill for cultivation.

Compared to Qi Nourishing Pills, some healing medicines like Golden Wound Ointment and Bone Continuation Paste were much cheaper.

"I still can't afford it." Luo Xiu shook his head and had no choice but to leave the shop again.

For him, the most important thing at the moment was to improve his cultivation strength. In this aspect, medicinal pills and arrays were undoubtedly the best ways.

But with his financial resources, he couldn't even afford the lowest-grade ordinary one.

After a while, Luo Xiu came to another shop in the market. This third shop sold battle weapons.

Battle weapons, as the name suggests, were the weapons used by martial artists in combat. Battle weapons were divided into three grades: Heaven, Earth, and Human, and each grade was further divided into four levels: low, mid, high, and supreme, making a total of twelve levels.

The weapons sold in this shop were very comprehensive, including swords, spears, sabers, halberds, staffs, and hidden weapons. In the most prominent position, a long sword with a purple body was displayed, and a sign next to it read: "High-grade Human Rank Battle Weapon, Purple Light Demon Moon Sword!"

"Is this a high-grade Human Rank battle sword?" Luo Xiu was surprised because only martial masters at the Innate Realm had the qualifications to wield such a level of battle weapon.

If a low-level martial artist used this level of battle weapon, unless they had a strong background, it would be equivalent to courting death, as they would be robbed and killed by other powerful martial artists.

This Purple Light Demon Moon Sword was undoubtedly the pride of the shop.

"Haha, young man, this Purple Light Demon Moon Sword is crafted by Master Jia Fei. In the entire Green Cloud City, there are only four battle weapons that have reached the high-grade Human Rank!" A middle-aged man who looked like a manager said with a smile.

"How much would such a battle weapon cost?" Luo Xiu couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

"Money?" The middle-aged manager sneered, "Using money to measure such a treasure is an insult to this sword. No matter how high the price, I won't sell it. This is Master Jia Fei's masterpiece!"

Luo Xiu clicked his tongue. Not to mention this Purple Light Demon Moon Sword, even a low-grade Human Rank battle weapon was beyond his means.

He had roughly looked at the prices earlier, and the price of a low-grade Human Rank battle weapon ranged from three hundred to nine hundred low-grade Essence Stones.

Clearly, battle weapons were more expensive than array devices and medicinal pills of the same grade, as a powerful battle weapon could directly enhance a martial artist's strength.

Luo Xiu's total assets amounted to at most one low-grade Essence Stone.

"Is martial cultivation really so expensive?"

This time, after casually browsing through the market, Luo Xiu truly realized the difficulty of martial cultivation.

Children from ordinary families, even if they had good talent, could at most reach the fifth or sixth level of Body Refinement before they could no longer continue, because to break through to a higher level required the accumulation of resources. What were resources?

Resources were wealth, Essence Stones!

If you had a vast amount of Essence Stones, you could buy high-grade martial arts, powerful battle weapons, array devices, and medicinal pills. Even a pig, with a large amount of resources, could become an expert.

Luo Xiu was very clear that for him, who had no resources to squander, it was a difficult task to get started.

In addition to battle weapons, this shop also sold battle clothes and battle armor.

Among the blacksmiths, casting and forging were distinguished. Weapons were cast, while battle clothes and battle armor were forged. Compared to battle weapons used for killing, life-saving battle clothes and battle armor were even more expensive, costing twice as much as battle weapons of the same grade.

However, this shop also sold ordinary weapons. These weapons were far less powerful than battle weapons, but if infused with Inner Qi, they were sufficient to fight against first-grade beasts.

"There is still a month until the annual assessment. I will use this time to earn money!" Luo Xiu had his own thoughts.

"Boss, how much is this Green Edge Sword?" Luo Xiu picked a slightly wide and entirely green long sword from the ordinary weapons and asked.

"Although this sword is not a battle weapon, if infused with Inner Qi, it can break through the defenses of most first-grade beasts. Since you're young, I'll give you a discount. Five hundred taels of silver!" The middle-aged manager said with a smile.

Ordinary weapons were generally used by martial disciples below the eighth level of Body Refinement. As for those who could reach the ninth level of Body Refinement or even the Qi Sea Realm, most could afford a low-grade Human Rank battle weapon.

"Five hundred taels?" Luo Xiu frowned. He only had five hundred taels, and if he spent all of it on this sword, he would truly become a pauper.

"Boss, how about four hundred taels? I need to buy some Golden Wound Ointment and other essentials for my journey, and I don't have that much money." Luo Xiu said.

"No, four hundred taels is too little." The middle-aged manager shook his head, saying, "You seem to be a student from a relatively ordinary family in the Martial Hall. The minimum is four hundred and fifty taels, not a single tael less."

The resources required for late-stage Body Refinement Realm martial disciples were far beyond what ordinary families could afford, so it was very difficult for commoners to stand out in the path of martial cultivation. The middle-aged manager also had a bit of compassion, which is why he gave Luo Xiu a fifty-tael discount.

Fifty taels might not seem like much, but it depended on who it was for. A common family could earn fifty taels in half a year!

"Thank you, boss." Luo Xiu thanked him, took out the silver from his money bag, and bought the Green Edge Sword.

No martial artist disliked weapons, and Luo Xiu was no exception. However, weapons were too expensive, and he couldn't afford them before.

The Green Edge Sword was a little over three feet long, slightly wide, and hard for ordinary people to wield. Luo Xiu, at the fifth level of Body Refinement, found the weight of the sword just right.

"Once my cultivation reaches the seventh level of Body Refinement, I will have the qualifications to enter the Martial Hall's library and choose a third-grade martial art. At that time, I must choose a good sword technique."

Weapon-based martial arts were at least third-grade, and their power was much greater than second-grade martial arts performed with fists and feet.

Luo Xiu first went to the Martial Hall to apply for an external training mission because, in the Martial Hall, students were generally not allowed to be absent for more than three days, which was also a way to protect the safety of Martial Hall students.

This time, Luo Xiu planned to go to the Water Dock Mountain, about thirty miles away from Green Cloud City, for hunting. He didn't plan to return before the annual assessment, so he had to apply for the external training mission.

With a Green Edge Sword, a bag, some dry food, and water, Luo Xiu embarked on his first journey in the path of martial cultivation!

Leaving Green Cloud City, the sky was vast and the land boundless, with endless clouds stretching across the sky.

Luo Xiu walked with his sword on his back, a surge of heroism rising in his chest.

Wielding a sword and traveling the world, leaving no trace, I am the one who roams freely!

Unrestrained, free, fearless—this was the mindset a martial artist should have.

Three hours later, Luo Xiu arrived near Water Dock Mountain.

On the way, he saw many other martial artists, most of whom were in groups of three to five. He, a young boy with a youthful face, was quite noticeable.

"Where did this little rookie come from?"

"He can't be more than fifteen years old, and his cultivation can't be higher than the seventh level of Body Refinement. He dares to come to Water Dock Mountain alone for hunting?"

"Hehe, don't look at his shabby clothes; he might be a low-key noble son here for training."

"Forget it, those noble disciples are cowards. They always bring a group of experts for protection during training and hunting."

"I bet this kid will be torn to pieces by beasts!"

Many people discussed and concluded that Luo Xiu, who came here, was a rookie who didn't know the rules and was fearless like a young bull.

Luo Xiu noticed that some people looked at him with ill intent. He had heard that some hunters would also fight each other over resources.

However, there were no Qi Sea Realm martial artists in Water Dock Mountain. Most of the creatures living in this forest were wild beasts, with only a few first-grade beasts residing here. Therefore, those who came here for hunting and training were mostly Body Refinement Realm martial disciples.

Among the deep mountains and marshes near Green Cloud City, Water Dock Mountain was considered a relatively low-risk place.

Luo Xiu entered the forest, his mind highly focused, and he paid close attention to his surroundings.

"This is my first hunt. I hope I can have some success."

Emerging from the bushes, Luo Xiu leaped onto a tree branch with a few bounds. Then he closed his eyes and entered a special state where he could sense the mysteries of life and death.

Through his connection with the Life and Death Pearl, a special perception spread out from him like tentacles.

Although his eyes were closed, all living beings within a radius of two to three miles appeared in his perception in various forms, as if he could see them with his own eyes.

This was the third special ability Luo Xiu discovered after fusing with the Life and Death Pearl, following the Life Veins and the Life and Death Qi.

As long as he was within a certain range, he could sense the life force of every living being. The stronger the being, the stronger its life force.

Suddenly, Luo Xiu opened his eyes, a smile on his lips. He stepped on a tree branch and leaped in a chosen direction.

"Hisss!"

A venomous snake, as thick as an arm and black and white in color, lay hidden in the dense branches of a large tree. Its tongue flicked in and out, and its inverted pupils were filled with cold and ferocity.

Snakes have very keen senses. It suddenly turned its head and saw a human figure rapidly approaching.

It thought it was well hidden, and its mouth opened slightly, revealing long fangs, waiting for the prey to pass by before launching a surprise attack.

"Fifteen meters, ten meters, five meters..."

The distance between them grew closer.

"Clang!"

A cold light flashed through the air, and the tree branches were cut like rain. A fist-sized snake head flew up, splattering blood, and fell to the side.

The snake's mouth was open, fangs exposed, as if it couldn't believe that it was killed just as it was about to attack.

"Black-spotted venomous snake. Its venom is very potent. If a Body Refinement Realm martial artist is bitten and doesn't have an antidote, they will die within ten breaths!"

Luo Xiu landed nearby, very satisfied with his first strike.

The black-spotted venomous snake was not a beast, but it was a very troublesome creature. A sixth-level Body Refinement martial disciple without experience might be in danger if they encountered it.

Luo Xiu used his sword to pry open the snake's mouth, removed the two fangs, and collected the venom sac and gallbladder, placing them in a small box and putting it in his bag.

Actually, the meat of this venomous snake was a delicacy, very popular in the restaurants of Green Cloud City. However, the snake was over two meters long, and Luo Xiu couldn't carry it away.

"Compared to the snake meat, the most valuable are the fangs, venom sac, and gallbladder. These three items together can sell for at least four hundred taels of silver." Luo Xiu muttered to himself.

Martial cultivation was indeed very expensive, but martial artists were also very good at making money. A venomous snake that wasn't even a beast was worth several hundred taels of silver, so the things from real beasts would naturally be even more valuable.