Chapter 5 Turmoil_1

"The 'Jingold Sword Art,' a First Grade Technique, uses a unique method to nurture golden sword qi within the apertures. When activated, it moves as swiftly as the wind and has immense destructive power."

*A First Grade Technique—who would've thought such a treasure could come out of the light cluster...*

*Lu Xuan's mind momentarily blurred in disbelief.*

He had currently mastered three formula methods: the Fireball Technique, Spirit Rain Technique, and the Earth Pulling Technique, which emerged not long ago from the white light cluster. These techniques were all low-tier and, strictly speaking, only offered basic applications of spiritual power.

However, the Jingold Sword Art—while merely of the lowest grade—already left Lu Xuan deeply satisfied.

After all, even amongst cultivators in the Qi Practitioner Intermediate Level or higher, a First Grade Technique was far from being common or easily obtainable.

He stayed in place, concentrating as he followed the instructions appearing in his mind. Slowly, spiritual power began to gather.

Suddenly, a faint golden stream of qi, about three inches long and finger-width, surged out of his body, rushing swiftly toward the stone wall and slicing a black thorn cleanly in two.

Lu Xuan approached and picked up the smooth cross-section of the thorn, silently marveling at the devastating power of the golden sword qi.

The black thorn, although not categorized as a Spirit Plant, was exceptionally tough. Lu Xuan had previously tried burning it with the Fireball Technique, which had taken nearly half a quarter-hour just to char through and break.

Comparing the two techniques, the Jingold Sword Art was far more efficient and elegant, delivering a destructive force more than twice as potent.

"I only just started cultivating this; the time it takes to execute the sword technique is still too long, and the power diminishes significantly because of it."

"With a technique this powerful, I'll need to devote myself to constant training in the future."

"Of course, if I could encounter another Jingold Sword Art to bolster my experience, that would be ideal."

*Lu Xuan found his gaze drifting to the remaining fifteen Spirit Firefly Grasses.*

He packed the harvested Spirit Firefly Grasses into a jade box, readying himself to head out again.

So far, Lu Xuan had collected nine mature Spirit Firefly Grasses, six of ordinary quality and three of good quality.

The jade boxes he owned were limited, leaving no space to store additional Spirit Plants. To avoid the spiritual power in the harvested Spirit Firefly Grasses dissipating over time, he needed to sell these nine as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, much of his Spirit Field had been cleared. With the remaining grass nearing maturity, Lu Xuan planned to use the Spirit Stones from sales to purchase new spiritual seeds.

If he had enough Spirit Stones, he might even scour the market for a low-level protective array.

*The appearance of the white light cluster in the courtyard's Spirit Field had emphasized its significance greatly.*

*Lu Xuan worried that cultivators or demon beasts might sneak in, either stealing or damaging the Spirit Plants inside the field—impacting the potential fullness of the white light cluster.*

He instructed the Grass Puppet to keep the area secure, then left the courtyard with the jade box carrying Spirit Firefly Grasses in tow.

Just as he stepped out, Lu Xuan encountered Zhang Hong, who had just returned from the market.

"Little Brother Lu, where are you off to now?"

Zhang Hong greeted him with a hearty laugh upon spotting Lu Xuan in the distance.

"Hello, Brother Zhang, I'm headed to the market to take a look around."

Lu Xuan greeted Zhang Hong warmly.

The two exchanged pleasantries. Lu Xuan learned that Zhang Hong had bought several body protection talismans in preparation for an expedition to reclaim a secret realm.

"Little Brother Lu, won't you reconsider joining in on the effort to cultivate this new secret realm in the wild?"

Zhang Hong shifted gears, trying once more to persuade Lu Xuan.

"I appreciate your kind intentions, Brother Zhang, but my ambitions lie elsewhere. I only aspire to live quietly as a Spirit Plant Master."

Lu Xuan waved him off, firmly declining.

"Ah, what a pity. I had hoped we could partner up; given the trust we've built over time, we could look out for one another."

Zhang Hong lamented.

"I wish Brother Zhang an abundance of fortunate encounters and a safe return from this venture."

Lu Xuan clasped his fists together in genuine well-wishing.

The two parted ways thereafter.

Walking into the market, Lu Xuan noticed that the number of cultivators had surged well beyond normal levels.

Protective talismans had become hot commodities, while healing pills were practically worth their weight in gold. Every time they appeared for sale, cultivators swarmed to snatch them up—despite the prices being considerably higher than usual, demand far outstripped supply.

"It seems that news of the Wang Family opening up a new secret realm has already spread throughout Linyang Market."

"So many Qi-Cultivators, ranging from low to intermediate levels, are hoping to claim their share. But who knows how many will find serendipity, and how many will merely become the stepping stones of others?"

*Lu Xuan took in the market's restless and frenetic energy but remained calm, simply observing.*

After lingering for a couple of quarters, collecting snippets of information from stalls and chatting with loose cultivators, he turned down a few alleys and reached a shop called Bai Cao Tang.

The shopkeeper was a Pill Master and had a high demand for various alchemy materials. Lu Xuan had previously sold Spirit Medicine grown in his fields to this shop at reasonable prices.

Upon entering, a rich, medicinal fragrance greeted him as Lu Xuan made his way to a familiar wooden cabin inside.

The cabin was stacked with Spirit Medicine of various shapes and sizes while several attendants bustled about sorting and processing them.

"Kid Lu—selling Spirit Firefly Grasses again, huh?"

A lean elderly man spotted Lu Xuan and, noticing his bulging chest pouch, called out to him.

"That's right, Manager He. Some of the Spirit Firefly Grasses have matured, so I've come to sell them to your shop."

The lean elder was a relative of the shop's Pill Master, helping with various management tasks. Lu Xuan had to deal with him whenever selling Spirit Firefly Grasses; the two were fairly acquainted.

"How many do you have?"

"Nine. What's the going rate for Spirit Firefly Grass now?"

Lu Xuan pulled out the jade box from his chest and asked.

"Same as before, three low-grade Spirit Stones per plant."

"Manager He, isn't that a little unfair?"

Upon hearing the elder's words, Lu Xuan stopped short of handing over the jade box and pulled it back instead.

"From what I've heard, many Spirit Plant Masters in the northern district have been dealing with pest infestations, lowering yields this season."

"And with news of the Wang Family's conquest of a new secret realm circulating, healing pill prices have skyrocketed."

"Spirit Firefly Grass, being a key material for crafting healing pills, should fetch more than the usual rate—why press us loose cultivators into selling at stagnant prices?"

"You cheeky brat—your cultivation level may be low, but you sure can smell out market trends,"

Manager He chuckled and scolded before taking on a more serious demeanor.

"Three Spirit Stones plus twenty broken spirits per plant—no bargaining."

Lu Xuan lowered his head, deliberating briefly, and knew the price was quite fair.

"Are the good-quality Spirit Firefly Grasses priced the same?"

"Oh?"

The lean elder raised his gaze, his eyes betraying surprise.

"You raised good-quality Spirit Firefly Grass this time? Let me take a look."

High-quality raw materials had the advantage of slightly increasing pill formation rates and enhancing their effectiveness, making them highly sought after by alchemists.

"Indeed, these are good-quality Spirit Firefly Grasses."

"For someone your age, working with a field lacking in robust spiritual energy and still managing to grow Spirit Plants of this caliber—it's certainly an achievement."

"Very well, three Spirit Stones plus fifty broken spirits per plant for the three good-quality ones. How does that sound?"

Lu Xuan nodded quickly; considering the marginal difference between good-quality and ordinary grades, an extra thirty broken spirits per plant was already a generous offer.

He handed over the nine Spirit Firefly Grasses to the lean elder, who carefully inspected them and, after finding no faults, counted out the Spirit Stones and handed them to Lu Xuan.

Six ordinary plants and three of good quality cumulatively earned him twenty-nine low-grade Spirit Stones and seventy broken spirits.

Lu Xuan stored them cautiously in his belt pouch, feeling a deep warmth in his heart from the faint chill of the Spirit Stones radiating through his clothes.