Chapter 108: The Market

"Changes?" Xiao Qian thought for a moment and said, "I haven't noticed any particular changes. I just feel that my cultivation improves rapidly each time, otherwise, I wouldn't have broken through to the late Foundation Establishment stage."

Lu An's heart stirred. Could it be due to the Extreme True Intent? Realizing this, he immediately asked Xiao Qian to try it.

"What's wrong? Didn't we just finish?"

"I've made a new discovery. Come and try it."

This time, he controlled the Extreme True Intent within his body to stay away from the area of fusion. Afterward, Xiao Qian furrowed her brow.

"Huh? Why is the cultivation improvement so small this time?"

Lu An realized his guess was correct. Previously, it was indeed the Extreme True Intent at work. Xiao Qian's current level of cultivation improvement was within the normal range.

The Extreme True Intent actually had such a subtle effect? If he could find the fusion secret techniques from the Hehuan Sect, wouldn't the improvement be even greater? No, the Extreme True Intent only benefits women and has no effect on him.

He thought for a moment and suddenly had a chilling thought. If outsiders discovered this and captured him to use as a tool for cultivation enhancement, it would be disastrous.

With this thought, he immediately told Xiao Qian, "The Extreme True Intent I possess and the rapid improvement of your cultivation must never be mentioned to others."

Although Xiao Qian did not know what had happened, she agreed.

The next day, the two set off together towards the nearest market.

This market was one of the three major markets in Wanren City, where all kinds of goods were sold. Lu An came here hoping to find some pills that could enhance his cultivation. After all, with his meridians so wide, filling them up would take a long time with only hard practice.

Moreover, with Wanren City's prominence in weapon refining, it was a good opportunity to see some of the local craftsmanship.

The streets were bustling with noise and a constant flow of people, making the place incredibly lively. Lu An arrived at the entrance of a pill shop and observed.

The shop assistant saw Lu An's Foundation Establishment cultivation level and his eyes immediately lit up. He quickly approached, saying, "Senior, are you looking to buy pills? We have a wide range of pills here, and the quality is among the best in this market."

Lu An scanned the area and asked, "Do you have pills that can enhance the Foundation Establishment stage?"

The shop assistant's smile grew wider as he led Lu An to a display stand. "These three types of pills can all enhance the Foundation Establishment stage. Please take a look."

He then took out three exquisite small bottles and placed them in front of Lu An.

Lu An picked up the first bottle, uncorked it, and smelled it. The rich medicinal fragrance filled the air, and his true energy within stirred slightly, seeming to crave the pill.

"This is the Evergreen Pill. It contains pure wood attribute spiritual energy. Just take it and refine it, and it will enhance your cultivation."

Lu An nodded and examined the remaining two bottles. He then asked, "How much does the Evergreen Pill cost?"

The shop assistant's eyes turned into slits from smiling as he answered, "Thirty mid-grade spirit stones per bottle."

Lu An frowned. Thirty mid-grade spirit stones was equivalent to three thousand low-grade spirit stones. Moreover, each bottle contained only ten pills, and he wasn't sure of the effectiveness. If he needed ten or more bottles to reach the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage, even his financial resources would not be able to sustain it.

Lu An pondered for a moment, then suddenly had an idea and asked, "Do you accept idle magic artifacts?"

The shop assistant looked at him and nodded. "Of course, we do. However, I don't have the authority to make decisions. Please wait a moment while I call the shopkeeper."

In a short while, a middle-aged man with Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivation came out from the back room.

"Are you looking to sell magic artifacts?"

Without much conversation, Lu An waved his hand, and several items appeared on the table. After coming out of the Extreme Secret Realm, he had killed three Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivators and obtained quite a few spirit stones and other materials. Unfortunately, the magic artifacts from these cultivators were not particularly special.

Since he had no use for them, it was better to sell them.

The shopkeeper examined the artifacts one by one and showed a look of disappointment after a moment. "The artifacts you've brought are all second-tier lower-grade. They won't sell for much."

"This metal small shield is a defensive artifact and is worth a bit more. I can offer eighty mid-grade spirit stones for it. The other two have some damage and can only be bought for fifty each. What do you think?"

Lu An slowly nodded; the price was reasonable. Unlike pills, magic artifacts are not consumables, so they are generally more expensive. But since these were only second-tier lower-grade artifacts and lacked any outstanding features, the price was acceptable.

Seeing that Lu An agreed, the shopkeeper handed over a hundred and eighty mid-grade spirit stones. "Please check them."

"No need," Lu An said. "I'd like to buy two bottles each of those three Foundation Establishment pills."

The shopkeeper's smile widened. "In that case, the hundred and eighty spirit stones are just right."

Lu An received the pills and, after inspecting each bottle to confirm there were no issues, turned and left.

Over the years, Lu An had accumulated quite a few spirit stones, which converted to over three hundred mid-grade stones. Since he had no use for the artifacts, exchanging them for pills was quite suitable, leaving the spirit stones he had for his own use.

Xiao Qian had just broken through and didn't have many needs. Moreover, with Lu An around, she had the best pills. It was just that Lu An had to work hard every day.

The two of them left the shop and planned to find a weapon shop to see if there were any suitable weapons or magic artifacts. However, in this market, there was a weapon shop every two or three stores, which made it hard for them to choose.

Lu An pondered for a moment and then stopped a passing Qi Refining cultivator. "Friend, we're looking to buy some magic artifacts. Do you know which shop in this market has the best quality?"

The passerby initially looked annoyed when stopped, but upon seeing Lu An and Xiao Qian's deep auras and realizing they were Foundation Establishment seniors, his expression changed to a smile. "Greetings, senior. If you're looking for the best quality magic artifacts, Wanbao Pavilion is the place. Even if you want third-tier artifacts, you can find them there."

Lu An nodded, asked for directions, and headed in that direction.

After a while, the two arrived at the entrance of Wanbao Pavilion. As expected, the building was much larger than the other shops. They entered and looked around. The counter was stocked with all kinds of weapons and artifacts, including a few second-tier mid-grade items.

Xiao Qian was delighted and immediately started selecting. However, after searching for a while, she didn't find any suitable weapons. She approached the counter and asked the shop assistant, "Do you have any higher-quality magic artifacts?"

The shop assistant looked her over and pointed to a nearby staircase. "If you want to see second-tier upper-grade artifacts, you'll need to go to the second floor."

"However, I need to check your assets first. Only those with more than two hundred mid-grade spirit stones are qualified to go upstairs."