Chapter Six: The Elusive Spirit Stones

Chapter Six: The Elusive Spirit Stones

Jiang Lei's eyes slowly blinked open as the soft rays of dawn filtered into his room. He lay in bed for a moment, his thoughts slowly stirring as he thought about the day ahead.

"Today, I must find a way to increase my strength in a short period," he mused. Sitting up, he pondered various methods to accelerate his progress.

Should he focus on refining his techniques? Or maybe intensify his meditation sessions? However, each idea that crossed his mind was met with a practical problem that held him back.

Refining techniques requires a lot much effort and time and even so it won't be able to improve his strength a lot if he won't be able to improve his cultivation . Intensifying his meditation sessions risked exhaustion and slower progress in the long run. He couldn't afford to trade quality for haste.

Then, a spark of an idea caught his attention: spirit stones. These rare and coveted gems were renowned for their ability to enhance cultivation speed. Jiang Lei had heard tales of their potency but was well aware of their rarity and cost.

Spirit stones, formed by absorbing the natural energies of the world over countless years, were truly invaluable. They came in different grades, with the common grade being the lowest and the most accessible to outer sect disciples like himself. Higher grades exist - uncommon, rare, and even legendary - each more potent and harder to find than the last.

The uses of spirit stones are diverse. Apart from enhancing cultivation, it can fuel array formations,, refining alchemy and even be consumed directly to recover strength in battles.

Spirit stones are also a form of currency within the cultivation world. They are used for buying, selling, and trading goods, services, or information among cultivators.

Jiang Lei pondered the scarcity of spirit stones and their immense value, recalling the classification of these precious gems. They were categorized into five ranks: common, uncommon, rare, epic, and legendary. Each rank represented a qualitative difference in energy concentration and potential.

"But I don't have enough money to buy them," he sighed, glancing around his meager room. His possessions were sparse, and his finances even more so.

He longed to buy a common grade spirit stone to aid his cultivation, but even that seemed out of reach for now.

However, a glimmer of hope emerged as he remembered a place within the sect - the "Spirit Stone Distribution Hall." It was a location open to all outer sect disciples, providing them with their annual allowance of spirit stones. Jiang Lei had heard that the amount given wasn't much, but at least it was a start.

...

Jiang Lei's footsteps echoed as he made his way to the Spirit Stones Distribution Hall within the sect. The spacious hall buzzed with activity as fellow outer sect disciples lined up, eagerly awaiting their allocation of precious spirit stones.

Approaching the counter, Jiang Lei asked a disciple for his monthly spirit stones.

"Sure, can you show me your spirit card?"

Jiang lei nooded and handed over the spirit card.

Spirit card is a specialy made to store spirit stones, in Azure sect it is used to keep a record that where does it spend it's resources.

Once A disciple will take back its annual spirit stones ,the number written on it will become zero.

The disciple held the plain white object, which emitted a soft glow, and saw the number "two" written on it. With a smile, the disciple handed two common-grade spirit stones to Jiang Lei. "Here are your annual spirit stones."

Jiang Lei extended his hand, and two smooth, palm-sized stones were placed into his waiting palm. He examined them closely, feeling their cool, almost soothing texture. These were common grade spirit stones, the foundation of a cultivator's resources.

"Thank you," Jiang Lei replied with a nod of gratitude. As he turned to leave, he noticed a placard on the wall displaying the conversion rates of different spirit stones. Curious, he read the ratios listed:

- **1,000 Common Grade Spirit Stones = 1 Rare Grade Spirit Stones**

- **1,000 Rare Grade Spirit Stones = 1 Epic Grade Spirit Stone**

- **1,000 Epic Grade Spirit Stones = 1 Mythic Grade Spirit Stone**

- **1,000 Legendary Grade Spirit Stones = 1 Earth Grade Spirit Stone**

These ratios highlighted the vast difference in power and rarity among spirit stones of varying grades.

With his newly acquired two common-grade spirit stones in hand, Jiang Lei felt a sense of hope. He knew that these stones could be a stepping stone to greater strength in his cultivation journey.

....

Leaving the Spirit Stone Distribution Hall, Jiang Lei decided to make his way to the Sect's Cultivation Resource Pavilion, a specialized marketplace for all things related to cultivation. He is aware that obtaining a weapon could significantly boost his strength, and it is an investment he is willing to make.

....

He reached the pavilion, which was bustling with activity and noise. He saw many outer sect disciples browsing through the various stalls, looking for items that could enhance their cultivation or help them in their tasks.

He walked briskly, his eyes shining with anticipation. He had always dreamed of owning a weapon, especially after the encounter with Li Xiaoyun, he was very touched with Li Xiaoyun's sword, but he knows that for now, he can't think of possessing a weapon like that.

Jiang Lei's eyes roamed over the various stalls that showcased - arrays, weapons, talismans, pills, and other cultivation resources.

He felt a surge of excitement as he entered the pavilion, his senses overwhelmed by the sight of the place. He felt a sense of anticipation as he knew that obtaining a weapon could significantly boost his strength.

Jiang Lei reached a stall, which displayed a variety of swords with different designs and grades.

His gaze landed on a stall displaying a variety of swords with different designs and grades. A knowledgeable-looking disciple stood behind the counter, ready to assist interested buyers.

"Welcome, fellow disciple," the vendor greeted with a warm smile. "Looking for a weapon to help you on your cultivation journey?"

Jiang Lei nodded, his excitement palpable. "Indeed, I am."

The vendor gestured toward the swords on display. "We have a range of options available, according to your different preferences and cultivation styles."

Jiang Lei's attention was immediately drawn to a simple yet sturdy sword, its blade glinting in the sunlight. It was a common grade weapon, suitable for a cultivator at his current level.

"I'll take this one," he said, pointing to the sword.

The vendor nodded, retrieving the sword and placing it on the counter. "An excellent choice. This common grade sword will cost you 200 Azure points."

Jiang Lei's hand dipped into his pocket, and he withdrew the two common grade spirit stones he had received earlier. He then took out his card, counted two hundred Azure points and handed them to the vendor.

"Thank you," the vendor said, completing the transaction. "May it serve you well on your journey.

Jiang Lei thanked the vendor again, and left the stall, feeling happy. He had finally obtained his own weapon, a common grade spirit sword that suited him perfectly.

With the common grade spirit sword now at his side, Jiang Lei was excited for his future achievements. The weight of the weapon in his hand seemed to solidify his commitment to improving and succeeding in the upcoming inner sect competition.

However, his excitement was met with a sudden realization thet—he had exhausted all his Azure points in the pursuit of the sword.