Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Second Task, Big Shopping Spree
A wisp of flame ignited at Li Ye’s fingertips.
Extremely stable, emitting a warm golden halo.
The Spiritual Mechanism Vine nodded slightly upon seeing this firelight: "You’ve already acquired your first fire attribute spiritual insect to fully entrust at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, I think you must have used some method to extend its life."
Li Ye had already anticipated this in his heart. He could barely sense the other party’s emotions due to a panel he had, and since there was no malice, he dared to show some of his extraordinary abilities.
"Are you willing to reveal this matter, fearing you are not uneasy?"
The small flower at the top of the Spiritual Mechanism Vine slightly bloomed: "I’ve seen many loose cultivators, all are cautious, as if every step is fraught with pitfalls and disasters."
"Caution is good, but being too cautious may also miss out on some opportunities."
"In this world, there are countless opportunities and encounters, and those who can cultivate to high positions all have fortuity, and your fortuity naturally belongs to you."
Li Ye was slightly taken aback.
The Spiritual Mechanism Vine did not speak further. After a moment of consideration, it said, "The flint fire of Flint Fire Crystal Insects effectively restrains ghosts and evil spirits, but they don’t have much spirituality. I have a task I want to give you, I wonder if you are willing to accept it?"
Li Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief and slightly cupped his hands:
"Of course, the junior is willing."
The table in front of him made a clear creaking sound as if some mechanism was activated.
A small box with golden talisman seals appeared before Li Ye, the Taiji Eight Trigrams on top rotated, and the box slowly opened.
A burst of black air with a foul smell emerged from inside.
The smell was exceedingly strange.
Li Ye felt a little uncomfortable as soon as he smelled it. The place he had been living was clean, with Spirit Plants and a Spiritual Well providing spiritual qi, making the air incredibly pleasant.
He took a breath and looked inside the box.
Inside the box was a small piece of forest-white bone with a spectacular flower growing on it, whose petals were purple-red, contrasting sharply with the white bone.
[Name]: Hungry Bone
[Mood]: Resentment
[State]: Craving food
[Bindable]: Able to stockpile sufficient food Spirit Beast
"This object comes from a region poisoned by a Demon Sect, where a million mortals perished due to the Demon Sect’s means, resulting in famine and death, hence this Demon Flower grew on the land."
The voice of the Spiritual Mechanism Vine became very heavy.
"My Four Seasons Sect is an eminent righteous sect, naturally obliged to dispel these Demon Flowers born from resentment and free the souls trapped by the Demon Sect’s evil magic."
"This task is not exclusive to you, each marketplace has tasks arranged."
"But whoever completes the task best has a higher evaluation and gets better rewards, and top-grade spiritual artifacts are also easily obtainable."
Li Ye stared at the strange Demon Flower for a while, and asked curiously: "Then what counts as completion, and how is it considered well done?"
"For most people, hardship ends only with death, but the Demon Sect’s methods make hardship eternally endless, stretching indefinitely."
"Perhaps... only thorough death."
"But perhaps there’s a better way, try to find a solution for this flower and come to claim it from me afterward."
After the Spiritual Mechanism Vine finished saying this, it suddenly shifted the topic: "How is the spiritual qi in your current residence? I remember when you first came to rent it only had a first-rate Spiritual Well."
Now, would you like to add some more sources of spiritual qi?
I’ll make the decision and give it to you cheaper."
"..." Li Ye looked at the Spiritual Mechanism Vine, which suddenly turned into the state of a "shrewd merchant," and was speechless. But it was indeed necessary to add some sources of spiritual qi to his residence.
With the increase of planted spiritual objects, the spiritual qi emitted by that Spiritual Well was already somewhat insufficient. Spiritual Grain moreover was a big consumer of spiritual qi, necessary to prepare earlier.
It’s not easy to come out, might as well take care of everything.
"Senior, please teach me, how much spiritual qi is appropriate now when I’m planting Spiritual Grain and also nurturing some spirit beasts and other spirit plants?" He politely inquired.
The Spiritual Mechanism Vine directly took out a jade tablet.
Spiritual light fluctuated on that jade tablet, and after a moment, numerous spiritual objects capable of providing spiritual power, such as Spiritual Springs, Spirit Vein tributaries, Spiritual Wells, Spirit Trees appeared, ranging from the first tier to the fourth tier, all available.
Li Ye’s eyes slightly brightened as he looked at the jade tablet.
This... really seems like a Cultivation Realm’s tablet computer.
"This object is the Earth Vein Adjustment Array arranged by my Four Seasons Sect in Huiya marketplace, capable of freely increasing or decreasing the source of spiritual qi in a certain place, you only need to pay spirit stones rent, and now it can be added for you."
"According to your situation, I estimate one Spiritual Spring is sufficient."
Upon seeing it, the price behind the first-tier Spiritual Spring was twenty spirit stones per month — this price was equivalent to his current rental price for this small courtyard, and this small courtyard came with a first-tier Spiritual Well!
He was somewhat puzzled and thus voiced his doubt.
"Senior, this small courtyard originally costs twenty spirit stones a month, how come a first-tier Spiritual Spring alone is twenty?"
Adding up, now it would cost forty spirit stones a month!
With his meager Qi Refining, spending forty spirit stones monthly to rent a residence would be extravagantly expensive.
— There had been a substantial influx of spirit stones, but still need to save where necessary, at least understand the reason.
The Spiritual Mechanism Vine replied: "Earth Vein Arrays indeed require spirit stones to operate."
"If you are willing to move, finding a residence with two sources of spiritual qi would merely cost thirty spirit stones, asking for ten spirit stones from you truly isn’t much!"
"Moreover, ... hey, the spirit stones required for residences here compared to inside the sect are indeed much cheaper, isn’t this beneficial to loose cultivators."
"Otherwise, do you think each cultivator in Huiya marketplace wanting to rent needs evaluation, and why do you need assessment?"
"The sect is providing you ladders for ascending the path!"
It became somewhat nostalgic towards the end — within the sect, even slightly capable Spirit Plant Masters harvest tens of thousands of low-tier spirit stones per season.
This Cultivation Realm is extremely prosperous, there are plenty of people needing various types of spiritual materials, comparatively low-tier spirit stones are quite convenient for mining.
Within the sect, they can even manufacture low-tier spiritual qi sources and low-tier spirit stones, hence it’s so inexpensive, but high-tier ones are not the same.
High-tier spirit stones are the actual trading currency for mid-to-high tier cultivators, high-tier spiritual sources are valued even more highly.
Who knows if this kid has real capability in the future, thinking of his current bargaining over mere dozens of low-tier spirit stones, what’s that like.
It somehow felt expectant.
"..."
Li Ye suddenly had no more doubts, and took out twenty spirit stones and handed them to the Spiritual Mechanism Vine.
The latter took the spirit stones and continued asking: "Do you require anything else? Spirit beast, spirit plant, or magic spiritual artifacts, we have everything here."
Listening to its tone, it seemed like it wants him to return what he had earned just earlier.
Yet honestly, there were indeed needs.
"The junior still wants to buy some basic magic spells..."
Before he could finish speaking, a row of books like "Five Elements Techniques Qi Refining Stage," "Agriculture and Taoist Technique," "Spirit Beast Taming First Edition," "Basic Talisman Collection," "Qimen Small Techniques" appeared before him.
Li Ye simply pleaded for help to the end: "The junior only learned some trivial magic spells, could the senior give some suggestions?"
This time it turned out to be the Spiritual Mechanism Vine that was speechless, it said quite reluctantly: "You sure have a knack for taking advantage, if I were you I would first learn this and this."
It tapped "Five Elements Techniques Qi Refining Stage" and "Qimen Small Techniques," then stopped speaking.
Li Ye directly nodded: "How many spirit stones are these two books in total?"
Since the Spiritual Mechanism Vine recommended it, he wouldn’t have too many questions.
He was now taking on its task, and it favored him greatly, certainly wouldn’t do something deliberately deceiving him of spirit stones.
When someone recommends something, don’t have too many doubts and distrust.
"Five Elements Techniques costs fifty spirit stones, Qimen Small Techniques seventy spirit stones."
The Spiritual Mechanism Vine took the one hundred and twenty spirit stones Li Ye handed over, and only then said leisurely:
"You are currently at the Qi Refining Stage, not formally stepping onto the cultivation path yet, strive to improve your cultivation level."
"The marketplace is absolutely safe internally, wasting too much energy cultivating a variety of magic spells would fall into a lower position, wait until after Foundation Establishment you have extra energy to learn more spells then."
"The junior understands."
Later, Li Ye also asked if there was any array that could preserve and isolate cold air, and the Spiritual Mechanism Vine gave him an Array Flag worth twenty spirit stones.
With this, Li Ye received two thousand one hundred spirit stones here and spent one hundred and sixty.
But the gains were considered quite full, magic spells, future tasks, even the improvement of the living environment.
Being able to earn and spend, instead of just stockpiling, why not use this to speed up his farming progress comfortably, making suitable choices is necessary.