Chu Lingwei followed Nangong Luo into the artifact shop. It was a large hall filled with primary and intermediate level artifacts, and many cultivators were browsing here.
"Junior Sister, come quickly and see which one you like," Nangong Luo walked ahead, looking at the intermediate artifacts, but none caught his eye. "Is this all you have here?"
Nangong Luo knew that there was a second floor, and not just anyone could go up there.
The shop assistant, seeing Nangong Luo's attire as a direct disciple of the Cultivation Academy, guessed his identity and hurried forward. "Esteemed Daoist, there are some more artifacts upstairs."
"Junior Sister, let's go up and take a look," Nangong Luo nodded, gesturing for the shop assistant to lead the way.
Chu Lingwei lacked nothing, including artifacts. She had many unopened artifacts in her spatial artifact. Her master and senior brothers would send her artifacts every so often.
However, her second senior brother was acting a bit strangely today. Chu Lingwei did not refuse and followed him up to a secluded room on the second floor.
"Two Daoists, what kind of artifacts are you looking for? I will bring them for you," the shop assistant said, bowing and keeping a few steps away from Nangong Luo, showing great respect.
"Junior Sister, what kind of artifact do you want to look at?" Nangong Luo turned the question to Chu Lingwei, with a smile in his eyes. "As long as Junior Sister likes it, Senior Brother will buy it all for you."
"Since that is the case, bring out all the best artifacts in your shop for my Junior Sister to choose from."
Chu Lingwei pretended to be happy and smiled. She knew that her second senior brother was not short of spirit stones, and he was letting her play along with him here, so she wouldn't let herself lose out.
Nangong Luo heard his Junior Sister's words and couldn't help but laugh. This Junior Sister was truly not modest.
The shop assistant repeatedly agreed and quickly retreated.
Nangong Luo sipped the spirit tea on the table and shook his head in disappointment. "I didn't expect such a large shop to not even have decent spirit tea. It seems there's nothing good here."
As he spoke, he placed the spirit tea in his hand on the table, his eyes full of disdain.
"Second Senior Brother, this place naturally cannot compare to our academy." Chu Lingwei didn't even glance at the spirit tea on the table. She stood up and openly examined the furnishings in the room. "The formation arrays here are also not very good."
Some cultivators disliked others knowing the situation in their rooms, so shopkeepers, to avoid trouble, would set up isolation arrays in each room, preventing others from easily prying into the situation.
Soon, the shop assistant, along with several maids, entered. They were carrying trays, and the artifacts on them were protected by small formation arrays, indicating that the artifacts they brought in this time were quite valuable.
"Two Daoists, this is our shop's treasure, a Soul Stabilizing Bead."
The shop assistant wasted no time and motioned for the first maid to bring the artifact to Chu Lingwei. The maid gently waved her right hand, and a sapphire bead appeared before Chu Lingwei.
The bead had no spiritual energy fluctuations, and faint blue runes flowed within it.
Seeing the glimmer of interest in Chu Lingwei's eyes when she saw the bead, the shop assistant knew their first choice was very well-received. He introduced it, "This is called the Soul Stabilizing Bead. When encountering danger, one's soul can hide within it. Wearing it for a long time also has a calming effect on the soul."
Chu Lingwei glanced at the shop assistant. This Soul Stabilizing Bead, in plain terms, was for when one was killed, they could extract their soul, hide within it, and then find an opportunity to be reborn.
"Junior Sister, this thing is quite interesting," Nangong Luo took the Soul Stabilizing Bead and played with it for a while, nodding. "Let's buy it."
"Senior Brother, aren't we going to look at anything else?" Chu Lingwei's voice held a hint of displeasure, as if she hadn't found anything she was satisfied with.
"As you wish. As long as you like it, we can buy it," Nangong Luo waved his hand, asking the shop assistant to bring the second artifact.
The shop assistant acted quickly and opened the second artifact, which was a feather.
"What is this?"
This feather was covered in spiritual energy, which constantly floated around it, making it look very beautiful.
"Replying to the Fairy, this is an offensive artifact. As long as it is within a hundred paces, injecting spiritual energy into the feather can unleash an attack comparable to that of a Heaven-Transforming Realm expert," the shop assistant knew that female cultivators favored such beautiful artifacts.
"The power of a Heaven-Transforming Realm expert, that sounds good," Chu Lingwei nodded. This artifact was barely acceptable.
Seeing that Chu Lingwei had not made a decision immediately, the shop assistant knew she wanted to continue choosing and quickly brought out the third artifact.
It was a lotus flower, clearly a defensive artifact at first glance.
Chu Lingwei looked at the three different types of artifacts. Each one was something Chu Lingwei desperately needed at the moment. This shop assistant had very accurate judgment.
"Not bad, we'll take all of these." Seeing that her second senior brother had not spoken, Chu Lingwei waved her hand, directly asking the shop assistant to pack up the three artifacts.
The shop assistant's heart rejoiced. Today, he had encountered a large sale, and his cultivation resources for the year were secured.
"Alright, I will pack them up for the two Daoists."
Nangong Luo was very generous. When the shop assistant stated the price, he didn't even blink and paid the spirit stones before leaving the artifact shop with Chu Lingwei.
"Just these three artifacts cost so much money."
Chu Lingwei thought about the price the shop assistant had quoted and almost wanted to refuse the purchase.
Three artifacts, which in her opinion were not that powerful, had cost them fifteen thousand mid-grade spirit stones. It was blatant robbery.
Fifteen thousand mid-grade spirit stones could support a family of a similar size.
She truly felt that they had been fleeced like fat sheep.
"Junior Sister doesn't like them?" Nangong Luo chuckled softly. He didn't feel any heartache about the spirit stones he paid, but his Junior Sister did.
"I don't like them. Just thinking about so many spirit stones makes them feel not worth it at all," Chu Lingwei answered truthfully. These three artifacts, by any calculation, were not worth that much. "Second Senior Brother, aren't we being swindled?"
"Even if we are swindled, we have to accept it."
Nangong Luo's gaze turned cold. Some places were just like this.
"Uh..." It seems her second senior brother specifically brought her here to be swindled.
"Let's go, we'll look ahead." Nangong Luo seemed to be in a good mood despite being swindled. He took Chu Lingwei and bought a large pile of things. Chu Lingwei looked at these items, which were of no use to them, with some helplessness. She never knew her second senior brother had this hobby.
"Junior Sister, take a good look at everyone we meet today," Nangong Luo said, seeing that his Junior Sister seemed a little dispirited.
Chu Lingwei's heart jolted. "Second Senior Brother..."
As expected, her second senior brother wouldn't have brought her out shopping and buying things for no reason.