The next day, before the sun had risen, Zhao Zuo opened his eyes in the woodpile.
He had been grinding experience until nearly three in the morning last night before finally resting. He had only slept for a little over two hours, but he was already awake by five AM.
Due to the lack of sleep, his mind was a bit groggy. He had to splash his face with cold water several times to force himself awake, then immediately went back to grinding experience in the backyard.
A minute later, his Mana was depleted.
Filled with anticipation, Zhao Zuo lightly tapped the body of the Sky-Breaking Saber, and a transparent panel instantly appeared.
[Level: Lower Grade Magical Artifact +1 · Sky-Breaking Saber]
[Experience: 400/400]
[Status: Upgradeable]
[Creation Points: 0]
After six days of effort, the Sky-Breaking Saber had finally reached the threshold for an upgrade.
"Let's upgrade it then."
A gray light, even denser than last time, enveloped the Sky-Breaking Saber. A mysterious ripple spread out slowly, attracting the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power like the center of a vortex. The surface of the Sky-Breaking Saber also began to gleam with a silver light.
It seemed to have become sharper, as if it could effortlessly sever any obstacle.
In Zhao Zuo's vision, he could almost see the Spiritual Power patterns inside the Sky-Breaking Saber slowly mending their flaws and approaching perfection. Even their complexity had increased by a notch.
After about a dozen breaths, the gray light dissipated.
The silver glow on the Sky-Breaking Saber's surface faded, but a lethal sense of sharpness washed over him, causing an inexplicable fear to creep up from the bottom of Zhao Zuo's heart.
'This upgrade's boost is incredible!'
He lightly tapped the body of the Sky-Breaking Saber, and the transparent panel popped up.
[Upgrade Description: Slightly increases flight and attack speed. Small increase to sharpness.]
A few seconds later, the text changed, revealing the new detailed panel.
[Level: Lower Grade Magical Artifact +2 · Sky-Breaking Saber]
[Experience: 0/800]
[Status: Not Upgradeable]
[Creation Points: 0]
"Yes!"
Zhao Zuo pumped his fist in excitement and returned the Sky-Breaking Saber to the hidden clasp at his waist.
After the Sky-Breaking Saber's second upgrade was complete, a rather dangerous idea occurred to him: sell the upgraded Sky-Breaking Saber for twenty Spirit Stones.
After two upgrades, its quality was approaching the peak of a Lower Grade Magical Artifact. Someone would surely buy it for twenty Spirit Stones. That would alleviate his current predicament and could even serve as his first bit of capital.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
First, the Sky-Breaking Saber provided a great deal of security, which was something no amount of Spirit Stones could buy. Second, for a Loose Cultivator in the outer district of the Market, twenty Spirit Stones was a huge sum, enough to make many people harbor malicious intentions.
Zhao Zuo didn't believe that secrets could stay secret for long.
After briefly familiarizing himself with the newly transformed Sky-Breaking Saber, Zhao Zuo returned to his room and sat in meditation, absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power to restore his Mana.
Once his stats were full, he cooked and finished the last of his Spirit Rice, bringing himself to peak condition. Then he placed the Talismans and Pill Medicine inside his clothes and straightened his messy Taoist Robe slightly.
Zhao Zuo stood before the door, touched the Sky-Breaking Saber at his waist, took a few deep breaths, then pushed the door open and stepped out with unwavering resolve.
It was a step of heroism, a step of tragic grandeur, a step that embodied the courage to advance even if thousands stood against him. But as he actually crossed the threshold, he instinctively flinched.
「At noon, the sun was blinding.」
A few kilometers away lay a lush, untamed forest from which one could feel a dense natural aura. In the distance, towering mountains were faintly visible, like one sleeping giant after another resting among the clouds. Faint rumbling sounds and the shrill cries of Demon Beasts could be heard.
The shadows of the trees danced in the gentle breeze.
On the other side was another high peak. Qingni Lane was built on the plain at its foot. The mountain's original name was lost to history, but it was now called Moyun Peak. Above the mountainside was the entrance to the Moyun Sect, shrouded in mist and filled with an immortal air. Spirit Beasts could be vaguely seen darting through the clouds, bathing in the mist.
The steep, sharp rocks on the mountain had been polished into platforms, where people could be seen practicing Magic Skills. There were also experts of the Foundation Establishment Realm who controlled Flying Magical Artifacts, streaking across the sky at high speeds.
At the foot of the mountain was a valley about four kilometers long, which was the core area of the Moyun Market. It was surrounded by shops selling Magical Robes, Magical Artifacts, Artifact Refining materials, and Talisman Making materials. Of course, there were also shops for Spirit Rice and Demon Beast meat.
At the same time, that valley was also the area in the Moyun Market with the densest Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power. Courtyard residences were also available for rent there, and even sharing a place with others cost ten Spirit Stones a month.
In the distance was an enviable immortal scene, but up close was a harsh and cruel reality. The air was filled with a nauseating mixture of the stench of rotting corpses and human waste.
With a calm expression, Zhao Zuo followed the muddy path toward the core district. Weeds grew to about thirty centimeters high, and occasionally, one could see piles of household trash and the skeletal remains of humans by the side of the path in open areas.
This journey was the most resolute one he had ever taken. It also strengthened Zhao Zuo's resolve to move to the core district. He had to start the business of reselling Magical Artifacts as soon as possible to improve his desperate situation.
After so many years, Zhao Zuo once again felt the pressure of survival, like a thousand-pound boulder on his shoulders.
"Earn Spirit Stones, I have to earn Spirit Stones!"
The surrounding houses were nearly identical, as if cast from the same mold. It was said that when the Moyun Market was first built, several Foundation Establishment Cultivators who practiced Earth Element Cultivation Techniques had built the frames of all these houses in just one two-hour period. The rest was completed by Qi Cultivation Cultivators, taking only half a day in total.
Mythical feats like moving mountains and filling seas were not actually that far from Zhao Zuo's reality...
Every time he encountered a passing Cultivator on the road, Zhao Zuo's body would tense up. When one Cultivator brushed past him, he even infused Mana into his Sky-Breaking Saber, ready to strike at any moment.
Only when they were more than five meters apart did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, a skinny Cultivator walking toward him clasped his hands in greeting to Zhao Zuo.
Zhao Zuo was stunned for a few seconds before nodding in return.
The journey was tense but uneventful. The plaque of the Moyun Workshop soon appeared before him, and the path under his feet changed from a muddy dirt road to a clean, wide flagstone path.
Zhao Zuo cleaned the yellow mud off his cloth shoes by the side of the road before stepping onto the flagstone path. He walked toward the core area of the Moyun Market. Passing through the five-meter-high pillars felt like entering another world, and his tense body finally relaxed.
Within the stone pillars, the Guard Team ensured safety. Anyone who attacked and injured another person would be hunted down and killed by the Guard Team. If the Guard Team couldn't handle it, an expert from the Moyun Sect would intervene.
Just inside the Market, many stalls lined both sides of the road. The vendors varied greatly in appearance, but most were cloaked in black. Some shouted their wares with vigor, while others coldly stared at the passersby. Some of the items on the stalls had faint bloodstains on them.
However, no matter how loudly they hawked their goods, it didn't change the fact that they were all selling junk.
...