Sheng Yuhong clearly overheard the conversation between the two junior sisters, so he suggested they go to Lintai Pavilion together. Du Yuling, who had been walking beside him, pressed her lips together at that.
Yunxi kept a look of surprise and delight on her face, but in her heart, she was already roasting him. She wanted to rush over and slap a talisman on Sheng Yuhong's mouth. Couldn't he see that Senior Sister Du was giving her death stares already?
Mu Ningzhu's expression didn't change. Her gaze flickered slightly before she smiled and said,
"With Senior Brother Sheng taking the lead, we might be able to benefit a little. Lintai Pavilion probably won't slash the prices too hard either."
"Exactly, exactly!"
The others chimed in as well.
With a clear goal in mind, the group set off for Lintai Pavilion, hoping to offload their gains and gather information while they were at it.
Today, Lintai Pavilion was unusually quiet. Fewer cultivators were coming and going compared to normal. When Sheng Yuhong entered, a cultivator at the late Qi Refining stage came forward to greet them.
"Welcome, seniors. Please, come in."
Sheng Yuhong gave a polite nod.
"We've got some items to sell. Could we trouble a few appraisers to take a look?"
"Of course, no problem. This way, please."
The five of them split off after entering. Though they were from the same sect, no one wanted others to know the details of their personal inventory. With unspoken understanding, they each entered separate appraisal rooms.
Yunxi picked the room farthest from Sheng Yuhong, making it clear through action that she had no romantic intentions toward him.
Inside the room, she found herself facing a beautiful, alluring female cultivator dressed in a sheer black robe. The woman played with a jade pendant in her hand and smiled.
"Little girl, what would you like to appraise?"
Yunxi cupped her fists in a respectful greeting before sitting across from her. Dimples appeared on her cheeks as she smiled.
"I recently ventured into the mountains with a senior brother from my sect. Picked up a few things. I'd like to sell them and trade for some more useful treasures. I'll have to trouble you, Senior."
As she spoke, she waved her hand, laying out her items on the table, then gestured politely.
The female appraiser swept her spiritual sense over the items, already making estimates in her mind. She then picked up two objects that couldn't be seen through with spiritual sense and examined them more carefully before speaking.
"Looks like that senior brother of yours didn't take great care of you. Gave you all the leftovers. Altogether, this pile might fetch about six thousand low-grade spirit stones. Want to sell?"
Yunxi scratched her head with a sheepish grin.
"I'll sell. My senior probably thought I was too young, so he tossed me the scraps for free. I'm still grateful. No reason to complain."
The Golden Core cultivator rolled her eyes, but she still waved her hand, sweeping the pills, talismans, and low-tier artifacts into her storage pouch, then tossed another pouch over to Yunxi.
After checking that the stone count was accurate, Yunxi transferred them into her own pouch, offered another polite bow, and left the room.
The others were still inside, so Yunxi used the excuse of browsing magical tools and made her way to the second floor. The first floor only sold items suitable for Qi Refining cultivators.
A store attendant on the second floor immediately approached with a courteous tone.
"Xiaoyou, is there anything in particular you're looking for?"
Yunxi thought for a moment.
"I need an alchemy furnace, and I'm also looking for an offensive magical treasure."
In the Weiyu Realm, weapons were categorized into six tiers: magical tools, magical treasures, spirit tools, spirit treasures, ancient treasures, and Mystic treasures. Her ornate Huadian Immortal Tool belonged to the Mystic treasure category, something that had drifted into the lower realm from the upper world—a rarity that practically didn't exist in this realm.
Upon hearing her request, the clerk's eyes lit up. He invited her into a private booth and brought out three alchemy furnaces and three offensive magical treasures, introducing each one in detail along with its price.
Yunxi's eyes landed immediately on a Ziyu Panlong Cauldron. This alchemy furnace came with its own flame, requiring spirit stones to activate, but it would save her a great deal of trouble since she was only pretending to have a fire spiritual root. She made up her mind to buy it, though she didn't let her interest show too plainly.
The three offensive treasures were a sword, a red silk ribbon, and a black staff.
The sword didn't need much explanation. It was the standard weapon in the cultivation world, widely used and understood.
The red ribbon was made from mermaid skin, with a striking color and a balance of softness and strength. It was not only beautiful but lethal, making it a favorite among female cultivators. The attendant recommended it a bit more heavily.
Then there was the black staff. It could extend or shrink in length, and when reduced, could be worn tucked into the hair. It weighed a thousand catties, requiring great arm strength to wield. Even without channeling spiritual power, it could seriously injure Foundation Establishment cultivators. Its lethality was on par with the spirit sword.
After considering them all, Yunxi immediately ruled out the sword. Once she broke through to the Golden Core stage, she could forge her own natal sword. The one she currently used was obtained through the sect's contribution system and was sufficient for now.
The red ribbon was indeed beautiful, but it felt too soft and lacked the dominance she preferred. Her gaze returned to the black staff. Something about it just felt right.
The store attendant, quick to read expressions, noticed her interest and smiled broadly as he launched into a pitch.
"Daoyou, this magical treasure is called the Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff. Forged from deep-sea black star meteoric iron, it's inlaid with seven stars. Once it recognizes a master, each star can light up over time. As your strength grows, so will the staff's power. When all seven stars are lit, it's said a single strike can destroy a realm."
Yunxi stared at the fast-talking clerk, speechless.
"Mister, from the way you describe it, this thing sounds like a legendary weapon. It should be fought over at an auction, not sitting in a shop waiting for a little Foundation Establishment rookie like me."
That shut the clerk up for a moment. He scratched his head awkwardly and muttered,
"Hehe... well, it was at an auction. But no one could activate even one star, so..."
"Tsk. You trying to scam me because I'm young? If so many seniors couldn't light it up, what makes you think I can? You're flattering me a bit much, aren't you?"
Yunxi wore a clear expression that said: Nice try, but I'm not that easy to fool.
She added,
"Got anything else to recommend? If nothing suits me, I'll pass. I'm the type to buy based on instinct. If I like something, I'll buy it. If not, no amount of hype will work. So don't try to trick me."
"Ah, no, no. Fellow Daoist, you've misunderstood. Lintai Pavilion has always operated with integrity. We never pass off shoddy goods. The reason the Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff ended up here is exactly because of that flaw. After failing at three auctions and getting returned each time, the price was reduced.
If you like it, just one thousand mid-grade spirit stones and it's yours. That's the lowest we can go, just enough to break even. The crafting materials alone are worth more than that. Even without activating the stars, it's still a heavy-duty weapon that can wound enemies. Light up a star, and the damage multiplies.
And who knows? You haven't even tried. What if you can light one up? Wouldn't that be a steal?"
Clearly, this clerk was determined to use his silver tongue to offload the unsellable weapon.
Yunxi had to admit, his words were persuasive. She rubbed her chin—now free of baby fat—and said,
"Alright. Since your pitch is so heartfelt, I'll take a gamble on my luck."
"Great! Then which alchemy furnace do you want?"
"Which one's the best of the bunch?"
"The Hunyuan Gilded Cauldron is the best among them."
"How much?"
"Three thousand mid-grade spirit stones."
Yunxi winced and made a pained expression.
"Oof, that's over my budget..."
===
(道友, Dàoyǒu): A formal, polite term used when addressing other cultivators, especially when there is no close relationship or stranger. This can be translated as Fellow Daoist or Taoist Friend
(小友, Xiǎo yǒu): Is same with above, but used for addressing the younger cultivator or cultivator below their level. This can be translated as Little Daoist or Little Friend. Little Friend is usually used when speakers have a good impression of the younger cultivator