Staring at the smooth sword mark on the bluestone tile, Lü Zhong was too excited for words.
Now he had the Qi Observation Skill to scout ahead and the Breath Concealing Skill to hide his presence. He also possessed a powerful, Secret Technique-level attack Magic Skill, the Qingyang Fire Rain Technique, not to mention the Sword Aura from his Water and Wood Sword Mantra.
It could be said that he finally had the basic means to venture into the wilderness.
Taking a deep breath, Lü Zhong calmed himself.
'Next, it's time to buy a suitable Magical Artifact.'
Magic Skills were powerful, but they consumed too much Spiritual Power and weren't suitable for drawn-out battles.
In the Early and Middle Stages of Qi Refining, aside from wealthy Sect Disciples who could carry enough Replenishing Qi Pills, most sect cultivators and Family Cultivators did not rely on Magic Skills as their primary means of combat. They would almost always choose a handy Magical Artifact instead.
The mere thought of Magical Artifacts made Lü Zhong's head ache.
Refining Magical Artifacts was exceptionally difficult. They had to be crafted according to blueprints, a process even more challenging than Talisman Making.
Even a seasoned Artifact Refiner could only produce a few pieces a year.
Forget about finding a suitable Magical Artifact; it wasn't even easy to buy an unsuitable one. With production rates being so low, they were often bought the moment an Artifact Refiner finished making them.
Lü Zhong had no background or connections, so he stood no chance against those who had been waiting for them for a long time.
Besides buying new, there was another option: refurbished, second-hand Magical Artifacts.
Second-hand Magical Artifacts came from a variety of sources. Some were decommissioned in batches by Sects, while others were acquired from various buyback shops.
Their origins included, but were not limited to, laundered stolen goods and legitimate trade-ins.
These Magical Artifacts, all with varying degrees of wear and tear, were refurbished and repaired by Artifact Refiners before re-entering the market.
In fact, most of the wares sold in Magical Artifact Shops were these kinds of refurbished items.
Compared to new ones, second-hand Magical Artifacts often had problems, major or minor.
Even legitimate shops couldn't guarantee consistent quality with their second-hand items. After all, the cost of restoring an old Magical Artifact to pristine condition was higher than refining a new one.
And if you bought one refurbished by an unscrupulous merchant, there would be even more hidden defects.
There was no telling where the Magical Artifacts they sold came from.
There had even been cases of unscrupulous merchants refurbishing decommissioned Magical Artifacts and passing them off as new.
Such artifacts were essentially disposable.
New Magical Artifacts were unobtainable, and second-hand ones were too risky.
At this thought, Lü Zhong's head throbbed.
...
Outside, it was a rare moonless night.
A faint layer of light could be seen enveloping the entire Qingliu Market.
This faint light was emitted by the barrier of the Workshop Protection Array and was typically only visible in extreme darkness.
Just then, the barrier flashed violently, illuminating the entire Workshop Market.
As the Grand Array malfunctioned, some twenty-odd black-clad, masked figures appeared at the entrance to the Workshop Market.
Their leader was a burly, powerfully built man. His towering frame was like an iron pagoda, exuding an immense, oppressive aura.
The burly man gazed at the Workshop Market, a cold sneer touching his lips as he thought to himself.
'Posing as Demon Cultivators for so long... it's finally over.'
He wiped the expression from his face, turned to his subordinates, and said coldly, "The Array-breaking Talisman from the Sect will only last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. For the sake of the Sect's grand, long-laid plan, you must destroy the Array's core within that time limit! And remember, you are only to use our Sect's Magic Skills!"
"Yes, sir," the men in black chorused.
Upon receiving their orders, they split into three groups.
The men in black were clearly well-trained and extremely familiar with the layout of Qingliu Square. Two groups immediately split off, one heading for the center of the Workshop Market to take control of the Grand Array, the other for the entrance to secure their retreat route.
The last group followed the burly man, making a beeline for a certain location within the Workshop Market.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The abnormal flare of the Workshop Protection Array immediately triggered the Alarm Bell Sound.
The bells jolted Lü Zhong from his sleep, and memories of the last Demon Cultivator invasion instantly flooded his mind.
Without a second thought, he cast the Breath Concealing Skill on himself.
That way, if anyone broke in, they wouldn't spot him right away.
At the same time, the sounds of battle erupted throughout the Workshop Market!
As a cultivator who lived in Qingliu Square, Lü Zhong immediately recognized the direction the battle cries were coming from.
'Xingwu Pavilion is under attack too?'
Lü Zhong froze. The image of Chen Dongyang surfaced in his mind.
'Is it a coincidence?'
He quietly sensed his surroundings for a moment. After confirming no outsiders had entered his small courtyard, he slowly pushed open the door. He took a few steps, leaped onto the roof, and looked out into the distance from his high vantage point.
His expression changed instantly.
Raging flames were spreading across Xingwu Pavilion. The blaze was already too massive to be extinguished.
A gust of wind from the river blew in his face, carrying the stench of burning flesh.
In the night sky, bursts of Spiritual Light from Magic Skills exploded one after another, like fireworks.
At the same time, countless Magical Artifacts left long, glowing trails as they collided violently in the air.
The faint sounds of battle cries and screams drifted over.
Lü Zhong watched for a moment, feeling that something was off.
'Could they not be Demon Cultivators? But if not, who else could it be?'
Just then, an earth-shattering sound erupted from the center of the Workshop Market. A dazzling light flashed, followed by a massive explosion.
RUMBLE!
The powerful shockwave nearly knocked him off his feet.
As the great explosion ripped through the air, the Grand Array that had enveloped the entire Workshop Market instantly collapsed.
Almost simultaneously, battle cries erupted from all directions!
The entire Qingliu Square was plunged into chaos.
As if in a repeat of the previous invasion, the shops lining the streets were the first to suffer.
But gradually, the chaos began to spread.
Just then, a flurry of hurried footsteps suddenly stopped at the gate of Lü Zhong's small courtyard.
"This kid came into money all of a sudden. He must've had some kind of lucky break. Let's rob the bastard!" one of them whispered.
Immediately after, the courtyard gate was kicked open, and three masked figures rushed in.
Seeing their numbers, Lü Zhong's heart tightened, and he immediately dropped flat onto the roof.
The effect of his Breath Concealing Skill was immediately apparent; the three men didn't notice him on the roof at all and assumed the owner was still inside the house.
After the sound of frantic slashing at the bedding, one of them yelled, "Boss, looks like nobody's here!"
"Nobody? Lucky him. Search the place!" a shrill voice commanded.
The command was followed by the sounds of chests being opened and cabinets being overturned.
Lü Zhong remained prone on the roof, letting them ransack his home.
Meanwhile, he was fighting a war within himself, debating whether or not he should make a move.
He bit the tip of his tongue, using the sharp pain to clear his head. He decided caution was the better part of valor.
'After all, you only get one life. You can never be too careful.'
Besides, all of his valuables, including the Talisman-Making Tool set, were in his Storage Bag.
'Go ahead and search. It's not like you'll find anything of value.'
With this in mind, he decided to continue waiting.
Soon, the opportunity Lü Zhong was waiting for arrived.
A squad of cultivators came running from the distance, startling the three men rummaging for valuables inside.
"Damn it, the Law Enforcement Team is here!"
A flurry of panicked footsteps followed as the three men dashed out of the house.
At that very moment, Lü Zhong's eyes narrowed. He formed a Sword Gesture with his left hand and pointed.
SWOOSH! A cyan Sword Aura flashed past in an instant.
Blood sprayed from one of the masked men's abdomens as he let out a piercing scream.
On the roof, Lü Zhong cursed silently. 'A pity.' He had clearly aimed for the man's head, but his inexperience led him to miscalculate the lead, and the Sword Aura struck the man's abdomen instead.
'Otherwise, he would have definitely killed the masked man in a single strike.'