Han Li inspected the materials in each shop one by one, but after visiting seven or eight stores, he stopped this fruitless endeavor and sighed inwardly.
The materials in these shops couldn’t be called bad—some were even considered top-tier. However, given Han Li’s current state, where his Vajra Arts were nearing perfection, how could he take a liking to such items? Even if he painstakingly refined them into spiritual tools, the result would at best be comparable to the Golden Flood Dragon Sword he had once left for Fatty Fan.
They were of little use to him.
“What’s the matter, Brother Han? Not satisfied with what’s here?” Tian Xing, standing beside him, was quick to notice his expression and immediately asked.
“These materials aren’t useful to me,” Han Li shook his head, not hiding his disappointment.
“If none of them catch your eye, why not come with me to another place? They often have special items there, though I can’t guarantee they’ll have exactly what you’re looking for.” Tian Xing, ever the local guide, swiftly proposed an alternative.
“Oh? Let’s take a look then.” Hearing this, Han Li’s interest was piqued.
The two then left the street and hailed a beast-drawn carriage in the city, preparing to depart.
But just as Han Li stepped onto the carriage, a dragon’s roar echoed from the sky, followed by a tiger-like roar that rolled through the air like thunder.
The two sounds intertwined, resonating across the sky, stirring both mortals and cultivators below.
Han Li also turned his gaze toward the horizon where the sound originated.
A black dot was rapidly approaching, and in the blink of an eye, it soared overhead.
It turned out to be a pale-green flying chariot pulled by a three-headed beast—two heads resembling a tiger and a dragon—streaking across the sky. The roars of the dragon and tiger faded into the distance in an instant.
“Spirit Monarch Huangliang has left his abode! What’s going on?” Tian Xing blurted out in shock upon seeing the chariot.
“Spirit Monarch Huangliang? Who is that?” Han Li asked.
At this question, Tian Xing froze, then gave Han Li a strange look.
“What? Is there something on my face?” Han Li chuckled lightly, his eyes glinting.
“It seems Brother Han truly comes from a distant place.”
“Why do you say that? Is this person very famous in Sunset City?” Han Li frowned.
“Although the city lord is a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, the strongest cultivator in Sunset City isn’t him—it’s this Spirit Monarch Huangliang, who has resided in a nearby mountain for ten thousand years. It’s said he has already passed the stage of Five Elements Unity and is an early-stage Void Refinement cultivator,” Tian Xing explained excitedly.
“Early-stage Void Refinement!” Han Li’s heart tightened.
Having once been an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator himself, he knew all too well the vast gap between Nascent Soul and Void Refinement. In the decades he had spent in the Spirit Realm, Body Integration cultivators were the highest-tier figures he had heard of—even the Three Sovereigns were only at the peak of Body Integration.
From other cultivators and mortals, he had never heard any rumors about Mahayana or Tribulation Transcendence cultivators.
It was as if such supreme beings of the human race had never appeared in the Spirit Realm.
Of course, it was also possible that his current standing was too low to access such information.
Once inside the carriage, Tian Xing enthusiastically shared more about Spirit Monarch Huangliang, mostly praising his prowess and reputation.
Han Li merely smiled faintly, offering no comment.
After several hours of travel through the city, the carriage finally stopped at the end of an unfamiliar street.
Han Li stepped down and scanned the area, spotting a rather sizable shop.
This shop was anything but ordinary.
Its entrance was grand, adorned with eye-catching gold powder, and bore a large sign inscribed with the words “Vault of Heaven Pavilion.”
Flanking the entrance were two ten-foot-tall green iron pillars, each chained to a crimson, lizard-like beast with silver chains.
The moment Han Li stepped off the carriage, the two beasts immediately stood up, fixing him with hostile glares.
“Shoo!” Tian Xing, following closely behind, paid them no mind. He pulled out a pale-yellow token and waved it at the beasts.
With a few low growls, the beasts lazily lay back down.
The two walked past them and entered.
Inside, Han Li’s brow furrowed imperceptibly.
The space was a simple room no more than twenty feet wide, with empty shelves lining the walls.
In one corner stood a staircase, beside which sat a wooden chair occupied by a sallow-faced, flat-nosed old man who appeared to be dozing, seemingly oblivious to their arrival.
“Old Xu! Wake up, I’ve brought you a customer,” Tian Xing said brusquely, stepping forward and shaking the man’s shoulder vigorously.
“A customer? Where?” The old man opened his bleary eyes, still half-asleep.
“I heard your shop carries special items. I’ve come to take a look,” Han Li said calmly after observing the shopkeeper.
“Special items? Easy enough. This shop specializes in procuring unique goods for those who need them. What are you looking for?” The shopkeeper’s gaze lingered on Han Li for a moment before he cracked a faint smile.
“Spiritual tool materials,” Han Li replied evenly.
“Hmm, not many seek such things. But we do have a couple of items. Shall I fetch them?” The shopkeeper chuckled before turning and ascending the stairs.
Watching his retreating figure, Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly asked Tian Xing, “This man seems to be a body refiner—and not a low-tier one at that.”
“Of course! Old Xu was once a renowned high-tier body refiner in Sunset City. But decades ago, he encountered an accident in the Sunset Tomb and was afflicted with a strange poison. Though his physique remains that of a high-tier refiner, he can no longer exert any strength. That’s why he opened this shop,” Tian Xing explained.
“I see,” Han Li nodded, seemingly satisfied.
Tian Xing grinned and was about to ask how Han Li had discerned Old Xu’s identity when a low beastly growl sounded outside, followed by a cold rebuke: “Beasts, seeking death!”
Two dull thuds echoed as something heavy hit the ground.
Han Li and Tian Xing turned in surprise to see a man and a woman stepping through the door. The two beasts at the entrance were now lying on their backs, motionless.
Tian Xing gasped but relaxed upon hearing the beasts’ faint whimpers.
Han Li, however, focused on the newcomers.
The pair appeared young—the man handsome and dignified, the woman beautiful and graceful, a perfect match of “golden boy and jade girl.” Their spiritual pressure suggested Core Formation-level cultivation.
With Han Li’s discerning eye, he could tell their youthful appearances matched their actual age.
Though the Spirit Realm’s dense spiritual energy and abundance of resources made Foundation Establishment and Core Formation far easier than in the human realm, achieving such cultivation at their age was still astonishing.
“Are you the shop’s attendants?” The young man’s gaze swept over them, lingering dismissively on Tian Xing—a mere Qi Condensation cultivator—before his tone turned imperious.
As for Han Li, the spiritual ring on his finger marked him as a body refiner. And a refiner mingling with a Qi Condensation cultivator? The young man couldn’t be bothered.
“No, this junior is merely accompanying a customer,” Tian Xing replied hastily, forcing a smile upon realizing they were Core Formation cultivators.
“A customer? Then where’s the shopkeeper?” the young man snorted.
“Old Xu has gone upstairs to retrieve something. Please wait a moment, seniors,” Tian Xing said carefully.
“Junior Sister Lü, shall we wait a while? It’s no trouble,” the young man ignored Tian Xing, turning instead to the woman beside him with a gentle tone.
“It’s fine. Grandfather is likely discussing matters with your master right now. We needn’t rush to interrupt them. But does this shop really have what I’m looking for?” The woman’s eyes swept the empty shelves curiously.
“This is my first time here as well, but a friend mentioned they carry many peculiar items. Even if we don’t find what you seek, it’s worth a look,” the young man replied, his tone laced with flattery.
“Since Senior Brother Qian recommends it, I’ll take a look,” the woman chuckled lightly.
Just then, footsteps sounded on the stairs as the old man descended, carrying two brocade boxes—one large, one small.
“Ah, more customers? Hmm… my gatekeepers have been injured,” the old man frowned slightly upon noticing the beasts outside.
“Relax, I merely taught them a lesson—no real harm done. Junior Sister Lü is a descendant of Spirit Monarch Huangliang. Had your beasts truly disturbed her, the consequences would be severe,” the young man said with a cold smirk, not moving an inch.
“A descendant of Spirit Monarch Huangliang?” The old man’s expression flickered before returning to normal. “Very well, let it pass this time. But no next time.”
He then seemed eager to avoid further interaction with the pair, stepping toward Han Li and offering the boxes.
Han Li didn’t immediately take them. Instead, he asked, “What rare treasures lie within these boxes, Shopkeeper Xu? Care to introduce them first?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage