Shui Miao’s action was a sudden impulse, completely unthoughtful.
Bai Feng was stunned for a moment, staring blankly at Shui Miao.
It was harmless for an elder sister to put a ring on her younger brother’s finger. Bai Feng just didn’t know which finger to use and mistakenly put it on the wrong one, which was understandable.
But for Shui Miao to put a ring on Bai Feng’s finger made her feel somewhat awkward.
Bai Feng felt as if Shui Miao might have feelings for her, even though there was an age gap of almost five hundred years between them…
Meanwhile, some spectators inside the Lingbao Pavilion cast envious glances their way, which made Bai Feng even more embarrassed.
To test Shui Miao’s sincerity toward her, Bai Feng deliberately pulled her hand away, took off the ring, and returned it to Shui Miao, saying, “Sister already has a bracelet; I don’t need this. You should keep these for your good friends.”
“Then… then I’ll buy something else for you, sister.” Shui Miao thought for a moment and realized he had indeed acted impulsively. He had obtained the Holy Yuan Ring for himself but gave Bai Feng an inferior one, which was clearly inappropriate.
It seemed she had misunderstood. Bai Feng slightly lowered her head, feeling a bit disappointed, and gently waved her hand. “No, really, I don’t need anything.”
“Let’s at least take a look first, sister.”
With some money in hand, Shui Miao’s mindset shifted. That sounded like what Bai Feng had just said to him.
Shui Miao turned around and noticed a nearby counter selling herbs and various stones. The herbs were numerous and diverse, but none were familiar to him. The stones were also peculiar, varying in color, size, and shape. At that moment, several ghosts were purchasing medicinal herbs for injuries. Using his spiritual senses, Shui Miao detected that these herbs and stones contained various types of spiritual energy, though the proportion of Yin-element energy was higher.
Earlier, Shui Miao had purchased the Holy Yuan Ring from another counter, and the owner of this stall selling herbs and stones had noticed. Seeing Shui Miao’s interest, the owner quickly stepped out from behind the counter with a smile to introduce his wares.
The shopkeeper was about one and a half meters tall, looked around fifty years old, and wore a gray robe covered with pockets of various shapes. The outfit looked messy, but Shui Miao sensed that each pocket held treasures, possibly spatial artifacts. His hairstyle was also unique: a tuft of hair on the crown of his head was tied into a thirty-centimeter-long braid standing straight up, while the rest of his head was completely bald, covered with scars.
The shopkeeper’s oval face was wrinkled with age as he smiled and said, “Young sir, you clearly have a discerning eye. I have a few treasures stored away that might interest you.” He had been observing Shui Miao for some time and had already discerned some of his traits, so he got straight to the point.
As he spoke, he took out a white, egg-shaped object from his robe and summoned several streams of energy from it.
Shui Miao sensed the energy and was surprised to find it was Holy Spirit energy. Among them, one stream of Earth-element energy was especially pure, reminding him immediately of the Earth Holy Spirit. “I’d like to see that Earth-element treasure.”
“Of course, of course. Come, let’s go behind the counter to take a closer look.”
Shuimiao’s actions were impulsive, completely devoid of any deep thought or consideration.
Baifeng was momentarily stunned, staring blankly at Shuimiao!
It was harmless for an older sister to put a ring on her younger brother’s finger, but Baifeng didn’t know which finger it should go on and mistakenly put it on the wrong one, which was understandable.
However, when Shuimiao put the ring on Baifeng’s finger, it made her feel somewhat uneasy.
Baifeng felt as though Shuimiao might have feelings for her, even though there was nearly a five-hundred-year age difference between them…
Some of the onlookers in Lingbao Pavilion cast envious glances, which only made Baifeng feel even more embarrassed.
To test Shuimiao’s feelings, Baifeng deliberately pulled her hand away, took off the ring, and returned it to him. “I already have a bracelet, so I don’t need this. You should keep it for your close friends.”
“Well then, let me buy something else for you, sister.” Shuimiao thought it over and realized he had indeed acted impulsively. It didn’t seem right for him to keep the Sacred Origin Ring for himself while giving Baifeng an inferior one.
It seemed like a misunderstanding. Baifeng felt slightly disappointed and gently waved her hand. “No, I really don’t need anything.”
“Sister, let’s just take a look first.”
Now that he had money, Shuimiao’s mindset had shifted—these were the same words Baifeng had just said to him.
As Shuimiao turned around, he noticed a nearby counter selling medicinal herbs and various stones. The herbs came in many varieties, none of which he recognized, and the stones were equally unique—different colors, sizes, and shapes. A few spirits were purchasing herbs for healing, and through his spiritual sense, Shuimiao could detect that both the herbs and stones contained spiritual energy of various attributes, though those with Yin-based energy were more prevalent.
Having just purchased the Sacred Origin Ring nearby, the shopkeeper of the herb and stone stall noticed Shuimiao’s interest and quickly stepped out from behind the counter with a smile to introduce his wares.
The shopkeeper was about 1.5 meters tall and appeared to be in his fifties. He wore a gray garment covered in pockets of various shapes, which looked messy but, as Shuimiao sensed, contained spiritual treasures—likely spatial treasures. His hairstyle was peculiar: a tuft of hair on the crown of his head was tied into a 30-centimeter-long braid that stood straight up, while the rest of his head was bald and covered with scars.
The oval-faced shopkeeper, wrinkles covering his face, smiled obsequiously at Shuimiao. “Young man, I can tell you have a good eye. I have a few rare treasures tucked away—would you be interested?” He had been observing Shuimiao for a while and had gauged his personality, so he cut straight to the point.
As he spoke, he took out an egg-shaped white spherical object and released several streams of energy from within.
With a slight sensing, Shuimiao was astonished to find that these energies were all Sacred Spirit Qi, and among them was an exceptionally pure Earth-based energy that immediately reminded him of the Earth Sacred Spirit. “I’d like to take a look at that Earth-based treasure.”
“Of course, of course! Please, come behind the counter.”
Behind the counter was a curtain. The shopkeeper invited Shuimiao and Baifeng inside, where a small, exquisitely furnished room of about ten square meters awaited. The room was filled with cabinets. After they entered, the shopkeeper closed the door and took out the egg-shaped object again, this time extracting a basketball-sized mass of earthy-yellow substance that appeared more like a fusion of highly purified gaseous energy.
“So much Earth Sacred Spirit!” Baifeng exclaimed in amazement. She had seen the Earth Sacred Spirit before in the ghost realm of the Miaojiang region, but the amount that shopkeeper had was only the size of an ordinary egg and exorbitantly priced.
It was indeed the Earth Sacred Spirit!
Seeing that Baifeng recognized it, Shuimiao no longer had any doubts.
Noting their interest, the shopkeeper smiled. “Besides the Earth Sacred Spirit, I also have Water Sacred Spirit, Wood Sacred Spirit, and Metal Sacred Spirit. I’m only missing the Fire Sacred Spirit to complete the set of Five Elemental Sacred Spirits. Unfortunately, my abilities aren’t strong enough, or else you’d see it too.”
“Sir, I know that the Five Elemental Sacred Spirits are extremely difficult to obtain, and even if one manages to get them, the quantities are usually small. Yet you have so much—this couldn’t have been acquired in the mortal world, could it?” Baifeng looked curiously at the short shopkeeper. “I don’t mean anything by it, but these things are quite rare. If we’re going to buy them, we’d like to know their origin.”
“Haha, no problem, no problem. Since I dare to sell them, their origin is absolutely legitimate. You’re right—it’s impossible to obtain such pure Sacred Spirit Qi in the mortal world, let alone in such quantities, unless one has incredibly good luck.” Seemingly eager to show off, the shopkeeper waved his hand and released the other three types of Sacred Origin Qi. The Metal and Wood Sacred Spirit Qi were similar in quantity to the Earth Sacred Spirit Qi, but the Water Sacred Spirit was exceptionally abundant, piled on the ground like a small human-shaped mountain. The shopkeeper raised his eyebrows and lowered his voice mysteriously. “I can tell you’re someone who runs a shop in the immortal realm. Your Yang-based immortal power is very strong—I can sense it. These things might not be of great value to you, but there’s one thing I believe you’ll definitely be interested in.”
“What is it?”
Shuimiao and Baifeng exchanged glances, feeling slightly excited. It seemed the shopkeeper had mistaken Shuimiao for an immortal realm merchant.
The shopkeeper mysteriously tiptoed to the door, pressed his ear against it to listen, then returned and whispered, “My family and I once went to the Rakshasa Realm and discovered a treasure vault buried deep within a mountain. We broke through the barriers and successfully entered, obtaining these Sacred Origin Qi and some other treasures, like armor and blades. Unfortunately, the deeper we went, the more terrifying the barriers became. We barely made it to the fourth level but couldn’t proceed to the fifth, the Fire Sacred Hall. Later, we found out that it was the treasure vault of Rakshasa Realm’s Forging Sage King Luo Tong. The vault has twelve levels, containing the nine supreme Sacred Spirit Qi of heaven and earth. If one can make it past the final three levels, they might even receive Luo Tong’s inheritance and become the new Forging Sage King of the Rakshasa Realm. At that point, wealth would be nothing!”
Nine Supreme Sacred Origin Qi!
Shuimiao’s heart surged with excitement.
The shopkeeper’s revelation of such an astonishing secret left Shuimiao and Baifeng puzzled. Why was he telling them this?
“What… is your purpose in telling my brother all this?”
Baifeng wasn’t worried about the shopkeeper trying to trick them, as she could sense that his abilities were not particularly strong—at most, he had only three or four hundred years of cultivation.
Weak beings scheming against powerful experts was not the way of survival for spirits.
Spirits revered the strong, and the weak would never dare challenge them.
After all, when humans died, their souls lived on, but when spirits died, it was truly the end. Thus, spirits were always cautious.
“Hehe, you’re as sharp as ever, big sister.” The shopkeeper gave Baifeng a thumbs-up, then turned to Shuimiao with an animated expression. “Young man, the mechanisms in the deeper levels of the vault can only be broken by immortals. I’d like to join you and try our luck in the vault. You can gather some powerful friends from the immortal realm, and we’ll go together. Don’t worry—I don’t want the best treasures. I just want to collect the nine Supreme Sacred Origin Qi. Of course, if you could spare me one or two extra treasures, that would be even better.”
“If it’s such a great opportunity, why haven’t you sought out immortals yourself?”
Shuimiao couldn’t help but ask.
As soon as he spoke, Baifeng felt that Shuimiao was too naive. Wasn’t it obvious? Aside from a few specially cultivated spirits, ordinary spirits couldn’t enter the immortal realm.
Even after all her years of cultivation, Baifeng couldn’t go to the immortal realm—at most, she could chat with the Thunder God patrolling the clouds.
The shopkeeper seemed to realize that Shuimiao was inexperienced and immediately waved his hand with a laugh. “Young man, you flatter me. My heavenly soul dispersed long ago. No matter how great the opportunity, I can’t ascend to the immortal realm. That’s why I want to collaborate with you. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Running this shop is just a front—what I’ve really been doing is waiting for an immortal like you! By the way, if you’re interested in these Sacred Origin Qi, I can share some with you.”
As he spoke, the shopkeeper pulled out a curved blade with a unique aura and sliced the basketball-sized Earth Sacred Spirit in half with one stroke, offering one half to Shuimiao.
Both Baifeng and Shuimiao could perceive that the blade’s aura was extraordinary, as if it had the power to slice through anything. Additionally, the character “Luo” (罗) was intricately engraved on the blade.
“Hehe, this curved blade is from the third level of the vault. If you like it, I’ll give it to you as well.” After giving half of the Earth Sacred Spirit to Shuimiao, the shopkeeper also took out the blade’s scabbard and handed it over. Then, he pulled a black sword from one of his pockets and offered it to Baifeng.
Accepting the gifts would signify agreement to collaborate.
Refusing would mean rejection.
Shuimiao was eager to accept because, with the Earth Sacred Spirit, he would only need the Fire Sacred Spirit to complete the set of Yin-Yang and Five Elemental Sacred Spirit Qi.
Baifeng also wanted to accept because she realized the black sword was truly priceless. With it, she might even stand a chance against her master, Lady Bai.
“Little brother, it’s your decision. If you want to go, I’ll accompany you.”
Baifeng couldn’t put down the black sword, utterly captivated by it.
Shuimiao licked his lips. It seemed the shopkeeper was utterly sincere, and collaboration wasn’t an issue, but going to the immortal realm to seek help from immortals was likely impossible. After a moment’s thought, an idea suddenly occurred to him. He scratched his head and said to the shopkeeper, “Collaboration is possible, but I don’t want to involve too many immortal friends. As you know, the more people involved, the more complicated things become. Right now, I only need the Fire Sacred Spirit to complete the set of seven Sacred Spirit Qi for Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Once I have that, I can enhance my cultivation. I believe that after improving my skills, I alone will be worth dozens of ordinary immortals.”
“What? You mean… you’ve already cultivated that much immortal power?” The shopkeeper was stunned but soon grew excited again. “My apologies, my apologies. I shouldn’t have doubted you. I should have seen it earlier—you’re definitely not ordinary. In that case… give me some time. I’ll contact my family and do everything possible to help you obtain the Fire Sacred Spirit. But before that, you must swear a solemn oath to prove that your collaboration with me is sincere and absolutely free of deceit.”
“No problem.”
Swearing an oath in exchange for the Fire Sacred Spirit was a request that required no hesitation.
“So much Earth Holy Spirit!”
Bai Feng gasped in astonishment. She had seen the Earth Holy Spirit in the ghost realm of the Miao region before, but back then, the shopkeeper only had a piece about the size of a regular egg, and it was extremely expensive.
Indeed, it was the Earth Holy Spirit!
Seeing that Bai Feng recognized it, Shui Miao no longer doubted.
Seeing both Shui Miao and Bai Feng’s interest, the shopkeeper smiled and said, “Besides this Earth Holy Spirit, I also have Water, Wood, and Metal Holy Spirits. I only lack the Fire Holy Spirit to complete the Five Elements Holy Spirits. Unfortunately, my abilities aren’t strong enough, or you would have seen it.”
“Big brother, I know that the Five Elements Holy Spirits are extremely difficult to obtain. Even if someone does obtain them, they wouldn’t have much. Yet you have so much—it couldn’t possibly be obtained in the mortal world, could it?” Bai Feng curiously looked at the small shopkeeper. “I don’t mean anything by it, but these things are rare. Even if we want to buy them, we should know their origins.”
“Haha, no problem, no problem. Since I dare to sell them, their origins are definitely clean. You’re right; obtaining pure Holy Spirit energy in the mortal world is practically impossible, let alone in such large quantities unless someone is extremely lucky.” The shopkeeper seemed eager to show off. He waved his hand and summoned the other three types of Holy Spirit energy. The Gold and Wood Holy Spirits were about the same amount as the Earth Holy Spirit, but the Water Holy Spirit was exceptionally abundant, piled on the ground like a small human-shaped hill. He raised his eyebrows and whispered mysteriously to Shui Miao, “I know you must be a shopkeeper in the Immortal Realm. Your Yang-element immortal energy is very strong, which I can sense. These things might not be valuable to you, but there’s one item I’m sure you’ll find interesting.”
“What is it?”
Shui Miao and Bai Feng exchanged glances, slightly excited. It seemed this small shopkeeper had mistaken Shui Miao for an immortal merchant.
The shopkeeper cautiously approached the door, listened for a moment, and then returned to whisper, “My family and I once went to the Realm of Rakshasa. There, we discovered a hidden treasure vault deep inside a mountain. We destroyed the formation and successfully entered, obtaining these Holy Yuan energies and some other treasures, like armor and swords. Unfortunately, the formations became more terrifying the deeper we went. We barely made it to the fourth level, but couldn’t proceed to the fifth—the Fire Holy Hall. Later, we learned that it was the treasure vault of Luotong, the Holy King of Forging in the Rakshasa Realm. The vault has twelve levels, containing the nine supreme Holy Yuan energies of heaven and earth. If one could pass the last three levels, they might even obtain Luotong’s legacy and become the new Holy King of Forging in the Rakshasa Realm. At that point, wealth would be meaningless!”
The Nine Supreme Holy Yuan Energies!
Shui Miao’s heart stirred with excitement.
This small shopkeeper had revealed such a shocking secret, leaving both Shui Miao and Bai Feng puzzled—why would he tell them all this?
“You… why are you telling all this to my younger brother?”
Bai Feng wasn’t worried about the shopkeeper’s intentions because she could sense his weak cultivation level—only about three to four hundred years of cultivation.
A weak soul attempting to deceive a strong cultivator was not the way ghosts survived.
Ghosts revered strength; the weak never dared challenge the strong.
Because after death, souls could still exist, but ghosts who died were truly gone forever, so they were always cautious.
“Hehe, big sister, you’re indeed clever,” the shopkeeper said, giving Bai Feng a thumbs-up, then turned to Shui Miao with excitement. “Young sir, only immortals can break the formations in the deeper vault levels. I’d like to team up with you to try our luck. You can bring some strong immortal friends from the Immortal Realm. Don’t worry—I won’t take the best treasures. I only need to collect all nine Supreme Holy Yuan Energies. Of course, if you could give me one or two treasures afterward, that would be even better.”
“If it’s such a great opportunity, why don’t you go find immortals yourself?”
Shui Miao couldn’t help but ask.
As soon as Shui Miao said this, Bai Feng realized how naive he was. Wasn’t it obvious? Except for a few rare ghosts with special cultivation, ordinary ghosts couldn’t even enter the Immortal Realm.
Even Bai Feng, despite her cultivation, couldn’t enter the Immortal Realm—she could only chat with the Thunder Guardians in the clouds.
The small shopkeeper seemed to know Shui Miao’s naivety and immediately waved his hand, laughing. “Young sir, you flatter me. My heavenly soul has long scattered. No matter how great the opportunity, I can’t ascend to the Immortal Realm. That’s why I want to cooperate with you. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance! I’m not really here to run a shop—I’m actually waiting for someone like you, an immortal, to appear! Oh, and if you’re interested in these Holy Yuan Energies, I can give you some.”
As he spoke, the shopkeeper pulled out a curved knife with a special aura. With one slash, he cut the basketball-sized Earth Holy Spirit into two halves and offered one half to Shui Miao.
Bai Feng and Shui Miao sensed the knife’s unique energy—it seemed capable of cutting through anything. There was also a “Luo” character engraved on the blade.
“Hehe, this knife was taken from the third level of the treasure vault. If you like it, I’ll give it to you along with the Earth Holy Spirit,” the shopkeeper said, handing Shui Miao the sheath and the knife. Then he took out a black sword from one of his robe pockets and gave it to Bai Feng.
Accepting the gifts meant agreeing to cooperate.
Refusing meant declining.
Shui Miao really wanted to accept because once he had the Fire Holy Spirit, he would complete the seven Holy Yuan Energies of Yin and Yang’s Five Elements. With that, his cultivation would greatly improve.
Bai Feng also wanted to accept because she realized the black sword was an invaluable treasure. With it, she might even have a chance to challenge her master, Bai Niangniang.
“Little brother, you decide. If you go, I’ll go with you.”
Bai Feng truly loved the black sword.
Shui Miao licked his lips. It seemed the small shopkeeper was absolutely sincere. Cooperation wasn’t a problem, but getting help from immortals in the Immortal Realm was unlikely. After a moment’s thought, Shui Miao suddenly had an idea. He scratched his head and said to the shopkeeper, “Cooperation is fine, but I don’t want to bring too many immortal friends. As you know, too many people complicate things. I only need the Fire Holy Spirit to complete the seven Holy Yuan Energies of Yin and Yang’s Five Elements. Once I obtain it, my cultivation will improve significantly. I believe that with my enhanced power, I alone could rival dozens of ordinary immortals.”
“What? Could it be… you’ve already cultivated such immense immortal energy?” The shopkeeper was stunned but quickly became excited again. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t doubt you. I should have realized earlier—you’re definitely no ordinary person. How about this? Give me some time to contact my family and do everything possible to help you obtain the Fire Holy Spirit. But before that, you must swear a solemn oath to prove your sincerity and that there’s no deception in our cooperation.”
“No problem.”
Swearing an oath to obtain the Fire Holy Spirit was a small price to pay.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage