Creating a paradise in an ant nest

Chapter 67 Coveting the treasure, but lacking the funds.

"Liu He, I'm telling you this, please remember it carefully and don't be fooled."

During the journey, Commander Fu gave some instructions on precautions for the market.

Lingxiao Market is a market open to the public, unlike the internal market of their Qian Yuan Holy Sect, which is a mixed bag with countless scams and frauds.

"Thank you for reminding me, Senior Brother Xie Fu. I will keep it in mind."

Liu He responded.

In fact, he knew all these things. He was not a novice who had just entered the workforce; he had quite a bit of life experience.

Besides, he only has five spirit stones on him, so he can't be fooled even if he wanted to.

"Alright. I'll head out first. Be back on time tomorrow, don't be late."

As Fu Shuai spoke, he took out a three-foot-two-inch sandalwood sword from his storage bag and flew towards Lingxiao Market by stepping on the sword.

As the inner disciples flew away one by one, Liu He, an outer disciple, could only use his lightness technique to travel slowly.

Fortunately, the journey was not far, and he arrived at Lingxiao Market in no time.

A mountain shrouded in a thin spiritual mist marks the boundary of the market area designated by the Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Liu He landed at the foot of the mountain.

"It's so lively!"

He looked up and saw cultivators moving about in the air, some standing on spirit swords, others riding spirit birds.

Stepping into the market, one finds it teeming with people, far more prosperous than the market within the Qian Yuan Holy Sect.

A main street, ten zhang wide and neatly paved with bluish-white jade, stretches from the foot of the mountain straight to the top, seemingly endless.

The palaces on both sides are lined up one after another, with shimmering lanterns and brocade banners hanging from the eaves, and various signs hanging with ancient golden characters shining brightly.

Cultivators dressed in various colored robes came in an endless stream.

A high-level cultivator strode with an imposing aura, causing others to keep their distance by several feet.

Some sect disciples had spirit swords or staffs hanging from their waists, and wore various accessories and spiritual artifacts.

A female cultivator with a light veil covering her face, wearing a floral dress and robe, and exuding a faint spiritual fragrance.

There were also rogue cultivators carrying cloth bags, who clearly didn't have enough spirit stones.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"I can't see through most people's cultivation levels. How come I, a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator at the fourth level, am the weakest one in the outer market?"

Liu He thought to himself.

The fact that he cannot see through cultivation levels means that everyone else's cultivation level is above his.

Actually, he was underestimating himself.

Neither major sects like Qian Yuan Sheng Zong, which specialize in Golden Core cultivation, nor smaller sects like Foundation Establishment, encourage their early-stage Qi Refining disciples to come to Lingxiao Market.

Besides, cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining have a low level of cultivation and no spirit stones, so how could they have the ability to purchase them?

Therefore, the cultivators Liu He saw were generally at the mid-stage of Qi Refining or above.

Although his cultivation level was slightly lower, the mid-grade robe he wore was embroidered with the characters "Qian Yuan," and everyone knew that he was an outer disciple of the Qian Yuan Holy Sect.

He strolled around the market, looking at everything as he went.

The shops lining both sides of the main street are categorized into various types, each a magnificent and gleaming treasure trove. There are shops selling spiritual artifacts, elixirs, talismans, and spiritual plants, among others.

These "treasure pavilions" are all run by major sects, and the items inside are clearly priced, with fair pricing and guaranteed quality.

Liu He saw their sect's "Qian Yuan Wan Qi Ge" (Qian Yuan Myriad Weapons Pavilion), which was filled with cultivators and customers.

There are also shops like "Qian Yuan Ling Dan Ge," all opened here by the Qian Yuan Holy Sect. Compared to Wan Qi Ge, the other shops of the Qian Yuan Holy Sect are doing much worse business.

Each sect has its own unique characteristics, excelling in a particular aspect or offering high cost-effectiveness.

For example, the Lingrui Immortal Sect mainly deals in various spirit beasts.

Besides being famous for its swordsmanship, the Lingxiao Sword Sect is also known for its elixirs.

The streets of Lingxiaofang Market are crisscrossed and divided into many areas.

On both sides of the wide main street are smaller alleys, where shops are run by small sects or cultivation families.

These small sects or families lack strong credit guarantees, and their advantage lies in the price of their goods!

In addition, there are restaurants in the market that use spirit beasts and spirit plants to cook meals and provide food and drinks for cultivators.

There are teahouses where monks can chat and relax in their spare time.

There are even art studios where beautiful female nuns play instruments, sing, and dance.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Liu He looked through all the treasure pavilions and shops.

It was truly a feast for the eyes.

He witnessed a dazzling array of high-level spiritual artifacts, unheard-of rare and precious materials, various elixirs with different effects, and spirit beasts with distinct styles.

My eyes are dazzled.

"These young roc birds cost eight thousand spirit stones each, tsk, that's highway robbery."

"Qiongtan Spirit Liquid, a single drop can help a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator condense a wisp of spiritual energy. One bottle costs two thousand spirit stones."

Upon seeing this treasure, Liu He shamelessly asked if he could sell just one drop.

As a result, the person looked at him strangely and "tactfully" told him that it wasn't sold separately.

"There are so many treasures, I'm so envious!"

Liu He wanted almost every treasure he saw.

But those treasures are prohibitively expensive.

He was short of money; after buying the obsidian bead, he only had five spirit stones left, and he couldn't afford to buy anything else he wanted.

After wandering around all day, it got dark.

Lingxiao Market did not become deserted as night fell; on the contrary, it became even more lively, with lanterns and radiant gems illuminating the market area.

Liu He unknowingly walked into the street vendor area.

Compared to other parts of the market, this place is a bit messy.

The stalls were packed tightly together, with hardly any space between them. All sorts of items were casually displayed, a dazzling array that made one's eyes dazzled.

The stall owners were either hawking their wares to attract customers, or sitting cross-legged in meditation, and some were even practicing martial arts.

The sounds of bargaining rose and fell, creating a noisy atmosphere.

Liu He noticed that the cultivators here generally had lower cultivation levels, with quite a few being early-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

The stalls mainly sold inexpensive items, such as stacks of talismans, secondhand magical artifacts, and low-grade spiritual herbs. There were also pebbles of unknown origin, fragments of ancient books, and animal bones and hides.

"Young friend from the Qian Yuan Sect, come and take a look at my stall. They are all high-quality, nearly new spiritual artifacts, almost brand new, with virtually no signs of use."

A stall owner with a full beard and a Qi Refining Level 5 cultivation level saw the "Qian Yuan" characters on Liu He's robe and greeted him warmly.

"Fellow Daoists of the Qian Yuan Holy Sect, I have some cheap Five-Spirit Pills, would you like some?"

The Five Spirit Pill is a type of elixir suitable for improving cultivation at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

One Five Spirit Pill can allow a Qi Refining Level 4 cultivator to condense five strands of spiritual energy.

It should be noted that it takes Liu He two months of cultivation to condense a wisp of spiritual energy.

One Wuling Pill can save him nearly a year of arduous cultivation.

The Spirit Pill Pavilion within the Qian Yuan Holy Sect has the Five Spirit Pills, each priced at 120 spirit stones.

Liu He remained unmoved by the "cheap Wulingdan"; he dared not consume such an elixir of dubious origin.

According to Commander Fu's instructions, the most dangerous area in the entire Lingxiao Market is the street vendor area. Most of the vendors here are independent cultivators with no connections, so scams are common.

He was just here to join the fun and stroll around; he had no intention of buying anything.

Just then, a sound came from a stall not far ahead, attracting a group of people to stop and watch.