Although the battle was short, it was extremely dangerous. A slight mistake could have resulted in heavy casualties.
Wang Hong's finely crafted Long Spear, made of high-quality steel, was now reduced to a small puddle of molten iron. Dumping the contents of the two men's storage bags, they found several fireball talismans, including a Gold Light Talisman that the thin Taoist hadn't had a chance to use. Additionally, they discovered a book titled "Profound Earth Technique," another one called "Metal of the Geng Decision," and a third one named "Basic Five Elements Spells." In total, there were just over twenty Spirit Stones.
"Real penny pinchers!" Wang Hong sighed. Unaware that these two were considered relatively wealthy among low-level cultivators, he didn't know how many people they had plundered to amass such wealth, which was now falling into his hands at a bargain.
The two storage bags and two Low-Quality Magical Weapons combined were worth over two hundred Spirit Stones. Many low-level cultivators didn't even have Magical Weapons, let alone storage bags.
Reflecting on the event, Wang Hong felt that it was too dangerous outside the city without sufficient strength. This victory was precarious, and if they encountered stronger opponents next time, they would have no chance of winning. Moreover, they didn't know if the two men had any accomplices.
The next morning, Wang Hong led a group of about a dozen people, including Wen Lan and Luo Zhongjie, into the city. He instructed them to disperse and find houses. Wang Hong wandered alone around the city.
His Long Spear was destroyed the previous day. If he hadn't continuously infused Spiritual Energy during the battle, the thin Taoist would have easily severed it with a sword. Today, he thought about finding ways to prepare some self-defense measures.
Talismans and Magical Weapons are also briefly introduced in the "Cultivation Basics Encyclopedia." Talismans are easy to use, requiring just a bit of Spiritual Energy to unleash a corresponding spell.
Since Talismans are disposable, the cost of using them in battle is too high. Many cultivators only use one or two Talismans in critical moments.
As for Magical Weapons, the most familiar is the Flying Sword, but there are many types. They can generally be divided into three categories: offensive, defensive, and auxiliary Magical Weapons.
Offensive Magical Weapons are the most common and relatively inexpensive. Defensive Magical Weapons are rarer and cost at least two to three times that of a Magical Weapon of similar quality. The function of auxiliary Magical Weapons depends on their specific purpose.
Wang Hong entered a Refinery Workshop with over a dozen shelves displaying various Magical Weapons.
A young man in his twenties with a smiling face approached Wang Hong. "Esteemed friend, what kind of Magical Weapon do you need? Our shop has three senior refiners. We not only have ready-made Magical Weapons for sale but can also custom-make various Magical Weapons."
"I want a spear-shaped Magical Weapon. Do you have one?" Wang Hong asked truthfully.
"You've come at the right time. We just happen to have a Low-Quality Magical Weapon in the shape of a Long Spear." The young man picked up a wooden box from the shelf behind and placed it in front of Wang Hong, opening the lid.
"This spear is one zhang and three chi long, weighing six hundred and eighty jin. The shaft is made of century-old Red Spirit Mulberry Wood, and the spearhead is primarily crafted from Profound Iron, with over ten rare materials added during refining."
Wang Hong gently touched the spear's shaft. It felt warm in his hands. Trying to infuse Spiritual Energy into it, the Spiritual Energy flowed smoothly. The over six hundred jin Long Spear felt weightless after Spiritual Energy infusion.
The young man then enthusiastically introduced the spear, emphasizing that it was the painstaking work of their senior refiner, Gao Yue.
After a round of praises, the essence was that this spear was unique, unparalleled in the world. Selling for only one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, Wang Hong would regret it for a lifetime if he didn't buy it. In the end, they settled on a hundred Spirit Stones.
Wang Hong also inquired about Long Spears for Mortal warriors, requiring ones that could withstand blows from Magical Weapons.
The young man pondered for a moment and said, "This can be custom-made. Each spear will cost ten Spirit Stones and can withstand more than ten strikes from Low-Quality Magical Weapons."
"I want fifty, stating the actual price," Wang Hong said casually.
"Friend, this is already at cost price. You know, materials for crafting Magical Weapons are needed to withstand blows from Magical Weapons," the young man said with a troubled expression.
Wang Hong pretended to leave, but the young man quickly grabbed his sleeve.
"Brother, come on! Nine Spirit Stones each, okay?"
Actually, Wang Hong felt that ten Spirit Stones per spear was quite cheap, and he was just planning to haggle a bit.
In reality, he didn't know that refining would produce some waste materials that couldn't be used in crafting and had little value when reprocessed. However, these wastes were excellent materials for crafting Mortal weapons, which didn't require the conduction of Spiritual Energy.
In the end, they settled on four hundred Spirit Stones for fifty Long Spears.
As Wang Hong was leaving, the young man joyfully escorted him to the door.
"I'm Gao Yue. Feel free to come find me if you have any needs in the future."
In the afternoon, Wang Hong and the dozen or so people who were finding houses gathered. They found a total of five housing options, and Wang Hong inspected each one before settling on a secluded place.
This location was quite remote, with few pedestrians on the street. There was a small storefront facing the street, and walking through it led to a large courtyard. Surrounding it were three rows of two-story buildings.
The rent for this place, including the storefront, was one thousand Spirit Stones per year. The storefront wasn't of much use, given the sparse foot traffic on this street. Whether it could earn back the rent was uncertain.
What Wang Hong valued was the spacious courtyard, convenient for the team's training. Although he was currently engaged in business, the team's training had not decreased. The rooms were also sufficient to accommodate their large group.
Wang Hong paid a year's rent, chose a room for himself, and left the rest to the several squad leaders.
With a formal settlement, everyone's hearts also settled.
Over the next few days, Wang Hong explored various shops, occasionally buying a few Spirit Herbs. He wanted to understand the market since he now had an inconspicuous storefront. Although its location wasn't ideal, he decided to open the shop, as manpower was not a concern for him.
Additionally, his Space had expanded to one and a half plots of land, with the extra half still vacant. He hadn't figured out what specific Spiritual Medicine to cultivate.
Wang Hong entered a grocery store where an old man in green was dozing behind the counter. Upon seeing Wang Hong, he glanced briefly and continued to doze.
There were no other customers in the store. Wang Hong leisurely observed each counter. Although the store was not large, it had a wide variety of goods, including Talismans, Elixirs, Spirit Herbs, Ores, and Magical Weapons, each with about ten to twenty items.
The two types of Talismans Wang Hong had seized last time were also sold here: the Fireball Talisman for eight Spirit Stones and the Gold Light Talisman for thirteen Spirit Stones.
There were about twenty to thirty Magical Weapons, some showing signs of wear, clearly secondhand goods.
As for Elixirs, there was only one bottle of Condensing Qi Pill, priced at ten Spirit Stones per pill, with a small sign in front stating that it was out of stock.
There weren't many Spiritual Medicines, and their quality was average, stored in wooden boxes inscribed with a preservation formation.
It seemed that Spirit Herbs and Elixirs were quite scarce. Wang Hong had visited many shops, and the well-established ones had their own Spiritual Medicine gardens and Alchemists, ensuring a stable supply of Spirit Herbs and Elixirs for Qi Cultivation.
As for small shops one, lacking a stable source, they relied on buying low and selling high to earn a meager profit. Elixirs like the Condensing Qi Pill, which enhanced Qi Cultivation, were generally kept for personal use by cultivators when obtained.
With Azure Void City having tens of thousands of Qi Cultivation-stage cultivators, the annual consumption of Elixirs could be imagined. The main ingredient for refining Condensing Qi Pills needed to have a medicinal age of twenty to thirty years, and the auxiliary ingredients required a medicinal age of at least ten years.
Wang Hong didn't disturb the old man's retirement and quietly exited the grocery store. With Azure Void City being so large, there were many other shops waiting for him to patronize.
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