Chapter 494: Secret Canon Of Yaos (II)
Unlike the immortal market Lin Zheyu had visited before, this one was established and maintained by the Wanli Alliance. The previous one had been established and maintained by Soaring Cloud Pavilion. Though the forces behind them were different, the style of the markets was much the same, except that the shops here were primarily those of the Wanli Alliance.
Lin Zheyu browsed around and bought a medicinal pill for Elder Yang to heal old injuries, and another for Huang Baizhong to break through to the Martial Innate realm. He also bought some items for Guo Wenzi, Chen Ding, Huang Youwei, and the others. He spent lavishly, using nearly two mid-grade spirit stones in total.
Spirit stones could always be earned again, but debts of gratitude remained troublesome if unpaid. As Lin Zheyu's strength increased, his standards for inner perfection became more demanding. He was not a cold or emotionless individual; according to his principles, neglecting to repay what he owed would create flaws in his mental state.
After buying the pills and items for Elder Yang and the others, Lin Zheyu went to the Wanli Alliance in the center of the market. It was the biggest shop in the market and one of the alliance's branch offices. Its selection of items was dazzlingly diverse, seemingly offering everything.
A delicate-looking young woman at the third stage of the Qi Refining realm came forward and asked respectfully, "Fellow Daoist, what would you like to purchase?"
"I heard you have texts related to demonic patterns for sale?" Lin Zheyu asked calmly, then took out his jade token and handed it over.
No matter the world, books were the ladder of human progress. Standing on the shoulders of giants and absorbing knowledge others had already developed was far easier than fumbling one's way forward from scratch.
Seeing the jade token, the woman's eyes brightened slightly, and her attitude grew even more respectful. "We do. Please come with me, senior."
Those who possessed such jade tokens either had powerful backing or formidable strength. All were true honored guests of the Wanli Alliance. Lin Zheyu gave a slight nod and followed her to the third floor. There, a woman in a crimson fitted dress sat elegantly by the counter. Before her was a plate of melon seeds. She flipped through a text while casually cracking seeds, giving off an air of cultured elegance. Sensing someone's arrival, she looked up and came forward with a smile.
What an astonishingly powerful physique, the woman thought in secret.
This Wanli Alliance branch had a special formation inscribed within it, capable of glimpsing certain hidden aspects of those who entered. The moment Lin Zheyu stepped onto the third floor, she had a vague sense that his physique was unbelievably powerful.
"I am Zhuo Wanfeng. Fellow Daoist, you may simply call me Wanfeng. May I ask what you wish to purchase this time?" Zhuo Wanfeng smiled, two small dimples appearing on her cheeks, adding a distinct charm.
What a woman of remarkable presence!
Lin Zheyu could not help but praise her inwardly.
"Does your alliance have demon arts, texts related to demonic patterns, or barbarian techniques for sale?" Lin Zheyu stated the purpose of his visit.
Demon arts, demonic patterns, and barbarian totems were all closely tied to Lin Zheyu's primary cultivation technique, the Primordial Golden Body. His understanding of demonic patterns, demon arts, and barbarian totems had all come indirectly through studying techniques. He had never studied them systematically. If he wanted to continue refining this technique, he needed to systematically learn far more related knowledge.
Zhuo Wanfeng smiled faintly and flipped her right hand, producing three jade slips. "Yes. This one contains introductions to demon arts, this one covers texts related to demonic patterns, and this one contains introductions to barbarian techniques. The prices are all marked inside. Fellow Daoist may take a look first."
Lin Zheyu took the jade slips, swept them with his spiritual sense, and their contents appeared in his awareness. It had to be said, the Wanli Alliance truly lived up to its name. A major trade alliance like this possessed resources beyond imagination. But the prices were outrageous as well, two or three times higher than those sold by the small vendors outside.
"I will take one copy each of Secret Canon of Yaos and Profound Exposition of Totems," Lin Zheyu said calmly.
These two were not techniques, but introductory texts. The former recorded and explained yao cultivation methods, including beginner knowledge of demonic patterns. The latter analyzed barbarian totems through the lens of Immortal Dao knowledge. Both were introductory-level texts, mainly valuable for providing a systematic foundation.
It was not that Lin Zheyu did not want more advanced knowledge. The more advanced texts were simply absurdly expensive. These two alone cost him five mid-grade spirit stones. Any more and he could not afford it.
"Very well, please wait a moment." Zhuo Wanfeng smiled and turned toward a nearby formation.
Light flowed through the formation, and Zhuo Wanfeng vanished into it. A few breaths later, she reappeared. That formation was likely a teleportation formation linked to the Wanli Alliance treasury, which stored valuable goods.
Lin Zheyu handed over the spirit stones, took the two jade slips, and asked, "By the way, do you have Spirit Resonance Spheres here?"
He still had the subsidiary Spirit Resonance Spheres others had given him, but without one of his own, he had no way to establish contact with them.
Zhuo Wanfeng nodded and replied, "We do. Spirit Resonance Spheres come in upper-, middle-, and lower-grade varieties. A high-grade Spirit Resonance Sphere costs one mid-grade spirit stone. It has the highest level of confidentiality, binds to the soul, poses no risk if lost, and can be reissued. As for the mid-grade Spirit Resonance Sphere..."
Lin Zheyu cut in directly. "Give me a high-grade Spirit Resonance Sphere."
Information security was extremely important. Money that needed to be spent was not worth saving.
A full eight mid-grade spirit stones, all gone in a single day... The next time I see Fellow Daoist Tu Yuan, I am definitely fleecing him hard, Lin Zheyu muttered inwardly.
The spirit stones had barely warmed in his pocket before disappearing. Cultivation really did burn through money.
"Very well." Zhuo Wanfeng smiled and took out a brand-new Spirit Resonance Sphere set from her storage pouch.
"This is the standard Spirit Resonance Sphere set. One master sphere comes with thirty subsidiary spheres. Once your soul aura is recorded, it can be reissued if lost." Zhuo Wanfeng smiled as she explained, "You can also integrate your jade token into the Spirit Resonance Sphere to establish a connection with the Wanli Alliance. Once that is done, anything you need can be searched directly through the Spirit Resonance Sphere."
"The jade token can be integrated into a Spirit Resonance Sphere as well?" Lin Zheyu asked, somewhat surprised.
Zhuo Wanfeng smiled and explained in great detail. "It can. This is a function only high-grade Spirit Resonance Spheres possess. The Wanli Alliance jade token contains our alliance's unique cipher restrictions. Once integrated into your own Spirit Resonance Sphere, you can search for goods, post tasks, accept tasks..."
After hearing this, Lin Zheyu was briefly taken aback, then quickly understood. With Immortal Dao formations, restrictions, and similar methods, accomplishing something like this was not difficult at all. Immortal cultivators were not fools. Given a bit of focused study, it was entirely possible for them to develop something akin to the internet from his previous life. In his view, the Spirit Resonance Sphere already possessed the rudiments of such a network.
Under Zhuo Wanfeng's guidance, Lin Zheyu recorded his soul aura into the Spirit Resonance Sphere. His soul aura fused with the sphere's formation restrictions and cipher seals, forming a unique personal cipher. Then he integrated the jade token into the master Spirit Resonance Sphere. At once, a small phantom eagle appeared within the sphere, the distinctive emblem of the Wanli Alliance.
"You may try it now. Touch that phantom with your spiritual sense, and you can connect with the Wanli Alliance," Zhuo Wanfeng said with a smile.
Lin Zheyu gave it a try. His spiritual sense entered the phantom eagle, and as true origin flowed into the Spirit Resonance Sphere, a virtual interface suddenly appeared in his awareness. It had four sections: Item Search, Task Posting, Task Acceptance, and Notifications.
Looking at the data in his awareness, Lin Zheyu's lips curved into an amused smile as he thought, This cultivation world is getting more and more interesting...
With a thought, he opened the Notifications section. It listed auction announcements, major events, special incidents, and more. But when Lin Zheyu tried to open the notices, he discovered they cost money to view. Not only did reading the notices require payment, but even posting and accepting tasks cost money. Only the Item Search function was free.
"How do I top this up?" Lin Zheyu looked at Zhuo Wanfeng and asked, somewhat speechless.
"You can recharge at any Wanli Alliance shop." Zhuo Wanfeng smiled and said, "Would Fellow Daoist like to try?"
Lin Zheyu fell silent upon hearing that.
No thanks. I am broke. Goodbye.
"Recharge fifty low-grade spirit stones and let me try." Lin Zheyu thought for a moment before speaking. In the end, he could not suppress his curiosity.
"My apologies, but the minimum recharge is one mid-grade spirit stone."
Lin Zheyu was utterly speechless.
