Chapter 154: Chapter 153: Bronze Mirror
"I... I can make the decision. My older brother gave me the copper mirror after he came back from Feiyue Lake. It’s a treasure I have complete authority over."
Zhen Er quickly realized that the man before him wasn’t making empty boasts. As the renowned Sword Immortal Elder, this Elder Bai could absolutely produce a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object.
"Excellent."
Bai Zichen placed the copper mirror into his storage bag and said, "A Pure Yang Gang Sha can be redeemed at the Transmission Hall for its actual price of fifteen hundred Sect Contribution Points. I will send a message to Elder Pei shortly to explain the situation. You and your brother just need to go to the Transmission Hall to make the exchange. The required Contribution Points will be deducted under my name."
Officially, the Qingfeng Sect could only condense a single strand of Pure Yang Gang Sha every ten years.
But in reality, the number of Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects they possessed was far greater than that.
He had never investigated the secrets behind this, but during a conversation with Liang Yu, he had vaguely learned that the Sect had other channels for acquiring Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects.
Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects were kept in the Transmission Hall’s reserves. To Bai Zichen’s knowledge, the vast underground palace held at least three strands of Pure Yang Gang Sha and three strands of Black Water Gang Sha.
This was because Senior Brother Dai Hui had just mentioned he was going to the Transmission Hall to request a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object for Youu San, a Steward in their Artifact Refining Hall.
Black Water Gang Sha was also a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object. Its body-strengthening effect was inferior to that of Pure Yang Gang Sha, but it helped in purifying one’s Magical Power.
Overall, its effectiveness for Foundation Establishment was about the same.
Bai Zichen was confident he had enough influence with the Transmission Hall. If that failed, he could always buy one from a True Disciple.
There were many people within the Sect who were eager to get close to him.
This much was clear from the endless stream of visiting messages delivered to White Jade Tower each day.
"Thank you, Elder Bai! Thank you so much, Elder Bai!"
Zhen Er dropped to his knees and kowtowed forcefully.
He had shouted his asking price—the copper mirror for a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object—partly out of resentment and partly to cause a stir.
Even in his wildest dreams, he hadn’t actually expected to get a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object.
Now that his dream had come true, he felt as if the heavens had taken pity on him, allowing him to encounter a kind person like Elder Bai who was willing to intervene.
As for whether the Elder could truly deliver, everyone knew that Elder Bai valued his promises above all else. Years ago, he had made a promise to several servant disciples. Even after circumstances changed, he chose to forgo a portion of his rightful income rather than break his word.
This story had long since spread among the lower-ranking disciples, making them all incredibly envious of those few servant disciples.
Everyone speculated that perhaps it was precisely this honorable Sword Bone that allowed Elder Bai to achieve such a sublime Sword Dao Realm at a young age, becoming Black Mountain’s First Sword Cultivator.
Bai Zichen turned to Tian Kang and Lan Lun. One was trembling uncontrollably, his mouth moving but no words coming out.
The other was kneeling on the ground, his face ashen and completely drained of color.
"Elder Bai, please forgive us! We were ignorant of your identity and have offended you..."
A bitter taste filled Tian Kang’s mouth. He had only been an Inner Sect Disciple for a month and was supposed to be in his prime.
He could already envision his own bleak and desolate future.
He could only hope that this Elder Bai was magnanimous enough to be lenient and not pursue the matter further.
"What you did before was not necessarily wrong, and not knowing my identity certainly wasn’t. On the Immortal Path, one must contend with the heavens, the earth, and other people. There is nothing wrong with obtaining a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object through open and fair means. Your mistake was abusing your status to arbitrarily price another disciple’s treasure and force a transaction."
Bai Zichen shook his head. From the time he himself was framed as an Inner Sect Disciple to the scene before him today, it was clear that while the environment within the Qingfeng Sect was infinitely better than that of a Demon Path Sect, acts of bullying, exclusion, and predatory acquisition were still far too common.
’If I become the Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall in the future, I must whip the Sect’s culture into shape.’
"You two, go to the Law Enforcement Hall, report what happened today, and accept your punishment."
Having finished his business at the trade fair and acquired the copper mirror, Bai Zichen had no time to waste on two junior disciples.
He gave Jiang Shu a nod and left the venue.
Only after Bai Zichen was a good distance away did the entire venue erupt.
"It was really Elder Bai! I can’t believe he would come to a trade fair for us Outer Sect Disciples!"
"Junior Brother Zhen, you really lucked out! You had Elder Bai himself stand up for you."
Gan Guangde helped Tian Kang to his feet and said with a wry smile, "Junior Brother Tian, I don’t think Elder Bai intends to punish you severely. At most, the Law Enforcement Hall will give you a reprimand. It shouldn’t be a big deal."
He felt a bit sorry for Tian Kang, for such an ordinary trade fair to end like this.
He felt especially sympathetic since he was closely involved in what started the whole affair.
"Why don’t we just pretend this never happened? A man like that is incredibly busy. He probably won’t even notice whether we go to the Law Enforcement Hall or not."
Lan Lun’s eyes darted about as a crooked idea came to mind.
"Go on, give it a try," Tian Kang snapped. "There were hundreds of Outer Sect Disciples here today. If even one of them mentions this at the Law Enforcement Hall, we’re exposed. And even if this was a minor issue, disobeying an Elder’s direct order will instantly turn it into a major one."
Tian Kang shot Lan Lun a glare. ’Disciples from Noble Families are just as unreliable as they say.’
"Senior Brother Gan, I saw Junior Sister Jiangg leave with Elder Bai... They must be old acquaintances. Do you think we could use that connection to have someone put in a good word for us?"
While Tian Kang and Lan Lun were anxiously discussing how to get out of their punishment, a naive-looking young girl in the crowd stood with a hand over her lips, her shock from moments ago still not having subsided.
’That suave young man who visited my stall was Elder Bai Zichen... That means what he said was true.’
’The Brass Ring my grandfather left me is really worth five hundred Spirit Stones!’
At this thought, the young girl immediately snatched the Brass Ring from her stall, stuffed it inside her robes, and glanced around nervously.
She hastily packed up her remaining wares into a bundle and fled.
...
Jiang Shu walked cautiously, keeping a distance of two steps as she followed behind him.
"How have you found being an Outer Sect Disciple these past few years?"
Hearing his question, Jiang Shu quickly reined in her wandering thoughts. "It’s been great," she said. "The Spiritual Qi here is much richer than back home. Stewards give lectures in rotation every month, so I can ask about anything I don’t understand. We also get rewards for completing Sect missions. If I save up a little more, I’ll be able to trade for a bottle of Elixirs to advance my Cultivation."
Bai Zichen glanced at Jiang Shu’s Cultivation; she was only at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer.
It was nothing in his eyes, but back in the Jiangg Family, such a level would have made her an expert.
"Go and submit an application to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall to be transferred to Feiyue Lake. Things are on the right track over there. The Five Halls and their seven—no, eight—subsidiary halls all have branches stationed there now."
Bai Zichen felt that life on the main mountain was too comfortable for Jiang Shu. ’Being content with such a low Cultivation is unacceptable,’ he thought.
"You want me to go to Feiyue Lake?"
A blush crept across Jiang Shu’s beautiful face as she asked happily, "Does that mean you’ll guide me in my Cultivation?"
"The gap between our Realms is too vast. Having Lu Songx guide you will be more than enough."
Bai Zichen gave Jiang Shu a few more instructions, then, after a moment’s thought, decided to make a trip to the Transmission Hall himself.
He sought out Senior Brother Pei Dongyong and explained that he wanted to use his own Contribution Points to obtain a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object for an Outer Sect Disciple.
Pei Dongyong hesitated for a long while before finally agreeing. He said he would report the matter to Yingg Zhong and that it shouldn’t be a problem. He then directly deducted fifteen hundred Contribution Points from Bai Zichen.
This year’s elder stipend had been issued only a few days ago, and now the Sect Contribution Points on his Elder Token were already back in the double digits.
On the way back to Feiyue Lake, Bai Zichen switched to his Celestial Xin Sword, testing out the newly acquired Tier Two Flying Sword.
A streak of grayish-white Sword Light flew in complete silence. It lacked the melodious Jade Sound that accompanied the Sound Bamboo Sword; in fact, it didn’t even make the typical whoosh of an ordinary Flying Sword cutting through the air.
Only when Bai Zichen held nothing back and unleashed his Sword Qi Thunder Sound Realm, pushing the Sword Light’s speed up by several notches, did a rumbling sound of wind and thunder finally begin to gather.
Even so, it was like a muffled thunderclap, the sound less than half as loud as that produced by other Flying Swords.
’The Celestial Xin Sword, a blade for assassination... The description in the Sword Refining Secret Technique was right. This Flying Sword is perfect for ambushes and sneak attacks.’
Bai Zichen was extremely satisfied with the Celestial Xin Sword’s performance. Traveling at lightning speed, he reached the vast, mist-shrouded waters in just over two hours.
After returning to White Jade Tower and dismissing his attendants, Bai Zichen finally took out the copper mirror he had acquired at the trade fair.
His sudden appearance and willingness to trade a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object for the copper mirror were, of course, not born from any sympathy for Zhen Er.
Instead, it was because when Tian Kang had activated the copper mirror with his Magical Power, a long-dormant treasure within his Qi Sea had twitched in response.
Ever since the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword Embryo had entered his Qi Sea, it had been in what seemed to be a deep, unshakable slumber.
It lay soaking in his Liquid Magical Power, mending the damage the Flying Sword had accumulated over countless eons. At the same time, it stimulated and cleansed every drop of his Magical Power with faint sparks of electricity.
This process was imperceptibly pushing Bai Zichen’s Liquid Magical Power toward a higher level.
The Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword Embryo had currently degraded to Tier Three. The only thing capable of eliciting a response from it in its slumber would be an item of the same tier.
Bai Zichen had realized it instantly. ’That copper mirror isn’t some component of a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact or a sealed, damaged Spiritual Artifact... It’s a Tier Three Magical Treasure!’
In the Cultivation Realm, anything that reached Tier Three underwent a qualitative transformation.
Magical Treasures were a prime example of this.
One only had to look at Talisman Treasures, the ultimate weapons of Low-Tier Cultivators, to get a small glimpse of their power.
A complete, undamaged Magical Treasure was of inestimable value.
Even a mere fragment, if it still contained some of its original might, could potentially be traded for a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Regardless of the copper mirror’s origins or its current condition, trading a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object for it was an absolute steal.
He could have easily acquired it for a much lower price, but he had disdained such a tactic.
’A Mirror-Type Magical Treasure... I hope it has some special Divine Techniques. That way, as soon as I reach Core Formation, I’ll have two Magical Treasures ready to use: the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword Embryo and this copper mirror!’
Bai Zichen’s thoughts wandered as he began to pour his Magical Power into the copper mirror.
Normally, it would be an impossible task for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to refine a Tier Three Magical Treasure.
However, this copper mirror was clearly severely damaged. It had been lying at the bottom of Feiyue Lake for who knows how many years, and without sufficient Spiritual Qi to nourish it, it was already on the verge of Demoting in tier.
Otherwise, a Tier Two Refiner would never have mistaken it for a component of a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact.
In such a state, the copper mirror could not put up much resistance.
As his Liquid Magical Power flowed continuously into the copper mirror and circulated within, the fiery patterns on its surface lit up one by one, gradually connecting to form a complete circle.
HUMMM!
The copper mirror shuddered violently, like a ravenous Taotie, and began to frantically, endlessly absorb his Magical Power.
Not until the Spiritual Liquid in his Qi Sea was nearly depleted did Bai Zichen forcibly sever the connection. Even then, he could feel a sense of dissatisfaction from the copper mirror, as if it hadn’t had its fill.
A stream of information flowed into his mind. The fiery patterns extinguished, and the copper mirror dimmed once more.
