Chapter 98: Treasure Division Tower, Treasure Hunting

Chu Daniu was being very vague.

He didn’t reveal the senior’s identity or cultivation level.

He only said that the senior meant him no harm.

In response, Li Chang’an could only wish him the best.

"Daniu, once you get to the Immortal City, make sure to talk with Fugui. He’s thriving right now and is very well-connected there. He might be able to help you."

"I will."

Chu Daniu nodded.

Just then, Li Chang’an offered him a Storage Pouch.

It also contained eight hundred Spirit Stones.

"Daniu, Yellow Crane Immortal City is far more complex than Qinghe Marketplace. It’s impossible to get by without Spirit Stones. Consider these a loan. Once you’re on your feet and have earned enough, you can pay me back."

"Brother Li, I’m not short on Spirit Stones."

Chu Daniu hurriedly refused.

He was a Brewer, after all. With a skill to support himself, he had managed to save up some Spirit Stones over the years.

He was in a much better position than Xu Fugui had been when he left.

But when he saw the number of Spirit Stones in the pouch, he couldn’t help but gulp.

’It’s so much!’

’With his current Low Grade brewing skills, he had no idea how long it would take to save up so many Spirit Stones.’

"Take it. There’s no need to be so formal with me!"

Li Chang’an didn’t take no for an answer, stuffing the Storage Pouch into Chu Daniu’s hand.

The pouch felt heavy in Chu Daniu’s hand, and a wave of complex emotions washed over him.

"Brother Li, don’t worry. I’ll be sure to carve out a place for myself in Yellow Crane Immortal City!"

"Just be careful. Staying safe and steady is enough. You don’t need to be too hard on yourself."

Li Chang’an advised him earnestly, adding a few more words of caution.

...

「A few days later.」

Chu Daniu left.

Li Chang’an saw him off at the edge of the Marketplace but didn’t spot the senior he had mentioned.

’I wonder if that senior is a blessing or a curse for Daniu.’

Li Chang’an watched Chu Daniu’s retreating figure, lost in thought for a long while.

A normal Cultivator wouldn’t need to hide their name and identity.

’Take Senior Wang Fu’an, who accepted Xu Fugui as his apprentice, for example.’

’But the identity of this senior who took an interest in Chu Daniu is a complete mystery. I’m afraid they might be a Tribulation Cultivator or even a Demon Cultivator.’

’Oh well. I just hope Daniu’s journey on the Immortal Path is a smooth one.’

Li Chang’an returned to his residence and continued his cultivation.

Before he knew it, several more months had passed.

His progress on the Seventh Stage of Body Refinement was going quite smoothly; he was already more than halfway done.

During this time, Li Chang’an also had a breakthrough in Alchemy, successfully refining High-quality Middle Grade Elixir.

He began studying the Tier One Top Grade techniques from his inherited knowledge.

...

「One day.」

Zheng Qingqing paid him a sudden visit.

Surprised, Li Chang’an invited her into the courtyard.

"Young Mistress, is there something I can help you with?"

"Daoist Li, an auction is being held in a few days. Do you have anything you need to sell?"

"I see."

Li Chang’an mentally calculated the time. It was indeed about time for the Zheng Family’s auction to begin again.

After snagging that Tier Two Talisman Brush at a bargain, Li Chang’an had attended two more of the Zheng Family’s auctions. He hadn’t gained much from them, however, only purchasing some Auxiliary Medicines for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

"I don’t have anything to sell for now."

Li Chang’an shook his head slightly. He had already sold off most of the things he no longer used.

With that, he handed her a list.

It listed the last few Treasures he needed for the Eighth Stage of Body Refining.

It also included some Treasures required for the Ninth Stage of Body Refining.

"Young Mistress, I’m actually looking to buy some Treasures. I was wondering if any will be available at this auction?"

"Let me see..."

Zheng Qingqing took the list and looked it over carefully.

A flicker of surprise showed in her eyes.

It was because these Treasures were all quite precious; ordinary Cultivators had almost no use for them.

Recalling that Li Chang’an had sought her out to trade for Treasures before, she had a good idea of what he was up to.

’It seems Daoist Li’s ambitions for Foundation Establishment are quite high.’

The Path of Body Refinement was not only excruciatingly painful but also consumed a vast amount of expensive Treasures.

Few Qi Refining Cultivators would ever set foot on this path.

Those who did were mostly preparing for the ’Essence’ aspect of Foundation Establishment.

"Daoist Li, some of the Treasures you need will indeed be up for auction. You’d better prepare enough Spirit Stones, as a few of them are extremely expensive."

Zheng Qingqing reminded him in a serious tone.

"If you’re short on Spirit Stones, it would be best to focus solely on the path of Qi Refining."

She didn’t want Li Chang’an to get his priorities wrong and slow down his Qi Refining Cultivation for the sake of Body Refinement.

Such things had happened before.

Some Cultivators would pour most of their resources into the Path of Body Refinement, leaving them with too little for Qi Refining. In the end, they would fail to achieve great success in either.

"Don’t worry, Young Mistress. I understand."

Li Chang’an wasn’t concerned. He wasn’t short on Spirit Stones.

He had enough to support both his Body Refinement and Qi Refining paths at the same time.

"By the way, Daoist Li, how is your Alchemy coming along? Do you have any questions?"

Zheng Qingqing asked.

She herself was a Tier One Top Grade alchemist and could even refine High-quality Top Grade Elixirs.

In the field of Alchemy, she was considered at the very pinnacle of Tier One.

If Li Chang’an had any questions, she could offer him some guidance.

"It’s going okay. Thanks to you, Young Mistress, I can already refine ordinary Low Grade Elixirs."

Li Chang’an smiled.

"Is that so?"

Zheng Qingqing gave him a skeptical look, suspecting that he was downplaying his progress.

’She suspected that Li Chang’an could most likely already refine High-quality Low Grade Elixirs.’

After they chatted for a moment, Zheng Qingqing suddenly said to him, "Daoist Li, you must have handled a fair number of Treasures over the years. Your eye for such things must be quite good. Why don’t you come to the Treasure Division Tower and help me identify some of them?"

"Oh? There are Treasures that even the Young Mistress can’t identify?"

Li Chang’an was surprised.

The Treasure Division Tower was the very place where the auctions were held.

"Some Treasures that have come out of Secret Realms are simply too special and hard to identify."

Zheng Qingqing spoke frankly.

The recent auctions have been growing increasingly popular.

Large numbers of Loose Cultivators consigned Treasures for sale each time, and some of them were very difficult to identify.

Even the Treasure Appraisers specially trained by the Zheng Family had difficulty identifying them.

She was worried about overlooking something and auctioning off an incredibly valuable Treasure as if it were a worthless trinket.

That was why she had suggested having Li Chang’an come and take a look as well.

"What do you say, Daoist Li? If you discover an overlooked Treasure, you’ll have the first option to purchase it."

"An invitation from the Young Mistress is something I couldn’t possibly refuse."

Li Chang’an immediately agreed.

’After all, there was no downside for him.’

’It would be great if he could find a hidden gem, but it wouldn’t matter if he didn’t.’

...

「That night.」

Just after Midnight.

A new divination appeared before his eyes.

[Divination Refreshed]

[Today’s Divination: Auspicious]

[You are invited to the Treasure Division Tower to inspect Treasures, where you will accidentally discover a supreme Body Refinement treasure, "Phoenix Blood Wood," which has been mistaken for the low-value "Fire Nan Wood."]

’Phoenix Blood Wood?’

Li Chang’an’s eyes lit up.

This kind of Treasure Wood could be used for both the Eighth and Ninth Stages of Body Refinement, and was extremely rare.

Xu Fugui had been asking around for him in the Immortal City, but to no avail.

’Looks like my luck is pretty good.’

A smile spread across Li Chang’an’s face, his mood instantly lifting.

...

「The next day.」

Li Chang’an went to the Treasure Division Tower.

Led by Zheng Qingqing, he soon found himself before several hundred different Treasures, all of them lots for the upcoming auction.

"Daoist Li, thank you for your hard work over the next few days."

"It’s nothing. I’m mostly here with the hope of doing some Treasure Hunting myself, so please don’t get your hopes up too high, Young Mistress."

Li Chang’an chuckled, then immediately began examining the Treasures.

However, his inclusion quickly drew the ire of the other Treasure Appraisers.

"Qingqing, is it that you don’t trust us? Why else would you let a wet-behind-the-ears kid like him in to appraise Treasures? How old is he? How many Treasures could he possibly have seen?"

The one who spoke was a man named Zheng Songfeng.

He was well along in years, with wrinkled skin and white hair, and was the most senior among the group of Treasure Appraisers.