txolops Chapter 173 A Frenzied Spending of Spirit Stones! A Tribulation Cultivator? More like a perk!
Chapter 173 A Frenzied Spending of Spirit Stones! A Tribulation Cultivator? More like a perk!
Inside the cave, Lin Chuan sat cross-legged, with three ancient treasures obtained from the ruins of ancient cultivators placed in front of him.
The first ancient treasure is a yellow square shield.
The shield is smooth as a mirror, with ancient animal patterns carved along the edges. It is about the size of a palm, but it feels heavy in the hand, weighing several tens of kilograms.
Lin Chuan poured his magic power into it, and the square shield instantly expanded, transforming into a giant shield about ten feet tall, which hovered in front of him.
Layers of yellow light appeared on the shield, thick and heavy, indicating its formidable defensive capabilities.
He tried to slash with the Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword. With a loud "clang," the shield remained unmoved, leaving only a shallow white mark on its surface.
Lin Chuan nodded in satisfaction—this shield's defensive power was enough to withstand a full-force attack from a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
The second antique was a bead the size of a fist.
The beads are grayish-white all over, with a smooth surface, and look unremarkable.
Lin Chuan played with it for a while, and was feeling somewhat disappointed, when suddenly an idea struck him, and he injected a wisp of magic power into it.
The bead suddenly lit up, and a strange wave emanated from it.
Wherever the fluctuation passed, the fine dust in the air, the textures on the stone walls, and even the flow of spiritual energy became crystal clear, as if all concealment had been stripped away.
Lin Chuan's gaze sharpened slightly.
This bead has the power to dispel fog.
The effect is particularly significant against illusions and deceptive formations created by certain arrays.
Although it cannot directly break the formation, being able to see through the illusions and realities is already a huge advantage in battle.
"It's a special antique."
Lin Chuan put it into his possession.
The third ancient treasure was a black cloak.
The cloak was as thin as a cicada's wing and as light as nothing. When unfolded, it was about ten feet in diameter, and its surface had faint, flowing patterns, like ripples on water in the night.
Lin Chuan draped the cloak over his shoulders and infused it with magical power—
The next moment, his figure suddenly disappeared from the spot!
The cave was empty, as if no one had ever existed there.
But Lin Chuan's senses remained clear. He was currently suspended in a corner of the cave, his whole body shrouded in a faint black light, his aura completely concealed, so much so that even he himself could hardly detect it.
Shadow Cloak!
The true power of this cloak is not simple concealment, but shadow evasion.
Using magical power as a guide, they merged into the shadows and escaped a hundred miles away in one go! Moreover, after escaping, their aura completely disappeared, making them extremely difficult to track.
Lin Chuan emerged from the shadows, his eyes filled with surprise.
"nice one!"
The Sky Shuttle boasts high sustained speed, making it suitable for long-distance travel and pursuit.
But this cloak is a life-saving weapon.
Although each use of Shadowmeld requires a large amount of mana and energy and cannot be used frequently, in critical moments, a single use of Shadowmeld is enough to turn the tide of life and death.
"Let's call this the Shadow Cloak."
……
After putting away the three ancient treasures, Lin Chuan's mood was not completely calm.
He recalled the black jade talisman that Elder Linghu had given him.
"Senior Brother Linghu is truly kind to me... Now that I've returned to the sect, I'll help in whatever way I can."
Lin Chuan made up his mind.
Although Huangfeng Valley now has a Nascent Soul cultivator in charge, its overall strength is still weak.
There are only seven or eight Core Formation cultivators and not many Foundation Establishment disciples. Among the major sects in Tiannan, they can only be considered to be at a lower-middle level.
He plans to help develop Huangfeng Valley.
Moreover, as the sect grows stronger and has more disciples, they will be more efficient at helping him with small tasks in the future.
Lin Chuan came up with an idea—a demon core.
Demon cores are worthless in the Chaotic Star Sea.
A level-five demon core costs only one or two thousand spirit stones, and a level-six demon core costs only a few thousand to ten thousand. But in Tiannan, the price of demon cores is at least three times higher! A level-five demon core can sell for five or six thousand spirit stones, and a level-six demon core can fetch tens of thousands!
If you buy demon cores from the Chaotic Star Sea and transport them to Tiannan to sell, you can make a fortune by becoming a "middleman".
However, Lin Chuan owns the high-grade spirit stone mine on Biling Island, and his wealth is unmatched in the entire Tiannan region.
He doesn't need to earn spirit stones through this. But using it to support the sect would be excellent.
He plans to go to the Chaotic Star Sea in a while to buy a batch of demon cores and give them to the sect to refine into pills and train disciples.
With this in mind, Lin Chuan began to construct a long-distance teleportation array in his cave.
This teleportation array connects to the one located on Biling Island in the outer sea of the Chaotic Stars.
Six months later, the teleportation array was completed.
The cyan jade base, densely covered with runes, exudes a stable spatial fluctuation.
Lin Chuan found Zi Ling and told her that he would be leaving for a while.
Zi Ling was cultivating in the quiet room. After years of cultivation, she was planning to take some time to try to break through to the Core Formation realm.
Hearing that Lin Chuan was leaving, she paused slightly, then nodded.
"Brother Chuan, be careful in everything you do."
Lin Chuan looked at her, then suddenly reached out and gently pinched her cheek.
"Wait for me to come back."
Zi Ling blushed slightly and lowered her head.
……
Lin Chuan stepped into the teleportation array, embedded the spirit stone, and a flash of white light appeared—
The next moment, his figure appeared in the cave on Biling Island.
"Brother Chuan!"
Yuan Yao was cultivating in her cave when she sensed the fluctuations of the teleportation array and suddenly opened her eyes.
"Brother Chuan!"
Yuan Yao was cultivating in her cave when she sensed the fluctuations of the teleportation array and suddenly opened her eyes.
The moment she saw Lin Chuan, her eyes filled with joy, and she ran over and threw herself into his arms.
Lin Chuan hugged her and gently patted her back.
"I'm back."
After lingering tenderly for a long time, Yuan Yao reluctantly let go of Lin Chuan's hand and pulled him to see the spirit stones they had dug up over the years.
Inside the cave, spirit stones were piled up like mountains.
Mid-grade spirit stones, hundreds of thousands!
Neatly stacked in the corner of the cave, they emitted various spiritual lights, illuminating the entire stone chamber in a colorful array.
There were millions of low-grade spirit stones, piled up all over the ground, and Lin Chuan was too lazy to count them.
The most precious items were the high-grade spirit stones—more than two thousand in total!
Each piece is the size of a baby's fist, with a jade-green color throughout, exuding a rich and pure wood-attribute spiritual energy.
They lie quietly in specially made jade boxes, each piece priceless.
More than two thousand high-grade spirit stones!
It should be noted that a high-grade spirit stone contains the spiritual power of ten thousand low-grade spirit stones.
However, in actual exchanges, even if you offer 100,000 low-grade spirit stones, there may not be anyone willing to exchange them for a single high-grade spirit stone.
Such wealth is something that even the current Star Palace, or even the powerful sects of the Great Jin Dynasty with their millennia-long heritage, might not be able to produce.
Lin Chuan put all the spirit stones into his storage bag, checked the progress of the puppet's mining, and after confirming that everything was normal, he temporarily bid farewell to Yuan Yao and teleported to the deserted island in the inner sea through another teleportation array in the cave.
……
In the days that followed, Lin Chuan began to wander among the various islands of the Chaotic Star Sea.
He transformed into a wealthy rogue cultivator, calling himself "Lin Tian," suppressing his cultivation to the mid-stage of Core Formation. His appearance was also altered using the Transformation Technique, making him completely different from his former self.
No one recognized him.
Upon arriving at each island, he would head straight for the large shops and immediately order large quantities of demon cores.
He wants a level-five demon core.
He also wants a level-six demon core.
The shopkeepers initially thought they had encountered a sucker, but after several transactions, they found that this "Fellow Daoist Lin" was extremely generous, never haggled, and always paid in spirit stones in cash without ever delaying payment.
In no time, the name "Lin Tian" spread throughout the major markets of the Chaotic Star Sea.
Some say he is a purchasing agent from a powerful force, some say he is an old monster who has been in seclusion for many years, and others say he is just a nouveau riche who squanders his few spirit stones.
Lin Chuan ignored these discussions and continued his acquisition spree.
……
On this day, Lin Chuan arrived at Dengxing Island.
This island was once one of the twelve inner islands of the Star Palace, and it was extremely prosperous. Cultivators gathered on the island, and its market was one of the largest outside of Tianxing City.
However, this place has long been occupied by cultivators of the Reverse Star Alliance, becoming one of their important strongholds in the Inner Sea.
Lin Chuan stepped onto the island and scanned his surroundings.
The island's architectural style is quite different from before, and the flags of the Reverse Star Alliance can be seen everywhere—a black flag with a black ghost head embroidered on it, fluttering in the wind.
The patrolling cultivators were replaced by members of the Reverse Star Alliance, each with a stern expression, watching every cultivator who came in and out warily.
Lin Chuan walked into the market with a calm expression.
He arrived at a large shop called Treasure Pavilion.
The Golden Saber Sect is the stronghold behind this pavilion. The sect leader of the Golden Saber Sect is a Nascent Soul cultivator in the early stage and is considered a prominent figure in the Reverse Star Alliance.
The Treasure Pavilion is a five-story building with carved beams and painted rafters, exuding an extraordinary grandeur.
As Lin Chuan stepped inside, a Foundation Establishment stage employee immediately greeted him with a broad smile.
"What would you like to order, senior?"
"I want to buy demon cores," Lin Chuan said calmly. "A lot."
The waiter was taken aback and quickly went to fetch the manager.
A moment later, a middle-aged shopkeeper at the early stage of Core Formation strode out, glanced at Lin Chuan, and revealed a professional smile.
"Fellow Daoist, please come up to the third floor for a detailed discussion."
……
The aroma of tea wafted from the private rooms on the third floor.
The shopkeeper personally poured Lin Chuan a cup of tea and asked with a smile, "How many demon cores do you want, friend?"
"Two hundred level-five demon cores. Twenty level-six demon cores."
The teapot in the shopkeeper's hand trembled slightly.
Two hundred level-five demon cores and twenty level-six demon cores! This is a huge deal worth nearly 500,000 spirit stones!
He took a deep breath, suppressing his shock, and tentatively asked, "Fellow Daoist, you need so many demon cores, I wonder...?"
"I'm just a rogue cultivator, my surname is Lin."
Lin Chuan interrupted him, his tone indifferent, "I have a use for these demon cores. Shopkeeper, just give me a price."
Seeing that he didn't want to talk any further, the shopkeeper didn't ask any more questions and quoted a price.
Lin Chuan didn't haggle; he simply took out spirit stones and paid the full amount on the spot.
The shopkeeper glanced at the neatly stacked pile of spirit stones, a strange light flashing in his eyes. He then smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Lin is so generous! If you need any more demon cores in the future, just come to Treasure Pavilion. Our shop will definitely give you the most favorable price."
Lin Chuan nodded, put away the demon core, and took his leave.
……
After leaving the Treasure Pavilion, Lin Chuan did not linger on Dengxing Island and flew straight off the island.
However, after flying for only three hundred miles, a golden light appeared before their eyes.
"Heh, trying to kidnap me?"
A slight smile appeared on Lin Chuan's lips.
Throughout his life, he has encountered countless cases of robbery and plunder.
Ever since his time in Tiannan, people have repeatedly tried to take advantage of him.
Now that he is a Nascent Soul cultivator, his skills are among the best in Tiannan, yet someone still dares to try to rob him.
"Well, it's been a long time since I've stretched my muscles."
Lin Chuan neither dodged nor avoided the attack, and continued flying forward.