Chapter 73: Chapter 73: A New Talent

At the Celestial Treasure Tower, Yang Jing was still seated in the tea room. He had refined so much Spiritual Qi in the past two days that all his meridians were aching and swollen. Even taking a Yellow Bud Pill had only offered slight relief.

Disciples with outstanding Spirit Roots from Foundation Establishment Clans would have elders expend Magical Power to cleanse their meridians and refine their marrow from a young age, expanding them. Yang Jing hadn’t had that luxury before, so now he could only make up for the deficiency by freeloading Wusong Tea from the Celestial Treasure Tower.

He chugged a large pot of Wusong Tea, and the meridians that had been aching and swollen immediately felt a wave of coolness. His entire body exuded wisps of cool air.

The autumn defense was not yet over, and Huangyuan Marketplace was much quieter. Even the Celestial Treasure Tower was affected, becoming much less busy.

A moment later, a maid led an Independent Cultivator inside.

“Shopkeeper Wang, this customer has brought a piece of Spiritual Ore and asks for your appraisal.”

Yang Jing glanced up. The Independent Cultivator who entered was unremarkable, wearing a Cyan Daoist Robe. On the ring finger of his left hand, he wore a Jade Ring carved from green jade.

Within the Profound Carp Association, cultivators who transported goods were called “mules.” These mules physically transported Spirit Medicines and Spirit Pills between various Marketplaces. To signify their status, they wore a Jade Ring on the ring finger of their left hand, changing the ring’s color based on that day’s Five Elements according to the almanac.

“You may leave for now,” Yang Jing instructed the maid.

Once the maid had left, the Independent Cultivator took out a grimy-looking black Spiritual Ore from his Storage Bag.

“This is Profound Ore dug from East Mountain’s Fifth Peak. How many Spirit Stones is the Celestial Treasure Tower willing to offer for it?”

Yang Jing tapped the Spiritual Ore with his knuckles—three short, two long, and two short, for a total of seven taps. Then, with a look of disgust, he took a towel and wiped his hand.

“This isn’t Spiritual Ore at all. It’s the Dung Stone of a Sea-Covering Whale demon. Next time you make contact, get a proper piece of Spiritual Ore.”

“I just happened to buy this from a stall. I didn’t expect it to be a Dung Stone.”

The mule said sheepishly, then took a Storage Bag from his robes and tossed it onto the table:

“These are the Spirit Medicines you ordered. If there are no issues, please accept the delivery.”

Yang Jing picked up the Storage Bag and took out several Jade Boxes, inspecting them one by one. The boxes were neatly packed with the Spirit Medicines listed in the Pill Formula for the Bone Marrow Transformation Pill, and their quality was quite good.

The last five Jade Boxes were not only made of Spiritual Jade but also had Spirit-Sealing Talismans affixed to them.

Yang Jing carefully undid the Restriction on the Talismans. The Spiritual Mechanism of the Spirit Medicines inside these five boxes was clearly more abundant than in the previous ones. The moment he opened them, a potent fluctuation of Spiritual Qi emanated out.

After confirming there were no issues with any of the Spirit Medicines, he closed the Jade Boxes. He then took out the voucher from the Storage Bag and pressed it with the Dharma Seal on the handle of his Profound Carp Mirror to confirm the delivery was correct.

The mule happily put away the voucher. With it, he could collect a payment of fifty Spirit Stones.

“Does the Shopkeeper have any Spirit Pills that need delivering? I can take them for you since I’m on my way.”

Yang Jing shook his head.

“If I had Spirit Pills to deliver, I would naturally make contact through the Profound Carp Mirror. What, are you trying to break the rules?”

His mention of “breaking the rules” instantly made the mule tremble with fear.

“No, no! I was just making small talk! Please don’t take it seriously, Shopkeeper Wang. I’ll be leaving now.”

“Wait. Take this Dung Stone with you.”

Yang Jing put the Storage Bag from the table into his robes, his heart pounding with some excitement. After all this trouble, he finally had the Spirit Medicines needed for the Transformation Pill.

Most of the Spirit Medicines required for refining the Transformation Pill were quite obscure. They were extremely difficult to purchase and assemble within the Fiefdoms governed by the Six Great Sects, and doing so would attract the suspicion of interested parties.

It was best to leave professional matters to the professionals. Using the Profound Carp Association’s channels, he had only sent a short message, and just two days later, the medicines had been delivered.

Yang Jing sat in the tea room for the rest of the day. He even imitated Wang Tong by going to the main hall of the Celestial Treasure Tower and flirting a bit with the maids before returning to his residence.

He went straight to the cellar.

In just three days, Wang Tong had become much thinner, and his once-black hair was now streaked with white.

Being confined in the same room with two ferocious Three Capitals Blood Demon Mosquito Mothers kept his nerves constantly on edge. The two Demon Mosquitoes feared only Yang Jing; they weren’t afraid of him at all. In fact, they coveted the Essence Blood in his body.

When he saw Yang Jing, it was as if he’d seen his savior:

“Yang Jing, please! Don’t keep me locked in here with these two Demon Mosquitoes anymore! For the past few days, I haven’t been able to sleep soundly or enjoy my food. If this continues, I’m afraid I’ll be driven to my death!”

Yang Jing ignored him and walked to one of the walls. He began to transform his Magical Power into Long Needles, probing and prodding the wall’s surface.

Wang Tong’s expression immediately turned to one of panic.

The next moment, a Spiritual Light flashed across the wall, which suddenly rippled like the surface of water. A secret door appeared on the wall that had looked perfectly ordinary just a moment before.

Yang Jing pulled the secret door open. Behind it, a hidden chamber had been excavated, filled with shimmering piles of Spirit Stones that dazzled the eye.

Wang Tong let out a wail and began to sob uncontrollably, snot and tears streaming into his mouth. It was a sight pitiful enough to make any observer weep.

He had painstakingly accumulated these Spirit Stones over the past few years. He had excavated the secret chamber and set up the Restriction with his own hands, thinking he could hide them from Yang Jing’s clutches, but he never expected them to be found anyway.

Yang Jing gleefully swept all the Spirit Stones into his Storage Bag. A quick count revealed a total of over thirty-two thousand.

Even a poorer Foundation Establishment Cultivator wouldn’t possess such a fortune.

As for Wang Tong’s wailing? ’I’ve just pocketed his entire life’s savings, am I not going to let the man cry a little? The more he howls, the happier I am.’

“Just kill me! Just kill me!”

Finally, Yinjiao, who was standing to the side, couldn’t watch anymore and knocked Wang Tong unconscious.

“Keep a close eye on him for the next few days. Don’t let him find a chance to kill himself.”

Yang Jing ordered Yinjiao, then went to the Quiet Chamber.

Iron Head was cultivating inside, concentrating fully on circulating the Jade Water Skill and absorbing Spiritual Qi. Yang Jing hadn’t been entirely deceiving it. After repeatedly condensing and then dispersing the Magical Power of the Jade Water Skill, its body had grown purer. Even the Muddy Qi and Evil Qi deep within its physical form were being drawn out, bit by bit, by the skill’s power.

Its black fur had become increasingly glossy, and its eyes were pitch-black and bright. It was gradually shedding its demonic appearance, starting to look more like an Auspicious Beast.

After completing a full circulation, Iron Head finally noticed its master was right there. With a single leap, it jumped into Yang Jing’s arms, looking for affection.

Yang Jing rubbed its ears.

“Master has already gathered all the Spirit Medicines for the Transformation Pill. We can begin the Alchemy today. This is a Tier Two Spirit Pill, after all. First, I will improve my own proficiency in Alchemy.”

The Spirit Stones he had just obtained from Wang Tong began to decrease at an astonishing rate. Reaching the realm of Refined Skill cost two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones. To reach Mastery, the price skyrocketed to twelve thousand five hundred.

Only because Yang Jing had just plundered Wang Tong’s secret vault could he afford it.

[Mica Refining Technique: Peak of Perfection (0%)]

Just as he finished spending the Spirit Stones to upgrade his Mica Refining Technique to the final realm, Yang Jing saw a sudden change in Iron Head’s talent panel. A new Talent had appeared.

[Elixir Understanding (Rare)]

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep