Chapter 7: Plan Arrangements

Seeing that his goal was achieved, Li Qing did not linger.

He left the Hai Ling Pavilion with quick, unhesitating steps.

Once outside, he circled through the bustling crowd before heading toward a secluded area with few people.

An hour later, Li Qing reappeared at the entrance of the Hai Ling Pavilion and walked in briskly.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, I intend to purchase some spirit fish fry."

Seeing Liu Yuling walking toward him, Li Qing approached quickly.

"I wonder how many spirit fish fry you intend to purchase this time, Fellow Daoist?" Seeing the customer return, Liu Yuling greeted him with a beaming smile.

"May I ask if your pavilion accepts magical artifacts?"

"..."

After a brief conversation, Li Qing ignored the strange looks behind him and quickly left the Hai Ling Pavilion alone.

A pouch-like item had appeared at his waist.

Liu Yuling watched the figure in the black bamboo hat depart with a slightly strange expression; he had traded a magical artifact for spirit fish fry.

Beneath the black bamboo hat, Li Qing’s face was full of helplessness.

He was now truly penniless; the only low-grade magical artifact he had for combat, the Cold Iron Sword, had been traded away.

In the Haoyuan Sea region, magical artifacts are categorized into: Magical Artifacts, Spirit Artifacts, Dharma Treasures, and the legendary Ancient Treasures.

Magical Artifacts are divided into low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and top-grade.

Top-grade magical artifacts are generally in the hands of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

As for the more powerful Spirit Artifacts and Dharma Treasures, they are treasures possessed only by Golden Core cultivators and Nascent Soul grandmasters.

Except for some special items, an ordinary low-grade magical artifact is worth around one hundred low-grade spirit stones, while mid-grade magical artifacts vary in value from several hundred low-grade spirit stones.

As for high-grade magical artifacts, their value is even more terrifying, requiring thousands of low-grade spirit stones or more.

The low-grade Cold Iron Sword in Li Qing’s hand had been issued by the sect, and he had sold it for eighty low-grade spirit stones.

Shops like the Hai Ling Pavilion often allow treasures to be traded for spirit stones, though the exchange value is slightly lower than the market price.

After the exchange, Li Qing had a total of over one hundred and thirty spirit stones.

Except for the ten low-grade spirit stones he kept for emergencies, he spent the rest on spirit fish fry.

Since he wanted to test the miraculous uses of the Sea-Suppressing Pearl, he had to be fully prepared.

Even if it proved useless, the cost was something Li Qing could bear; after all, they could be resold.

He did, of course, have something to rely on: during the hour he spent outside, he discovered that the spirit fish could survive inside the Sea-Suppressing Pearl and appeared very lively.

Compared to mature spirit fish, the price of spirit fish fry was two fry for one low-grade spirit stone.

Li Qing exchanged for two hundred spirit fish fry, and used the remaining twenty spirit stones to purchase a low-grade Beast Spirit Bag.

Beast Spirit Bags are generally used to store living spirit beasts.

In the cultivation world, there are usually two types: the Beast Spirit Bag and the ordinary Storage Bag.

After packing everything up, he hurried toward the pier.

As soon as Li Qing reached the pier, he immediately felt several gazes fixed upon him.

He looked up through his black bamboo hat.

Several loose cultivators, who appeared to be in the early stages of Qi Refining, were pacing around the pier.

Their eyes revealed a sinister glint from time to time; it was clear their intentions were not pure.

Li Qing ignored them.

He knew he was being targeted because his attire made him look like a typical loose cultivator.

These people were like vultures, staring intently at any target they could prey upon.

Compared to sect cultivators, the survival of loose cultivators is often much crueler, as most of them possess only average aptitude.

For those with average aptitude, the competition for resources on the path of cultivation is far bloodier than it is for sect cultivators.

Li Qing already had an understanding of the outside world through the memories of his predecessor.

Even disciples of the Qianshui Yuling Sect would sometimes go missing after leaving, and most of these people ended up as nothing more than bones.

Although the Qianshui Yuling Sect would occasionally investigate, it was almost impossible to find any traces.

Except for core disciples, the sect would not waste energy seriously investigating ordinary outer sect disciples.

After all, the outer sect was essentially like raising poisonous insects in a jar; only the most outstanding among them could become core disciples of the sect.

When Li Qing boarded a spirit boat heading to the outer islands of Qianyu Island, he finally felt the gazes upon him disappear.

On the way back to the outer island, Li Qing sorted out his future plans in his mind.

The most important thing right now was to quickly improve his strength.

Not to mention anything else, there was still someone in the sect eyeing him covetously.

He could not stall Wei Xuan for too long; once Wei Xuan realized he was being intentionally delayed, the retaliation would likely be even more fierce.

Forced by sect regulations, although Wei Xuan dared not attack him openly, he would certainly have other means.

Having absorbed his predecessor's knowledge, Li Qing understood well the cruelty of the cultivation world.

Having lived two lives, he could not entrust his life to the kindness of others.

His greatest hope now was to see what changes the Sea-Suppressing Pearl could bring him.

Cautious by nature, he had already prepared for the worst.

If it came to it, he would have to trade the Foundation Establishment Pill from the sect on the black market.

He would then use the resources gained from the trade to cultivate until he had the ability to protect himself before leaving the sect.

He had not exchanged the Foundation Establishment Pill earlier to keep it on his person for safety reasons.

Currently, he was cultivating the Water Control Technique, but it was only a Yellow-grade mid-tier cultivation method, and his combat means were somewhat lacking in comparison.

Its only advantage was that the spiritual energy was gentle, which would make the transition to a new cultivation method after Foundation Establishment much smoother.

Li Qing sat on the spirit boat, his expression calm as he looked into the distance.

At the same time, he made a silent decision.

If the effect of the Sea-Suppressing Pearl did not manifest in a short time, he would have to make a new choice.

At the very least, he would focus his energy on the Lightning Spirit Technique, striving to step into the late stage of low-tier body refining as soon as possible.

That way, he would have the power to protect himself even when facing enemies in the late stage of Qi Refining.

Arriving at the pier near the outer island, Li Qing once again looked toward the inner island, which was radiant and brimming with spiritual energy.

It was a pity that his aptitude was average, and he was not qualified to become an inner sect disciple.

The Qianshui Yuling Sect stipulated that outer sect disciples must reach Foundation Establishment before they can enter the inner sect, though there are exceptions for everything; disciples with Heavenly Spirit Roots or variant Spirit Roots can enter the inner sect directly.

Although those with high-grade Spirit Roots also cultivate in the outer sect, their treatment is vastly different from that of ordinary outer sect disciples.

The greatest advantage for disciples with high-grade Spirit Roots is that they can choose a Profound-grade cultivation method while still in the outer sect.

There is only a one-grade difference between Profound-grade and Yellow-grade methods, but it is a difference as vast as heaven and earth.

The Water Control Technique Li Qing cultivated could at most take him to the peak of Foundation Establishment, but some powerful Profound-grade methods could be cultivated all the way to the Nascent Soul realm.

Ordinary outer sect disciples, however, must wait until they advance to Foundation Establishment before they can choose a Profound-grade method.

It could be said that from the very beginning of his cultivation, Li Qing’s starting point was far below those with innate talent.