Chapter 54: Qianlu Ruins

Inside the room.

The blue-robed manager gave a sheepish smile.

"You must be joking, Fellow Daoist. If it were that easy to allow Qi Refinement stage cultivators to block the detection of Foundation Establishment experts, my shop wouldn't be located here!"

A flicker of disappointment flashed through Li Qing's heart.

If it were only targeted at Qi Refinement stage cultivators, it wouldn't be of much use to him. However, he could still buy a few as backups.

Standing to the side, the blue-robed manager sensed Li Qing's shift in mood.

"Is Fellow Daoist looking for a treasure that can evade the detection of Foundation Establishment cultivators?" the manager asked cautiously.

"I am looking on behalf of an elder brother in my clan!" Li Qing fabricated a fictional identity.

He intentionally packaged himself as a member of a cultivation clan to avoid potential trouble. When he had produced those two high-quality mid-grade magical tools earlier, he had noticed the look of astonishment in the man's eyes.

The magical tools he had produced thus far did not match his true identity; aside from his strength as a body cultivator, he appeared to be only in the middle stage of Qi Refinement. It would be much more reasonable if he posed as a scion of a clan.

"I see," the blue-robed manager said, looking as if he had reached an epiphany. It was unclear whether he was merely playing along with Li Qing's act or if he truly believed it.

"To tell you the truth, there is a shop treasure in my store that should meet your requirements!"

Upon hearing the words "shop treasure," Li Qing's heart stirred. Something called a shop treasure was bound to be extraordinary.

"May I have a look?" Li Qing asked softly.

"Of course. Please wait a moment, Fellow Daoist!" The manager immediately left the room with a smile, seemingly to fetch the treasure. Perhaps the information about Li Qing being a clan disciple made him feel that the man had the means to afford it.

Li Qing waited quietly in the room. He was also preparing for the upcoming auction. If he could find a treasure to block the detection of Foundation Establishment cultivators, he could pursue the Golden Scale Fruit with even greater peace of mind.

After a short while, the blue-robed manager walked back in, looking jubilant.

Judging by his expression, Li Qing felt something was amiss. Why did the manager look at him as if he were seeing a fat sheep ready for slaughter?

*Did my intentional reveal of being a clan disciple make him think I am an inexperienced novice?*

However, he was no novice to be easily preyed upon.

The manager did not waste words. He directly took a square treasure box out of his storage bag. The box was crafted from a special spiritual wood designed to lock in the spiritual energy within and prevent it from leaking out.

Wrapped in yellow silk, inside lay an ancient jade about the size of a palm. The pale green ancient jade appeared to have many carved markings on it, and a ripple of spiritual power circulated within.

"Can this block the detection of Foundation Establishment cultivators?" Li Qing asked with doubt.

The outer spiritual box looked quite extraordinary, but the ancient jade inside was unremarkable. He even noticed two vertical cracks running through the interior of the jade.

Seeing Li Qing's expression, the manager looked embarrassed. This wasn't the first time he had encountered such a reaction; the item had remained in the shop for a long time due to its poor appearance.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist. Although it looks unappealing, this is undoubtedly an exotic treasure!" the manager promised earnestly. "It is a treasure from the Qianlu Ruins!"

The Qianlu Ruins was an ancient site that had appeared thirty years ago. It was named the Qianlu Ruins because it appeared on an ordinary island called Qianlu Island. It was said that the ruins were actually the remains of an ancient sect, and many treasures had leaked out from within.

When the ruins were exposed, many nearby cultivators moved at the news to enter and plunder treasures, many of which eventually entered the market.

The reason Li Qing had heard of this was because a small sect had seized the initiative within the ruins. After emerging, the sect leader of that small sect used the massive opportunity to successfully reach the Core Formation stage, becoming a powerful Golden Core True Person who dominated a region.

Now, that Golden Core True Person's fate was unknown. The ones hunting him were from Li Qing's own sect, the Thousand Water Spirit Control Sect.

Aside from that sect leader's uncertain fate after reaching Core Formation, all the other disciples of that sect had been wiped out.

Qianlu Island fell within the sphere of influence of the Thousand Water Spirit Control Sect. All powers in this region, regardless of size, were vassals to the Thousand Water Spirit Control Sect. When an event as significant as the appearance of ancient ruins occurred, the subordinate power should have reported it.

But when that small sect saw such an opportunity, they had no intention of reporting it. No cultivator could resist the temptation of such a windfall. Thus, the sect hid the news, made preparations in advance, and seized the initiative when the ancient ruins opened.

The sect leader had used that massive opportunity to become a Golden Core cultivator. This also meant the Thousand Water Spirit Control Sect was unable to plan ahead, allowing a portion of the ruins' treasures to be devoured.

In a fit of rage, the Thousand Water Spirit Control Sect struck directly, wiping out the entire sect. Even the Golden Core sect leader did not escape, being relentlessly pursued by the sect's Golden Core Elders. Such ruthless methods served as a declaration to this world: they were the masters here. Those who broke the rules had only one path—death.

"Are you certain it came from the Qianlu Ruins?" Li Qing inquired.

"Fellow Daoist, how could such a thing be false?" After speaking, the manager handed a jade slip to Li Qing.

"Hidden Spirit Jade!"

"The ancient jade is engraved with a special formation that can hide one's aura and resist the scrutiny of Foundation Establishment cultivators..." The slip recorded the functions of the jade.

"This is one of the more common items leaked from the Qianlu Ruins; its effects have long been tested," Li Qing nodded.

After the Qianlu Ruins were exposed, the sect had ordered an investigation into those who had entered the ruins at the time. However, the number of cultivators who entered was too vast, including countless rogue cultivators and disciples from other powerful sects. Eventually, the matter was dropped. After all, the truly core treasures had been secured by the Thousand Water Spirit Control Sect.

"What is the value of this item?" Li Qing asked.

"This is an ancient exotic treasure. Seeing as you are a straightforward man, I will sell this treasure to you for the price of one thousand eight hundred low-grade spirit stones..."