Chapter 29: Setting up a Stall, Luo Qing

"It seems I must buy a book specifically about the Immortal City. Otherwise, I'll know nothing about the cultivation world and will be too easy for others to scheme against."

Lu Xiaotian thought to himself. Due to his ignorance, he had already suffered several setbacks; even the time he was discovered by the golden-robed youth, he had only escaped unscathed by sheer luck. But Lu Xiaotian knew that good fortune would not favor him forever.

"Selling demon cores! Second-tier Spirit Beast Red-Blood Python cores, only eleven low-grade spirit stones!"

"Selling cultivation methods! Ancient inheritance technique 'Fire Cloud Art,' only six low-grade spirit stones!"

Aside from the large merchant houses, there were also cultivators setting up street stalls on both sides of the road, offering everything from spiritual herbs to cultivation methods.

"Fellow Daoist, come over and take a look! I have all kinds of cultivation methods here. For a cultivator, choosing the right method is especially important. If the technique is poor, it will be difficult to reach a profound realm later, or you might even be barred from Foundation Establishment for life."

A burly man with a face as red as a jujube shouted vigorously, greeting Lu Xiaotian enthusiastically when he saw him.

"I already have a cultivation method," Lu Xiaotian said, shaking his head.

"It doesn't matter if you have one; you can still take a look. Your cultivation level isn't high yet. If your current method is unsuitable, it's better to switch to another early on. If you wait until later and want to change, it might be too late," the red-faced man continued unperturbed.

"I heard the 'Primordial Chaos Sutra' is quite good. Do you have it here?" Lu Xiaotian asked, a sudden thought striking him. His current *Primordial Chaos Sutra* could only be cultivated to the middle stage of Qi Refinement. Over the past two years, he had also consulted several techniques obtained from the black-robed elder's storage bag—fire, water, and earth attributes. Although they were all cultivatable, they didn't feel as smooth to practice as the *Primordial Chaos Sutra*.

"*Primordial Chaos Sutra*? What kind of nonsense is that? Never heard of it. There are too many obscure techniques like that. I advise you to give up early and switch to the ancient secret methods I have here. Look at this one, the 'Cold Water Art.' It is said that hundreds of years ago, a Foundation Establishment senior in our Moon-Gazing City Rogue Cultivator Alliance practiced this very technique. And this one..."

The red-faced man introduced the various techniques at his stall incessantly, though most of what he said were rumors without actual evidence. After a few sentences, Lu Xiaotian felt the man was merely boasting. However, the techniques Lu Xiaotian possessed were of little use to him; it wouldn't be a bad idea to trade them for some spirit stones.

Lu Xiaotian casually picked up a few books and flipped through them, but he couldn't find the same technique. Noticing that the methods at the red-faced man's stall were mostly for the early and middle stages of Qi Refinement, he asked, "Why don't you have any for the late stage of Qi Refinement?"

The red-faced man replied, "Fellow Daoist, you must be joking. Complete sets of such techniques are far too expensive. With my small business, I don't have that kind of capital. However, my techniques all have origins; you can find the middle or lower volumes in specialized cultivation shops. Furthermore, don't be too ambitious. You are only at the early stage of Qi Refinement; it might take over ten years to reach the middle stage, and even longer to reach the late stage. Even if you buy a late-stage technique now, you might not actually be able to use it later."

"I see," Lu Xiaotian said. "Do you have anything regarding spiritual herbs, spirit beasts, or introductions to secret methods of the cultivation world? Also, I need a map of the area around Moon-Gazing City."

"Oh, so that's what you need. I have maps of the Immortal City; one low-grade spirit stone. As for the introductions to herbs, demon beasts, and secret methods, I suggest you go to specialized merchant houses. Books like the 'Encyclopedia of Spiritual Herbs' and 'Records of Demon Beasts' document the growth habits of common herbs, the activities of demon beasts, and their strength classifications. As for secret methods, you can only find them in the journals of various cultivators. After all, few cultivators will publicize their own secret methods, as it would be extremely disadvantageous in future combat. Therefore, others can only record them through observation, rumors, or personal combat experiences. Just walk straight down this street, turn left at the next intersection, and it's the second shop. It's a shop run by the Nangong Clan that specializes in these."

The red-faced man hurriedly put down the books in his hand and pulled a scroll from his storage bag, acting extra attentive for fear that Lu Xiaotian wouldn't buy from him.

"Alright, thank you," Lu Xiaotian nodded. He assumed map scrolls would be available in the larger shops as well, but after listening to the man for so long and asking so many questions, he felt a bit awkward not buying anything. Besides, street stalls were generally cheaper than formal shops.

After taking the scroll, Lu Xiaotian followed the man's directions to the Nangong Clan's shop. The selection of cultivation methods inside was indeed dazzling, far surpassing what the red-faced man had. Lu Xiaotian specifically asked, but the *Primordial Chaos Sutra* was still nowhere to be found. However, the shop manager suggested he check the Nie Family's shop, the largest cultivation method merchant in the city, as they might have news.

Lu Xiaotian thanked the manager. Buying the *Encyclopedia of Spiritual Herbs* and the *Records of Demon Beasts* cost him three spirit stones. The amount of spirit stones in his storage bag dwindled, which was quite painful; three spirit stones were enough to fuel dozens of his spells. It seemed spirit stones were the universal currency of cultivators, much like gold and silver to mortals, though their utility was far greater.

Stepping out, Lu Xiaotian wandered around the vicinity and found a talisman shop, where he bought a single, most basic Fireball Talisman.

The price of talismans was outrageously expensive; a single Fireball Talisman cost one low-grade spirit stone. After paying, Lu Xiaotian felt a pang of heartache. At this rate, his spirit stones would soon be depleted. No wonder the green-robed Taoist had been so desperate to fight that fat man surnamed Zhu after being swindled out of a few stones.

In Moon-Gazing City, spirit stones were needed everywhere. Without them, it was nearly impossible to move. To make matters worse, the wages offered by shops and workshops were quite low. After checking several places, Lu Xiaotian found that for a low-level cultivator who knew nothing like himself, the monthly wage was at most four to five spirit stones.

Even at the cheapest inn, a tiny room barely a few feet square cost two spirit stones a month. However, eager to test his theories, Lu Xiaotian didn't bother looking for more inns and simply paid and checked in.

The room contained nothing but a bed and a chair. It was as simple as it could be. Lu Xiaotian had no time to complain; he hurriedly sat cross-legged on the bed, holding the Fireball Talisman in one hand.

*Whoosh—*

In the void, a massive cyan sphere floated in the distance, seemingly endless. Within the familiar Green Fruit Barrier, the black-robed elder's primordial spirit was nowhere to be seen. With a thought, Lu Xiaotian summoned the Fireball Talisman to his side. Taking advantage of the elder's absence, he immediately activated it.

*Boom!* A massive fireball appeared and slammed against the barrier, sending sparks flying in all directions, but the barrier remained unmoved, just as expected.

"As I thought, anything containing spiritual energy can be transported into this mysterious space. Talismans work the same way and can be used directly."

Lu Xiaotian felt a surge of joy. Although the elder's primordial spirit was inside the barrier and couldn't immediately threaten his safety, every time he consumed a medicinal pill, the elder would siphon off half the spiritual energy. How could he tolerate that? Furthermore, the elder was like a venomous snake hidden in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment. He didn't know how long the Green Fruit Barrier could hold him, but it would be best to eliminate this hidden threat as soon as possible.

Previously, when the elder was powerful, Lu Xiaotian had been helpless, but now he had finally found a solution. Although the elder was near the peak of the Qi Refinement stage, within this barrier, he had no spiritual energy to replenish himself; after casting spells, his cultivation would drop. Lu Xiaotian's eyes turned cold. As long as he prepared enough talismans, it would be the elder's end.

"Huh? I clearly heard a noise just now. Why can't I see a single shadow?"

Not long after Lu Xiaotian had left, the elder's gold-and-red primordial spirit sphere appeared not far from where Lu Xiaotian had been. It searched the surroundings suspiciously several times but found no trace of anything. Aside from the mist, there was only bare sand and that damned cyan barrier.

Returning his consciousness to his body, Lu Xiaotian saw it was still early and left the inn again. He crouched down beside a busy street with high foot traffic and took out the three cultivation books from his storage bag to set up a stall. Although there were only three, they were all sufficient for cultivation up to the late stage of Qi Refinement.

*This gives me an advantage over ordinary vendors,* Lu Xiaotian thought. He sat there waiting for customers while flipping through the *Records of Demon Beasts* to learn about the common beasts on the edges of the Moon-Gazing Mountains.

"Second-tier Red-Blood Python, first-tier Boar, even a third-tier Boar King... and a fourth-tier Iron-Backed Lizard is actually comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Truly formidable!"

Lu Xiaotian read with great interest. Entering Moon-Gazing City had finally allowed him to truly touch the bizarre and wondrous world of cultivators.

"You won't sell anything if you set up your stall like that." Suddenly, a crisp, slightly youthful voice rang out.

Lu Xiaotian looked up to see a beautiful young girl with bright eyes and a charming smile, wearing a pale yellow dress and carrying a small bundle. She spoke lightly, then skillfully unrolled her bundle less than half a yard away from him. Inside was a small purple incense-like furnace, several pieces of pale red wood, and a few brushes that emitted a faint spiritual aura.

"Do you set up stalls often?" Lu Xiaotian asked, closing the book on demon beasts.

"Yes, I've been setting up stalls here for a while. Look, this alchemy furnace has been here for over a month and hasn't sold yet." The girl shrugged, then quickly smiled optimistically. "But I believe it will sell eventually. My name is Luo Qing. What's yours?"

"I'm Lu Xiaotian. Is that alchemy furnace good? How much is it?" Lu Xiaotian asked.

"The quality of this furnace is definitely excellent; it's made of Purple Profound Copper and can increase the success rate of alchemy. Even high-level alchemists could use it; it's incomparable to the ordinary red copper furnaces other vendors have. Why, do you need an alchemy furnace? If you do, I can give you a slightly better price," Luo Qing said, looking at him expectantly.