Chapter 11

Huo Fengji possessed dual spiritual roots of Fire and Wood, with a Fire root value of eighty-eight and a Wood root value of sixty. Though he had dual roots, wood nourished fire, and the two complemented each other splendidly, making it an exceptionally rare and excellent spiritual root.

Yet, despite his fine roots and passionate spirit, his comprehension remained ordinary. This was because, while still in his mother’s womb, he had been subjected to compression, weakening his soul and limiting his spiritual insight. Under ordinary circumstances, this flaw was not apparent, but when confronted with profound and arcane Daoist arts, it would inevitably reveal itself.

In those years, she had gone to great lengths to strengthen his soul and hone his spiritual perception, repeatedly explaining the profound mysteries of the Vermilion Bird Heart Sutra to him. Only then could he cultivate smoothly, gradually strengthening his soul, enhancing his comprehension, and finally standing out among the personally instructed disciples.

Le Li turned her head, her gaze coldly sweeping over the group that had already walked away. When she looked back, a faint sneer curved her lips, reminiscent of Huo Fengji’s later attitude toward her in a previous life.

Yan Yueheng was gifted and, having cultivated the Vermilion Bird Heart Sutra, was quite proud, expecting her disciples to be outstanding like herself, never to fall behind. Hence, she was strict and demanding in her teaching.

This time, Le Li wanted to see whether, without her wholehearted help, Huo Fengji could still quickly make up for his shortcomings and catch up as he had in the previous life. With his ordinary comprehension, how could he become a disciple worthy of Yan Yueheng’s satisfaction?

The matters of the past life had never happened anew. She would not deliberately target Huo Fengji now; she would merely watch coldly from the sidelines. It no longer concerned her. But if Huo Fengji dared to offend her, she would make him pay a bitter price.

Le Li turned and left, returning to Qian Yuan Peak, heading toward her own bright future.

“Is that Junior Sister Le?” a familiar yet unfamiliar voice called from behind. Le Li turned and saw Yu Sulan, whose beauty was as delicate and elegant as the crescent moon’s halo. Her hair was simply styled in a Flying Immortal Bun, and her purple robe fluttered gracefully in the breeze, radiating indescribable charm and refinement.

“Greetings, Senior Sister Yu!” Le Li cupped her hands respectfully.

Yu Sulan smiled and stepped beside her. “I heard after your emergence from seclusion that Master took in a female disciple. I wondered what kind of woman could catch his eye. Now I know—it must be someone like you.”

“Senior Sister Yu overestimates me,” Le Li’s eyes curved as she spoke kindly—everyone loved praise. “But I know you are exceptionally talented, and Master adores you.”

“Ha ha ha, Junior Sister Le, I like your spirit,” Yu Sulan laughed heartily, gently patting Le Li’s shoulder. “Senior Sister Feng from Xuan Yuan Peak invited me to go to Quansu City marketplace tomorrow and said to bring you along. You’ve never been outside the sect, right?”

“No, I haven’t. Then I’ll trouble Senior Sister to take me,” Le Li replied, following Yu Sulan as they ascended the peak. Since she had never been outside the sect in this life, it was a perfect opportunity for the spirit incense she had made to find use. “I’ve long been curious about the world beyond the sect. A Foundation Establishment senior brother once mentioned Quansu City, saying its market was vast and brimming with countless goods.”

“That’s right. The marketplace in Quansu City is the largest nearby,” Yu Sulan said. “We’ll gather at the mountain gate at the hour of the dragon. We must set out early. I’ll come to Purple Bamboo Courtyard to fetch you tomorrow morning.”

“Alright, I’ll wait for you, Senior Sister!”

At the fork in the road ahead, the two parted ways, each returning to their respective lodgings.

Le Li returned to Purple Bamboo Courtyard, calming her mind before turning the remaining materials into spirit incense. Only then did she sit down for meditation and cultivation.

The night passed quietly until dawn gradually broke.

Le Li finished packing early and, hearing a call outside, immediately stepped out. “Senior Sister Yu!”

“Let’s go!” Yu Sulan beckoned. The two descended Qian Yuan Peak and headed straight for the mountain gate, where Feng Danying arrived just in time, accompanied by Qin Ruoqing.

Le Li had anticipated this when Yu Sulan mentioned it yesterday. Feng Danying was Yue Zhufeng’s third disciple.

Le Li already knew Qin Ruoqing; the two senior sisters introduced their junior sisters to each other, exchanged sound transmission jade slips, and then left the mountain gate to begin their journey.

Yu Sulan and Feng Danying were both Foundation Establishment cultivators, able to wield flying spirit instruments. Each led a junior sister, their twin spirit swords soaring into the sky with a roar.

After rushing past forests and grasslands for over half an hour, they finally saw the majestic Quansu City.

At the gate stood cultivators on guard, collecting an entrance fee of one spirit stone per person. The four showed their identity jade cards and passed free, a privilege of the Lingxiao Sect disciples.

Quansu City bustled with people coming and going. The four headed straight to the marketplace.

Indeed, the marketplace was vast: a main street stretched straight through, lined with shops. Between the shops were several small alleys leading to stalls behind the shops.

The marketplace was patrolled by guards appointed by Quansu City, so security was reliable. The four agreed to split up to browse separately.

Each had secrets they wished to keep hidden.

“All right, let’s split up and meet back at the marketplace entrance at the hour of the goat. Contact each other by sound transmission if needed,” Feng Danying said.

Yu Sulan reminded Le Li and Qin Ruoqing, “The stalls here aren’t like those inside the sect’s marketplace. The crowd is mixed and goods may not be genuine or pure. Ordinary spiritual items are fine, but for rare and precious items, it’s best to buy from the shops.”

“Senior Sister Yu, you can rest assured. We understand,” Le Li assured her, and Qin Ruoqing nodded in agreement.

With that, the four parted ways amid the shops. Le Li headed straight for Chunhe Hall, a place she frequented in her previous life. The shop had a good reputation and wide channels for procuring rare and wondrous spiritual items.

As soon as Le Li stepped over the threshold, a steward approached with a greeting. “Welcome, esteemed guest. How may I assist you?”

“I’m here to sell and buy,” Le Li said, glancing at the private room. The steward immediately understood and invited her inside.

Le Li sat down and laid out five boxes, each containing samples of spirit incense: Tranquilizing Incense, Bright Court Incense, Insect-Repelling Incense, Filth-Avoiding Incense, and Beast-Attracting Incense. All were first-grade high quality or premium, mostly premium. “I have these five types of spirit incense. Would your shop be interested? If so, what price would you offer?”

“We do accept premium and high-quality spirit incense,” the steward said, pulling out a stick of Tranquilizing Incense for inspection and smelling it. “Would you mind lighting one for a test?”

Le Li flicked her fingers, conjuring a tiny fireball that ignited the incense. Immediately, a faint, delicate fragrance dispelled the steward’s restlessness, soothing his soul so much he wished to sit and meditate then and there.

She gently blew out the incense. The steward smiled. “Your spirit incense is indeed of premium quality. No need to test the high-quality ones. We will buy them. As for price, I must consult the shopkeeper before giving an answer.”

With Le Li’s consent, the steward took the five boxes to the shopkeeper to set the price. Soon he returned with a smile.

“Guest, the shopkeeper says your incense is refined and subtle, quite excellent. We’ll buy all you have. For premium Tranquilizing and Bright Court Incense, we offer two spirit stones for three sticks each. Premium Insect-Repelling, Filth-Avoiding, and Beast-Attracting Incense will be a bit cheaper: one spirit stone for two sticks. As for the high-quality incense, all are one spirit stone for three sticks. How does that sound?”

The price was within Le Li’s expectations. She took out the packaged incense from her storage pouch. “They’re all here. Please calculate the total.”

The steward carefully examined the goods. “Your incense totals two hundred and nine spirit stones.”

Le Li nodded silently. She had spent about one hundred and ten spirit stones on materials, so the profit was nearly half—quite reasonable. “Please note these spirit stones for now. I want to buy some ice-attribute spiritual items. If there are suitable ones, let’s settle together.”

“What kind of ice-attribute items do you want?” the steward asked.

Le Li lowered her eyes to ponder. “Anything but cold iron essence. Nothing too large, but good quality.”

The steward’s eyes gleamed as he smiled. “You’ve come at the right time. The shop recently received a batch of goods, including a hundred-year ice crystal of exceptional quality. I’ll fetch it for you.”

He stored the incense away and soon returned, holding a tiny jade box in his palm. Breaking the seal, he opened it before Le Li. Instantly, a sharp coldness surged forth, dropping the room’s temperature by several degrees.

Le Li focused her gaze. Inside the box lay a transparent six-petaled ice flower, no larger than a fingernail. Each petal was quadrangular, feeling harder than refined iron, with edges like blades and sharp pointed tips, resembling ice spikes.

This ice flower struck straight to Le Li’s heart. She chose it at a glance but maintained a calm demeanor, showing no excitement.

“How much for this ice flower?”

“Eight hundred and fifty spirit stones.”

As expected, good things commanded high prices. If not for her master’s gift of spirit stones, she could only sigh in longing.

Still, she intended to bargain. Saving where possible was wise. She pursed her lips. “Eight hundred spirit stones, and I’ll take it.”

The steward looked troubled. “Guest, this is a hundred-year ice crystal, flawless and refined. Eight hundred fifty spirit stones is our lowest price. We cannot go any lower.”

“Why not?” Le Li stood to argue. “Though it’s a hundred-year ice crystal, it’s too small—insufficient for refining tools. Moreover, ice-attribute items don’t sell as well as others. It’s you who needs it now; otherwise, it might sit in your shop unsold for a long time. Why not make a kind gesture?”

“That price is too low,” the steward frowned. “Eight hundred and thirty spirit stones, take it or leave it.”

“Then I’ll add six hundred spirit stones more. Including the incense, that makes eight hundred and nine spirit stones total. That’s my highest offer. If you won’t sell, please settle the incense payment, and I’ll look elsewhere,” Le Li insisted.

Hearing this, the steward bit his lip. That was still profitable. “Fine, six hundred more spirit stones. Consider it a friendship. When you have premium spirit incense, remember our shop. And come often to buy things.”

“You’re generous. I’ll be a frequent customer,” Le Li said, handing over six hundred spirit stones. She closed the jade box and stored the ice crystal safely. “Farewell.”

“Guest, please come again!”

Le Li stepped out of the shop, looking at nearby stalls. With spirit stones in hand, there was little worth buying in the shops. Better to check the stalls for ordinary items, which might be cheaper.

She turned and walked through a narrow alley into the bustling stall market.

Shouts and calls filled her ears as she casually browsed among the stalls, dazzled by the myriad of goods piled in disarray.

Whenever she found suitable incense-making materials, she bought them. Strange and rare items caught her eye, tempting her to linger—perhaps she might find a lucky bargain.

Just then, her gaze locked on a jade lock displayed at a nearby stall.

It was a Ruyi Peace Lock, only palm-sized, smooth and white as jade, engraved with flowing cloud patterns resembling the character for fortune.

What caught her attention was not any unique feature of the lock itself, but that it was exactly the same as the jade lock she wore around her neck—identical in shape, size, and cloud pattern without any difference.