Cultivation begins with forming a bond with a spirit bee.

On his way back, Qu Ye sensed with his divine sense that no one was following him. He then changed his clothes and found a fast-flowing stream.

He then put the half of the talisman into the scholar's storage bag and threw it in.

Watching the storage bag drift further and further away, he finally felt relieved and hurried back to his residence.

By the time we returned to the courtyard, it was completely dark.

Qu Ye sat cross-legged in the cultivation room, unbuttoned his outer robe, and found that the strip of cloth on his left shoulder was soaked with blood. He tore it off, took out some hemostatic powder from his storage bag and sprinkled it on the wound, then tore off a new strip of cloth and wrapped it around his shoulder.

After doing all that, he let out a breath.

Although today's events were dangerous, fortunately, the outcome was good.

With Jie Xiu dead, he benefited, Hou Fangping resolved his troubles, and the Hou family gained face.

All are happy.

As for that mysterious force, their caution clearly indicates they don't want to expose themselves, and they most likely won't risk being discovered by the Hou family to target Qu Ye.

With Qu Ye dead, doesn't it clearly indicate that there's more to the story?

After calming himself down, Qu Ye took out the storage bag Hou Fangping had given him. After checking that it hadn't been tampered with, he transferred the spiritual items inside into his own storage bag.

"Hmm, I can keep this storage bag for myself."

Hanging the storage bag on his waist, Qu Ye calculated that, including the six spirit stones he had left, he now had a total of fifty-five.

Tomorrow I can go to Tianxiang Pavilion to buy some items.

The most important thing is to buy a spirit beast bag to put the extra worker bees in.

This way, you can avoid having your hand revealed when migrating bee colonies.

Having made up his mind, Qu Ye took out the White Light Sword and began to refine it.

Magical artifacts need to be initially refined using one's own magical power before they can unleash their maximum power.

The night passed quickly.

Qu Ye's surface wounds have begun to scab over, and only her shoulder still aches slightly, but it doesn't affect her mobility.

He carefully sheathed the white sword, got up and left the courtyard, then went to a secluded spot to disguise himself slightly.

Then they headed towards the west district.

The doors of Tianxiang Pavilion were already open, and two waiters were standing at the entrance wiping the signboard.

Seeing Qu Ye approaching, one of them stepped forward, smiling and cupping his hands in greeting: "Good morning, fellow Daoist, please come in."

Qu Ye nodded and stepped inside.

The waiter followed behind him, not urging him, waiting for him to speak.

"Fellow Daoist, do you have any spirit beast pouches for sale?" Qu Ye asked.

"Some customers only have low-grade spirit beast bags, and because they can hold living creatures, they are not cheap."

"Bring it here so I can see it."

The waiter responded and turned to go to the back room.

Before long, he came out carrying a tray with a small gray cloth bag on it.

The shopkeeper approached Qu Ye: "A first-tier spirit beast pouch, one zhang square inside. Price: ten spirit stones."

It's twice as expensive as a storage bag?

Qu Ye didn't delve into it, took the spirit beast bag, and channeled a wisp of magic power into it.

The bag was open, and there was a little light inside. It was about the size of a small house, big enough to hold the swarm of bees.

He nodded, counted out ten spirit stones from his storage bag, handed them to the shopkeeper, and bought the bag.

Qu Ye tied the spirit beast pouch to his waist, then looked around the shelves again. "Take two more Muscle Regeneration Pills and one Swiftness Talisman."

"Okay!"

The waiter then took out a porcelain bottle and a talisman from the back room.

"I will gladly accept seven spirit stones."

Like amulets, the Speed ​​Talisman is a life-saving talisman, but it is slightly more expensive.

After the transaction was completed, Qu Ye left Tianxiang Pavilion and then turned to walk towards Ziyun Workshop.

With thirty-eight spirit stones remaining and already possessing the White Light Sword, he decided to go and see if there were any suitable defensive magical artifacts.

After entering Ziyunfang and explaining his purpose, the old manager invited Qu Ye to a quiet room.

The quiet room was small, with a few calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls and a tea set on the table.

The old shopkeeper poured him a bowl of tea, then took out three wooden boxes from his storage bag and laid them out in a row.

"Fellow Daoist, your timing is perfect. I just acquired a few defensive magical artifacts a few days ago."

He opened the first wooden box, inside which lay a palm-sized bronze mirror, its surface so smooth it reflected his image, its edges engraved with fine lines.

"This is called the 'Mystic Mirror,' a low-grade first-tier item. By inputting mana, it can activate a spiritual light barrier to withstand attacks from early-stage Qi Refining cultivators. It costs nineteen spirit stones."

Qu Ye shook his head. This Xuan Guang Mirror could only withstand attacks from the early stages of Qi Refining, so it wasn't very useful to him.

Seeing that Qu Ye didn't like it, the old shopkeeper opened the second wooden box, inside which was a jade pendant, entirely emerald green, with a faint spiritual light flowing through it.

"This 'Jade Pendant' is a mid-grade first-tier item. It does not require active activation; it will automatically form a protective aura when attacked."

"However, it requires magical energy to nurture it before it can be used again after each activation, and the price is thirty-two spirit stones."

Qu Ye became interested and asked, "What level of attack can the spiritual light withstand?"

The old shopkeeper smiled and said, "To be honest, we have tested it. This spiritual light can withstand a full-force attack from a fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator, and it can even hold off attacks from late-stage Qi Refining cultivators for a moment."

This item is not bad, but it can only withstand one attack for a short time, so its value is limited.

Let's take another look.

Qu Ye nodded, signaling the old shopkeeper to open the last box.

The old shopkeeper didn't keep them in suspense any longer. He opened the third wooden box, revealing a black belt with a red gemstone set in its buckle.

"This item, called the 'Flame Spirit Belt,' is a fine piece from my Purple Cloud Workshop. It is a top-grade first-tier item and is most compatible with fire-attribute techniques."

"After inputting mana, a layer of fire armor can be condensed on the body surface, which moves with the body and is quite flexible."

"Its defense is stronger than the previous two items, and it can withstand a full-force attack from a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. However, it also consumes a lot of mana. The price is ninety-eight spirit stones."

How many?

Qu Ye's lips twitched.

He sensed something was wrong when the old shopkeeper introduced the item as a top-grade first-tier magic weapon.

Ninety-eight spirit stones—before I gathered my spirit, it would have taken me almost ten years to save them without eating or drinking.

This is all without paying rent, and without considering the cost of medicine powder, daily wear and tear, or the purchase of spiritual items.

Qu Ye quickly shook his head, "Shopkeeper, please put it away. I want the jade pendant."

The old shopkeeper didn't say anything, put away the Xuan Guang Mirror and the Yan Ling Belt, took out the Qing Yu Pendant, and handed it to Qu Ye, "Fellow Daoist, you can take a look."

Qu Ye took the jade pendant and examined it carefully. The jade pendant was warm and smooth to the touch, and had a flowing blue light inside.

He channeled a wisp of magic power into the jade pendant, causing it to heat up slightly. A layer of pale blue light emanated from the pendant, instantly enveloping his entire body.

The light shield was as thin as a cicada's wing, yet it remained solid and did not dissipate. Qu Ye reached out and pressed it; it had a slight elasticity.

He withdrew his magic, and the protective barrier dissipated. The old shopkeeper watched with a smile, not urging him on.

"This jade pendant, thirty-two spirit stones, can't you go any lower?" Qu Ye asked.

The old shopkeeper shook his head: "The prices are clearly marked, and we treat everyone fairly, young and old. We're already offering good value for money. If you were at Tianxiang Pavilion, we'd be sure to charge an extra dollar or two."

Aside from the old manager's veiled disparagement of Tianxiang Pavilion, Qu Ye knew he was telling the truth; the price was indeed quite reasonable.

He stopped haggling, counted out thirty-two spirit stones from his storage bag, and bought the magic artifact.

Before leaving, the old shopkeeper promised Qu Ye that if the magic artifact was inexplicably damaged due to quality issues within three months, he could come to him for compensation.

After leaving Ziyunfang, Qu Ye lost interest in exploring further and walked back along the street.

As soon as he stepped out of a street, at a fork in the road, he saw three familiar figures walking towards him.