Dongting Immortal Clan

The next morning, when Chen Changhe woke up, it was already broad daylight.

He quickly washed up and went into the courtyard.

Guan Chengfu was having breakfast at the stone table when he saw him come out and quickly greeted him.

Breakfast consisted of thick porridge cooked by Linggu, accompanied by a dish of meat soup of unknown origin, with a simple and unpretentious aroma.

Chen Changhe sat down, ladled out a bowl of porridge, and slowly drank it with the meat broth.

Guan Chengfu glanced around and lowered his voice:

"There's news from the Zhang family."

Chen Changhe looked up at him.

"Last night, we invited a specialist alchemist from the Taixu Sect who specializes in healing to come over. After half the night of work, Zhang Weiqing finally woke up."

Guan Chengfu lowered his voice even further, as if afraid of being overheard, but if he didn't speak out, he couldn't suppress the urge to confide in others.

"How is he?" Chen Changhe asked.

"I heard that the foundation has been damaged... There's no hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage in the short term."

"He's going to establish his foundation?"

Chen Changhe's brows twitched slightly.

"That's right."

Guan Chengfu leaned closer. "Otherwise, why do you think those evil spirits from the Divine Capital Demonic Sect are keeping a close eye on him?"

"It's all for that [Bright Eyes Crystal]!"

"This item is the 'item for seeking enlightenment and practicing together' of the Zhang family's direct lineage 'Illuminating the Mysterious Golden Skill'."

"With this item, the chances of successfully establishing a foundation will increase by at least 30%!"

Chen Changhe listened silently, nodded, and didn't ask any more questions.

Seeing that he had no intention of going into further conversation, Guan Chengfu changed the subject:

"Are you going to visit the shop again today?"

"Um."

Chen Changhe put down the bowl. "Let's take a look at the cultivation technique first."

Guan Chengfu took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and pushed it over:

"Last night I had someone sort it out. There are four shops in the market that specialize in martial arts and are fairly reliable. Their names and locations are all written down."

"Go see for yourself. I have to go collect a batch of spiritual materials today, so I can't accompany you."

He then took out an ebony plaque and placed it on the paper:

"This is a token of my Guan family's trust. If I show it off in public, we might be able to negotiate the price."

Thank you.

"Don't mention it."

Guan Chengfu waved his hand, got up, and left in a hurry.

Chen Changhe sat alone for a while, finished the bowl of porridge, then stood up, straightened his robes, and left the courtyard.

……

The market was much busier this morning than yesterday.

The stall area was already packed full, selling all sorts of things.

Spiritual herbs, talismans, rusty magical artifacts, restless low-level spirit beasts in cages, and even steaming food stalls were all crowded together, with a cacophony of voices.

An old woman was holding up a pot, and something was cooking in it. It was steaming hot, and the aroma wafted far and wide.

Chen Changhe did not linger in the scattered stalls area, but went straight to the shops in the middle area.

He unfolded the slip of paper Guan Chengfu had given him. The first shop on it was called "Qingyuan Pavilion," which specialized in martial arts techniques and was located in a quiet alley.

The shop is small, with an old plaque hanging above the door, its paint mottled.

Pushing open the door, the room was dimly lit, with an oil lamp burning on the counter.

The shopkeeper was a tall, thin man wearing a melon-shaped hat. He was fiddling with an abacus when he heard the sound. He looked up and his gaze swept over Chen Changhe.

"What would you like to see, fellow Daoist?"

"Do you have any cultivation techniques for the Spirit Treasure Realm?"

"have."

The shopkeeper bent down and took out several thin books from under the counter, spreading them out on the table.

"Here is the catalog. Take a look. If you find one you like, I'll go get the real copy for you."

Chen Changhe opened the booklet.

The ninth-grade "Azure Wood Everlasting Spring Technique" can be cultivated to the Jade Spring and six hundred spirit pearls.

The eighth-grade "Binghuo Crimson Flame Technique" can be cultivated to the level of Golden Marrow and Nine Hundred Spirit Pearls.

The seventh-grade "Mysterious Ice Condensing Yuan Technique" can be cultivated to the Life Palace, yielding 1,600 spirit pearls.

He flipped through a dozen pages, his brows gradually furrowing.

These cultivation techniques are all of very poor quality; they are either incomplete or of too low grade.

It is far inferior to the "Water Element Mystery Method" scroll at home.

"Is there anything better?"

Chen Changhe closed the booklet and asked.

The shopkeeper glanced at him, then bent down and fumbled for a moment before taking out a roll of old animal hide tied with a red rope.

"The fragment of the Purple Mansion Mysterious Heaven Chapter only contains the key points of cultivation from the third to the fifth realm."

He lowered his voice.

"It has an extraordinary origin; it is said to be a manuscript left behind by a cultivator from the Purple Mansion."

"Three thousand spirit pearls, no bargaining."

Upon hearing the words "Purple Mansion," Chen Changhe's heart skipped a beat, recalling what Guan Chengfu had said yesterday.

He didn't take the animal hide, but only asked:

"What about the methods for the first and second realms?"

"no."

The shopkeeper shook his head. "It's called a fragment because it's incomplete."

Chen Changhe pushed the booklet back.

"I'll go take a look elsewhere."

The shopkeeper wasn't annoyed. He put the items away and then lowered his head to fiddle with the abacus.

……

The second shop is called "Lingbao Pavilion," with a more spacious storefront, and mainly sells magical artifacts and elixirs.

Buddhist ritual implements were hanging on both walls.

Knives, swords, guns, clubs, whips, hammers—a dazzling array of weapons.

There were also several command flags, bronze mirrors, prayer beads, and the like, all radiating a spiritual light, far superior to the goods sold at the market.

Chen Changhe walked around the shop, his gaze suddenly settling on a spot on the left wall.

A bow hangs there.

The bow is crimson, not from lacquer, but from the natural grain of the wood, as if it were soaked in blood and fire.

The bow is about three feet long, shorter than a regular bow, but the bow arm is very thick, indicating that it is quite powerful.

However, the bowstring was broken, and a broken section of the string hung limply.

Chen Changhe stopped and stared for a while.

"Fellow Daoist, have you taken a fancy to this precious bow?"

A short, stout, middle-aged shopkeeper with a round face and a smile appeared from behind the counter.

"What is the origin of this bow?"

Its name is "Red Obsidian".

The shopkeeper quickly explained:

"The bow body is made from the heartwood of a hundred-year-old Crimson Firewood, and the bowstring was originally made from the main sinew of the 'Firescale Python,' a demonic beast from the four realms."

"If activated by magic power, the arrow will carry its own fiery force, and an ordinary cultivator at the Spirit Realm will be seriously injured if hit by one of these arrows."

"How did the string break?"

"The previous owner was fighting with someone when his bowstring was accidentally cut by the opponent's magic weapon."

The shopkeeper sighed:

"The bow is intact, but the string is hard to find. If we can find a craftsman who can repair it, the power of this bow will definitely exceed your imagination."

"How many spirit pearls?"

The shopkeeper thought for a moment and held up two fingers:

"Eight hundred."

Chen Changhe frowned.

It's not worth spending 800 spirit pearls on a bow with a broken string.

"Four hundred."

Chen Changhe immediately countered.

"Seven hundred."

"Fellow Daoist is joking," the shopkeeper immediately shook his head.

"The bow itself, made of Crimson Firewood, is worth seven hundred spirit pearls."

Chen Changhe hesitated for a moment, about to speak, when he suddenly noticed a stick standing in the corner.

The stick was completely black, and its material was indistinguishable. It was about five feet long and two fingers thick, with no patterns on its surface, just a bare stick, like a fire poker.

"Where's the stick?" he asked again.

The shopkeeper followed his gaze and smiled.

"That thing can barely be considered a magic artifact. Although it doesn't have any runes, it's incredibly sturdy and won't break no matter how you hit it."

"The previous owner was a cultivator with immense strength, who used it as a weapon."

"Later, that man died, and the stick changed hands several times before remaining here."

"How many?"

"It's also eight hundred spirit pearls."

With a slight thought, Changhe approached, grasped the black stick, and tried to lift it, but it wouldn't budge.

The shopkeeper smiled and explained:

"I call this staff the Thousand-Pound Staff. When it is not infused with magic power, it weighs only a thousand pounds. If it is activated with magic power, its weight will increase dramatically, probably no less than ten thousand pounds."

"If you wish to play with it, you will need to rely on your own strength."

Upon hearing this, Chen Changhe dispersed his magical power, relying solely on his physical strength to grip the staff tightly. With a low shout, he slowly lifted it up.

He is now at the peak of his wooden form, with a strength exceeding two thousand jin, yet he still finds this staff extremely heavy when he lifts it.

He gripped the stick with both hands and swung it in the air.

laugh--

The wind was howling.

"This portion is sufficient!"

He thought to himself.

My eldest brother is incredibly strong, which is perfect for him.

"Take the bow and the staff together, and a thousand spirit orbs."

Chen Changhe said calmly:

"If it's feasible, I'll buy it now."

The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Very well, let's forge a good connection with you, fellow Daoist!"

"make a deal!"

Chen Changhe took out a cloth bag from his sleeve, counted out two hundred spirit pearls, and then threw out eight small, finger-sized, emerald-green gold pearls that shimmered with a hazy, watery luster, and placed them all on the cabinet.

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in surprise:

"This is... a celestial pearl from a clam?!"