Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 366: The Price Of Lifebound Flying Swords

Within Wu Yuan’s world residence, in the sky city meditation chamber.

That mysterious senior is truly incredible. Wu Yuan sat on a jade platform in the lotus position, silently recalling the two sword strikes demonstrated to him earlier, deeply analyzing them.

The level of mastery Old Madman displayed surpassed that of a Void Refiner Eminence or a Divided Soul Earth Immortal. Normal cultivators found it hard to even get started comprehending the Celestial Body Dao, let alone reach a level high enough to give Wu Yuan pointers.

Could he be a Tribulation High Immortal? Wu Yuan pondered silently, his brow furrowed in contemplation. But which one?

Tribulation High Immortals were the foundation of a sect. Consequently, the Dragon Star Immortal Sect kept their numbers and identities confidential, undisclosed to ordinary disciples.

He guided me as a mentor would guide a pupil. Wu Yuan’s expression was thoughtful. Why did he not take me under his wing as a disciple? Is there a test I must pass, or are there other considerations at play?

Wu Yuan's mind raced with possibilities. Was he Sword Immortal Dong Yang? He couldn’t tell. Since the other party didn’t mention his identity, Wu Yuan dared not risk offending him by prying too deeply.

This is a rare opportunity! Such guidance might not even come by once in a millennium. Wu Yuan reflected. Without the guidance of this mysterious senior, I would never have redeemed the Star Ruins Sword Codex.

The quality of one’s teachings mattered far more than quantity.

In terms of Dao comprehension aptitude, my qi refiner self is decent when it comes to understanding the Land Dao, yet falls short of the top tier. Wu Yuan acknowledged.

Dao comprehension aptitude was derived from the soul, body, and personal experiences.

The body of his qi refiner self was created from a Star Embryonic Body. After reading up on it in the sect's Daoist Scripture Tower, Wu Yuan understood that the Star Embryonic Body naturally had an affinity for the Wood Dao, and as its power grew, it would gradually develop an affinity for the Space Dao.

The soul of his qi refiner self originated from his body refiner self, endowing it with immense talent for comprehending the Earth Dao.

An individual’s talent is not fixed. Wu Yuan acknowledged. A sudden change in one’s characteristics can alter one’s attributes, such as when my body refiner self’s body evolved into the Terranean Body, enhancing my aptitude for the Land Dao.

The stronger the soul, the keener the perception of the workings of heaven and earth, thereby enhancing one's talent.

Likewise, diverse life experiences can mold one's heart and influence talent. Some individuals grow stronger with each challenge, while others may falter and never recover. Wu Yuan contemplated in silence.

When it came to his qi refiner self’s talent, Wu Yuan knew he was not among the best. He only stood out due to his nine lifebound flying swords.

But if he were to combine them with his body refiner’s talent?

My body refiner self is naturally beloved by the Land. With the Land Dao as my primary focus, supplemented by my comprehension of the Gravity Dao and Earth Origin Dao, I should be able to quickly grasp the Celestial Body Dao. Wu Yuan mused to himself.

The Celestial Body Dao was an Intermediate Law, promising a strength greater than the Land Dao once fully comprehended.

With the guidance of the Great Eldritch’s mental imprint in the ‘Celestial Body Law Codex’, along with the ‘Star Ruins Sword Codex’ and the ‘Dark Earth Sword Codex’, as well as the mentorship of the mysterious senior, in 1000 years...no! In just 100 years, my strength will undergo a massive transformation. By then, I may be able to gain a firm footing on the Redmoon Immortal Continent, and perhaps begin to find ways to establish a connection with the Middle Land.

Becoming a disciple of a large sect was just the beginning. So what if he was talented? He still wasn’t a true powerhouse. Golden Core cultivators and Amethyst Cradle cultivators might seem powerful, reaching a level above countless mortals. But on the vast immortal continent, they were just insignificant characters.

Only by reaching the Void Refiner phase could one be considered to have achieved something.

And to truly roam the Greenridge Macrocosm with its myriad spacetime planes, possessing an almost eternal lifespan? One had to become an Archimmortal.

The path to Archimmortality is fraught with challenges. One Archimmortal is born out of countless Tribulation High Immortals. Wu Yuan contemplated. I must seize this opportunity and work hard!

The Greendragon City within the Dragon Star Immortal Realm served as a gathering place for millions of disciples. The city was bustling with activity, as countless disciples who were scattered across the real world rarely had the chance to meet.

The Dragon Treasure Tower was a treasure pavilion endorsed by the Dragon Star Immortal Sect. Similar to the Redmoon Immortal Tower, it contained a plethora of treasures.

Many disciples of the sect preferred to conduct their buying and selling of treasures at the Dragon Treasure Tower, finding it more cost-effective and efficient.

This exchange of goods also served as a means to fulfill their sect assignments. As disciples of the sect, they enjoyed the resources of the sect. In return, those who cultivated in the sect for a relatively long period would be assigned various tasks. One could earn rewards by completing sect assignments. On the other hand, if one failed to complete an assignment, some of their existing sect benefits would be removed.

In an attic of the Dragon Treasure Tower.

"Heir Li Xia." A white-robed elderly man respectfully greeted. His aura was extraordinary, and the badge on his chest showed that he was an Amethyst Cradle cultivator.

Several other white-robed custodians, all Golden Core practitioners, were also present, their attitudes exceedingly respectful.

Within the sect, Amethyst Cradle Reverends who exceeded the age limit of discipleship in the sect served as first-class custodians, while Golden Core Superiors served as second-class custodians, handling various miscellaneous matters.

"Mm, how is progress?" Wu Yuan asked.

"As per your instructions from the previous visit, we have prepared the treasures. Here is the list." With a wave of the white-robed elder’s hand, a light screen materialized.

Wu Yuan scanned the extensive list of items on the light screen, consisting of thousands of materials, most of which were metal ores or minerals. There were also some special treasures, such as strange liquids, medicinal objects, and so on. There were a total of 2126 types.

"Heir, most of the metals and minerals do not cost much individually, but in such large quantities, it adds up to a significant quantity of ethercrystal," the white-robed elderly man explained. "The total price for these items is 1,620,000 catties of ethercrystal."

"Furthermore, these 45 special items can only be acquired with dragon crystals. Given the quantity specified, it totals to 4,520,000 dragon crystals," the elder added respectfully.

The numbers alone caused the hearts of the Golden Core cultivators behind the white-robed elderly man to shiver. This was an astronomical sum to them.

The four million dragon crystals alone, if exchanged for ethercrystal, were equivalent to more than 40 million catties of ethercrystal.

Forget Golden Core cultivators, even 99% of Amethyst Cradle Reverends would turn green with envy at such wealth.

"No problem. Deduct the amount from my account. But for the 1,620,000 catties of ethercrystal, I would like to use one million catties from my Redmoon Immortal Realm account. Will there be an issue?" Wu Yuan asked indifferently.

"There’s no problem. I will contact you through the Redmoon Immortal Realm," the white-robed elderly man agreed to his request with a smile.

The Redmoon Immortal Realm was recognized by all large sects.

Swiftly, the transaction between the two parties was finalized within the Dragon Star Immortal Realm. Wu Yuan's dragon crystals and ethercrystal were deducted as agreed.

"Congratulations, Heir," the elderly man in white robes remarked with a smile. With the deal having gone through successfully, he was naturally pleased. "With these treasures, your strength will undoubtedly burgeon to new heights."

"In three days, our Dragon Treasure Tower will deliver the treasures to your world residence. Please be present to receive them," the elder informed him with a smile. "If you are looking to purchase treasures again in the future, do come to me for the best prices."

“Mm,” Wu Yuan gave a slight nod.

In terms of cost, the Dragon Treasure Tower offered prices lower than its competitors, but more importantly, it offered greater security and confidentiality.

Wu Yuan was convinced that the higher-ups in the sect were already privy to the secret of his nine lifebound flying swords, but as long as he refrained from dealing with external parties, other factions were unlikely to speculate about it.

Though he had yet to offend anyone in the Redmoon Immortal Realm, Wu Yuan knew that one should always be vigilant.

While I may not have provoked anyone directly, the Dragon Star Immortal Sect has its enemies.

Where there were people, there were bound to be hidden agendas and power struggles. Though the various sects on the immortal continent appeared to stand united with the Redmoon Immortal Hall, the truth was that they engaged in both overt and covert competition, with some factions eager to eliminate rising talents from rival sects.

Any trades with the Dragon Treasure Tower would be overseen by the sect. Thus, any potential mistakes could be easily rectified, given Wu Yuan's status as a hereditary disciple.

"Very well, I shall take my leave now," Wu Yuan announced before promptly exiting the Dragon Treasure Tower, vanishing from sight.

Within the tower, the white-robed elderly man gestured and the light screen dissipated. The voidrealm contract that had just been signed was also stored away.

"As expected of a hereditary disciple. Didn’t Li Xia just join the sect recently? Yet, he possesses such a huge fortune?" A custodian at the Golden Core phase with cropped hair couldn't help but voice his astonishment. "What does he plan to do with all those treasures?"

"I heard that he is a sword cultivator. If he requires so many metals and minerals, he must be upgrading his lifebound flying sword," the elderly man in white robes guessed, his voice soft. "Or perhaps, he is crafting a powerful artifact."

The Golden Core second-class custodians nodded in agreement. They had witnessed countless transactions in the Dragon Treasure Tower and were not easily impressed.

"I heard that Heir Li Xia is quite timid. Despite joining the sect several months ago, he has yet to set foot in the True Dragon Arena," mentioned another Golden Core custodian. "To possess such wealth despite such a personality?"

This news had spread like wildfire. After all, there were only a few dozen Golden Core hereditary disciples in the sect, thus each one naturally drew much attention.

"Enough idle chatter," the elderly man in white robes frowned. "Remember, regardless of what the future holds for Li Xia, he is currently a hereditary disciple. Don’t gossip about him."

"Furthermore, none of you are to leak any details of today’s transaction. I believe I need not explain the consequences," the elder stated coldly.

"Yes."

"Understood."

"Rest assured, we are well aware of the rules. We were just having a casual chat," the Golden Core custodians felt their hearts tremble.

...

After completing his purchase, Wu Yuan made his way back to his personal hall, a space of vast proportions.

“My current balance.” Wu Yuan turned his attention to a huge projection hovering before him, displaying two lines of information.

Ethercrystal (catties): 380,000

Dragon crystal: 11,480,000

It won't last long. Wu Yuan pondered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he considered the figures before him. I still have half of my initial dragon crystals. As for ethercrystal, apart from these 380,000 catties, I only have a few hundred thousand left from the realm master.

However, those hundred thousand catties of ethercrystal were meant for essentia cultivation.

However, the materials I acquired should be sufficient to upgrade all nine lifebound flying swords to fourth-grade spirit in one go.

The Dragon Star Tournament was fewer than thirteen years away. In this upcoming competition, one’s Dao comprehension, technique proficiency, artifact grades, and mana cultivation played a large role in their final ranking. He had to make progress quickly.

Upgrading them to fourth-grade spirit flying swords is just the first step. Wu Yuan’s thoughts raced. When I reach the seventh-stage Golden Core phase and seek to upgrade them to third-grade spirit equipment, the sum required will be magnitudes greater than what I have spent now.

Even a Void Refiner Eminence would balk at the cost. Just thinking about it gave Wu Yuan a headache.