Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Safe in the Bag

The root value of spiritual roots did not change as a cultivator’s cultivation rose, but the Heaven-Patching Pill could do exactly that. However, a cultivator only had one chance in their entire life to take a Heaven-Patching Pill. As for how much it could raise the root value after taking it, that depended on the person’s fate and fortune.

After noticing something off about Wei Yun Qing, Wei Yun Xi quickly flipped through the novel chapters in her mind, and then she discovered Wei Yun Qing’s goal.

Maybe Wei Yun Qing did not know the Heaven-Patching Pill existed, but she was like a cat that smelled blood. She kept circling around Wei Yun Xi, even ignoring the imminent breakthrough.

That was why Wei Yun Xi pretended she did not understand Wei Yun Qing’s probing. She agreed to go to the Outer Sect marketplace together, then adjusted her cultivation to the third level ahead of time and deliberately provoked Wei Yun Qing, forcing her to put raising her cultivation first for the sake of pride.

Meanwhile, Wei Yun Xi took advantage of the time Wei Yun Qing was breaking through to the third level and could not leave the cultivation hall. She brought Wei Zong Hao to the marketplace to hunt for bargains.

Thankfully, everything went smoothly. After Wei Yun Xi and Wei Zong Hao arrived at the Outer Sect marketplace, she deliberately led Wei Zong Hao around at random. She said it was to compare prices, and to spend the least spirit stones to buy a complete set of talisman-making tools.

Wei Zong Hao was happy to accompany her. He treated it as seeing the world. Along the way, he also asked Yun Xi how she raised her cultivation so quickly. The two of them were both three-spiritual-root cultivators, and he had cultivated for a year longer than Yun Xi. There was no reason he should be surpassed by so much.

Wei Yun Xi generously shared her trick. “Every time, I first use up all the spiritual qi in my dantian, and only then do I start cultivating. That way, your cultivation grows faster.”

Wei Zong Hao immediately asked, “Really? How do you use up the spiritual power inside your body?”

“I practice the five-element basic spell arts. After today, I plan to use talisman drawing to consume the spiritual qi in my body. I don’t know how many talismans my third-level cultivation can support. Once I use up all my spiritual power, then sit down and cultivate, it’ll definitely be twice the result with half the effort.”

Wei Zong Hao nodded as if he had been taught, then smiled and thanked Yun Xi.

At this moment, Wei Yun Xi was already standing in front of a stall, looking at a sign propped up in front. It read: “Only trade for pills.”

With a sweep of her spiritual sense across the animal hide, Wei Yun Xi confirmed her target. Then she clasped her hands and asked, “Senior Brother, I like that rosewood jewelry box. What kind of pill do you want to trade for?”

The young man sitting cross-legged behind the stall said, “I’m about to break through to the late Qi Refining stage. I need pills that can help with a breakthrough.”

Wei Yun Xi thought for a moment. “I have Nourishing Spirit Pills. Will that do?”

“I want to see the quality.” Clearly, he had standards for pill quality.

Wei Yun Xi replied with a smile, “These Nourishing Spirit Pills were issued after I passed the sect assessment. The quality is definitely fine.”

Only then did the young man glance at the two short kids in front of him, then nod. “Two pills for one item from my stall.”

Wei Zong Hao frowned, feeling the other party was not very honest, and was about to speak. Wei Yun Xi got ahead of him. “Sure. These little trinkets are interesting. I want to trade for two more items.”

“Fine. Pick yourself.”

Wei Yun Xi grabbed the jewelry box first. Then she picked up a half-worn talisman brush and looked it over. The bristles were already slightly split, but it suited a beginner like her. She hesitated a moment and decided.

Finally, she looked at a pile of empty pill bottles on the stall and tested the stall owner. “Senior Brother, do these empty pill bottles count as one item?”

When the stall owner saw it was just a pile of empty jade bottles, he said generously, “Sure. For those bottles, you only need to pay one Nourishing Spirit Pill.”

“Deal.”

Wei Yun Xi immediately swept her hand and put the pill bottles and the two items she was holding into her storage pouch, but she placed the pill bottles into the wooden-token space. She paid five Nourishing Spirit Pills without hesitation.

Then the two continued toward the place selling blank talisman paper. The little chubby boy whispered, “Sister Yun Xi, you really lost out. Those empty jade bottles aren’t worth a pill at all. You should’ve made him throw them in for free.”

“It’s fine. That Senior Brother is about to break into the late Qi Refining stage. I’ll treat it as forming a good relationship. Anyway, the most valuable item on that stall was the talisman brush. The other two items were just throw-ins. He dared to name that price because he saw this clearly.”

“You’re not wrong about that,” the little chubby boy admitted. He had noticed too. He just felt that four pills were enough to get the brush, and there was no need to give an extra pill.

Wei Yun Xi, however, felt that paying one pill made it a clean transaction. No one owed anyone anything. Otherwise, she would truly feel bad about taking the Heaven-Patching Pill hidden inside the empty pill bottle.

Just then, a voice called from behind them. “Wei Yun Xi!”

Wei Yun Xi raised her brows after hearing it. She turned around calmly and saw Wei Yun Qing running toward them.

Wei Yun Qing had just broken through to the third level of Qi Refining when she suddenly felt a surge of panic. That bad feeling returned. She made a snap decision and left the cultivation hall, stuffed spirit stones to the guarding senior brother, and learned that Wei Yun Xi had not gone to the cultivation room. She immediately turned and ran toward the marketplace.

She remembered that in the Illusion Realm, Wei Yun Xi had found a pill at the marketplace. That pill was a good thing. It could improve spiritual root aptitude. She had to find a way to get it into her own hands.

When Wei Yun Qing reached the two of them, she said with displeasure, “Yun Xi, didn’t we agree to come browse the marketplace together? How could you leave me behind?”

Wei Yun Xi replied with a smiling face, “Sister, you were the one who said you wanted to break through to the third level as soon as possible. How could I disturb your cultivation over such a small thing? It just so happened Zong Hao was free, so we came together.”

Then she deliberately clasped her hands. “Sister, congratulations on breaking through to the third level. But your aura is a bit unstable. Why didn’t you consolidate more?”

Wei Yun Qing felt like her punch hit empty air. She could only take a deep breath. “I was also worried it wouldn’t be safe for you to browse the marketplace alone, so I hurried over. Then the three of us can browse together!”

“Sure,” Wei Yun Xi agreed readily. When she turned, she also gave the little chubby boy a look. Wei Zong Hao understood and nodded.

The three continued forward, but Wei Yun Qing asked, “Yun Xi, did you pick up anything good just now?”

“I traded for a second-hand talisman brush. I exchanged five Nourishing Spirit Pills for it. It’s a great deal,” Wei Yun Xi replied with a smile. She even took the brush out of her storage pouch to show Wei Yun Qing, dispelling her suspicion.

Sure enough, Wei Yun Qing casually took it. “Let me see what material it is and whether it’s worth five pills.”

Wei Yun Xi did not stop her and let her check carefully. She herself went straight to the stall selling blank talisman paper.

Wei Yun Qing immediately used her spiritual sense to scan the entire brush inside and out. She found nothing unusual, so she frowned and returned it to Wei Yun Xi.

Meanwhile, Wei Yun Xi was bargaining with the stall owner, preparing to buy all the first-rank talisman paper on the stall.