Chapter 24
Chapter 24: Thousand-Strike Longbow
The longbow floated as if it belonged to the air itself, turned slightly so visitors could examine every line.
Its limbs were a pure blue-green, part wood, part jade. The bowstring was silver-white, shimmering like moonlight spilled across water. Cloud patterns were carved into the limbs and filled with gold ink—delicate and bold at once.
Shao Heng knew blades, spears, swords, halberds. But bows had always been her favorite.
Pull the string until your muscles burned. Release.
And after that, there was nothing left to do but watch the arrow fly true.
She leaned toward the placard beside it and read.
The name: Thousand-Strike Bow.
The description: 28 layers of Dao-mark restrictions—an outstanding work among First Grade artifacts. The practitioner’s spiritual power became the arrow. If its full power was unleashed, a single shot could stack and erupt with a thousandfold burst of force.
The price: 99 spirit stones.
Shao Heng forced her eyes away with real effort and flagged down an attendant.
He was a young man with delicate features and a faint, professional smile. She asked, “Does your trading house sell earth-element pills like Thick Earth Pill?”
“This way, Immortal Maiden.” He gestured and led her to another counter.
Through the crystal barrier, pill after pill rested in neat rows.
The attendant stood quietly to the side, waiting until she asked.
Shao Heng found Thick Earth Pill almost immediately.
First Grade spirit pill. Rich in earth-element spiritual qi, but impure—unsuitable for Human Clan cultivators to consume. Used to feed earth-element demon beasts or nourish spirit fields.
Price: 12 spirit stones per pill.
“I want it for a spirit field,” Shao Heng said. “How many does one mu need?”
The attendant answered softly, “Immortal Maiden, one mu only needs half a pill. Grind it into powder, sprinkle it into the soil, then turn and bury it. Generally, it can keep the spirit field fertile for at least five plantings.”
Shao Heng’s pulse quickened. “Great. Then I want two Thick Earth Pills.”
The attendant retrieved two brown-yellow pills, poured them into a jade bottle, and sealed it with a spell mark to prevent the medicinal power from leaking.
He led her to the counter to pay.
Shao Heng set down her spirit stones—
Then, before she could lose her nerve, she said, “Wait. I want that bow too.”
Her spirit rice had been grown by her own hands, bit by bit. She cherished every spirit stone she earned.
But spirit stones that didn’t become cultivation, didn’t become strength, were just pretty rocks.
Refusing to spend because she treasured them too much was the kind of foolishness that got people killed.
She steadied herself and chose the Thousand-Strike Bow.
First, it held 28 layers of restrictions—only two shy of a Second Grade artifact. Even if she advanced to the Second Realm, the Mystic Passage Realm, it wouldn’t become burdensome to use.
Second, she needed contribution points, and contribution points meant fighting.
Immortal arts inside the sect required contribution points to exchange. She’d checked the fifth floor of the Wondrous Dharma Tower. Even the cheapest scroll cost 1,800 contribution points.
Among tasks, hunting devil cultivators paid the most. If not that, then capturing criminals or taking demon cores.
If she wanted to rack up contribution points quickly, she couldn’t avoid battle and killing.
Artifacts increased combat strength. That alone made the purchase sensible.
Third…
Fine.
She truly liked it.
And that reason was enough.
The attendant’s eyes lit up. His voice somehow grew even softer. “With the Thousand-Strike Bow included, the total is 123 spirit stones.”
He set a round tray on the counter and went to retrieve the bow.
Shao Heng placed her spirit stones onto the tray. They still felt “warm” in her mind—freshly earned, barely held. She forced herself not to flinch.
When the attendant returned, he carried another tray. A small storage ring lay in the center.
“Immortal Maiden, both the pills and the artifact are placed in this storage ring,” he said. “This ring is an extra gift from us.”
A tiny storage ring like that still sold for two spirit stones.
Shao Heng accepted it.
A female steward in red smiled at her. “Immortal Maiden, the transaction is complete.”
Shao Heng didn’t rush to leave. After buying those two items, she had only 34 spirit stones left, and yet she didn’t feel the old urgency clawing at her ribs.
“If two Thick Earth Pills let me sow 10 times,” she calculated, “and I harvest 580 jin from one mu, and I can harvest once every three days…”
Her eyes gleamed under the veil.
“That’s 1,450 spirit stones in a month.”
Under normal conditions, a disciple planting spirit rice that ripened once every four months could manage three rounds in a year without rest. After deducting 80 spirit stones for spirit-field rent, they earned only three to four hundred spirit stones.
Shao Heng almost laughed.
“Good thing I have the Azure Emperor,” she thought, smug and sharp. “Heaven just won’t let me be poor.”
She turned to the steward. “Do you have spirit herb seeds? I’d like to take a look.”
“We do,” the steward said smoothly. “Six kinds. Little He, take this Immortal Maiden to see them.”
The attendant—surname He—led her to the display.
Shao Heng matched each packet to what she’d read, then stopped at one name.
Earth Dan Shen.
The seeds were tiny, translucent pale red. Sold by packet. Two spirit stones per packet.
Mature Earth Dan Shen was a high-tier First Grade spirit herb. A single plant could sell for over 100 spirit stones.
And Shao Heng had a suspicion—higher-quality spirit herbs might endure more of the Azure Emperor spirit liquid.
White Jade Spirit Rice could be accelerated fortyfold.
What about Earth Dan Shen?
The attendant hesitated. “Immortal Maiden, Earth Dan Shen is the most valuable of the six, but it takes more than 10 years to cultivate successfully. Would you like to reconsider?”
“No.”
Shao Heng’s gaze stayed fixed on the seeds. “I’ll take five packets.”
After spending another 10 spirit stones, she left the trading house and wandered the market, looking, listening, buying small things, learning.
Half an hour later, she headed back to the sect.
When she returned to her room in the disciples’ compound, Duo Bao was sprawled on the table like it owned the place. The moment the door creaked, it popped up, whined happily, and hopped toward her as if welcoming her home.
“Good Duo Bao,” Shao Heng said warmly. “Look.”
She took out a bunch of golden long bananas and placed them in front of it.
This was a special variety cultivated by a spirit plant master. Only a thin trace of spiritual qi—nowhere near First Grade spirit fruit—but cheap. One spirit stone bought 80 jin.
Sweet and soft. On the way back, Shao Heng had already eaten two bunches.
Duo Bao smelled the bananas and clapped its hands, delighted.
With nimble fingers, it peeled one halfway, then held it up to Shao Heng’s face, offering it toward her mouth. Its pale silver pupils watched her intently.
“Ying-ying.”
“For me?” Shao Heng blinked.
“Ying!”