Chapter 113

Chapter 113: Choosing Materials

Li Shuang felt not even a ripple as she watched Sheng Yuan. She even found it a little funny. [How did I miss it before? The junior brother I raised turned out to be like this at heart.]

She looked at him and said calmly: “No.”

These were things she had earned through hard work. He needed them, so she had to lend them? There was no such rule in the world.

He burst out: “Li Shuang, this is just a small favor for you.”

She smiled and said lightly: “If it is really a small favor, why not borrow from Immortal Ling Xu, or from other Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters? I only have this harvest from the Langya Secret Realm. I am far from rich. There are many in the sect who have far more than I do. Why not ask them?”

He dared not ask others and came only to her. Clearly, he knew it was not the small favor he claimed.

On the path of cultivation, resources often come first. Many times, spirit stones and materials are the very base of training. To ask someone to lend them for nothing, and with such a righteous air, did she look like an easy target?

His face flushed red, as if he had never considered she would refuse. He bit down and said: “Aren’t you afraid I will expose what happened in the secret realm?”

She gave him an odd look and said: “Do as you wish.”

His voice turned cold: “Fine. I had planned to leave some face for both of us. Now I see there is no need.”

Sheng Yuan left in anger.

Li Shuang did not care to answer him. She went straight to the sect’s treasure vault.

The Sword Sect kept a resource vault filled with many treasures. The things from the Langya Secret Realm were rare, but not the highest in value. In the vault, there were even several Eighth Tier and Ninth Tier treasures.

The Warden of the vault was a clear faced woman. Her face looked young, but she must have been around for a long time. For as long as anyone could remember, she had guarded this door. People called her Elder Ling.

When Li Shuang arrived, the woman was holding a small cloth and carefully embroidering a flower. One glance almost pulled Li Shuang’s mind into the pattern, so she quickly looked away and bowed: “Elder Ling.”

Elder Ling did not answer at once. She focused on stitching the last petal. Li Shuang waited quietly.

After the time it takes a stick of incense to burn, Elder Ling laid down the final stitch. The flower leaped right out of the cloth, then landed and began to hop on the floor.

Elder Ling seemed in a very good mood. She glanced at Li Shuang, raised a brow, and asked: “You want to enter the vault? Do you have enough Contribution Points?”

The sect kept a resource list. Normally, a disciple just picked items from the list. To enter the vault in person, a disciple needed at least ten thousand Contribution Points.

Elder Ling looked Li Shuang over, clearly doubtful that someone so young could have that many points.

Li Shuang handed over her Disciple Token and said respectfully: “I have enough. My Black Abyss Sword needs to advance. I want to enter the vault to choose materials that match Black Abyss well.”

Only the Sword Spirit could truly sense what matched best.

Elder Ling checked the token and her eyes moved slightly. This disciple really did have over ten thousand points. She studied Li Shuang more closely. She practiced so much that she had not noticed when the sect gained a person like this.

She stood and said: “Follow me.”

The little flower she had stitched wriggled along behind her.

Elder Ling formed several hand seals at the vault door. The door opened slowly. Curious, Li Shuang looked inside. This was the first time she had ever saved up so many Contribution Points, and the first time she had stepped into the Sect Treasury.

Elder Ling entered first and said: “Come in.”

As soon as Li Shuang stepped through, the door closed behind her. The dark vault brightened as night pearls lit up with a soft white glow. The flower rushed off in excitement, and Elder Ling scooped it up and held it in her arms.

She explained: “With ten thousand Contribution Points, you can enter only the Middle Treasury. The Upper Treasury holds materials and artifacts of Seventh Tier and above. To enter there, you need one hundred thousand Contribution Points.”

Li Shuang nodded: “The Middle Treasury is enough.”

Elder Ling pointed ahead: “This area is the Lower Treasury. Walk straight to the end and push the door to enter the Middle Treasury. You may choose on your own. If the total value goes beyond the Contribution Points in your token, you will not be able to take more items.”

Li Shuang agreed.

She summoned her Sword Spirit. Li Li appeared and perched affectionately on Li Shuang’s shoulder.

Li Shuang smiled at her: “Li Li, see what materials you like.”

Li Li’s eyes curved with joy, and she almost drooled: “There are so many good smells here.”

Like a mouse diving into a jar of rice, she darted ahead. Li Shuang followed.

Watching Li Shuang’s back, Elder Ling suddenly understood and murmured to herself: “A Sword Spirit with Purple Affinity. So she is the disciple from that night.”

Elder Ling’s eyes flashed. With such a high match, if Black Abyss advanced perfectly, the world would gain a peerless sword, and the Sword Sect would gain a peerless Sword Cultivator. She moved a finger, and without a sound, more materials appeared in the vault. Their ranks were not all high, but each was very rare and usually not shown to others. She added them only because Li Shuang’s potential was astonishing, to give the girl more choices.

Li Li wandered happily among the resources. She sniffed here and there, her face full of changing expressions.

After a while, she seemed to spot something. She pounced toward a chunk of ore so cold it bit to the bone. She reached out to grab it, but her hand passed right through.

Seeing her wronged little face, Li Shuang rubbed her cheek with a laugh: “When you have a body, you can take things yourself. For now, I will hold it for you.”

Li Shuang checked the tag.

“Second Tier Frostforged Stone: 500 Contribution Points. An ice attribute ore used for forging. Has a chance to trigger a sudden freeze effect.”

Her eyes brightened. This was good. Among Second Tier items, Frostforged Stone was very rare, and its forging effect was strong. It also matched her own attribute.

She understood well. Her match with Li Li was extremely high. What Li Li chose would almost always suit her best. This was the edge of a perfect fit between Sword Cultivator and Sword Spirit. If the match were poor, with the Spirit wanting water while the cultivator was fire, they would clash.

She picked up the Frostforged Stone, and Li Li kept searching. Suddenly, as if sensing something, Li Li shot straight toward the door that led to the Middle Treasury.