Volume Two, Chapter Thirty-Two: First Encounter with Magical Artifacts

Yu Mu closed the book and rubbed his eyes. “Take your precious treasure back already,” he said. “Such a high-class item is giving me a headache just looking at it.”

“My lord,” Old Joe Six hastily replied, “if you truly fancy it, and since fate has brought us together, I’ll let you have it for just ten top-tier crystals. An opportunity like this comes once in a millennium—miss it, and you’ll regret it for a lifetime!”

Seeing Old Joe Six still unwilling to give up, Yu Mu could only sigh. “If you don’t have anything genuine, we’re leaving.”

“No, no, no! Everything here is authentic. If you’re not interested in that one, allow me to recommend this instead. This is a peerless manual passed down after the death of a Saint King—the ‘Great Heaven-Earth Shift Art.’ Only thirty top-tier crystals! What do you say?”

“You know, I have to admit, you’re quite something. Real or fake, your talent for naming these arts is second to none—so overbearing, and so absurdly long.”

Yu Mu and his companion were speechless before this man. Rather than listen to any more of his wild claims, they began searching through the items themselves.

Only after digging around did they realize that ninety percent of the old man’s wares were probably worthless fakes, while the remainder were all low-grade junk.

Just as Yu Mu was about to give up, he finally found a technique that seemed barely passable.

He picked up a palm-sized piece of beast hide and asked, “Can I take a look at the cultivation manual for this technique?”

On this very ordinary beast hide, only a few simple words were written: “Acceleration Technique.” Effect: Accelerate.

“My lord, that won’t do,” Old Joe Six said slyly. “This secret art is powerful, but the cultivation method is very simple—just one glance and you’ll remember it. So…”

Yu Mu couldn’t stomach the greedy look on the old man’s face any longer and cut him off. “Just name your price.”

“One thou—” Before he could finish, Meng Fang shot him a glare. Startled, he quickly changed his tune. “One hundred crystals. Just one hundred, that’s all.”

“Hmph.” Meng Fang tossed him a mid-grade spirit crystal. Old Joe Six gleefully pocketed it and hurriedly handed the Acceleration Technique manual to Yu Mu.

When Yu Mu opened it, he immediately felt cheated again. The cultivation section of the Acceleration Technique consisted of just a single line of incantation—so simple, it couldn’t be simpler.

But since he’d already paid, he had no choice but to try cultivating it, no matter how bad it was. Yu Mu silently recited the formula in his heart and instantly felt a lightness in his step—his speed had indeed increased a bit. But that was all.

The only consolation was that this was a wood-element technique, suitable for his cultivation, which was why he’d chosen it in the first place.

“So? Notice the effect? Didn’t I tell you I only sell the real thing? Hehehe…” Old Joe Six grinned.

Yu Mu was thoroughly repulsed by the old man’s shamelessness and was about to leave when Meng Fang suddenly asked, “Do you have any staff techniques for sale?”

“Of course I do!” Old Joe Six replied, producing another stack of manuals from who knows where.

Yu Mu had to admire his persistence. Even if he was faking it, the sheer number of books he’d forged could last him decades. Where did he find the energy?

After another round of searching, they found a manual titled “Heaven-shaking Thunderous Primal Staff.” Ignoring the grandiose name, they simply called it the Primal Staff.

The quality of this staff technique was far inferior to the Proud Bone Righteous Staff, even the mortal version Yu Mu had mastered, whose moves were far more exquisite. Still, this was a genuine staff technique, and no mortal method, however refined, could compare to a true cultivation art.

After purchasing it, the two of them finally left. Though the trip yielded some harvest, it was far from what Yu Mu had hoped for.

At least they no longer had to face that loathsome old face—Yu Mu felt lighter at once.

Strolling along, they gradually reached the core area of the market. Here, the crowds were truly immense, and nearly all the most coveted items for cultivators were gathered in this place.

The first thing to catch their eye was an armor stall, several times larger than the pill stalls, packed to the brim with goods.

From head to toe, inside and out—if you could imagine a piece of protective gear, they had it. Although they prided themselves on their own defensive prowess, even they felt tempted by the sheer variety.

Especially a shield that both of them fancied at once, with a rebound function that was truly enticing. Unfortunately, someone else bought it first. Finding nothing else to their liking, they reluctantly moved to the next stall.

This one specialized in auxiliary artifacts. While not as critical as primary weapons, auxiliary artifacts had vital functions, and some were simply indispensable.

For instance, flying artifacts belonged to this category. From the Gold Core stage to the Nascent Soul stage, flight artifacts were essential gear.

The auxiliary artifacts here came in every conceivable form, dazzling the eyes.

Yu Mu picked up a fiery red metal wristguard. A tag attached to it read: “Wrath of the Flame, Fire Spirit Artifact (Grade: Lower), forged from volcanic magma iron, worn on the hand, increases basic fire affinity by ten percent, can activate Flame Shield skill once (passive, rechargeable). Flame temperature increased by fifteen percent, flame range increased by five percent. Price: one hundred spirit crystals.”

“Wow, that’s expensive,” Yu Mu exclaimed, startled by the price, and quickly put it back. He’d picked the lowest grade item, yet it was still so costly.

Just three attribute boosts, averaging ten percent, and a one-time passive skill that needed recharging after use. Yet this lower-grade artifact cost one hundred spirit crystals.

How much would a middle-grade or high-grade artifact cost? What about a supreme artifact? Not to mention those legendary spirit items that boosted abilities by several times or even dozens of times. The holy artifact that had appeared at auction must have been worth a fortune beyond reckoning.

Only now did Yu Mu truly grasp the value of innate artifacts, and he couldn’t help but feel a wave of gratitude for possessing his own.

There were indeed some items here that Yu Mu could use—for example, a wood-element anklet that would increase his speed by fifty percent. But at the sight of the price, he immediately abandoned any thought of buying it.

It, too, was a lower-grade artifact, yet it was marked at one thousand spirit crystals—ten times the price of Wrath of the Flame.

Yu Mu felt that boosting his already abysmally slow speed by fifty percent wasn’t worth so much. Besides, he’d just learned the Acceleration Technique—though its effects remained to be seen, there was no need to waste money on a redundant skill.