Chapter 358

Chapter 358: The Great Xia Treasury

Under the dark moon, the sky dimmed, casting a shadow even during daytime.

Near the official offices of Ruijin City, three figures arrived in front of the treasury’s heavy doors.

Looking up, they saw the bright red doors adorned with countless golden rivets, each rivet corresponding to a restriction. Even a careless glance at the door could cost someone their life.

This place was a restricted area within the city, and common people were forbidden to approach it. In other words, only those with significance could come here!

Before long, the massive doors opened with a deep rumble, and two guards stepped forward to lead the way. Although they were Condense Essence Stage practitioners, they treated the young master behind them with utmost respect, not daring to show even a hint of disrespect.

A disciple of the Jin Tian Sect! Even as an outer disciple, he commanded their respect.

This was the power that had been built up over time. The two led the way while explaining, “Young Master Li, the treasury has rules. Outer disciples of the Jin Tian Sect need to pay in goods to exchange for items, sort of like barter. However, the prices are fair, and we hope you won’t be upset; after all, these rules are set in place, and we have no authority to change them.”

“Thank you, brothers, for leading the way. I understand the rules perfectly!” Li Hui smiled lightly, and the two guards felt at ease, thinking to themselves, look at this young master; he must come from a noble family, refined and gentlemanly, quite different from the legends of Jin Tian Sect disciples.

Little did they know, he was just a coastal kid with a strong life. They said that “the old who do not die are thieves,” and that certain leader of the Haotu Sect was almost becoming legendary; soon he might reveal his true nature, and the treasury would certainly face a crisis!

Huo Qiniang had already gathered information beforehand. Outer disciples of the Jin Tian Sect enjoyed some privileges in the city, but most were directed at inner disciples.

This meant that those hoping to get something for nothing might as well wash up and go to sleep!

Li Hui had no intention of getting something for free; he needed the officials to open the treasury for him to select useful items at will. Of course, if the treasury still operated under the price standards before the dark moon appeared, that was not his concern.

The three of them stood on an altar, and light and mist erupted from either side, outlining various items in rotating shadows, like a revolving lantern. The table displayed a dense list of names; indeed, prices had not changed.

Who knew the teleportation arrays had become ineffective? The connections between cities were interrupted, and panic was spreading. This was not as bad as Dalong, where years of war had made the people shrewd and resilient; even with additional calamities, they didn’t think the situation could get much worse.

Li Hui threw down a large bag of rare spiritual materials, with around seventeen or eighteen ginseng roots the thickness of his arm, and the shapeless He Shou Wu haphazardly piled up, almost making the eyes of the two guards bulge out.

“I’d like to exchange for a Thousand-Faced Spider Back Armor, dry leaves from the Wuchang Tree, roots of the Wu Mei Cordyceps, and as much Geng Gold as possible…”

As the table processed the spiritual materials, more light and mist sprayed out, starting to retrieve items from the treasury. The Great Xia was vast and rich!

As long as a name was provided, the items would quickly be delivered.

Li Hui began exchanging for Miao Jade, which had at least a tenfold difference in value. He felt excited: “Incredible! I’ve collected everything needed for the ancient dynasty official robe! Next, I’ll exchange for talisman-making materials.”

While he was busy exchanging, he reminded, “Brothers, if you need anything, feel free to mention it. The current prices outside are a bit high, but here in the treasury, they are quite fair!”

Were they really a bit high? It was very expensive, thank you very much! Calling these prices fair was obviously a stretch!

“Thank you, young master, for your generosity!” Both guards, clever in their wits, would not let this opportunity to profit slip by. They quickly listed their daily necessities and required cultivation methods.

“It’s a small matter; no need for you two to spend!” Li Hui smiled slightly and began exchanging low-grade Miao Jade for medium-grade and high-grade Miao Jade.

Now this kind of exchange was ruthless; in recent days, the prices for medium-grade and high-grade Miao Jade had skyrocketed, as they were easy to carry. Ordinary cultivators kept a few pieces, equating to their entire wealth. Previously, one could exchange a hundred pieces of low-grade Miao Jade for one piece of medium-grade, but now it took three hundred pieces to barely get one!

Two incense sticks later, the guards nearly collapsed, thinking to themselves, “My little ancestor! Where did you get so much low-grade Miao Jade? Did the money exchange in the city form an alliance? They actually cleared out the medium and high-grade Miao Jade accumulated in the treasury; no wonder they wouldn’t let us spend!”

“Hehe, the treasury’s stock of medium and high-grade Miao Jade is a bit low, though!” Li Hui smiled shyly, as he had brought all the low-grade Miao Jade mined by Huang Shiqin and others with him; at this moment, it felt like mining a vein again. However, he felt a bit unsatisfied, wishing for even more stock.

“Still low?” The guards were truly in despair.

“Forget it; exchanging for bulk supplies is more cost-effective. By the way, does the treasury have any Taibai Divine Wood?” The table vibrated slightly, indicating that the cost for exchanging Taibai Divine Wood was steep.

“There’s actually Taibai Divine Wood? The Great Xia is truly wonderful!” Li Hui was overjoyed. This was a necessary item for cultivating the Ideal Body; he quickly piled up Miao Jade and medicinal herbs and called out for “Heavenly Essence,” but received no response.

Integrating the Taibai Divine Wood was simple, but advancing in cultivation afterward would be difficult; one must wait until they reached the Condensed Essence Stage to slowly attempt it. Even with a treasure cabinet offsetting side effects, he increasingly sensed the difficulty; it was best to proceed step by step. Otherwise, it could inflict irreparable damage to his body.

After two hours, Li Hui returned with a full load.

The two guards exchanged glances, deciding to take immediate leave back home. Their lord would surely be furious about this matter; the young masters residing in the palace were also eyeing the treasury, but they wouldn’t get a single piece of Miao Jade from them. Young Master Li was far more generous, even offering a hefty relocation fee…

When Li Hui returned to the inn, he waved his sleeves to disperse large quantities of high-grade Miao Jade, while he directly withheld the medium-grade, ensuring that this group made a good profit. After that, he entered seclusion.

According to market prices, high-grade Miao Jade was more valuable, and everyone was overjoyed. As for the usage, it seemed they had plenty of their own production, fully capable of being self-sufficient.

“Advance!”

The treasure cabinet shook with a rumble; the Great Xia treasury was amazing, having stored many rare types of Miao Jade. Others valued Miao Jade, but only Li Hui sought Mixed-colored Miao Jade, preferring the rarest types!

Mixed-colored Miao Jade also had low, medium, and high grades, and naturally, the higher the quality, the better. He had not had the conditions before, but today he had seized the opportunity!

All the acupoints in his body lit up with warmth, and the profound qi merely circulated once around his body, producing crisp sounds. Expanding the acupoints and meridians was a byproduct; his physique, consciousness, and lifespan enhanced comprehensively.

“Yao’er!” Li Hui called lightly.

“Congratulations, Father, on your advancement! I have bound nine Peaches of Immortality, which can extend life by eighteen years.”

“Hahaha! From today onward, the true Dao is foreseeable. Cultivation should be upright and unrestrained; it’s vital to be carefree and unconstrained. Constantly worrying about insufficient lifespan inevitably leads to being hindered; henceforth, there shall be no worries!” Li Hui suddenly looked at his left arm, only to see a tumor bulging up, but behind his head, golden light surged, instantly suppressing the Arhat Fruit.

Having sacrificed so many medicinal herbs before the Merit Box, this was the moment of retribution. The Six-Armed Arhat grew a second head, creating an enormous suppressive effect.

Cultivating Buddhist powers advanced yet again, with Bright Moon glowing behind his head, granting him profound insights. A faint imprint appeared on his forehead; it started weak but gradually strengthened.

“Nourishing the mind?” Li Hui chuckled, filled with ambition: “Finally reached this level! My brother Taibai says it well: ‘Kill one every ten steps, never leave a path in a thousand miles. Once a job is done, shake off the clothes and conceal oneself and one’s name.’ Ghost Fox Sect, Hongmo Sect, Blood Talisman Sect, we will settle scores slowly.”