Chapter Forty-Seven: Cultivation Resources

“If you wish to stay alive, you should know what to say and what not to say!” The cold, emotionless voice echoed in his ears, and the old man's expression changed. He hadn’t expected Wang Luo to overhear his words. Glancing at the terrified attendant beside him, a ruthless glint flashed in the old man's eyes.

“I’ll take good care of your wife and children!” Without hesitation, his right hand snapped the attendant’s neck with a crisp crack. He spoke to the attendant, whose eyes had lost their focus yet still retained a trace of disbelief. As if understanding the old man’s words, the attendant’s head lolled to one side, his eyes closed, and he fell silent forever.

Not far away, Wang Luo paused for a moment, letting out a soft sigh. He had only meant to issue a casual warning, not to cause any real harm, yet a life was lost because of it. On the Tianxuan Continent, human life truly was the most worthless thing.

Withdrawing his spiritual sense, Wang Luo continued on, pondering how to alter his own aura. He realized the old man had recognized him by his aura. Suddenly, Wang Luo’s eyes lit up. From his spatial ring, he pulled out a palm-sized piece of beast hide, covered in strange runes. He poured in a bit of magical energy and draped it over himself.

Every person possesses a unique aura that is difficult to change. On the Tianxuan Continent, cultivators often recognize one another by their auras. Wang Luo hadn’t thought much of it at the start, but once he was recognized by the old man, the importance became clear to him.

Though it is difficult to completely change one’s aura, humanity has developed some wondrous techniques and magical formations. While these cannot fundamentally alter a person’s essence, they can create a convincing illusion, making it hard to distinguish real from false.

That day, dozens of shops in Babatu City that purchased magic crystals all welcomed a small figure shrouded in a black robe. Each shop spent between twenty to thirty thousand gold coins to acquire the magic crystals from this mysterious visitor. The numbers on the black-robed man’s gold storage card began to soar.

The gold storage card is an artifact unique to the Tianxuan Continent, akin to a bank card but far more convenient and secure. It is a magical item that, once bonded with a drop of blood, can only be used by its owner. During transactions, the cards are pressed together, the amount is entered, and the exchange is complete. The inventor of the gold storage card was Qi Lu.

The Bloodsoul Wood Auction was being held in the central plaza of Babatu City. Every city possessed such a plaza, reserved for auctions, trade fairs, and other grand gatherings—a style of architecture said to have been proposed and spread by Qi Lu as well.

At the entrance to the auction, a small figure enveloped in a black robe blocked a servant’s path. An icy, hoarse, and grating voice hissed at the servant’s ear: “Take me to your supervisor—I have several items to auction.”

The servant shuddered at the unpleasant voice but still replied with respectful politeness, “I’m sorry, sir, but all the items for today’s auction have already been finalized.”

“Take me to your supervisor. He will certainly be interested in what I have to offer!” The black-robed figure’s voice, though hoarse and grating, was filled with unshakable confidence.

The servant hesitated, then led the black-robed man to a corner of the hall. He stopped before a door, knocked several times, and then ushered the visitor inside.

Within the room sat a shrewd-looking man in his forties. He was sipping tea at a table. Seeing the servant and the black-robed visitor enter, the man set down his cup and asked, “What is it?”

“Sir, this guest says he has items for auction that will certainly interest you, so I brought him to see you,” the servant answered respectfully.

“Very well.” The man nodded lightly and waved the servant away. Understanding, the servant withdrew, leaving the man to turn his gaze to the black-robed visitor and speak flatly, “You may present the items you wish to auction.”

Instead of producing any auction items, the black-robed figure sat down on the sofa opposite the man. His hoarse, grating voice, full of sarcasm and discontent, echoed through the room: “Is this how you treat your guests?”

At these words, the middle-aged man frowned slightly, glanced at the black-robed visitor sitting on the sofa, then rose to pour him a cup of tea. Standing to the side, he asked politely, “Good day, sir. What treasures would you like to put up for auction?”

The black-robed figure remained silent. Suddenly, a fist-sized, smooth, lustrous gemstone emitting a faint red glow was tossed onto the table. The middle-aged man picked it up in puzzlement, but his eyes soon filled with disbelief and shock.

He took a deep breath to calm his roiling heart and asked, almost unable to believe it, “Sir, is this a level-nine magic crystal?”

When the black-robed figure nodded slowly, the man examined the seemingly ordinary level-nine magic crystal with utmost care. Reluctantly, he set it back on the table before the visitor and asked again, “Sir, are you certain you wish to auction this level-nine magic crystal?”

A level-five magic crystal is worth about ten thousand gold coins. A level-six crystal fetches at least one hundred thousand. A level-seven can go for several million—if one can even be found at all. Though only one rank apart, the gap between level six and level seven is immense.

Only upon reaching level seven can one truly be considered a master: flying by controlling artifacts, taking a head from a thousand miles away—those are the true hallmarks of power, to say nothing of the even more formidable level eights and nines.

On the Tianxuan Continent, every advancement in battle energy and magic is a painstaking endeavor. Of a hundred people, only one may possess the talent to cultivate. Those with any gift for cultivation can generally reach level three. Yet to break through from level three to four is no simple feat; only one in a thousand succeeds. Each further breakthrough grows harder, and among ten thousand level-sixes, perhaps one will reach level seven.

Of course, this only holds true for those lacking in resources. For heirs of great families or those blessed by fortune, the odds improve considerably thanks to superior conditions.

Wang Luo was one such exception. If not for living deep within the Magic Beast Forest, where spiritual energy abounds and high-level beasts are plentiful for training, he could never have advanced so swiftly—nearly reaching level six in just nine years.

Naturally, Wang Luo’s own effort played a crucial role, but this only highlights the importance of external resources for cultivation. As a result, anything that aids in cultivation is always in high demand. Countless cultivators consume such resources every day.

Magic crystals are among the most sought-after commodities, easily ranking in the top three. Besides magic crystals, the most coveted items are all kinds of wondrous elixirs, powerful magical equipment such as scrolls and formation disks, as well as weapons and armor of all kinds.