Chapter 99
A thousand feet above the ground.
Lu Xuan closed the book "Common Spirit Plants and Their Handling Methods" he had obtained from the young woman in red, stretched lazily, and glanced out of the window.
Outside the window, thick clouds piled up endlessly, with occasional flashes of long electric arcs in the distance.
The Grand Vessel sailed smoothly through the sky, devoid of any sense of turbulence.
Though his room was merely third-rate, Lu Xuan found the experience tolerable. At least he had an independent space and a view of the high skies outside the ship.
Nearly half a month had passed since he boarded. During this time, he mostly stayed in his room reading and cultivating.
Not tending to spirit plants for so long made him feel incredibly uneasy, as if his bones were rusting. The primary reason was that despite half a month of cultivation, he hadn't made the slightest progress in his cultivation. Yet, with spirit plant cultivation, he could tangibly feel their growth and the gradual formation of white spheres alongside the plants.
"Indeed, with my talent, achieving great success in cultivation is just wishful thinking."
He once again realized his mediocrity on the path of cultivation. If he continued practicing as he did aboard the Grand Vessel, he wondered when he would break through to the ninth level of Qi cultivation.
The Grand Vessel wasn't a direct route from Lin Yangfang Market to Sword Gate Town. It made several stops in between to exchange resources between different floors and for the disembarkation of cultivators. There were also maintenance and resupply intervals for the vessel itself.
During this time, they hadn't encountered much danger, just two instances of demonic beast attacks on the Grand Vessel. However, the protective spiritual barrier of the ship wasn't breached, and the cultivators from the Grand Bounties Pavilion onboard eradicated the threats completely.
"Half an hour from now, the Grand Vessel will arrive at Sword Gate Town. Please prepare to disembark, and don't forget your valuable artifacts."
Just as Lu Xuan drifted in thought, a gentle voice sounded in his ear.
"What luck and virtue allow a foundational-stage cultivator to announce our itinerary to me... Two hundred Spirit Stones might not be too much for this."
Lu Xuan chuckled inwardly, his eyes fixed firmly on the window.
Half an hour later, the Grand Vessel descended onto a spacious square.
Lu Xuan lightly jumped onto the ground of the square, instantly feeling a sense of reality beneath his feet.
Before him lay a bustling and extraordinary town. Outside the town stood a colossal stone sword soaring a hundred feet high, engraved with various deep and shallow marks.
Passing cultivators couldn't help but be drawn to the stone sword. Many sword cultivators lingered beneath it, gesturing with their hands as if contemplating something profound.
Upon reaching the town center, Lu Xuan noticed that the cultivation level, demeanor, and age of the cultivators here surpassed those in the market.
After wandering around a bit, he learned that it would be some time before the Sky Sword Sect accepted disciples. Thus, he found an inn, booking a room at the rate of two Spirit Stones per day.
During his wait, he took a moment to inspect the numerous spirit plants and beasts in his Life-Sustaining Bag. Releasing the Cloud-Stepping Lynx to stretch, he found reassurance in the vitality of his spirit plants and beasts.
...
"This is bizarre. In such a vast market, I can't find a single unknown spirit species."
Lu Xuan grumbled upon returning to his room.
It had been nearly twenty days since he arrived at Sword Gate Town. In this time, besides practicing and reading, he occasionally strolled through the town's market during leisure moments.
Sword Gate Town, backed by the nearby Sky Sword Sect, was profoundly rooted. Lu Xuan spotted several spirit species here, mostly of first and second grades. Occasionally, he even glimpsed third-grade species on display.
This was almost impossible in Lin Yangfang Market. Third-grade spirit species usually appeared only in renowned shops like the Grand Bounties Pavilion, priced exorbitantly, making them unattainable for many.
Yet, the deep-rooted nature of this town presented a problem. Every time Lu Xuan found a species he didn't recognize and inquired about it, the vendors could eloquently describe its type, grade, and detailed information, dashing his hopes of finding something unique.
He hadn't considered buying normal spirit species for the time being. With no confirmation of joining the Sky Sword Sect and no assurance of a spiritual field, he speculated that after officially joining the sect, he might acquire better spirit species at more favorable prices. Thus, he wasn't in a rush.
"Lu Bro, you're back from the market?"
Not long after he entered his room, a young man who seemed close to his age walked in.
This youth, named Bai Li Jianqing, lived next door. He was rather sociable and also aimed to enter the Sky Sword Sect. Their ages, cultivation levels, and aspirations were similar, fostering a budding friendship between them.
Upon arriving in Sword Gate Town, Lu Xuan revealed his cultivation at the eighth level of Qi, partly fearing that he wouldn't be able to hide it from the Sky Sword Sect cultivators during assessment and also hoping to increase his leverage.
Bai Li Jianqing shared that his grandfather had once practiced at the Sky Sword Sect but hadn't managed to become an inner disciple. Influenced by his grandfather's stories, Bai Li Jianqing held the Sky Sword Sect in high regard and had journeyed here to continue his grandfather's unfinished path.
"In a few days, the Sky Sword Sect will begin selecting outer disciples. With our cultivation levels, becoming outer disciples is almost a sure thing."
Bai Li Jianqing sat on a chair, swinging his legs back and forth, shaking his head playfully.
"I've been looking forward to this day for so long. I heard there's a spirit plant in the Sky Sword Sect called Sword Grass, a natural sword, an incredibly rare existence for sword cultivators."
"My grandfather had one, treated it like a treasure, and showed it to me a few times when I was young. But I haven't seen it since growing up."
"If I can get a piece of Sword Grass upon entering the sect, I'll have no regrets in life."
Bai Li Jianqing was a sword cultivator, proficient in the way of the sword. He held a fervent desire for the mysterious Sword Grass within the Sky Sword Sect.
Seeing his fervor, Lu Xuan couldn't help but tease him like a mischievous youth. He gestured mysteriously, beckoning Bai Li Jianqing.
"Come here, I'll show you my precious possession."
With that, Lu Xuan retrieved a high-quality second-grade Sword Grass from his storage baga black, sturdy plantand performed a few sword-like maneuvers with it in his hand.
"Wow! Sword Grass! Such good quality!"
Bai Li Jianqing swiftly darted forward, grabbing the deep black Sword Grass.
"It truly is a natural sword, complete with a perfect sword intent, flawless and seamless."
Bai Li Jianqing gently wiped the sword grass's blade as if meeting a long-lost love after years of separation, his eyes filled with zealous fervor.
"Lu Bro, Brother Xuan, how about selling this Sword Grass to me at a high price? Or is there any treasure you want? Anything below third-grade,
I can provide. Although the Bai Li family isn't prominent in Sword Gate Town, we still hold some reputation locally."
Reluctantly pulling the Sword Grass from Bai Li Jianqing's seemingly clinging grasp, Lu Xuan stowed it back into his storage bag.
"I have a few questions for you. If your answers satisfy me, perhaps after I enter the sect, I can arrange to get you a high-quality Sword Grass."
Lu Xuan said with a smile.
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