It seemed that if he wanted to complete the tasks for the Artifact Forging Hall and the Formation Hall, he would first have to figure out a way to get his hands on four items: a spirit hammer, an artifact cauldron, a carving knife, and a formation plate.
The carving knife and formation plate might be easy to deal with, but the spirit hammer and artifact cauldron were a bit troublesome.
He surely couldn't use the small hammer his grandfather used for carpentry to synthesize it. Even if he did, he would probably just end up with another small hammer.
It needed to be something more like the large iron hammers used by blacksmiths.
Speaking of a blacksmith's large iron hammer, Lin Xiao immediately thought of the one used by the boss of the blacksmith shop in the county town.
If that hammer could be used to refine a spirit hammer, it would probably be quite good.
Unfortunately, that was the man's livelihood, so he likely wouldn't sell it easily.
However, Lin Xiao suddenly remembered that even if he couldn't make one himself, he could buy one in the System Shop!
So, he immediately chanted in his heart: Large spirit hammer, large spirit hammer.
Then, he quickly opened the Shop.
Beside him, Liao Pantu watched as Lin Xiao suddenly sat still in his seat with his eyes closed, feeling a bit puzzled.
Why hasn't this kid left yet?
But seeing Lin Xiao's tightly furrowed brows and serious, thoughtful expression, he didn't voice any interruptions. Instead, he pulled out the Peach Source Myriad Void Incantation and placed it under the table. After making sure the edge of the table blocked Lin Xiao's line of sight, he began to read it earnestly.
Speaking of which, Lin Xiao hadn't forbidden him from reading the Lingxian Sect's cultivation techniques. Those techniques were openly displayed in the cultivation room, and all members of the Lingxian Sect could go in and browse them.
It was just that Liao Pantu felt awkward about it. After all, he was a Nascent Soul cultivator. If he was caught spending all day holding and studying the cultivation techniques meant for these little kids, he felt he would lose face.
Therefore, reading the techniques behind their backs was his final stubborn pride as a Nascent Soul cultivator.
He mainly wanted to read it behind Lin Xiao's back.
This kid's mouth was incredibly annoying; if he found out, he would definitely mock him.
Meanwhile, sitting opposite Liao Pantu, Lin Xiao was currently staring blankly at the three large iron hammers in the Shop's recommendation column.
Qianning Hammer, Heaven-tier high-grade magical artifact, Price: 500 spirit stones
Boundless Dharma-Controlling Hammer, Yellow-tier high-grade magical treasure, Price: 2,000 spirit stones
Universe Revolving Hammer, Profound-tier high-grade magical treasure, Price: 10,000 spirit stones
Had the system raised the prices because he now owned a mine?
No, no, looking at the grades of these hammers, these prices actually didn't seem expensive.
It was just that he remembered back when he was in the Qi Condensation realm, whenever he needed something, the Shop always presented the cheapest items.
Why was it starting straight from Heaven-tier high-grade now?
Could it be because his cultivation base had increased?
Or was it simply because he had a mine?
Just like how a salesman would always show the most expensive goods to a wealthy patron.
Lin Xiao thought about it, closed the Shop, and then chanted in his heart again: Cheapest large spirit hammer! Cheapest large spirit hammer!
When he opened the Shop again, he saw that the recommendation column had finally changed.
Gale Hammer, Yellow-tier high-grade magical artifact, Price: 9 spirit stones
Mountain Shaking Hammer, Profound-tier high-grade magical artifact, Price: 50 spirit stones
Star-Moon Hammer, Earth-tier high-grade magical artifact, Price: 150 spirit stones
After hesitating for a moment, Lin Xiao still chose the Earth-tier high-grade Star-Moon Hammer.
Earth-tier high-grade was completely sufficient for their sect, whose average cultivation was currently only at the Qi Condensation realm.
As for something better, he could just exchange for it later when he had mined more spirit stones.
He mainly bought this hammer to complete the task of constructing the Artifact Forging Hall.
However, thinking that he might need to use it in the future, he didn't choose the cheapest Gale Hammer either.
Besides, he currently had several hundred spirit stones in his private treasury.
He couldn't bear to buy the expensive ones from the previous list, but couldn't he at least buy the most expensive one from this cheap list!
After buying the hammer, Lin Xiao also bought an artifact cauldron.
Just like with the hammer, he bought the most expensive one from the cheapest list.
Purple Gold Cauldron, priced at 130 spirit stones.
With this, the tools needed for the Artifact Forging Hall were complete.
As for the carving knife and formation plate needed for the Formation Hall, Lin Xiao didn't show favoritism; he similarly bought the most expensive ones from the cheapest list.
After squandering all the spirit stones in his private treasury like this, Lin Xiao finally opened his eyes.
It seemed he would have to find time to go down to the mine again in the next couple of days.
Sitting opposite him, Liao Pantu sensed Lin Xiao opening his eyes and immediately, with nimble movements, stuffed the Peach Source Myriad Void Incantation into his soul body.
Then, with a leisurely appearance, he picked up the teapot on the side and poured himself some tea.
He then raised his teacup toward the newly awakened Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao was somewhat speechless; this senior was actually playing the raising the teacup to see off a guest trick on him.
However, realizing that he had indeed bothered him for quite a while, Lin Xiao stood up to take his leave.
Watching Lin Xiao stand up and prepare to leave, Liao Pantu suddenly seemed to remember something and called out to stop him.
Then, he was seen pulling a perfectly round object, about the size of a toddler's fist, out from his soul body and handing it to Lin Xiao:
This is the monster core of the Silver Frost Python monster you killed before. I extracted it when I was collecting the corpse. After I purged all the evil energy from it, I forgot to give it to you. Here, take it.
Lin Xiao reached out to take the monster core, rolled it around in his hand, and asked him:
Senior, what is the use of this monster core?
Liao Pantu replied:
If a monster beast swallows it, it can increase their cultivation. It can also be used to forge magical treasures or concoct certain pills. Use it however you see fit.
Lin Xiao thought about how this monster core belonged to the Silver Frost Python monster, and wondered if using it to concoct pills or forge magical treasures would result in characteristics related to it...
At this thought, Lin Xiao got goosebumps all over his body.
He absolutely hated creatures like pythons, so he decided to pass.
Senior, do you want it?
Hearing this, Liao Pantu glanced at him:
I have about a dozen monster cores like this in my other soul body.
It was just that not a single one of them belonged to a python monster on the verge of transforming into a flood dragon.
A python monster about to transform into a flood dragon basically had a cultivation at the late stage of the Tongyuan realm, equivalent to a human cultivator's late Nascent Soul stage.
Back in the day, the strongest monster beast he had ever hunted was only at the early Tongyuan stage.
But could he possibly tell Lin Xiao something like that?
However, since he currently neither concocted pills nor forged artifacts, he truly had no use for this monster core. At most, he could just sell it for some spirit stones.
So, Lin Xiao nodded and accepted the monster core.
Leaving the room, he headed straight for the pile of dirt behind the main sect hall.
On the way, he saw Little Luan, who was leading its disciples to forage for food. Lin Xiao casually stuffed the monster core over to Little Luan.
Eat it while it's hot.
After saying that, he left behind the bewildered Little Luan and the three wild mountain chickens that were burying their heads in their food, and walked away.
Little Luan's beady little chicken eyes stared at the large, translucent bead held in its wing.
While it's hot? Eat?
How is it hot? This bead is clearly cold.
But... is this actually edible?
It leaned in and sniffed.
This bead actually smells pretty fragrant?
So it dropped the bead on the ground, stepped on it firmly with one little chicken claw, and then lowered its head to give it a forceful peck.
The transparent monster core instantly cracked, and a small piece chipped off.
Little Luan picked up the fallen piece in its beak and popped it into its mouth.
Hmm? Delicious!
Its eyes lit up. Snatching the bead from the ground in its mouth, it scampered eagerly toward the thatched hut and tucked the bead into its nest.
It was going to save it to savor slowly.
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
