Cultivation is just so scientific!-Chapter 384 - 238: Temptation_2

The content within the ancient jade scroll was not coherent, as it was written in ancient characters. Judging from the damage to the jade scroll, it was very likely that the damage had caused issues with the content.

However, Li Shiming did not see it that way. Under his divine thought, he sensed remnants of a realm barrier, indicating that the jade scroll originally had a realm barrier.

Jade scrolls with realm barriers are generally inheritance jade scrolls, which require reaching a certain realm to view the corresponding content.

This method is the most commonly used in the Cultivation World, intended to prevent cultivators who have not reached the required level from forcefully viewing high-level cultivation techniques and thus encountering problems with their cultivation.

"How many spirit stones?" Li Shiming casually inquired.

"Five hundred spirit stones!" The skinny early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator's eyes flashed with surprise as he gritted his teeth and quoted a high price.

Li Shiming was about to accept the offer since he was not short of spirit stones, and he deemed the ancient jade scroll worthy of study. Five hundred spirit stones was not a large sum to him.

"Qi Bao, you dare to deceive your way into Hang Family's Market!" A shout of anger came as a foundation Establishment Cultivator with a pale, beardless face approached from a distance, his gaze turning toward the skinny early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"Mr. Hang, I wouldn't dare again!" The cultivator known as Qi Bao tightened his expression, hastily begging for mercy without offering any explanation.

"Fellow Daoist, this Qi Bao often employs tricks to deceive unsuspecting cultivators!" Mr. Hang turned his gaze to Li Shiming and offered an explanation with clasped hands.

Li Shiming did not feel the slightest gratitude toward Mr. Hang for suddenly intervening. No matter the reason, it was extremely rude to disrupt a private transaction abruptly.

In the Cultivation World, anyone who could reach the Foundation Establishment Stage was no fool. Moreover, with his robe clearly marked with the Shushan Sect emblem, Mr. Hang's interruption was very likely an attempt to befriend him through these means.

"Five hundred spirit stones, the jade scroll is mine!" Li Shiming casually took out five hundred spirit stones, tossed them to Qi Bao, and took the ancient jade scroll from his hands.

His movements were quick, and he did not give Mr. Hang any face, causing all the surrounding cultivators to be simultaneously stunned.

Qi Bao stole a glance at the displeased Mr. Hang, quietly shrinking back and quickly disappearing among the cultivators.

"Fellow Daoist, it seems I was overzealous. Please allow me to apologize!" Mr. Hang suppressed his displeasure, quickly smiled again, and pointing to a nearby pavilion, he continued, "What might you be looking to purchase at the market? If there's anything good, it's likely in my family's shop there; we have stocks even of third-grade spiritual items. How about I take you for a cup of tea there as an apology?"

Li Shiming sensed something was amiss. He had not revealed his identity; even though his reputation was known, Mr. Hang had not addressed him by name, suggesting he had not recognized him.

Merely the identity of a Shushan Sect cultivator would not warrant such an obsequious attitude from the owner of this market.

"So it turns out that fellow Daoist is the owner of this market place. May I know which elder is presiding over it? I should have gone to pay my respects!" Li Shiming did not move and probed with his words.

Being in a bustling part of the market, the other party would not dare act against him here.

Setting aside his Shushan Sect cultivator status, even if he were a Loose Cultivator, being targeted unreasonably by the owner here would affect the reputation of the market.

Markets attract cultivators solely based on their reputation. If the reputation is lost, then no cultivators will come to the market.

"My father has gone out to meet friends, and currently, I am the one overseeing the market. Fellow Daoist, no need for such formalities!" Mr. Hang smiled and again extended an invitation.

"Since the host has so kindly invited me, it would seem rude of me not to comply. Lead the way!" Li Shiming said indifferently.

Upon hearing that the Guardian Cultivator was absent, and observing Mr. Hang's demeanor, he was sure that this was the truth.

Besides, having learned "Step by Step Lotus," he was quite confident in his ability to escape, and even if there were Golden Core cultivators present, he still had the capacity to save himself.

He was extremely curious. Why was Mr. Hang insistent on inviting him over? What could be the reason?

Mr. Hang smiled as he led Li Shiming towards the pavilion. Without using his divine thought, Li Shiming could tell that the formation around the pavilion was very powerful; it was designed to target Golden Core cultivators.

This sort of array certainly required third-grade materials for the layout, and needed an Array Master to arrange it.

Unexpectedly, such a marketplace could avail itself of third-grade materials to arrange an array, leading one to believe that the spiritual objects inside were extraordinary.

Li Shiming glanced at Mr. Hang, who was happily smiling. He tried to release a Divine Thought, which Mr. Hang didn't seem to notice at all.

This caused him to shake his head. After all, he wasn't a sect cultivator and hadn't cultivated the technique to perceive such Divine Thoughts.

Knowing that Mr. Hang couldn't detect the Divine Thought, Li Shiming relaxed and extended his Divine Thought widely. The IBM z15 began to compute the Spiritual Power Pattern data of the array in the room.

Li Shiming deliberately slowed his pace and took a closer look on the first floor of the loft. The first floor displayed magic artifacts and first-grade materials, specifically for Qi Refining Cultivators.

When he moved to the second floor, he had already gathered some understanding of the array inside the shop.

This gave him more confidence in dealing with Mr. Hang's intentions, and a faint smile similarly adorned his face.

"The second floor displays spiritual artifacts and second-grade materials. Let me first take fellow to the third floor to have a look at the third-grade materials, and then we can come back to take a closer look here!" Mr. Hang said with a smile, gesturing invitingly.

Within the entire shop, the strongest part of the array was on the third floor, where his father was usually stationed.

To trap Li Shiming completely, luring him to the third floor was the best choice.

Mr. Hang naturally understood that in order to survive in this area, the marketplace needed solid backing.

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His father was a Golden Core Early Stage cultivator, strong enough to suppress the marketplace, but they couldn't expand it further.

He had met Ji Hongbo before; Ji Hongbo was the child of a Shushan Sect Golden Core Elder and a True Disciple. Courting the favor of a Shushan Sect True Inheritor would be the best aid for the Hang Family.

Ji Hongbo sent someone to find him, wishing his cooperation to deal with an ordinary Shushan Sect disciple who had offended Ji Hongbo.

If Mr. Hang's father were here, he would definitely not agree. After all, a Shushan Sect disciple who Ji Hongbo had to deal with personally couldn't be ordinary.

But Mr. Hang, short-sighted as he was, got sweet-talked and tempted by Ji Hongbo and agreed almost without thinking.

Upon reaching the third floor, Li Shiming was slightly startled indeed, for there were two third-grade spiritual items locked at nodes of the array.

He hadn't expected the Hang Family to be doing business on such a scale, genuinely selling third-grade spiritual objects.

In fact, these two third-grade spiritual objects were not only the nodes of the loft's array but also the core of the entire marketplace's array.

Although not unsellable, the two third-grade spiritual objects wouldn't be sold unless the offer was so high that the Hang Family's Golden Core could not refuse.

Li Shiming's Divine Thought followed the Spiritual Power Pattern reaching the two third-grade spiritual objects, and his eyes flickered with a hint of joy.

Despite his increasingly high status in the Shushan Sect, even as a High-level Array Master, he was unable, with his Foundation Establishment Stage realm, to access third-grade spiritual objects.

Even with contribution points, the sect wouldn't allow a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to exchange for third-grade spiritual objects.

Every third-grade spiritual object could enhance a Golden Core cultivator's strength to a certain extent. Given their rarity and scarcity, even a large sect like Shushan had to consider the practicality of using third-grade spiritual objects.

Therefore, although Li Shiming was not short of contribution points, he still couldn't exchange for third-grade spiritual objects from the sect.

Especially the third-grade Five Elements Array materials he urgently needed. The only type he had was the third-grade earth attribute material, which his alter ego, Li Yuanba, had obtained by killing a certain external sect's True Disciple.

And just now, his Divine Thought discovered that the two third-grade spiritual items at the nodes of the third floor's array were actually third-grade Five Elements Array materials, precisely what he had been searching for.