After storing theCrimson Sky Technique,Zheng Fa turned to Han Qi and asked, “Senior Brother, how much would it cost to select another technique?”

Han Qi frowned. “Depends. What kind of technique are you looking for?”

“A pure yang body refinement technique that can be practiced before reaching Foundation Establishment.”

“There are plenty of those. Most body refinement techniques are pure yang,” Han Qi replied. “But they’re expensive—easily dozens of spirit stones.”

“...That much?”

The price far exceeded Zheng Fa’s expectations. He had assumed techniques would be relatively affordable.

“That’s cheap! A few hundred years ago, these techniques would’ve cost hundreds of spirit stones. You wouldn’t even have the qualifications to look at them,” Han Qi scoffed.

“AndZhenren Zhang’s Treatise on Talismans...?”

“What do you mean?”

“Crafting guides likeZhenren Zhang’s Treatise on Talismansare far cheaper than cultivation techniques. One consumes spirit stones, while the other helps you earn them. Huge difference,” Han Qi explained. “And Senior Sister Zhang fixed the price at eight taels of gold.”

“Then why were you guys selling it for ten?” Zheng Fa asked, recalling the earlier scam.

“That’s why I’m here,” Han Qi muttered, gesturing to his current situation.

Zheng Fa said nothing, but he understood. Cultivation techniques had become more affordable because the scarcity wasn’t in techniques but in spiritual resources. Spirit veins and spiritual materials were tightly controlled, while techniques seemed to be less of a priority.

But dozens of spirit stones were well beyond Zheng Fa’s means. Without selling his talisman paper and spirit ink, he had only eleven spirit stones and thirty taels of gold to his name.

“Is there anything cheaper?”

“There are,” Han Qi admitted. “Some cost less than a single spirit stone.”

“Then—”

“Didn’t finish,” Han Qi interrupted. “They’re either incomplete or impossible to cultivate.”

Leading Zheng Fa to a neglected corner of the pavilion, Han Qi pointed at a dusty bookshelf.

The books were haphazardly stacked, and it was clear no one had touched them in a long time.

“This one,Earthfire Golden Body,is perfect for someone cultivating fire-based techniques. It can even help break bottlenecks—but it requires access to a ground fire vein, which Jiushan Sect used to have… before it collapsed.”

“This one,Bodhi Dao Body,enhances comprehension—but it needs a Bodhi Fruit, which is said to be extinct in the entire cultivation world.”

Zheng Fa stared at the books, a mix of disappointment and amusement. These weren’t close-to-expiration items—they were long past their prime.

Sensing his frustration, Han Qi smirked and picked up another book. “This one’s my favorite:Five Thunder Talisman Body.It’s the ideal body refinement technique for Jiushan Sect disciples.”

“Why’s that?”

“Our sect specializes in talisman arts, and thunder talismans are the most powerful.Five Thunder Talisman Bodywas created by one of our ancestors. Cultivating it not only makes your body incredibly resilient but also enhances the power of thunder talismans,” Han Qi explained. “Back in Jiushan Sect’s heyday, disciples using this technique could inscribe five thunder talismans by hand and dominate any duel within the Hundred Immortals Alliance. It was our golden age.”

His tone carried a trace of longing.

“...And now?” Zheng Fa prompted.

“It’s a death sentence,” Han Qi said bluntly. “The final stage requires tempering the body with heavenly lightning.”

Han Qi tossed the book back onto the shelf. “You’d need to gradually acclimate your body to lightning using something like Xuanlei Stones, which contain a fraction of heavenly lightning’s power. These stones are critical for preparing the body to withstand actual lightning.”

“Xuanlei Stones?” Zheng Fa repeated.

“They’re a rare spiritual mineral containing lightning energy. Perfect for Qi Refinement cultivators to strengthen their bodies and prepare for heavenly lightning tempering.”

“Is the mine depleted too?”

“No, but it’s extremely scarce,” Han Qi said with a sigh. “Xuanlei Stones are used for much more thanFive Thunder Talisman Body.They’re prohibitively expensive. For most Qi Refinement disciples, it’s as good as nonexistent.”

“How much for the technique?” Zheng Fa asked.

“Back when it was a sect secret? Five hundred spirit stones—if you were lucky. Now? One spirit stone.”

“I’ll take it!”

“Wait, Junior Brother, hold on!” Han Qi grabbed Zheng Fa’s hand as he reached for the book. “Didn’t you hear me? This technique is useless now!”

Zheng Fa paused, looking at Han Qi.

Was this the same man who had previously been indifferent to him? Could ten taels of gold really have changed his attitude this much?

Han Qi seemed to sense the question in Zheng Fa’s gaze. With a sigh, he added, “I’m just trying to help you. Don’t waste your resources on something impossible.”

“I’d still like to try,” Zheng Fa said.

“Do you have a Xuanlei Stone mine at home?”

“No.”

“Then listen to me. If spirit stones are bothering you, just give them to me instead!” Han Qi joked, exasperated.

But Zheng Fa remained resolute and took the book. His family might not own a mine, but Han Qi didn’t know about something called electricity.

Later, Han Qi returned to his modest home—a dilapidated single-story building that had clearly seen better days.

“Senior Brother!”

Two of his subordinates were waiting inside, their tempers already flaring.

“Did that kid give you trouble?”

Han Qi waved them off, sitting down in silence, lost in thought.

“We should just leave!” the taller one snapped. “We’ve saved up enough money. Let’s buy big houses and marry a few wives—live the good life!”

“Exactly! Why stick around to get insulted? Sure, we’ve scammed people, but most of the profits go to Senior Brother Yuan anyway! Now a new disciple treats us like trash and tosses us aside!” the shorter one added.

Han Qi finally spoke. “He didn’t give me trouble. He gave me ten taels of gold.”

“Ten taels?” The taller man snorted. “Big deal.”

“When have you ever seen a genius give anything back?” Han Qi asked, his tone sharp. “They always take more, leaving nothing for us. This one’s different.”

“Then what’s the problem?” the shorter man asked. “Aren’t we still planning to leave in a few days?”

“Zheng Fa choseFive Thunder Talisman Body,” Han Qi said.

The two subordinates froze.

“That technique hasn’t been used in centuries. Is he stupid?” the taller man scoffed.

“Doesn’t matter,” Han Qi muttered, clutching the gold. Suddenly, he stood and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“To visit Senior Sister Zhang.”

The two subordinates exchanged bewildered glances.

“All this over ten taels of gold?” the taller one grumbled.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com