The first floor of the Myriad Treasure Pavilion was divided into numerous sections: pills, talismans, weapons, medicinal herbs, oddities, and so on. Each area was remarkably spacious.
The entrance opened into a grand hall. Flanking both sides stood rows of maids in matching attire, all possessing considerable beauty.
Moreover, every single one of them was at the first level of Qi Refinement.
This greatly surprised Lu Li. He thought to himself that the old man was right; the Myriad Treasure Pavilion truly was no ordinary place.
The moment the two stepped inside, two maids with delicate figures walked over, smiling warmly as they inquired about their needs.
Wu De, clearly accustomed to such treatment, calmly replied, "Take this old master around for a casual look," before following one of the maids away.
Leaving Lu Li standing foolishly in place.
"Young Master, may I ask what you require?" the remaining maid asked politely, maintaining a flawless, welcoming smile.
Lu Li thought for a moment. "Do you sell high-grade talismans here?"
He was currently at the fifth level of Qi Refinement. Most mid-grade talismans could only unleash power equivalent to his own cultivation. Using them to offset the consumption of True Qi was fine, but they could no longer achieve the element of surprise. Therefore, he planned to buy several high-grade talismans as life-saving trump cards.
The maid nodded. "We do. Young Master, please follow me."
She led Lu Li further inside. Before long, they arrived at a counter in the talisman section.
The maid unfastened a jade token from her waist, using it to open a small door beside the counter. She stepped inside and stood behind the display, looking at Lu Li with a warm smile. "Young Master, what kind of high-grade talisman would you like?"
Lu Li was astonished, marveling at the Myriad Treasure Pavilion's formidable foundation. They even placed restrictive formations on the counter doors. He stepped up to the counter and asked, "Do you have any recommendations?"
The maid nodded. "The high-grade Frost Talisman. When activated, it not only unleashes tremendous destructive power but also slows the circulation of the enemy's True Qi."
"The high-grade Turtle Shell Talisman. When activated, it manifests the shell of a profound turtle, capable of withstanding three full-force strikes from anyone below the ninth level of Qi Refinement."
"The high-grade Gale Talisman. When activated, it triples your movement speed..."
"The high-grade Bursting Talisman..."
"..."
The general varieties were roughly the same as mid-grade talismans, differing only in their sheer power.
After finishing her introductions, the maid looked at him with eager anticipation. "Young Master, what kind do you require?"
After some consideration, Lu Li purchased ten high-grade Turtle Shell Talismans, ten high-grade Gale Talismans, and ten high-grade Bursting Talismans.
It was not that he did not wish to buy more, but these high-grade talismans were simply too expensive. They cost three hundred True Essence Pills a piece-a full hundred times the price of their mid-grade counterparts.
Naturally, the high price was justified. After all, a high-grade talisman was equivalent to a magical art unleashed by a cultivator at the seventh to ninth level of Qi Refinement.
Checking his reserves, Lu Li found he only had twelve hundred True Essence Pills left. After a moment's thought, he asked the maid to lead him to the pill section to purchase some Inedia Pills.
Inedia Pills were inexpensive; a single True Essence Pill could buy ten.
Since he would need them eventually, Lu Li spent five hundred True Essence Pills to buy five thousand at once. With this, he would never have to worry about sustenance during future periods of Secluded Cultivation.
Dropping nearly ten thousand True Essence Pills in one breath left the maid beaming with absolute delight. Her behavior grew remarkably intimate, her body leaning so close she practically rubbed against him. Feeling her hot breath against his ear, Lu Li flushed bright red and fled in a panic.
The maid giggled behind him, calling out sweetly, "Young Master, do come again!"
At the entrance, Wu De glared at Lu Li with deep resentment. "What exactly did you buy, boy, to make that little girl so happy?"
"Nothing much. Why do you look so gloomy? Did someone bully you?" Seeing the old man's disheveled state, Lu Li couldn't help his curiosity.
"None of your business."
Wu De's face darkened further at the question. In truth, he had spent his entire time inside teasing the little maid without spending a single pill, and ultimately ended up getting kicked out.
"What's with this attitude, old man? I show you some kindly concern, and you throw it back in my face."
Looking at the man's aggrieved expression, Lu Li could barely contain his laughter. He winked and said, "I just heard someone inside shouting 'old pervert'-surely they weren't talking about you?"
"Get lost!"
Wu De snapped, turning on his heel and marching away.
"Tch, definitely not a decent person." Lu Li rolled his eyes and hurried after him.
As they walked, Lu Li suddenly sensed someone sweeping over him with Divine Sense-not a passing glance, but a thorough, deliberate probe. His eyes narrowed slightly. He quickened his pace for two steps and lowered his voice. "Old man, it seems we're being watched."
"Watched?"
Wu De immediately moved to look over his shoulder, but Lu Li clapped a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Don't look back. I can sense that this person's cultivation isn't very strong. Don't startle the snake in the grass."
Lu Li couldn't fathom why anyone would target him. Was it because he had spent so lavishly, and they wanted to rob him of his wealth?
If that was truly the case, he wouldn't mind doing a bit of robbing himself.
Wu De caught his meaning instantly, thinking to himself that this brat really was insidious enough. He muttered, "You must have spent quite a few True Essence Pills in there, right? We've probably been marked. But this is fine too. We're brothers, so a fifty-fifty split sounds fair, no?"
It seemed Wu De and Lu Li shared the exact same thought-they were preparing to turn the tables and rob their pursuer.
"Deal!"
For this sort of windfall, as long as Wu De was willing to put in the effort, Lu Li didn't mind giving him a cut.
Besides, it was hard to say whether this would bring fortune or disaster. Although the person trailing them didn't exude a threatening aura, what if they were merely an eye for someone else? If a group of formidable experts suddenly jumped out, he could at least drag this old man down to serve as a meat shield.
"Senior Brother, is it him?"
A young woman in black stepped out from a crevice between the nearby walls, speaking to a man dressed in similar black attire.
Senior Brother He nodded, then shook his head. "The Child-Mother Jade is on him, but... I don't believe I've ever sought this person out."
"What does Senior Brother mean?"
"It's possible that he killed one of the people I enlisted and took my Child-Mother Jade."
"Then what should we do?"
A dark, sinister light flashed in Senior Brother He's eyes. "He killed my people and came to Dongzhou. It's possible he learned I'm searching for the Profound Yin Land. Let's go take a look. Perhaps he actually found it and came to claim the bounty."
Hearing this, the young woman in black looked slightly worried. "Senior Brother, that old man is at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, just like me. And that young man is at the fifth level, which is higher than your own cultivation. If..."
Judging by her tone, this Junior Sister in black actually possessed a higher cultivation base than her Senior Brother.
The sixth level of Qi Refinement!
Senior Brother He shrank back slightly. "Junior Sister, do you have a way to deal with him?"
The young woman in black hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I can help you keep him pinned down. But Senior Brother, you must promise me: no killing. We get the information and leave."
Senior Brother He struggled internally for a moment before slowly exhaling a breath. "Fine, I promise."
"Mm, Senior Brother is the best." Only then did the young woman in black break into a bright smile.
Senior Brother He shook his head helplessly. "Junior Sister, your heart is simply too soft. Otherwise... you would definitely secure a place among the Seven Martial Wraiths in the future."
The young woman in black smiled faintly. "The Seven Martial Wraiths are all heartless. Even if the position were given to me, I wouldn't take it..."
As they spoke, the two slowly trailed in the direction Lu Li and Wu De had gone...