Chapter 72: Chapter Seventy-Three: Spatial Stone

In the midst of anxious waiting, at noon, the bird messenger of the Cloud Goose Immortal Maiden arrived again.

"Immortal Realm powerhouse, departing from Divine Martial Gate the day after tomorrow, riding the Seven-Deer Immortal Carriage, will reach Cloud Hidden Sect within half a day. Be careful! Cloud Goose."

"What is an Immortal Realm powerhouse? Is it really an immortal? Can't Elder Sister Cloud Goose say something I can understand?" Wei Yuning said glumly.

The answer to this question still needs to be sought from Qiu Hu.

Fortunately, time is still sufficient; recalling Qiu Hu's urgent need for a spatial stone, Wei Yuning decided to first go check the artifact forging room.

The main part of the artifact forging room is located inside the body of Hundred Springs Peak.

Hundred Springs Peak lives up to its name, with a total of one hundred and thirty-six springs of hot water, big and small, and countless baths, making it an important leisure spot for the sect.

Unlike Guest-Arrival Peak, which mainly receives outsiders, Hundred Springs Peak primarily serves the sect's internal disciples.

Inside Hundred Springs Peak, there are several underground fire pools, which are natural sources of fire for smelting and forging; this is also why the artifact forging room is set up there.

The artifact forging room has few acquaintances; Wei Yuning only has a bit of rapport with Senior Martial Brother Qing Chou, whom he met at the matrimonial convention.

Qing Chou has a timid personality, likes to go with the flow; although he possesses a metal-attuned spiritual root, he dislikes combat, so he didn't join the Heaven Sword or Overlord Blade chambers and instead entered the artifact forging room.

But he also doesn't like artifact forging; thus, although he is in the artifact forging room, he prefers to spend time studying various combat techniques, resulting in him being mediocre in all aspects.

Fortunately, Qing Chou's ambitions are not lofty; like the disciples of the artifact forging room and the pill refining chamber, they are all well-off.

Besides completing sect duties, in their spare time they forge small items; even if the items are crude, if sect disciples don't want them, wandering cultivators might, and if even they don't, they can still be placed in Guest-Arrival Peak shops to sell to merchants, who then sell them to mundane-world mortals.

Even if it's a lump of trash from the immortal sect, mortals will buy it, and the price won't be low.

Thus, although Qing Chou is considered a "good-for-nothing" disciple in the artifact forging room, his life is still quite comfortable, and he himself is very satisfied with the situation.

The interior space of Hundred Springs Peak is extremely large, divided into inner and outer parts.

The artifact forging area inside belongs to the sect's secret zone; as an ordinary disciple, Wei Yuning has no qualification to enter it.

The outer public area resembles a huge cavern passageway, through which outside sunlight can be seen.

Apart from a few small lodgings, the public area mostly consists of various large and small shops, mainly selling all kinds of crafted artifacts.

The shops of the artifact forging room are not ordinary buildings like those in the pill refining hall's valley; they are entirely excavated mountain caves.

Wei Yuning had something on his mind and no mood to stroll; he went straight to the entrance/exit between the inner and outer areas.

After receiving a low-grade spirit stone from Wei Yuning, the gatekeeping menial disciple hurriedly ran into the inner area to call Qing Chou.

Soon after, Qing Chou came out, drenched in sweat.

The work in the artifact forging room is not easy; wielding a large hammer is the main and most time-consuming task—hundreds of forgings to make a vessel, each successful spiritual artifact must undergo thousands of hammer blows, and the standard equipment for most artifact forging disciples is the Qilin Arm.

"Qing Demon Junior Brother!"

"Qing Chou Senior Brother!"

Toward Wei Yuning, Qing Chou dare not be negligent; this kid is quite sinister.

The two walked to a corner; Wei Yuning had no time for pleasantries and directly stated his purpose.

"Spatial stone? The senior brother of the Storage Group has some, but the price isn't cheap!" Qing Chou glanced at Wei Yuning, then looked around, and whispered.

"No problem, spirit stones aren't an issue." Wei Yuning said boldly.

At the matrimonial convention, Qing Chou didn't meet any female cultivator he liked, so afterward their contact was scarce, and he isn't very informed about Wei Yuning's current situation.

However, he knows Wei Yuning's master is Tai Chong, and it's normal for them to be well-off.

"Then let's go!" Qing Chou grinned widely and said.

Qing Chou led the way ahead, and without realizing it, they arrived before a small teleportation array.

Wei Yuning stopped and asked curiously, "Senior Brother Qing Chou, isn't the item in the artifact forging room?"

Qing Chou looked around, lowered his voice, and said, "Of course not; who would dare mess around right under our noses?"

Wei Yuning immediately understood; the source of the spatial stone is probably illegitimate.

Seeing Wei Yuning hesitate, Qing Chou laughed and said, "You're a new disciple; you don't know many things. Hehe, don't worry, it's not a big deal—privately, this isn't a secret at all. Sect property… if you don't take it, it's wasted. Anyway, we won't take much, so it won't affect the sect's major affairs. Hehe! I see you're quite sharp, so I'm willing to bring you along; if… it were a big guy hanging out with you, I definitely wouldn't dare bring him."

Wei Yuning understood.

"Rest assured, I definitely won't blab about this!" Wei Yuning said.

"Only an idiot would blab! Goods from this channel are for acquaintances' business; rest assured about the items, the price is cheaper than taking them from the sect—this is mutually beneficial!" Qing Chou said.

While speaking, the two were actually teleported to Guest-Arrival Peak.

Guest-Arrival Peak, Wind Listening Pavilion, Craftwork Workshop.

The Flowing Cloud Pavilion of Guest-Arrival Peak is a food city, while the Wind Listening Pavilion is a large market selling all kinds of goods.

The Craftwork Workshop is an inconspicuous small shop within the Wind Listening Pavilion, mainly selling petite items—rings, necklaces, gloves, hairpins, hand crossbows, daggers, spirit-object boxes, and other magical articles.

In the shop's back room, the two met the senior brother Qing Chou had mentioned.

This fellow named Qing Huo completely lacks the appearance of a cultivating disciple; he has the face of a merchant, wholly in a businesslike demeanor, and his claim of cheapness is totally different from what Qing Chou said.

His price is steep: thirty high-grade spirit stones and two spatial stones; according to normal market rates, it should be twenty-five high-grade spirit stones. However, spatial stones are special items, hard to obtain through normal channels, so it can't be said he's overcharging.

Wei Yuning's savings amount to only ten high-grade spirit stones, still the sect's initial reward; he can't afford that.

Just as he was about to flick his sleeves and leave.

Qing Chou suddenly leaned close to Qing Huo and muttered two words in a low voice; Wei Yuning faintly heard the characters "Tai Chong".

Qing Huo's attitude changed instantly; he said, "Qing Demon Junior Brother, state your offer!"

Wei Yuning said, "Ten spirit stones!"

Qing Huo frowned and remained silent.

"At most I'll add a set of golden robes!" Wei Yuning gritted his teeth.

"Deal!" Qing Huo hesitated a bit, then also gritted his teeth and said.

Having obtained the spatial stone as desired, Wei Yuning had no time to chat with the enthusiastic Qing Huo; they exchanged spiritual marks, then bade farewell to Qing Chou and hurried away.

Returning once more to Wind Lotus Estate, Thus line: Ye Ying was sitting in the cool pavilion, blankly staring at the artificial hill ahead.

Wei Yuning originally thought she was worried, but upon approaching, he discovered that before Thus line: Ye Ying lay a sheet of water curtain.

Beyond the water curtain lay a vast ocean seascape, dark clouds hanging low, waves surging, a tiny skiff rising and falling on the blue‑black waves; merely seeing this scene evoked a feeling of despair.

"Is this a new illusion technique? It's amazing! How did you get the wooden boat in there?" Wei Yuning asked curiously.

The higher the level of the illusion technique, the more realistic it naturally becomes. However, the things inside an illusion do not appear out of thin air; they must be supported by corresponding external objects. As a water‑system spiritual root, Thus line: Ye Ying has no trouble controlling water‑related things, but a small boat is not something that should appear.

Thus line: Ye Ying stared at the illusion while raising her right hand; a tiny wooden boat emitting a green light hung from her jade wrist.

Wei Yuning realized that this must be some kind of magical item.

"The previous 'Deep Water Quandary' had a major flaw—its environment was too monotonous, affecting the minds of those inside too little. Even an ordinary person could break my Dao law with firm will and steady breathing. This time I've named my illusion technique the 'Furious Sea Skiff'; those within must face greater psychological trials and environmental influences!" As she spoke of her illusion technique, Thus line: Ye Ying's face lit up with added confidence.

Wei Yuning nodded in agreement; this 'Furious Sea Skiff' indeed brings a greater sense of predicament and a stronger visual impact.

He began to understand how to counter an opponent with illusion techniques.

To lure the opponent into a state of despair or terror.

In an instant he recalled many horror scenes from Earth movies—zombie sieges, white‑clad female ghosts, talking dolls, chainsaw maniacs, old corpses from mountain villages, and so on—but he quickly dismissed those thoughts.

For cultivators, zombies, female ghosts, or chainsaw maniacs are all settled with a single move; they hardly feel any fear—only a harsh natural environment poses an insurmountable obstacle.

"Where is Qiu Hu?" Wei Yuning asked; only then did he remember the matter at hand.