Chapter 239: At a Loss

After completing the refinement of the magic tool, Song Qingming put away the Azure Water Bell in front of him. Successfully possessing a top-quality defensive magic tool made him feel much more cheerful.

Having finished this matter, Song Qingming did not rush to leave seclusion immediately. Instead, he took out two identical remnant maps from his body and began to study them. The two maps looked almost identical on the outside, made of material like animal skin, but the content drawn on them was somewhat different; both were incomplete patterns.

Of these two ancient remnant maps, one was larger and was obtained by Song Qingming inadvertently in Mount Yunwu many years ago, while the other was found and brought out by him from the Taiyue Secret Realm not long ago.

After killing Chen Yuan, Song Qingming had already begun to study these two maps during the last few days he had left in the secret realm. As a result, after he placed them together, apart from the maps sensing each other and becoming bright and hot, there were no other changes. They did not, as Song Qingming had initially thought, suddenly merge into one complete map.

Moreover, the other remnant map brought out from the secret realm only resembled the first one on the outside; it did not have the nameless magic technique that the first map had, nor did it have the special ability to accelerate magic power recovery.

Over these days, Song Qingming had also tried various methods, whether it was fire melting, water soaking, or sun and moon exposure; these two remnant maps had no reaction at all. Using various spells to forcibly attack them left them completely unscathed, without the slightest ripple.

He had taken out some notes and journals from the Taiyue Hall, and he had already browsed through them over these days. Although they recorded some life events of the Taiyue Hall's owner, there was not a single mention of the existence of this remnant map, and he didn't know where that Taiyue Hall owner had obtained this item.

After failing time and time again, this made Song Qingming start to feel a bit disappointed. If it weren't for the fact that the material used for the second map was as sturdy as the first, he would have almost thought he had made a mistake.

Could it be that these two maps only had the same material, which caused some reaction, and there was actually no connection between them?

Song Qingming tried every method in the cave dwelling, carefully studying the patterns drawn on the two remnant maps for several days, but still did not find a single point where the two patterns connected.

He had thought he would have a chance to uncover the secret of the remnant maps this time, but it seemed he had really thought too much. Facing these two remnant maps and remaining completely at a loss, Song Qingming could only shake his head helplessly and put them away again.

It had been a month since he entered seclusion to refine the magic tool. Song Qingming finally ended this seclusion, intending to go on a long journey to the neighboring Pingyang County.

Before leaving, Song Qingming specially summoned his second sister, Song Qingwan, back to Mount Funiu and handed over a portion of the low-tier spiritual items obtained from the secret realm, wanting her to help put them up for sale in the family's shop in Qinghe Market.

Second sister Song Qingwan, as the best alchemist in the family, was dazzled upon seeing so many spiritual herbs. She directly requested that the majority of these spiritual herbs be handed over to her, claiming that these spiritual herbs in her hands could be quickly transformed into elixirs, creating greater value.

Seeing her make such a solemn guarantee, Song Qingming hesitated for a moment before directly agreeing. After all, to his current net worth, these spiritual items were merely a drop in the bucket. Even if they lost a little after alchemy, it was not unacceptable to him.

After sending away second sister Song Qingwan, Song Qingming greeted Song Changfeng and directly stepped onto his flying sword, heading north.

His trip out this time was to purchase the suitable magic tool he wanted. Because there was only one second-tier artifact refiner, Huang Shengyue, in Qinghe Market, and there were not many second-tier magic tools for sale in the market, Song Qingming could only go to the neighboring Jin Shan Market to take a look.

There were several second-tier artifact refiners in Pingyang County, and the artifact refining level of Cao Wanjiang of the Cao family had even reached the second-tier top-quality level, having refined many excellent second-tier magic tools. Perhaps he could find a high-quality magic tool he wanted from their shop.

The demonic beast turmoil had passed for nearly twenty years, and many loose cultivators from other places or neighboring countries had come to Pingyang County to find a place to settle down, which greatly accelerated the recovery speed of this place. Now, it already looked seventy to eighty percent like it did in the past.

Of the original seven major Foundation Establishment families in Pingyang County led by the Cao family, two had lost their Foundation Establishment cultivators and had fallen into Qi Refining families, replaced by outside Foundation Establishment cultivators who had newly joined Pingyang County, such as Hu Longhai.

This was not Song Qingming's first time coming to Jin Shan Market after reaching Foundation Establishment, so he was still relatively familiar with this place. After walking around, Song Qingming strode directly into the Cao family's Shuiyue Hall.

"This senior, welcome to Shuiyue Hall. Are you here to purchase magic tools? Please, come inside, I will take you to the second floor to take a look."

The shopkeeper, who was still greeting guests at the counter, saw a Foundation Establishment cultivator coming from outside. He hurriedly threw the white-clad man beside him to the side, handed him over to a clerk, and respectfully stepped forward to welcome Song Qingming.

The white-clad man, who didn't know what was going on, saw the shopkeeper, who was fine just a moment ago, suddenly change his face and cast him aside to greet someone else. He wanted to say a few words, but when he heard the shopkeeper say the word "senior," he realized what was happening and hurriedly shut his mouth, respectfully standing to the side.

Song Qingming, who entered Shuiyue Hall, did not deliberately hide his appearance. After following the shopkeeper to the second floor, he directly informed the Shuiyue Hall shopkeeper of his identity and purpose.

Hearing that Song Qingming wanted to purchase a second-tier mid-grade or higher magic tool, the shopkeeper's face suddenly showed a hint of embarrassment.

"I am truly sorry, senior. You have come at an unfortunate time. The only mid-grade magic tool in our shop was just bought by another senior last month. Now, there are only a few second-tier low-grade magic tools left in the shop, all of which are boutique items carefully refined by the family head. I will take them out for you to see, senior."

Hearing this news, although Song Qingming was somewhat mentally prepared, he still felt a hint of regret. It seemed that after the Taiyue Secret Realm, it wasn't just him who had made a fortune.

Subsequently, the shopkeeper took out a few second-tier low-grade magic tools, but Song Qingming didn't fancy any of them and had to leave and go to another shop.

After visiting several shops with second-tier magic tools in succession, Song Qingming still didn't find a suitable magic tool he wanted. He had to return to Mount Funiu in disappointment, planning to try his luck at the further Jiangling Market in a few days.

Just as he was about to leave Jin Shan Market, a woman in a gray Daoist robe suddenly walked up with a smile on the street of the market and directly blocked his path.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 240 =====