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 high-grade defensive magic tool of his own made him feel much more cheerful.

Having finished this matter, Song Qingming did not rush to come out of 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, as if made of animal skin material, but the content drawn on them was somewhat different; they were both incomplete patterns.

Of these two ancient remnant maps, one was larger and was obtained by Song Qingming in the Cloud Mist Mountains many years ago by accident. The other was found and brought out by him from the Taiyue Secret Realm not long ago.

After killing Chen Yuan, in the last few days he had left in the secret realm, Song Qingming had already begun to study these two maps. As a result, after he put them together, apart from the two 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 to become a complete map.

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

These days, Song Qingming also tried various methods, whether it was melting by fire or soaking in water, or exposure to the sun and moon; these two remnant maps had no reaction at all. Using various spells to forcibly attack them resulted in no damage and not a ripple.

He had taken out some notes and journals from the Taiyue Hall, and these days he had already browsed through them once. Although they recorded some of the life deeds of the owner of the Taiyue Hall, they did not mention the existence of this remnant map at all. He did not know where the owner of the Taiyue Hall had obtained this item.

After failing time and time again, this also 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 have the same material, which is why they produce some reaction, and in fact, there is no connection between them?

Song Qingming tried every method in the cave dwelling and carefully studied 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 that he might have a chance to uncover the secret of the remnant maps this time, but it seems he really thought too much. Facing these two remnant maps and remaining at a loss, Song Qingming could only helplessly shake his head and put them away again.

It had been a month since he went into seclusion to refine the magic tool. Song Qingming finally ended this seclusion and planned 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 took out a portion of the low-grade spiritual items obtained from the secret realm, handing them to her and asking her to help put them in the family's shop in Qinghe Marketplace for sale.

Second sister Song Qingwan, as the best alchemist in the family, was also dazzled when she saw so many spiritual herbs at once. 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 promise with such certainty, Song Qingming hesitated for a moment before directly agreeing to her. After all, for his current family fortune, these spiritual items were nothing more than a drop in the bucket. Even if they lost a bit after alchemy, it was not unacceptable to him.

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

He went out this time to purchase the suitable magic tool he wanted. Because there was only one Tier 2 weapon refiner, Huang Shengyue, in Qinghe Marketplace, and there were not many Tier 2 magic tools for sale in the marketplace, Song Qingming could only go to the neighboring Jinshan Marketplace to take a look.

There are several Tier 2 weapon refiners in Pingyang County. The weapon refining level of Cao Wanjiang of the Cao family has even reached Tier 2 high-grade, and he has refined many excellent Tier 2 magic tools. Perhaps he could find a high-quality magic tool he wanted in their shop.

The spirit beast turmoil has passed for nearly twenty years. Many rogue cultivators from other places or neighboring countries have come to Pingyang County to find a place to settle down, which has greatly accelerated the recovery speed of this place. Now it is almost seven or eight percent of what it used to be.

Of the seven major Foundation Establishment families in Pingyang County, originally headed by the Cao family, two have lost their Foundation Establishment cultivators and have been reduced to Qi Refining families, replaced by newly joined external Foundation Establishment cultivators in Pingyang County like Hu Longhai.

This is not the first time Song Qingming has come to Jinshan Marketplace since reaching Foundation Establishment, so he is relatively familiar with this place. After walking around, Song Qingming strode directly into the Shuiyue Hall of the Cao family.

"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 customers at the counter, saw a Foundation Establishment cultivator coming from outside. He hurriedly threw the white-clothed man beside him to a clerk and respectfully stepped forward to welcome Song Qingming.

That white-clothed man, who did not know the situation, saw that the shopkeeper had been fine just a moment ago but suddenly changed his face and left 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 closed his mouth, standing respectfully 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 shopkeeper of Shuiyue Hall of his identity and purpose.

Hearing that Song Qingming wanted to purchase a Tier 2 mid-grade or higher magic tool, a trace of embarrassment suddenly appeared on the shopkeeper's face.

"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 Tier 2 low-grade magic tools left in the shop, all of which are boutique items carefully refined by the Clan Head. I will take them out for you to see, Senior."

Hearing this news, although Song Qingming was mentally prepared, he still felt a trace of regret. It seems that after the Taiyue Secret Realm, it is not just him who has made a fortune.

Subsequently, the shopkeeper took out a few Tier 2 low-grade magic tools, but Song Qingming did not take a fancy to any of them and had to leave and go to another shop.

After visiting several shops with Tier 2 magic tools in succession, Song Qingming still did not find a suitable magic tool he wanted. He had to return to Mount Funiu in disappointment, planning to go to the further Jiangling Marketplace to try his luck in a few days.

Just as he was about to leave Jinshan Marketplace, on the main street of the marketplace, a woman wearing a gray Daoist robe suddenly walked up with a smile and directly blocked his way.