Chapter 368: The Mysterious Hairpin

Gao Yuyao had taken the initiative to ask him for help, but Song Qingming felt some doubt in his heart.

It stood to reason that since this Fairy Gao's cultivation was already a step higher than his and she was a disciple of a large sect like the Carefree Sect, finding a peer to help her shouldn't be difficult within the sect. There was no need to come to Song Qingming, a Foundation Establishment cultivator from a small family.

Because of this, although he was well-acquainted with her, Song Qingming did not dare to agree easily.

Gao Yuyao naturally saw Song Qingming's concern. Seeing that there was no one around, she said directly:

"Fellow Daoist Song, don't be anxious. Let me tell you the story from the beginning!"

"A few months ago, when I was performing a mission outside with several fellow disciples of the sect, I was strolling through a market and bought a hairpin magic tool from a rogue cultivator. At the time, I just thought it looked quite beautiful and didn't discover any other anomalies."

"Unexpectedly, after returning to the sect, a senior sister who has a good relationship with me saw this item and discovered that this magic tool was very special; it actually had some very rare Spirit-Blocking Sand mixed into a part of it."

"Spirit-Blocking Sand? Could it be that mineral that has the effect of shielding a cultivator's spiritual sense?" Hearing Gao Yuyao mention Spirit-Blocking Sand, a look of surprise slowly appeared on Song Qingming's face.

Spirit-Blocking Sand was a mineral generally used by high-level cultivators to refine storage magic tools. If it were in the past, Song Qingming might not have known much about it, but ever since he obtained that jade pendant space magic tool from Wang Sihai in Black Stone Valley a year ago.

In order to find a way to open it as soon as possible, Song Qingming had flipped through many classics on this subject in his spare time. He knew that many high-level cultivators liked to mix this mineral into their own space storage magic tools, which could increase the effect of shielding others' spiritual sense, preventing cultivators with higher cultivation than themselves from easily seeing the location of their storage magic tools.

If the hairpin Gao Yuyao bought really had Spirit-Blocking Sand mixed in, did that mean it was also a space storage magic tool? Thinking of this, Song Qingming naturally showed a hint of shock.

This Gao Yuyao was truly a person of excellent luck; she could obtain a space magic tool by just buying something in a market. In contrast, the jade pendant he had obtained after a life-and-death battle with that demon Xiao Huang in Black Stone Valley had been earned through hard work and nearly cost him his life.

"I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Song to know the use of Spirit-Blocking Sand. Could it be that you have also seen this kind of thing?" Gao Yuyao was somewhat surprised to hear Song Qingming's understanding of Spirit-Blocking Sand.

Song Qingming hurriedly shook his head with a smile and said, "I like to read various classics of the immortal cultivation world in my spare time, and I just happened to see it in a classic that records various minerals. I haven't actually seen this mineral."

"Spirit-Blocking Sand is generally used on storage magic tools. Could this hairpin also be a space magic tool? I didn't expect you to have such a strange encounter, obtaining this heavy treasure left behind by a Core Formation cultivator. I am truly envious."

"Fellow Daoist Song, to be honest, this item is not a true space magic tool, but a somewhat defective semi-finished product. Aside from the effect of isolating a cultivator's spiritual sense so it is not easily seen, it is exactly the same as the storage bags used by us low-level cultivators." After saying this, Gao Yuyao took an somewhat ancient-looking silver hairpin from her waist and placed it in front of Song Qingming.

Song Qingming took the mysterious hairpin and looked at it. On the surface, he didn't see anything unusual. It wasn't until he used his spiritual sense to try to attach it to the hairpin that he felt his spiritual sense clearly pass through when it touched the pearl flower on the hairpin. Only then did he discover the abnormality of this magic tool.

After using his spiritual sense to probe inside, Song Qingming discovered that it was indeed as Gao Yuyao said; the mysterious hairpin only had a small storage space at the pearl flower position, and the space inside was not as large as the space storage magic tools recorded in books. It was estimated to be just slightly larger than the storage bags used by Foundation Establishment cultivators like them.

Such a semi-finished storage magic tool could be exchanged for a few hundred spirit stones in the market, but its value was far from that of a true space storage magic tool. After returning the item to Gao Yuyao, Song Qingming's heart seemed to balance out a bit.

"As Fellow Daoist Song can see, when we opened this item at the time, because it had been placed for a long time, aside from a few cultivation technique classics, everything else was useless."

"However, besides that, we accidentally discovered a few letters left behind by the original owner in the hairpin, which allowed us to know some information about her."

"The owner of this hairpin was originally the Daoist companion of a Core Formation cultivator, and this item was a gift from her husband. The letters, besides recording some past events between the two of them, also recorded the location of the cave dwelling where they lived."

"Fellow Daoist, could it be that you want me to help you find this cave dwelling?"

Having heard this, Song Qingming gradually realized the purpose of Gao Yuyao coming to him for help this time.

Gao Yuyao nodded calmly and said, "That's right! It is indeed so. I have already agreed with the senior sister who discovered the secret of the hairpin to go find this cave dwelling together in a month. However, this is, after all, a Core Formation cultivator's cave dwelling, and our strength alone is truly not enough. So we agreed that each of us could invite one peer to accompany us. This is the purpose of my coming to you this time."

"Of course, although I took the initiative to invite you, I naturally wouldn't let you make the trip in vain. If you are willing to help, after entering the senior's cave dwelling, the spirit objects obtained will naturally be shared with you. I wonder if Fellow Daoist Song is interested in helping with this?"

Song Qingming pondered for a moment and then asked, "Fairy Gao, I have one more thing I don't understand. If you only need one peer to accompany you, wouldn't it be easier to find one in the Carefree Sect? Why would you go far to find me to help with this?"

Gao Yuyao's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and she replied with some helplessness, "Fellow Daoist Song should also know that a sect elder suddenly issued a strict order a year ago, no longer allowing sect cultivators to go deep into the Floating Cloud Mountain Range to antagonize the demon race."

"Could it be that this cave dwelling is in the Floating Cloud Mountain Range?"

After returning from Black Stone Valley, although Song Qingming hadn't left Qinghe County much, he knew something about what was happening outside and naturally had heard of this order issued by the Carefree Sect to its disciples.

Gao Yuyao gave a wry smile and said, "Fellow Daoist Song guessed correctly! This cave dwelling is indeed located in the Floating Cloud Mountain Range. Speaking of which, this matter is truly unfortunate. When I obtained this hairpin, it just so happened that some change occurred in the Floating Cloud Mountain Range, and the sect strictly ordered all disciples not to go deep into the Floating Cloud Mountain Range. Because of this, I truly found it difficult to trouble other fellow disciples, which is why I came to you, Fellow Daoist Song."

"This! Could it be that Fellow Daoist Yubai won't do?"

"Alas! That senior sister of mine is also a cautious person. She is afraid of encountering any danger while going deep into the Floating Cloud Mountain Range, so she insists that the person accompanying us must be a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. But there are not many late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators I know outside the sect, and after thinking about it, the only one I can trust is you, Fellow Daoist Song!"

Although what Gao Yuyao said seemed to have no problems, Song Qingming also knew in his heart that besides these reasons, another point might be that by asking an outsider like him who had no background for help, the price Gao Yuyao would need to pay would definitely be much lower than finding those experts within the Carefree Sect.