Chapter 25

In the western district of the imperial capital, a side road adjacent to a huge market formed the famous "treasure hunting area."

There were no orderly shops or bright display windows like in the market; instead, there were dense street stalls and some dilapidated storefronts that looked quite old. The air was filled with a strange mixture of dust, herbs, metal rust, and various unknown items. The sounds of hawking, bargaining, and even occasional disputes were endless.

The stall owners were of all kinds: some were shrewd old hands, some were pretenders who looked honest but might hide traps, and others were down-and-out cultivators truly in a hurry to sell family heirlooms. The passing crowd was even more mixed: rogue cultivators, children of small clans, and even some rich young masters dressed in decent clothes who wanted to try their luck, shuttled between the stalls, searching sharply for possible "leaks."

Mu Er (Lin Xuan), who had transformed into an ordinary green-robed rogue cultivator, was currently strolling through this hustle and bustle. He looked around casually, his gaze sweeping over the strange-shaped ores, herbs stained with mud, rusted weapons, and various incomplete jade slips and ancient books.

His spiritual sense was like an invisible tentacle, meticulously scanning every item he was interested in. But more often, he was silently chanting in his heart:

"System, deep scan the third black stone from the left on this stall."

"System, deep scan that broken sword."

"System, deep scan that old wooden box in the corner."

【Ding! Consuming 0.5% energy, deep scan complete: Obsidian, contains a small amount of impurities, low value.】

【Ding! Consuming 0.5% energy, deep scan complete: Profound Iron broken sword, spiritual nature lost, a piece of ordinary iron.】

【Ding! Consuming 0.5% energy, deep scan complete: Century-old camphor wood box, empty inside, the box body has a slight calming effect, average value.】

After scanning more than a dozen stalls and dozens of items that looked interesting, the results were mostly disappointing. They were either worthless junk or items whose value matched the marked price, or even pitfall items whose marked price far exceeded their actual value.

Nearly 5% of his energy had been consumed, yet he had gained nothing. Lin Xuan couldn't help but feel a bit of heartache; this "treasure hunting" was indeed not that easy.

"It seems I need to change my thinking; I can't cast a wide net, I need to find those things whose aura is most obscure, most inconspicuous, or whose description is most vague." Lin Xuan summarized his experience and adjusted his strategy.

He slowed his pace, no longer pursuing quantity, but paying more attention to perceiving the indescribable "charm" emitted by the items.

In a corner, in front of the stall of an old man in rags curled up and dozing, Lin Xuan stopped. This stall was unusually deserted, with a few things placed casually on it: a piece of stone tablet covered in moss that looked like it had just been fished out from the bottom of a river, half a charred wooden stick, a chipped pottery jar, and a few copper coins whose patterns were almost invisible due to rust.

These things looked no better than trash.

But Lin Xuan's gaze fell on the half-charred wooden stick. This wooden stick had no spiritual energy fluctuations, and he couldn't even feel any wood grain, just like charcoal residue left over after being struck by lightning and burned for days and nights. But for some reason, when his spiritual sense swept over it, the system energy fluctuated slightly.

"System, deep scan that half-charred wooden stick!" Lin Xuan's heart stirred.

【Ding! Consuming 1% energy, deep scanning... Analyzed a weak sealing force field and residual high-concentration life essence inside... Scan interfered with... Preliminary judgment: Phoenix Wood (remains of failed nirvana), contains a trace of undying vitality, can be used to refine high-rank life-extending elixirs or cultivate special spirit plants. Value: Extremely high!】

Phoenix Wood! Remains of failed nirvana! A trace of undying vitality!

Lin Xuan's heart jumped violently! This was the legendary divine wood! Even if it was just the remains of a failed nirvana, its value was immeasurable! Especially that trace of undying vitality, which was simply a priceless treasure for some old monsters whose lifespan was coming to an end!

He suppressed the excitement in his heart, kept his face calm, squatted down, picked up the stone tablet fragment to look at it, weighed the copper coins, and finally, as if inadvertently, picked up the half-charred wooden stick.

"Old man, how much for this thing?" Lin Xuan shook the wooden stick, his tone casual.

The dozing old man opened his turbid eyes, glanced at the wooden stick, and said listlessly: "One thousand low-grade spirit stones, no bargaining."

One thousand low-grade spirit stones? For a piece of "trash," this was simply an astronomical price! No wonder no one asked about it.

But Lin Xuan knew that the true value of this thing was probably more than a million spirit stones!

He frowned, pretending to think it was expensive, put down the wooden stick, and picked up the broken pottery jar: "What about this?"

"Three hundred."

"Too expensive." Lin Xuan shook his head, making a move to leave.

"Hey, little friend, don't be in such a hurry to leave." The old man seemed not to want to lose a customer completely, "If you are sincere about wanting them, I'll bundle these items for you for one thousand two hundred spirit stones!"

Lin Xuan laughed inwardly; his target was the wooden stick, and the others were just extras. He showed a struggling expression on his face, and finally, as if he had made a great determination: "One thousand! Just one thousand spirit stones! Not a single one more! I just think the shape of this wooden stick is strange and want to take it back to study; maybe it can be used as a fire poker."

The old man sized Lin Xuan up a few times. Seeing that he was dressed ordinarily and his cultivation was only "Qi Refinement Stage" (Lin Xuan's disguise), he didn't seem like a rich person. He hesitated for a moment, but finally waved his hand: "Fine, fine, consider it my loss, one thousand is one thousand, take it."

Lin Xuan was ecstatic inwardly, but on the surface, he had a pained expression, slowly counted out one thousand low-grade spirit stones to give to the old man, and then carefully put the "junk," including the half-charred Phoenix Wood remains, into his storage bag (ordinary style, to hide from others).

The transaction was completed, and Lin Xuan turned and left immediately, without the slightest hesitation.

The old man looked at Lin Xuan's departing back, a trace of doubt flashing in his turbid eyes, but seeing the one thousand spirit stones in his hand, he shook his head, continued to curl up and doze, just thinking he had met a sucker.

After walking a long way and turning into an empty alley, Lin Xuan couldn't help but clench his fist hard!

He made a huge profit! One thousand spirit stones to buy Phoenix Wood remains of immeasurable value! This was a huge blood profit!

【Ding! Detected that the host successfully picked up the leak of "Phoenix Wood remains," luck slightly increased! Gained 5000 slack-off points!】

【Ding! Achieved the "Wise Eyes Recognize Pearls" achievement!】

Sure enough, picking up leaks could also increase luck and gain rewards!

The first battle was a success, and Lin Xuan's confidence greatly increased. He continued to stroll in the treasure hunting area, searching more patiently.

Next, relying on the deep scan, he picked up a piece of stubborn iron containing "Geng Metal Essence" at a very low price, as well as an ancient jade slip recording some kind of niche escape technique (although incomplete, it had reference value). Although not as precious as the Phoenix Wood remains, it was a real gain, and he could make several or even a dozen times the profit by reselling it.

Nearly 10% of his energy was consumed, but the gains far exceeded the cost.

Just as he was about to leave the treasure hunting area contentedly, his gaze swept over a stall, and his footsteps paused.

On that stall, there was a pile of bones, fur, teeth, and other materials of various exotic beasts, looking like a stall specializing in handling exotic beast materials. But next to that pile of materials, a stone the size of a palm, pitch black, covered with irregular holes on the surface, like a honeycomb, was thrown casually.

This stone had no spiritual energy fluctuations and looked like an ordinary volcanic stone.

However, when Lin Xuan's spiritual sense swept over it, the system prompt actually appeared again!

【Warning! Detected high-concentration spatial fluctuation residue! Deep scan recommended!】

Spatial fluctuation? Lin Xuan's heart stirred.

"System, deep scan that black honeycomb stone!"

【Ding! Consuming 2% energy, deep scanning... Analyzed a stable spatial structure inside... Judgment: Void Stone (fragment), contains a stable micro-dimensional space (about one cubic meter), can be used to refine high-rank storage magic treasures or spatial magic tools. Value: High!】

Void Stone! Contains dimensional space!

Lin Xuan's eyes lit up again! This was the core material for refining high-rank storage magic treasures such as storage rings and spatial bracelets! And this fragment contained a stable one-cubic-meter space inside, which was simply tailored for him! He was just complaining that the system space and ordinary storage bags were not enough!

He suppressed his excitement, walked to the stall, first asked about the prices of several common exotic beast materials, and finally asked casually: "What is this black stone? It looks quite special."

The stall owner was a man with a dark complexion. He glanced at the stone and said in a muffled voice: "Don't know, picked it up from the nest of a Rift-Space Beast, it's very hard, can't even be melted by artifact refining. You want it? Take it for fifty spirit stones."

Fifty spirit stones! To buy a Void Stone fragment with a one-cubic-meter space! How was this different from giving it away for free?

Lin Xuan almost couldn't help but take out the money directly, but still habitually bargained: "Thirty! I'll just take it to play with."

The dark-faced man also seemed to think the stone took up space, so he waved his hand: "Fine, take it, take it."

Lin Xuan paid thirty spirit stones nimbly, put this inconspicuous Void Stone fragment into his pocket, and his heart was filled with joy.

Coming to this treasure hunting area today was truly the right choice!

Carrying his rich harvest, Lin Xuan left the bustling treasure hunting area, ready to return to the Four Seas Pavilion to study today's spoils, especially the Phoenix Wood remains and the Void Stone fragment.

He walked on the road back to the Four Seas Pavilion, in a pleasant mood, feeling that the air in the imperial capital was much fresher.

However, just as he passed through a relatively quiet street, several figures walked out from the alley entrances in front and behind with ill intent, vaguely surrounding him in the middle.

The leader had a scar on his face, fierce eyes, and his aura was clearly at the late Foundation Establishment stage. He stared at Lin Xuan, or rather, at the bulging storage bag at Lin Xuan's waist, and licked his lips:

"Kid, you had quite a harvest in the treasure hunting area? We brothers are a bit tight on money recently, can you lend us some spirit stones to spend?"

Lin Xuan looked at these rogue cultivators who had clearly targeted him as a "Qi Refinement Stage fat sheep," and instead of being afraid, he laughed.

Just right, he had just obtained treasures and was in a good mood, why not use them to test his Golden Core stage skills?

(Chapter 25 End)