Chapter 12 Lingxiao Sword, Water Boat

Yang Ji nodded, understanding that Jin Dafu was so readily promising because he knew the difficulty of alchemy.

If he, Yang Ji, were truly an alchemy master, Jin Dafu certainly wouldn't be offering an even split.

Now, with both Earth Fire and a pill recipe secured, purchasing a Pill Furnace and Spiritual Medicine would require a large amount of Spirit Stones, which he simply couldn't afford.

With a thought, he decided to make a trip out to sea, spend some time to obtain some resources, and amass a startup fund.

But before that, he needed to purchase a Magic Artifact first.

He then said, "Elder Jin, take me to see the Magic Artifacts."

"Oh? Brother Yang is looking to purchase a Magic Artifact?"

With a smile, Jin Dafu promptly pulled him up, "Come come, Brother, what grade of Magic Artifact do you want? I'll take you to see them."

As they walked, he said, "Our Myriad Treasures Tower has a complete range of Magic Artifact styles, swords, spears, blades, halberds, you name it."

"Take me to see the swords," said Yang Ji.

"Alright!" Jin Dafu quickly led Yang Ji to a counter and pointed to the Flying Swords inside, saying,

"Our Myriad Treasures Tower has a total of six swords: the Qingyun Sword, the Flowing Water Sword, the Lingxiao Sword, the Fixed Light Sword, the Qinghong Sword, and the Lu Rong Sword."

"Among them, the Flowing Water Sword, the Qingyun Sword, and the Lingxiao Sword are Low-grade Magical Artifacts; the Fixed Light Sword and the Lu Rong Sword are medium-grade Magical Artifacts, and the Qinghong Sword is a Superior Artifact."

"Low-grade Magical Artifacts are generally priced at one thousand Spirit Stones, medium-grade at six thousand Spirit Stones, and Superior Artifacts generally at ten thousand Spirit Stones."

As soon as Yang Ji looked at the counter, he felt waves of stern Sword Qi coming from it, and even at a distance of two body lengths, he could feel its cutting power.

The six Flying Swords were resplendent, clear and one-piece, with engravings that seemed naturally formed, obviously crafted with highly skilled techniques.

At a glance, the swords showed no flaws; one could tell that the materials used were quite extraordinary.

Due to differences in materials and internal restrictions, these swords gave him different feelings like "sharpness," "coldness," "elegance," and "heaviness."

Seeing him mesmerized by the swords, Jin Dafu smiled and suggested,

"Brother Yang, you cultivate a Water Attribute Cultivation Technique, so this Flowing Water Sword will suit you best."

"It's forged from Flowing Pattern Steel, with six restrictions placed inside. Once spiritual power is activated, Sword Qi and light flow, and its power is considerable."

But Yang Ji shook his head.

Looking at the Flowing Water Sword [Among Low-grade Magical Artifacts, it is the lower end; made of Flowing Pattern Steel, not well forged, containing impurities, insufficiently tempered, and of lower hardness. The six internal restrictions have slight flaws, causing obstructions in the flow of spiritual power.]

While the attributes of this Flowing Water Sword matched his Cultivation Technique, the flaws were too numerous; it was barely classified as a Low-grade Magical Artifact solely due to the Flowing Pattern Steel and the six restrictions. Otherwise, it would be a substandard product.

He was not impressed by this sword; it had too many defects.

He then looked towards the Qingyun Sword and the Lingxiao Sword.

The former [Among Low-grade Magical Artifacts, it is of medium quality; made from Green Metal Wood that has been soaked in medicinal solution for forty-nine days. It was then carved into a sword, highly flexible and hard to break, but the hardness is insufficient, lacking piercing power, though the six internal restrictions are intact.]

The latter [Among Low-grade Magical Artifacts, it is of the highest quality; made from Deep Sea Cold Iron, naturally carrying a chill and a sensation of sharp coldness thanks to its forging.]

[Once spiritual power is input, it activates the six sharp restrictions inside, unleashing soaring Sword Qi and compelling cold light.]

Seeing this, Yang Ji's eyes brightened, and he said to the girl behind the counter, "Show me this Lingxiao Sword."

"Certainly, Young Master," the girl nodded, wrapped her hand in a handkerchief, and carefully presented the sword.

The sword was three feet and three inches long, without any carved engravings, the whole body crystal clear, as if each inch was polished from dark ice.

Yang Ji took the Longsword, ran two fingers along the blade, and immediately felt an intense chill penetrate his fingertips.

With a flick of his fingers.

Hum!

The sword body emitted a continuous and crisp tremor, and a sharpness pierced through the blade.

"What a fine sword!" He couldn't help but murmur softly, a thread of spiritual power surged into the sword body, and instantly, three inches of sword qi hissed from the tip, piercing the air.

"I'll take this sword."

"Brother Yang, what keen sight you have. This sword is crafted by a master, and in terms of quality, it is absolutely superior among its peers."

Jin Dafu smiled, then paused before adding,

"However, the materials used are somewhat lacking. Deep Sea Cold Iron is far inferior to Flowing Pattern Steel. Even though there are six sharp prohibitions embedded inside, its sharpness and hardness are still not quite sufficient. I'm afraid it would have trouble piercing through a high-level demonic beast with a single strike. I suggest you purchase this Flowing Water Sword instead."

Although the Flowing Water Sword was made of better material, its flaws were too significant, affecting combat strength. Yang Ji inwardly rejected the idea.

"This Lingxiao Sword has the same character 'Ling' as my Ling Water Technique, quite a match. I'll choose it." Yang Ji said with a smile, paying one thousand spirit stones and then storing the flying sword inside his storage bag.

After that, Yang Ji's gaze turned towards the Water Boat, but unfortunately, he had no more spirit stones to purchase this water-traversing magic artifact.

He planned to rent an ordinary wooden boat at the dock with silver taels instead.

Seeing him look at the Water Boat, Jin Dafu frowned and said, "Brother Yang, are you planning to go on a sea adventure?"

"Yes, I plan to make a trip out to sea to gather some cultivation resources. Otherwise, where would the spirit stones come from to purchase spiritual medicines and pill furnaces?" Yang Ji said with a smile.

"But the sea is vast and dangerous. For a little cultivator at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining to rashly head out..." Jin Dafu frowned slightly, and above his head floated the words, "If you perish out at sea, who will help me guard the ship?"

Seeing the words above his head, Yang Ji really wanted to punch him. Wasn't that a curse?

He immediately laughed and said, "The ocean is vast; surely I'm not so unlucky as to encounter a great terror the moment I go out?"

"Eh! Little brother, for safety's sake, I can decide to lend you the Water Boat to use first."

Jin Dafu turned around and quickly brought out a palm-sized miniature boat from the counter, its surface water-blue, resembling Earth's submarine in the shape of a shuttle.

"Little brother, this Water Boat is among the supreme of Low-grade Magical Artifacts, valued at one thousand spirit stones. I will lend it to you first, and when you come back from your adventure with treasures, you can trade them with me, and we can deduct the cost from there, how does that sound?" Jin Dafu said.

Yang Ji looked at the Water Boat [Among Low-grade Magical Artifacts, it is supreme, with three prohibitions for speed, two for transformation, and one for defense]—it was indeed as Jin Dafu had said.

"Little brother, there are two transformation prohibitions inside this Water Boat."

"When you use it, just channel spiritual power into it, and this small boat will quickly enlarge to fit two people, resembling a shark, with a camouflaged form, capable of attracting demonic beasts and spirit fish."

"Sitting inside, you can pilot it to dive beneath the sea for exploration. And if you grow weary, you can activate the other transformation prohibition, turning it into a small boat suitable for two people to drift with the sea, which will not capsize."

"Those three speed prohibitions are for saving your life and chasing after spirit fish and demonic beasts. If you find a target, you can fully activate the prohibitions. Whether to pursue or flee will be up to your luck, little brother."

"As for the defense prohibition, I need not say more, right?"

As he spoke, Jin Dafu handed the small boat over to Yang Ji.

Yang Ji touched the fish scale patterns on the boat and then channeled spiritual power into it.

Buzz!

A faint noise was emitted, and a flash of spiritual light momentarily expanded the small boat to the size of a scaled-down submarine, placed in front of Yang Ji.

Then he changed the boat to its other form. Similarly, with a flash of spiritual light, the boat instantly transformed into a small sail-less boat.

"Not bad!" Yang Ji was very satisfied, muttering to himself that the Ship Guardian did have some uses. He then looked at Jin Dafu and said, "Then, I thank Elder Jin greatly."

"Hehe, no need to thank me, no need to thank me. For your first sea trip, it's best not to go too far. Also..."

Jin Dafu paused, pondering and said, "It's best not to get close to unfamiliar cultivators; after all, human hearts are inscrutable, and it's difficult to distinguish between good and evil. Not everyone is as genuine as I am."

[I'm really afraid that someone might stab you, and I'd have given away a Water Boat for nothing.]

"..." Yang Ji's eyes shifted slightly. Was this guy worried about me, or was he concerned about his Water Boat?