Chapter 522: The Treasure Pavilion Owner's Decision, A Visit

Chapter 522: The Treasure Pavilion Owner's Decision, A Visit

When Master Wang pointed at the alluring woman, her mind was still in a daze.

She had heard every word of Master Wang’s conversation clearly.

Especially when she heard that the Thunderstrike Talisman was likely the work of a Master Alchemist, her head buzzed with shock.

She never imagined that the talisman she had casually acquired would have such a significant origin!

"Ziyuan, did you acquire this jade talisman?"

The Treasure Pavilion Owner’s gaze fell on the alluring woman.

The others also turned to look at her.

Feeling the Owner’s gaze, the alluring woman snapped back to her senses.

She replied with some trepidation, "Reporting to the Owner, this Thunderstrike Talisman was indeed acquired by me today. The seller was a Core Formation Realm True Person."

"A Core Formation Realm True Person?"

The Treasure Pavilion Owner’s thoughts stirred upon hearing this.

Her eyes gently closed as her mind delved into the array formation within the Treasure Pavilion, as if sensing something.

After a while, she opened her eyes and waved her hand, causing a phantom image to appear before everyone.

It showed the scene of the alluring woman conversing with Lu Qing.

"Is this the Core Formation Realm True Person?"

"Yes", the alluring woman replied respectfully. "This Core Formation Realm True Person came to sell a talisman. After testing it with a magical artifact, I found it to be a relatively rare Core Formation Realm lightning attribute talisman, so I bought it for 120 lower-grade Spirit Stones. Later, when I was delivering it to the treasure vault, I encountered Master Wang, who recognized the extraordinary nature of the talisman and took it for research and appraisal."

"Only 120 lower-grade Spirit Stones?"

Everyone was taken aback by the price.

Not because it was high, but because it was too low.

After all, Master Wang and the others believed that this talisman was at least the work of a Master Alchemist.

Such a talisman had significant meaning, not just for its collectible value, but also for its profound insights.

Especially for other alchemists, it was invaluable.

If they could understand even a fraction of the Master Alchemist’s technique, it would be a tremendous gain.

If such a Master Alchemist’s talisman were to appear at an auction, the starting price would be at least a thousand Spirit Stones. Now, Ziyuan was saying she had bought it for 120 Spirit Stones?

"Owner, I didn’t intend to lowball the price", the alluring woman said nervously. "I didn’t know it was the work of a Master Alchemist. I followed the Treasure Pavilion’s rules and offered the standard price. After consulting with the Core Formation Realm True Person, he agreed. Even when I asked if he wanted to consign it, he refused."

The alluring woman knew that the Owner always cared deeply about the Treasure Pavilion’s reputation and did not tolerate any unfair treatment of customers.

"No matter. Even Master Qiu and the others couldn’t recognize the profound nature of this talisman at first, so it’s normal that you didn’t see it either. Since the other party agreed to the price, there’s no issue."

The Treasure Pavilion Owner waved her hand, not blaming Ziyuan.

Although she valued the Treasure Pavilion’s reputation, business ultimately focused on profit.

Since the other party had no objection to the price, it couldn’t be considered unfair treatment.

However...

"This Core Formation Realm True Person was willing to sell this talisman at such a low price. Could it be that he doesn’t know its true value?"

The Treasure Pavilion Owner couldn’t help but ask.

"Very likely. Otherwise, how could a Master Alchemist’s work be sold so easily?" Master Qiu nodded in agreement.

"Gentlemen, the key is not this!"

At that moment, Master Wang spoke with some urgency.

"The key is that the technique used to refine this talisman is very special, different from the unique techniques of the Master Alchemists we know!"

Everyone was stunned, their bodies shaking.

The Treasure Pavilion Owner’s eyes brightened, and she said eagerly, "Master Wang, are you saying that the entity who refined this talisman might be a newly ascended Master Alchemist?"

"Even if not a newly ascended Master Alchemist, it must be a Master Alchemist we’ve never heard of. The refinement technique of this talisman is very innovative, seemingly a unique school, different from the schools we know. I suspect he might be a Master Alchemist from another world. Owner, this could be an opportunity for our Treasure Pavilion."

Master Wang nodded.

He had spent the most time studying the Thunderstrike Talisman and was the most qualified to speak on it.

The Treasure Pavilion Owner fell silent, tapping her fingers, as if deep in thought.

She naturally understood what Master Wang meant.

If it was indeed a Master Alchemist from another world, it would be good news for their Treasure Pavilion.

Although their Treasure Pavilion was powerful in the Xiaocang World and one of the top trading companies, this could be a new opportunity.

But all along, their sales of talisman treasures have lagged behind those of the other top trading companies.

The reason for this is that their Treasure Pavilion lacks a master talisman crafter.

Their foundation in high-end talisman treasures is weaker compared to other trading companies.

If they could recruit this mysterious master talisman crafter who suddenly appeared, it would help fill their gap.

In the future, they might even be able to surpass the other trading companies.

Seeing the Pavilion Master deep in thought, the others fell silent, waiting for her decision.

Even Master Qi, who usually doesn’t get along with Master Wang, didn’t dare to interrupt her thoughts.

Don’t be fooled by the Pavilion Master’s Sixth Golden Core cultivation; her background is extremely mysterious.

It’s said that she is a concubine of a powerful figure from the Tianyuan Great World.

So even though her cultivation isn’t the strongest in the Treasure Pavilion, no one dares to defy her orders.

After some thought, the Pavilion Master suddenly spoke, “These are still just speculations. We don’t know if the person who crafted this talisman is truly a master talisman crafter.

Even if it is a master’s work, we can’t say for sure that the master is in the Xiaocang World.

It’s more likely that this talisman was brought in from the outside.

Or perhaps it was obtained from some ancient relic cave.

Didn’t that Core Formation Realm True Person sell this talisman for just 120 low-grade spirit stones, not knowing its true value?”

“It’s unlikely that it came from an ancient relic cave.

When I studied this talisman earlier, I found that it lacks the ancient, time-worn aura of old talisman treasures.

The lightning fuwen within this talisman is still very lively, clearly indicating it was recently crafted.

And it was crafted no more than a month ago.”

Master Wang provided another piece of information.

“Crafted no more than a month ago?”

Indeed, upon hearing this, the Pavilion Master was visibly shaken.

If that’s true, it suggests that the person who crafted this talisman, even if not in the Xiaocang World, is likely in a nearby small world.

With this thought, the Pavilion Master finally made up her mind.

“It’s rare for a new master talisman crafter to appear. This is indeed an opportunity for our Treasure Pavilion, and we shouldn’t miss it.

Master Wang, based on your observations, how should we go about finding this mysterious master talisman crafter?”

“The Core Formation Realm True Person who came to sell the talisman is the key. If we can find out the origin of this talisman from him, things should be much easier.”

Master Wang suggested.

“Very well. Since that’s the case, Master Wang, you will handle this matter. Remember to treat everyone with respect and don’t tarnish our Treasure Pavilion’s reputation.

If you can find out where the master talisman crafter is, I will personally pay a visit.”

The Pavilion Master made her final decision.

“As you wish, Pavilion Master.”

Master Wang was overjoyed and bowed respectfully.

The others all looked on with envy.

Master Qi, in particular, felt a surge of jealousy.

They all knew that if this matter was successfully handled, Master Wang would earn a significant favor with the Pavilion Master.

The rewards would likely be substantial.

How could this old man be so lucky to get such an opportunity!

Master Qi couldn’t help but feel resentful.

He already had a competitive relationship with this old man, and now he would fall even further behind.

However, despite his jealousy, Master Qi didn’t show it, and he didn’t dare to try to sabotage the plan.

He knew the Pavilion Master’s temper. Although she usually treats them with respect and is gentle in her demeanor, she is very strict about the rules.

If anyone dares to violate her rules, the punishment is severe.

There was once a person who broke the rules and did something that damaged the Treasure Pavilion’s reputation.

It’s said that this person is still imprisoned in the Treasure Pavilion’s underground dungeon, suffering day and night.

So even if Master Qi had any malicious thoughts, he didn’t dare to act on them.

Moreover, he was also very curious about the person who could craft such a marvelously intricate talisman.

What kind of person could create such a talisman?

…

In the early morning, Lu Qing, who had been meditating on a cushion, opened his eyes.

His eyes were clear and bright.

Beside him, Xiao Li and Wu Xing were also lying down, meditating.

“Truly, a Premier Room for ten low-grade spirit stones a day. If I could cultivate here for a month or two, I might directly advance to the Fourth Golden Core Realm.”

Feeling the dense spirit qi in the room, which remained strong even after a night of cultivation, Lu Qing sighed.

He had been stuck in the Third Stage Perfection of the Golden Core for a long time.

The quality of spirit qi in his home world was insufficient to help him break through his bottleneck, causing his cultivation to stagnate for over a decade.

However, after just one night of cultivation in the premier room of this inn, he began to feel that the bottleneck that had plagued him for over a decade was showing signs of loosening.

If he continued to stay in this premier room, it wouldn’t take long before he could break through and officially enter the Fourth Golden Core Realm.

Even though both were small worlds, the disparity between his home world, which was still in the process of recovery, and Xiaocang World was evident.

Moreover, Lu Qing had already gathered information.

Small worlds like Xiaocang World, which relied on Tianyuan Great World, would not suffer the periodic spirit qi depletion that his home world experienced every few tens of thousands of years.

Unless there was a problem with Tianyuan Great World, it would remain in its peak state indefinitely.

“While cultivation in this premier room could help me break through, the cost-effectiveness is too low, making it only a backup option.”

Lu Qing thought for a moment and ultimately shook his head.

The premier room required ten low-grade spirit stones per day, which was a significant expense.

If he were to stay for one or two months, the spirit stones he had would fall far short.

“I’ve heard that in Canglan City, there are genuine cultivation caves available for rent, but I wonder how high the prices would be.”

However, Lu Qing only pondered this. He was already struggling to afford a premier room in an ordinary inn, let alone a cultivation cave.

“I’m still too poor. There’s been no response from the Treasure Pavilion. Could it be that the Thunderstrike Talisman doesn’t meet their standards?

That doesn’t make sense. Merchants seek profit, and the Treasure Pavilion should recognize the value of the Thunderstrike Talisman.”

Lu Qing mused to himself.

After selling the Thunderstrike Talisman yesterday, he had returned to the inn and waited for a response from the Treasure Pavilion.

Unexpectedly, he waited almost the entire day without any reaction from them.

This made him doubt whether his plan had any merit.

“It seems I was too confident. After all, this is a small world near Tianyuan Great World, and Xiaocang World has intricate ties with Tianyuan Great World.

Many legacies have been passed down from Tianyuan Great World, and the art of talisman making is undoubtedly profound. It’s not surprising that they find my Thunderstrike Talisman unimpressive.”

Thinking this, Lu Qing couldn’t help but feel disheartened.

The Thunderstrike Talisman he sold to the Treasure Pavilion was intended as a test to see if he could collaborate with them.

After all, the cost of producing Thunderstrike Talismans was low, and if he wanted to mass-produce and sell them, it would inevitably affect some people’s interests.

As a newcomer with limited resources, Lu Qing didn’t want to be too high-profile.

His ultimate goal in coming to Xiaocang World was to enter Tianyuan Great World.

If he offended certain forces, it could hinder his objectives.

The best approach was to affiliate himself with a powerful faction to reduce risks.

That’s why he had tried to use the Thunderstrike Talisman as a test.

To see if he could attract the attention of the Treasure Pavilion and collaborate with them.

Now, it seemed he had been overly optimistic.

What he considered an advantage was likely insignificant to the Treasure Pavilion.

Perhaps they simply didn’t care about such minor gains.

“It seems I’ll have to try my luck with other trading companies.”

Lu Qing sighed.

In Canglan City, there were two other trading companies that were on par with the Treasure Pavilion.

However, their reputations were not as good as the Treasure Pavilion’s, so they were not his first choice.

But since the Treasure Pavilion had not responded, he had to consider other options.

If these trading companies also showed no interest in collaboration, he would have no choice but to go it alone.

Of course, if multiple trading companies showed no interest in the Thunderstrike Talisman, it would mean that the risks of going solo were not as high, which could be a good sign.

After thinking this through, Lu Qing took out two more spirit stones and prepared to produce two more Thunderstrike Talismans.

Before long, after Lu Qing had inscribed and refined the two new Thunderstrike Talismans and was about to head out with Xiaoli, a wave of array formation energy came from outside the door.

Someone was knocking.

The premier room was protected by an array formation that not only prevented disturbances but also shielded from prying eyes.

After all, those who could afford to stay here were all highly cultivated individuals.

Without the array formation, even a casual Soul Perception could reveal what was happening in the neighboring rooms.

Once the defensive array formation was activated, the inn staff could only call to the guests through a special small array formation set up outside the door.

Lu Qing deactivated the defensive array formation and opened the door.

He saw the inn boy standing outside, his face full of flattery.

“Sir, there are a few seniors outside who wish to meet you.”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end