Chapter 109: The Pavilion of Artifacts

Furthermore, the spiritual energy density here was much the same as where Wei Fan resided. It almost gave He Song the feeling that he was once again visiting Wei Fan’s home. Fortunately, this was merely an illusion.

After moving all his belongings into his new residence, He Song made a few subtle adjustments to the interior. Soon, the entire small courtyard took on a fresh look, imbued with a touch of domestic warmth that set it clearly apart from Wei Fan’s dwelling. Looking at his new home once he had finished, a satisfied expression flitted across He Song’s face.

"I will likely be living here for quite a long time to come; I must ensure my security measures are properly prepared." He briefly contemplated digging a tunnel beneath the courtyard, but soon shook his head. Digging should wait until he returned from Qingyuan Immortal City. He was departing tomorrow, and he would not be able to excavate very deep in such a short time. It would be better to wait until he returned, at which point he would design a tunnel deeper than the one he had outside the immortal market. If things went awry, he could simply retreat underground.

For now, the priority was to visit the Artifact Pavilion and exchange his two low-grade artifacts—one offensive and one defensive—for mid-grade ones. With two mid-grade artifacts at his disposal and a few spiritual talismans, there would be no room for error during his trip to Qingyuan Immortal City. After storing all his goods in his new home, leaving only spiritual rice in his small storage bag, He Song stepped out of the courtyard and headed toward the Artifact Pavilion.

The Artifact Pavilion was located on the outskirts of the immortal market—or rather, one could say that almost all shops selling goods to the public were situated on the outskirts. The inner circle of the immortal market was generally accessible only to cultivators in the late stages of Qi Refining, their handmaidens, servants, or close friends. For an ordinary rogue cultivator, entering the inner circle was no easy feat. Thus, shops like the Artifact Pavilion that catered to the public were naturally located in the outer perimeter.

As he walked, He Song soon arrived at the Artifact Pavilion.

"He... ah, greetings, Senior He! Congratulations on your significant breakthrough in cultivation; Foundation Establishment is surely within reach. Please, come in and take a seat."

The moment He Song stepped into the pavilion, a figure appeared by his side. Initially, seeing a familiar face, the man had naturally started to call out "Fellow Daoist He," but halfway through the sentence, a flash of realization crossed his eyes. He hurriedly corrected himself, changing the address to "Senior He."

Two years had passed, and He Song, who had been at the sixth level of Qi Refining, had successfully reached the seventh level, becoming a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. The gap in status and cultivation between the middle and late stages of Qi Refining was immense. Realizing that He Song had broken through, the man—who had always addressed him as a peer—immediately changed his tone to one of respectful invitation.

He Song recognized this man. His name was Lü Yang, a manager at the Artifact Pavilion who possessed the same sixth-level cultivation He Song once had. Two years ago, when He Song had come to purchase his low-grade artifacts after finally accumulating enough spirit stones, it was Lü Yang who had served him. Naturally, he was the first to step forward to greet He Song today. Yet, he had not expected that in just two short years, the man who could only afford low-grade artifacts had broken through to the seventh level. Lü Yang looked at He Song with undisguised envy.

Late-stage Qi Refining! His status and standing were surely incomparable to someone like himself, who had been stuck at the middle stage for so long without a breakthrough. As far as he knew, He Song was not very old. To reach the late stage at such a young age meant he would certainly be able to attempt Foundation Establishment before the age of sixty. Even if he failed, being at the ninth level of Qi Refining would be enough to ensure a very comfortable life. And if he succeeded...

"I see. Please bring me some mid-grade artifacts; the low-grade ones I have are no longer sufficient, and I need to replace them."

Under Lü Yang’s invitation, He Song followed him to a VIP reception room. While Lü Yang respectfully poured tea, He Song stated his requirements. He had only met Lü Yang once before and was not close to him. Having no desire for small talk, he simply wanted to finish his business quickly so he could adjust his state of mind and prepare for his departure to Qingyuan Immortal City the following morning.

"Senior, please wait a moment. I shall attend to it immediately."

With He Song’s order, Lü Yang dared not show any negligence. After pouring the tea, he bowed respectfully and turned to leave. Shortly after he departed, a beautiful young woman entered the room to refill He Song’s cup. She spoke in soft, gentle tones, fearful of causing any offense. He Song was taken aback by this treatment but did not object.

He felt a quiet sigh in his heart. Back when he was in the early stages of Qi Refining, he had not even dared to enter the doors of the Artifact Pavilion. At that time, he had only dared to visit the Spirit Technique Pavilion to purchase basic spells and browse books on general cultivation knowledge. Even during his middle Qi Refining years, he had spent long periods avoiding the Artifact Pavilion, and even when visiting the Spirit Technique Pavilion, he had to carefully weigh every spirit stone he spent. Although he had become acquainted with Pin'er, a deacon at the Spirit Technique Pavilion, and had enjoyed the service of young women in the VIP rooms, the treatment he received now was entirely different from when he had come to buy low-grade artifacts at the sixth level.

Back then, Lü Yang had left him to wait on his own. Now, even though he had only just broken through, his arrival at the pavilion was met with Lü Yang’s respectful, smiling face. He was ushered into the VIP room without a single question, and whatever he requested was fetched immediately, with a beautiful girl assigned to attend to his tea. This disparity in treatment made He Song acutely aware of the link between cultivation, status, and prestige. It dawned on him that as long as his cultivation was high, doors that were previously shut would swing wide open.

It also made him realize one thing: as long as he lived long enough and his cultivation remained high, he could always enjoy the kind of comfortable life that ordinary people could hardly imagine.

"Such longevity... this is indeed the pursuit of our kind."

With this silent reflection, He Song felt his mood suddenly brighten. He had reached the late stage of Qi Refining. At the very least, within this small Zhushan Immortal Market, he was certainly among the top tier of cultivators. That being the case, beyond his daily caution, it seemed he should start living a little better.

A late-stage Qi Refining cultivator—it was not excessive to allow himself a few comforts, was it?