78: Chapter 78 Earthly Fiend Bell

The morning light had just begun to peek through, and the thin mist on Emerald Bamboo Peak had not yet dispersed.

Lin Xuan sat cross-legged on a cushion in the Quiet Room, a blank ledger spread out before him, his fingertips dipped in clear water, tracing numbers on the tabletop.

The balance of contribution points in his identity token was two thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.

He stared at this number for a good while, beginning to calculate in his mind.

"A defensive Magical Artifact is essential," he muttered to himself, tapping his fingertip on the table. "No matter how high my Physical Body strength is, I cannot tank every attack. Especially if I encounter a Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivator or a sudden attack from a Yao Beast in the future..."

The Thunder Body Refining Technique was about to reach the third level of Body Refining, which was a good thing.

However, the greatest weakness of a Body Cultivator is the lack of targeted protection against certain special attacks—such as poison, Wraiths, or large-area Spell coverage.

A good defensive Magical Artifact could make up for this shortcoming.

"It must be at least a first-grade top-tier one," Lin Xuan set his standard. "The defensive power of a Medium Grade one is no longer sufficient for me. Although a top-tier one is expensive, it can be used for a long time and is worth the investment."

He continued to calculate: "The price... according to the current market trend in the market, a first-grade top-tier defensive Magical Artifact should be between one thousand four hundred and one thousand eight hundred contribution points. Taking the median value, one thousand six hundred."

He also had to buy a barrier-breaking pill.

The transition from the third level to the fourth level of Qi Refining was a small hurdle; although he was confident in making a Breakthrough through his own accumulation, preparing a barrier-breaking pill could save a lot of time at critical moments.

"A first-grade Medium Grade barrier-breaking pill has a market price of around one hundred points. However, with the war situation being tense now, Medicinal Pill prices have generally risen, so it might cost one hundred and twenty."

Adding the two together, the budget was one thousand seven hundred and twenty.

He would still have one thousand one hundred and fifty-three points left.

Lin Xuan's gaze fell on the last item: "A flying Magical Artifact..."

This was not a necessity, but it was truly tempting.

Currently, he relied on the Wind Control Technique for short-distance flight or rented the Sect's public spirit cranes when traveling.

The former consumed Spiritual Energy, while the latter cost contribution points, and neither was fast or flexible enough.

If he had his own flying Magical Artifact, it would be much more convenient whether he was traveling, fleeing for his life, or exploring dangerous places.

"A first-grade top-tier flying Magical Artifact probably costs even more than a defensive one," Lin Xuan frowned. "One thousand five hundred to two thousand... I can't afford it right now."

He pondered for a moment and made a decision: "I will go check the market situation this time to get a clear understanding. If there is something particularly suitable, I can consider reserving it—paying in installments. Anyway, I have a stable monthly income of one thousand five or six hundred points, so I will have enough saved by next month."

Having finished his planning, Lin Xuan stood up, changed into a plain grey Outer Sect Disciple robe, and took out the leather mask he had used many times to put on.

He looked at himself in the water mirror; the person in the mirror had an ordinary appearance, the kind you couldn't find in a crowd.

He then circulated the Origin Returning Qi Concealment Formula, suppressing his outward cultivation level from the Early Stage of Qi Refining Level 3 to the Middle Stage of Level 2—this cultivation level was the most inconspicuous in the market.

"This should be enough," he said, adjusting his robes and pushing open the courtyard door.

The market on this spring morning was bustling with noise and excitement.

Shops lined both sides of the street, and the cries of vendors, the bargaining of customers, and the clanging of iron from the Artifact Refining shop in the distance were all mixed together, exuding a lively, worldly atmosphere.

Lin Xuan did not rush to the large shops but first strolled leisurely through several main streets.

Wearing his mask with his aura concealed, he looked like the most ordinary Outer Sect Disciple, stopping at various stalls to look around, occasionally asking for a price, but rarely actually buying anything.

After a round, he had a general idea in his mind.

On the price tag hanging at the entrance of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, a first-grade top-tier Black Iron Shield was priced at one thousand five hundred and fifty points, with a small note attached to the side: "Inventory is tight, purchase early."

A few defensive Magical Artifacts were displayed in the shop window of Tiangong Workshop; the cheapest one, a Golden Silk Armor, cost one thousand four hundred and eighty points.

The clerk was soliciting customers at the entrance with a loud voice: "Fellow Daoist, would you like to take a look? These are all hand-crafted by the Great Masters of the Artifact Refining Peak, and the materials are genuine! The front line is in urgent need right now; once this batch is sold out, who knows when the next batch will arrive!"

Lin Xuan listened silently, confirming his judgment in his heart—the prices had indeed risen, and the supply was tight.

As he walked past a street corner, he heard two young men wearing Inner Sect Disciple clothing talking:

"...Have you heard? The Duobao Tower is having a small auction in three days. It is said that there are a few good items that flowed out from an ancient Cultivator's Immortal Cave."

"I already knew that, and I even got an invitation! But the threshold is really high; the capital verification alone requires over one thousand five hundred points... Sigh, I'll just go to watch the excitement."

"Me too. But I heard there is a remnant of a third-grade flying Magical Artifact this time. Although it is broken, the Formation patterns on it are of great research value, and many Talisman Masters and Formation Masters are eyeing it..."

Duobao Tower auction?

Lin Xuan's footsteps paused slightly, then returned to normal, and he continued walking forward.

The auction might indeed have good things, but it was too flashy. With his net worth, he wouldn't even be able to compete at the auction, and it would be easy to expose himself. It was better not to go.

After walking around, he finally headed towards a relatively quiet street on the west side of the market.

The sign for Tiangong Pavilion hung under the eaves of a three-story wooden building.

This shop was famous for Artifact Refining, and it was said to be the property of a certain Golden Core Elder of the Artifact Refining Peak, so the product quality was guaranteed, and the prices were relatively fair.

Most importantly, there were usually not many customers here because the prices were on the high side, which was not something ordinary Outer Sect Disciples could afford.

Lin Xuan pushed the door open and entered.

The interior of the shop was simple and antique. On the red sandalwood shelves against the wall, various types of Magical Artifacts were neatly arranged: swords, spears, halberds, shields, armor, bells, and chimes—a dazzling array.

The air was filled with a faint scent of mixed metal and spiritual wood.

A middle-aged deacon who looked to be in his early forties, wearing a dark blue short jacket, was organizing a ledger behind the counter. Seeing someone enter, he raised his eyes: "What does Fellow Daoist need?"

His voice was calm, without much enthusiasm, but not cold either.

Lin Xuan walked to the counter and lowered his voice: "I would like to see some defensive Magical Artifacts, first-grade top-tier ones."

The middle-aged deacon sized him up—Qi Refining Level 2 Middle Stage, dressed ordinarily, but his tone was steady.

Although he was puzzled, he didn't ask further and nodded: "Wait a moment."

He turned around and retrieved three wooden boxes of different sizes from the shelf behind him, opening them one by one on the counter.

"There are currently three top-tier defensive Magical Artifacts in the shop."

The deacon pointed to the first wooden box, "This is the earth fiend bell. The main material is sinking iron mined from the depths of the earth vein, mixed with some mysterious magnetic stone."

"After activation, it transforms into a phantom of a bronze bell that covers the whole body, providing an additional twenty percent defensive bonus against Earth and Metal elemental attacks, and it also has a good isolation effect against intangible things like Wraiths and poisonous mists."

Inside the wooden box lay a palm-sized bronze bell, dark yellow all over.

The surface of the bell was engraved with fine patterns of mountains and rivers, with faint earthy yellow spiritual light flowing across it.

Lin Xuan reached out and picked it up. It felt heavy and solid, weighing about twenty catties.

He injected a trace of Thunder Spiritual Energy to test it. The bronze bell vibrated slightly, the patterns of mountains and rivers on the surface lit up, and a layer of faint yellow light flowed across the bell's surface.

"The defensive power is indeed solid," he evaluated in his heart.

The deacon opened the second wooden box, "This is the Star Luo Umbrella. The umbrella ribs are made from centuries-old 'Iron Wood' cores, and the canopy is woven with ice silkworm silk and star-patterned steel wire."

"After activation, the canopy rotates, capable of deflecting and dispersing attacks, especially skilled at dealing with dense Flying Sword and arrow-type attacks. It comes with a small dust-avoidance Restriction."

This was an oil-paper umbrella in a closed state. The canopy was dark blue, embroidered with star patterns in silver thread, looking quite exquisite.

Lin Xuan picked it up to try; it was very light, at most three to five catties.

He opened the umbrella; the ribs were sturdy, and it rotated quite smoothly. Injecting Spiritual Energy, the star patterns on the canopy glowed slightly, and there was a faint flow of air moving across the surface.

"Deflecting attacks, this approach is not bad," he thought to himself, "but when facing large-area Thunder or Fire Spells, the effect might not be as good as the direct tanking of the earth fiend bell."

The third wooden box contained a shield.

"The Profound Light Shield," the deacon introduced. "The main material is Black Iron, the surface is plated with a layer of secret silver, and it is engraved with three types of reinforcement Formation patterns."

"After activation, the shield can emit a Profound Light protective barrier. The range is adjustable; at the minimum, it covers oneself, and at the maximum, it can cover a radius of three zhang. Its defense is balanced, with no obvious shortcomings, but it also has no particularly outstanding strengths."

Lin Xuan carefully examined all three Magical Artifacts and asked a few questions about Spiritual Energy consumption, activation speed, and durability.

The deacon answered them one by one, very professionally, without exaggeration.

"How many contribution points for the earth fiend bell?" Lin Xuan asked finally.

"One thousand five hundred and sixty points," the deacon quoted a price. "The Star Luo Umbrella is one thousand five hundred and twenty, and the Profound Light Shield is one thousand four hundred and eighty."

Lin Xuan pondered for a moment. The Star Luo Umbrella was light and flexible, suitable for maneuvering battles;

The Profound Light Shield was standard and balanced;

The earth fiend bell had the most solid defense and came with protection against Wraiths and poisonous mists—this would be very useful for exploring dangerous places and ruins in the future.

"I will take the earth fiend bell," he made his decision.

The deacon nodded, not surprised. When many Cultivators choose defensive Magical Artifacts, the first consideration is always the toughest one.

Lin Xuan handed over his identity token. The deacon swiped it on the Formation Plate, deducting one thousand five hundred and sixty points, and the balance on the token became one thousand three hundred and thirteen.

"This is the Artifact Nourishing Formula," the deacon retrieved a pale yellow Jade Slip from under the counter and handed it over. "Heavy defensive Magical Artifacts like the earth fiend bell require a specific nourishing method to unleash their maximum power."

"Many thanks." Lin Xuan accepted the Jade Slip and the bronze bell, carefully placing them into his Storage Pouch.

Walking out of Tiangong Pavilion, he turned towards the Dan Ding Pavilion on another street.

This shop specialized in Medicinal Pills and had a good reputation. After entering, Lin Xuan directly stated that he wanted to buy a barrier-breaking pill.

The old shopkeeper behind the counter took out a white jade bottle: "First-grade Medium Grade barrier-breaking pill, one pill per bottle. Medicinal Pills are in short supply now, one hundred and twenty points."

Lin Xuan inspected the Medicinal Pill; the quality was indeed good, the medicinal fragrance was rich, and there were faint cloud patterns on the surface.

He paid the money, and his balance dropped to one thousand one hundred and ninety-three.