22: Chapter 22 The Trip to the Market and Unexpected Gains

He tightly suppressed his newly born Foundation Establishment Stage spiritual power, disguising it as that of the seventh or eighth layer of the Qi Refinement Stage.

This level of cultivation was not low among Loose Cultivators, enough to protect himself, yet not enough to attract unnecessary attention in a small place like a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator would.

A wide bamboo hat was pulled over his head, and the black veil hanging down obscured his features, making them blurry.

From the seventy-plus Low-Grade Spirit Stones, he counted out sixty, and together with the list full of names of Materials, handed them to Old Zhou, who had been waiting nearby.

He only kept ten in a hidden pocket close to his body for emergencies.

The Low Grade sword obtained from Outer Sect Deacon Wang Heng was wrapped in coarse cloth and carried on his back, looking just like an ordinary iron rod.

"Take this."

Su Qingyao's voice came from behind, carrying a trace of imperceptible hoarseness.

She had clearly not slept all night either.

Lin Chen turned around and saw her handing him three sachets carefully wrapped in oil paper and a small jade bottle.

"This is soul-disrupting incense. I mixed in some rice husk powder from the silver-thread rice; perhaps it can make the smoke thicker and better at disturbing people's vision." She whispered, explaining, and then stuffed the jade bottle into his arms. "Inside are two Qi Recovery Pills. I refined them using leftover scraps. Although the medicinal power is far inferior to the Rejuvenation Pill, it can help you quickly recover a bit of spiritual power in a crisis."

Lin Chen took them, the sachets and jade bottle still retaining the residual warmth of her fingertips.

His gaze passed over her shoulder to the small cradle in the room. His daughter, Lin Leyao, was sleeping soundly, her small mouth slightly open, emitting steady breathing sounds.

This small courtyard was everything he needed to protect with his life now.

"Take care of the home." His voice was very low but exceptionally clear. "I will return within three days."

Su Qingyao nodded vigorously. She didn't say any reminders like "be careful," but her hands, unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes, had knuckles turned white from the force.

Outside the courtyard gate, A-Tu had already driven a donkey cart rented from the town's carriage firm to the entrance.

The cart had been specially chosen; both the axle and the cart board were reinforced with iron sheets, enough to handle the rugged mountain roads.

"Let's go." Lin Chen signaled to Old Zhou and was the first to step onto the donkey cart.

Old Zhou followed closely, skillfully taking the position of the driver.

A-Tu stood at the gate, waving vigorously until the donkey cart turned the corner of the alley in the morning mist and was no longer visible.

The donkey cart jolted forward on the potholed mountain road, the wheels crushing gravel and making a "creak, creak" sound.

On both sides of the road were continuous barren mountains, the grass and trees withered and yellow. Apart from a few wild birds startled occasionally, there was no sign of life.

After traveling for most of the day, the sun had risen to the top of their heads, scorching the earth.

Just when Lin Chen thought this road had no end, the outline of a chaotic collection of buildings finally appeared at the corner of the mountain col ahead.

That was Qingyan Market.

Rather than a market, it was more like a temporarily constructed gathering point.

Several rows of crooked wooden houses and dilapidated tents were squeezed together haphazardly. In the middle, on a stone-paved road that could barely be called a street, dozens of stalls were scattered.

The flow of people was sparse. Most of those walking between the stalls were ragged Loose Cultivators with sallow complexions.

Lin Chen scanned with his Divine Sense. These people's cultivation levels were generally not high; the vast majority were below the fourth or fifth layer of the Qi Refinement Stage. He rarely even saw the seventh layer of the Qi Refinement Stage that he was disguised as.

"Master, this is Qingyan Market." Old Zhou parked the donkey cart in an open space outside the market and introduced in a low voice, "It's a trading point spontaneously formed by Loose Cultivators from several nearby small towns. There's nothing good, but the advantage is that no one manages it and the rules are loose. Occasionally, those with good luck can pick up leaks from newcomers who don't know the ropes."

Lin Chen nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the entire market.

He noticed that in front of a wooden house at the entrance of the market, an old man wearing a standard gray robe was sitting, his cultivation at the seventh layer of the Qi Refinement Stage, closing his eyes to rest.

His aura was dense and indifferent to everything around him, like a stone statue.

Only when two Loose Cultivators in the distance argued over the price of an Ore and were about to fight did he open his eyes and glance coldly. The two immediately fell silent and left dejectedly.

It seemed this was the market's order keeper.

"Let's split up to act; it will be faster." Lin Chen handed the list to Old Zhou. "You buy according to the list, and I'll take a look around."

The two split up and walked into the market.

Old Zhou was clearly a regular here, navigating through the various stalls with familiarity, bargaining with the stall owners.

Lin Chen paced unhurriedly, seemingly browsing the crude goods casually, while actually taking in everything around him.

The Materials on the list were not rare.

"Qinggang Stone," "Spiritual Plant Powder," "First-Grade Blank Formation Flag"... These basic Materials for setting up a First-Grade Spirit Gathering Array were bought by Old Zhou one after another at several different stalls.

The price was 20% higher than Lin Chen had expected, but it was still within an acceptable range.

The entire market was indeed, as Old Zhou said, without a single Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator.

Here, the Late Stage of the Qi Refinement Stage was already considered a top-tier existence, enough to command awe.

Lin Chen stopped in a remote corner.

Behind the stall, a thin, withered old man with high cheekbones was dozing off against a mottled wall, his mouth half-open, revealing a few yellow teeth.

On the tattered cloth in front of him were scattered a few dull-colored Ores, several Spiritual Plants with wilted leaves, and a pile of bottles, jars, and rusty ironware of unknown use.

Lin Chen's gaze, however, was attracted by a piece of animal skin at the edge of the stall.

It was a dark yellow piece of animal skin only the size of a palm, with scorched black marks on the edges from being burned by fire, yet the texture appeared exceptionally tough.

On the surface of the animal skin, some twisted and messy lines were drawn with some kind of long-dried dark red pigment, along with several strange patterns that looked like characters or symbols.

The moment his gaze fell upon it, the rough stone ring on his right thumb transmitted an extremely weak, almost imperceptible warmth.

The feeling flashed and disappeared, but the target it pointed to was exactly that inconspicuous piece of animal skin.

His heart stirred, but he remained calm on the surface.

He bent down, not touching the animal skin directly, but picking up an Ore the size of a fist, covered in rust-colored spots, next to it.

"Old man, how much for this Iron Essence Ore?"

The dozing old man was startled awake, lifted his drooping eyelids, lazily glanced at the Ore in Lin Chen's hand, and stretched out three withered fingers.

"Three Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Lin Chen frowned: "Too expensive. This quality is worth at most one."

As he spoke, he seemingly casually poked that piece of animal skin with his finger, as if just counting the sundries on the stall.

"This pile of junk, plus this, one Spirit Stone."

The old man glanced at that animal skin, his mouth curling into a sneer: "Fine. That piece of trash, I don't know which dead man's cave it was picked up from; it's drawn like ghost symbols, too hard even for wiping one's butt. If you want it, take it as an add-on."

Lin Chen said no more, took out a Low-Grade Spirit Stone from his bosom and threw it on the stall, put the Iron Essence Ore and the animal skin into his sleeve, and turned to leave.

An hour later, Lin Chen and Old Zhou reunited by the donkey cart, and the Materials on the list had been purchased.

Old Zhou had a hint of joy on his face; clearly, this purchase went smoother than he expected.

The two drove the donkey cart and slowly left Qingyan Market.

The mountain road was still desolate, and the afternoon sun stretched their shadows long.

When the donkey cart reached a narrow section with steep mountain walls on both sides, Lin Chen suddenly pulled the reins and shouted in a low voice: "Stop!"

The donkey let out an uneasy whinny and stopped.

Old Zhou was about to ask, but saw two men holding iron rods with their faces covered in black cloth standing in the middle of the road twenty steps ahead.

Both of their cultivation levels were at the fifth or sixth layer of the Qi Refinement Stage, their eyes fierce, staring at them with malicious intent.

Almost at the same time, a rustling sound came from the woods behind, and two more masked men walked out, blocking their retreat.

The four men formed an encirclement.

"Kid, you were pretty lavish in the market." The leader's voice was hoarse as he approached step by step. "If you're sensible, leave the things on the cart and the Spirit Stones on your body, and we might spare your lives."

Old Zhou's face turned deathly pale. He subconsciously gripped the woodcutter's knife at his waist, his palms full of cold sweat.

He recognized them; these were a few Loose Cultivators who had been wandering in the market, their eyes looking at people like hungry wolves.

Lin Chen was exceptionally calm. He slowly took off the bamboo hat, revealing a plain, unremarkable young face.

He did not speak, simply completely releasing the spiritual power he had been suppressing in his body.

A Spiritual Pressure far exceeding the Qi Refinement Stage, heavy as a mountain, centered on him, roared out like an invisible tide!

The air seemed to become viscous at this moment. The savage grins on the faces of the four robbers instantly froze, replaced by a kind of horror and fear originating from the depths of their Souls.

"Foundation... Foundation Establishment Senior?!"

The leader's legs went soft, and he exclaimed, his voice changing pitch.

He could never have imagined that this young man, who looked like a fat sheep, was actually a Foundation Establishment Stage expert!

His mind was blank, and the only thought was to escape!

Without thinking, he turned and wanted to use his movement technique to flee.

But, it was too late.

Lin Chen's figure was like a ghost; with just a flash, he appeared silently in front of him.

The sword wrapped in coarse cloth was still unsheathed. Lin Chen just held the hilt and, in the man's terrified gaze, lightly pointed at his chest.

"Bang!"

A muffled sound.

The man was hit head-on as if by an invisible giant hammer, and the sound of his chest bone collapsing was clearly audible.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flew backward like a broken sack, hit the mountain wall seven or eight meters away heavily, slid to the ground, and his life or death was unknown.

The remaining three were so scared that their Souls flew away and spirits scattered. With a few "thumps," they knelt on the ground, kowtowing like pounding garlic.

"Senior, spare our lives! Senior, spare our lives! We were blind and didn't recognize a great person!"

Lin Chen's cold gaze swept over them, and he didn't attack again.

He stepped forward slowly, and under the terrified gaze of the three, he took away all the few Low-Grade Spirit Stones and some miscellaneous items on their bodies.

Afterward, he lifted a foot and accurately kicked one of them in the Dantian Qi Sea.

The man let out a shrill scream, his entire body's spiritual power flowing away like a sluice gate, instantly becoming a waste person.

"Get lost." Lin Chen's voice was as cold as ice. "If I see you near Black Stone Town again, you die."

The remaining two felt as if they had been granted amnesty. They scrambled to lift their unconscious companion and the companion whose cultivation had been ruined, and fled into the mountain forest without looking back, extremely wretched.

Not until the backs of those men completely disappeared did Old Zhou come back to his senses from his stiffness and let out a long breath of turbid air.

The look in his eyes when he looked at Lin Chen had changed from the initial respect to complete and utter awe.

Lin Chen put on the bamboo hat again, suppressing his aura back to the level of the Qi Refinement Stage, as if that thunderous blow just now was not his doing.

"Let's go." He said indifferently and sat back on the cart.

In the evening, the sunset glow dyed the entire Black Stone Town in a warm orange-red, and the reinforced donkey cart finally appeared at the gate of the Lin Family mansion.

Su Qingyao was holding her daughter, having waited at the door for a long time.

When she saw the donkey cart and the two people on it safe and sound, her tense shoulders finally relaxed, and her whole person seemed to have unloaded an invisible heavy burden.

Lin Chen didn't say much, just moved the large and small bags of Materials back into the Meditation Room.

He didn't even have time to drink water before closing the door and immediately starting to set up the First-Grade Low Grade Spirit Gathering Array.

This was a process far more tedious than he had imagined.

He had to use spiritual power to precisely polish the hard Qinggang Stone into palm-sized array base stones with specific curvatures according to the diagrams given by the System, and then use a fine spiritual power carving knife to carve hair-thin runes on them.

Then, he mixed the Spiritual Plant powder with a special adhesive and applied it evenly into the grooves of the array base stones.

Finally, he embedded the eight processed array base stones under the floor of the Meditation Room according to the Eight Trigrams positions, and carefully placed a Low-Grade Spirit Stone in the center groove of each array base stone.

When he inserted the last blank Formation Flag into the array eye position in the very center of the Meditation Room and injected a trace of spiritual power as a primer—

The air in the entire Meditation Room trembled slightly.

A faint light lit up on the eight array base stones, forming a circulating whole.

Lin Chen could clearly feel that the thin, wandering Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi outside the courtyard seemed to have received some kind of invisible traction, and was slowly and continuously gathering toward the Meditation Room at a speed several times faster than before.

The concentration of Spiritual Qi in the Meditation Room was obviously about 20% higher than the outside in just a quarter of an hour.

It succeeded!

Lin Chen breathed out a breath of turbid air exhaustedly.

Although it was only the most rudimentary First-Grade Low Grade Spirit Gathering Array, with accumulation over time, it was enough to raise his cultivation speed by a notch.

Only then did he finally have free time to take out the piece of animal skin he had picked up at Qingyan Market from the Storage Pouch.

Under the candlelight, he examined it carefully.

The messy lines and strange symbols still showed no clue.

He tried to input spiritual power into it, but the animal skin was like a stubborn stone, with no reaction at all.

He tried to burn it with candle fire and soak it in water, but the animal skin remained as it was, impervious to water and fire.

He slowly moved the stone ring on his right thumb toward the animal skin.

This time, the warm feeling was much clearer than it was at the market.

Almost at the same time, the System's cold prompt sounded in his mind:

[Detected unknown carrier containing weak and ancient residual information. Analysis requires consuming 50 points of [Family Prestige]. Whether to analyze?]

Fifty points?

Lin Chen glanced at the solitary [Awe: 5/100] points on his panel and decisively chose "No" in his heart.

Right now, what he lacked most was time and a solid Foundation.

Any investment that requires a large consumption of prestige but has an unclear outlook must be postponed.

The most urgent task was to use the newly set up Spirit Gathering Array to stabilize his Early Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation as soon as possible, and at the same time Cultivate the Spirit Nourishing Technique to prepare for the birth of the next descendant.

He carefully folded the mysterious animal skin and put it into the corner of the bottom layer of the Storage Pouch.

Perhaps in the distant future, when the Lin Family's prestige is sufficient, or when he can find more clues related to the stone ring, this piece of animal skin will reveal some astonishing secret.

But now, it could only be a "future object" that needed to be shelved.

Lin Chen pushed open the door of the Meditation Room, and a night breeze mixed with the fragrance of soil blew on his face, refreshing his exhausted spirit.

He saw that there was still a faint light in Su Qingyao's room next door.

Presumably, their daughter was awake, and she was taking care of her.

The light was like a warm star, guiding him in this deep night.

His heart stirred, and his footsteps subconsciously walked toward that side, gently pushing open the half-hidden door.