I Can See Through Everything - Chapter 574

Chapter 574: Gray Beads, Skill Purchasing

Lu Qing stood in front of the stall where Xiao Li told him that there were vibrations of rare treasures.

The stall owner was a capable middle-aged man in the Jindan realm. He had been sitting cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed. He

seemed to have no interest in anything in the outside world.

Even when Lu Qing and the others arrived, he still had no intention of opening his eyes, allowing them to check out the things on his stall.

Lu Qing did not disturb him, but slowly looked at the things on the stall.

After a while, he pointed at one of the things and asked, “Daoyou, how much is this treasure?”

The capable middle-aged man opened his eyes and looked at the thing Lu Qing pointed at.

He said lightly, “No bargaining, three thousand low-grade spirit stones.”

“What, three thousand low-grade spirit stones?”

After hearing this price, Lu Qing hadn’t said anything yet, but the Five Treasures Taoist priest beside him couldn’t help but sigh.

“Fellow Daoist, your price is a bit outrageous! This is just a top-grade magical weapon, yet you’re asking so much! You could buy a decent treasure for that price!”

“Products from the Divine Mountain are naturally priced differently than ordinary magical weapons.”

The lean, middle-aged man remained calm, unperturbed.

“Even if it’s from the Divine Mountain, so what? It’s still just a top-grade magical weapon, not worth that many spirit stones!”

Taoist Wubao, undeterred, retorted.

“If you think it’s too expensive, you don’t have to buy it,”

the lean, middle-aged man said impatiently, glancing at Taoist Wubao.

“Fellow Daoist, the price is indeed a bit high. Can you make it a little cheaper?”

Lu Qing then spoke up.

“Why, you’re so reckless as to believe someone else’s fabricated story and spend a fortune on a tattered magical artifact?

This one’s genuine, a top-grade artifact painstakingly obtained from the Sacred Mountain, and yet you find it too expensive?

If you want it, buy it. If you can’t afford the spirit stones, go to another stall and continue being taken advantage of. Don’t bother me with my cultivation.”

The Foundation Establishment Realm stall owner’s expression suddenly changed as soon as

he said this. He couldn’t help but protest, “Senior, you’re going too far! When have I ever deceived you?

Everything I said is true!” “You know whether it’s true or not,”

the lean middle-aged man said coldly.

“You!”

The Foundation Establishment Realm stall owner was immediately enraged, but his cultivation level was ultimately inferior, and he blushed a few times before refusing to lose his temper.

He simply looked at Lu Qing with some trepidation. “Senior, I truly did not deceive you. I swear!”

“Since I paid with spirit stones, I naturally don’t care about these things.”

Lu Qing smiled, showing no sign of accusation.

“But fellow Daoist, your three thousand spirit stones are indeed a bit pricey. I simply can’t afford it.”

“I told you, no bargaining. If you don’t want it, look elsewhere. I can’t claim the items here are the cheapest, but I can guarantee they’re sourced from the Divine Mountain. Every piece is a treasure.” The

lean, middle-aged man’s fingers moved imperceptibly.

However, he remained calm, speaking in a calm tone.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, let’s go somewhere else!”

At this point, Taoist Wubao, unable to bear this man’s attitude, immediately said to Lu Qing.

“There’s no rush.” Lu Qing waved his hand, his interest piqued. “Since you’re so certain, it seems you’re very confident in your treasures. Let’s take a closer look.”

He then continued to examine the items on the stall.

Taoist Wubao had no choice but to continue standing there with him.

He hadn’t expected Fellow Daoist Chen, usually so composed, to become so lively upon arriving at Tianji Peak. He

was still young, after all, and seeing so-called treasures made him lose his composure.

Soon, Lu Qing spotted another item.

Pointing at it, he asked, “Fellow Daoist, how much would you pay for this bead?”

Taoist Wubao looked over and saw a dull, unremarkable bead.

It didn’t exude the aura of a magical weapon, likely an unrefined artifact.

Whether it was a treasure or not was unclear.

“This bead… also three thousand low-grade spirit stones.”

The lean, middle-aged man glanced at the bead, hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

“Another three thousand low-grade spirit stones! Forget about that top-grade magical weapon, but this bead doesn’t even have the slightest aura of a treasure, and you’re still selling it for three thousand spirit stones! Isn’t that excessive?”

Taoist Wubao couldn’t help but be tempted by the price.

Lu Qing shook his head. “It seems you’re really taking me for a ride. Master,

let’s go.” He turned and left.

Taoist Wubao snorted coldly and followed suit.

“Wait a moment, fellow Daoist!”

Seeing Lu Qing was truly leaving, the lean middle-aged man finally grew anxious.

“If you really want this bead, how about two thousand five hundred low-grade spirit stones?”

“I’ll only offer one thousand low-grade spirit stones.” Lu Qing stood still. “If you’re willing to sell it, then we’ll do it directly. If not, then forget it.”

The lean middle-aged man hesitated again.

His claim that the supreme artifact was obtained from Tianshu Divine Mountain was half-truth.

In reality, it was just one of the artifacts he’d obtained after killing several enemies there.

But this gray bead was truly found by him, literally, from a cavern within Tianshu Divine Mountain.

That expedition had cost him a considerable price.

Most of the treasures he had obtained had been sold over the years.

This gray bead, however, remained unsold, as it was so unremarkable.

He had considered submitting it to an auction, but the appraisers at the auction rejected it outright after viewing it.

With this thought, the slender middle-aged man had made up his mind.

He had always felt that there was more to this gray bead than it appeared,

but for all these years, he had been unable to grasp its secrets.

No matter how he looked at it, it was just an ordinary stone bead, no different from any other.

It was rumored that this auction would feature a batch of elixirs for refining the Golden Core.

He had already reached the third stage of the Golden Core Realm. To reach the fourth stage, he would need to refine the Golden Core Realm and elevate his Mana Core Realm to a mid-grade level.

Therefore, he must grab the purified golden elixir this time.

Otherwise, it would take who knows when the next such elixir would appear.

To do this, he needs to prepare enough spirit stones.

This gray bead may really contain some secrets.

But it is more likely that it is just an ordinary stone bead.

After all, for so many years, he has tried all kinds of methods and could not comprehend any special features in it.

Treasures that cannot be used are no different from waste no matter how good they are. It is better to exchange them for spirit stones and buy the treasures he needs to increase his strength.

His expression changed several times, and the capable middle-aged man finally looked at Lu Qing.

He said seriously, “One thousand five hundred low-grade spirit stones, no less. If you’re unwilling, then forget it.”

Seeing the look on his face, Lu Qing paused for a moment before finally nodding, “Okay, one thousand five hundred spirit stones.” He

then took out fifteen mid-grade spirit stones from his storage bag and handed them over.

Seeing Lu Qing’s hand, which was entirely mid-grade, a glint flashed in the lean middle-aged man’s eyes.

But he quickly collected it, putting away the spirit stones, and then picked up the gray bead, handing it to Lu Qing.

“This precious bead now belongs to you.”

Lu Qing seemed oblivious to the man’s annoyance, casually accepting the bead and putting it away without examining it.

As Lu Qing put the gray bead away, the lean middle-aged man felt a sudden sense of loss.

It felt as if something important had slipped from his hands.

Unfortunately, even if he regretted it now, it was too late.

Although this place seemed unmanaged, everyone traded freely.

But if trouble really arose, the powerful men of Tianshu City would be the first to intervene.

He might then be expelled and never be able to enter the city again.

So he could only force a smile: “Daoyou are indeed generous. I have quite a few treasures here. I wonder if there is anything else that might catch your eye? I can give you a discount.”

“No need. I want to browse somewhere else.”

After getting what he wanted, Lu Qing didn’t want to linger any longer and walked towards other stalls with the Five Treasures Taoist.

Watching the figures of Lu Qing and the other person slowly disappear into the crowd, the lean middle-aged man’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Brother, what’s wrong with you?”

At this time, a telepathic voice sounded.

“Nothing, I just think that kid seems a little special. By the way, I haven’t congratulated you yet. You actually sold an ordinary magic weapon for a high price of thousands of spirit stones.”

The lean middle-aged man withdrew his gaze and responded with the same voice.

“Haha, this kid is such a fool! He actually believed my story. And you, big brother, are the same way, too! That useless stone bead finally sold.”

It turned out the voice transmission came from the Foundation Establishment Realm vendor at the nearby stall.

The two had been playing a double act, feigning ignorance.

“A useless stone bead?”

The lean middle-aged man recalled the loss he’d felt when the stone bead had just left his hands, a faint glint flickering in his eyes.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, why are you so obsessed with that bead? Is there some hidden meaning behind it?”

At this point, the Five Treasures Taoist finally understood.

Lu Qing’s previous behavior was truly unusual.

Seeing him hand over so many spirit stones without blinking, buying a seemingly useless stone bead,

he finally realized what was going on. Could there be a hidden meaning?

“It just happened to catch my eye. I thought the bead was good,”

Lu Qing smiled, but didn’t reveal the truth.

But the Five Treasures Taoist priest understood, convinced that the bead must have something special, though neither he nor the stall owner could discern it.

For the next few minutes, Lu Qing continued to wander the square.

He visited the stalls where Xiao Li had sensed unusual treasures and found them to be mostly normal treasures.

The aura of treasure was unmistakable, and the vendors were demanding exorbitant prices.

There were no other unusual treasures like the gray bead, its shimmering brilliance obscuring its true nature.

Lu Qing was stunned, but then found it reasonable.

That was only natural. There weren’t many bargains to be found in this world.

Obtaining an unusual treasure at a low price was already a stroke of luck.

It was impossible for him to have all the opportunities to himself.

After asking around, he discovered that the stall owners were offering exorbitant prices for the unusual treasures Xiao Li had sensed, far exceeding their true value.

Furthermore, since he didn’t need those treasures, Lu Qing immediately lost interest.

But now, he was even more excited about the upcoming auction.

Even these priceless treasures couldn’t enter the auction, so they had to be sold at stalls here.

So, how breathtaking would the treasures at this auction be?

After leaving the square, Lu Qing and the Five Treasures Taoist once again strolled around Tianji Peak.

As time passed, approaching dusk,

cultivators continuously flew from the sky and landed on Tianji Peak.

Each one exuded a powerful aura, at least at the Jindan realm or above.

Some, even their mere presence, sent a tremor through the hearts of those below.

Their auras were as profound as the ocean, as majestic as the mountains, or even as vast as the sky itself. They

were clearly the almighty Yuanshen masters, who had just displayed such grace.

However, most of these Yuanshen masters descended directly into the massive building atop the mountain; few wandered around Tianji Peak.

Lu Qing was still browsing with the Five-Star Taoist priest. He now stood in front of a shop, a look of surprise on his face.

This shop didn’t sell the usual magical weapons or elixirs. Instead, it displayed rows of jade slips and ancient books.

According to the shop owner, they contained manuals on martial arts techniques and secret cultivation methods.

“Daodianju, there’s actually a shop dedicated to martial arts manuals?”

Lu Qing was both surprised and stunned.

You know, practitioners have always taken their cultivation techniques very seriously.

Aside from their closest disciples and family, few are willing to share them with outsiders, let alone sell them.

After all, if someone were to learn the secrets of their cultivation techniques, there’s no guarantee they wouldn’t develop a unique method to counter them.

Consequently, Lu Qing had rarely come across a place dedicated to selling cultivation manuals.

Unexpectedly, he’d come across one on Tianji Peak.

It seemed this shop must have a strong background, perhaps even affiliated with Tianshu City.

Lu Qing immediately headed inside, but after a quick look and the owner’s introduction, he realized his excitement was premature. The

majority of the manuals in this shop were for Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages.

Only a dozen or so could reach the Golden Core stage.

As for the Soul Formation stage, there were no manuals at all.

Understanding this, Lu Qing felt a mixture of disappointment and understanding.

The Yuanshen-level skills are too precious to be sold like this.

It’s not a question of whether there are people who buy them, but as long as the store owner dares to put out skills of this level.

Even if he has the support of Tianshu City, it is difficult to resist the greed of those powerful Jindan realm masters.

Maybe as soon as it is put out, someone will dare to rob it that night.

After figuring this out, Lu Qing’s excited heart calmed down. He

then looked at the more than ten Jindan-level skills with a hint of heat in his eyes.

His [Perfect Jindan Method] has recently reached a bottleneck in its deduction.

These Jindan-level skills can be said to have come at the right time.

(End of this chapter)