Chapter 321: Storage Pearl

More than half a year had passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the guest room, a massive flying crane automaton lay on the ground, its surface intricately covered with mysterious spiritual patterns. Wang Changsheng sat cross-legged in front of the flying crane automaton, surrounded by scattered wood shavings and an assortment of bottles and jars.

He tapped a spot on the automaton's back, and with a click, the section instantly recessed, revealing five interconnected slots of identical size. He inserted five mid-grade spirit stones into the slots, then tapped the automaton's back once more. Another mechanical sound confirmed the slots had closed.

Wang Changsheng formed a hand seal. With a whir of gears, the flying crane automaton transformed into a watermelon-sized green sphere, which then hovered briefly before settling into his palm.

Building on his previous experience, he had successfully crafted another high-grade Tier 2 automaton beast. A high-grade Tier 2 automaton beast was valued at five thousand spirit stones on the market, several times the price of a low-grade Tier 2 automaton beast. Naturally, the production cost was also higher, exceeding two thousand spirit stones, but still yielded a significant profit.

It had taken him over twenty years to progress from crafting mid-grade Tier 2 automaton beasts to high-grade ones—a considerable amount of time. With a few more successful creations, he would become even more proficient, reducing the time required.

He put away the green sphere, opened his door, and stepped out. He sent a sound transmission talisman to Wang Mingjiang, but after a long wait, there was no reply. Clearly, Wang Mingjiang was still in secluded cultivation. Wang Changsheng then sent a talisman to Wang Changfeng, but again, there was no response. Wang Changfeng had likely gone out.

He left the inn and began to stroll leisurely along the street. The Taiyuan Market was as bustling as ever, with a constant flow of people on its streets. He walked a full circuit around the street but didn't find anything that caught his eye.

About half an hour later, he found himself in front of a seven-story golden pavilion. A shimmering silver plaque prominently displayed the characters "Golden Jade Pavilion." He frequented this particular shop and intended to purchase another batch of materials for crafting high-grade Tier 2 automaton beasts. The main hall was bustling, primarily dealing in the acquisition of various materials used for alchemy, artifact refining, talisman crafting, and array formation.

Having visited countless times, he headed directly for the fifth floor. Moments later, he arrived on the fifth floor. The fifth floor was elegantly appointed, with several landscape paintings adorning the walls. A scholarly-looking middle-aged man was absorbed in reading a book.

As Wang Changsheng ascended, the middle-aged man set his book aside, stood up, and greeted him with a broad smile. "Fellow Daoist Wang, long time no see! We've just received a fresh batch of purple light spirit bamboo. Are you interested?" The middle-aged man was Liu Yi, the shopkeeper of Golden Jade Pavilion, a sixth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Wang Changsheng replied, "Purple light bamboo? Let me take a look."

"Please have a seat for a moment, Fellow Daoist Wang. I'll have the purple light bamboo brought to you immediately."

Liu Yi escorted Wang Changsheng to a tea table, poured him a cup of spirit tea, and then picked up a silver jade plate, making a series of gestures on its surface. Wang Changsheng didn't stand on ceremony; he picked up the teacup and took a sip. A rich, fragrant aroma spread through his mouth.

"Excellent tea, Shopkeeper Liu. Your tea is always the best."

"If Fellow Daoist Wang enjoys it, I'll gladly gift you two jin. I, Liu, sincerely hope you will continue to patronize our shop. Golden Jade Pavilion thrives on the support of fellow Daoists like yourself." Liu Yi spoke politely. Given that Wang Changsheng typically spent two to three thousand spirit stones on materials each visit, gifting him a few jin of tea was a negligible gesture.

Wang Changsheng smiled faintly and replied, "Shopkeeper Liu, you flatter me. It's simply that your shop offers excellent goods."

Shortly after, a attendant in green robes swiftly approached, carrying an item. The green-robed attendant bowed respectfully to Liu Yi, then produced a green storage bag, presenting it with both hands before bowing once more and withdrawing. Liu Yi retrieved several stalks of purple spirit bamboo from the storage bag and offered them to Wang Changsheng for inspection.

"Excellent. The quality of this spirit bamboo is superb. I'll take it all, Shopkeeper Liu. Please name your price!" Wang Changsheng meticulously examined the purple light bamboo and, feeling entirely satisfied, asked.

"As you're a valued regular customer, Fellow Daoist Wang, two thousand spirit stones will suffice."

Wang Changsheng retrieved two thousand spirit stones and handed them to Liu Yi. After confirming the payment, Liu Yi prompted Wang Changsheng to store the purple light bamboo.

Liu Yi then produced an egg-sized blue orb with a small hole in its center and said with a chuckle, "Fellow Daoist Wang, this is a novel item called a storage bead, newly arrived from the South Sea. Are you interested? Each bead costs four hundred spirit stones and offers a storage capacity similar to a magical artifact-grade storage pouch."

"A storage bead? This is my first time encountering one. However, it's a bit pricier than a storage pouch."

"Heh heh, storage beads are crafted from clam pearls, which sets them apart from storage pouches. Fellow Daoist Wang, is it convenient to carry ten or eight storage pouches tied to your body? Storage beads are different; worn on your wrist, they become a string of pearls. Ten such beads can hold a substantial amount of items." Liu Yi proudly shook a string of ten beads on his left wrist. The beads varied in color; some were monochromatic, while others displayed two or even three hues.

"Crafted from clam pearls? That's quite innovative." Wang Changsheng was somewhat surprised. In the cultivation world, storage pouches were the most widely used items, primarily crafted from Ethereal Void Stone, a rare ore controlled by powerful factions.

"Precisely. These are the latest storage artifacts developed by the Heavenly Soldier Palace in the South Sea, and they're highly sought after there. Wearing four or five strings of these beads is equivalent to possessing a magical treasure-grade storage ring. Fellow Daoist Wang, would you care for a string? As a gesture to a loyal customer, I can offer them at a slightly reduced price: three hundred seventy spirit stones per bead."

Wang Changsheng pondered for a moment before saying, "Three beads for one thousand spirit stones. As a long-standing customer, I should certainly receive a better price."

After a brief hesitation, Liu Yi agreed.

After selling Wang Changsheng the three storage beads, Liu Yi spoke with a hint of mystery, "Fellow Daoist Wang, our Golden Jade Pavilion, in collaboration with other factions, is hosting an underground auction. The items on offer are of excellent quality, though their origins are somewhat…unconventional. Would you be interested?"

Underground auctions were commonly held by larger establishments as a way to attract clientele.

"I'm interested. When and where will it be held?"

Liu Yi smiled faintly, then took out a green jade talisman and handed it to Wang Changsheng. "Upon exiting, turn right and walk straight for three hundred paces. It's at the Yifeng Teahouse. The auction is scheduled for today, so you'll need to hurry if you wish to attend. Also, I can tell you in advance that a Tier 3 spiritual item will be among the lots."

"A Tier 3 spiritual item? What kind? Shopkeeper Liu, since the auction is starting soon, it wouldn't hurt to tell me, would it? After all, I am a loyal customer of your establishment."

Liu Yi hesitated briefly, then chuckled. "It's a Tier 3 demon core. Its quality isn't exceptionally high, but it's perfectly suitable for alchemy."

"I understand. Thank you."

Upon leaving Golden Jade Pavilion, Wang Changsheng quickened his pace. Less than half an hour later, he arrived at the entrance of a small shop. It was Xu's Sundry Store. The owner was a white-robed elder in his fifties, and the modest shop predominantly displayed common materials. This was a black market, specializing in the acquisition of materials with questionable origins.

Wang Changsheng glanced left and right, then stepped inside.

"Senior, what may I help you with?" The white-robed elder, seeing Wang Changsheng enter, rose to greet him.

Wang Changsheng's gaze quickly scanned the goods on the shelves. "Shopkeeper," he began, "I heard you have century-old purple gold ginseng for sale here. May I see it?"

"Purple gold ginseng? Yes, it's in the back courtyard. You may proceed there, Senior; someone will attend to you."

Wang Changsheng nodded and proceeded into the back courtyard.