"So that's how it is," Li Yi nodded, "Well then, old guy, considering your status, you probably know where one can find such divine weapons, right? Why don't you go and steal one for me to use?"
"Steal one?" Even as a spirit, the Serpent Venerable nearly choked in exasperation, "Ignorant boy, the Dou Shen Continent is vast, but there are only nineteen divine weapons listed on the Godly Weapons List. Of these nineteen, apart from a few that have not been seen for ages, aren't all the rest in the hands of unparalleled powerhouses? Even at my peak, I wouldn't dare to talk about stealing them, and here you are, a mere youngster, with such big talk..."
Li Yi appeared genuinely shocked and sincere as he said, "So, Venerable, you can't get these so-called divine weapons either? I thought, given your grand talk, you could easily procure a divine weapon for me to refine its blood and evil aura!"
It took a moment for the Serpent Venerable to compose himself before he huffed, "You, young man... Enough, I won't waste words with you. Let's continue our earlier topic. The higher the grade of a weapon, the denser the aura of blood and evil it emits upon drawing blood. Absorbing it before cultivation naturally yields better results... But with your current level of four crystal Yuanqi, to form a Dou Qi vortex within two months, unless you get your hands on a bloodied seventh-grade weapon, it's mostly impossible. So, whether or not you can achieve this is uncertain; it depends on your luck."
Li Yi frowned, "Depend on my luck? What do you mean?"
The Serpent Venerable chuckled, "High-grade weapons are extremely valuable to a powerhouse. Seventh-grade weapons are rare and valuable on the Dou Shen Continent. You don't think you can just easily come across such a treasure, do you? And even if you did, if word got out, before you could refine the weapon's blood and evil aura, hordes of greedy people would already be at your doorstep."
"What do you suggest I do then?" Li Yi asked sternly.
"It's simple, gamble... Gamble on your luck..." the Serpent Venerable laughed, "Little guy, if I remember correctly, there's a relatively small auction house in your Wanchao City. Such places may not look like much, but they usually have a few good items. The chance of encountering high-grade weapons there is significant. If you're lucky, you might actually get your hands on a seventh-grade weapon... But..."
Li Yi asked, puzzled, "But what?"
"But I've already checked, and although you don't look like a bumpkin, you don't have anything valuable on you, not even a single gold coin. With your current state, thinking of treasure hunting at the auction? I suggest you forget about it..."
A low chuckle ensued.
After a moment, Li Yi squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth, "Old geezer! You're toying with me!"
"Furthermore," a sly grin of triumph appeared in the Serpent Venerable's eyes, "there's something else I need to tell you in advance... Aside from divine weapons, even if it's a ninth-grade weapon, once you've refined the aura of blood and evil from it, that weapon will become nothing but a piece of scrap metal. Don't forget this crucial point!"
"Only a one-time use!?" Even with Li Yi's temperament, he couldn't help but curse, "Old coot! Do you think I own a gold mine? I'm still worried about how to scrape together enough money for the auction house, and now you're telling me, even if I manage to buy a high-grade weapon, it can only be used once?"
The Serpent Venerable smiled coldly and said indifferently, "Young man, gaining strength comes with a price. There's nothing in this world you can get easily. Once you've become strong, money, power, weapons – what won't you have? Perhaps, with a single word from you, countless people will present them to you... Even for that alone, isn't it worth making an extra effort now? Don't tell me you don't understand even this much?"
Li Yi let out a bitter laugh and said softly, "Old coot, I understand this, of course, but... it's always easier said than done. I'll find a way to gather some money and then try my luck at the auction house."
"About that girl..."
The Serpent Venerable cast a distant glance in the direction of Ruolin and said indifferently, "Rest assured, she won't die anytime soon. Since you're reluctant to kill her, let me tell you upfront – that young lady's background is no simple matter. Even I can't fathom who might be behind her. Remember, the place where the ring originally resided is unknown to ordinary folks. If you're just playing with her, it's fine, but if you develop real feelings, then let me warn you – it's better not to think too deeply..."
Li Yi's lips curled up into a smile, "Is that so? Then I'm even more interested in the combat technique she used. Given her extraordinary background, it shouldn't be too hard to extract more techniques from her, right?"
The Serpent Venerable rolled his eyes at Li Yi's shameless behavior, unsure how to comment.
"By the way, old coot," Li Yi looked at the floating ring, "What exactly is this ring you're residing in? Since Ruolin ended up in such a state because of this ring, it must be extraordinary, right?"
The Serpent Venerable, apparently used to Li Yi's form of address by now, chuckled softly and said lightly, "The purpose of this ring is not something you need to know right now. But I can tell you its name – it's called the Yunhuang Ring."
"The Yunhuang Ring?" Li Yi smirked, "That's a strange name indeed!"
The Serpent Venerable was about to say something more when suddenly his form wavered slightly. He frowned, and his entire being transformed into a beam of red light, entering the Yunhuang Ring. The ring then glowed with red light and fit snugly onto Li Yi's left ring finger.
"Kid, without your Dou Qi nourishing me, I can't manifest for too long. Prepare the money and go check out the auction house. Whether or not you can speed up your cultivation depends on you now. I can't help you with that," a low voice echoed directly in Li Yi's mind.
Li Yi was slightly taken aback, but having accepted the existence of a spirit body, this kind of telepathic communication didn't surprise him much. He rubbed his forehead with a wry smile. In his previous life, he hardly ever worried about money, but now, in this life, it was a major concern, which was quite frustrating...
But brooding over it was useless. The only thing to consider now was how much money he could gather with his current status.
......
"One, two, three..."
Li Yi rubbed his forehead as he stared at the large chest in front of him, his smile no longer bitter but helpless.
He was in his room, having found all of the possessions that little Li Yi had treasured, which amounted to only three gold coins...
Three gold coins weren't even enough to enter the auction house! He had inquired about it; to enter, one had to pay an entrance fee of five gold coins, and he only had three...
Li Yi suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to bang his head against the wall.
Given his current situation, unlike his previous life, he couldn't just take on a few commissions to make ends meet. It seemed that apart from asking his nominal father for money, there were no other options.
Shaking his head vigorously to ignore the laughter of the Serpent Venerable echoing in his mind, Li Yi left his room and slowly made his way to Li Han's study, where he usually was.
As he passed by a few patrolling guards, perhaps because of the incident at the training grounds the other day, their attitude towards Li Yi was much more respectful than before, a vast improvement from their previous sneers.
He had just walked a few steps when he suddenly heard the sound of a young girl's laughter coming from behind him.
Li Yi frowned and turned back, only to see several young ladies from the family approaching, chatting and laughing. Most of them he recognized as Li Yi's cousins, but to Li Yi himself, they were no different than strangers.
Li Yi gave them a glance and then walked away.
"Li Yi, cousin!"
Just as Li Yi turned around, a melodious and enchanting voice called out from behind him. The voice was extremely pleasant to the ears.
Li Yi paused for a moment, knowing the strict rules of the Li family; he couldn't ignore someone who had directly addressed him.
Turning around with a light smile, his gaze fell on the young girl at the center of the group. She was tall, dressed in a purple dress, with a graceful face that, despite her young age, hinted at stunning beauty to come. The only flaw, perhaps, was her flat chest... a real pity...
This flat chest, it seems, is a rare resource...
Li Yi inwardly complimented her, then focused on her face and asked with a soft laugh, "Nana, what's up?"