The city gates were a perfect spot to sell, as most merchants would present their goods to incoming travelers, capitalizing on the influx of potential customers. Conscious or not, Luck had attracted attention, making marketing effortlessly easy.
"Five hundred Superior Crystal Soul Stones per piece," Luck said blankly, his voice devoid of emotion, causing gasps of terror to ripple through the crowd.
Superior Crystal Soul Stones? For a simple robe? The thought nearly made people vomit blood, their faces pale with shock.
"It also comes with spatial manipulation abilities," Luck added softly, his eyes glinting with amusement.
In an instant, the ten robes vanished, and Luck walked away with a Superior Soul Vault and four thousand five hundred Superior Crystal Soul Stones, his movements swift and confident.
Most treasures were grouped into Inferior, Mediocre, Superior, and Heavenly. Asking for Heavenly items would be futile, as they were extremely rare and highly coveted.
"By the way, do the robes you sold actually possess space manipulation?" Iguro asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Eh, just a weak spatial barrier," Luck replied nonchalantly, his expression unreadable.
Iguro seemed unconvinced, his eyes narrowing. "Spill it, Luck."
"By your realm's standards, it should resist one of my Cosmic Waves for half a second," Luck admitted, a hint of pride in his voice.
Iguro smiled, relieved, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "That problem's solved."
He looked at the space vault and smiled in glee, feeling the sacrifice worth it, his eyes shining with excitement.
________
"Phew, looks like he ran far," Iguro said, entering Tamashi's cave, the familiar surroundings enveloping him.
The cave remained unchanged, with broken glass shards and the metallic tube still gleaming, a testament to the previous battle.
Sitting down, Iguro sighed helplessly, feeling a mix of emotions. "Thanks a lot, Luck."
"Welcome," Luck replied, guilt-free, his tone light.
Iguro twisted and squirmed, as his arms had been disabled by Luck's stunt at the city gates, finally summoning hundreds of stones glowing with blue energy, the crystals pulsing with power.
The crystal dragon emerged, absorbing energy from the stones, its presence radiating warmth.
"Be careful," Iguro warned, his voice laced with concern.
The dragon nodded, slowing its absorption, its movements graceful.
Iguro felt energy rush into his dantian and began setting paths, creating flows of energy, his focus intense.
Due to the Old Dragon's help, his dantian's energy was extremely high-level, a treasure trove of potential. However, it was also an endless hole.
"I wonder who has a dragon within their dantian," Iguro chuckled, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Don't get cocky, brat," Luck said, his tone stern. "In realms with bloodlines, it's normal."
Iguro groaned, pouting, his expression playful. "Killjoys."
Most cultivators were ranked F, E, D, C, B, A, and S, with subgroups Lower, Upper, and Peak, a complex hierarchy.
His dantian was Lower F, but he could defeat Upper and Peak grade E ranked cultivators, a testament to his strength.
"Rawrr...." The crystal dragon clawed at Iguro's robes, its voice low and rumbling.
Iguro gasped; over one thousand stones had been absorbed, the dragon's hunger insatiable.
"Why me?" Iguro stared helplessly, his eyes wide with wonder.
His arms regained functionality, and he summoned another thousand Superior Crystal Soul Stones, the crystals shimmering.
The dragon absorbed, and Iguro smiled depressingly, continuing cultivation, his resolve unwavering. After a few hundred more stones, the dragon seemed full and enlarged, its presence expanding.
Iguro's dantian felt cramped, and he quickly absorbed more energy, the pressure building. Popping sounds echoed as his blood vessels ruptured from pressure, the strain immense.
Iguro held on by mental strength, entering his sea of consciousness, his focus laser-sharp. He further delved into his Soul Sea. In the expanse of soul energy, a pure white glowing dantian hovered, radiating light.
The crystal dragon moved uncomfortably, bound within, its presence straining. Iguro revolved his energies, sensing the seriousness, his life force ebbing.
Luck and the others held their breaths as Iguro's life hung in the balance, the outcome uncertain. A week passed, and Iguro relaxed, beads of sweat dripping, his body exhausted.
Black liquid oozed out, and he smiled triumphantly. "I-I did it. U-Upper E gr..."
His voice trailed off, and he fell unconscious, his body succumbing to fatigue.