"You're going to the secret realm as well?!" Ling Feng, hearing Wu Xiaotian expressing his intent to join the secret realm, couldn't help but ask loudly in surprise as cultivators at the Pedestal Establishment, particularly those at the Early State like them are nothing but cannon fodders for other people there.
"What's the issue with that? Aren't you going in as well?" Wu Xiaotian replied in annoyance at his overreaction.
"That's different, I have a lot of safety measures in me, as for you, well…" he looks towards his brother. Given his appearance, even if he doesn't carry any good treasure, it will be easy for him to draw the ire of the entire population of men entering, some might even go as far as trying to eliminate him due to jealousy and envy for his appearance, and that's not the worst that can happen, as he might encounter a crazy female cultivator that might turn him into her toy or something.
Thinking about all kinds of horror his brother might suffer, Ling Feng asked without any hesitation at all, "How about you buy some protection talisman brother? At the affordable price of─"
But before he could start his sales talk, he was shot down by Wu Xiaotian as he said, "Forget about it, I can fend for myself should push comes to shove".
Sighing to himself as he fails to scam him, Ling Feng just conceded as he hands a talisman to him, explaining its use and sharing a bit of insight regarding the Crescent Moon Secret Realm
"Fine, cheap bastard, but take this at least, that's a protection talisman powerful enough to block a full power attack from a Core Formation Realm cultivator just to be sure, as for why I don't give you a Nascent Source level one, the secret realm will suppress the strength of anyone stronger than Core Formation Realm entering to the Perfection State Core Formation, meaning we don't need to worry about Nascent Source level attacks"
Learning an important information about the secret realm, Wu Xiaotian gains more confidence of dominating the secret realm, given that his base strength alone is already barely comparable to an Advance State Core Formation Realm cultivator, not to mention when adding the power from [Chaotic Order Weapon Art].
"Got it, thank you for the treasure and the head's up, I'll pay you back when the opportunity comes" he said as he waved his hand while walking away from Ling Feng, heading to the refining room to complete his quota of pills for today.
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Completing his task for the day, he was dragged by Hua Xian'er waiting for him to finish refining his batch of pills. Going out of the store's premise, the two of them started roaming around the city, taking in the view of its lively night life, with vehicles and people threading the road, street vendors shouting and calling attention for potential buyers to check their stores, the streets brightly lit by lamps hanged to wires tied to bamboo poles, giving off a festival like vibes.
As he was dragged by her everywhere, they eventually reached a shop that sells protective artifacts. Entering inside, Hua Xian'er amiably greeted an old lady that appears to be the storeowner, the storeowner jubilant at her arrival.
"Granny Mo, I want to buy a protective accessory powerful enough to block Intermediate State Nascent Source level attacks" Hua Xian'er states the purpose of her visit, and the old woman, knowing her strength looks at her with a knowing look as she immediately grabs a bracer from one of the shelves, its design rather masculine.
"I think this bracer will suit that young man nicely" the old lady handed them the bracer with a smile that clearly say 'young people nowadays' on her face.
"I…I never said that it's for him" catching her off guard, Hua Xian'er tried to defend herself only to fall further down the old woman's trap.
"Girl, you're a genius, aren't you?" the old woman asked, clearly aware of the young lady's pride.
"Of course! I can even fight someone at the Late State Nascent Source, two states higher than me, how could I not be a genius?" Hua Xian'er replied as she points her nose at the sky, almost as if she's bragging to the old woman.
"Then why do you want an accessory that low-leveled?"
"That… I-I was just short on money so that's my limit, besides, that thing is for the Crescent Moon Secret Realm so it's fine to buy just that" catching her off guard, Hua Xian'er said gibberishly making the old woman laugh.
"Forget it forget it, this is a gift for the young man then" the old woman said as she looks towards Wu Xiaotian. Feeling a pleasant vibe from him, she couldn't help but feel like an elder of the young man, recalling her days of taking care of her child.
"This is too great of a gift Granny Mo, I'll pay for it, just consider you finding such treasure for me as a gift" Wu Xiaotian said as he heard what the old woman said, thinking that the old woman might be taking quite a loss for doing this.
"Take it young man, I have so much of that kind of things in here so there's no problem with me taking this bit of loss, if you want to be fair to me so bad, how about buying an accessory for the young lady?" the old woman amiably said but there's an obscure pressure radiating from her, causing him to compromise and follow the old woman's suggestion.
"How much for this one Granny Mo?" he asked as he point towards a jade hairpin with snowflakes carved in it, seemingly the most fitting accessory for Hua Xian'er's appearance.
"A good one young man, it seems like you think of it quite a bit before deciding on it right?" Granny Mo praises his decision, as she also thought that this is the best one for Hua Xian'er, given that the old woman made this hairpin with this young lady frequently in her store in mind.
"This is something made out of the tusk of a Core Formation Realm Jade Elephant, the tusk itself was made by my deceased husband to a sword as a gift to our child, and I kept the shavings, hoping to make something out of it. Well, one thing I recently made was this hairpin with little Xian'er here being my inspiration" Granny Mo told them about the history of the hairpin slipping along it some of her life story. Hearing the old woman was already left alone by her husband, the two of them tried to comfort the gentle elderly woman, but she quickly recovered from it as she teased them once again.
"That should be priced at around ten million spirit stones given that it's a Nascent Source level treasure, but since I'm in a good mood, I'll give it to you for a million-spirit stone" Granny Mo generously offered.
Not wanting to take advantage of her, Wu Xiaotian offered to pay the full price but what the old woman replied to him is a torrent of pressure particularly targeting him, the control the old lady have is refined and masterful enough that Hua Xian'er didn't even notice anything amiss, making him believe that this granny is someone at the Soul Formation Realm at the very least, as only beings of at least that level could possibly hide their action in front of a genius of the Nascent Source Realm.
"It's fine, like I said earlier, this old woman can take a loss" Granny Mo said with the amiable smile still on her face.
"Please Granny Mo, it will eat away my conscience to take advantage of such good product, not to mention your kindness, if you don't want to take the full amount, how about just half?" Wu Xiaotian, feeling challenged, refuses to back down and counter offered.
Seeing the young man in front of her being able to withstand her, the old woman couldn't help but praise him in her heart.
'This young man not only have the talent, he also got the personality to make that talent fully bloom' she thought as she sighed, deciding to agree with the young man.
"Fine boy, I'll take it for five million spirit stones, but don't cry to me and try to take them back when you lose all your money someday"
Seeing her agree to him, he smiled and hand the payment, taking the treasure and giving it to Hua Xian'er, causing the lady to blush as she accepts it, the sight so beautiful that even with his image of her, Wu Xiaotian was stupefied, the expression of the two of them making Granny Mo laugh as she made the two of them go on their way.
Seeing the gradually fading back view of the two, the old woman couldn't help but think of how interesting of a couple the two are, oblivious that the two of them were sworn brother and sister.