"Hmm." Ji Ning casually flipped his hand, and a piece of gold with a faint blue glow appeared. He tossed it onto the black snake man's stall. "Here."
"Just this little bit of gold?" The black snake man and his two companions behind him were startled, staring at the finger-sized piece of faintly glowing gold. "And it's not even pure gold?"
"Sir."
"Honorable sir."
The three men pleaded desperately. How could they explain this to their tribe? Other tribal warriors were still waiting outside the city. They couldn't afford to enter, as everyone had to pay a horned sheep skin or something of equal value to enter the city.
"How foolish. That is thunder gold."
"I'll give you a hundred pieces of beast-head gold for that thunder gold."
"Only a hundred pieces of beast-head gold? I'll offer a hundred and sixty pieces and arrange for them to be delivered right now!" Nearby onlookers, many of them from families of innate creatures or influential tribal leaders who had moved into Xifu City, quickly made offers. Their sharp eyes immediately recognized the value.
The black snake man grabbed the thunder gold, feeling its weight far surpassing ordinary gold. He exchanged astonished glances with his companions, overjoyed.
"Thank you, sir."
"Thank you, great sir."
The three men gratefully thanked him.
"Now you know to be thankful? The Dripping Water Sword is a renowned figure, and his son is of such status. Why would he need to rob your weapon? He threw out a little something, and it left you dumbfounded," a portly old man in beast skin said loudly, clearly addressing Ji Ning, who stood not far away.
Ji Ning smiled, and the three-sword sheath in his hand disappeared into his storage crystal. Because the space in the storage crystal was limited, Ji Ning only carried a few pieces of beast-head gold and some valuable treasures.
…
In the hall.
Ji Yichuan still sat at the head of the table, while Yuchi Xue sat beside him on his left. The two of them ate slowly from the table full of food.
Whoosh! A figure dashed in—it was Ji Ning, returning from his stroll.
"Father, Mother," Ji Ning greeted.
Ji Yichuan frowned. "You don't keep track of time while wandering around outside?"
Ji Ning obediently remained silent and quickly ran to his seat, kneeling as he began eating. The midday meal was lavish, with plenty of meat, noodles, and wine. Ji Ning's appetite had grown immense, and he quickly devoured all the food and drink on his table.
Yuchi Xue smiled as she watched her son eat like a whirlwind.
"Father, Mother," Ji Ning said, recalling the three-sword sheath he bought earlier. "I encountered three tribal warriors while out today, likely from a remote area who traveled to Xifu City to sell a divine weapon. I ended up purchasing it."
"A divine weapon?" Ji Yichuan frowned. "Our Ji clan's Xifu treasury is full of divine weapons. Didn't you already pick two before? There's no good merchandise in the city's shops."
Since Ji Ning hadn't yet reached the level of an innate Qi refiner, he couldn't use magical treasures, so he had previously chosen two divine weapons from the family treasury. When sparring, he only used ordinary weapons.
"Father, the two divine weapons I selected from the family treasury are far inferior to what I just bought," Ji Ning said seriously.
"Oh?" Ji Yichuan looked at his son.
"What I purchased is a set of damaged flying sword magical treasures," Ji Ning explained. "The intricate runes on it are completely shattered, so it can only be used as a sharp weapon. But it is indeed very sharp, much sharper than any divine weapon I've seen, and I can even pierce through a Golden Scale Robe with force."
"Pierce through a Golden Scale Robe?" Ji Yichuan was surprised. "Let me see."
Ji Ning immediately stood and handed over the ancient three-sword sheath to his father.
Ji Yichuan examined it carefully, unsheathing the three swords. "The formation runes on the sword body are completely destroyed, but from its aura... it's indeed a set of flying sword magical treasures! Unfortunately, it's broken, and most broken magical treasures aren't worth much. At most, you can extract a small amount of material from melting them down."
Ji Ning nodded. He had read many books and knew that damaged magical treasures had little value. The materials in such treasures were already fused during forging, and even if melted down, only a small portion of the original material could be extracted.
"Sharp!" Ji Yichuan ran his finger along the blade, and a trace of blood appeared, surprising him. "Very sharp. Without infusing it with true essence, the sword is still this sharp. I've never seen such a thing. Xue, take a look. Maybe you can identify it."
Yuchi Xue took it and carefully examined it for a while before slowly shaking her head. "I can't recognize it."
"Mother, could this flying sword have been graded before it was damaged?" Ji Ning asked eagerly.
"Of course, it's a graded magical treasure," Yuchi Xue nodded. "Even though it's completely broken, its sharpness is already comparable to some ungraded magical treasures. When it was whole, it was certainly a graded one. But as to what grade, I can't say. Probably no one in the entire Yanshan region could tell."
Ji Ning nodded, understanding. Generally, innate Qi refiners used ungraded magical treasures, while only Zifu disciples could use graded ones. Forging magical treasures was even harder... there was no one in the Yanshan region who could forge them. Only in faraway lands, among immensely powerful tribes, might there be experts capable of doing so.
"The Xia Dynasty has been passed down since the Age of Gods and Demons," Ji Yichuan said, tossing the three-sword sheath back to his son. "It rules an infinite expanse of territory with millions of years of history, countless tribes rising and falling, and untold treasures left behind. Broken magical treasures from battles aren't rare. Our Ji clan has hundreds of such broken treasures, most with unknown origins. This one, being so sharp, is a rare find. It suits you well."
Yuchi Xue added, "Ning'er, when you become an innate Qi refiner, even if you pour true essence into an ungraded magical treasure, its power may not match this sword!"
Ji Ning nodded, pleased. Magical treasures were mysterious and unfathomable. Innate Qi refiners had access to a wide variety of magical treasures, but those of the Godfiend Body Refining lineage excelled at close combat. With their nearly indestructible bodies, tremendous strength, speed, and regeneration, they preferred to use close-combat weapons like swords, knives, and spears, even if they used magical treasures.
"This three-sword sheath will still suit me even when I become an innate being," Ji Ning thought joyfully. "I should give it a name... Let's call it the Beiming Sword!"
The name 'Beiming' held special meaning for Ji Ning. Years ago, his father, Ji Yichuan, had left Yanshan and traveled across the vast lands, even venturing to the endless northern seas. This vast body of water was known as the 'Beiming Sea.' In those seas, Yichuan met Yuchi Xue, and they journeyed together through life and death, eventually falling in love. It was during this time that Yuchi Xue became pregnant.
Because of her pregnancy, they left the dangerous Beiming Sea and returned to Yanshan. Along the way, they faced many dangers, and Yuchi Xue suffered severe injuries, which was why Ji Ning had been 'injured in the womb.' At a crucial moment, the divine beast Bai Shui Ze had helped carry Yuchi Xue to safety.
That was why Yichuan often said that Uncle Bai had saved Ji Ning's life.
His parents had met, fallen in love, and conceived him in Beiming, giving the word a special meaning for Ji Ning.
"Father, Mother," Ji Ning said solemnly, "I'll name this sword the Beiming Sword!"
…
While Ji Ning was joyfully celebrating his acquisition of the Beiming Sword, at a place called Winged Serpent Lake in the Yanshan region...
Winged Serpent Lake was vast and seemingly boundless, nearly a hundred miles in length and width.
There's an old saying: 'In deep mountains and great lakes, monsters dwell.'
This was true! Without a doubt, this enormous, mysterious lake harbored a great demon, with countless smaller demons beneath it. The great demon of the lake was a winged serpent, a thousand-year-old monster of immense power. Born with the ability to fly, it could control water and venom, making it a fearsome and terrifying being.
At the heart of the lake was a small island, home to the winged serpent's lair.
"Roar~~~" A massive black serpent, coiled and stretching for hundreds of meters, flared its enormous, scale-covered wings. Its crimson eyes stared coldly at the group of trembling beasts before it, emitting waves of chilling energy that frosted the ground.
Hundreds of beasts lay frozen, their bodies covered in ice.
"Roar~~~" The enraged winged serpent let out another angry bellow.
The swarm of smaller demons—serpents, crabs, fish, and other vicious creatures—trembled, barely able to respond. Clearly, they were all terrified.
"Roar!" The winged serpent snarled coldly.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~~~ The demons fled in relief