My Artifacts Can Upgrade Infinitely

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Huayang Bead

Zhao Zuo quickly lowered his head to hide the joy on his face. He shifted his gaze to the hairpin beside it and quietly touched it with his right hand. Unfortunately, the transparent panel didn’t pop up this time, proving that the exquisite jade hairpin wasn’t a Magical Artifact.

He couldn’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment, but the thought of the Spring and Autumn Cicada quickly renewed his joy. He kept his expression perfectly under control. Aided by the Hundred-Change Mask, Zhao Zuo was like an award-winning actor; his facade was flawless.

"How much for this Jade Cicada?" Zhao Zuo asked nonchalantly, pointing to the cicada in the corner.

"That one? One Spirit Stone," the stall owner said, glancing at Zhao Zuo with an air of indifference.

"I’ll take it." Zhao Zuo reached into his robes, pretending to feel around. Secretly, he retrieved a Spirit Stone from his Storage Bag and handed it over. After taking the stone, the stall owner closed his eyes and drifted off once more, paying no mind to the single-Spirit-Stone transaction as Zhao Zuo picked up the Jade Cicada.

Zhao Zuo was secretly pleased, but he knew this wasn’t the right time to inspect his prize. He intended to place the Spring and Autumn Cicada in his robes before putting it into his Storage Bag.

But after a moment’s thought, he put it in an inner pocket instead. ’Since it’s a Magical Artifact, it will probably work best if I keep it close to my body.’

Besides, Zhao Zuo decided he would wait until he got home to examine the effects of the Spring and Autumn Cicada.

Energized by his first success, Zhao Zuo excitedly wandered through the flea market area, but unfortunately, he couldn’t find a second interesting item. After checking the sun’s position to estimate the time, he headed toward the Spirit Treasure Pavilion as originally planned.

This time, he was carrying the huge sum of two hundred seventy Spirit Stones, so he wouldn’t be as cash-strapped as usual. In front of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, Zhao Zuo straightened his clothes, held his head high, and strode inside.

The Spirit Treasure Pavilion was quite magical. As soon as Zhao Zuo crossed the threshold, he immediately felt a change in temperature. The feeling was very similar to being enveloped by the energy of his Clear Heart Jade Pendant, with the ambient temperature adjusted to a very comfortable level.

’There must be some kind of Array regulating the temperature and humidity for the entire Spirit Treasure Pavilion,’ he thought. In a corner, an unknown type of sandalwood incense was burning, its scent soothing and relaxing the mind.

As it happened, Qing Ci was not serving a customer. When she saw Zhao Zuo walk in, she immediately went to greet him, a pure and charming smile on her face. The two dimples on her cheeks were utterly adorable. She didn’t recognize Zhao Zuo, but her smile was no less sincere.

"What kind of items are you looking to buy, sir? Do you have anything specific in mind?" Qing Ci asked Zhao Zuo with a smile. She took a few graceful steps, as light as lotus flowers, and lifted an arm as white as jade, gesturing for him to follow her to an unoccupied counter.

"Tell me about Supporting Magical Artifacts that can speed up cultivation," Zhao Zuo said, his voice deliberately low, rough, and hoarse to prevent Qing Ci from recognizing him.

"For a Supporting Magical Artifact, I would recommend the Gathering Spirit Jade Disk..." Qing Ci began with a light smile.

"Next." Zhao Zuo raised an eyebrow. Remembering his last visit, his lofty ambitions began to fade. ’Even though I’ve had a few windfalls,’ he thought, ’at my core, I’m still dirt poor.’

"Why don’t you tell me the price you can afford, sir? That would make it easier for me to make a specific recommendation." Qing Ci gave a slight bow, and a flash of snowy white passed before Zhao Zuo’s eyes. The sincere smile never left her face.

"Around two hundred Spirit Stones." Zhao Zuo mentally calculated the maximum he could afford. He planned to use the remaining seventy Spirit Stones to buy some Pill Medicine to advance his Cultivation and to stock up on Spirit Rice.

"In that case... I recommend the Huayang Bead," Qing Ci said immediately. "It is a Spiritual Object born from heaven and earth. You can take it into your Dantian to nurture it. Not only does it remove Pill Poison, allowing you to take Pill Medicine more frequently, but it also aids in absorption, increasing the ratio of energy you gain."

Zhao Zuo listened to Qing Ci’s introduction and was secretly satisfied, but he didn’t intend to buy it right away. ’I’ve seen the true nature of these salespeople long ago,’ he thought. ’They can talk you into believing black is white. In her words, even a mostly useless item can be made to sound like an essential treasure.’

"What are its effects, exactly?" Zhao Zuo asked.

"It removes about five percent of Pill Poison, and it increases the absorption rate by one percent."

At her words, the satisfaction on Zhao Zuo’s face largely vanished. ’A one percent absorption rate? You can’t even call that underwhelming. It’s basically the equivalent of taking one hundred Purifying Spirit Pills and getting a single bonus pill.’

But it would take over three years to consume one hundred Purifying Spirit Pills in succession. For something to only show its effect after three years... that was truly the most useless of the useless. Only the five-percent Pill Poison removal effect had any real value.

’I’m definitely buying it,’ he decided, ’but first I have to confirm if it can be upgraded. If not, the Huayang Bead will be pretty useless to me.’

"May I examine it before I decide whether to purchase it?" Zhao Zuo asked with a light laugh.

"Of course. Please wait a moment, sir."

Qing Ci stood up. A moment later, she took out a Storage Bag and, with a flip of her hand, produced a square, lacquered wooden box. Inside, resting on a piece of Yellow Silk Cloth, was a round, fiery-red bead the size of a pigeon’s egg. Tiny specks of light within it pulsed with a faint glow. It was warm to the touch and felt hard and solid.

Then, the transparent panel materialized before Zhao Zuo’s eyes.

[Level: Lower Grade Spiritual Object - Huayang Bead]

[Experience: 0/200]

[Status: Not Upgradable]

[Creation Point: 0.5]

A glint appeared in Zhao Zuo’s eyes. He had made up his mind: he was taking the Huayang Bead.

’After all, no matter how poor its initial effects are, I can eventually upgrade and enhance it. One day, I’ll be able to amplify its effects dozens of times over and turn it into a supreme treasure for my cultivation!’

"So, what’s the price?" Zhao Zuo asked.

"One hundred ninety-nine Spirit Stones." The smile on Qing Ci’s face widened. In her experience, asking the price was a clear sign of intent to buy. As long as the price was right, she would most likely make the sale.

"Let’s cut to the chase. One hundred ninety Spirit Stones. Deal?" Zhao Zuo asked.

"Of course," Qing Ci replied, momentarily stunned. It was the first time she had ever seen someone haggle so directly. Then she smiled. "A pleasure doing business with you."

"Also, I’d like to buy some Secret Medicine that aids Body Refining Cultivation, and a Communication Jade."

A short while later, Zhao Zuo left the Spirit Treasure Pavilion. His earlier confidence was gone, replaced by an unsteady gait. He looked somewhat pained, yet there was a contradictory flicker of joy in his eyes.

In less than half an hour, his two hundred seventy Spirit Stones were all gone. He’d even seen a few other promising items, but he had no money left to buy them.

Zhao Zuo gazed up at the gloomy sky, a feeling dawning on him. He suddenly realized that the towering, majestic Spirit Treasure Pavilion behind him was even more alluring than the Qunfang Pavilion.

’One day, I’ll have a million Spirit Stones, and I’ll buy out the entire Spirit Treasure Pavilion!’

......

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