Early the next morning, Wang Xuan got up and practiced until the afternoon; day after day of repeated cultivation, he showed no sign of slackening.
After listening to the brief news, the intelligent system in his personal terminal spoke again: "The front desk of the Immortal Martial Combat Hall sent a message thirty minutes ago, demanding you must go today; otherwise, they will forcibly dismiss you."
Wang Xuan worked at the Immortal Martial Combat Hall not for money but to interact with higher-level martial artists and cultivators. After all, the Immortal Martial Combat Hall was created by one of the top three Martial Immortals in the Chinese region. Even in a district beneath the city, there were often lectures by Innate Martial Artists.
The sitting hall master is a remarkable figure of Land Immortal level; he can meet the mayor anytime, and his strength and status are very high.
Being a low-tier martial artist, it was tough for Wang Xuan to stay at the Immortal Martial Combat Hall, and he has gained a lot over the past two years, so how could he leave easily?
"Troublesome brat." In Wang Xuan's mind appeared the image of someone, the assistant instructor Zhao Huang, who often had conflicts with him.
Wang Xuan took the matters of the Martial Arts Hall seriously; he originally wanted to retreat and cultivate for a while to improve his cultivation level, but now it seems he can only conclude earlier.
The residential building he lived in had ten floors above ground and three underground. The key issue is it legally lacked an elevator, presumably to save money by the Federation, as modern people's physiques were good, robust and healthy.
After leaving the community, various cool motor vehicles raced down the wide road, urban suspension rail cars suspended from bridge frames sped rapidly through the city, providing convenience for people's travel.
As for the bridge roads, they belong to bicycles, this tool of fitness and saving money has been preserved until now, and ordinary people still love it. After all, no money.
The suspended cars and aircraft overhead in the city were patents of the privileged; common citizens without enough star ratings were not qualified to drive them, and the purchasing costs were indeed high.
Riding the urban suspension rail car, it only took a dozen minutes for Wang Xuan to be hundreds of miles away. The population density of cities today is high, demanding much from transportation; however, the current transport capacity generally prevents congestion.
The Immortal Martial Combat Hall is near the University City, covering over four thousand acres, with an extremely tranquil environment suitable for practicing and cultivating.
The University City's vicinity is always bustling; merchants won't miss such a prime location, and young people won't spare Star Yuan expenses, especially couples.
Yet, on this lively street, no one noticed an elderly man in a black robe appearing out of nowhere; he glanced at the sky before setting up a stall here.
The surrounding people turned a blind eye to him as if he was meant to be there, as if he had long been here.
This scene was extremely bizarre, bizarre to the point that ordinary people were unaware of what powerful being had descended here.
After getting off the car, Wang Xuan headed towards the Immortal Martial Combat Hall, his pace astonishing, walking normally but faster than others running, reaching hundreds of meters away in just a set of breaths.
On a shaded path, Wang Xuan saw from afar an old man setting up a small stall, various handicrafts greatly attracting people.
The old man in black, clean and neat all over, looked ordinary but very agreeable.
On the stall lay a football-sized stone, covered with natural cloud patterns, exceptionally dazzling and brilliant.
At the moment Wang Xuan saw it, his pupils contracted sharply.
He stepped forward, calmly asking: "Sir, is this stone for sale? How much?"
As a member of the Hunting Team, if he couldn't recognize treasure right before him, he'd truly be blind, not to mention being an excellent sniper, merely a glance gave him a clear view.
This stone is no common object but is a treasure Swordsmen and Sword Cultivators dream of—Sword-Sharpening Stone. If its quality is sufficient, even Sword Immortals and Great Sword Immortals would be tempted.
This stone can increase the sharpness of swords, enhancing their destructiveness significantly, and if a treasure sword gets chipped, absorbing the essence of the Sword-Sharpening Stone can repair it.
Just the piece in the old man's hand could easily sell for tens of millions of Star Yuan, and if the right buyer is found, billions wouldn't be an issue.
Treasures, undoubtedly valuable treasures.
"Sell, of course sell, I picked this stone while climbing Celestial Treasure mountain at Meiling; it brought me joy at first sight. Originally, I intended to carve something, but the knife broke because it's too hard, so I suspect it might be a meteorite."
Wang Xuan asked: "How do you price it? I'll transfer the money to you." Good things should naturally be secured.
"Twenty thousand Star Yuan, if you want it, it's yours." The old man said.
Wang Xuan transferred the money to the old man, and shortly after, there was a ding, the money had arrived.
Far away came a young man dressed as a Sword Cultivator, the sword on his waist very delicate, his extraordinary demeanor attracting attention; yet when Wang Xuan looked, his eyes suddenly hurt.
The sword qi bristles with sharpness; undoubtedly, he was a cultivator beyond the Body Refining Realm.
He walked past glancing at the Sword-Sharpening Stone, then stood by, raised his eyebrows, and spoke.
"I want that!" The sword-bearing young man said coldly, as if it was an absolute command.
The old man shook his head, smiled: "Young fellow, you're late, I've already sold it to him, it's his possession."
"I offer one hundred thousand Star Yuan, how about it?" The young Sword Cultivator asked, loftily to Wang Xuan, evidently seeing the true value of that stone.
Wang Xuan instantly responded: "You're late; I've already bought it, and I quite like it, it's not for resale."
"You bought it for twenty thousand, and now sell it for a hundred thousand, you profit eighty thousand, what's the objection? Don't be insatiably greedy." The young Sword Cultivator looked with cold eyes, eyes full of sharp sword glow.
Wang Xuan naturally felt this pressure, internally cursing the man for being overbearing, now that the item is in his possession, whether to sell it or not is his own freedom, what's with this forced buying?
"That's too little for ten thousand." Wang Xuan did not yield lightly because of the Sword Cultivator's intimidation, "You know the real value, the bid is low, I won't sell."
"I'm asking you, sell or not?" The young Sword Cultivator placed his hand on the sword at his waist, seemingly about to make a move, though he glanced at the bustling street and gave up the idea.
Wang Xuan precisely felt a sense of killing intent from this young Sword Cultivator.
If not for the crowd watching close, tens of people staring tightly at the location, plus numerous nearby surveillance, the young Sword Cultivator might really have acted.
The old man advised the Sword Cultivator: "Young fellow, one should reason rightly, not just strike, that's rather unfriendly."
The Sword Cultivator coldly said: "You must sell if I want to buy, a mere Body Refining Martial Artist dares bargain with me."
Having spoken, he took out from his sleeve a jade thumb ring full of cracks, turning to Wang Xuan with a mocking smile, "This celestial treasure though hastily acquired by me, for someone like you, it's a priceless artifact; grab it and scram!"
Like a celestial god, overlooking Wang Xuan, akin to an emperor seeing a street beggar, carelessly tossing a piece of bread down, ordering: eat it.
The shattered ring was thrown to the ground; he grasped the Sword-Sharpening Stone in his hand, pointing at Wang Xuan: "This thing is mine now, with money and goods settled, dare spread nonsense outside, ruin my Celestial Sword Mountain's reputation, bear the consequences for life and death.
By the way, old man, where did you pick this stone at Meiling? Any more?"
The old man's expression gradually cooled, yet the sharp sword rested against his neck: "You won't speak?"
The old man panicked "There's more, more. It's from a grand stone buried in soil, this is just an exposed edge, not even one thirtieth in size."
He then thoroughly explained to the young Sword Cultivator, did not dare hold back, money was far less important than his life.
"Indeed, a great opportunity, certainly I am lucky, hahahaha!" The young Sword Cultivator laughed madly, then turned into a stream of light instantly vanishing in the distance.
He was indeed a celestial entity capable of flying on sword!
Those who witnessed nearby, stared blankly into the distance, even when the streaks of light had disappeared.
Seeing this scene, the corner of the old man's mouth creeped up with a sneer, mixed with a fleeting gentle smile, and then vanished again.
The layout is complete, there'll be excitement to watch in the aftermath.
"Young fellow, young fellow?" The old man saw Wang Xuan frozen in place since earlier, couldn't help asking.
"Escaping death, meeting such a person is indeed unfortunate." The old man shook his head, yet seized the chance to carefully observe Wang Xuan.
"What?" Wang Xuan came back to his senses, remembered something, and hurriedly said to the old man, "Sir, you should hurry back, I'm fine."
Looking at the accelerator panel automatically appearing in his mind, and the accelerator's prompt sound, Wang Xuan's heart spirit stirred.
The excited Wang Xuan disregarded others, now earnestly picked up the fragments of the jade thumb ring from the ground, earlier distractively looking at the accelerator panel once more reminding: "Source Power found, absorb it?"
"Absorb." Wang Xuan mentally whispered.
The jade thumb ring in his hand gradually lost its luster, seemingly its spirituality greatly depleted, while the numbers on the accelerator panel's source point rapidly increased.
Ten Points, Twenty Points, Thirty Points... until the numbers halted at one hundred.