After the recent talisman transaction with the Sky Book Pavilion, Qin Lu’s savings officially broke through the four-hundred Spirit Stone mark.

It felt like achieving financial freedom.

Patting the heavy bag of Spirit Stones in his robe, Qin Lu hesitated no longer and stepped into a large shop on the main street.

“Esteemed customer, what kind of magical instruments would you like to purchase?”

As soon as he entered, a young and beautiful female cultivator came forward to greet him, asking enthusiastically.

This was a dedicated magical instrument store.

“What 【Storage Bags】 do you have to recommend?” Qin Lu asked casually.

Hearing this, the young female cultivator’s eyes lit up, and she quickly said, “Customer, please come this way. The 【Storage Bags】 are all over here.”

Led by the female cultivator, Qin Lu arrived before a display shelf.

On it were three small, reddish-brown bags made of coarse cloth. They looked unremarkable, with two simple straps at the opening.

“Customer, please look. Our shop currently has three types of 【Storage Bags】 with storage spaces of six cubic units, eight cubic units, and ten cubic units respectively. Which one would you prefer?” the cultivator introduced.

“What are their respective prices?”

“The six-cubic one is one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones, the eight-cubic is two hundred and forty Spirit Stones, and the ten-cubic is three hundred Spirit Stones.”

“Hmm…” Looking at the small bags before him, Qin Lu pondered for a moment.

“I’ll take the eight-cubic one.”

“Alright!”

Suppressing the heartache of parting with two hundred and forty Spirit Stones, Qin Lu finally obtained the 【Storage Bag】 he had been longing for.

Holding the inconspicuous little bag in his hand, he couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.

Not long ago, he was overwhelmed by a debt of three hundred Spirit Stones. Who would have thought that after just over three months, he could lavishly spend over two hundred Spirit Stones on a single magical instrument?

The speed of his financial turnaround was truly astonishing.

After a brief moment of reflection, Qin Lu asked the shop assistant about the specific operation methods for the 【Storage Bag】.

Under her careful instruction, he quickly understood the mechanism.

Simply put, one just needed to input spiritual power into the bag and lock onto the item they wished to retrieve to take it out freely. As for storing things, it required activating both the 【Storage Bag】 and the item with spiritual energy; when both were linked, absorption occurred.

It was quite miraculous.

Qin Lu immediately stored all his belongings into the 【Storage Bag】 right there in the shop before leaving, thoroughly satisfied.

Afterward, he went to his usual talisman shop and spent fifty Spirit Stones on materials. Only then did he head toward the market.

On the way, thoughts flowed through Qin Lu’s mind.

Using these materials to refine 【Body Protection Shields】 might earn more…

With fifty Spirit Stones worth of materials, I should be able to produce about fifty 【Water Qi Shields】. Selling them at three each would bring in one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones, netting a profit of one hundred.

But if I use them to make 【Body Protection Shields】…

The 【Body Protection Shield】 has more intricate patterns and complex characters; these materials might only yield around thirty or so.

However, the market price is generally five Spirit Stones each. That way, the income could be around one hundred and fifty to one hundred and seventy Spirit Stones, with a slightly higher profit margin than the 【Water Qi Shields】.

Hmm, then I’ll refine 【Body Protection Shields】. The higher defensive power will also give me more peace of mind when using them myself.

…

Soon, Qin Lu arrived at the market.

He walked to his usual spot for buying firewood but found no one set up there today.

“Uh, Fellow Daoist, where are the Loose Cultivators who usually sell firewood?” Qin Lu asked a nearby Loose Cultivator tending a stall.

“It’s freezing cold! They definitely aren’t going out to chop wood! They’re sleeping at home!”

The Loose Cultivator rubbed his shoulders to warm up and glanced at Qin Lu with disdain.

Qin Lu asked curiously, “Why aren’t they doing business?”

“They need to stay alive to do business. Going out to chop wood in this weather? Do you want them to freeze to death? Would you compensate them if they died in the wild?”

“Then where should I buy firewood?” Qin Lu was taken aback.

“Where? Go chop it yourself!” The Loose Cultivator sneered scornfully. “It’s already nearing winter. You didn’t prepare your winter firewood early. Now you come asking; who would have firewood to sell you?”

“Uh…”

Qin Lu’s expression stiffened. He was somewhat displeased with the man’s attitude but still cupped his hands in thanks. “Thank you for clearing that up, Fellow Daoist!”

He turned and left the market.

The matter of firewood had truly slipped his mind. Now that the Loose Cultivators who usually sold it were staying home to avoid the cold, firewood had become scarce. Although he could use the 【Ignition Technique】 for cooking, it consumed spiritual energy and was troublesome—definitely not as convenient as burning wood.

As Qin Lu walked, he considered his options but ultimately had no choice. He headed toward the outskirts of Wuji Market, planning to gather the wood himself.

Heavy snow continued to fall slowly, cloaking Wuji Market in silver-white splendor.

The destitute Loose Cultivators usually seen everywhere on the streets were nowhere to be found. Apart from some wealthy cultivators wearing cold-resistant Dharma Robes, there were only a few high-level Loose Cultivators, hugging their bundles and hurrying past with heads bowed.

Qin Lu tightened his clothes around him and walked slowly out of the Wuji Market entrance.

Not long after, he arrived at The Slums.

What surprised Qin Lu slightly was that the ever-present smell of sewage in The Slums was now masked by the heavy snow. The foul stench had completely disappeared, leaving the air unusually fresh.

As he walked, Qin Lu suddenly saw a corpse lying by the roadside.

The man was bare-chested, lying stiffly in the snow with a smile on his face, looking peaceful. A wine flask lay beside him.

He had clearly gotten drunk and frozen to death.

Seeing this, Qin Lu couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. He shook his head and quickly walked away.

Within Wuji Market, people could roughly be divided into several categories.

First were the disciples or members of the Wuji Market administration or the five major powers. They held noble statuses, had Foundation Establishment cultivators backing them, were mostly arrogant, and spent their days indulging in pleasure. They lived the most carefree lives.

Second were the cultivators employed by the five major powers, performing various important tasks throughout the market. They had stable incomes, no worries about food or clothing, and possessed a certain degree of reputation and status. Manager Yan and the Wuji Market patrol teams belonged to this category.

Third were the mid-to-late stage cultivators with formidable strength who dared to hunt demon beasts on East Head Ridge. These cultivators lived dangerously on the edge of a blade, possessed fierce combat prowess, and enjoyed relatively comfortable lives. Cao Mo’s parents were this type of people.

Fourth were those who relied on specific skills for their livelihood. They generally had expertise—like selling talismans, auctioning items, or trading goods—or were employed in low-level positions within shops. Qin Lu, Zhang Meng, and Lu Xian all belonged to this category.

Fifth were the bottom rung of Wuji Market. They lacked cultivation bases, skills, jobs, and courage. Usually, they could only gather medicinal herbs, chop wood, resell used books, or do odd jobs. They lived the hardest lives.

And most of these people were the low-level Loose Cultivators living in The Slums.

…

Arriving at the wild forest outside, Qin Lu discovered he wasn’t the only one who had forgotten to stock up on firewood.

There were several other Loose Cultivators dressed warmly here. They held magical instruments or ordinary axes, grunting as they chopped trees.

Everyone wore expressions of high alert.

Their positioning resembled men at a urinal—each person maintained a significant distance from the others, absolutely refusing to stand close together.

All were chopping trees in silence.

Qin Lu didn’t dare be careless, either. He specifically found an area with fewer people and began his own labor.

However, unlike the others, the tool he used for chopping wasn’t a magical instrument or a mundane axe—it was his index finger.

【Cutting Technique】.

Spiritual energy instantly enveloped his index finger and rapidly extended. In less than two seconds, it transformed into a slender yet extremely sharp beam of light.

It looked like a futuristic warrior’s lightsaber.

The upgraded 【Cutting Technique】 was full of power and consumed relatively little spiritual energy. It was perfect for chopping wood.

Qin Lu casually made a light swipe. A tree as thick as a bowl was instantly sliced through.

He nodded lightly, satisfied, then began cutting the timber into sections. He divided the logs into suitable sizes and stored them directly into his 【Storage Bag】.

But just as he was happily working away… suddenly, the sounds of fighting erupted behind him.