Eight thousand Spirit Stones was already a very favorable price.

Generally, the price of a Low-Grade Second-Tier magical instrument ranged between three hundred and one thousand Spirit Stones. A Mid-Grade one cost between one and two thousand. High-Grade instruments started at three thousand, and depending on quality, it wasn’t uncommon for them to sell for over ten thousand.

Du Xiandie’s flying boat wasn’t particularly fast; its speed was roughly equivalent to a cultivator at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment flying on a sword. However, its capacity was significant. It could carry twenty people, which perfectly suited Wang Hao’s needs.

Wang Hao nodded with a smile. “I will take this flying boat. I hope Fairy Du can bring it next time!”

“Then it is settled. I will come for the transaction in a month. Fellow Daoist Wang, farewell!”

“Farewell!”

Du Xiandie cupped her hands in salute, nodded politely to Chu He and Chen Qing, and took her leave first.

As soon as Du Xiandie vanished, Chen Qing smiled and said, “I didn’t expect Brother Wang to be so wealthy.”

Wang Hao chuckled. “Not at all. I am merely making this purchase on behalf of my family.”

Chen Qing and Chu He didn’t doubt him. Chen Qing took out a storage bag, retrieved four thousand five hundred Spirit Stones and the Mystic Yin Fruit, and handed them to Wang Hao.

“Brother Wang, this is the proceeds from selling the Vein Protection Pill, plus the Spirit Stones you gave us last time!”

Since Du Xiandie had come personally to trade with Wang Hao, the payment for the new order naturally wouldn’t pass through their hands, but the previous consignment was their responsibility.

Wang Hao looked at them with a hint of surprise. The Spirit Stones were in Chen Qing’s possession. Could it be that the two of them had already…

“Senior Sister Chen, you have given too much. One bottle of Vein Protection Pills is only worth two thousand Spirit Stones.”

Wang Hao separated five hundred Spirit Stones and pushed them back, accepting only four thousand.

“There is also the Soul Gathering Pill Brother Wang gave us. That helped me greatly!” Chen Qing insisted.

Wang Hao teased, “I didn’t get to attend your wedding banquet. Consider the Soul Gathering Pill as a congratulatory gift!”

The two did not refute him, tacitly confirming they were indeed together.

Chu He laughed heartily. “I told you Brother Wang wouldn’t accept it. See? We are all friends; there is no need to be so formal!”

Wang Hao nodded repeatedly. “Brother Chu speaks sense. We are comrades who have faced life and death together. What is one Soul Gathering Pill? Besides, didn’t I pay for this Mystic Yin Fruit Brother Chu obtained for me?”

Only then did Chen Qing relent. “Then thank you, Brother Wang.”

As she spoke, she retrieved two First-Tier magical instruments from her storage bag. “Since Brother Wang gave us a wedding gift, I must also give something to your younger brothers and sisters. These three Mid-Grade First-Tier magical instruments are ones we used in our early years. I hope Brother Wang won’t refuse!”

Chu He chimed in, “Brother Wang, we couldn’t attend your Foundation Establishment ceremony. Please, don’t refuse these gifts for the juniors.”

Wang Hao reluctantly accepted them. “Then, on their behalf, I thank Big Brother and Sister-in-law!”

The three chatted about their experiences over the past few years, shared a simple lunch, and then bid each other farewell.

As soon as his friends left, the two disciples responsible for receiving guests approached with flattering expressions.

“Senior Wang, we were inadequate in our hospitality earlier. We hope Senior will forgive us!”

The other disciple quickly added, “Yes, we never expected Senior Wang to be acquainted with Senior Du. Had we known earlier, we wouldn’t have dared to accept Senior’s Spirit Stones, even if you gave us the courage.”

As he spoke, he took out thirty Spirit Stones and tried to hand them back to Wang Hao.

Wang Hao repeatedly declined, assuring them he wouldn’t hold a grudge, but their fear was palpable and their attitude firm. Unable to refuse their persistence, Wang Hao had no choice but to take the money back.

“Senior Wang, there are better cave dwellings in the back. Please follow me!”

The two led Wang Hao to a separate small courtyard. The layout was much superior to the small room from before, and the spiritual energy was significantly more abundant—dense enough even for Foundation Establishment cultivators to practice.

Wang Hao was satisfied. With denser spiritual energy, his recovery speed would increase, allowing him to refine pills more efficiently.

After sending the disciples away, Wang Hao began focusing on alchemy.

Refining the Vein Protection Pill was delicate work. Initially, he succeeded in only one batch out of three attempts, yielding four pills. Refining a single batch required a little over two days.

Wang Hao calculated the time—he had plenty.

And so it went. The success rate for the subsequent batches hovered around fifty percent. In less than twenty days, he had refined the three bottles of Vein Protection Pills promised to Du Xiandie, with three extra pills left over.

He didn’t send anyone to inform her; she needed time to refine the magical instruments anyway. Waiting a few more days was of no consequence.

Instead, he began studying the method for refining Mystic Yin Spiritual Liquid.

Five days later, Wang Hao successfully prepared a batch.

The Mystic Yin Spiritual Liquid was colorless and transparent, yet it exuded a chilling aura just by looking at it. Wang Hao extended his right hand and poured a small amount into his palm.

The liquid emitted an unusual, cold fragrance. Wang Hao took a sip.

As soon as it entered his mouth, a chill surged forth, making him shiver involuntarily. Immediately after, he felt the medicinal power rushing through his body—a cool, icy sensation that penetrated his bones.

“Good! It matches the effect described in the cultivation method.”

Wang Hao nodded in satisfaction and carefully poured the liquid into a gourd bottle. This amount would only last him a few months of cultivation. The next refinement would have to wait until the Mystic Yin Fruits in his accelerated Spirit Farm matured in five years.

Another five days passed, and Du Xiandie arrived as promised.

As soon as they met, she unloaded a pile of items onto the table.

She pointed at a greenish, strip-shaped small boat about a foot long.

“This green flying boat is called the Flying Cloud Boat. It can carry thirty thousand jin of goods and twenty cultivators without issue. It is refined using the bark of an Emptiness Tree, feathers from Black-Feathered Eagles, and other materials. It also has a Kan-Li Formation installed for basic protection. The price is as agreed—eight thousand Spirit Stones!”

She then picked up a small green mirror.

“This is the Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact, the True Fire Mirror! Carved from Firewood of Separation Fire with flame patterns engraved on the surface. It can form fire shields or launch fireball attacks! Worth seven hundred Spirit Stones.”

Next, a suit of green chainmail.

“This is the Mid-Grade defensive Spiritual Artifact, the Azure Soul Armor! Forged from Azure Soul Ore mixed with a small amount of Mithril. It effectively resists spell attacks! Worth one thousand three hundred Spirit Stones.”

Then, a pair of green boots.

“These are Second-Tier Mid-Grade Spiritual Artifacts, the Clear Source Boots! They are imitations of Clear Source True Monarch’s famous spiritual treasure. With Qi infusion, they can more than double a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s escape speed! Worth one thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones.”

She pointed to a green hat.

“This is the Low-Grade defensive Spiritual Artifact, the Azure Nether Crown! Refined from Azure Nether Gauze. It has excellent defensive capabilities and enhances perception toward Yin energy! Worth six hundred Spirit Stones.”

Finally, she held up a green jade pendant.

“This is the Soul-Stabilizing Pendant! A Mid-Grade Spiritual Artifact. It contains a tiny piece of Soul-Stabilizing Jade. It protects against Divine Consciousness attacks, and long-term wear slightly nourishes the user’s own Divine Consciousness! Worth two thousand Spirit Stones!”

As for the several First-Tier magical instruments included for his family, Du Xiandie didn’t even bother introducing them.

“Fellow Daoist may choose several items from these! First-Tier magical instruments aren’t valuable anyway. These four pieces are just ones I used to practice my craftsmanship earlier—consider them gifts!”

Looking at this pile of exclusively green magical instruments, Wang Hao really wanted to complain about Du Xiandie’s color preference. Did she have to make everything the same shade? And a green hat?

The total cost was fourteen thousand four hundred and forty Spirit Stones. Minus the six thousand offset by the three bottles of Vein Protection Pills, Wang Hao still needed to pay over eight thousand.

Even though he was wealthy enough to afford it, the sum still made his teeth ache.

However, these items were truly high-quality goods. Buying them at the market would cost at least twenty percent more. Missing this opportunity might mean never finding such a deal again. Other craftsmen simply couldn’t compare to Du Xiandie, who was backed by a Golden Core Old Ancestor.

Specifically, the Soul-Stabilizing Pendant contained Third-Tier spiritual material—Soul-Stabilizing Jade—which was extremely rare, scarcer even than some Fourth-Tier materials. He absolutely had to secure this item. Combined with his Spirit-Splitting Cone, wearing it daily would continuously enhance his Divine Consciousness capabilities.

Wang Hao took out the three bottles of Vein Protection Pills, plus the three extra loose pills.

“Fairy Du, I have three extra Vein Protection Pills here. Do you want them?”

Du Xiandie smiled faintly. “Naturally. Include them in the pricing!”

“Alright. The total is six thousand six hundred and forty Spirit Stones in value. If I give Fairy an additional eight thousand and forty Spirit Stones, that covers all these items!”

Reluctantly, but decisively, Wang Hao handed over the heavy bag of Spirit Stones. The heartache was real, but the upgrade to his arsenal was undeniable.