C11 Finding the Spiritual Treasure
This was the largest trading market in the county, featuring over a hundred diverse shops and a multitude of mobile vendors. Not only did professional merchants ply their trade here, but students from the Martial Academy and Alchemists from the Temple of Alchemy also set up their own modest booths. The stalls overflowed with an array of materials from Barbarian Beasts, spiritual herbs, spirit stones, pills, and spiritual treasures—a true feast for the eyes.
As Lee Mo wandered through the market, he noted that the spiritual treasures intended for personal use were quite expensive, typically costing several hundred taels each.
A few hundred taels of silver were comfortably within Lee Mo's budget, and he was even prepared to pay more, considering his supreme grade Origin Returning Pill could easily sell for upwards of ten thousand taels of silver.
Yet, the spiritual treasures on offer did not meet his standards, being largely inferior in quality. The Vital Energy stored within them was scant, barely sufficient for Lee Mo to perform one or two techniques with his Bloodthirsty Sword.
Lee Mo figured that if the Vital Energy in these spiritual treasures ran out and he needed to obtain new ones, it would not only be costly but also quite bothersome.
During his search, Lee Mo suddenly spotted an inconspicuous black crystal shard at a stall specializing in wild beast materials, nestled in a corner of the trading market. He scrutinized the stall owner with a flicker of excitement. The man looked to be in his forties and resembled a hunter.
The middle-aged hunter, seeing someone take interest, warmly called out, "What can I help you find, young man?"
Lee Mo casually asked about the prices of a few medicinal herbs, which turned out to be quite reasonable. After picking out several, he gestured towards the crystal fragment and asked with genuine curiosity, "Forgive my ignorance, but from which beast does this originate?"
The hunter laughed and informed him, "This isn't from any beast. It's a piece of Jade Ore."
"Jade Ore? Are there Jade Ore mines near the county?" Lee Mo asked, feigning ignorance.
The hunter replied with a smile, "Yes, there's one by Black Crow Mountain. It's an old mine that was abandoned over thirty years ago. I happened upon this piece of Jade Ore there just a few days ago. However, the Jade Ore from that region is of low quality and not very valuable. The mine was closed after it became haunted, and the officials have since abandoned it."
"Haunted mine?" Lee Mo asked, his curiosity piqued.
The middle-aged hunter leaned in, his voice taking on a mysterious tone, "They say that ghosts haunt the depths of the mine, causing numerous cave-ins that claimed many lives. The authorities even searched the place but found nothing, and eventually, the mine was abandoned. Just yesterday, while I was out hunting, I accidentally found a cave that leads deep into the mine."
He laughed lightly and continued, "I picked up this piece of Jade Ore there. I didn't go any deeper; I have a family to feed and no interest in checking for ghosts in those tunnels."
Lee Mo nodded and inquired, "How much for the Jade Ore?"
"A couple will suffice," the hunter responded cheerfully.
After buying the Jade Ore, Lee Mo found a secluded spot in an alley to inspect the stone in the sunlight. He discovered fine red lines running through the Jade Ore and smiled to himself, "I was right, there is Chalcedony in that mine!"
The Chalcedony held a substantial amount of Vital Energy. Unlike the spiritual treasures Lee Mo had seen before, he could continuously infuse Vital Energy into the Chalcedony, making it perfectly suited for his Bloodthirsty Sword.
It was evident that no one had reached the area where the Chalcedony was located.
However, considering the strange occurrences at the Jade Mine, there was a significant risk involved. He would need to fully recover from his injuries and improve his cultivation before exploring further.
At that moment, Lee Mo remembered something else.
He thought back to when Zhang Shiliang had skillfully fired an arrow that traveled hundreds of feet, hitting a Fire Bull right in the eye and killing an enemy from a hundred meters away with ease.
Lee Mo's current martial skills, the Spirit Snake Sword and the Bloodthirsty Sword, were for close-quarters combat, and his Lightning Steps technique had a range of only a few feet.
Clearly, he needed to learn archery.
Having proficiency in both melee and ranged combat would be perfect. It would not only ease his hunting but also equip him to handle a wide array of scenarios.
Yet, until he reached the Monolith Stage, he couldn't re-enter the True Martial Tower.
If he wanted to obtain new martial Mystic Manuals, he would have to rely on others.
One sunny morning, Lee Mo set out to visit the various courtyards in the vicinity.
The area was mostly inhabited by members of the Lee family's collateral branches and minor noble families from different counties. Upon discovering that Lee Mo came from Castlebury, the local disciples welcomed him with open arms.
Within the Lee family's collateral branches, the power of Castlebury stood as the most formidable.
Lee Mo, while chatting leisurely with the disciples, casually asked about the spells they had obtained from the True Martial Tower.
Many of the young men seemed disheartened by his question, expressing that the spells they found were unsuitable for them.
Lee Mo offered to take a look at these spells, and they willingly obliged.
After visiting more than a dozen courtyards without discovering a suitable archery technique, Lee Mo stumbled upon a Mystic Manual for concealed weapons held by a young man.
This individual was in the early period of the Monolith Stage and specialized in concealed weapons. He had found an intermediate level two Mystic Manual called Eight-Armed Pagoda in the True Martial Tower.
Due to time constraints, he hadn't been able to examine it closely.
It was only after he left the tower and spent several days poring over the spell that he realized its complexity. Having made no headway in the past month, he had given up on this particular spell to concentrate on his previous studies.
Lee Mo asked to borrow the Eight-Armed Pagoda to take a closer look, and the young man readily agreed.
With the Mystic Manual in hand, Lee Mo immediately started to study it.
The Eight-Armed Pagoda was a technique for the Flying Dagger, one of the hidden weapons, designed to strike the same point in a straight line to achieve a lethal effect.
The attack was meant to be instantaneous.
Convinced that the martial art's level of difficulty and potency were a good fit for him, Lee Mo wasted no time in going to the concealed weapons area of the training field to commence his training.
Standing in a corner of the field, Lee Mo silently executed the wrist techniques described in the Eight-Armed Pagoda, launching two Flying Daggers with a swift motion of his hands.
The daggers flew out at an astonishing speed but missed their target entirely, not even coming close to the wooden stake.
Other students practicing nearby saw this and laughed.
Unperturbed by their amusement, Lee Mo gave a self-deprecating smile and remarked, "Mastering the Flying Dagger technique is certainly not a walk in the park."
He retrieved another Flying Dagger from his belt and continued his practice.
The slender Flying Dagger was much lighter than a sword, often veering far off course, which led to Lee Mo being the subject of mockery from his peers.
For days on end, Lee Mo immersed himself in the concealed weapons section, relentlessly honing his Flying Dagger skills.
Gradually, Lee Mo's wrist movements transitioned from clumsy to fluid, and his Flying Daggers began to strike increasingly closer to their target.
His hard work was paying off. Within a few days, he could consistently hit a wooden stake five meters away with both daggers.
This progress was remarkable, yet Lee Mo was not satisfied. The application of concealed weapons and sword techniques were vastly different. His accuracy with concealed weapons was not yet on par with a master's, and their power was considerably lacking.
In battle, he might have to switch between concealed weapons and swordplay instantly, or even utilize them simultaneously, necessitating an enhancement of his concealed weapon skills.
Lee Mo trained tirelessly, with a row of Flying Daggers hanging at his waist.
The wooden stake was peppered with a thick array of slashes, each progressively deeper than the last.
After ten days of arduous training, he finally reached the Small Completion stage with the Eight-Armed Pagoda technique, achieving a basic mastery of concealed weapons.
By that time, Lee Mo's injuries had completely healed, and he decided to commence his search for the spiritual treasure.
He informed Lee Gaoyuan of his intentions, and Lee Gaoyuan was ecstatic.
Although Lee Mo had brought an iron sword from his family, his advancing skills made it less suitable. In addition, he required more gear for his concealed weapons. Therefore, early one morning, he and Lee Gaoyuan set out for the trading market.
The street was lined with blacksmith shops, their weapons glinting enticingly.
After browsing several stores, Lee Mo chose a duelling sword made from Fire Bull horn, weighing over a hundred kilograms. It felt somewhat heavy, but he could handle it.
Next, he picked out twenty Flying Daggers fashioned from Ice Snake Bone and also acquired two Fine Steel Swords and a long rope, spending a total of over a hundred silver pieces.
Lee Gaoyuan bought a Fine Steel Sword for himself and two sets of protective soft armor—one for his use and one as a gift for Lee Mo.
With all their gear in order, they set off for the mine before the break of dawn the following day.
The path originally cleared by government workers was now overgrown with weeds. The two travelers occasionally encountered level one Barbarian Beasts along the way. It wasn't until midday that they finally arrived at the entrance to the mine.
In front of the entrance was a large clearing, littered with the remnants of tools used for sorting ore, all of which were now damaged. The ground was strewn with rubble, and the massive mouth of the mine loomed dark and foreboding, like the gaping maw of a wild beast. Even in broad daylight, it exuded a chilling terror.
"Could there really be ghosts inside?" Lee Gaoyuan asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Ghosts are surely just rumors, but the multiple collapses that have occurred here are likely true," Lee Mo responded.
"If we enter, might we face a collapse?" Lee Gaoyuan asked, his bravery tempered by a concern for safety.
"The collapses were probably due to the mine's inherently poor geological structure, compounded by the miners' extensive excavation. Decades have passed, so the likelihood of a sudden collapse is quite slim now. Besides, there's chalcedony hidden inside. We must get to the bottom of this," Lee Mo explained.
Lee Gaoyuan nodded in agreement. Lee Mo's reasoning was sound, and he was eager to see what chalcedony looked like for himself.
So, they began their descent into the mine. Shortly after entering, they came upon several branching paths.
After exploring the first path and finding it unfruitful, they moved on to the second. Two hours into their journey, they reached the depths of the fourth mine, where Lee Mo noticed a subtle airflow.
Following the breeze, they quickly found a natural mountain trail leading outside, likely the same one the hunter had used when he discovered the Jade Ore.
