Chapter 98: What’s Going On?
Primal stones were crystallized stones that contained the elements of the world and would only form after countless of years of condensation in a certain location. After enough of the energy was condensed, it would be categorized into three different grades; the highest quality ones were known as primal stones. Soul cultivators could extract the energy from the primal stones to increase their strength, so these primal stones were extremely precious. If a commoner had wished to buy one, then even the most rudimentary of primal stones would cost thousands of gold, if not tens of thousands for one.
Soul crystals referred to the ‘nucleus’ of a soulbeast. Every soulbeast would have a soul crystal within them, even if they were the lowest of the low. It was the location where all cultivation would take place in and was practically the second heart of a soulbeast. This was similar in function to the essence seed of a soul cultivator. A soul crystal contained the elements of the world, and the stronger a soulbeast was, the more pure the energy within their soul crystal would be.
No one knew just when it had started, but when a single soul cultivator had hunted and extracted the elements within the soul crystal to increase their own strength, many more soul cultivators had begun to hunt these soulbeasts and sell the soul crystals. It was also for this reason that the divide between soul cultivator and soulbeast had widened. Combined with the Beast Taming School, all of the stronger soulbeasts of Soulbeast Forest had rejected any soul cultivator. For any soul cultivator that came into the forest to hunt for soul crystals, they would die a brutal death if they came across a strong enough soulbeast. Even the soul cultivators that came into the forest to find a soulbeast as a companion would often times be attacked.
And so the Soulbeast Forest had gradually become a terrifying place. For those without enough strength or a reliable enough partner, very few would dare venture into this place.
Primal stones and soul crystals were common currency in the world of soul cultivators. In the beginning, Hong Yin had gave Bai Yunfei several fire primal stones, but those were used up to increase Bai Yunfei’s soulforce.
Bai Yunfei had only taken a second of consideration to decline the ‘benevolent invitation’ of the shopkeeper. Bai Yunfei figured that he would only a helpless window shopper up there, and he was very unwilling to trade in his soul items for the ones up there, so he had naturally decided not to go up.
And so despite the friendly urging of the shopkeeper, Bai Yunfei decided to leave the shop and head out the streets.
“So this means that….the Upgrade Skill is definitely connected to the level of the equipment itself–normal, high, superior, attack power and even defensive power, if they are below a hundred, then it is classified as what any regular person can create, or a regular item in short. Anything from a hundred to two hundred is considered stronger than a regular item but crossed over the soul item boundary and is classified as an ‘incomplete soul item’. Two hundred up and up, those are considered soul items….” Bai Yunfei’s mind raced at a rapid speed as he thought to himself.
With his money problem solved and ten newly acquired ‘top-notch’ daggers, Bai Yunfei was highly satisfied with the profits of this afternoon. After strolling around for some time, he had decided to head into a teahouse to listen to the folk stories for half an hour. But when he listened to the strange anecdotes of the continent, Bai Yunfei simply had no idea whether they were true or not.
But this had made Bai Yunfei think for a moment. He simply did not know much about the “Tianhun Empire”, even the history of the entire empire had only been superficial and limited to only what his uncle had told him in passing.
And so he walked to a bookstore and purchased several books that contained information on the entire continent so he could better understand it.
……
But what the constantly vigilant Bai Yunfei hadn’t noticed was that in another corner of the street, a frail-looking bearded man could be seen following him….
That man had been two hundred meters behind Bai Yunfei with a demonic-looking smile. His body was slightly bent forwards as he hid himself within the group of people. Staring from a decent distance, his eyes flashed continuously as if he was hatching a plan.
“I’ve finally found you after an entire afternoon….haha, I should have you two meet ‘again’ next then….”
This person had clearly been that Jing Mingfeng. For the sake of ‘punishing’ Bai Yunfei early, he had to wake up early to find him so that his two targets wouldn’t leave the city and ruin his plan altogether.
Bai Yunfei simply didn’t have the skill to perfectly conceal his soulforce, so after an entire afternoon, Jing Mingfeng had finally found him. Then covering up his own presence, Jing Mingfeng began to follow him.
After following Bai Yunfei for another hour, Jing Mingfeng had been trying to find a way to have the two parties meet without compromising his own position when all of a sudden his face went blank. Looking ahead of Bai Yunfei, Jing Mingfeng smiled in joy, “Ha, who would have thought that when all hope was lost, you’d walk there yourself, that makes things easier.”
“Who knows if I’ll even have to make a move myself, he’s already…..” Jing Mingfeng’s eyes wandered to the end of the street when all of a sudden, his mouth had dropped wide open in amazement as if he had seen something unbelievable.
After several seconds, he had regained his spirit. There was an eccentric look in his eyes as he looked at Bai Yunfei walking back and forth between stalls with interest as if he was a toy. Jing Mingfeng’s lips curled upwards as if he was taking in joy from Bai Yunfei’s incoming disaster. “Haha, maybe my luck is too good today? You’re really too unlucky, don’t tell me you two were actually ‘destined’ to meet? But if there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that I’ll have something great to watch. That and, you’re absolutely fucked…haha!”
Just a hundred meters away from the other side of the road, the little girl and her female servant that Jing Mingfeng had ‘played with’ with Bai Yunfei’s appearance were slowly walking towards Bai Yunfei. It would only take another hundred or so meters for the two to meet.
“Hehe, for an even bigger insurance, I’ll send you this ‘proof’!”
……
Handing over a ring of copper coins to the vendor of a stall, Bai Yunfei stood up with a palm-sized wooden bird in his hands and prepared himself to walk away.
Not even two steps later, there had been a blur right in front of his eyes as a single person had slammed into his chest. The feeling of something being stuffed in his left hand could be felt, but before he could react to what had happened, the person who hit him had disappeared. In practically two steps, the figure had quickly blended back into the crowd behind Bai Yunfei.
“This feeling, it’s somewhat similar…crap!” Bai Yunfei had instantly snapped out from his daze and hurriedly looked at his right hand.
The space ring was still adorned on his finger, allowing Bai Yunfei to sigh in relief. Shifting his eyes, he could see that something had been stuffed in the left hand.
“Cloth? Or is this a handkerchief?” Bai Yunfei looked at the material in his hand with a confused look. But just as he was getting a close look at it, there was suddenly a furious roar to be heard.
“Pervert, you still dare show yourself!!”
The entire street had been startled by this loud shout, even Bai Yunfei had nearly leapt out of his skin and drop the cloth in his hands. His entire body felt goosebumps over it as he felt a tremendous ‘killing intent’ fill the air around him. Looking up, he could see ten meters away a single burly middle-aged woman gnashing her teeth in indignation. By her side was a white-robed young woman with skin as pale as snow; her face equally angry as she glared at him.
……
Her delicate face had gone stark red while both hands seemed to unconsciously grab at the hemming of her clothes while her eyebrows knitted together in anger.
Bai Yunfei had been at a loss. In his right hand was that wooden bird while the left hand held the undergarment of a woman while he stared in confusion at her.
This, was the first time either of the two had ever met each other.
……
Bai Yunfei had been dumbfounded for a moment. Looking to his left and then to his right, he had realized the eyes of everyone around him were staring at him. Looking back at the two women in front of him, he asked in confusion:
“What’s going on?”