Fingers brushed the light blue whip in his hand, and he felt the strangeness arising within his body.
Ji Yuan understood that this time, he had truly struck gold. Even if it meant spending most of his money, it was still an enormous profit!
If he wasn't mistaken, he had encountered a fundamental object of the Great Dao that could cultivate with his life and grow together!
Let alone 1.8 million taels of silver, even 18 million taels, as long as he had it on him, he would still have taken it out without hesitation, and without the slightest pang of regret!
The so-called fundamental object of the Great Dao was something cultivators could only encounter by chance and seek by fate. Its importance surpassed that of one's Natal Dharma Artifact!
This object might be a spiritual ore, a spiritual medicine, a treasure tree, or even a forged artifact.
Its origin and rarity were not related to its value. There were even great cultivators whose fundamental object of the Great Dao was a woodcutter's axe used for chopping wood.
However, as they cultivated together and advanced on the Great Dao, it eventually evolved into an extremely powerful Dharma Artifact, capable of splitting mountains and seas with a single strike.
Furthermore, as the carrier of one's own Great Dao, it could perfectly unleash the Dao principles comprehended by the cultivator, far surpassing ordinary natal objects.
It was just that fundamental objects of the Great Dao were difficult to find, and one could only rely on personal serendipity to encounter them in the vast world.
Ji Yuan had not expected that he, who had not yet broken through the Second Realm, would, by chance, encounter his own fundamental object of the Great Dao and finally obtain it.
"Thank you, shopkeeper."
While overjoyed, he did not forget to politely reply to the woman beside him.
The shopkeeper of Tian Qiao Pavilion smiled and, after a few pleasantries, left behind a wooden token with a special restriction before turning to leave the private room.
"The previous shopkeeper said that with this wooden token, one can get a 2% discount at all Tian Qiao Pavilion shops within the Great Yu Dynasty!"
Xia Dong played with the wooden token in her hand and said with a hint of excitement.
This small discount might not seem like much, but when purchasing expensive Dharma Artifacts, it could easily save tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.
However, Ji Yuan glanced at her and poured cold water on her enthusiasm: "How many Dharma Artifacts or treasures will you buy in your lifetime at Tian Qiao Pavilion?"
Hearing this, Xia Dong also came to her senses, realizing that the wooden token in her hand was a dispensable item, neither delicious nor worth discarding.
Moreover, cultivators who could afford Dharma Artifacts were generally not lacking in such a small amount of money. Besides, compared to their status and dignity, most people, even with this token, would not use it.
For cultivators who had lived for two or three hundred years, their pride could sometimes be more important than their lives, or even their Great Dao.
"However, congratulations to you, Young Master, for obtaining what you desired."
Xia Dong chuckled, no longer feeling the shyness of being teased. Although she didn't know why he had spent so much to buy a Dharma Artifact embryo, she was still happy for him.
"Let's go, let's browse some more."
Ji Yuan pushed open the door of the private room and returned to the main hall on the second floor.
Although he only had three to four hundred thousand taels of silver left, he couldn't afford any Dharma Artifacts here, but it didn't stop him from looking around and broadening his horizons.
He had only been cultivating for less than two years, and despite his talent in alchemy and talisman arts, his vision and knowledge were still too limited.
Before today, he hadn't even known that Dharma Artifacts and treasures, besides protecting the body, had various other marvelous uses.
For example, on the second floor of Tian Qiao Pavilion, there was a treasure priced at three hundred Spirit Infusion coins, which was equivalent to over three million taels of snowflake silver. This treasure itself had no cultivation or defensive effects.
Its sole purpose was to transform into a medicinal field, capable of briefly holding freshly picked spiritual herbs, preventing them from withering and losing their vitality.
Among the many treasures and Dharma Artifacts here, apart from the fundamental object of the Great Dao he had just obtained, the only other item Ji Yuan fancied was a palm-sized willow leaf boat.
It resembled a willow leaf, about a palm in length. After infusing it with Dharma power and reciting the incantation, it could transform into a three-zhang-sized vessel capable of carrying cultivators through the air. Its speed was comparable to that of spiritual birds, and besides Dharma power, it could also consume the spiritual energy from spirit stones.
However, its price was also quite daunting, costing a full thousand Spirit Infusion coins, equivalent to over ten million taels of snowflake silver!
Ji Yuan couldn't help but shake his head in secret upon seeing this and lost interest in browsing further. He then led Xia Dong back to the first floor.
At this moment, Zhao Yuansong and others had already selected their desired Dharma Artifacts and were completing the transaction with the shopkeeper on the first floor.
A total of five Dharma Artifacts, costing only 230,000 taels of silver, several times less than the expenses on the second floor.
However, this was not comparable. After all, most of the Dharma Artifacts on the first floor had three to six layers of restrictions, and the spiritual materials used were not particularly precious, so the prices were naturally not too high.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan pondered for a moment, then took the wooden token from Xia Dong's hand and handed it to the shopkeeper who was tallying the finances with Zhao Yuansong, saving them a sum of money.
For him, what should be spent should be spent, but what should be saved should not be skimped on. Every tael of silver, no matter how small, was still money!
"Hmm?"
Just as the group was about to leave, they suddenly felt something and turned their heads towards the entrance of the Tian Qiao Pavilion shop.
They saw a ripple of light screen there, and then several figures emerged, and a dense aura of demonic energy immediately swept through the entire first floor of the shop.
A gleam of light appeared on Ji Yuan's body, dispelling the incoming demonic energy. Then, his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the figures shrouded in demonic energy.
At the forefront stood a young man, tall and thin, wearing a green robe, but with an eagle-like head. His eyes were filled with ferocity.
Behind him were four maids. In addition to their beautiful faces and graceful figures, each also had a snow-white fox tail that swayed casually behind them.
A total of five demon races, upon entering Tian Qiao Pavilion, attracted the attention of nearly all the cultivators.
However, most gazes, after a brief glance at the young demon with the eagle's head, fell upon the four fox-tailed maids behind him.
Their graceful figures, paired with elegant, form-fitting dresses, indeed brought a considerable visual impact. Especially the unique charm of the fox tribe, which added a touch of coy allure.
Ji Yuan's expression turned slightly awkward after glancing at the four fox-tailed maids.
This was because they were all wearing the Cloud Pattern Immortal Skirt produced by the Misty Pavilion, and the craftsmanship of their clothing appeared to be even superior to Xia Dong's.
"I'll buy you another set of a different style later."
Ji Yuan took a small step back and whispered to her.
Xia Dong was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and gently shook her head, looking at the person in front of her with a complex expression.
As a maid cultivated by the Qian family, she naturally did not feel anything inappropriate about wearing the same set of clothes as the four fox-tailed maids.
However, Ji Yuan's words made her realize that he seemed to not simply regard her as a maid.
For some reason, a warmth suddenly rose in Xia Dong's heart.
"Esteemed guest, please restrain your aura."
A shopkeeper stepped forward, smiling, and reminded him.
However, the young demon with the eagle's head cast a sideways glance at the shopkeeper. Then, his demonic energy intensified instead of diminishing, engulfing his body to the point where only a general outline could be seen.
Seeing this, the shopkeeper was about to remind him again, but before he could speak, a hand transformed into an afterimage, wrapped in a torrent of powerful Dharma energy, and fiercely struck the shopkeeper's face.
*Puff!*
*Bang!!!*
With two consecutive sounds, before the people in the shop could react, the shopkeeper who had stepped forward to remind them was smashed into a pile of wooden shelves.
Seeing this scene, Ji Yuan's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected this demon to be so overbearing, resorting to violence at the slightest disagreement.
The shopkeeper who was sent flying by the slap was not in mortal danger for the moment, but his aura was extremely weak, clearly indicating severe injuries.
"You think you're worthy?"
The young demon with the eagle's head, enveloped in dense demonic energy, his eyes blazing with crimson ferocity, spoke coldly.
As soon as his voice fell, the many cultivators in the shop immediately wore displeased expressions, their gazes filled with murderous intent.
In the Great Yu Dynasty, although the demon race was treated with more leniency due to the imperial laws and past events, there were still conflicts between the two races, and a strong animosity persisted.
Now, a young demon dared to act so arrogantly and recklessly, injuring people in human territory, naturally arousing the righteous indignation of everyone present.
However, the young demon with the eagle's head seemed to be deaf and blind to the murderous gazes directed at him.
"How dare you show killing intent towards me? Are you all tired of living?"
He sneered, his words filled with disdain and ferocity.
Behind him, the four fox-tailed maids stepped forward in unison, unleashing surging Dharma power and demonic energy together. They were all at the mid-stage of the Second Realm.
And the young demon with the eagle's head exuded an aura of the peak of the Second Realm.
Inside the shop, some cultivators gasped, their faces showing hesitation.
Demons and demonic beasts, with their naturally stronger physiques than humans and inherent innate abilities, possessed more profound Dharma power than human cultivators of the same realm once they embarked on the path of cultivation.
Therefore, at the same realm, without relying on Dharma Artifacts and other items, demons had a stronger combat power than humans.
And a peak Second Realm demon, in terms of combat power alone, was enough to contend with an ordinary Third Realm cultivator!
Currently, in the shop, only two Third Realm cultivators remained unfazed, but their eyes showed a hint of complexity.
Those who could reach the Third Realm were naturally not ordinary individuals. They were either high-ranking members of a faction or elders of a sect, possessing their own sources of information.
Therefore, they were naturally aware that many demon races had gathered in the county town, including descendants of two Demon Kings.
And this young demon with the eagle's head was very likely a descendant of the Rift Wind Demon King!
If not, even if ordinary demons were arrogant, they would not be so ostentatious as to disregard all humans and resort to violence at the slightest provocation.
"May I ask if you are Young Master Feng Mian from the Rift Wind Demon Domain?"
A voice came from the side. Amidst everyone's gaze, a beautiful woman was slowly descending the stairs to the second floor.
Ji Yuan had seen her on the second floor earlier. She was the shopkeeper of Tian Qiao Pavilion, and by her current demeanor, she might be the head shopkeeper here.
"This humble one pays her respects."
This head shopkeeper walked to a spot not far from the young demon, then made a curtsy with a smile.
Feng Mian snorted coldly, and his demonic energy rolled, enveloping them. From the outside, it looked as if they were discussing something.
After a long while, this descendant of the Fierce Wind Demon King withdrew all his demonic energy. With a ferocious expression, he followed the head shopkeeper towards the second floor of Tian Qiao Pavilion.
Once the group disappeared from sight, the tense atmosphere in the place finally eased slightly. Some people had already broken out in a cold sweat.
Clearly, facing Feng Mian, a peak Second Realm cultivator and a descendant of a Demon King, had put immense pressure on many people present.
A moment later, several shop assistants scurried over and rescued the shopkeeper who had been sent flying, taking him to the back of the shop.
Concurrently, another shopkeeper came forward, stating that they had inconvenienced their esteemed guests and that all expenses for the day would be discounted by 20%.
Even Zhao Yuansong and his group, who had already paid for their goods, received a gift from Tian Qiao Pavilion. Although it was not a valuable item, it was a rare trinket, quite enjoyable to play with.
"These demons are truly arrogant. Aren't they afraid of not being able to return to the demon realm and being killed to be refined into pills or treasures?"
As Ji Yuan and his group were about to leave Tian Qiao Pavilion, they couldn't help but overhear the remarks of several Second Realm cultivators within the shop.
After leaving the place, they exchanged glances, then couldn't help but shake their heads. Xu Qiqi even let out a cold laugh.
"When that Demon King's descendant was here, why didn't they dare to say such things?"
The young girl snorted twice, her face filled with disdain.
If they couldn't win, then temporarily conceding was not a shameful matter.
But to engage in verbal abuse after the fact was truly unsportsmanlike, and a petty act no matter where it occurred.