The floating platform landed smoothly on the ground, and Aotian and Rihai disembarked.
"I still think these things should have a guardrail…" Aotian muttered, bothered by the possibility of a sudden fall.
Rihai just smiled but didn't respond. Holding hands, the two pulled their hoods over their faces and blended into the crowd.
As they walked toward the pavilion where they had done business last ti, Aotian observed the movent around them, impressed by the sheer number of people. He couldn't help but ask:
"Do you know how many cultivators live in Blue Cloud City?"
Rihai turned her face slightly toward him, but all she could see was the hood hiding his expression.
"As far as I know, this vein, despite being only a low first-tier, is as vast as a second-tier one. So, with its massive size and thousands of gigantic buildings, the city should hold almost a million people. But since not everyone here is a cultivator and the city isn't at full capacity, I'd estimate there are about five hundred thousand cultivators or a little more, plus a few tens of thousands of mortals brought along with them."
She shrugged, as if that number wasn't anything special.
But Aotian thought differently.
'Damn, five hundred thousand is a lot of people. If the sect were able to recruit in this city, how many talents would be discovered? Considering that Black Rock Mountain has only thirty thousand cultivators and we managed to recruit only nine disciples due to the rushed nature of the last recruitnt, this place must be full of hidden talents.'
Even compared to his past life, five hundred thousand was a significant population for a city. And when he rembered that this number represented only those born with spiritual roots—a rarity among mortals—Aotian couldn't help but be impressed.
Pulling Rihai by the hand, he moved forward, and soon they entered the pavilion. Inside, the sa old man from before was speaking authoritatively to a middle-aged man.
"If I hear any complaints in the pavilion because of you, and my na is tarnished, don't worry about what the pavilion will do to you—worry about what I will do." The thin, white-haired old man spoke firmly.
The man lowered his head and nodded respectfully.
"Don't worry, Father. I won't dishonor your na and will manage this branch well."
The old man nodded in satisfaction but soon noticed, from the corner of his eye, two hooded figures entering hand in hand.
His eyes narrowed as he recognized the stature and body shape of those hooded custors. A smile appeared on his face, and he approached them warmly.
"Welco, esteed custors. How can I help you today?" he asked with a kind smile.
The middle-aged man, who seed to be his son, widened his eyes, surprised by his father's sudden shift in attitude. But as he observed the two figures, he seed to understand sothing, and his eyes glead with interest.
"Hum, I need a lot of things this ti. Give a blank jade slip to write them down," Aotian requested bluntly.
The old man was a bit disappointed to realize it was just a purchase and not the sale of another super technique like last ti, but upon hearing "a lot of things," he perked up and quickly retrieved a jade slip from his waist.
"Of course, esteed custor. Here it is!" He handed over the slip respectfully, and Aotian took it naturally.
Without hesitation, Aotian pressed it against his forehead under the hood.
The old man was startled by his boldness. Normally, no one would activate a jade slip without inspecting it first to avoid the risk of ntal collapse due to malicious information overload, but he supposed it was a sign of the custor's trust in the pavilion's reputation.
Aotian, on the other hand, rely confird that the slip was empty. And as for the concern of it being a trap? With a Golden Core avatar and several other powerful avatars, it would be absurd for the information in a low-tier jade slip to overwhelm his mind.
After verifying that there were no issues with the formations on the jade slip, he began recording.
To do this, he manipulated the purified spiritual energy in his dantian, guiding it through his spiritual roots to his brain, then connecting it to the formations within the jade slip.
Spiritual energy is not a common energy, like electricity. Its very na suggests its unique nature—it is spiritual.
Although one cannot claim that it is alive and has thoughts of its own, it also cannot be classified as sothing dead and unconscious. It is an enigma, a true Schrödinger's cat—simultaneously existing between the real and the unreal, in a paradoxical state.
This special characteristic—its spirituality, so to speak—allows a cultivator to imbue their intent into the energy they purify. They can use it as their eyes and ears, infusing it with emotions, intentions, and even will.
Thus, embedding thoughts into a jade slip and storing them within its formations becos a natural and intuitive process.
Monts later, Aotian removed the jade slip from his forehead and handed it to the old man.
The old man, who had been watching Aotian with a gentle smile, froze slightly as he received the jade slip.
Holding it, his face stiffened slightly. He wanted to please this important custor, but unfortunately… he didn't trust him.
So, he rely sighed inwardly, gave Aotian an apologetic smile, and cast a dark look at one of the nearby maids. His voice ca out cold and firm:
"You, co here."
The maid, trembling as she realized she had been called, hesitated before stepping forward.
Without the slightest consideration, the old man pressed the jade slip against her forehead, activating it.
The young woman closed her eyes, tears rolling down her pale cheeks as she awaited the worst.
But nothing happened.
Seeing that she was alive and well, the old man waved his hand dismissively, releasing her. He then pressed the slip to his own forehead to check the contents, and, satisfied, he smiled.
He tossed the slip to his son, who stood nearby, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. The profits from this deal might not compare to the last transaction, but they would still be significant.
"Go retrieve the items this gentleman requested from the warehouse. Get the highest quality ones; don't hold anything back."
His son quickly nodded and left to carry out the order.
The old man then turned to Aotian and Rihai, inviting them into a private room.
As they walked, Aotian glanced around, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the absence of the maid who had maid to them last ti.
As soon as they entered the room, he asked bluntly:
"What happened to the maid from last ti?"
"Huh? Maid?"
The old man seed caught off guard by the sudden question but quickly tried to recall.
"Oh! That one, right?"
He shook his head slightly, as if it were an insignificant detail, and explained indifferently:
"We acquired a batch of low-quality jade slips at an auction a few days ago. To ensure safety and organize the inventory, it's the maid' duty to test them. Unfortunately, there was a tampered slip among them, and her mind collapsed."
He shrugged and took a sip of the tea that another maid had just served.
Then, as if it were of no importance, he smiled and casually ntioned:
"Many Refinent-Tier techniques and spells were found in that batch. I recall that you still have plenty of credit with us for those kinds of items. Would you like a copy?"
His tone was kind, as if he were offering a favor.
But at that mont, Aotian's heart had already turned cold.
"I don't want it."
His reply was sharp and icy.
The old man was confused by the sudden change in tone but did not press the matter. He simply waited for the items he had asked his son to fetch, wondering what he had done to upset that custor.
Aotian took a few monts to organize his thoughts, then sighed bitterly.
'Haah… It seems I still need to adjust my mindset. I've seen and killed rapists and thieves. I've witnessed won treated as objects, locked away like animals, their eyes lifeless… I was the one who ended their suffering. But now I'm here… furious because a woman I only saw once died of ntal collapse?'
He couldn't help but imagine what those days had been like for that maid—each jade slip pressed against her forehead could have been her last. She must have been trembling and crying, just like the one the old man had just used.
But then, he froze.
His gaze, hidden beneath the hood, grew even colder.
'I see… it's not her death that angers the most. I'm furious because I bought thousands of techniques from this pavilion… techniques that, most likely, cost the lives of countless innocents to reach my hands.'
Aotian felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
'My anger is at myself. I used and discarded these techniques like firewood, feeding the flas of technique synthesis… without considering the blood that was spilled to bring them to . But the worst part…'
His fists clenched beneath his sleeves.
'The worst part is that I will keep doing it.'
A bitter smile ford beneath his hood.
'In reality… hasn't it always been this way? Whether in this world or on Earth. Everything has always co easily to , and I've never valued the effort and suffering behind these things. No one does. No matter how strong I beco or how many changes I make… in the end, the world will remain the sa. Even if I transform everything, in a few years—or thousands—no one will value what I did, and everything will return to the way it was before.'
He took a deep breath, his mind finally settling.
'Then… I just have to live my own way. For myself. For those around . Just like everyone else does. And if I can, I will help the innocent who suffer along the way.'
Aotian abandoned all hesitation and freed himself from those thoughts. He would do what he could and wouldn't concern himself with what he couldn't.
Still, he did not ask for copies of the Refinent-Tier techniques again.
He simply didn't need them anymore. He already possessed most of the techniques from this pavilion, and it would be more practical for his avatars to acquire such techniques on their own if needed.
There was no reason to keep buying sothing he no longer wanted to carry with him.
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