7376311 The Haitan Pavilion and the "Map of the East Sea Region" The Haitan Pavilion in Zha Town's market had six floors, with the lower three displaying common low, mid, and high-grade magic tools and raw materials—nothing particularly noteworthy. Ye Qin was unimpressed with these goods and requested to see better wares.
The female attendant could not authorize such a viewing and summoned an elder in yellow robes, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, to escort Ye Qin up to the fourth floor.
“My surname is Li, and I am the Fifth Manager of the Haitan Pavilion. The goods on the fourth floor represent the finest collection our Pavilion possesses, suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators. Our variety is the most complete in all of Dongyu Town, and our prices are fair. As for the fifth and sixth floors, only Golden Core Ancestors may enter; those levels contain items only useful to Golden Core cultivators, so I regret I cannot take you further.”
Elder Li held considerable status within the Haitan Pavilion, specializing in attending to guests looking to purchase valuable magic tools. He observed that Ye Qin was dressed plainly in white robes and cloth boots, with his hair bound by a simple blue sash, lacking any jade accessories or ornamentation—not the appearance of a wealthy Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Yet, Ye Qin had specifically asked to view high-grade magic tools. The elder dared not show any disrespect.
Elder Li had seen much in his years. Some cultivators in the cultivation world maintained an extremely common appearance and were frugal in daily spending, but when purchasing magic tools, they became astonishingly generous, acquiring whatever caught their eye almost regardless of the cost.
He plastered a smile on his face and greeted Ye Qin warmly.
“Very well, let us proceed to the fourth floor.”
Ye Qin stated calmly.
He found it hard to believe that the Haitan Pavilion, one of Dongyu Town's foremost commercial establishments, couldn't stock a single item that would satisfy him.
Elder Li led Ye Qin with evident delight to the fourth floor of the Haitan Pavilion.
Perhaps because the items sold on the fourth floor were excessively expensive, not many Foundation Establishment cultivators were present. After all, wealthy ordinary cultivators were rare. As for the core disciples from established families, although they were invariably rich, their clans had already provided them with the necessary magic tools beforehand, rendering a purchase in Dongwang Town unnecessary. Only cultivators from common backgrounds sought to purchase magic tools temporarily in Dongyu Town for their sea voyage. Such ordinary cultivators rarely possessed significant surplus wealth.
Looking across the entire fourth-floor hall, Ye Qin counted barely more than ten cultivators, most of whom were at the eighth or ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, possessing the means to afford top-tier artifacts.
Additionally, several Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Haitan Pavilion stood guard within the floor. Several formidable strands of divine sense swept over Ye Qin before vanishing.
Ye Qin recognized this as the protective scanning of the Haitan Pavilion guards and paid it no mind.
“Young Brother, you must be heading to the East Sea Archipelagos from Dongyu Town. I have lived in Dongdan Town my entire life and have ventured out to sea several times; I possess rich experience in this area. Allow me to recommend four essential items for crossing the sea.
“The first necessity for sea travel is a pair of flying artifacts. One should prioritize speed—the faster, the better. Should danger arise upon the sea, this artifact allows for rapid escape from peril. The other artifact should consume very little spiritual power. This low-consumption flyer can be used most of the time to conserve energy. Using these two flying artifacts alternately should suffice for almost any situation.”
As Elder Li spoke, he carefully opened a small brocade box taken from a luxurious counter, revealing a dense, palm-sized, rounded golden shuttle.
The shuttle radiated intensely potent spiritual energy, clearly marking it as a top-tier item at a glance.
“This artifact is called the Heaven-Soaring Golden Shuttle. It is one of the most common types of top-tier flying artifacts. Its speed in breaking the air surpasses even a top-tier flying sword by about twenty to thirty percent. Naturally, it consumes more spiritual power than a sword. It is most suitable for pursuing enemies or evading danger. This particular Golden Shuttle is priced at one hundred mid-grade spirit stones. I wonder if this top-tier artifact meets your expectations, Young Brother?”
Elder Li explained the artifact’s functions while closely observing Ye Qin’s expression.
To his astonishment, he could detect no surprise on Ye Qin’s face regarding such a premium artifact; he regarded it as calmly as if it were an ordinary tool.
This was highly unusual.
Most Foundation Establishment cultivators would be ecstatic upon acquiring such a top-tier artifact, treating it as a treasure. If not for the exorbitant price, this shuttle would have been bought long ago.
Elder Li frowned slightly.
Could it be that this guest had no intention of buying anything, merely looking around casually, thus showing no regard for the shuttle?
There was one other possibility: that the guest’s standards were impossibly high, too discerning, dismissing even this top-tier flying artifact. However, that scenario seemed highly unlikely.
Or, perhaps, he simply lacked the funds to purchase a top-tier artifact, pretending indifference because he couldn't afford it.
Elder Li felt a rising tide of dissatisfaction.
Elder Li was unaware that Ye Qin genuinely looked down upon the shuttle.
When it came to flying artifacts, the "Dark Cloud Veil" he obtained from the Sacred Emperor possessed a speed exceeding that of most flying artifacts.
He also possessed the Southern Bright Vermillion Fire Sword, along with three or four common low-grade flying swords as backups. These were ample for his voyage across the sea; there was no need to spend one hundred mid-grade spirit stones specifically to acquire a shuttle he wouldn't use.
When he was part of the Azure Elixir Sect, his monthly stipend was only one mid-grade spirit stone. The sect had distributed one hundred mid-grade spirit stones to each Foundation Establishment cultivator for their preparations. He had no intention of depleting this entire sum on a single Golden Shuttle.
“There is no need to look at flying artifacts. What are the other three essential items for crossing the sea? Tell me about them.”
Thinking this, Ye Qin spoke up.
Elder Li, maintaining his good temper, responded courteously, “The second essential item for sea travel is naturally a water-element artifact. The water spiritual energy in the East Sea is exceedingly dense. Artifacts of other elements will suffer some degree of power reduction; fire-element artifacts decrease the most severely, whereas water-element artifacts actually increase in power, experiencing a boost. Does Your Excellency happen to use water-element artifacts? I recommend a three-hundred-year Horned Turtle Spirit Pearl; this is a water-element Spirit Treasure, whose power is in no way inferior to a magic tool, making it perfectly suited for use in the East Sea.”
This time, Elder Li retrieved a Spirit Treasure from the counter. Fearing Ye Qin didn't carry extensive spirit stones, he avoided recommending outrageously expensive Magic Treasures, opting instead for a lower-grade Spirit Treasure.
“No, thank you. What are the remaining two essential items for crossing the sea?”
Ye Qin considered for a moment, then shook his head.
The Water Shell Spirit Pearl he acquired from Li Xi, the young master of the Myriad Moon Lake Spirit Spring Sect, was already an excellent water-element Magic Treasure, its power no less than his Southern Bright Vermillion Fire Sword. This Spirit Treasure paled in comparison to a Magic Treasure. Why would he purchase another Spirit Treasure with significantly lower power?
If it were a water-element Magic Treasure, he might seriously consider it, perhaps biting the bullet to acquire it.
Seeing Ye Qin shake his head, Elder Li’s expression instantly darkened.
He refused the top-tier flying artifact and rejected the water-element Spirit Treasure. Was he deliberately wasting his time? At this point, the Elder realized this customer was genuinely penniless, not merely pretending to be poor. He had lost all hope for this transaction.
Nevertheless, Elder Li suppressed his anger and finished detailing the remaining items.
“The third essential item is spiritual wine. The journey to the East Sea Archipelagos is long. To run out of spiritual power mid-voyage and perish in the sea would be too tragic. It is best to stock enough spiritual wine for one or two years to restore spiritual power during the crossing.
“Our storehouse holds a batch of top-grade self-brewed spiritual wines: Sweet Nectar Melody, Pearl Brew, and Golden Mist Dew—all highly suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators. Each barrel contains the equivalent of ten large gourds, lasting nearly a year if consumed sparingly. The pricing is somewhat steep. Even the cheapest barrel, the Sweet Nectar Melody, costs one hundred mid-grade spirit stones.
“The final essential item for crossing the sea is a scroll map of the East Sea Region.
“The more detailed this sea chart, the better, as it prevents disorientation. The 'Map of the East Sea Region' scroll produced by our Pavilion is the most famous in all of Dongzha Town. Since ancient cultivators first crossed the East Sea, nearly every small island discovered en route to the Archipelagos has been recorded within it. It is updated roughly every ten years to include the latest discovered islands. Such a map scroll requires twenty mid-grade spirit stones. No other shop can offer a more detailed East Sea map scroll than ours.”
Elder Li concisely rattled off the final two necessities in one breath, waiting for Ye Qin to shake his head so he could finally leave. He had no inclination to continue serving this poor cultivator who only browsed but never bought.
“Oh, let me see the ‘Map of the East Sea Region’.”
Ye Qin had finally heard something that piqued his interest.
As for spiritual wine to restore power, he brewed his own directly within his Dantian and had been slowly accumulating stock. Several wooden barrels of Hundred Flower Brew were already sufficient for his sea crossing; purchasing more was unnecessary.
Elder Li, however, grew displeased.
This 'Map of the East Sea Region' scroll cost as much as a mid-grade magic tool. While the item was excellent, it wasn't a combat artifact, making it one of the Haitan Pavilion’s slowest-selling goods.
Would a cultivator unwilling to buy even a Spirit Treasure spend money on a mere map?
Despite his annoyance, Elder Li retrieved a yellow silk scroll—the 'Map of the East Sea Region'—from the counter and handed it to Ye Qin. This map scroll was crafted using the Haitan Pavilion’s unique secret technique, rendering it impossible for outsiders to copy; he wasn't worried about Ye Qin secretly duplicating it.
Ye Qin ignored Elder Li’s displeasure.
He unrolled the scroll and infused it with a small amount of spiritual power. The sea region’s topography materialized upon the parchment.
The map was astonishingly vast. The Central Earth Continent occupied only a small section in the exact center. The waters of the Foreign Sea were dotted with islands the size of sesame seeds. Even each tiny island was meticulously annotated—the surrounding environment, frequent haunts of sea beasts, dangerous locations to avoid, and so forth. These islands were scattered across the East Sea, stretching all the way to the destination: the East Sea Archipelagos.
The more Ye Qin gazed, the brighter his eyes became, revealing undisguised delight.
Although the Golden Core Ancestors of the Azure Elixir Sect would be leading the crossing, minimizing the chance of them getting lost, having a map was always beneficial. The 'Map of the East Sea Region' was drawn with exceptional detail; he definitely intended to purchase a copy to carry with him.
He pondered for a moment and stated, “I’ll take this scroll. Furthermore, does your esteemed shop carry any water-element Magic Treasures? Or perhaps gold-element, or ice-element Magic Treasures? Fire-element Magic Treasures are unsuitable for use at sea, so anything that isn't fire-element is acceptable.”
“What? You intend to purchase a Magic Treasure?”
Elder Li nearly leaped up, crying out in shock.
His mouth gaped wide enough to swallow several duck eggs.
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