Chapter 421: 422
 

“Indeed, Elder, the opportunity is rare, and this is the most critical moment for us to unravel the secret of the altar. We must not drop the ball!”

“In my Space Ring, I have a hundred thousand top-grade Spirit Stones, more than a hundred supreme Elixirs, and countless Magic Treasures and Spiritual Artifacts. Which of these Elder thinks we might be able to use?”

Li Xiaobai nodded solemnly and casually took out a Space Ring, spilling all its contents.

Looking at the pile of items before him, the ragged elder’s chest heaved violently, and his face turned green. The materials in front of him were clearly those he had previously given to Li Xiaobai for the Space Ring.

Now this sly youngster actually had the nerve to bring them out and ask if they could be used, which was utterly shameless.

“Cough cough, young friend, if I’m not mistaken, aren’t these resources given by the ragged elder before?”

The ragged elder said with a forced smile.

“Elder has good eyesight, indeed, these are the most precious resources I have. Speaking of which, I truly have to thank Elder, or else I would never have had the chance to see such high-level materials in my life,” Li Xiaobai said earnestly.

The ragged elder’s eyes rolled inwardly, as the youngster before him was just playing dumb.

You’re the one with the most money; you run out of precious resources?

Who are you trying to fool?

“Cough cough, these resources, although all of top quality, are just for routine cultivation and aren’t of much use in activating the altar,” the ragged elder said slowly.

“Is that so? Then does Elder have a treasure that could activate this altar?” Li Xiaobai pondered aloud as he looked at the ragged elder.

The ragged elder’s eyebrows twitched, and veins bulged on his neck. He felt an urge to slap Li Xiaobai dead.

He reminded himself repeatedly that he mustn’t do it, as he would still need the other’s treasure to utilize his cultivation level in the future!

“Er… well, the ragged elder’s entire possessions are already in Young Master Li’s hands. I am penniless now,” the ragged elder said with a bitter face and a sense of helplessness.

“Ah, the treasure is within reach, yet we cannot probe its secrets, truly frustrating,” Li Xiaobai sighed.

“Indeed, if we could activate this altar and summon the owner of that voice we heard earlier, we might be able to make some trades and gain some benefits. Now, however, it is a pity. We can only blame ourselves for not being competent enough,” the ragged elder said with a downcast expression and a hint of dejection.

“How about we take the altar back for now and wait until we find the appropriate treasure to activate it?” Xiaobai touched the altar and asked tentatively.

“The ragged elder was thinking the same thing; the altar is dirty and smelly, fitting perfectly with the ragged elder, and even if someone accidentally sees it, it won’t raise suspicion,” the ragged elder smoothly moved in front of the altar, ready to put it into his bag.

“No, no, no, Elder must be exhausted from being trapped at the border; how dare I trouble Elder to exert himself? Let me keep the altar safe for the time being, and Elder can simply wait for my good news!” Li Xiaobai grabbed hold of the ragged elder, saying with a beaming smile.

“Hmm, it’s better to leave it with the ragged elder, though.”

“Let’s just leave it here for now.”

At the mountain summit, the two started bickering and scuffling, all smiles on the surface, but internally cursing each other for not being worth a damn.

It sounded nice to say they wanted to share the experience of the altar, but wasn’t it just an attempt to take the altar back for their own exclusive benefit?

What nonsense about running out of resources, Li Xiaobai knew that this old beggar definitely had treasures sufficient to activate the altar’s spiritual power hidden up his sleeve, never revealing them to avoid sharing.

On the other hand, the old beggar felt the same way. With years of experience in swindling, he instantly saw that Li Xiaobai surely had treasures on him. If the altar fell into the other’s hands, he feared he wouldn’t get even a single hair from it.

For a moment, neither could break the deadlock.

“How about this, I’ll keep the altar, and Senior can come back to the Holy City with me. Should anything be discovered, I will notify Senior immediately,”

Li Xiaobai proposed after a long pause.

“Fine, since the young friend has been so considerate of this old beggar’s situation, I can’t but accept your offer. Then I’ll entrust the altar to you for safekeeping,”

the old beggar said cheerfully, “Come to think of it, you remind me of my yet-to-be-born grandson, always so considerate of this old beggar. It’s really touching!”

Li Xiaobai:

This old man has a quick mouth, taking advantage of me. I’ll note it down in my little book and settle this in the fall.

“Senior, did you hear clearly what that voice said from within the vortex earlier?”

After storing the Five-colored Small Altar in his Space Ring, Li Xiaobai looked at the old beggar and asked.

“I heard it. Only today did this old beggar realize that to control the Immortal Spirit Qi, one needs the corresponding cultivation technique.”

“I should have thought of it. The Immortal Spirit Qi is a power system of the Upper Realm, naturally not something that can be stirred by the cultivation techniques used for cultivating spiritual power. The fact that I, the old beggar, can use a trace is all thanks to my invincible cultivation level.”

The old beggar mused aloud.

Li Xiaobai was speechless. This old fellow never missed a chance to sing his own praises while analyzing a problem. What invincible cultivation level? It was clearly based on a certain treasure’s strength.

If you’re really that invincible, could you have been trapped in the borderlands by Mei Changqing?

“If a particular cultivation technique is needed to utilize it, why can other Half-step Human Immoral realm powerhouses use the Immortal Spirit Qi?”

Li Xiaobai inquired.

“They all come from great powers with legacies, like the Eastern Sea’s Aolai Country, which has its own complete cultivation system, inherited from the ancestors who ascended to the Upper Realm. It’s enough to help them cultivate to the Immortal Realm, so they don’t worry about such issues.”

“But for those like this old beggar, who lack the backing of a major power, it’s quite difficult. Without ancestral techniques, one can only grope about on their own.”The old beggar explained. He hailed from the Tianwu Sect of the Northern Region, a declining sect that for hundreds of years had produced only him, an oddity, with no background and techniques all taken by force.

It was only a step away from the final threshold, and it turned out the problem was with the technique.

“I see, but it looks like Mei Changqing hasn’t obtained the technique either. Maybe we can get the technique from the cultivators on the other side of the channel later on,”

said Li Xiaobai, nodding.

Cultivation indeed is troublesome, but I’m much more comfortable. I just need some defensive power, take a beating while taunting every day to become stronger. No need to worry about realms and techniques.

“Mm, let’s head back to the Holy City. Mei Changqing could come back at any moment. This place isn’t safe. It’s best we leave as soon as possible,”

the old beggar suggested, taking another sip from some treasure and reaching out to pat Li Xiaobai’s shoulder, and in an instant, the two disappeared from the spot.

The old beggar was somewhat wary of Mei Changqing now, as the volume of Immortal Spirit Qi the other could unleash in a single go was too vast; facing him head-on put him at a disadvantage. It was wiser to make a secure retreat for now.