Cultivation is just so scientific!

Li Shiming's breath hitched for a moment, but he quickly recovered.

"Mr. Yin, it was but a trifle!" He did not look directly at Yin Shilan but turned his gaze away as he responded.

With a wave of his hand, he recalled the Fiery Flame Sword.

Yin Shilan noticed his demeanor and realized her own situation.

Her face flushed with embarrassment, the normally serene her hadn't expected to lose her composure in front of a man.

Her figure gracefully floated back into the Flying Boat, and the boat suddenly accelerated and flew off into the distance.

Because she left in such a rush, feeling deeply embarrassed, she even forgot the sheet of paper on the deck.

The Flying Boat sped away as if to leave behind her bashful heart, disappearing in an instant from in front of Li Shiming.

Only a piece of paper was left spiraling in the air, which Li Shiming's Object Driving Skill captured with a hand made of Spiritual Power.

The paper was written in an exquisite hand, filled with many words and symbols. He could recognize some of them, but most of the content was beyond his comprehension.

Nevertheless, from this paper, he understood that Yin Shilan was focused on researching an Array—it was a design draft of an Array.

Li Shiming looked towards the direction where the Flying Boat vanished and couldn't help but chuckle. Seeing a fairy-like woman lose her composure made him feel as if a celestial maiden had descended to the mortal realm.

"My design draft!" Yin Shilan, having flown quite a distance with the Flying Boat, belatedly remembered the Array design draft.

Fortunately, she had committed the design to memory and could rewrite it if needed. Yet, it was an Array that she had researched after a long period of contemplation and an epiphany. It would be troublesome if it were to spread.

However, for Yin Shilan to turn back now, she felt too shy. At least for the short term, she did not want to face that young cultivator again.

She took out her Identity Jade Disc and operated it for a moment.

"Li Shiming, new sect Disciple, cultivator of Spirit Plants, from Eagle Beak Island," Yin Shilan softly recited.

If Li Shiming were here at this moment, he would be incredibly surprised by this function of the Identity Jade Disc.

Of course, not any cultivator could possess such privilege. Within the sect, the ability to inquire about nearby sect members' Identity Jade Discs was exclusive to the core members of the sect.

Meanwhile, Li Shiming put away the Array design draft. He had no particular thoughts about this unexpected encounter.

Although he couldn't discern Yin Shilan's strength, she was undoubtedly much stronger than he was. Moreover, Yin Shilan's Flying Boat suggested her significant status within the sect.

Such a fairy-like woman was merely a refreshing breeze in his monotonous life of cultivation, a breeze that could brush past his eyes but not affect his state of mind.

He propelled the paper crane and continued toward Changming Island.

After the delay, when he finally saw Changming Island, the time on his pocket watch was nine in the morning.

He did not contact Qiu Tan but landed on the island himself.

The marketplace of Changming Island was easily recognizable, situated on the protruding peninsula of the island.
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Cultivators entering the marketplace had to do so from the entrance of the peninsula, which was protected by a large Array.

As it was in the Sky Sea Sect's territory, the Sun Workshop was open only to sect cultivators, ensuring its usual safety.

After all, among the nearby seas, the cultivators from the Sky Sea Sect were the ones with the greatest buying power.

Li Shiming took out his Identity Jade Disc and passed through the Array after inspection, entering the peninsula.

Inside the peninsula was like a small town with quaint architectural style on both sides.

As he strolled and looked around, he walked into a Magic Artifact shop when he saw one.

"Fellow, are you looking to buy a Magic Artifact?" The Magic Artifact store had only one elder cultivator, who greeted him with a beaming smile.

The fluctuations of Spiritual Power on the elder cultivator were not strong, suggesting he was around the Qi Refining Second Level.

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"I have some magic artifacts I'd like to sell, do you purchase magic artifacts here?" Li Shiming glanced around the store before asking.

The items hanging in the store weren't actual magic artifacts, they just appeared to be ordinary objects shaped to resemble magic artifacts to attract customers.

It made sense, after all, this was just a market for those in the Qi Refinement Realm within a sect; common Low Grade Magical Artifacts were issued by the sect, and neither Mid nor Top Grade Magical Artifacts would be displayed for sale.

"Of course, besides magic artifacts, we also buy all kinds of spirit ore!" The old cultivator saw a potential sale and replied with even more enthusiasm.

Li Shiming didn't say much more, he pulled out from his storage bag four Hao Family Low Grade Long Sword Artifacts, one Hao Family Low Grade Shield Magic Artifact, and one Hao Family Mid-grade Long Sword Artifact, placing them all on the counter.

The old cultivator was slightly taken aback, he looked at Li Shiming, then at the markings on the artifacts.

Although the old cultivator didn't recognize the markings, he could guess that they all belonged to the same power.

Had the quality of the magic artifacts not been so common, and had he recognized the markings, the old cultivator might have been tempted to trigger an alarm.

It would've taken the defeat of many cultivators from one power to accumulate these artifacts from the same source.

"The quality of these Low Grade artifacts is very poor, they can't be sold within the sect, they need to be transported outside the sect, and their markings also need to be removed. The Mid Grade artifact has some value, how about I give you two hundred Spirit Stones for the lot?" Though surprised inside, the old cultivator negotiated firmly.

"Do you have any Mid Grade shield artifacts?" Li Shiming frowned, the price offered was a bit low for so many artifacts, even if they were junk, thus he changed the subject.

"Yes, we have only one in stock, a Spirit Turtle Shield made from a mid-level tier one Spirit Turtle shell, a Mid-grade Defense Magic Tool, I'll take three hundred Spirit Stones for it!" The old cultivator promptly nodded and responded.

"Let me see it!" Li Shiming motioned with his hand.

The old cultivator brought out a black turtle shell-shaped shield and placed it in front of him, not at all worried that he might take it and leave.

During the Sun Workshop period, all who entered the market were sect cultivators, benefiting both buyers and sellers.

Li Shiming took the Spirit Turtle Shield and tapped lightly on it. Without activating the "Dragon Drawing Technique", he could still sense the quality of the Mid Grade shield.

To be honest, this Mid Grade shield was a lot better than the Hao Family's Mid Grade Shield Artifact. After all, the Hao Family was just a grouping of Loose Cultivators, and the artifacts they manufactured themselves were inferior in all aspects.

"Add this Mid Grade shield to the trade, for the Spirit Turtle Shield!" Li Shiming pulled out the Hao Family's Mid Grade Shield and tossed it onto the counter.

The old cultivator picked up the Hao Family's Mid Grade Shield and inspected it carefully, calculating its value in his mind.

"Fellow, I'm at a loss here, but let's make the trade!" He spoke with a reluctant expression, as if it pained him greatly.

Li Shiming snorted at his performance; the old merchant was clearly making a big profit.

But the Hao Family's artifacts were useless in his hands; apart from junk to be sold, no cultivator inside the sect would be interested in them.

As he left the store with the Spirit Turtle Shield, the old merchant behind him wore a sincerely happy smile.

Li Shiming too was in high spirits; having cleared out the Hao Family's artifacts, he'd exchanged them for a usable Mid Grade Defense Magical Artifact, cutting off the last ties to the Hao Family.

"Mr. Li, you came to Changming Island and didn't contact me?" A voice came, enthusiastic yet tinged with a hint of reproach.

The speaker was Qiu Tan. Li Shiming hadn't expected to encounter him here.

"Mr. Qiu, I was just browsing, not wanting to cause too much of a disturbance!" Li Shiming explained with a smile.

"Mr. Li, it's no disturbance at all, coming here you might even take care of my little shop's business!" Qiu Tan pointed at a neighboring shop and laughed.

The signboard of that shop had the symbol of a Spirit Plant on it; it seemed to be a Spirit Plant Store.

Li Shiming now understood why Qiu Tan was being so courteous; it turned out Qiu Tan was hoping to get some Spirit Plants from him for his store.

Since he had to sell them anyway, and he had a good impression of Qiu Tan.

"This time did you bring any Spirit Rice? One Spirit Stone per catty, I'll buy as much as you have!" Qiu Tan got straight to the point as soon as they entered.

This shop was much larger than the magic artifact shop they had just left, and besides Qiu Tan, there were two other workers in the Qi Refinement Realm, although their strength was only at the first or second level of the Qi Refining Cultivator, revealing the scale of this Spirit Plant Store.

The price offered for Spirit Rice was higher than Li Shiming had anticipated.

After all, in the sect, one could exchange ten catties of Spirit Rice for one good deed. If good deeds were converted to Spirit Stones, wouldn't one good deed be worth ten Spirit Stones?

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