The shop assistant's eyes were fixed on the shimmering spirit stones on the counter, her pupils glinting with golden light.
Mo Qi began setting up the formation in the shop. Everyone present was drawn to the scene, some to watch the spectacle, others to observe the formation, and many for the spirit stones.
Wu Siqi and Xue Nu also set down their magical artifacts and slowly walked over.
Mo Qi wasn't entirely sure if he could successfully set up the formation, as he had only learned the basic methods from books and had never put them into practice. He wondered if it would even work.
Fortunately, he had practiced the formation techniques countless times and was now very proficient. He first followed the requirements, inserting formation flags at appropriate positions and placing the formation core. Then, he channeled his spiritual energy and initiated the formation technique. A puff of green smoke rose simultaneously from the four formation flags, drifting and elongating, eventually forming a line. It spun rapidly, with light and energy flowing in the center, creating something akin to a room without a roof.
He then chanted the incantation to activate the formation core, and the "room" formed by the swirling green smoke instantly vanished.
"Wow, it worked!" a cheer erupted from the onlookers.
Mo Qi was even more excited than them. He wanted to verify not only the effectiveness of the formation flags but also the utility of the Celestial Master's formation. After telling Xue Nu and Wu Siqi, "Wait a moment, I'll be right back," he gracefully departed. He had initially intended to find a spot outside the town to test it, but then he suddenly realized that if he set up the formation outside, someone or something might accidentally stumble into it, or it could be carelessly damaged. Then, someone might seize the formation flags.
So, he decided to go all the way. Using Geng Xu's flying talisman, he flew directly back to the Lingxiao Sect. Upon returning, he quickly set up a formation in his own room, chanted the activation spell, and concealed the formation flags. This way, no matter where he was in the future, as long as he set up the formation, he could return to his room in Lingxiao Mountain at any time.
As he was about to leave, he had a sudden whim to check on Jin Dan.
He entered Jin Dan's room to find him still engrossed in refining artifacts. Startled by the sudden sound behind him, Jin Dan flinched again. Upon seeing Mo Qi's face, he stood up and said irritably, "You really are elusive. You scare me every time you appear."
Then, his expression changed to surprise and joy. "I heard you qualified to enter the Northern Territory. That's great! You're not taking me this time?"
Mo Qi sighed, "I can't carry you. You're over two hundred pounds..."
"Enough, don't use that as an excuse. I know I'm not qualified, and I won't trouble you. I'm content with my current life. Although I can't achieve immortality, I've learned some divine abilities and techniques. I'll probably live longer than ordinary people. For all of this, I have you to thank..." Jin Dan said emotionally.
Mo Qi immediately stopped him. "Cut it out, don't be so mushy. I'm getting goosebumps."
Jin Dan smiled, then abruptly changed the subject. "Guess what I'm refining?"
Mo Qi glanced into the furnace through the window. It was filled with swirling mist, and he couldn't see anything.
"How would I know what you're refining?" Mo Qi shot him a glare.
"Formation flags!" Jin Dan said proudly.
Mo Qi nearly fainted. If he had known Jin Dan was going to refine formation flags, why would he have bought them?
However, he quickly reconsidered. With Jin Dan's cultivation and artifact refining skills, refining such high-grade magical artifacts might be a bit of a stretch. He wondered if the furnace would explode.
Just as he thought this, a sizzling sound began, and the furnace lid popped open repeatedly.
"It's going to explode!" Mo Qi shouted, shoving Jin Dan out of the room. Acting on impulse, he threw out the four formation flags. The flags flew out in four directions, landing around the alchemy furnace and forming a circle that enclosed it.
With a deafening boom, the alchemy furnace violently exploded. Fragments and a surge of turbulent airflow expanded outwards. As it expanded to a certain point, a circular light screen suddenly rose around it. The fragments and the turbulent airflow, upon touching the light screen, seemed to be blocked and unable to escape. They were then forced upwards along the direction of the light screen, erupting with a roar. The roof was blown open, and a beam of light shot straight into the sky. Where it met the clouds and mist, it dispersed outwards, forming a massive mushroom cloud that lingered for a long time.
Jin Dan returned to the room, and he and Mo Qi looked up together, gazing at the sky through the hole created by the exploding furnace. They saw dark mist filling the air, lingering.
"How spectacular!" Jin Dan exclaimed.
The neighbors, startled, rushed out, shouting and searching. They only saw the mushroom cloud in the sky and couldn't figure out what had happened, eventually discussing it among themselves.
"Could it be that Deputy Sect Leader Mo's impending entry into the Northern Territory has angered the heavens?"
"Heavens, you're revealing heavenly secrets. Be careful of divine retribution."
"Divine retribution is secondary. Be careful Deputy Sect Leader Mo doesn't silence us."
"Sigh, time to repair the roof again," Jin Dan sighed.
Mo Qi thought for a moment, then endured it, before finally blurting out, "I think you should proceed according to your abilities, step by step, starting with refining low-grade magical artifacts. Don't try to refine high-grade artifacts like formation flags right from the start."
Jin Dan rubbed his head and chuckled, "No explosion, no success!"
Mo Qi gave him a roll of his eyes. "I can't be bothered with you!" he said, turning and leaving.
Back in his room, Mo Qi walked to where the formation was set up, chanted the spell, and a slight fluctuation appeared at the formation core, faintly visible. It was barely noticeable unless one looked closely.
Mo Qi took a deep breath and stepped into the ripple...
Upon returning to the shop, he saw a crowd gathered around the counter, arguing. He heard Xue Nu say with a hint of agitation, "I am his wife!" When everyone saw Mo Qi appear, they all wore embarrassed expressions.
"Whose wife is she?" Mo Qi felt a pang of sadness. Had she already married? And he didn't even know after so long.
At this point, Wu Siqi pulled Mo Qi aside and quietly explained the whole story.
It turned out that seeing Mo Qi had been gone for a long time, the shop assistant believed he had fled with the "treasure" and would not return. So, she called the shopkeeper. When the shopkeeper arrived, he intended to confiscate the spirit stones Mo Qi had left on the counter.
Xue Nu and Wu Siqi also thought Mo Qi might have encountered some mishap while operating the formation and wouldn't return. They went to argue, insisting that the spirit stones should be deducted based on the price of the formation flags, and the remaining stones should be taken back by Xue Nu to return to Mo Qi.
However, the shopkeeper said something very difficult to refute: "Why should it be given to you? Who are you to him? We only saw you enter together, but who knows if you even know each other?"
Xue Nu was speechless. Not wanting the spirit stones to be pocketed by the shopkeeper, causing Mo Qi significant loss, she was momentarily frozen.
At this moment, Wu Siqi secretly transmitted a message to her, telling her to pretend to be Mo Qi's wife. As his wife, she could reclaim Mo Qi's property, and the other party would have no grounds to object.
Xue Nu hesitated for a moment, then spoke the words, which Mo Qi happened to overhear.
Mo Qi looked at Xue Nu with a knowing smile. Xue Nu's face turned as red as a sunset, wishing she could disappear into the ground.
When the shopkeeper and the shop assistant saw Mo Qi return, they naturally dared not entertain the idea of "confiscation" anymore. The shopkeeper felt very awkward and slunk away. Only the shop assistant's face had changed to a sweet smile. She then gracefully moved, swiftly collecting the four formation flags and the formation core artifact. She then flew back to Mo Qi's side and handed him the four formation flags and the formation core artifact, "Brother, you're back! I knew you would return. Look, I've tidied up these four formation flags and the formation core artifact for you."
Unbeknownst to him, even her address had changed to "Brother."
Mo Qi suddenly thought of a problem. He had placed four formation flags in the Lingxiao Sect; they could remain there. But if he ever needed to teleport back to the Lingxiao Sect from elsewhere, he would have to place another four formation flags there. And each teleportation would consume four formation flags and a formation core. How many formation flags and cores would he need to prepare?
"Do you have any teleportation formation flags, ones that can teleport the formation flags and core along with the teleportation?" Mo Qi asked.
The shop assistant smiled radiantly. "Our formation flags can fulfill your requirement." Mo Qi then took the formation flags and formation core artifact and put them into his storage bag.
The shop assistant continued, "However, you'll need to form a hand seal at that time, like this..." As she spoke, the shop assistant swayed her waist and made a gesture, her eyes smiling, like a willow in the spring breeze, exuding utmost elegance. Her expressive movements subtly captured Mo Qi's attention. However, Mo Qi immediately saw through her affectation and repeatedly said, "Got it, got it."
"Hehehe, Brother, do you need any other magical artifacts?" The shop assistant chuckled, her eyes sparkling with lively light. Sometimes she would gently sway her waist, lifting her skirt, and sometimes she would glance and smile charmingly, as if bathed in warm sunlight. "After your verification, you must know that the magical artifacts in our shop are all genuine."
Xue Nu watched from the side, feeling a pang of discomfort. She quietly walked to the "Radiant Bag" and picked it up to examine it. When the shop assistant had first introduced it, she had been somewhat captivated. For her, this method of directly collecting people into a bag without bloodshed was the most ideal magical artifact. At this moment, she looked at Mo Qi, holding the Radiant Bag and tearing at it, almost ripping it to shreds.
Mo Qi was indeed captivated by the shop assistant's feigned intimacy in her voice, tone, and actions, making him a bit distracted. "How about you show me a premium magical artifact?"
The shop assistant beamed. "Certainly, Brother, please wait a moment." She then floated away and instantly reappeared before Mo Qi, holding a rope. "This is the Demon Binding Rope. When fighting, summon it, and it will chase the enemy like a viper, entangling them relentlessly until it wraps around them circle by circle. Once successfully bound, it will tighten like a spirit snake, making it impossible to break free. Most people cannot afford this type of magical artifact. It is most suitable for cultivators like you who are tall, handsome, wealthy, heroic, and possess unfathomable magical power."
Mo Qi took it and tested it, binding the shop assistant securely.
The shop assistant not only wasn't angry but also put on a coy expression. "Oh, Brother, you're so annoying. Hurry and let me go."
Xue Nu, hearing this from the side, felt goosebumps all over her body, and a flicker of anger appeared in her eyes.
Mo Qi couldn't help but shiver. He immediately retracted the Demon Binding Rope and put it directly into his storage bag, saying concisely, "Alright, I'll buy it."
The shop assistant's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, Brother. You are truly magnanimous and have a distinguished bearing." As she spoke, she drifted away again and instantly reappeared, holding a bronze mirror. "Brother, we also have another premium magical artifact, the Bone Erosion Mirror. When summoned, it emits a radiant glow that not only devours the opponent's divine abilities, divine light, and divine energy but also instantly turns the opponent into dust. This, along with the Demon Binding Rope, are the only two premium magical artifacts in our shop. Good things come in pairs, so why don't you buy both? Leaving one in the shop would make it lonely, wouldn't it? A generous, kind, and loving gentleman like yourself would surely not let such a thing happen."
Mo Qi took the Bone Erosion Mirror and examined it from all sides, but couldn't discern anything special. He then pointed the mirror surface at the shop assistant. The shop assistant turned pale and waved her hands repeatedly. "Brother, this is no joke."
Mo Qi smiled, then put the Bone Erosion Mirror away. "I'll buy it."
"Very well, thank you, Brother." The shop assistant was so happy she couldn't close her mouth. She was about to introduce new magical artifacts to Mo Qi. "Brother, we also have..."
Mo Qi waved his hand. "Do you have any basic materials for refining magical artifacts?"
Seeing him wave his hand, the shop assistant thought he was finished and was somewhat disappointed. Upon hearing his question, she became overjoyed and repeatedly said, "Yes, of course, we do."
She then led Mo Qi to buy some materials for refining magical artifacts, and finally, a few storage bags and some defensive formation flags.
Throughout the entire process, the shop assistant maintained a cheerful smile. She felt she had struck gold today. With this one transaction, she probably wouldn't have to work for the rest of the year.