Chapter Thirty-Two: Treasure Pavilion

Lin Yanghao arrived in Quanzhou full of hope, and made his way straight to the Treasure Pavilion. The Treasure Pavilion was the number one trading house in the Dragon Martial Continent, renowned for housing nearly every rare treasure found in the land. As long as one had wealth, anything could be purchased here, which made it Yanghao’s first choice.

Upon entering, Yanghao went directly to the section displaying Energy Stones. Picking one up, he examined it and discovered it contained only a small trace of spiritual energy; the rest seemed to be the internal force cultivated by martial artists. Disappointed, he thought to himself, “It appears these Energy Stones are not related to Spirit Stones at all!”

“Ah, young master, please don’t leave just yet,” called the shopkeeper, noticing Yanghao’s dissatisfaction with the ordinary Energy Stones on display. “These are just common ones placed outside. If you’d kindly follow me, we have finer stones within the store.”

“Oh? Are there even better ones?” Yanghao’s interest was piqued. He hadn’t expected a distinction between grades of Energy Stones, so he followed the shopkeeper into the reception room.

“Sir, what you saw earlier were merely ordinary Energy Stones, suitable for low-level martial artists. Just a few days ago, we received a batch of high-grade Energy Stones. Please, take a look,” said the shopkeeper, opening a box for Yanghao’s inspection.

Yanghao took the box and found that, though these stones were much stronger than those outside, they still fell far short of the quality of lower-grade Spirit Stones. He could only reply, “Shopkeeper, these won’t do either. Thank you, but I’ll look elsewhere.”

“There’s no need, young master,” insisted the shopkeeper, surprised that even these superior stones were inadequate. “If the Treasure Pavilion doesn’t have what you seek, it’s unlikely you’ll find it anywhere else.” Yet as the shopkeeper looked more closely at Yanghao, a sense of familiarity struck him. Upon careful scrutiny, he was shocked—wasn’t this the very youth depicted in the portraits, the one who single-handedly annihilated the Mo family of Great Yan just days ago?

“Ah! So it’s the renowned Lord Lin!” the shopkeeper exclaimed. “Please don’t leave. I’ll fetch our most prized treasures from the store. Just a moment, I beg you.” Now realizing that this young man was the legendary Lin Yanghao, everything made sense; no wonder even high-grade Energy Stones failed to meet his needs, for they could not satisfy his current cultivation. It seemed the rumors were true—Yanghao had likely broken through to an even higher realm. Determined to curry favor, the shopkeeper resolved to present the rarest Energy Essence Stones, though it pained him deeply.

“I never imagined I’d become so famous,” Yanghao mused with amusement. He hadn’t expected his notoriety to reach even the shopkeepers of the Treasure Pavilion. After all, he’d merely wiped out the Mo family; was it necessary for everyone to know his name?

Had the shopkeeper known Yanghao’s thoughts, he would have cursed loudly: “Do you think Martial Emperor realm experts grow like cabbages? There are fewer than a hundred across the entire continent! The Martial Emperor realm is the pinnacle of martial cultivation. Even a duel between two ordinary Martial Emperors rarely yields a clear victor, yet you easily destroyed three—how could that not shake the world?”

When Yanghao had destroyed the Mo family, he hadn’t concealed his identity. Many witnessed him single-handedly battle three Martial Emperors and annihilate the Mo clan. Someone soon sketched his likeness, and within a day, Yanghao’s deeds and image spread across the continent, astonishing all with his strength. The great families and sects surmised that the Mo clan must have somehow provoked this harbinger of doom, and thus suffered destruction, leading them to mark Yanghao as the foremost person not to offend—and even seek his favor.

Before long, the shopkeeper appeared, carrying an exquisite box with evident reluctance. “Lord Lin, please look. These are exceedingly rare Energy Essence Stones. You may not know, but even if you mined several Energy Stone deposits, you might not unearth one of these. The shop has spent decades accumulating just these few. Were it anyone else, no matter the price, I wouldn’t part with them.” Though his face displayed reluctance, he handed the stones to Yanghao, showing the extent of his investment to win Yanghao’s goodwill.

Yanghao opened the box and found, indeed, five lower-grade Spirit Stones. His heart settled; he thought, “The Treasure Pavilion truly deserves its reputation as the continent’s premier trove. Even something as rare as Spirit Stones can be found here. I’ve come to the right place.”

He then inquired about the price: “Shopkeeper, these Energy Essence Stones are exactly what I need. How much do they cost?”

“Since they’re what you require, Lord Lin, please accept them. There’s no need to discuss money.” The shopkeeper refused payment, having presented these stones solely to gain Yanghao’s favor. If Yanghao paid, it would count as a fair exchange, and he’d owe no debt to the Treasure Pavilion. Despite its wealth, the Pavilion was just a business; should it encounter a true powerhouse, it could still be destroyed. Thus, the shopkeeper sought to secure Yanghao’s goodwill, so that if the Pavilion ever faced trouble, Yanghao would be obliged to help.

Yanghao understood the shopkeeper’s intentions. The man had clearly heard of his strength and was offering a favor. Yanghao wasn’t one to fuss; considering the value of the Spirit Stones, he accepted.

Seeing Yanghao agree, the shopkeeper was overjoyed. He thought, with Lord Lin as the Pavilion’s protector, who would dare provoke him now?

Leaving the Treasure Pavilion, Yanghao sighed inwardly: “Power truly is everything. Without absolute strength, even immense wealth cannot be sufficiently protected. Feng Batian was so, and so is the Treasure Pavilion. Only with great power does one earn respect.” At that moment, Yanghao’s desire for strength grew even stronger, and his resolve to pursue higher realms in the Spirit World became ever more unwavering.