jià gé ……”
价格……”
"Price..."
lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū yī sī wán wèi zhī sè ， xīn zhōng què yǐ shì dà xǐ le ， suī rán zài xià jiè zhī shí ， tā yě céng xué guò yī xiē liàn qì fāng miàn de fǎ shù ， rú guǒ shǒu zhōng yǒu hé yòng zhī wù ， zhè wū jīn lóng jiǎ dùn zì jǐ bú shì bù néng xiū fù ， dàn píng xīn lái shuō ， lín xuān duì yú liàn qì zhī shù ， bù guò lüè yǒu shè jí ， yuǎn yuǎn méi yǒu dá dào jīng tōng de chéng dù 。
林轩嘴角边露出一丝玩味之色，心中却已是大喜了，虽然在下界之时，他也曾学过一些炼器方面的法术，如果手中有合用之物，这乌金龙甲盾自己不是不能修复，但平心来说，林轩对于炼器之术，不过略有涉及，远远没有达到精通的程度。
Lin Xuan's lips curled into a playful smile, but his heart was already filled with joy. Although he had learned some alchemy techniques during his time in the lower realm, if there were suitable tools at hand, he could repair this Black Dragon Shield himself. However, to be honest, Lin Xuan only had a superficial understanding of crafting techniques and far from mastered them.
pǔ tōng de fǎ bǎo ， jì liàn xiū lǐ dōu méi yǒu wèn tí ， dàn wū jīn lóng jiǎ dùn zhè zhǒng pǐn zhì dì bǎo wù ， zé nán bǎo bú huì chū shén me chā cuò 。
普通的法宝，祭炼修理都没有问题，但乌金龙甲盾这种品质的宝物，则难保不会出什么差错。
Ordinary magical artifacts posed no problem for him to repair, but such high-quality treasures as the Black Dragon Shield might still have unforeseen issues.
jí shǐ xiū hǎo le ， yě xǔ wēi néng yě huì dà dǎ zhé kòu 。
即使修好了，也许威能也会大打折扣。
Even if it was repaired, its power might suffer a significant loss.
ér yǎn qián de diàn pù bù tóng ， duì fāng běn lái jiù shì jīng yíng cǐ dào ， lǐ miàn jiàng shī de jì yì ， yǔ zì jǐ xiāng bǐ ， jué duì zhǐ gāo bù dī ， duì fāng ruò méi yǒu bǎ wò ， shì bú huì qīng yì jiē xià zhè dān shēng yì de 。
而眼前的店铺不同，对方本来就是经营此道，里面匠师的技艺，与自己相比，绝对只高不低，对方若没有把握，是不会轻易接下这单生意的。
But this shop was different. The other party specialized in this craft, and the craftsmanship of the craftsmen there would definitely be on par with or even surpass his own. If they couldn't handle the job, they wouldn't take it lightly.
zhì yú jià gé ？
至于价格？
As for the price?
lín xuān gēn běn jiù méi yǒu kǎo lǜ guò 。
林轩根本就没有考虑过。
Lin Xuan hadn't given it a second thought. Although he came from the lower realm as an immortal cultivator, he was never short of crystal stones.
tā suī rán shì lái zì xià jiè de xiū xiān zhě ， dàn zuì bù quē de jiù shì jīng shí le 。
他虽然是来自下界的修仙者，但最不缺的就是晶石了。
"Friend, please speak your mind. As long as you can repair this item, I believe I have some assets," Lin Xuan said calmly after drinking a sip of clear tea.
“ dào yǒu qǐng shuō ， zhǐ yào néng xiū hǎo cǐ wù ， lín mǒu zì wèn hái shì yǒu yī xiē shēn jiā de 。” lín xuān hē le yī kǒu qīng chá ， bō lán bù jīng de kāi kǒu 。
“道友请说，只要能修好此物，林某自问还是有一些身家的。”林轩喝了一口清茶，波澜不惊的开口。
"If that's what you say, then I won't be rude. Could the senior tell me how to repair it?" Dong Fang Mingyu's voice was incredibly pleasant.
“ dào yǒu jì rán zhè yàng shuō ， nà qiè shēn jiù bú kè qì le ， jiù bù zhī dào qián bèi xiǎng yào zěn yàng de xiū lǐ ？” dōng fāng míng yù de shēng yīn yuè ěr yǐ jí 。
“道友既然这样说，那妾身就不客气了，就不知道前辈想要怎样的修理？”东方明玉的声音悦耳以极。
"How should it be repaired? What do you mean by this?" Lin Xuan couldn't help but show some surprise on his face.
“ zěn yàng de xiū lǐ ， dào yǒu zhè huà hé yì ？” lín xuān liǎn shàng bù yóu de lù chū jǐ fēn chà yì 。
“怎样的修理，道友这话何意？”林轩脸上不由得露出几分诧异。
"Your treasure is suitable for a senior from the Separation and Union stage, but it has suffered severe damage. If we just repair it in a general way, it would only cost ten thousand middle-grade crystal stones, but that would inevitably reduce its power to about seventy percent," Dong Fang Mingyu explained.
“ dào yǒu zhè jiàn bǎo wù ， pǐn zhì shì hé lí hé qī lǎo zǔ ， kě xī pò sǔn tài guò yán zhòng ， ruò shì yì bān de xiū lǐ ， zhǐ xū yào huā fèi yī wàn zhōng pǐn jīng shí jiù xíng le ， dàn nà yàng yī lái ， wēi lì nán miǎn dà dǎ zhé kòu ， dà yuē zhǐ yǒu yǐ qián de qī chéng zuǒ yòu ……，…”
“道友这件宝物，品质适合离合期老祖，可惜破损太过严重，若是一般的修理，只需要huā费一万中品晶石就行了，但那样一来，威力难免大打折扣，大约只有以前的七成左右……，…”
Lin Xuan frowned at this. Seventy percent—what use was that? But he didn't press the matter further. Clearly, this woman wasn’t done yet and had more to say.
lín xuān tīng le ， méi tou yí zhòu ， qī chéng ， nà hái yǒu shén me yòng tú ， bù guò tā bìng méi yǒu kāi 。 duō shuō ， hěn míng xiǎn ， cǐ nǚ yì yóu wèi jǐn ， hái yǒu xià wén zài lǐ tou 。
林轩听了，眉头一皱，七成，那还有什么用途，不过他并没有开。多说，很明显，此女意犹未尽，还有下文在里头。
Sure enough, seeing Lin Xuan's composed expression, Dong Fang Mingyu secretly admired his demeanor. Such an air of confidence was indeed befitting a Core Formation stage senior... no, most ordinary Core Formation cultivators didn't have such cultivation skills.
guǒ rán ， jiàn le lín xuān chén wěn de liǎn sè ” dōng fāng míng yù yě àn àn pèi fú ， rú cǐ qì dù ， bù kuì shì yuán yīng qī lǎo zǔ ………… bù ， yì bān de yuán yīng qī xiū shì ， duō bàn hái méi yǒu tā yǎng qì de gōng fu 。
果然，见了林轩沉稳的脸色”东方明玉也暗暗佩服，如此气度，不愧是元婴期老祖…………不，一般的元婴期修士，多半还没有他养气的功夫。
Her thoughts turned as she regarded Lin Xuan with even more respect. Unfortunately, he was still a human immortal cultivator.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ” duì lín xuān yuè fā de kàn zhòng le ， kě xī shì rén lèi de xiū xiān zhě 。
脑海中念头转过”对林轩越发的看重了，可惜是人类的修仙者。
"Considering the quality of this item, I think it's a waste to repair it in such a way. If your finances are generous, you can choose special repairs. We will send this treasure to our main store where the most skilled craftsmen will handle it and add some rare materials," she said. "This way, its power can be fully restored, but it would take three months of work and the repair cost would increase by eight times."
“ yǐ cǐ wù de pǐn zhì lái shuō ， wǎn bèi yě jué de zhè me zuò yǒu diǎn bào tiǎn tiān wù ， rú guǒ qián bèi shǒu tóu kuān yù ， kě yǐ xuǎn zé tè shū xiū lǐ ， wǒ men huì jiāng cǐ bǎo sòng dào zǒng diàn qù ， yóu zuì gāo míng de jiàng shī chū shǒu ， zài tiān jiā yī xiē zhēn xī cái liào ” rú cǐ yī lái ， cǐ bǎo de wēi néng kě yǐ jǐn huī jiù guān ， dàn lái huí bù jǐn xū yào sān yuè de gōng fu ， ér qiě xiū lǐ fèi yòng yě huì shàng shēng wèi yuán běn de bā bèi zuǒ yòu 。”
“以此物的品质来说，晚辈也觉得这么做有点暴殄天物，如果前辈手头宽裕，可以选择特殊修理，我们会将此宝送到总店去，由最高明的匠师出手，再添加一些珍稀材料”如此一来，此宝的威能可以尽恢旧观，但来回不仅需要三月的功夫，而且修理费用也会上升为原本的八倍左右。”
"Eight times?"
“ bā bèi ？”
“八倍？”
Hearing her bold offer, Lin Xuan couldn't help feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation. Eight thousand middle-grade crystal stones—this was astronomical.
tīng le duì fāng de shī zi dà kāi kǒu ， lín xuān yě yǒu xiē kū xiào bù dé ， bā wàn zhōng pǐn jīng shí ， àn zhào yī bǐ yì bǎi de duì huàn bǐ lì ， zhè kě jiù shì yī jīn tiān wén shù zì 。
听了对方的狮子大开口，林轩也有些哭笑不得，八万中品晶石，按照一比一百的兑换比例，这可就是一今天文数字。
For an ordinary Core Formation cultivator, even if they sold everything they had, it might not be enough. But for him...
ruò shì pǔ tōng de yuán yīng chū qī xiū xiān zhě ” jiù suàn shì qīng jiā dàng chǎn ， néng fǒu ná chū hái shì liǎng shuō ， bù guò zì jǐ me …，”
若是普通的元婴初期修仙者”就算是倾家荡产，能否拿出还是两说，不过自己么…，”
Although he felt some regret, Lin Xuan wasn’t a miser. Crystal stones were useless to hoard; the Black Dragon Shield, while not a divine treasure, couldn't be bought with money alone.
suī rán yǒu diǎn xīn téng ， dàn lín xuān yòu qǐ shì shǒu cái de jiā huo ， jīng shí liú zài duō yě méi yòng ， wū jīn lóng jiǎ dùn suī bú shì líng bǎo ， què yě bìng fēi yǒu qián jiù kě yǐ mǎi dào 。
虽然有点心疼，但林轩又岂是守财的家伙，晶石留再多也没用，乌金龙甲盾虽不是灵宝，却也并非有钱就可以买到。
He understood his choice. "Alright, eight thousand is fine. However, you said it would fully restore its power. If you fail..."
niàn jí zhì cǐ ” tā yǐ míng bái zì jǐ gāi zěn yàng xuǎn zé 。
念及至此”他已明白自己该怎样选择。
"Don't worry," Dong Fang Mingyu assured him with a smile. "If anything goes wrong in the middle, this shop will offer tenfold compensation."
“ hǎo ba ， bā wàn jiù bā wàn ， bù guò dào yǒu shuō guò ， huì ràng cǐ dùn de wēi néng jǐn fù jiù guān ， ruò shì shí yán ………
“好吧，八万就八万，不过道友说过，会让此盾的威能尽复旧观，若是食言………
Lin Xuan couldn’t help but re-examine the shop before him. Its underlying strength was far more formidable than he had imagined.
“ dào yǒu fàng xīn ” ruò shì zhōng jiān chū le shén me chā cuò ， běn diàn yuàn shí bèi péi cháng de 。” cǐ nǚ xiào yín yín de shuō ， xìn xīn shí zú 。
“道友放心”若是中间出了什么差错，本店愿十倍赔偿的。”此女笑吟吟的说，信心十足。
Of course, that wasn’t his concern.
lín xuān bù yóu de chóng xīn dǎ liàng le yī yǎn shēn qián de diàn pù ” qí bèi hòu de shí lì ， kǒng pà yuǎn bǐ zì jǐ xiǎng xiàng de hái yào qiáng hàn dé duō 。
林轩不由得重新打量了一眼身前的店铺”其背后的实力，恐怕远比自己想象的还要强悍得多。
Dong Fang Mingyu then sent out a sound transmission talisman, and soon two graceful maids brought a tray with a red cloth covering it.
dāng rán ” zhè yǔ zì jǐ méi yǒu guān xì 。
当然”这与自己没有关系。
The red cloth was lifted to reveal something that looked like neither skin nor hide.
suí hòu cǐ nǚ fā chū yī dào chuán yīn fú ， bù yī huì er jiù yǒu liǎng míng qīng xiù shì nǚ jiāng tuō pán pěng lái le 。
随后此女发出一道传音符，不一会儿就有两名清秀侍女将托盘捧来了。
"This..." Lin Xuan’s face showed some surprise.
hóng bù xiān kāi ， yī sì shòu pí fēi shòu pí de dōng xī yìng rù yǎn lián 。
红布掀开，一似兽皮非兽皮的东西映入眼帘。
"This is a blood curse document. Have you never seen one before?" Dong Fang Mingyu's eyes were filled with curiosity.
“ zhè ……”” lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū jǐ fēn chà yì zhī sè 。
“这……””林轩脸上露出几分诧异之色。
Blood curse document?
“ cǐ nǎi xuè zhòu wén shū ， zěn me ， qián bèi méi yǒu jiàn shí guò ？” cǐ nǚ yǎn zhōng de yí huò zhī sè gèng nóng 。
“此乃血咒文书，怎么，前辈没有见识过？”此女眼中的疑惑之色更浓。
Lin Xuan’s thoughts raced. If it had been several hours ago, he would have been unsure, but during his casual browsing at the Thousand Volumes Hall, he had indeed come across a book mentioning such a thing.
xuè zhòu wén shū ？
血咒文书？
The name seemed incredibly arcane, yet its function was not particularly special—more like a secular contract.
lín xuān nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou shǎn guò ， ruò shì zài shù gè shí chén yǐ qián tā hái zhēn bù qīng chǔ ， bù guò zài bǎi juǎn lóu suí yì fān yuè de shí hòu ， hái zhēn yǒu yī běn diǎn jí shàng céng jīng tí guò 。
林轩脑海中念头闪过，若是在数个时辰以前他还真不清楚，不过在百卷楼随意翻阅的时候，还真有一本典籍上曾经提过。
Of course, the materials required to craft it were quite valuable. Only for major deals would both parties sign such documents.
míng zì hǎo xiàng xuán ào yǐ jí ， qí shí gōng néng què méi yǒu shén me tè yì ， yǒu diǎn lèi sì yú shì sú qì yuē yī yàng de dōng xī 。
名字好像玄奥以极，其实功能却没有什么特异，有点类似于世俗契约一样的东西。
This was even more binding than a Heart Demon Oath; if violated, one would surely be struck by blood curses during their attempt to break through barriers.
dāng rán ， liàn zhì de cái liào yě suàn jià zhí bù fēi zhī wù ， suǒ yǐ zhǐ yǒu zuò dà shēng yì de shí hòu ， shuāng fāng cái huì qiān dìng de 。
当然，炼制的材料也算价值不菲之物，所以只有做大生意的时候，双方才会签订的。
Though he had never seen its full effect before, Lin Xuan didn’t say much.
zhè kě bǐ xīn mó zhī shì hái gèng yǒu yuē shù lì yī xiē ， yí dàn wéi fǎn le ， zài chōng jī píng jǐng de shí hòu ， shí chéng shí huì shòu dào xuè zhòu de fǎn shì 。
这可比心魔之誓还更有约束力一些，一旦违反了，在冲击瓶颈的时候，十成十会受到血咒的反噬。
He picked up the item without showing any emotion. The text on it was vividly red, like fresh blood, as if it could come alive at any moment.
dāng rán ， jù tǐ yǒu duō dà gōng yòng ， lín xuān yǐ qián méi yǒu jiàn guò ， gù ér yě bù hǎo duō shuō 。
当然，具体有多大功用，林轩以前没有见过，故而也不好多说。
Fortunately, with his extensive knowledge, such a minor trick was easily dismissed.
tā bù dòng shēng sè de jiāng shēn qián zhī wù ná qǐ ， zhǐ jiàn shàng miàn bù mǎn le xiān hóng de wén zì ， rú yān hóng de xiān xuè yì bān ， hǎo xiàng suí shí huì huó guò lái 。
他不动声色的将身前之物拿起，只见上面布满了鲜红的文字，如殷红的鲜血一般，好像随时会活过来。
The strange text, though, he recognized—thanks to his love for reading and understanding over fifty ancient languages. If another ascended immortal had been here, they might not have this level of insight.
hǎo zài lín xuān jiàn shí guǎng bó ， zhè zhǒng xiǎo shǒu duàn zì rán shì yī xiào zhì zhī de 。
好在林轩见识广博，这种小手段自然是一笑置之的。
His spirit scanned the document to ensure there were no mistakes before he cut his finger and let a drop of blood enter the blood curse document.
ér nà xiē de wén zì suī rán guǐ yì ， lín xuān dào yě rèn shí ， dāng rán ， zhè shì yīn wèi tā xǐ huān bó lǎn qún shū ， dǒng de de gǔ wén zhì shǎo yǒu wǔ liù shí zhǒng ， rú guǒ huàn yī míng fēi shēng xiū shì ， yǒu méi yǒu zhè yàng de jiàn shí hái shì liǎng shuō zhī shì 。
而那些的文字虽然诡异，林轩倒也认识，当然，这是因为他喜欢博览群书，懂得的古文至少有五六十种，如果换一名飞升修士，有没有这样的见识还是两说之事。
Instantly, ghostly howls filled the air as red light surged. The vivid text truly came alive, transforming into eerie symbols that entered Lin Xuan’s body.
shén shí zài shàng miàn sǎo guò ， què dìng méi yǒu chā cuò ， lín xuān jiāng shí zhǐ gē pò ， ràng yī dī xiān xuè mò rù xuè zhòu wén shū 。
神识在上面扫过，确定没有差错，林轩将食指割破，让一滴鲜血没入血咒文书。
Dong Fang Mingyu performed the same action, and in just a few breaths, both parties had signed their agreement.
dùn shí ， guǐ míng shēng dà zuò ， xuè guāng yì qǐ ， nà xiē yān hóng de wén zì jū rán zhēn de huó guò lái le ， huà wèi yí gè gè guǐ yì de fú zhòu ， mò rù lín xuān de shēn tǐ zhī zhōng 。
顿时，鬼鸣声大作，血光一起，那些殷红的文字居然真的活过来了，化为一个个诡异的符咒，没入林轩的身体之中。
"This is obviously something from the Ghost Path. Normally, after the Asura King cleansed this realm of spirits, immortal cultivators should loathe ghostly things. Why...?" Lin Xuan was puzzled but didn’t ask any questions.
dōng fāng míng yù yě shì tóng yàng de dòng zuò ， duǎn duǎn jǐ xī de gōng fu ， shuāng fāng jiù qiān hǎo le wén shū 。
东方明玉也是同样的动作，短短几息的功夫，双方就签好了文书。
After the transaction, the atmosphere between them became even more amiable. Facing this woman similar to Qinxin, Lin Xuan’s expression softened. She seemed intent on making a good impression and, as a businesswoman, quickly warmed up to him in just an incense stick's worth of time.
“ zhè zhǒng dōng xī ， míng xiǎn shì guǐ dào zhī wù ， àn lǐ shuō ， ā xiū luó wáng shuài lǐng yīn hún guǐ wù ， jiāng líng jiè xuè xǐ yǐ hòu ， cǐ jiè de xiū xiān zhě ， yīng gāi duì guǐ dào de dōng xī ， shēn è tòng hèn cái shì ， zěn me … zhǐ lín xuān xīn zhōng yǒu xiē yí huò ， dàn tā shì bú huì fā wèn de 。
“这种东西，明显是鬼道之物，按理说，阿修罗王率领阴魂鬼物，将灵界血洗以后，此界的修仙者，应该对鬼道的东西，深恶痛恨才是，怎么…只林轩心中有些疑惑，但他是不会发问的。
However, Lin Xuan was still preparing to leave.
jiāo yì dá chéng yǐ hòu ， bīn zhǔ jiān de qì fēn yuè fā de hé mù ， miàn duì zhè wèi yǔ qín xīn xiāng sì de nǚ zǐ ， lín xuān nán dé de hé yán yuè sè ， ér cǐ nǚ sì hū yě yǒu yì tào jìn hū ， tā běn shì shēng yì chǎng shàng de rén wù ， méi yǎn tiāo tōng ， duǎn duǎn yī zhù xiāng de gōng fu ， shuāng fāng yǐ pǒ wèi shú luò 。
交易达成以后，宾主间的气氛越发的和睦，面对这位与琴心相似的女子，林轩难得的和颜悦色，而此女似乎也有意套近乎，她本是生意场上的人物，眉眼挑通，短短一炷香的功夫，双方已颇为熟络。
Even though she looked like Qinxin, there was no connection between them. He didn’t have the time to linger here.
bù guò lín xuān bì jìng shì yào gào cí de 。
不过林轩毕竟是要告辞的。
Although he had become a Separation and Union stage cultivator at four hundred years old, the path of immortals was one of competing with heaven and fate; he couldn’t afford any complacency.
jí biàn róng mào zài rú hé xiāng sì ， cǐ nǚ yě yǔ qín xīn bàn diǎn guān xì yě wú ， lín xuān yě méi yǒu duō yú de shí jiān zài zhè lǐ dān gē 。
即便容貌再如何相似，此女也与琴心半点关系也无，林轩也没有多余的时间在这里耽搁。
Dong Fang Mingyu tried to persuade him but saw that Lin Xuan was determined to go. She then had the maids prepare a bag of Qilin fruits for him. These were highly sought after by low-grade cultivators, but worth only a few crystal stones in the eyes of high-ranking ones. Lin Xuan didn’t hesitate.
bié kàn tā sì bǎi yú suì jiù chéng wéi le lí hé qī xiū xiān zhě ， dàn xiān dào zhī lù ， nǎi shì yǔ tiān zhēng ， yǔ mìng zhēng ， bàn diǎn sōng xiè bù dé 。
别看他四百余岁就成为了离合期修仙者，但仙道之路，乃是与天争，与命争，半点松懈不得。
Dong Fang Mingyu personally escorted Lin Xuan downstairs. Just as they left, a commotion and cries of pain and shock filled their ears, accompanied by a sound like something breaking.
dōng fāng míng yù lüè zuò wǎn liú ， jiàn lín xuān zhí yì yào zǒu ， biàn ràng shì nǚ zhuāng le yī dài qí lín guǒ ， zhè dōng xī ， duì dī jiē xiū shì shì mèng mèi yǐ qiú zhī wù ， dàn zài gāo jiē xiū shì yǎn zhōng ， què zhí bù liǎo jǐ kuài jīng shí ， lín xuān zì rán yě bú huì tuī cí ”“”
东方明玉略作挽留，见林轩执意要走，便让侍女装了一袋麒麟果，这东西，对低阶修士是梦寐以求之物，但在高阶修士眼中，却值不了几块晶石，林轩自然也不会推辞”“”
Lin Xuan’s expression remained calm. He had experienced many storms to reach his current status, but Dong Fang Mingyu's face turned grim.
suí hòu dōng fāng míng yù qīn zì péi zhe lín xuān xiàng lóu xià zǒu qù ， rán ér jiù zài zhè shí ， yī zhèn zhēng dòu shēng chuán rù ěr lǐ ， lǐ miàn hái jiā zá zhe cǎn jiào jīng hū ， yǐ jí xī lǐ huā lā fǎng fú shén me dōng xī bèi shuāi pò 。
随后东方明玉亲自陪着林轩像楼下走去，然而就在这时，一阵争斗声传入耳里，里面还夹杂着惨叫惊呼，以极稀里哗啦仿佛什么东西被摔破。
Was someone still alive enough to cause trouble in the Treasure Pavilion?
lín xuān tīng le ， shén sè rú cháng ， tā néng gòu yǒu jīn rì de chéng jiù ， bù zhī dào jīng lì le duō shǎo dà fēng dà làng ， rán ér dōng fāng míng yù de liǎn sè ， què zài yī shùn jiān yīn chén le xià lái 。
林轩听了，神色如常，他能够有今日的成就，不知道经历了多少大风大浪，然而东方明玉的脸色，却在一瞬间阴沉了下来。
PS: One more chapter tonight.
"Price..."
Lin Xuan's lips curled into a playful smile, but his heart was already filled with joy. Although he had learned some alchemy techniques during his time in the lower realm, if there were suitable tools at hand, he could repair this Black Dragon Shield himself. However, to be honest, Lin Xuan only had a superficial understanding of crafting techniques and far from mastered them.
Ordinary magical artifacts posed no problem for him to repair, but such high-quality treasures as the Black Dragon Shield might still have unforeseen issues.
Even if it was repaired, its power might suffer a significant loss.
But this shop was different. The other party specialized in this craft, and the craftsmanship of the craftsmen there would definitely be on par with or even surpass his own. If they couldn't handle the job, they wouldn't take it lightly.
As for the price?
Lin Xuan hadn't given it a second thought. Although he came from the lower realm as an immortal cultivator, he was never short of crystal stones.
"Friend, please speak your mind. As long as you can repair this item, I believe I have some assets," Lin Xuan said calmly after drinking a sip of clear tea.
"If that's what you say, then I won't be rude. Could the senior tell me how to repair it?" Dong Fang Mingyu's voice was incredibly pleasant.
"How should it be repaired? What do you mean by this?" Lin Xuan couldn't help but show some surprise on his face.
"Your treasure is suitable for a senior from the Separation and Union stage, but it has suffered severe damage. If we just repair it in a general way, it would only cost ten thousand middle-grade crystal stones, but that would inevitably reduce its power to about seventy percent," Dong Fang Mingyu explained.
Lin Xuan frowned at this. Seventy percent—what use was that? But he didn't press the matter further. Clearly, this woman wasn’t done yet and had more to say.
Sure enough, seeing Lin Xuan's composed expression, Dong Fang Mingyu secretly admired his demeanor. Such an air of confidence was indeed befitting a Core Formation stage senior... no, most ordinary Core Formation cultivators didn't have such cultivation skills.
Her thoughts turned as she regarded Lin Xuan with even more respect. Unfortunately, he was still a human immortal cultivator.
"Considering the quality of this item, I think it's a waste to repair it in such a way. If your finances are generous, you can choose special repairs. We will send this treasure to our main store where the most skilled craftsmen will handle it and add some rare materials," she said. "This way, its power can be fully restored, but it would take three months of work and the repair cost would increase by eight times."
"Eight times?"
Hearing her bold offer, Lin Xuan couldn't help feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation. Eight thousand middle-grade crystal stones—this was astronomical.
For an ordinary Core Formation cultivator, even if they sold everything they had, it might not be enough. But for him...
Although he felt some regret, Lin Xuan wasn’t a miser. Crystal stones were useless to hoard; the Black Dragon Shield, while not a divine treasure, couldn't be bought with money alone.
He understood his choice. "Alright, eight thousand is fine. However, you said it would fully restore its power. If you fail..."
"Don't worry," Dong Fang Mingyu assured him with a smile. "If anything goes wrong in the middle, this shop will offer tenfold compensation."
Lin Xuan couldn’t help but re-examine the shop before him. Its underlying strength was far more formidable than he had imagined.
Of course, that wasn’t his concern.
Dong Fang Mingyu then sent out a sound transmission talisman, and soon two graceful maids brought a tray with a red cloth covering it.
The red cloth was lifted to reveal something that looked like neither skin nor hide.
"This..." Lin Xuan’s face showed some surprise.
"This is a blood curse document. Have you never seen one before?" Dong Fang Mingyu's eyes were filled with curiosity.
Blood curse document?
Lin Xuan’s thoughts raced. If it had been several hours ago, he would have been unsure, but during his casual browsing at the Thousand Volumes Hall, he had indeed come across a book mentioning such a thing.
The name seemed incredibly arcane, yet its function was not particularly special—more like a secular contract.
Of course, the materials required to craft it were quite valuable. Only for major deals would both parties sign such documents.
This was even more binding than a Heart Demon Oath; if violated, one would surely be struck by blood curses during their attempt to break through barriers.
Though he had never seen its full effect before, Lin Xuan didn’t say much.
He picked up the item without showing any emotion. The text on it was vividly red, like fresh blood, as if it could come alive at any moment.
Fortunately, with his extensive knowledge, such a minor trick was easily dismissed.
The strange text, though, he recognized—thanks to his love for reading and understanding over fifty ancient languages. If another ascended immortal had been here, they might not have this level of insight.
His spirit scanned the document to ensure there were no mistakes before he cut his finger and let a drop of blood enter the blood curse document.
Instantly, ghostly howls filled the air as red light surged. The vivid text truly came alive, transforming into eerie symbols that entered Lin Xuan’s body.
Dong Fang Mingyu performed the same action, and in just a few breaths, both parties had signed their agreement.
"This is obviously something from the Ghost Path. Normally, after the Asura King cleansed this realm of spirits, immortal cultivators should loathe ghostly things. Why...?" Lin Xuan was puzzled but didn’t ask any questions.
After the transaction, the atmosphere between them became even more amiable. Facing this woman similar to Qinxin, Lin Xuan’s expression softened. She seemed intent on making a good impression and, as a businesswoman, quickly warmed up to him in just an incense stick's worth of time.
However, Lin Xuan was still preparing to leave.
Even though she looked like Qinxin, there was no connection between them. He didn’t have the time to linger here.
Although he had become a Separation and Union stage cultivator at four hundred years old, the path of immortals was one of competing with heaven and fate; he couldn’t afford any complacency.
Dong Fang Mingyu tried to persuade him but saw that Lin Xuan was determined to go. She then had the maids prepare a bag of Qilin fruits for him. These were highly sought after by low-grade cultivators, but worth only a few crystal stones in the eyes of high-ranking ones. Lin Xuan didn’t hesitate.
Dong Fang Mingyu personally escorted Lin Xuan downstairs. Just as they left, a commotion and cries of pain and shock filled their ears, accompanied by a sound like something breaking.
Lin Xuan’s expression remained calm. He had experienced many storms to reach his current status, but Dong Fang Mingyu's face turned grim.
Was someone still alive enough to cause trouble in the Treasure Pavilion?
PS: One more chapter tonight.