In a much more pleasant mood now, Tim was wondering what to do next. After sweeping through the aisles a few more times, he didn't see anything that would be immediately useful to him. Some of his wealth had to be reserved for cultivation 'pills' as the system termed them, but there was no point in splurging before knowing how it worked. He wasn't even sure if they were necessary to begin with.
After some deliberation, Tim decided that there was no harm in what Indranath had to offer before checking out what the Citadel Governer's room was suppose to be. The ideal situation would be getting some kind of hint on how to get to his parents in there, but for all he knew there could be another alien waiting for him, already aware of his presence.
He walked up to the store counter, and said " Daoist Indranath, I wouldn't mind looking at what you're selling now. Though I don't think I can afford them, in all honesty".
"Fellow Daoist, worry not. For a merchant such as I, my personal collection is not something I would part with easily either. Each item that you purchase via the system store, I get a commission for, which is my true source of revenue. My personal collection only has five items, each one being a unique treasure, it is a way of bolstering my reputation as a merchant and bringing glory to my Trading House. It cannot be traded for with coins, only items of equivalent value can be exchanged for it. I only wish to show you this collection because I believe you are a worthy cultivator that will have great accomplishments in the future, I do not expect you to actually purchase anything" replied Indranath in a slightly reprimanding tone.
Without the use of his inventory, Indranath somehow conjured an item out of thin air, then kept it on a velvet cushion that he had already laid out in advance? He repeated this process another four times, each with a slight pause so Tim could let his eyes linger on each one before being forced to shift his attention to the next one.
"First, we have the cultivation pill Destiny's Grasp, a heavenly pill that increases your chances of reaching the Destiny Forger realm! Fellow Daoist, I understand that you are not too familiar with cultivation, but even you must realize the importance of this pill! How could it possibly be easy, for I myself am not even talented enough to reach the late-initiate stage up until now, let alone the Destiny Forger realm. If I had the talent to reach the second rank, I would not sell this pill even if you beat me to death! Alas, I can only accept this bitterly, and find a worthy suitor for this treasure that is of no use to me. Till now, I have not found a trade that satisfies me, thus it remains in my personal collection bringing me a different kind of glory." said Indranath in a loud voice that was slightly tinged with regret. The pill Indranath was pointing at looked like a small, circular candy that was painted in a mix of dark blue, turquoise and white, which Tim found quite beautiful to look at.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Taking a few seconds to regain his composure, Indranath continued on " The second item is a movement technique, The River's Hymn. It allows you to burst in explosive speed for a limited period of time, easily allowing you to escape your persuers, though afterwards you will be very fatigued, defenceless against your enemies. Be warned though, this technique is not so easily learned, otherwise I would not wish to sell it". Tim looked at the old scroll that was wrapped up by a crimson red thread, then waited for the next item.
"The third item appears to be a Dao treasure, but even I am not sure what Dao it is supposed to be utilized for. Ah you may not know this, but Dao treasures are naturally formed relics that allow one to gain a deeper understanding of the aspects of a Dao they have already gained insight into. They are good for training, but trying to gleam an insight directly using these treasures is a fool's dream, unless they have a very high affinity for that element to begin with. Do try to touch it, you will know what I mean" said Indranath, pointing at a misshapen stone that was pitch black.
Tim was quite intrigued by this concept, he wondered if he could get a Dao treasure for wind or mist and quickly gain an understanding of various aspects that would augment his strength greatly. He reached out for the stone and grabbed it.
"Fuck" Tim spat out, almost immediately after making contact with the stone. It felt like ants were crawling under his skin, his temperature had rapidly dropped to the point where he believed he was dead, while he felt like his body was transforming into some warped monstrosity at a rapid rate. He quickly yanked his arm back in terror.
Tim was shocked, wondering what terrifying Dao that was supposed to be. He subconsciously had come to assume that he was powerful at his level, but after this demonstration he realized that underestimating the forces of the multiverse was a luxury he could not afford.
However if Tim let fear cripple him that easily, he would've died long ago. Indranath was trying to intimidate him for some reason, but thinking about his disdain skill all he could do was involuntarily let out a light chuckle, waiting for the day that skill would finally proc.
Daoist Indranath's face went pale after seeing that, but he let out a light cough and decided to continue on with the demonstration. As if by tacit consent, neither Tim nor Indranath indulged in any further discussion regarding the events that had just taken place.
"As for the fourth item, it is the Twin Beast Protecting Array. It is designed to protect a large area, summoning two illusory beasts based on your visualisation, easily scaring off any weak beasts or cultivators from approaching hastily. While it has no offensive prowess, arrays are very rarely found in the hands of initiate level cultivators, thus few would manage to figure out that they were being tricked until it was too late." said Indranath, as if he could picture the scene of inexperienced cultivators unwittingly falling prey to his prized possession.