West District.

In a less-trodden area of the district, Bubai’s eyes finally landed on his destination - a majestic pavilion distinguished by an elegant calligraphy sign: “Exchange Pavilion.”

With the fairy, Bubai could barter for top-tier knowledge and even techniques, but physical resources were not a part of their transactions.

Therefore, he must procure these himself, and the venue before him was one of the key locations for such acquisitions.

When Bubai approached the pavilion, his steps slowed, his gaze sweeping the perimeter, where female law enforcers were stationed as sentinels.

This place was one of the few heavily guarded establishments in the sect. Well, for good reason.

Making his way to the wide-open entrance, Bubai felt a twinge of unease as their eyes followed his every move. Yet, none of them moved to intercept him, letting him walk past.

Entering the hall of the pavilion, Bubai immediately noticed a few eunuchs clad in antiquated brocade robes ferrying trays and boxes, disappearing into side rooms along the hall's perimeter.

One of the eunuchs stationed near the entrance spotted him and hurried over, a welcoming smile plastered across his face despite the harried pace of his movements.

"Welcome, welcome to our humble pavilion!"

The eunuch’s eyes searched Bubai’s face before gesturing toward a side room, "Esteemed young master, please allow little one to guide you through the procedures. This way please."

Bubai nodded, following the eunuch as he led the way to a side room, their footsteps echoing against the polished floor.

Once inside, the eunuch gestured toward a modest tea table, where a thick booklet sat.

“Young master, that is the sect’s most up-to-date catalog of the items available for inner disciples. Would young master like some time to peruse it, or does young master already have a selection in mind?”

Though tempted to use his divine sense, Bubai restrained his impulse and replied, “I’ll like some time, please.”

“Very well. Feel free to take your time,” the eunuch then gestured toward a string hanging from the ceiling, where a bell was attached, “Young master can ring the bell whenever you are ready.”

“Good.”

Getting Bubai’s affirmation, the eunuch clasped his hands together and bowed, “Then, if there is nothing else, little one will attend to other matters.”

The eunuch backed out from the room, shutting the door behind him with a soft click.

Alone once more, Bubai relaxed subtly, walking over to the low-end table and settling himself on the cushioned stool.

Flipping opening the catalog, Bubai was immediately greeted by a neatly organized page listing some high-end treasures alongside brief descriptions.

Celestial Essence Pill - 10000 contribution points: A rare elixir imbued with the essence of the heavens, said to wash the spirit, greatly enhancing one's spiritual purity and cultivation speed.

Nine-Fold Lotus Seed - 7500 contribution points: A sacred seed harvested from the depths of a mystical oasis, said to bestow profound insight and tranquility upon the cultivator.

Dragon Blood Ink - 5000 contribution points: A potent ink derived from the blood of draconic beasts. Has a stronger efficacy in retention. Meant for earth-rank talisman seals. Consume at your own risk.

High-grade Storage Pouch – 5000 contribution points: Storage tool with a large, stable space. Additional security features and customization options starting at 50 points.

Foundation Establishment Pill – 5000 contribution points…

Each entry boasted rare resources - unattainable in the market even if one had an abundance of spirits stones because there was simply no supply.

Of course, most of these exorbitantly-priced treasures were probably only placed in the catalog to whet the appetites of disciples. After all, earning enough contribution points may take years to decades.

Anyways, these weren’t his goals this time. So, Bubai began skimming through the pages...

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Thunderbolt Elixir - 3000 contribution points: An elixir forged through the fusion of celestial thunder and rare herbs, capable of temporarily bolstering one's resilience against tribulation lightning.

Moonlit Orchid Essence - 2500 contribution points: A fragrant essence distilled from the petals of a celestial orchid bathed in moonlight, known for its ability to soothe the injured spirit and cleanse spiritual ailment.

Immortal Jade Bamboo - 2000 contribution points: A rare species of bamboo imbued with the essence of life, said to possess the power to restore permanently lost vitality.

Serenity Dewdrops - 1000 contribution points: Glistening droplets collected from the morning dew from a sacred grove in Moonlit Valley, commonly known for their ability to accelerate True Qi refinement and harmonize Yin Yang energies...

Bypassing the extravagant offerings, Bubai eventually reached the latter half of the catalog.

His eyes alighted upon seeing an essential item he was looking for.

Low-grade Storage Pouch – 200 contribution points: Storage tool with a small, stable space, 10 additional points for appearance customization options.

This would be his ticket to smuggling his arsenal onto the stage without arousing too much suspicion!

After a mental calculation of his remaining points, Bubai continued his search. Soon, he stumbled upon another object of interest.

Ice Jade Vials – 10 contribution points: Crafted from millennia-old ice sourced from the Heartless Sword sect's territory. The frigid temperatures of the ice promise ideal conditions for preserving essences and other fluid substances for up to six months.

This was known as the freezer in a bottle, and it was something Bubai had his eye on for a while.

While used versions of such vials could indeed be found in the market, they had a hefty price in spirit stones, and their integrity was often compromised by contamination from other substances.

What substances? Need more be said?

Bubai grimaced at the thought of dealing with all those icky trouble. Thus, he resolved that it was best to procure new ones from the Exchange Pavilion.

Confirming that he can afford everything he was aiming for, Bubai reached up and rang the bell softly, summoning the eunuch back into the room.

The dangling bell rang softly at a strange frequency that tested his patience.

When the soft chimes faded away, his patience was rewarded with the same eunuch entering the room, his demeanor as deferential as before, "Have you made your decisions, esteemed young master?"

"Please get me a low-grade storage pouch and three ice jade vials."

The eunuch bowed, acknowledging the request. "Of course, young master. That will be 230 points in total. May little one borrow your token for a moment?"

Handing over his identity token, Bubai watched the eunuch accept it with another bow before retreating from the room to retrieve the items.

Left alone once more, Bubai took the opportunity to scan through the remainder of the catalog, recording all the prices in mind with a detached interest.

Finishing the catalog, Bubai closed it before shifting his attention to the private room itself.

Bubai’s pupils gleamed with a green hue. The subtle currents of Qi flowing around him faded into his vision, allowing him to see the network of circuits embedded within the walls of the room.

According to the fairy, this should be a higher-end perception-isolation array, configured with the Four-cardinals formation commonly used in the sect restrictions to ensnare those without tokens.

A faint furrow creased Bubai’s brow as he considered the implications of such defenses.

"If that eunuch really steals my token..."

Then, he will literally be trapped here like a sitting duck.

Of course, Bubai wasn’t too worried. Unlike some sketchy establishments in the sect, this Exchange Pavilion was under the direct jurisdiction of the Royal faction and it had a reputation to uphold.

Moreover, if anyone dared to employ underhanded tactics…

Bubai's hand gently brushed the prayer beads forming the bracelet on his wrist. Will she come to bail him out?

Fortunately, no one bothered to commit an act of sheer folly against a random side character like himself. So, there was no need to answer that question… for now.

After a brief wait, the eunuch returned to the room, now bearing a tray blanketed in a black fabric.

"Apologies for the delay," the eunuch expressed as he approached, setting the tray down upon the low-end table.

After removing the black cloak, he stepped back, "Young Master Mo, here are the items you requested. The points have been deducted, and you now have 7 points remaining."

Bubai's gaze swept over the contents of the tray, lingering on each item in turn.

He reached out and took hold of the coarse brown pouch first, inspecting its interior to find approximately two cubic meters of storage space. Not bad.

Nodding in satisfaction, he fastened it securely to his waist before retrieving his identity token and doing the same.

Finally, his attention turned to the three light blue crystal-like vials with ethereal white mist swirling within each one. These should be the Ice Jade vials.

When Bubai reached out to touch one, a biting coldness prickled his fingertips. Of course, such frigidity were trivial for most cultivators.

After storing the three vials within his newly acquired storage pouch, Bubai rose to his feet.

Seeing this, the eunuch courteously stepped aside, gesturing towards the exit with a warm smile.

"If there is anything else you require, Young Master Mo, please do not hesitate to return. Little one goes by the name of Xiao WaWa, and if Young Master Mo is satisfied, you can seek me out for any other service."

...

Hurrying out from the Exchange Pavilion, Bubai passed by the female law enforcers, sensing their vigilant gazes trained on him once more.

It wasn't until he turned a corner that he felt the weight of their scrutiny lift.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Bubai made his way forward, conveniently channeling his Qi to open the storage pouch on his waist.

An almost empty space, save for the vials.

It’ll be a bit odd to have it filled right off the bat, but once he got the chance to populate the pouch...

Equipped with this smokescreen, he would be able to assess items from his personal storage space with less suspicions, even if he pulls out items like doraemon.

Finding a hidden spot and cloaking the area with divine sense, Bubai proceeded to discreetly transfer a batch of formation chips from his storage space to his storage pouch.

With his preparations complete, Bubai glanced up at the darkening skies, observing the snowflakes drifting lazily beyond the barrier. A soft sigh escaped his lips.

"Time to check if the granny will let me back in today."